俱舍論記 2.78

2.78

「薪等色聚至如珠寶光」者，答。理實有為剎那自滅，非能所斫。但先薪等色聚極相逼續生，斧等異緣分隔薪等，令各續起、令別義邊，此法名斫。非令法滅，故不相違。支分離身，根非有故，根非所斫，以淨妙法故亦非能斫。問：地獄碎身，或斷蛇等，令成多分，分各別行，是即支分離身有根。解云：地獄現相，見成多分，理實諸分皆有身根。斷蛇等身，有餘勢動。故《婆沙》九十云「有餘師說：諸地獄中，雖解支節為百千分，而諸分內皆有身根，諸分中間有連續故。如碎杜仲及藕根莖，亦如破苽蔕不相離。若相離者身根即無，非一有情有二身故。而世現見，斷諸蟲身為多分已猶行動者，風勢所轉，非有身根。」問：有斷蛇等各別生者，此云何釋？解云：是餘有情依託生故。

On the reply "An aggregate of matter such as firewood [...] like the luster of a gem": In principle and in reality, conditioned things perish of themselves moment by moment, and are not what can cleave or be cleaved. However, when an aggregate of matter such as firewood previously arose in close succession, and distinct conditions such as an axe divide the firewood and the like, causing them each to arise in separate succession—at the point where they are made distinct, this phenomenon is called "cleaving". It does not cause the phenomenon to perish; therefore there is no contradiction. Because sense faculties do not exist when parts are detached from the body, the sense faculties are not what is cleaved; and because they are pure and subtle phenomena, they are also not what can cleave. Question: When a body in hell is crushed, or when a snake or the like is cut into many parts and each part moves separately, is this not a case of sense faculties existing when parts are detached from the body? The explanation states: What appears in hell is seen to become many parts, but in principle all these parts actually possess the body faculty. In the cut body of a snake or the like, movement occurs due to residual momentum. Thus the Mahāvibhāṣā, fascicle ninety, says: "Other teachers say: In the hells, although limbs are severed into hundreds of thousands of parts, all the parts contain the body faculty, because there is continuity between the parts. Just as when eucommia bark or lotus roots and stems are crushed, or just as when a melon is broken open its stem remains connected. If they were separated, the body faculty would not exist, because a single sentient being does not possess two bodies. And what is visually observed in the world, where the bodies of insects cut into many parts still move, is driven by the force of wind, and does not possess a body faculty." Question: There are cases where a severed snake and the like each generate a separate life; how is this explained? The explanation states: This is because other sentient beings arise by taking support upon them.