俱舍論記 21.100

21.100

「若爾現在至說名為遠」者，論主復難。現望去、來世性亦別，亦應名遠。若謂過去、未來法無作用，離作用故名為遠者；諸無為法既無作用，云何名近？若謂由現在世能起彼得，遍得有漏法上擇滅無為、遍得有為法上非擇滅無為，故說無為名為近者；去、來二世例亦應然，亦由現世起得，得彼去、來世法，去、來二世應亦名近。二滅現得可名為近，虛空無為既無有得，如何名近？以說一切有部宗，三無為法皆名為近。二滅有得，虛空無得，故作斯難。故《正理》云「且虛空體遍一切處相無礙故，說名為近。非擇滅體不由功用，於一切體一切處時皆可得故，說名為近。擇滅無為，諸有精進正修行者斷諸惑時，於一切體無有差別，速證得故說名為近（解云：虛空，所在法皆有名近。非擇滅，現易得故名近。擇滅，現速得故名近）。若謂過去、未來更互相望，由隔現在名為遠；現望過去、未來，二世俱極相隣中間無隔，三無為法亦無有隔故皆近者，則應去、來隣現在世故可名近，相望有隔故名遠。故具二名，不應一向說名為遠。」

Regarding "If so, the present […] is spoken of as distant": the author of the treatise raises another objection. Relative to the past and future, the present also has a different temporal nature, so it too should be called distant. If one says that past and future phenomena lack activity, and because they are separated from activity they are called distant, then since the unconditioned phenomena entirely lack activity, how could they be called near? If one says that because the present temporal period can give rise to their possession (prāpti)—pervasively obtaining the unconditioned of cessation through deliberation over sāsrava phenomena, and pervasively obtaining the unconditioned of cessation not through deliberation over saṃskṛta phenomena—the unconditioned are therefore said to be near; then the two periods of past and future should likewise be treated in the same manner: since possession also arises from the present period to obtain those phenomena of the past and future periods, the past and future periods should also be called near. The two cessations having present possession may be called near, but since the unconditioned of space has no possession at all, how could it be called near? For in the Sarvāstivāda school, all three unconditioned phenomena are called near. The two cessations have possession, whereas space has no possession; hence he makes this objection. Thus the *Nyāyānusāra* says: "First, as the substance of space is pervasive everywhere and unobstructed in characteristic, it is spoken of as near. As the substance of cessation not through deliberation does not depend on effort and can be obtained with respect to all substances, in all places, and at all times, it is spoken of as near. As for the unconditioned of cessation through deliberation, when those who are energetic and practice correctly sever the defilements, they swiftly realize it without distinction with respect to any substance; hence it is spoken of as near. (The explanation says: Space is called near because wherever there are phenomena, it is present. Cessation not through deliberation is called near because it is easily obtained in the present. Cessation through deliberation is called near because it is swiftly obtained in the present.) If one says that the past and future, relative to one another, are called distant because they are separated by the present; whereas relative to the past and future, the present is immediately adjacent to both periods with no separation between them, and the three unconditioned phenomena also have no separation, and therefore they are all near; then the past and future, being adjacent to the present period, should be called near, while relative to each other they have a separation and are therefore called distant. Thus they would possess both designations, and should not be spoken of as solely distant."