俱舍論記 27.156

27.156

「餘三各三謂修生業」者，釋第五句。謂餘天眼、天耳、宿住三類各三，謂修、生、業，以難成故，非呪、藥、占。謂眼、耳鈍故非呪、藥成。占相唯意，亦非眼、耳。身雖是色，以相顯故，神呪、塗藥可以飛行，不同眼、耳。知過去難，所以宿住非呪、藥、占。問：知現在易他心如何非由業耶？解云：他心雖知現在，知一用故。行相微細，難可知故，非由業成。宿住知過去，多體故，雖緣過去，對彼他心總易知故，可由業成。問：他心知一用難，如何呪知他心、不知過去？解云：呪力唯及現在，故在他心。不及過去，故不通宿住。

"The remaining three each have three: namely cultivation, birth, and karma" explains the fifth line. It means that the remaining three types—the divine eye, the divine ear, and [knowledge of] past abodes—each have three [modes]: namely cultivation, birth, and karma. Because they are difficult to accomplish, they are not [accomplished by] mantras, medicines, or divination. That is to say, because the eye and the ear are dull, they cannot be accomplished by mantras or medicines. Divination belongs exclusively to mental consciousness, so it too cannot pertain to the eye or ear. Although the physical body is material, because its characteristics are prominent, one can fly through divine mantras or the application of medicines, which is not like the eye and ear. Knowing the past is difficult; hence, [knowledge of] past abodes is not [accomplished by] mantras, medicines, or divination. Question: Knowing the present is easy; why is knowledge of other minds not accomplished through karma? The explanation states: Although knowledge of other minds knows the present, it knows only a single particular function. Because its mode of activity is subtle and difficult to know, it is not accomplished through karma. Knowledge of past abodes knows the past, which has many entities; although it takes the past as its object, relative to knowledge of other minds it is generally easier to know, and therefore can be accomplished through karma. Question: If knowing a single function in the knowledge of other minds is difficult, why can mantras know other minds but cannot know the past? The explanation states: The power of mantras reaches only the present, hence it applies to other minds; it does not reach the past, hence it does not extend to past abodes.