俱舍論記 5.143

5.143

「論曰至性是體義」者，就長行中，初釋頌本，後問答分別。此釋頌也。由此四種是有為法之標相故，法若有此相應是有為攝，與此相違是無為法。此宗諸法體皆本有，四相於法但望用說，非據體論。此中於法能起彼用令入現在，說名為生。若無生相，諸有為法如虛空等應本不生。至現在已，住令彼用暫時安住各引自果，故名為住。若無住相，諸法暫住，應更不能引於自果。若任住力數令引果，由異能衰彼引果用，令其不能重引自果，故名為異。若無異相衰彼功能，何緣不能數引自果？或異相者，是行相續後異前因，若任住力，令諸行法後漸勝前，由異衰故令後劣前。雖復有法後勝於前，由別緣助摧異相能、引後勝也。異於現用既衰損已，滅復能壞彼現法用滅入過去，故名為滅。若無滅相，用應不滅，用若不滅應是其常。應知此宗生相未來起用，住、異、滅三於現在世同時起用。雖復俱依一法上立，所望不同作用各別。問：時之極促名一剎那，用既別世，何名剎那？答：《婆沙》三十九有二說。一說云：體雖同時，用有先後，一法生滅作用究竟名一剎那。又一說云：或生滅位非一剎那，然一剎那具有三體，故說三相同一剎那。前家約用，後家約同時具有三體，各據一義，然無評家。又足一解：生用起時名一剎那，現在三相用時復名一剎那。此約用起時極促解也。

On "The treatise says... 'nature' means essence": in the prose commentary, first it explains the root verse, and then analyzes it through questions and answers. This explains the verse. Because these four are the marks of conditioned phenomena, if a phenomenon has these characteristics, it is subsumed under the conditioned; what is contrary to this is an unconditioned phenomenon. In this school, the essences of all phenomena exist originally; the four characteristics are stated only with respect to functioning on phenomena, not with respect to their essences. Here, that which can arouse that function in a phenomenon and cause it to enter the present is called "arising". If there were no characteristic of arising, all conditioned phenomena, like space and the like, would fundamentally never arise. Having reached the present, "staying" causes that function to remain temporarily and each draw its own fruit; hence it is called "staying". If there were no characteristic of staying, phenomena staying temporarily would no longer be able to draw their own fruits. If left to the power of staying, it would repeatedly cause fruits to be drawn; but because decaying can weaken that function of drawing fruits, making it unable to draw its own fruit again, it is called "decaying". If there were no characteristic of decaying to weaken that capacity, for what reason would it be unable to repeatedly draw its own fruit? Or, the characteristic of decaying is that in the continuum of formations, the later differs from the earlier cause; if left to the power of staying, it would cause all formations to become gradually superior to the earlier, but because decaying weakens them, it makes the later inferior to the earlier. Although there are phenomena where the later is superior to the earlier, this is due to other conditions assisting to overcome the capacity of the characteristic of decaying and draw what is later and superior. Once decaying has impaired the present function, "cessation" can further destroy that present phenomenon's function, causing it to cease and enter the past; hence it is called "cessation". If there were no characteristic of cessation, function would not cease, and if function did not cease, it would be permanent. It should be known that in this school, the characteristic of arising activates its function in the future, while the three of staying, decaying, and cessation simultaneously activate their functions in the present period. Although they all rest upon one phenomenon, in their orientations they differ, and their functions are distinct. Question: The utmost brevity of time is called one kṣaṇa; since their functions belong to different time periods, how can it be called a kṣaṇa? Answer: The Mahāvibhāṣā, fascicle 39, has two explanations. One explanation says: although their entities are simultaneous, their functions have an earlier and later; the completion of the function of arising and cessation of a single phenomenon is called one kṣaṇa. Another explanation says: or the stages of arising and cessation are not a single kṣaṇa, yet a single kṣaṇa possesses all three entities, therefore the three characteristics are said to be in the same kṣaṇa. The former position is based on function; the latter position is based on simultaneously possessing the three entities; each relies on one perspective, but there is no critical judgment by the commentators. Further, an additional explanation: the time when the function of arising activates is called one kṣaṇa, and the time of function of the three present characteristics is again called one kṣaṇa. This is explained in terms of the utmost brevity of the time when function arises.