俱舍論頌疏論本 1.155

1.155

言種族者，是界義。論有兩釋。一解：族者，謂種族也，是生本義，謂十八界為同類因，各生自類等流果故，是法生本。如一山中有多銅鐵金銀等族，說名多界。如是一身，或一相續，有十八類諸法種族，名十八界。解云：金銀等族是金銀等鑛。言一身者，一有情身。一相續者，一法相續。此一身一相續合前喻中如一山中也。問：「若爾，無為應不名界，謂無為法非同類因，不成生本故。」答：「心、心所法生之本故，謂心、心所緣無為法生，雖不為因，而得為境，是心、心所生之本故。」有說界聲表種類義，謂十八法種類自性各別不同，名十八界。此師解意，族謂族類，謂十八法各各別也。如崔、盧等姓各各不同。薩婆多宗，三科俱實。若依經部，蘊、處是假，唯界是實。若依論主，唯蘊是假，餘二並實。

'Lineage' is the meaning of dhātu. The treatise gives two explanations. The first explanation: 'lineage' means clan/source, which is the meaning of the basis of arising. Namely, the eighteen dhātus serve as homogeneous causes, each producing its own kind of concordant effect; hence they are the basis of the arising of dharmas. Just as in a single mountain there are many lineages of copper, iron, gold, silver, and so forth, which are called many dhātus, so in a single body, or a single continuum, there are the lineages of eighteen types of dharmas, called the eighteen dhātus. The explanation says: lineages of gold, silver, and so forth are ores of gold, silver, and so on. 'A single body' means the body of a single sentient being. 'A single continuum' means the continuum of a single dharma. This 'single body' and 'single continuum' correspond to 'in a single mountain' in the earlier metaphor. Question: 'If so, unconditioned [dharmas] should not be called dhātu, because unconditioned dharmas are not homogeneous causes and do not constitute a basis of arising.' Answer: 'They are the basis of the arising of mind and mental factors; namely, mind and mental factors arise taking unconditioned dharmas as object; though they do not serve as cause, they are able to serve as object, and are thus the basis of the arising of mind and mental factors.' Some say that the word dhātu signifies kind, meaning that the kinds and intrinsic natures of the eighteen dharmas are distinct from one another, and are called eighteen dhātus. The meaning of this master's explanation is that 'lineage' means category of kind, meaning that the eighteen dharmas are distinct from one another, just as the surnames Cui, Lu, and so forth are each distinct from one another. In the Sarvāstivāda school, all three categories are real. According to the Sautrāntika, skandhas and āyatanas are conceptual, and only dhātus are real. According to the author of the treatise, only skandhas are conceptual, and the other two are both real.