俱舍論頌疏論本 19.98

19.98

釋曰：上兩句標，下兩句指事釋之。且問記有四：一應一向記、二應分別記、三應反詰記、四應捨置記（記者答也）。如問死者：「一切有情皆當死不？」應一向記，一切有情皆定當死。如問生者：「一切有情皆當生不？」應分別記，有煩惱者受生，無煩惱者不生。如問殊勝，應反詰記。有作是問：「人為勝劣？」應反詰言：為何所方？若言方天，應記人劣；若言方下（惡趣），應記人勝。如問「我、蘊一異」者，應捨置記。若作是問：「我與五蘊為一為異？」應捨置記，此不應問。若有我體，可問一異；本無我體，一異不成。如問「石女生兒為白為黑？」應捨置記，謂石女本自無兒，何得論其黑白？此上依毘婆沙師說。頌言等者，等取《發智》、本論及契經說。《發智》，如論說：「今且敘經。云何有問應一向記？謂問『諸行者無常耶？』此問名為應一向記。云何有問應分別記？謂若有問：『諸有故思，造作業已，為受何果？』此問名為應分別記，造善受人天，造惡受惡趣。云何有問應反詰記？謂若有問：『士夫想與我為一為異（此問假我）？』應反詰言：『汝依何我作如是問？若言依麁我（色蘊上我），應記與想異（想、色不同，故言異也）。』此問名為應反詰記。云何有問但應捨置記？謂若有問：『世為常（一問）？無常（二問）？亦常亦無常（三問）？非常非無常（四問）？世為有邊（五問）？無邊（六問）？亦有邊亦無邊（七問）？非有邊非無邊（八問）？如來死後為有（九問）？非有（十問）？亦有亦非有（十一問）？非有非非有（十二問）？為命者即身（十三問）？為命者異身（十四問）？』此問名為但應捨置（已上論文）。」解云：此經問世及問如來兼命者，皆是我之異名，此有十四問皆不可記，名十四不可記事，以我體既無故，皆應捨置答也。

Explanation: The upper two lines present [the categories], and the lower two lines explain them by indicating instances. The questions and answers are fourfold: 1. That which should be answered unequivocally; 2. That which should be answered by distinguishing; 3. That which should be answered by counter-question; 4. That which should be answered by setting aside ('answering' means replying). As when asking about death: 'Will all sentient beings die?' One should answer unequivocally: all sentient beings will definitely die. As when asking about birth: 'Will all sentient beings be born?' One should answer by distinguishing: those with defilements take rebirth; those without defilements are not reborn. As when asking about superiority, one should answer by counter-question. Someone asks: 'Is a human superior or inferior?' One should ask in return: Compared to what? If compared to gods, one should answer that humans are inferior; if compared to lower realms (evil destinies), one should answer that humans are superior. As when asking about 'the identity or difference of the self and the aggregates', one should answer by setting it aside. If one asks: 'Is the self identical to or different from the five aggregates?' One should answer by setting it aside; this should not be asked. If there were an entity of self, one could ask about identity or difference; since there is fundamentally no entity of self, identity or difference cannot be established. As when asking: 'Is the barren woman's child white or black?' One should answer by setting it aside; since a barren woman fundamentally has no child, how could one discuss its blackness or whiteness? The above follows the exposition of the masters of the Vibhāṣā. The word 'and so forth' in the verse includes the explanations of the Jñānaprasthāna, the root treatise, and the sūtras. As for the Jñānaprasthāna and the treatise's exposition: 'Now we shall first recount the sūtra. What question should be answered unequivocally? Such as asking: "Are all conditioned formations impermanent?" This question is called one that should be answered unequivocally. What question should be answered by distinguishing? Such as if one asks: "When someone intentionally performs karma, what fruit does he experience?" This question is called one that should be answered by distinguishing: performing good, he experiences rebirth among humans and gods; performing evil, he experiences the evil destinies. What question should be answered by counter-question? Such as if one asks: "Is the perception of a person identical to or different from the self (this asks about the nominal self)?" One should ask in return: "Relying on what self do you ask this? If you say relying on the coarse self (the self identified with the form aggregate), one should answer that it is different from perception (since perception and form are not the same, therefore one says different)." This question is called one that should be answered by counter-question. What question should only be answered by setting aside? Such as if one asks: "Is the world eternal (first question)? Impermanent (second question)? Both eternal and impermanent (third question)? Neither eternal nor impermanent (fourth question)? Is the world finite (fifth question)? Infinite (sixth question)? Both finite and infinite (seventh question)? Neither finite nor infinite (eighth question)? Does the Tathāgata exist after death (ninth question)? Not exist (tenth question)? Both exist and not exist (eleventh question)? Neither exist nor not exist (twelfth question)? Is the vital principle identical to the body (thirteenth question)? Is the vital principle different from the body (fourteenth question)?" This question is called one that should only be answered by setting aside (the above is the text of the treatise).' Interpretation: In this sūtra, asking about the world, asking about the Tathāgata, as well as the vital principle, are all alternate names for the self; here there are fourteen questions which are all unanswerable, termed the fourteen unanswerable points; since the entity of a self does not exist, they should all be answered by setting them aside.