中觀論疏 4.27

4.27

As for "Because seeing and the visible are non-existent": according to the verses, this is the sixth, explaining that because the cause is non-existent, the result is non-existent. What is called the cause is that the combination of the eye and visible form produces the eye-consciousness up to the four graspings (upādāna); thus the eye and visible form are the cause, and consciousness and the rest are the result. Looking at the chapter's intention: from the beginning of the chapter, it has entirely completed refuting the cause of seeing—that is, seeking the three kinds of seeing and not finding them clarifies that there is no cause; therefore, now for the second time it clarifies that there is no result. "Because seeing and the visible are non-existent" proximately restates the second half of the fifth verse, and distantly restates the refutation of the entire chapter. "The four dharmas such as consciousness are non-existent" refutes the non-existence of the result. According to the meaning in the Tattvasiddhi, the combination of the eye and visible form produces the eye-consciousness, consciousness produces ideation (saṃjñā), ideation produces feeling (vedanā), and feeling produces volitional formations (saṃskāra), successively grasping provisional and real objects. Above, having refuted and eliminated the eye seeing visible form, these four minds are not produced. According to the Abhidharma doctrine: above, having refuted and eliminated the eye seeing visible form, now it next refutes and eliminates the four dharmas. As for the four dharmas: the combination of the eye and visible form produces the eye-consciousness, by which the eye-consciousness can arise. Next is through contact (sparśa), contact combining the sense-base and sense-object; because contact combines the sense-base and sense-object, it produces the three feelings of suffering, pleasure, and neutral feeling; after the three feelings, it next produces craving (tṛṣṇā). Although other mental factors (caitta) are produced, feeling alone is the master of retribution in the three realms; hence it specifically speaks of producing feeling. After the three feelings, it next produces the three poisons; but craving alone is the root of taking birth in the three realms; hence it specifically speaks of craving. The Prakaraṇapāda directly clarifies these four dharmas, identical with the present prose. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā also clarifies that feelings arise with eye-contact as cause and condition, up to feelings arising with mind-contact as cause and condition. As for "the four graspings": the Vibhāṣā says, "Pursuing and seeking in the four directions is called the four graspings." The Śrīmālādevī-sūtra takes the four entrenchments (bhūmi) as the four graspings; hence it says: "Impure karma is the cause, and the four graspings are the condition, producing [birth] within the three realms." Now here it specifically clarifies the four graspings: according to the Abhidharma, it subsumes all one hundred and eight defilements as the substance of the four graspings. In the three realms there are sharp and dull proclivities (anuśaya), each divided into two parts: the dull proclivities of the desire realm grasp the outer five desires, called the grasping of desires (kāmopādāna). The dull proclivities of the upper two realms do not grasp the outer five desires and are not called the grasping of desires, but only grasp internal phenomena, called the grasping of the theory of self (ātmavādopādāna). The four views of the three realms constitute the grasping of views (dṛṣṭyupādāna); the delusion-grasping of the three realms is called the grasping of rules and vows (śīlavratopādāna). The dull proclivities are divided into two according to realm; the sharp proclivities are divided into two according to heavy and light. Although the delusion-grasping is one, both internal and external people reckon what is not the path to be the path; since this fault is severe, it uniquely constitutes one grasping; the remaining four views are combined into one grasping. In the Tattvasiddhi's explanation of the four graspings, their substance is restricted. As for "and all other conditions": since the four graspings are non-existent, one does not arouse the three karmas; because the three karmas are non-existent, the two future results perish. When one contemplates seeing and the visible as empty, the river of the twelve links of dependent origination dries up, and the water of Buddha-nature arises. This verse directly clarifies the main intention of refuting the six sense-faculties. From "The ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind" downward: second, by analogy it refutes phenomena such as the five sense-faculties. There are two masters explaining the contact and separation of sense-bases and sense-objects: the Sarvāstivādins say that three sense-bases act in contact, namely nose, tongue, and body; three sense-bases act separated, namely eye, ear, and mind. The Tattvasiddhi summarizes the six sense-bases in four propositions: the eye is only separated and not in contact; the nose, tongue, and body are only in contact and not separated; the ear is both separated and in contact—hearing external sounds is separated, hearing ringing in the ears is in contact; the mind is neither separated nor in contact, because it is formless. Now this verse generally clarifies that the six sense-faculties cannot be grasped as having a nature of separation or contact; thus they are empty.