中觀論疏 7.4

7.4

This chapter has ten gāthās, divided into three sections: the first gāthā generally negates the four views; the second section of eight gāthās explains and refutes the four views; the third section of one gāthā applies the refutation by analogy to all dharmas. In the first gāthā, the first half takes up [the views] and the second half generally negates them. In explaining the four views, there are generally two kinds: first, four views concerning persons; second, four views concerning dharmas. As for the four concerning persons, these are four views of non-Buddhists: first, saying that suffering is self-made, namely that the self within the body makes this suffering; second, saying that Maheśvara creates the suffering of the six destinies, which is called other-made; third, saying that at the beginning of the kalpa there was first one man and one woman who gave birth to all sentient beings, which is precisely jointly made; fourth, saying that this fruit of suffering exists spontaneously, which is called causelessly made. Second, worldly people say: 'I myself committed wrongdoing, and I myself suffer the pain.' They also say: 'I committed no fault, but someone else inflicts suffering upon me,' which is called other-made. Third, they say: 'Because I committed a fault, someone else inflicts suffering upon me,' which is called jointly made. Fourth, they say: 'Unaware of being made by oneself or another, suffering arises for no apparent reason,' which is called causelessly made. As for the four concerning dharmas: there are those who say that the suffering of the five aggregates is its own substantial entity, and from its own entity gives rise to its own entity, just as the occurrence of fire arises from fire-nature, which is self-made. There are those who say that the suffering of the five aggregates arises from preceding five aggregates, which is called other-made suffering. There are those who say jointly made, in that relying on the preceding five aggregates, subsequently there is its own entity, which therefore is called jointly made. The first thought of ignorance arising while relying on space is causelessly made. As for the second half stating 'regarding the fruit, none are so,' the four makings are the causes, and the fruit is suffering. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'As for the source of all sufferings, greed and craving are the root.' Now, contemplating that suffering arises from conditions and thus has no intrinsic nature, one then enters into the true aspect and severs greed and craving; therefore all sufferings do not arise. Question: Is it because there is no fruit of suffering that 'regarding the fruit, none are so,' or is it because they run contrary to the fruit of suffering that they are not so? Answer: It possesses two meanings. First, the four lines above do not recognize the fruit of suffering, and hence it says 'none are so'; second, the treatise master correctly [demonstrates that] dependent origination produces suffering, and suffering produced by dependent origination is identical with the nature of quiescence, and hence he explains that there is no suffering. It possesses both of these.