十二門論宗致義記 1.4

1.4

第一、教起所因者，略有十因，造此等論：一、為是論主本願力故，以此龍樹住於初地，理應以誓願力，於佛滅後弘法攝生，是其所作；況論主見《楞伽》等經，佛既記我當來然正法炬、滅邪見幢，是故理應廣造諸論，以扶嘉唱。二、為佛滅後外道競興、邪說紛綸，訕謗佛法，為破彼等令歸正故。三、為諸二乘不信於大，破彼異執令向大故。四、為於大乘謬解真空，滯於情執，令彼破情見正理故。五、為顯示大乘真實究竟，令彼信受不疑惑故。六、為欲略顯大乘般若真空最為要妙，依之方得成萬行故。七、為欲解釋大乘經中深妙之義，令顯現故。八、為令一類依論解釋得開悟者，因此而得入正法故。九、為欲於佛滅後助佛揚化，護大乘法，令久住故。十、為以美辭妙頌，廣宣流布此大乘法，成法供養，報佛恩故。

First, as for the causes for the arising of the teaching, there are briefly ten causes for composing treatises such as this: First, it is due to the power of the treatise master's original vows. Since this Nāgārjuna abided in the first bhūmi, by reason he ought, through the power of his vows, to propagate the Dharma and embrace sentient beings after the Buddha's extinction, this being what he had to do. Furthermore, the treatise master saw scriptures such as the Laṅkāvatāra, where the Buddha had already prophesied that I would in the future ignite the torch of the true Dharma and extinguish the banner of deviant views; therefore, by reason he ought to broadly compose various treatises to assist this auspicious proclamation. Second, because after the Buddha's extinction non-Buddhists vied in arising, deviant doctrines became confused, and they slandered the Buddha-Dharma, it was composed to refute them and lead them back to what is correct. Third, because the followers of the two vehicles did not believe in the Mahāyāna, it was composed to refute their divergent attachments and turn them toward the Mahāyāna. Fourth, because people erroneously understood true emptiness in the Mahāyāna and remained stuck in sentimental attachments, it was composed to cause them to break through sentiment and see the correct principle. Fifth, it was composed to reveal the truth and culmination of the Mahāyāna, so that they would faithfully accept it without doubt. Sixth, it was composed with the wish to briefly show that the true emptiness of Mahāyāna prajñā is the most essential and wondrous, and that only by relying on it can the myriad practices be accomplished. Seventh, it was composed with the wish to explain the deep and wondrous meanings within the Mahāyāna sūtras, making them manifest. Eighth, it was composed to cause those of a certain capacity, who attain awakening by relying on the explanations of treatises, to enter the true Dharma on this basis. Ninth, it was composed with the wish to assist the Buddha in propagating the transformation after the Buddha's extinction, to protect the Mahāyāna Dharma, and to make it abide for a long time. Tenth, it was composed to broadly propagate and disseminate this Mahāyāna Dharma with beautiful phrases and wondrous verses, thereby accomplishing an offering of Dharma to repay the Buddha's benevolence.