瑜伽論記 5.247

5.247

現見彼自體故，比類彼物，不現見體者，如現見一象，比類餘象不現見者，如以現在比類過去者，如見彼人現在修善比知過去已曾修善。或以過去比類未來者，既知現修善人過去修善，則以此人過去曾比知來生還能修善。

Regarding "because one directly sees its intrinsic essence, one infers that object whose essence is not directly seen": for example, directly seeing one elephant, one infers other elephants that are not directly seen. Regarding "such as using the present to infer the past": for example, seeing that a person is currently cultivating wholesome deeds, one infers and knows that in the past they also cultivated wholesome deeds. Or "using the past to infer the future": having known that a person who currently cultivates wholesome deeds cultivated wholesome deeds in the past, one uses this person's past practice to infer and know that in a future life they will still be able to cultivate wholesome deeds.