瑜伽論記 3.110

3.110

Regarding the third meaning: checking the Abhidharma and the Pratītyasamutpādasūtra, each explains this with eleven meanings: First, the meaning of being devoid of a sentient being: the Abhidharma states that because there is no natural self, [the previous text of the treatise] refutes the Vaiśeṣikas, the Vātsīputrīyas, and others who posit a self as an agent, because it is devoid of such a sentient being. Second, the meaning of impermanence: because it is not eternal; this refutes the Sāṃkhya view that the primordial nature (prakṛti) is permanently abiding and the root of all things, showing impermanence because things are formed with conditions as causes; it also refutes the view of the Mahāsāṃghikas, Mahīśāsakas, and others that the twelvefold dependent origination is an unconditioned phenomenon. Third, the meaning of temporary abiding: because once the moment of arising passes, there is no temporary abiding; in the Abhidharma treatise this is called the meaning of having momentariness; this refutes the view of the Sammatīyas that material form, the life-faculty, and other dependently arisen phenomena have four phases across a single lifetime and are not momentary. Fourth, the meaning of dependent arising (paratantra): because it relies on manifold conditions; this refutes the naturalists (svabhāvavādins) among non-Buddhists who hold that things exist naturally and are not produced by artificial causes, hence [phenomena] are dependently arisen. Fifth, the meaning of being devoid of activity: because the activity of manifold conditions is empty; this refutes the Sarvāstivādins' view that real activity is the essence of dependent origination, by showing here that there is causal capacity but no active agent. Sixth, the meaning of the uninterrupted succession of cause and effect: the cause ceases in a moment and the effect arises in a moment; because their time-divisions are equal, cause and effect succeed one another; this refutes the non-Buddhists with nihilistic views who hold that cause and effect do not succeed each other, and it also excludes the Sautrāntika view that there are no past and future times, where the cause and effect of vipāka are still not simultaneous, because the effect and cause would be disconnected. Seventh, the meaning of cause and effect evolving with mutual resemblance: because not everything arises from everything, cause and effect are similar; this refutes those who consider harming to be the true Dharma, who posit that slaughtering sheep and the like is the cause of being born in heaven later—which would mean wholesome fruits have unwholesome causes, and thus cause and effect would not be similar; now it is shown that wholesome causes yield wholesome vipāka and unwholesome causes yield unwholesome vipāka, so cause and effect are similar. Eighth, the meaning of being created by one's own karma: because one does not receive the fruit in another continuum, one receives oneself what is done by one's own karma; this refutes the various theories of nihilistic view which hold that there is no cause and effect and that it is not karma that arises; it also refutes the meaning that another acts and I receive the fruit, which refers to the theories positing an unequal cause. The Abhidharma and the Pratītyasamutpādasūtra both explain these in detail themselves; fearing verbosity, I do not state them here. To reveal the meaning of defilement and purification subsumed under causes and conditions: the tenth fascicle below states that among the twelve branches, four are solely defiled and the remainder encompass purification; those four defilements that initiate and moisten wholesome fruits and the purificatory retinue are also named purificatory; the intention is to reveal that the class of dependent origination belonging to the path of love is called purification, and the class of dependent origination not belonging to the path of love is called defilement; to reveal that these causes and conditions are dependently arisen through defilement and purification, dependent origination is established; this explains the intention behind speaking of dependent origination; hence in explaining the meanings and refuting other traditions, the intention of our own principle is revealed. Some explain: among the three marks of the essence discussed above, the first two of transmigration reveal defilement, while the latter one of cessation reveals purification.