成唯識論掌中樞要 1.77

1.77

Regarding "sentient being (sattva), living being (jīva), etc.": The Diamond Prajñā speaks of four. Although the names differ in various versions, the translation by Bodhiruci now reads: "self (ātman), sentient being (sattva), living being (jīva), and soul (poṣa)". Vasubandhu's Commentary states: Seeing differences among the five aggregates and falsely apprehending each individual aggregate to be a self—this is called the "mark of a self". This means universally conceptualizing the differences among the five aggregates across the three times as a self. Seeing the physical continuum as uninterrupted is called a "sentient being". This is the conceptualization that the five aggregates, having come from past time, continue without interruption; hence the name "sentient being". Because the life-faculty of a single retribution abides uninterruptedly, it is called a "living being". This conceptualizes life as presently existing. After the life-faculty is severed, taking rebirth in the six destinies—this is called a "soul". This is seeing that life in future existences arises again; in principle, this name should properly be "nurturer" (poṣa), because it nurtures the future. The translator erred, naming it "soul" (āyus/puruṣa). If it were not so, "one who is born" would just be a "living being". In various scriptures, a soul ought to be spoken of separately; thus that sūtra mentions only four types, because it conceptualizes generally and specifically in reference to the three times. Chapter eighty-three of the Yogācārabhūmi explains only eight names: First, self (ātman)—because the view of self and what belongs to a self operates actively, positing the apprehender to demonstrate the apprehended object, the substance of the self is [held to be] existent. Second, sentient being (sattva)—meaning that the noble ones truly know that only this nature exists and there are no other phenomena besides. Furthermore, because there is attachment to it; "sentience" means nature. The first [explanation] speaks generally of the meaning of sentient being, having no entity that can be pointed out, namely the five sense faculties and so forth, which are all called "sentient beings". This is the self, because only this nature exists and there are no other phenomena. The second explanation takes attachment as "sentiment": being able to generate self-love, it is called a sentient being, because attachment is produced toward the nature of those phenomena. If there were no sentient being, what sentiment would love? Third, mind-born (manomaya)—being of the genus of mind, possessing the superior function of being able to deliberate; to show that it is of the genus of mind, it is called "mind-born". Fourth, youth (māṇava)—because it is raised or lowered based on the mind. If explaining its meaning generally, it is translated as "scholar-youth" (rutong): "scholar" means beautiful; "youth" means young; a beautiful youth is called a "scholar-youth". The treatise explains it specifically: "māṇa" has the sense of elevation, through being arrogant toward others; "va" [or vaka] has the sense of lowering, through debasing others; because based on the mind one either disdains others or debases others, it is called "māṇavaka". Fifth, nurturer (poṣa)—because it increases the karma of future existence and performs human functions. First it nurtures the future, and later it sustains the present. Sixth, pudgala—because it is able to repeatedly take up the various destinies. The noble ones are also given this name, spoken in reference to their old bodies from before attaining the path. Seventh, living being (jīva)—being conjoined with life-span and presently existing, it is called a "living being". Life-span is specific, and "being" is general; the general being conjoined with specific life and presently existing is called a "living being". Eighth, born one (jantu)—meaning possessing appearance and so forth. Chapter ten of the Yogācārabhūmi states: What is "birth"? It refers to the two kinds of birth, womb and egg, at the initial moment of entering rebirth. What is "equal birth"? It refers to when the bodily members are fully developed in that state but have not yet emerged. What is "destiny"? It refers to emerging from that state. What is "arising"? It refers to growing after emergence. What is "appearance"? It refers to the two kinds of birth, moisture and transformation, where the bodily members arise suddenly. What is "aggregate attainment"? It refers to the five appropriated aggregates operating in the states of rebirth. What is "element attainment"? It refers to the nature of being subsumed by the causes and conditions of the aggregates. What is "base attainment"? It refers to the nature of those aggregates being subsumed by auxiliary conditions. What is the "arising of the aggregates"? It refers to those aggregates being nourished and increased by daily food and drink. What is the "appearance of the life-faculty"? It refers to being able to abide in continuation through the power of the remaining life-span of those aggregates. The concise meaning here refers to the intrinsic nature of birth; whether the state of the place of birth, what is born, subsumed under causes and conditions, drawn forth by sustaining, or co-arising reliance and maintenance. Among the previous ten: the first, "birth", and the fifth, "appearance", are the intrinsic nature of birth; the second, third, and fourth are the states of the place of birth; the sixth, "aggregate attainment", is what is born; the seventh, "element attainment", and the eighth, "base attainment", are subsumed under the causes and conditions of birth; the ninth, "arising of the aggregates", is drawn forth by sustaining; the tenth, "appearance of the life-faculty", is co-arising reliance and maintenance. That is, a born one possesses these ten meanings. Because of the general functions, only eight are stated, merging human functioning into "nurturer", which is the prevailing conceptualization. If divided into two: increasing the karma of future existence is called "nurturer"; nourishing the present body and performing human functions is called "man" (puruṣa)—divided according to the world. The Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, based on the Sanskrit manuscript of Du Xingyi, was translated at night in the Yuhua Palace and submitted in the morning in the twenty-third year of Zhenguan. Since the manuscript was different, the enumerated names are also distinct. Initially eight, and later nine. Based on the various versions of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā and the Sanskrit text of the Vajracchedikā chapter in the Master's own manuscript, there are also four. This is why Vasubandhu and others explain only four and not more. The initial eight in that Vajracchedikā are: sattva, jīva, puruṣa, pudgala, manomaya, māṇava, kartṛ, and bhoktṛ. The later text states nine, which is these eight plus "ātman". In the initial passage, because it speaks of delivering all sentient beings, sattva comes first, and ātman is omitted. Here, "puruṣa" is just "poṣa", because it performs human functions with respect to the present body. The "jantu" in the Yogācārabhūmi is just "kartṛ". Subsumed among these eight, the first six are specific mental aspects, and the last two are common mental aspects; hence eight were stated earlier. Later, with the inclusion of ātman, there are six specific mental aspects and two common mental aspects, which is why there are nine. In one place in the Mahāprajñāpāramitā, thirteen are stated: to the eight of the Yogācārabhūmi are added puruṣa, kartṛ, bhoktṛ, jñātṛ, and paśyaka. Opening the "poṣa" among the eight of the Yogācārabhūmi by dividing it into two lifetimes, it thus says "puruṣa". According to this, the first nine are specific functions, and the last four are common functions, spoken according to specific functions and single mental aspects. Or fifteen are stated, adding the instigator of action and the instigator of experiencing, spoken fully according to single, doubled, common, and specific mental aspects. The first thirteen are stated singly, the last two are doubled; the first nine are specific, and the last six are common mental aspects. Chapter seven of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā states seventeen, adding the initiator and the instigator to the previous fifteen. Or nineteen are stated, adding the instigator of knowing and the instigator of seeing to the previous seventeen. The latter two texts are also spoken fully according to single, doubled, specific, and common mental aspects. Hence the numbers stated across the various teachings are not identical.