成唯識論了義燈 1.84

1.84

造論緣起者，真諦三藏解云：凡有六義：一、為令法義增長；二、為有有情於所造論應得解脫；三、為所迷失義令更明了；四、為攝分散法義集在一處；五、為分別甚深之義令淺易解；六、為莊嚴言辭令義可愛。即疏所述作論六因。令增長者，眾生根欲，性各不同，或樂多說，或樂少說，樂處中說。故造論者，適眾生意，集諸法義，或多或少，或復處中。適生所欲正法，則得久住。此處雖滅，彼處猶有故，使法義增長。即疏云：欲令法義，當廣流布。　二、為眾生於所造論而得悟者，或有眾生厭舊樂新，或樂此說，不樂彼說，只是一理有悟、不悟。猶如一金，作種種物，賣令生樂。前是為法，此是為人。即疏云：為令有情隨入正法。三、為所迷失義，令更明了者。若說未了，令學者迷，須更明說。或說有脫誤，令學者不解，又須明說。又眾生有三種煩惱：一、無明；二、疑；三、顛倒。由疑及倒故，迷由無明故不解。為除眾生此煩惱等，令迷失義，得明了故，故須造論。即疏云：令失沒義，重得開顯。四、為攝分散義，集在一處者。佛法諸義，不出三解脫門。攝分散義，集在三解脫門中，以除眾生，三種煩惱。一、貪欲；二、諸見；三、無明。貪是修斷，見是見斷，無明通二。又是習氣，以無願門除貪，以空門除見，以無相門除無明。聲聞所以不得一切智，為不能斷無明習故。為斷無明，轉鈍成利故，說無相解脫門除故。攝分散義，所以造論。即疏云：為欲略攝廣散義故。五、為分別深義，令淺易解者。甚深有三：一、所通達是境界，即如如理，以世智觀之，不能通達故，名甚深。分別令易解；二、修行甚深，二邊之解易得，中道之行難生，偏見之心，不能生得中道之解故，為辨說中道之解。為修行深，所以造論；三、微妙甚深，即無餘涅槃果。生死有可度義，故非甚深，極果一得，永不可度，於不得者，則為甚深。分別開示，令易得之，故須造論。即疏云：為欲顯發甚深義故。六、為莊嚴言詞，令義可愛者。義由言顯，若不莊嚴言詞則義不可愛，義不可愛，則眾生不能信受。猶如真金，若不為鐶釧等，則不足可愛。故須造論。即疏云：為欲巧妙文詞，莊嚴法義，令起愛樂，生淨信故。

Regarding the causal origins of composing the treatise, Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha explains that there are six reasons in all: 1. to cause the Dharma and its meanings to increase; 2. so that there are sentient beings who should attain liberation through the composed treatise; 3. to bring greater clarity to meanings that have been confused or lost; 4. to gather scattered teachings and meanings into one place; 5. to analyze profound meanings so that they become shallow and easy to understand; 6. to adorn the expressions so that the meaning becomes delightful. These are the six reasons for composing the treatise mentioned in the commentary.

Causing increase: Sentient beings have different capacities, desires, and natures; some delight in extensive explanations, some delight in brief explanations, and some delight in moderate explanations. Therefore, the treatise author accommodates the minds of sentient beings, collecting various doctrines and meanings—either extensive, brief, or moderate. When conforming to the desires of sentient beings, the true Dharma can abide long. Although it may perish in this place, it still exists in that place; thus it causes the Dharma and its meanings to increase. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'wishing to cause the Dharma and its meanings to circulate widely.'

Second, so that sentient beings may attain awakening through the composed treatise: some sentient beings dislike the old and delight in the new, or delight in this explanation but not in that explanation. It is simply one single principle with awakening and non-awakening, just as one piece of gold can be fashioned into various items and sold to bring joy. The former was for the Dharma; this is for persons. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'to cause sentient beings to enter into the true Dharma accordingly.'

Third, to bring greater clarity to meanings that have been confused or lost: if an explanation is not definitive, causing students to be confused, it must be explained more clearly. Or if an explanation contains omissions and errors causing students not to understand, it must also be explained clearly. Furthermore, sentient beings have three kinds of defilement: 1. ignorance; 2. doubt; 3. error (viparyāsa). Due to doubt and error there is confusion, and due to ignorance there is incomprehension. To eliminate these defilements of sentient beings and cause confused and lost meanings to become clear, the treatise had to be composed. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'to cause eclipsed meanings to be revealed once again.'

Fourth, to gather scattered meanings into one place: all meanings of the Buddha's Dharma do not go beyond the three gates of liberation. Gathering scattered meanings and collecting them into the three gates of liberation eliminates three kinds of defilement in sentient beings: 1. greed; 2. views; 3. ignorance. Greed is abandoned by cultivation (bhāvanāprahāṇīya); views are abandoned by seeing (darśanaprahāṇīya); ignorance pervades both. Moreover, these are latent predispositions (vāsanās). One eliminates greed by the wishless gate, eliminates views by the emptiness gate, and eliminates ignorance by the signless gate. The reason śrāvakas cannot attain omniscience (sarvajñāna) is that they cannot sever the vāsanās of ignorance. To sever ignorance and transform the dull into the keen, the signless gate of liberation was taught to eliminate it. To gather scattered meanings, the treatise was thus composed. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'wishing to summarize and gather widely scattered meanings.'

Fifth, to analyze profound meanings so that they become shallow and easy to understand: there are three kinds of profundity: 1. The object to be penetrated is the domain, namely the principle of suchness; when examined with worldly wisdom, it cannot be penetrated, and is thus called 'profound'. Analyzing it makes it easy to understand. 2. Profundity of practice: understanding of the two extremes is easily obtained, while practice of the middle way is difficult to produce; a mind with one-sided views cannot generate understanding of the middle way, so the understanding of the middle way is elucidated. Because practice is profound, the treatise was composed. 3. Subtle profundity: namely the fruit of nirvāṇa without remainder. Birth and death have the sense of being crossable, so they are not profound; once the ultimate fruit is attained, it can never be crossed again, and for those who have not attained it, it is profound. Analyzing and revealing it makes it easy to attain; thus the treatise had to be composed. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'wishing to illuminate and reveal profound meanings.'

Sixth, to adorn expressions so that the meaning becomes delightful: meaning is revealed through words; if one does not adorn expressions, the meaning will not be delightful, and if the meaning is not delightful, sentient beings will not faithfully accept it. Just as genuine gold, if not fashioned into bracelets and the like, is not delightful enough. Therefore the treatise had to be composed. This corresponds to the commentary saying: 'wishing to use skillful phrasing to adorn the teachings and meanings, so as to arouse delight and generate pure faith.'