成唯識論了義燈 1.84

1.84

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.'