成唯識論演祕 2.568

2.568

答：由能為依助彼名、句令成詮表，遠有詮義，詮義疎微名之為略，非親所詮小名為略。今又釋云：若言能詮唯名、句二，若言能顯通名、句、文，文能顯彼音韻差別名、句二故。故五十二云：若唯依文，但可了達音韻而已。《顯揚》十二云：顯發名、句故謂之文。《對法》第二云：此言文者，能彰彼二故。又此名顯能顯義故。義者所以，文是能顯聲之音韻之所以也。

Answer: Because they can serve as a support and assist those names and sentences in achieving designation, they remotely possess designative meaning. Because the designative meaning is distant and subtle, it is called 'brief', not that what is directly designated is small and called 'brief'. Now it is further explained: if we speak of designators, there are only names and sentences; if we speak of illuminators, it extends to names, sentences, and phonemes, because phonemes can illuminate the distinctions of vocal cadence and the two [namely] names and sentences. Therefore, fascicle fifty-two says: 'If one relies solely on phonemes, one can only comprehend vocal cadence.' Fascicle twelve of the Xianyang lun says: 'Because they illuminate and generate names and sentences, they are called phonemes.' Fascicle two of the Abhidharmasamuccaya says: 'Here, "phonemes" means being able to illuminate those two.' Moreover, this is called 'illuminating' because it can illuminate the reason. 'Reason' means the cause; phonemes are the reason that can illuminate the vocal cadence of sound.