大乘百法明門論解 2.20

2.20

Regarding 'acquisition' (prāpti): it includes obtaining, accomplishing, and not losing; when rūpa and citta arise and have not yet ceased or been destroyed, this is their state of non-loss. 'Life-faculty' (jīvitendriya): based on what is impelled by karma, upon the seed of the eighth [consciousness], the continuous maintenance of rūpa and citta without interruption of their functional capacity is provisionally established as the life-faculty. 'Generic similarity' (nikāya-sabhāga): because types are similar; there is a distinction between persons and dharmas. 'Generic similarity of persons' is such as that of gods or that of humans; 'generic similarity of dharmas' is such as that of citta or that of rūpa, and so forth. The three vehicles and the five natures are provisionally established under this designation on the basis of classes of persons and dharmas. 'The nature of an ordinary being' (pṛthagjanatva): a portion of the functional capacity upon the seeds of the two obstructions, which causes the differences and distinctions among the destinies [of rebirth], is called 'the nature of an ordinary being'. 'Absorption without ideation' (asaṃjñi-samāpatti): ideation and the like do not operate, bringing peace and harmony to the body, hence it is also called 'absorption' (samāpatti). Or it is said: 'In this absorption, the collection of mental factors of ideation and so forth do not operate at all; but as for calling it "without ideation", the cessation of ideation is foremost. That is, non-Buddhists detest ideation as an illness, long for non-ideation and regard it as subtle and wondrous, and thus establish this name for the absorption.' 'Absorption of cessation' (nirodha-samāpatti): causing non-constant mental states and mental factors to cease (the six consciousnesses), as well as causing the defiled seventh [consciousness's] collection of constantly operating mental states to cease entirely, is the mark of this absorption. Now, one who cultivates non-ideation forms the thought of transcendence, whereas in cessation, one forms the thought of complete tranquil cessation. Furthermore, non-ideation belongs only to ordinary beings, whereas cessation belongs only to noble ones; this is the distinction between the two absorptions. In general, based on the functional capacity on the seed of the detesting mind to obstruct and prevent the pravṛtti-vijñānas from arising, these two absorptions are established. Regarding 'retribution without ideation' (āsaṃjñika): through cultivating that absorption in the desire realm, one realizes the fruit of that heaven, called 'retribution without ideation'; it is the retribution of non-ideation (a tatpuruṣa compound). 'Collection of names' (nāma-kāya): that which expresses self-nature is a single name; two names or more are first called a 'collection of names'; three names or more are called a 'collection of multiple names'; it is a collection that expresses distinct names. 'Collection of phrases' (pada-kāya): one phrase is called a phrase, two phrases are called a collection, and three phrases or more are called a collection of multiple phrases. A single phrase expresses a distinction; multiple phrases express a collection of distinct phrases. 'Collection of phonemes' (vyañjana-kāya): 'phoneme' is simply a letter, because it serves as the support for both names and phrases. For instance, uttering merely 'cak' or merely 'ṣu' does not yet express anything, so it is called a letter. The treatise does not speak of 'a phoneme' and 'multiple phonemes', but mentions the middle to subsume the broad and the brief. It is also said: 'That which carries expressive capacity is called a letter, like the characters in scriptures; that which does not carry expressive capacity is merely an alphabetic sound, such as vowel matrices and rhyme classes.' 'Birth' (jāti) is: previously non-existent, now existent. 'Abiding' (sthiti) is: temporarily pausing in an existent state. 'Decay' (jarā) is: abiding distinguishing prior and posterior, also called the decline and transformation [of a state], and it is also said that dharmas are not permanently fixed. Regarding 'impermanence' (anityatā): now existent, later non-existent, another name for death. Furthermore, various noble teachings often combine birth and cessation as impermanence: birth is named existence, but existence is not permanently existent, unlike unconditioned dharmas; cessation is named non-existence, but non-existence is not permanently non-existent, unlike the horns of a hare; not being like the permanency of those unconditioned dharmas or hare's horns, it is therefore called impermanence. Here it is spoken of solely with reference to death. 'Transmigration' (pravṛtti) is: cause and effect uninterrupted, continuous prior and posterior. 'Definite distinction' (pratiniyama) is: good and evil causes and effects mutually differing. 'Concordance' (samprayukta) is: causal and fruitional activities arising in harmony. Some may ask: 'The general name for these is citta-viprayukta-saṃskāra-dharma; why is this one now called "concordance"?' Because the designation 'non-concordance' (viprayukta) merely distinguishes them from the preceding concordant caitasikas. This 'concordance' refers to the harmony of activities upon the previous three categories of dharmas; how could they be confused? 'Velocity' (jāva): the rapid movement, swift flying, conveying and rushing of conditioned dharmas are all subsumed under this. 'Sequence' (ānupūrvī): being arranged in order so as not to be confused—high and low, upper and lower, left and right, front and back, all that has rules and regularities—is subsumed under this. 'Time' (kāla): past, present, and future; formation, abiding, destruction, and emptiness; the four seasons and the three periods; year, month, day, and night; the six periods and the twelve [hours]; established in accordance with convention, hence called 'time'. 'Direction' (deśa): the boundaries of rūpa-dharmas, that upon which persons and dharmas depend; whether the ten directions, above and below, the six directions, or the four extremes, these too are according to convention. 'Number' (saṃkhyā): the designation for measuring dharmas, whether one, ten, a hundred, a thousand, up to an unchangeable [incalculable] amount. Regarding 'harmony' (sāmagrī): it means not being contrary among dharmas. 'Disharmony' (asāmagrī): it means being contrary among dharmas. The former is like a compliant cause, the latter is like an incompatible cause. Some may ask: 'These twenty-four, in relation to the previous three states—which dharmas correspond to which previous states?' Broadly speaking, the single dharma of the life-faculty is solely a state of citta, because it is the continuous maintaining function upon the seeds of the eighth consciousness. The nature of an ordinary being is solely a state of caitasika, because it is the differentiating function upon the seeds of the two obstructions. The two non-conscious absorptions and the retribution without ideation are provisionally established upon both the primary mind and mental factors, for when primary mind and mental factors have ceased, they are called 'without ideation' and so forth. The remaining nineteen kinds apply universally to rūpa, citta, and caitasika-dharmas, being provisionally established upon all three: just as generic similarity is generic similarity of rūpa, generic similarity of citta, and generic similarity of caitasika; or just as velocity is the ceaseless transience of rūpa, citta, and caitasika; or just as definite distinction is that rūpa is not citta, citta is not caitasika, good causes and evil fruits are definitely not mutually induced, and so forth. The rest should be explained by analogy with this.