起信論疏筆削記 2.13

2.13

依何本者，此徵菩薩造論必有所憑；若無依據，便同虛誕。佛聖言即至教量，正道理即比量，定量即現量。至教者，謂一切智人無所不鑒，具足五語，言必誠諦。依此立論，決定可信，無有虛妄，故取為本。聖言之語通於三乘，餘人有所不知，由是揀之，故言佛也。先標比量者，以論宗經故。比量者，謂藉眾相而觀於義。眾相者，謂因三相，由彼為因，於所比宗義有正智生，了知有火或無常等。今言正道理者，為簡一切邪謬因故。若因不正，宗義亦邪，由是故言正道理也。現量者，謂無分別。若有正智，於色等義離名種等所有分別，現現別轉，故名現量。此有四類：一五識身、二五俱意、三諸自證、四一切定心，此上四種皆現量也。今言定量者，以此四義緣色等境，是決定故。亦可前正道理中具含二量，謂比度生解及自證知俱無謬妄，咸正道理。定量一句總指三量，俱是決定，取此為本，可信從故。

"Relying on what root": this questions that when a bodhisattva composes a treatise, there must be something upon which he relies; if there were no ground, it would be equivalent to empty fabrication. "The Buddha's holy words" is the pramāṇa of supreme teaching (śabdapramāṇa / āgama); "correct reason" is inference (anumāna); "certain pramāṇa" is direct perception (pratyakṣa). As for the supreme teaching: the omniscient person leaves nothing unperceived, is endowed with the five kinds of speech, and his words are necessarily sincere and true. Composing a treatise relying on this, it is definitely worthy of trust and free from falsehood; hence it is taken as the root. The phrasing "holy words" extends to the Three Vehicles, but there are things others do not know, and to distinguish this, it says "Buddha." Stating inference first is because the treatise takes sūtras as its core. Inference means observing meaning by relying on multiple characteristics. "Multiple characteristics" refers to the three characteristics of the reason; taking those as the reason, correct cognition arises with regard to the thesis being inferred, fully knowing that there is fire or impermanence, etc. Now saying "correct reason" is to exclude all erroneous reasons. If the reason is not correct, the thesis will also be flawed; for this reason it says "correct reason." Direct perception means non-differentiation. If there is correct cognition that is free from all conceptual differentiations of name, genus, and so forth regarding objects like form, operating distinctly before the senses, it is called direct perception. This has four types: first, the five sense consciousnesses; second, the mental consciousness accompanying the five; third, all self-awareness (svasaṃvedana); fourth, all meditative minds. These four types above are all direct perception. Now saying "certain pramāṇa" is because these four modes cognize objects such as form with certainty. It is also permissible that "correct reason" contains both pramāṇas, meaning that generating understanding through inference and personal self-realization are both free from error and both are correct reason. The single phrase "certain pramāṇa" points collectively to the three pramāṇas, all of which are definitive; taking this as the root, it can be trusted and followed.