起信論疏筆削記 2.2

2.2

"Intending to explain..." and so forth is the second [main division]: the separate explication of the doctrinal headings. It has two [parts]. First is opening the chapters. The six in the preliminary overview cover the underlying thread. How so? The actions of sages are certainly never in vain; what was the cause for the rising forth of this treatise? Therefore, it is succeeded by "the causes and conditions for the teaching's arising." Once the nominal teaching has arisen and its origin is known, the teachings of Śākya are collectively embraced by the three piṭakas; in terms of dharma and person, how is it categorized? Therefore, it is succeeded by "clarifying which piṭaka it is subsumed under." The Abhidharma Piṭaka pertains to both the Great and Small [Vehicles], and bodhisattvas have both the provisional and the real; if one does not seek by way of the meaning, one will not know the essential purport. To what extent does this treatise express the Dharma? Therefore, it is succeeded by "manifesting the limits of the teaching and its meaning." Having understood the utmost extent of the meaning expressed by the teaching, it is not yet known what kind of capacities awaken and enter through this. Therefore, it is succeeded by "the capacities accommodated by the teaching." The expressed and the accommodated having become manifest, it is not yet investigated what constitutes the essence of the expressing teaching. Therefore, it is succeeded by "the essence of the expressing teaching." Once the essence of the teaching is clarified, what is the principal theme expressed beneath the teaching? To what does the principal theme ultimately tend? Therefore, it is succeeded by "the theme and destination of what is expressed." Whenever a teaching arises, it must possess all of these. Thus the preliminary overview here is restricted to these six headings: namely, what the treatise is based on, what subsumes the treatise, what the treatise expresses, whom the treatise accommodates, what the treatise relies upon, and the theme and destination of the treatise. However, the original commentary opens its chapters by listing ten headings altogether: the first six are identical to these, but after them four more headings are listed, namely, explaining the treatise's title, the era of the treatise's composition, the date of translation, and following the text to explain it, reaching ten in this order. That the present commentary does not follow that listing is because these are doctrinal headings of a preliminary overview, and it does not wish to mix them with the separate explications of the text's meaning; therefore, the latter four are combined into the textual commentary, and on this account the preliminary overview has only six sections.