大乘義章 1.18

1.18

第二門中言體性者，三藏皆用教法為體。何者是教？音聲字句與法相應，是其教也。聲是聲入，三聚法中色法所收。名字句等，諸論不同。依如《毘曇》是其法入，三聚法中非色非心不相應攝。名字句等三種何別？長短屈曲高下之法，說之為字。攝字表法，說以為名。拘攣名字，共相屬著以成文頌，說之為句。直說音聲表法便足，何用字等？若直音聲，不與字法和合相忘，不成言語，與風鈴等音聲無別。要與字合方成言語。雖與字合得成言語，若當不與名法相應，不得以此表呼前法。良以與彼名法相應，故曰表法。雖得表法，若當不與句法相應，名字分散不成文頌。良以與彼句法相應，故攝字等得成文頌偈句差別。依如《成實．不相應品》廣非前義，彼論不說聲外別有非色非心字等可得，彼說字等是其聲性，即彼聲上表召之業說為字等。理不相離，聲恒是實、字等恒假，其猶色與色業之別。當體是色，色上相續動作是業，色性恒實、業恒是假。以此類彼，義在可知，不勞說其韻數多少。此三何別？即就聲上音韻屈曲，說之為字。召法曰名，眾多名字，說以為句。大乘法中所立字等，相同成字。故《地持論》云「字者所謂惡阿等音」，不說聲外別有非色非心字等。又《大智論．句義品》云「天竺語法，眾字成語，眾語成句，字句語等增減為異。即聲為語，字等與語增減為異。」寧得異聲？三藏體性，略辨如是。

In the second section, regarding their intrinsic nature: the three baskets all take doctrinal teachings (deśanā) as their intrinsic nature. What is teaching? It is vocal sound, phonemes, and sentences corresponding to the Dharma; this constitutes teaching. Vocal sound is the sound sense-base, which among the three aggregates of dharmas is subsumed under physical matter (rūpa). Regarding names, phonemes, sentences, and so forth, the various treatises differ. According to the Abhidharma, they belong to the mental-object sense-base (dharmāyatana) and are subsumed under the non-physical, non-mental unassociated formations (citta-viprayukta-saṃskāra) among the three aggregates of dharmas. What is the difference among the three: phonemes, names, and sentences? The long, short, curved, straight, high, and low [vocal articulations] are called phonemes (akṣara). Collecting phonemes to express a referent is called a name (nāma). Binding names together in mutual connection to form continuous text and verses is called a sentence (pada). If merely vocal sound were sufficient to express the Dharma, what need would there be for phonemes and the like? If there were only vocal sound not merged in harmony with the principle of phonemes, it would not form speech and would be no different from the sound of wind or bells. It must combine with phonemes before it can become speech. Even if it combines with phonemes and becomes speech, if it does not correspond with the principle of names, it cannot thereby express and designate the referent. Precisely because it corresponds with the principle of names, it is said to express the Dharma. Even though it can express the Dharma, if it does not correspond with the principle of sentences, the names will be dispersed and will not form continuous text or verses. Precisely because it corresponds with the principle of sentences, it collects phonemes and the like to form continuous text, verses, and distinct lines. According to the "Unassociated Formations Chapter" of the Tattvasiddhi, this earlier position is extensively refuted: that treatise does not teach that apart from vocal sound there exist distinct non-physical, non-mental phonemes and so on to be found; it states that phonemes and the like are the nature of vocal sound itself, and that the activity of expressing and designating upon that vocal sound is called phonemes and the like. In principle they are not separate: vocal sound is always real, while phonemes and the like are always conventional—just as with the distinction between physical form and physical action. The entity itself is physical form; continuous movement upon physical form is action; the nature of physical form is always real, while action is always conventional. By analogy with this, the meaning can be understood, without laboring over the number of rhymes and tones. What is the difference among these three? Taking the vocal modulation and inflection upon vocal sound itself is called a phoneme; designating a referent is called a name; a multiplicity of names is called a sentence. In the Mahāyāna Dharma, the phonemes and so on established are identical to the Tattvasiddhi. Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi says: "Phonemes are the sounds such as a and ā"; it does not state that apart from sound there exist distinct non-physical, non-mental phonemes and the like. Furthermore, the "Chapter on the Meaning of Sentences" in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "According to the grammar of India, a multiplicity of phonemes forms a word, and a multiplicity of words forms a sentence; phonemes, sentences, and words differ through increase and decrease. Vocal sound itself is words; phonemes and the like differ from words by increase and decrease." How could they be different from vocal sound? The intrinsic nature of the three baskets is briefly distinguished in this way.