大乘義章 1.60

1.60

第一釋名。言假名者，釋有四義：一諸法無名，假與施名，故曰假名。如貧賤人假稱富貴，如是等也。二假他得名，故號假名。如假諸陰得眾生名，假楝梁等得屋宅名，如是一切。又復大小長短等事，假他得名。大假小故，得其大名，小亦如是。長假短故，得其長名，短亦如是。如是一切，故曰假名。三假之名，稱曰假名。世俗諸法各非定性，假他而有，名為假法。樹假之稱，故曰假名。四者諸法假名而有，故曰假名。是義云何？廢名論法，法如幻化，非有非無、亦非非有亦非非無，無一定相可以自別。以名呼法，法隨名轉，方有種種諸法差別。假名故有，是故諸法說為假名。如一色法，同體具有苦無常等一切諸義，隨義分別，苦無常等諸法之外，無別有一色之自性，假施色名呼集彼法，彼法隨名集成一色，色相方立，是故色法假名而有。還即說此色無常等，以之為苦，隨義分別。色無常等諸法之外，無別有一苦之自性，假施苦名呼集彼法，彼法隨名集成一苦，是故苦法假名而有。乃至宣說色苦無常空無我等，為非有無，隨義分別，色等法外無別有一非有非無自性可得，假施非有非無名字，呼集彼法。彼諸法義隨此名字，集成非有非無之法，亦假名有。色法既然，諸法同爾。假名有之，故號假名。名義如是。

First, explaining the name. In saying 'nominal designation,' there are four meanings in the explanation: 1. Dharmas have no names, but are provisionally given names; hence they are called 'nominal designations.' This is like a poor and lowly person provisionally calling himself rich and noble, and so forth. 2. They derive their names by relying on others; hence they are termed 'nominal designations.' This is like deriving the name 'sentient being' by relying on the various skandhas, or deriving the name 'house' by relying on beams and pillars, and so forth for all things. Furthermore, things such as great and small, long and short, derive their names by relying on others. The great relies on the small, hence it gets the name 'great,' and the small is likewise. The long relies on the short, hence it gets the name 'long,' and the short is likewise. All things being like this, they are called 'nominal designations.' 3. A name of designation is termed a 'nominal designation.' All mundane dharmas lack a fixed nature and exist by relying on others; they are called 'designated dharmas.' Establishing the appellation of designation, it is called a 'nominal designation.' 4. Dharmas exist through nominal designation; hence they are called 'nominal designations.' What does this mean? If one sets aside names to discuss dharmas, dharmas are like illusions and transformations: neither existent nor nonexistent, neither not nonexistent nor not existent, without any fixed characteristic by which they can be distinguished of themselves. When dharmas are called by names, dharmas shift according to names, and only then do the distinctions among various dharmas exist. Existing on account of nominal designation, all dharmas are therefore spoken of as nominal designations. For example, a single dharma of form inherently possesses all meanings such as suffering and impermanence; distinguishing according to meaning, outside the dharmas of suffering, impermanence, and so forth, there is no separate self-nature of form. Provisionally applying the name 'form' to assemble those dharmas, those dharmas assemble into a single 'form' in accordance with the name, and only then is the characteristic of form established; therefore the dharma of form exists through nominal designation. Further, speaking of this form, impermanence, and so forth as being 'suffering,' distinguishing according to meaning: outside the dharmas of form, impermanence, and so forth, there is no separate self-nature of suffering. Provisionally applying the name 'suffering' to assemble those dharmas, those dharmas assemble into a single 'suffering' in accordance with the name; therefore the dharma of suffering exists through nominal designation. Extending this to proclaiming that form, suffering, impermanence, emptiness, non-self, and so forth are 'neither existent nor nonexistent,' distinguishing according to meaning: outside dharmas such as form, no separate self-nature of neither-existence-nor-nonexistence can be found. Provisionally applying the name 'neither existent nor nonexistent' to assemble those dharmas, those meanings of dharmas assemble into the dharma of neither-existence-nor-nonexistence in accordance with this name, and thus it also exists through nominal designation. Since form is like this, all dharmas are the same. Existing through nominal designation, it is therefore termed 'nominal designation.' The meaning of the name is like this.