大乘義章 2.83

2.83

四悉檀義，出《大智論》。言悉檀者，是中國語，此方義翻其名不一，如《楞伽》中子注釋言，或名為宗、或名為成、或云理也。所言宗者，釋有兩義：一對法辨宗。法門無量，宗要在斯，故說為宗。二對教辨宗。教別雖眾，宗歸顯於世界等四，故名為宗。故彼論云「四種悉檀，總攝一切十二部經八萬四千無量法藏，皆是真實，無相違背。」准驗斯文，望教說宗，義無乖返，故稱為成。諸法理趣，故名為理。宗別不同，且分四種：一世界悉檀、二者各各為人悉檀、三對治悉檀、四第一義悉檀。言世界者，如論釋言「有法從於因緣而有，無別自性，譬如轅軸輻輞等事和合為車，五陰諸法和合為人。如是一切世界故有，為世界悉檀法也。」云何名為各各為人？如論釋言「佛觀人心差別不同，而為說法，於一事中或聽不聽。如佛為彼斷見眾生不信後世善惡業果墮斷滅見，便說雜業雜受果報。為計我者，便說無業無受報者。如是等事，名為各各為人悉檀。」云何名為對治悉檀？如論釋言「佛隨眾生心病所宜，為說對治，或說不淨、或說慈悲、或說因緣分別界入安波念等。如是一切，名為對治。」第一義者，如論釋言「諸法實相，過語言道、心行處滅，遍無所依、不樂諸法，無初中後、不盡不壞，名第一義。」四種悉檀，名相麁爾。

The meaning of the four siddhāntas comes from the Da zhidu lun. "Siddhānta" is an Indian word, and the translations of its meaning in this land are not uniform; as the interlinear commentary in the Laṅkāvatāra explains, it is sometimes called "tenet" (zong), sometimes called "accomplishment" (cheng), or called "principle" (li). Regarding "tenet," there are two explanations: First, identifying the tenet in contrast to dharmas. The gates of the Dharma are immeasurable, and their tenet and essential summary lies herein, hence it is called a tenet. Second, identifying the tenet in contrast to the teachings. Although the distinctions among teachings are numerous, their tenet culminates in manifesting the four such as the worldly, hence it is called a tenet. Therefore, that treatise says: "The four kinds of siddhāntas fully subsume all the twelve divisions of scriptures and eighty-four thousand immeasurable repositories of the Dharma; they are all real and do not contradict each other." Corroborating this text, when speaking of tenets with reference to the teachings, the meaning has no contradiction, and therefore it is called accomplishment. Being the principle and purport of all dharmas, it is called principle. Although the distinctions among tenets vary, they are provisionally divided into four kinds: first, the worldly siddhānta; second, the individual person siddhānta; third, the therapeutic siddhānta; fourth, the ultimate siddhānta.

Regarding the "worldly": as explained in the treatise, "There are dharmas that exist on the basis of causes and conditions and have no separate intrinsic nature, just as things such as the axle, hubs, spokes, and rims combine to make a cart, and the dharmas of the five aggregates combine to make a person. All such existences on account of the world constitute the dharma of the worldly siddhānta."

What is called "individual person"? As explained in the treatise: "The Buddha observes that the differences among the minds of people are not the same, and preaches the Dharma for them, sometimes permitting and sometimes not permitting with regard to a single matter. For instance, for those sentient beings holding the view of annihilationism who do not believe in the karmic fruits of good and evil in future lifetimes and fall into annihilationist views, the Buddha then speaks of mixed karma receiving mixed retributions. For those who grasp at a self, he then preaches that there is no karma and no recipient of retribution. Such matters are called the individual person siddhānta."

What is called "therapeutic"? As explained in the treatise: "In accord with what is appropriate for the mental afflictions of sentient beings, the Buddha preaches antidotes for them: sometimes preaching the contemplation of impurity, sometimes preaching loving-kindness and compassion, sometimes preaching causes and conditions, the differentiation of the dhātus and āyatanas, mindfulness of breathing (ānāpāna-smṛti), and so forth. All such things are called therapeutic."

Regarding the "ultimate": as explained in the treatise, "The true mark of all dharmas surpasses the path of language, the locus of mental activity is extinguished, it is completely without support, takes no delight in any dharmas, has no beginning, middle, or end, and is neither exhausted nor destroyed—this is called the ultimate." The names and characteristics of the four kinds of siddhāntas are roughly thus.