大乘法苑義林章 3.14

3.14

Regarding the explanation of names, the various treatises unanimously state that "faculty" (indriya) has the meaning of predominance (adhipati), the meaning of giving rise to, this being the meaning of a faculty. Because they are sovereignly predominant with respect to the visual and other consciousnesses, and serve as causes to give rise to them, they are called "faculties." "Five" is a numerical designation, so this is a compound containing a numeral (digu-samāsa). "Eye" (cakṣus) has the meaning of illuminating, understanding, and guiding, hence it is called "eye." Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Because it repeatedly observes various forms, observing and then abandoning them, it is called the eye." In Sanskrit it is called cakṣus: cak- has the meaning of "going," and -ṣus has the meaning of "exhaustive." That is to say, it can go exhaustively toward its objects in its activity of seeing, exhaustively seeing all forms; hence it is called "going exhaustively." Translating it as "eye" (yan) matches substance and function, and it is translated according to the language of the Tang. "Ear" (śrotra) has the meaning of being capable of hearing. In Sanskrit it is called śrotra, which means here "capable of hearing." "Thus have I heard" also uses śrotra. Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Because it repeatedly is capable of hearing when sound reaches it, it is called the ear." Translating it as "ear" (er) matches substance and function, and it is translated according to the language of the Tang. "Nose" (ghrāṇa) has the meaning of being capable of smelling. In Sanskrit it is called ghrāṇa, which means here "capable of smelling." Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Because one repeatedly smells fragrances by means of this, it is called the nose." Translating it as "nose" (bi) matches substance and meaning, and it is translated according to the language of the Tang. "Tongue" (jihvā) has the meaning of being capable of tasting, sucking, and removing hunger and thirst. In Sanskrit it is called jihvā, which means here "capable of tasting" and "removing hunger and thirst." Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Because it can eliminate hunger and emaciation, and repeatedly utters speech to indicate and summon, it is called the tongue." However, uttering speech according to worldly convention is the physical basis of the tongue; hence in the Yogācārabhūmi, both the ultimate and conventional senses together are called "tongue." Translating it as "tongue" (she) corresponds in meaning, and it is translated according to the language of the Tang. "Body" (kāya) has the meaning of accumulation and the meaning of a locus of support. Although all faculties and physical elements are accumulations, the body faculty serves as the support for those many phenomena, and being an accumulation among them, it alone receives the designation of "body." In Sanskrit it is called kāya, which means here "accumulation." Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Because it is an accumulation pervaded and accompanied by the faculties, it is called the body." Although kāya has the meaning of a support that is accumulated, translating it as "body" (shen) matches substance and meaning, and it is translated according to the language of the Tang. Here, the substance of the eye is itself its faculty, and so on through the body faculty; these are all karmadhāraya compounds. They all possess the word "giving rise to," because they have the meaning of predominance.