大乘法苑義林章 3.6

3.6

Regarding distinguishing construction by means of the five causes of generation and so forth, the first fascicle of the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: "'Derived' means having the four great elements as the causes of generation, dependence, maintenance, holding, and nourishment." That is, based on the five causes it is said to be "constructed". As for the cause of generation (janana-hetu), it is the cause of arising; that is, because matter does not arise apart from the great elements. Although all derived matter arises from its own seeds, if apart from the great elements it certainly cannot arise. Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi raises a question: "If all phenomena arise from their own seeds, why say that the great elements can generate the various forms of matter, and so forth up to nourishing them?" It answers itself: "Because the seeds of all internal and external great elements and derived matter all adhere to the internal continuous mind. Before the seeds of the great elements generate the great elements, the seeds of derived matter can never generate [derived matter]. It requires the seeds of the great elements to first generate the great elements, and only then do the seeds of derived matter generate derived matter. Because they serve as the vanguard, they are said to be able to generate, and are thus called the cause of generation." Fascicle sixty-six states the same. Now one should ask: If so, since the prātimokṣa discipline and the vows concomitant with concentration and the path are separate from the great elements, they should not be able to arise. [Answer:] These are called matter in accordance with the bodily activities undertaken and the evils prevented, and they are also metaphorically said to be constructed by the great elements in accordance with these two. Non-separation has two senses: first, necessarily being in the same locus; second, necessarily depending upon [them]. Prātimokṣa vows and the like necessarily depend upon the great elements to arise, and though not necessarily in the same locus, this is also called non-separation. Sound and light separated from their source material are also like this. Fascicle fifty-four of the Yogācārabhūmi states: "Matter resulting from superior concentration depends only on superior concentration; it does not depend on the great elements." How does one resolve this? It explains itself: "Yet because it is produced from samādhi taking those types of images as objects, it is said to be constructed by the great elements; it is not called constructed because it arises depending upon them." The "Section on Matter of the Dharmāyatana" will present this in detail. Or furthermore, the five causes do not pervade all cases, just as light separated from a orb of light lacks the cause of dependence. As for the cause of dependence (niśraya-hetu), the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: "It is the cause of transformation; that is, if abandoning the great elements, derived matter has no capability to occupy a different place. All derived matter can only arise by relying on the great elements; therefore, if abandoning the great elements, it has no other place to abide." Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi states: "Because after derived matter has arisen, it operates without departing from the locus of the great elements, it is called the cause of dependence." If so, why does fascicle fifty-four say that in light separated from its orb, the great elements, odor, and the like are all unobtainable? Now, the cause of dependence is distinguished based on matter coincident with the source material; light and the like separated from the source material have no meaning of the cause of dependence, so there is no contradiction. Or some say: That light also has the construction by the great elements, because wherever there is light, there is construction by the great elements. This explanation is not correct. When sound and odor are separated from their source material, by what great elements are they constructed? Therefore, the previous explanation is good. As for the cause of maintenance (pratiṣṭhā-hetu), it is the cause of following transformation. Because when the great elements undergo change, the derived matter relying upon them undergoes change accordingly. The constructor and the constructed must share security and peril; therefore, when the great elements change, derived matter changes accordingly. Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi states: "Because of the harm and benefit to the great elements, they share the same security and peril." After prātimokṣa vows continuously arise, if manifest action undergoes change, how can they continue? Some say: At later times, that which they depend on still exists, hence they do not change. As for the true meaning, this is construction by the great elements in accordance with the bodily activities undertaken and the evils prevented. If not, the concentration and path-concomitant vows in the formless realm, having no locus of support, would lack this cause. If so, what is prevented has long since been eliminated, and since there is no constructor, there should be no cause of maintenance; one cannot say it is called matter because it prevents others, taking another's four great elements to construct one's own non-manifest [action]. This is only a remote antidote to them, and is nominally called "constructed" because it belongs to a past category; non-manifest actions from the second dhyāna and above are all like this. A treatise says that it prevents others, and is constructed by another's four great elements. This meaning is incorrect. Because it is not in the past, and what is prevented cannot be obtained, it would not be an antidote. It is nominally called matter and metaphorically called constructed because it is a remote antidote, so there is no fault. Remotely preventing one's own past evil vows means that the present matter is constructed from past great elements; or non-manifest vows and the like lack the meaning of the cause of maintenance, because only real matter coincident with the source possesses the cause of maintenance. If one takes the great elements of the supported body as the constructor, a noble one in the formless realm would have no non-manifest action, which would not be Mahāyāna, and would also contradict the Xianyang shengjiao lun where all morality matter is established as physical nature on the basis of non-manifest phenomena; therefore, it is construction by the great elements in accordance with what is prevented. As for the cause of holding (upastambha-hetu), it is the cause of abiding. That is, because of the great elements, derived matter arises in a similar continuity, held so as not to be interrupted. The continuous arising of derived matter is due to the holding power of the great elements; if not, derived matter would be interrupted. Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi states: "Because it does not deteriorate in equal measure with the great elements, it is called the cause of holding." Furthermore, sound and light vary in size; why only speak of not deteriorating in equal measure? The Abhidharmasamuccaya speaks of the cause of holding generally in terms of the whole, while the Yogācārabhūmi speaks this way in terms of a small portion, because it is spoken in terms of derived matter coincident with the source. Or what the Yogācārabhūmi calls "not deteriorating in equal measure" does not mean that the two quantities—the great elements and the constructed—are equal; "equal" means similar before and after. The former explanation is good. As for the cause of nourishment (upabṛṃhaṇa-hetu), it is the cause of growth. That is, because the great elements nourish that derived matter, causing it to increase and grow. Due to the direct nourishment by the great elements, derived matter increases and grows. Either growth is itself the cause, or it is the cause of growth, hence it is called the cause of growth. Fascicle three of the Yogācārabhūmi states: "Due to the causes of food and drink, sleep, and the practice of brahmacarya, samādhi, and so forth, derived matter relying upon them becomes doubly augmented and expanded; therefore, the great elements are said to be their cause of nourishment." That which can nourish derived matter has causes and conditions: the great elements are the nourishing cause, and those are the nourishing conditions; each relies on one explanation, so they do not contradict each other. Furthermore, due to those conditions, the great elements are nourished first, causing derived matter to increase, so there is no fault. Or those are causes that generally nourish all phenomena, including the great elements, derived matter, mind, and mental factors. These are specific causes that nourish only derived matter; because the nature of derived matter is dull and not like mind and the like, it relies on two kinds of nourishment, whereas mind and the like do not. Fascicle fifty-four asks: "All conditioned phenomena arise from their own seeds; how can it be said that the great elements construct what is constructed? Because when they undergo change, [the constructed] undergoes change; and because they are established and sustained by them." The fifth fascicle of the Xianyang shengjiao lun states: "It means that depending on the great elements, other derived matter is gathered in one place, which is called constructed by the great elements." This meaning shows that existing in mutual dependence is the meaning of construction, not distinguishing the substantial entity. When viewed as existing phenomena interacting, it is due to the sovereign condition (adhipati-pratyaya).