八識規矩補註 1.2

1.2

The Bashi song consists of eight stanzas in all. Its wording is concise yet its meaning profound, as it compiles and sets forth a poetic versification together with rhyme. Hence one knows that the meaning originates from elsewhere while the wording follows this format, and if one amplifies it, none of the principles and phenomena of vijñaptimātra are left unexhausted. Formerly, Vasubandhu, concerned that the mental capacity of later students was diminishing and lacked perseverance, thereupon extracted the text of the Yogācārabhūmi and composed the thirty verses, carefully selecting and adopting brevity, wishing to make it easy for people to enter; it was entitled the Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā. Later, masters such as Dharmapāla each put forward their own views to compose commentaries, yet with accumulated volumes and piled-up scrolls their expanse was boundless—this was wishing for ease but conversely resulting in difficulty. Thereupon, the various masters again each gathered the essence of words and principles, condensing them into ten fascicles entitled the Cheng weishi lun; when Tripitaka Master Xuanzang returned from the Western Regions, he translated this treatise. The Bashi song truly stems from this. Nevertheless, that the principle is one while the words have expansion and brevity is entirely due to people. Indeed, what people attain may come from brevity, or from expansion, or from brevity leading to expansion, or from expansion returning to brevity; although what they enter through is not one, what they attain has never failed to be one. Once it is attained, then expansion is acceptable, brevity is also acceptable, both expansion and brevity, using them together, or not using them—all of these are acceptable wherever one turns; how could this be solely the concern of students? Now, speaking for students, furthermore wishing to enter via brevity, these Bashi song could not but be composed. Once the verses were produced, their phrasing was concise and their meaning profound, so one could not but add notes to them. Those who wrote notes did not sign their names, and these were often manuscript copies, so they were not without errors such as mistaking 'three pigs' for characters of similar shape. Now, only where the meaning was lacking or characters erroneous, I have supplemented and corrected them to prepare them for my own reading and contemplation. Unexpectedly, Monk Wuchen of Yuantong at Jinbi Peak in Longhua heard that I had laid down my brush, came to my lodging to ask for the draft, and carved blocks to circulate it. Alas! As the Great Dharma is in its autumn, who is not mired in reputation and gain? To be able to preserve such a mind will hopefully not fail the intentions of the great beings.