宗鏡錄 65.15

65.15

答。我者。是主宰二義。我有自在力。宰割斷力。義同我故。主是我體。宰是我所。或是我用。法者。則是軌持。軌謂軌範。可生物解。持謂任持。不捨自相。

Answer: Ātman has the two meanings of master and controller (governor). An ātman has the power of sovereignty and the power of decisive ruling, so its meaning corresponds to self. Master is the substance of the ātman; controller is what belongs to the ātman (ātmīya), or is the function of the ātman. Dharma means providing a standard and holding. Providing a standard means serving as a model that can engender an understanding of the entity; holding means maintaining without abandoning its own characteristic.