翻譯名義集 6.60

6.60

[Śākyasa (?)] Here it is translated as impermanence (anitya). Xunzi said: "Approaching and abandoning without fixity is called impermanence." The Tang-era Nyāyapraveśa says: "Originally non-existent and now existing, temporarily existing and then returning to non-existence; hence it is called impermanent." The Jingzhu fa says: "Life cannot be preserved, yet one only desires to make a living; death is certain to arrive, yet one does not consider death. How much more so with this perilous life, subject to ill fate and impermanence: in an instant, without realizing it, one suddenly dies!" The Neide lun says: "A hundred years are easily exhausted, and the five blessings are hard to make permanent. Life flows away like a river and passes like lightning; karma endures as long as earth and lasts as long as heaven. The three wretched paths are utterly distressing and gloomy; the four currents are boundless and vast. Relying on the boat of the Dharma one crosses over profitably; giving thanks for the wings of faith, one soars high. One ought to turn blame into fortune; why dwell on deluded thoughts and act madly?" The Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says: "Some die in the womb, some die at birth, some perish just as they can walk, and some suddenly expire when they can run." The Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: "There are two kinds of impermanence: first, the impermanence of the destruction of continuous phenomena; second, the impermanence of arising and ceasing from thought-moment to thought-moment." The Zongjing lu clarifies the two kinds of four characteristics: first, in terms of coarse karmic retribution, it speaks of birth, old age, sickness, and death. The Dīrghāgama says: "First is the characteristic of birth: the five skandhas arise, having obtained the life-faculty. Second is the characteristic of old age: meaning that the lifespan of this life nears its end, with little remaining life. Third is the characteristic of sickness: meaning that all sufferings press hard, and survival is uncertain. Fourth is the characteristic of death: meaning exhaustion; wind first and fire next, the various characteristics decay, and the body perishes into another realm." Furthermore, the Catuḥsatya-śāstra says: "That on which all sufferings rely is called the suffering of birth; that which can cause deterioration is called the suffering of old age; that which oppresses and distresses the body is called the suffering of sickness; that which can destroy the faculties is called the suffering of death; meeting with the unpleasant is called the suffering of association with what is hated; being separated from the lovely is called the suffering of separation from what is loved; wishes not being fulfilled is called the suffering of not getting what one seeks. These are the characteristics of all sufferings, called the suffering of the five clinging-skandhas." (The Mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra says: "What is the meaning of thriving skandhas (upādānaskandha)? Produced by clinging (upādāna), hence spoken of as thriving; meaning they produce clinging, hence spoken of as thriving; nourished by clinging, hence spoken of as thriving; meaning they nourish clinging, hence spoken of as thriving." Question: "What is the difference between skandha and thriving skandha?" Answer: "The name itself is the difference: namely skandha versus thriving skandha. Furthermore, skandhas are both tainted and untainted, whereas thriving skandhas are exclusively tainted. Furthermore, skandhas are both defiled and undefiled, whereas thriving skandhas are exclusively defiled." Zhang'an says: "Now according to the sūtra text, the five thriving skandhas are their distinct entity, and the thriving of good and evil skandhas is the very entity of suffering.") The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "Furthermore, when a bodhisattva cultivates the perception of death, he contemplates that this lifespan is constantly surrounded by immeasurable enemies, diminishing thought-moment by thought-moment without any increase. It is like mountain torrents that cannot stop, and also like morning dew whose presence does not long endure. It is like a prisoner heading toward death, with every step drawing closer to death; it is like driving oxen and sheep to the slaughterhouse." The Udānavarga says: "The Buddha said: 'This day has already passed, / and life has decreased accordingly. / Like fish in dwindling water, / what joy is there in this?'" Second, in terms of subtle defilements and karma, it speaks of arising, abiding, changing, and ceasing. As the Awakening of Faith says: "When the unawakened mind arises, it is called arising; capable of seeing and manifesting, falsely grasping at objects and giving rise to continuous thoughts is called abiding; grasping and calculating names is called changing; creating various karmas is called ceasing." The Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi-śāstra says: "Arising indicates that this dharma was previously non-existent; ceasing indicates that this dharma is subsequently non-existent; changing indicates that this dharma is not static; abiding indicates that this dharma temporarily has function." Now it is explained as follows: from non-existence to existence is called arising; from existence to non-existence is called ceasing; alteration before and after is called changing; temporary succession is called abiding. Furthermore, the treatise says: "Originally non-existent and now existing: the state of existence is called arising; temporarily halting at the state of arising is spoken of as abiding; distinguishing before and after in abiding, the name changing is established; temporarily existing and returning to non-existence: non-existence is called ceasing. Because the first three are existent, they are together in the present; because the last one is non-existent, it is in the past." The Fuxing ji says: "When speaking of the three characteristics, the characteristic of abiding is not established, but combined with changing. This is because people give rise to the notion of permanence regarding abiding. Hence the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa says: 'Bhikṣu, you right now are also arising, also aging, and also ceasing.' Aging is changing." Guifeng says: "The two characteristics of abiding and changing are both in the present, hence combined into one; if finely distinguished, there are four." Gushan in explaining the Śūraṅgama-sūtra says: "Previously four characteristics were brought up, but now only two. This is because arising subsumes abiding, and ceasing gathers up changing." The Zongjing lu says: "Although a person lives a hundred years, it is still like a kṣaṇa. It is like the long waves flowing eastward, like the setting sun sinking in the west, sparks struck from stone, a swift colt glimpsed through a crevice, a faint lamp in the wind, morning dew on the grass, a rotting tree overhanging a cliff, lightning that dazzles the eyes. If one does not encounter the true Dharma, one will surely fall eternally into the gloomy paths."