大乘百法明門論開宗義記 1.4

1.4

Regarding revealing the proximate conditions: the conditions for the treatise's arising are of two kinds: first, the condition for composing the treatise; second, the condition for transmitting and translating it. As for the condition for composing the treatise: since this treatise derives from the Vastusaṃgrahaṇī, its condition does not depart from the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra. Therefore Jinaputra's Commentary on the Yogācārabhūmi states: "What is the condition for teaching this treatise? Sentient beings from beginningless time have had ignorance, doubt, and inverted, perverse attachments regarding the real characteristic of the middle in all dharmas; they produce defilements and initiate sāsrava karma, transmigrating among the five realms and undergoing the three great sufferings. The Tathāgata appeared in the world and skillfully preached various marvelous dharmas of the real characteristic of the middle for their sake, causing sentient beings to know all dharmas: being empty in such and such ways, they are not existent; being existent in such and such ways, they are not empty. Thoroughly understanding that all dharmas are neither empty nor existent, they leave far behind doubt and inverted, perverse attachments, generate the practice of the middle, eternally sever all hindrances, attain the three bodhis, and realize the bliss of tranquil extinction. For six hundred years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa, sect attachments arose competitively, mostly clinging to the view of existence, slandering the Mahāyāna Dharma, and destroying the true doctrine. Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna realized the ground of Utmost Joy (Pramuditā-bhūmi), gathered the Mahāyāna teaching of signlessness and emptiness, and composed treatises such as the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, thoroughly elucidating the true essentials and eliminating those views of existence. Great treatise masters such as holy Āryadeva composed the Śataśāstra and other works to broadly illuminate the great doctrine. Because of this, sentient beings again clung to the view of emptiness. At the beginning of the nine hundred years after the Buddha's extinction, Bodhisattva Asaṅga realized the rank of the first bhūmi, attained the Samādhi of Dharma Light, manifested great supernormal powers, served the Great Compassionate Honored One [Maitreya], and requested the teaching of this treatise. There is no principle it does not exhaust, no phenomenon it does not encompass; no text it does not explain, no meaning it does not express; no doubt it does not dispel, no attachment it does not break; no practice it does not cultivate, no fruit it does not realize. Leaving behind the former two views and abiding in the principle of the middle way, one produces the practice of the middle and swiftly realizes nirvāṇa. Bodhisattva Asaṅga had a half-brother of different maternal descent, whose rank was at the stage of application (prayogamārga) and who was named Vasubandhu; he was precisely the twenty-second lineage master of Dharma transmission prophesied by the Buddha in the transmission of the Dharma treasury. Originally studying the Hīnayāna, he was comprehensively versed in the different sects; he composed five hundred treatises, concealing the Mahāyāna. Asaṅga took pity on him and, pretending illness, summoned and enticed him. Hearing the instruction halfway, he only then believed in the Mahāyāna; changing his path to propagate it, he composed five hundred treatises, as fully detailed in the separate biography. This is merely a rough clarification. Because the Yogācārabhūmiśāstra's meanings are extensive and its text voluminous, students found it difficult to search through and did not know its drift; thereupon he composed this treatise, providing a brief outline as well. This is precisely the condition for composing the treatise. As for the condition for transmitting and translating: in the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang, there was the Great Master of Universal Awakening, the Great Tripiṭaka Master, named Xuanzang, whose secular surname was Chen, a native of Luoyang. He journeyed through the five regions of India, studying the Tripiṭaka. Having established fame in the profound texts and accomplished his task, he returned to his home country. Emperor Taizong treated him with the courtesy due to a National Preceptor and issued an imperial decree ordering him to translate sūtras and treatises; the flourishing of his lofty legacy is fully detailed in the separate biography. This treatise was translated by our Tripiṭaka Master in the twenty-third year of Zhenguan at the Great Ci'en Monastery in the capital. The second section, on the treatise's conditions, is finished.