大乘百法明門論開宗義決 1.238

1.238

隨應有彼生門等者。處有二義。一生長義。眼根色境乃是眼識生長處故。二是門義。門者通也。眼根色境通是眼識所行處故。界有三義。一者因義。俱舍論云。是能生本種族義故。因彼種類而出生故。如一山中有多金銀銅鐵等種名為多界。如是一身有十八類諸法種族名十八界。二者性義。俱舍論云。有說界聲表種類義。謂十八法種類自性差別不同名十八界。如張王等性不同故。三者持義。雜集論云。六根六境能持六識。以是六識所依緣故。六識能持受用六境自體相故。

Regarding "correspondingly having those gateways of arising, etc.": "Base" (āyatana) has two meanings: First is the meaning of generation and growth, because the visual faculty and visual objects are the place of generation and growth for the visual consciousness. Second is the meaning of gateway: "gateway" means passage, because the visual faculty and visual objects are universally the sphere of action of the visual consciousness. "Element" (dhātu) has three meanings: First is the meaning of cause; the Kośa says it means the root lineage that can generate, because it is produced based on those categories: just as in one mountain there are many lineages of gold, silver, copper, iron, etc., which are called many dhātus, so in a single body there are eighteen categories of lineages of dharmas, called the eighteen dhātus. Second is the meaning of nature; the Kośa says that some explain the word dhātu as denoting the meaning of category, meaning that the eighteen dharmas differ in category and self-nature, hence called the eighteen dhātus, just as the natures of Zhang and Wang are not the same. Third is the meaning of upholding; the Samuccaya says that the six faculties and six objects can uphold the six consciousnesses because they are what the six consciousnesses rely upon and take as objects, and the six consciousnesses can uphold the self-nature and marks of experiencing the six objects.