The Faculties Aggregate Concludes
Fascicle 156 completes the One-Mind Nyāsa's cross-association census, opens two further new chapters in swift succession — the Fish Nyāsa's exhaustive possession census, named for how difficult it is to pin down, and the Cause-Condition Nyāsa — and with them brings the entire Sixth Aggregate, the Faculties Aggregate, to its close after sixty-four fascicles. This page carries Ru-Yi's complete translation.
Translation Method
The Chinese source is Xuánzàng's seventh-century translation of the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra (阿毘達磨大毘婆沙論), preserved in the Taishō canon (T1545, vol. 27) via the CBETA digital edition — public domain text, translated directly from the Chinese. The English wording throughout is Ru-Yi's own, and the reading notes are original, grounded in standard Sarvāstivāda scholarship rather than a specific named commentator's lecture transcript.
Fascicle 156 concludes the One-Mind Nyāsa (一心納息第五之二), then opens the Fish Nyāsa (魚納息第六) and the Cause-Condition Nyāsa (因緣納息第七) in succession. Terms established across fascicles 93–155 recur here and are not re-explained at each occurrence.
Classical text is set in the left-hand column below, our English in the right.
1. Right View and Right Thought: A Full Tetralemma of Mutual Association
Fascicle 156 opens by completing the One-Mind Nyāsa's investigation into the unlearner's own noble path-factors, asking whether the arhat's right view and right thought are mutually associated: since right view is available across every meditative ground but not every uncontaminated mind, while right thought is the reverse, a full four-way tetralemma results, carefully distinguishing the mental factors found in each cluster from those found in neither.
諸法無學正見相應。彼法無學正思惟相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正見一切地可得。非一切無漏心。無學正思惟一切無漏心可得非一切地。是故得作大四句。有法無學正見相應。非無學正思惟。謂無學正見相應正思惟。及無學正思惟不相應無學正見相應法。無學正見相應正思惟者。謂無學正見聚中正思惟。此但與無學正見相應。非無學正思惟。自體與自體由三因緣不相應故。一無二自性俱起故。二前後剎那不並故。三諸法不觀自體與他為緣故。及無學正思惟不相應無學正見相應法者。謂靜慮中間。上三靜慮。下三無色。無學正見相應法。此非無學正思惟相應。彼地無正思惟故。有法無學正思惟相應。非無學正見。謂無學正思惟相應正見。及無學正見不相應。無學正思惟相應法。無學正思惟相應正見者。謂無學正思惟聚中正見此但與無學正思惟相應。非無學正見。自體與自體由三因緣不相應故。及無學正見不相應。無學正思惟相應法者。謂未至初靜慮。盡無生智聚中。正思惟相應法。此非無學正見相應彼聚中無正見故。有法無學正見正思惟相應。謂除無學正見相應正思惟。及除無學正思惟相應正見。諸餘無學正見正思惟相應法。謂此聚中除二自體。餘心心所與二相應。此復云何。謂九大地法。十大善地法心及伺。有法非無學正見正思惟相應。謂無學正見不相應正思惟。無學正思惟不相應正見。及前所不攝心心所法。并色無為心不相應行。無學正見不相應正思惟者。謂盡無生智聚中正思惟。此非無學正見相應。彼聚中無正見故。亦非無學正思惟相應。自體與自體不相應故。無學正思惟不相應正見者。謂靜慮中間。上三靜慮。下三無色。無學正見。此非正見相應。自體與自體不相應故。
"Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own right thought?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right view is obtainable across every ground, yet not within every uncontaminated mind; the unlearner's own right thought is obtainable within every uncontaminated mind, yet not across every ground — and it is for this reason that a full tetralemma can be formed. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right view, yet not with the unlearner's own right thought — namely, the right thought associated with the unlearner's own right view, and whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view yet not associated with the unlearner's own right thought. The right thought associated with the unlearner's own right view refers to the right thought found within the very cluster of the unlearner's own right view — this is associated only with the unlearner's own right view, never with the unlearner's own right thought, since a substance is never associated with itself, for three reasons: first, because a single intrinsic nature never co-arises with itself twice; second, because earlier and later instants never occur simultaneously; and third, because no dharma ever regards its own substance as a condition for itself. As for whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view yet not associated with the unlearner's own right thought, this refers to whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view found within the meditative interval, the upper three dhyānas, or the three lower formless attainments — such a dharma is not associated with the unlearner's own right thought, since those grounds possess no right thought at all. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right thought, yet not with the unlearner's own right view — namely, the right view associated with the unlearner's own right thought, and whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right thought yet not associated with the unlearner's own right view. The right view associated with the unlearner's own right thought refers to the right view found within the very cluster of the unlearner's own right thought — this is associated only with the unlearner's own right thought, never with the unlearner's own right view, since a substance is never associated with itself, for these same three reasons. As for whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right thought yet not associated with the unlearner's own right view, this refers to whatever dharma is associated with the right thought found within the cluster of proximate access and the first dhyāna, and within the cluster of the knowledge of exhaustion and of non-arising — such a dharma is not associated with the unlearner's own right view, since that cluster possesses no right view at all. There is a dharma associated with both the unlearner's own right view and right thought together — namely, excluding the right thought associated with the unlearner's own right view, and excluding the right view associated with the unlearner's own right thought, every other dharma associated with both the unlearner's own right view and right thought. What does this comprise? The nine great-class factors found universally in every mind, and the mind itself, together with investigation. There is a dharma associated with neither the unlearner's own right view nor right thought — namely, the right thought not associated with the unlearner's own right view, the right view not associated with the unlearner's own right thought, and whatever mind and mental factor is not already captured above, together with matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind. The right thought not associated with the unlearner's own right view refers to the right thought found within the cluster of the knowledge of exhaustion and of non-arising — this is not associated with the unlearner's own right view, since that cluster possesses no right view at all,
亦非無學正思惟相應。彼地中無正思惟故。及前所不攝心心所法者。謂靜慮中間。上三靜慮。下三無色。盡無生智聚心心所法。及一切學有漏心心所法。并色無為心不相應行。當知皆是第四句攝。
and is likewise not associated with the unlearner's own right thought, since a substance is never associated with itself. The right view not associated with the unlearner's own right thought refers to the unlearner's own right view found within the meditative interval, the upper three dhyānas, or the three lower formless attainments — this is not associated with the unlearner's own right thought, since those grounds possess no right thought at all. As for whatever dharma is not already captured above, this refers to the mind and mental factors found within the cluster of the meditative interval, the upper three dhyānas, and the three lower formless attainments, and within the cluster of the knowledge of exhaustion and of non-arising, together with every contaminated mind and mental factor belonging to a trainee — all of these should be understood as belonging to the fourth alternative, together with matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind.
The three technical reasons given for why a substance is never associated with itself — no single nature co-arises with itself twice, earlier and later instants never coincide, and no dharma treats its own substance as its own condition — are a small masterclass in metaphysical bookkeeping: association, on this account, always requires two genuinely distinct things standing in a real relation, never a thing quietly relating to itself under two different names.
2. Full, Middling, and Narrow Tetralemmas Across Every Remaining Path-Factor
The same cross-association census runs through right view against right effort, right thought against right effort and wisdom, and right effort against right mindfulness — each pairing classified as a "full," "middling," or "narrow" tetralemma depending on how widely each factor is itself obtainable, with right view and genuine wisdom alone declared strictly incompatible, since the two can never co-arise in the same moment at all.
諸法無學正見相應。彼法無學正勤相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正見一切地可得。非一切無漏心。無學正勤一切地。一切無漏心可得。是故得作中四句。有法無學正見相應非無學正勤。謂無學正見相應正勤。此非無學正勤相應。自體與自體不相應故。有法無學正勤相應。非無學正見。謂無學正見及無學正見不相應。無學正勤相應法。無學正見者。自體與自體不相應故。無學正見不相應無學正勤相應法者。謂盡無生智聚中正勤相應法。此非正見相應。彼聚中無正見故。有法無學正見正勤相應。謂除無學正見相應正勤諸餘無學正見相應法。正勤多故於此偏除。然此聚中除二自體餘心心所皆二相應。此復云何。謂九大地法九大善地法心及尋伺。有法非無學正見正勤相應。謂無學正見不相應正勤。及前所不攝心心所法。并色無為心不相應行。無學正見不相應正勤者。謂盡無生智聚中正勤。此非正見相應。彼聚中無正見故。亦非正勤相應。自體與自體不相應故。及前所不攝心心所法者。此中無餘無學心心所法前所不攝。但有一切學有漏心心所法是前所不攝。并色無為心不相應行。
"Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right view is obtainable across every ground, yet not within every uncontaminated mind; the unlearner's own right effort is obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind alike — and it is for this reason that a middling tetralemma can be formed. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right view, yet not with the unlearner's own right effort — namely, the right effort associated with the unlearner's own right view; this is not associated with the unlearner's own right effort, since a substance is never associated with itself. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort, yet not with the unlearner's own right view — namely, the unlearner's own right view, and whatever dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort is not associated with right view. As for the unlearner's own right view, a substance is never associated with itself; as for whatever dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort is not associated with the unlearner's own right view, this refers to whatever dharma is associated with right effort found within the cluster of the knowledge of exhaustion and of non-arising — this is not associated with right view, since that cluster possesses no right view at all. There is a dharma associated with both the unlearner's own right view and right effort together — namely, excluding the right effort associated with the unlearner's own right view, every other dharma associated with the unlearner's own right view; since right effort is so extensively present, it is specifically excluded here — and, within this cluster, excluding these two substances themselves, every other mind and mental factor is associated with both. What does this comprise? The nine great-class factors found universally in every mind, the nine great-class wholesome factors, the mind itself, together with discursive thought and investigation. There is a dharma associated with neither the unlearner's own right view nor right effort — namely, the right effort not associated with the unlearner's own right view, together with whatever dharma is not already captured above, and matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind. As for the right effort not associated with the unlearner's own right view, this refers to the right effort found within the cluster of the knowledge of exhaustion and of non-arising — this is not associated with the unlearner's own right view, since that cluster possesses no right view at all, and is likewise not associated with the unlearner's own right effort, since a substance is never associated with itself. As for whatever dharma is not already captured above, in this case there remains no further unlearner's own mind or mental factor not already captured, since only every trainee's own contaminated mind and mental factor remains not already captured, together with matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind.
當知皆是第四句攝。如對正勤對正念正定正解脫亦爾。此皆得作中四句故。諸法無學正見相應。彼法非無學正智相應。諸法無學正智相應彼法非無學正見相應。以此二法不俱起故。
These, then, should be understood as belonging to the fourth alternative. Exactly as with right view set against right effort, so too, mutatis mutandis, should right view be set against right mindfulness, right concentration, and right liberation — every one of these likewise admits of a middling tetralemma. "Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right view — is that dharma not associated with the unlearner's own genuine wisdom?" And, conversely, "whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own genuine wisdom — is that dharma not associated with the unlearner's own right view?" Both hold true, since these two dharmas never co-arise together at all.
諸法無學正思惟相應。彼法無學正勤相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正思惟。一切無漏心可得非一切地。無學正勤一切地一切無漏心可得。是故亦得作中四句。文如正見對正勤說。如對正勤對正念正定正解脫亦爾。諸法無學正思惟相應。彼法無學正智相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正思惟。一切無漏心可得非一切地。無學正智一切地可得非一切無漏心。是故亦得作大四句。文如正見對正思惟說。
"Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right thought — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right thought is obtainable within every uncontaminated mind, yet not across every ground; the unlearner's own right effort is obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind alike — and it is for this reason that a middling tetralemma can likewise be formed here. This passage should be understood exactly as the earlier passage explaining right view set against right effort. Exactly as with right effort, so too, mutatis mutandis, should right thought be set against right mindfulness, right concentration, and right liberation. "Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right thought — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own genuine wisdom?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right thought is obtainable within every uncontaminated mind, yet not across every ground; the unlearner's own genuine wisdom is obtainable across every ground, yet not within every uncontaminated mind — and it is for this reason that a full tetralemma can likewise be formed here. This passage should be understood exactly as the earlier passage explaining right view set against right thought.
諸法無學正勤相應彼法無學正念相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正勤正念俱一切地一切無漏心可得。是故得作小四句。有法無學正勤相應。非無學正念。謂無學正念此與無學正勤相應非正念。自體與自體不相應故。有法無學正念相應。非無學正勤。謂無學正勤。此與無學正念相應非正勤。自體與自體不相應故。有法無學正勤正念相應。謂除無學正勤正念。諸餘無學正勤正念相應法。謂此聚中除二自體。餘心心所與二相應。此復云何。謂九大地法九大善地法心及尋伺。有法非無學正勤正念相應。謂前所不攝心心所法。并色無為心不相應行。此中無餘無學心心所法前所不攝。但有一切學有漏心心所法。是前所不攝。并色無為心不相應行。當知皆是第四句攝。如對正念對正定正解脫亦爾。此皆得作小四句故。諸法無學正勤相應。彼法無學正智相應耶。答應作四句。此中正勤一切地一切無漏心可得。正智一切地可得。非一切無漏心。亦作中四句文如正思惟對正勤說。如正勤正念正定亦爾。
"Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right effort — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own right mindfulness?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right effort and right mindfulness are alike obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind — and it is for this reason that a narrow tetralemma can be formed. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right effort, yet not with the unlearner's own right mindfulness — namely, the unlearner's own right mindfulness; this is associated with the unlearner's own right effort, not with right mindfulness itself, since a substance is never associated with itself. There is a dharma associated with the unlearner's own right mindfulness, yet not with the unlearner's own right effort — namely, the unlearner's own right effort; this is associated with the unlearner's own right mindfulness, not with right effort itself, since a substance is never associated with itself. There is a dharma associated with both the unlearner's own right effort and right mindfulness together — namely, excluding these two substances themselves, every other dharma associated with both right effort and right mindfulness; within this cluster, excluding these two substances, every other mind and mental factor is associated with both. What does this comprise? The nine great-class factors found universally in every mind, the nine great-class wholesome factors, the mind itself, together with discursive thought and investigation. There is a dharma associated with neither the unlearner's own right effort nor right mindfulness — namely, whatever dharma is not already captured above, together with matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind. In this case, there remains no further unlearner's own mind or mental factor not already captured, since only every trainee's own contaminated mind and mental factor remains not already captured, together with matter, the unconditioned, and formations dissociated from mind — these, then, should be understood as belonging to the fourth alternative. Exactly as with right effort set against right mindfulness, so too, mutatis mutandis, should right mindfulness be set against right concentration and right liberation — every one of these likewise admits of a narrow tetralemma, since all are equally obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind. "Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right effort — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own genuine wisdom?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right effort is obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind, while the unlearner's own genuine wisdom is obtainable across every ground, yet not within every uncontaminated mind — and it is for this reason that a middling tetralemma can likewise be formed here. This passage should be understood exactly as the earlier passage explaining right thought set against right effort. Exactly as with right effort, so too, mutatis mutandis, should right mindfulness, right concentration, and right liberation each be set against genuine wisdom.
諸法無學正解脫相應。彼法無學正智相應耶。答應作四句。此中無學正解脫。一切地一切無漏心可得。無學正智。一切地可得。非一切無漏心。亦作中四句文如正勤對正智說。
"Whatever dharma is associated with the unlearner's own right liberation — is that dharma associated with the unlearner's own genuine wisdom?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. Here, the unlearner's own right liberation is obtainable across every ground and within every uncontaminated mind, while the unlearner's own genuine wisdom is obtainable across every ground, yet not within every uncontaminated mind — and it is for this reason that a middling tetralemma can likewise be formed here. This passage should be understood exactly as the earlier passage explaining right effort set against genuine wisdom.
That this census bothers to name three distinct grades of tetralemma — full, middling, narrow — purely based on how broadly each paired factor is independently obtainable, is a tidy piece of logical taxonomy: the same four-cornered question format is shown to behave in structurally different ways depending on nothing more than the relative scope of what is being compared.
3. A New Chapter Opens: The Fish Nyāsa, Named for What Is Impossible to Grasp
The fascicle abruptly opens an entirely new nyāsa — asking, for each of the twenty-two faculties in turn, which others its possessor invariably also possesses — and pauses first to explain its curious name: "Fish," because faculty-possession shifts across so many different positions (complete or incomplete organs, sexual form, mindful or mindless states, fixed or unfixed destiny, realm of birth, severed or intact wholesome roots, and more) that pinning it down feels exactly like trying to grasp a slippery fish.
根蘊第六中魚納息第六若成就眼根。彼於二十二根。幾成就幾不成就。如是等章。及解章義既領會已。當廣分別。問此納息何故名魚。答多位轉移難執取故。何謂多位。謂具根不具根位。無形一形二形位。有心無心位。
The Faculties Aggregate, within the Fish Nyāsa, Chapter Six: "whatever being possesses the eye-faculty — of the twenty-two faculties, how many does that being possess, and how many not?" Such is the chapter heading, and such is the explanation of its meaning. Having grasped this, a full analysis should now be given. One might ask: why is this nyāsa named "Fish"? Answer: because it shifts across so many different positions, so difficult to pin down and grasp — and what are these many positions? The position of complete or incomplete faculties; the position of no sexual form, single sexual form, or dual sexual form; the position of possessing or lacking mind;
定不定位。生界地差別位。斷善不斷善位。離染未離染位。善染無記心位。異生聖者位。見道修道無學道位。於此等位二十二根成與不成轉移不定。如魚難執故立此名。若成就眼根。彼於二十二根。
the position of being fixed or unfixed in destiny; the position of differing realms and grounds of birth; the position of severed or unsevered wholesome roots; the position of being free from or not yet free from contamination; the position of a wholesome, defiled, or neutral mind; the position of the ordinary being or the noble one; and the position of the path of seeing, the path of cultivation, or the path of the one beyond training — across all these positions, the twenty-two faculties' own possession and non-possession shift about in genuinely unfixed ways, exactly as a fish is so difficult to grasp firmly — and it is for this reason that this nyāsa is given this name. "Whatever being possesses the eye-faculty — of the twenty-two faculties,
The fish metaphor is a genuinely playful piece of technical naming in a literature not otherwise known for whimsy: rather than a dry Sanskrit-derived label, this entire nyāsa is named for the simple sensory experience of a fish squirming out of one's hands, mapped onto the sheer combinatorial slipperiness of tracking which faculties travel together across every possible circumstance of a life.
4. The Eye-Faculty's Own Guaranteed Companions, and the Faculties That Follow It
The census proper begins: whoever possesses the eye-faculty invariably possesses five further faculties (eye, body, life, mind, equanimity), while every other faculty's presence remains genuinely unfixed, tracking gradual death, ordinary versus noble status, and freedom from contamination — the same pattern then extended through the body-, female-, and male-faculties, each anchored by its own small, invariant core.
幾成就幾不成就。乃至具知根問亦爾。答若成就眼根。彼定成就五餘不定。成就五者。謂眼身命意捨根。餘不定者餘十七根。或成就或不成就。謂耳鼻舌根身根。具者則成就。不具者不成就。女根男根若一形隨成就一。若二形俱成就。若無形俱不成就。謂本不得或得已由漸命終。或餘緣故失。樂根若生遍淨及下。若聖者生第四靜慮則成就。若異生生第四靜慮則不成就。苦根若生欲界則成就。若生色界則不成就。喜根若生極光淨及下。若聖者生第三第四靜慮則成就。若異生生第三第四靜慮則不成就憂根若未離欲染則成就。若已離欲染則不成就。信等五根若不斷善則成就。若斷善則不成就。
how many does that being possess, and how many not, and so on, up through the question concerning the faculty of complete knowledge?" Answer: whoever possesses the eye-faculty invariably possesses five further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The five invariably possessed are the eye, body, life, mind, and equanimity faculties; the remaining seventeen are unfixed, whether possessed or not. As for the ear, nose, and tongue faculties, if complete, they are possessed; if incomplete, not. As for the female and male faculties, if of a single sexual form, whichever one applies is possessed; if of dual sexual form, both are possessed; if of no sexual form, neither is possessed — this refers to one who either never obtained these faculties at all, or obtained them but has since lost them through a gradual dying process or some other cause. As for the pleasure-faculty, if born in the Śubhakṛtsna heaven or below, it is possessed; a noble one born in the fourth dhyāna possesses it, while an ordinary being born there does not. As for the pain-faculty, if born in the desire realm, it is possessed; if born in the form realm, it is not. As for the joy-faculty, if born in the Ābhāsvara heaven or below, it is possessed; a noble one born in the third or fourth dhyāna possesses it, while an ordinary being born there does not. As for the displeasure-faculty, if not yet free from desire-realm contamination, it is possessed; if already free from it, it is not. As for faith and its four companion faculties, if the wholesome roots are unsevered, they are possessed; if severed, they are not.
未知當知根住見道則成就餘則不成就。已知根住修位則成就。餘則不成就。具知根住無學位則成就。餘則不成就。是故說餘不定。如眼根。耳鼻舌根亦爾。皆色界定成就。無色界定不成就。欲界不定故。若成就身根彼定成就四餘不定。成就四者。謂身命意捨根。餘不定者。餘十八根或成就或不成就。眼根眼根具者則成就。不具者不成就。餘十七根如前說。若成就女根彼定成就八餘不定。成就八者。謂女身命意樂苦喜捨根。餘不定者。餘十四根或成就或不成就如前應知。如女根男根亦爾。若成就男女二根。彼定成就十五根。
As for the faculty of the yet-unknown, if abiding on the path of seeing, it is possessed; otherwise, not. As for the already-known faculty, if abiding at the stage of cultivation, it is possessed; otherwise, not. As for the faculty of complete knowledge, if abiding at the stage of the one beyond training, it is possessed; otherwise, not — it is for this reason that the remainder are called unfixed. Exactly as with the eye-faculty, so too the ear, nose, and tongue faculties — all invariably possessed by beings fixedly born in the form realm, invariably not possessed by beings fixedly born in the formless realm, and unfixed for beings of the desire realm. Whoever possesses the body-faculty invariably possesses four further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The four invariably possessed are the body, life, mind, and equanimity faculties; the remaining eighteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not. As for the eye-faculty, if complete, it is possessed; if incomplete, not. The remaining seventeen faculties should be understood exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the female faculty invariably possesses eight further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The eight invariably possessed are the female, body, life, and mind faculties, pleasure, pain, joy, and equanimity; the remaining fourteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, and should be understood exactly as already described. Exactly as with the female faculty, so too the male faculty. Whoever possesses both the male and female faculties together invariably possesses fifteen further faculties —
謂男女身命意五受信等五根。定不成就三根。謂三無漏根。餘不定如前應知。若成就命根彼定成就三餘不定。成就三者。謂命意捨根。餘不定者。餘十九根或成就或不成就。謂眼耳鼻舌根生色界則成就。生無色界則不成就。生欲界或成就或不成就如前說。身根生欲色界則成就。生無色界則不成就。女根男根生色無色界則不成就。生欲界或成就或不成就如前說。樂根若生遍淨及下。若聖者生上則成就。若異生生上則不成就。苦根若生欲界則成就。若生色無色界則不成就。喜根若生極光淨及下。若聖者生上則成就。若異生生上則不成就餘如前說。如命根意根捨根亦爾。皆三界有情定成就故。若成就樂根彼定成就四餘不定。成就四者。謂樂命意捨根。餘不定者。餘十八根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就苦根彼定成就七餘不定。成就七者。謂身命意四受除憂。餘不定者。餘十五根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就喜根彼定成就五餘不定。成就五者。謂命意樂喜捨根。餘不定者。餘十七根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就憂根彼定成就八。定不成就一。餘不定。成就八者。謂身命意五受根。不成就一者。謂具知根。餘不定者。餘十三根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就信根彼定成就八餘不定。成就八者。
namely, the male and female, body, life, and mind faculties, the five feeling-faculties, and faith with its four companions; three faculties are invariably not possessed — namely, the three uncontaminated faculties; and the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the life-faculty invariably possesses three further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The three invariably possessed are the life, mind, and equanimity faculties; the remaining nineteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not. As for the eye, ear, nose, and tongue faculties, if born in the form realm, they are possessed; if born in the formless realm, not; if born in the desire realm, unfixed, exactly as already described. As for the body-faculty, if born in the desire or form realm, it is possessed; if born in the formless realm, not. As for the female and male faculties, if born in the form or formless realm, they are not possessed; if born in the desire realm, unfixed, exactly as already described. As for the pleasure-faculty, if born in the Śubhakṛtsna heaven or below, a noble one born above possesses it, while an ordinary being born above does not. As for the pain-faculty, if born in the desire realm, it is possessed; if born in the form or formless realm, not. As for the joy-faculty, if born in the Ābhāsvara heaven or below, a noble one born above possesses it, while an ordinary being born above does not — the remainder should be understood exactly as already described. Exactly as with the life-faculty, so too the mind- and equanimity-faculties, since every being of the three realms invariably possesses these. Whoever possesses the pleasure-faculty invariably possesses four further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The four invariably possessed are the pleasure, life, mind, and equanimity faculties; the remaining eighteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the pain-faculty invariably possesses seven further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The seven invariably possessed are the body, life, mind, and the four feeling-faculties excluding displeasure; the remaining fifteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the joy-faculty invariably possesses five further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The five invariably possessed are the life, mind, pleasure, joy, and equanimity faculties; the remaining seventeen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the displeasure-faculty invariably possesses eight further faculties, and invariably lacks one further faculty, while the remainder are unfixed. The eight invariably possessed are the body, life, mind, and five feeling-faculties; the one invariably lacked is the faculty of complete knowledge; the remaining thirteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the faith-faculty invariably possesses eight further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The eight invariably possessed are —
謂命意捨信等五根。餘不定者。餘十四根或成就或不成就如前應知。如信根。精進念定慧根亦爾。若成就未知當知根。彼定成就十三。定不成就二。餘不定。成就十三者。謂身命意四受除憂信等五。未知當知根。不成就二者。謂已知具知根。餘不定者。餘七根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就已知根彼定成就十一。定不成就二。餘不定。成就十一者。謂命意樂喜捨。信等五。已知根。不成就二者。謂未知當知具知根。餘不定者餘九根或成就或不成就如前應知。若成就具知根彼定成就十一。定不成就三。餘不定。成就十一者。謂命意樂喜捨。信等五。具知根。不成就三者。謂憂前二無漏根。餘不定者。餘八根或成就或不成就如前應知。
the life, mind, and equanimity faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remaining fourteen are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the faith-faculty, so too diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and the wisdom-faculty. Whoever possesses the faculty of the yet-unknown invariably possesses thirteen further faculties, and invariably lacks two further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The thirteen invariably possessed are the body, life, mind, and four feeling-faculties excluding displeasure, faith with its four companions, and the faculty of the yet-unknown; the two invariably lacked are the already-known and complete-knowledge faculties; the remaining seven are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the already-known faculty invariably possesses eleven further faculties, and invariably lacks two further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The eleven invariably possessed are the life, mind, pleasure, joy, and equanimity faculties, faith with its four companions, and the already-known faculty; the two invariably lacked are the faculty of the yet-unknown and the faculty of complete knowledge; the remaining nine are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the faculty of complete knowledge invariably possesses eleven further faculties, and invariably lacks three further faculties, while the remainder are unfixed. The eleven invariably possessed are the life, mind, pleasure, joy, and equanimity faculties, faith with its four companions, and the faculty of complete knowledge; the three invariably lacked are the displeasure-faculty and the remaining two uncontaminated faculties; the remaining eight are unfixed, whether possessed or not, exactly as already described.
The recurring five- or four-faculty invariant core running beneath each entry — almost always some combination of life, mind, and equanimity, joined by whatever faculty is actually being asked about — reveals a quiet structural truth beneath all this apparent unpredictability: however much the twenty-two faculties shift and reshuffle across a life, a small stable nucleus never actually goes anywhere.
5. The Same Census, Now Tracked Across Past, Present, and Future
The possession census is repeated in far greater temporal detail, asking not merely whether a faculty is possessed but in which of the three time-periods — with the neutral faculties invariably absent as past or future (too weak to persist outside the present), and a genuine scholarly dispute over whether "feeling" names a single fixed faculty across time or simply guarantees that some one of the five feelings is always present, resolved by distinguishing an unfixed name from a fixed underlying count.
若成就眼根。彼於三世二十二根。幾成就幾不成就。乃至具知根問亦爾。答若成就眼根。彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等八無記根唯成就現在。非過去未來勢羸劣故。定成就過去未來二現在三。過未二者。謂意捨根此於現在非定成就。以彼或住無心位故。現三者。
"Whatever being possesses the eye-faculty — across the three time-periods, of the twenty-two faculties, how many does that being possess, and how many not, and so on, up through the question concerning the faculty of complete knowledge?" Answer: whoever possesses the eye-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the eight neutral faculties beginning with the life-faculty, since their own strength is weak, they are possessed only in the present, never as past or future. Two are invariably possessed as both past and present — namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties; these are not invariably possessed in the present, since one may be abiding in a mindless state at that moment. Three are invariably possessed in the present alone —
謂眼身命根餘不定如前說。如眼根。耳鼻舌亦爾。若成就身根彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來二現在二。過未二者。謂意捨。現二者。謂身命餘不定如前說。若成就女根彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來五。現在三。過未五者。
namely, the eye, body, and life faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the eye-faculty, so too the ear, nose, and tongue faculties. Whoever possesses the body-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Two are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties. Two are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the body- and life-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the female faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Five are invariably possessed as both past and future —
謂意四受除憂。現三者。謂女身命。餘不定如前說。如女根。男根亦爾。若成就男女二根彼定不成就過去未來八三世三。過未八者。
namely, the mind- and four feeling-faculties excluding displeasure. Three are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the female, body, and life faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the female faculty, so too the male faculty. Whoever possesses both the male and female faculties together invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future, nor as any of the three time-periods —
謂命等。三世三者。謂三無漏。定成就過去未來九。三世二。現在四。過未九者謂四受信等五。三世二者。謂意一受現在四者。謂男女身命餘不定如前說。西方師言。應說過未定成就十。謂五受信等五。三世定成就一。謂意。受名不定故。迦濕彌羅國諸論師言。名雖不定而數則定。必有一受現在前故。此中說數不說名。若成就命根。彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來二。現在一。過未二者。謂意捨。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。如命根。
namely, the life-faculty and the rest as past or future, and the three uncontaminated faculties across all three time-periods. Nine are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the four feeling-faculties and faith with its four companions. Two are invariably possessed across all three time-periods — namely, the mind-faculty and one feeling-faculty. Four are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the male, female, body, and life faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. The Western masters hold that this passage ought to state that ten faculties are invariably possessed as past or future — namely, the five feeling-faculties and faith with its four companions — and that one faculty is invariably possessed across all three time-periods — namely, the mind-faculty — since "feeling" is not a fixed name for any single one of the five. The Vaibhāṣika masters of Kashmir hold instead that although the name is unfixed, the number is indeed fixed, since there must invariably be one of the five feelings currently present — this passage speaks in terms of the fixed number, not the unfixed name. Whoever possesses the life-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Two are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties. One is invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the life-faculty, so too —
意根捨根亦爾。若成就樂根。彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來二。未來一。現在一。過未二者謂意捨。未一者。謂樂。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若成就苦根。彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來五。現在二。過未五者。謂意四受除憂。現二者。謂身命餘不定如前說。若成就喜根彼定不成就過。去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來二。未來二。現在一。過未二者。謂意捨。未二者。謂樂喜。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若成就憂根。彼定不成就過去未來八三世一。過未八者。謂命等。三世一者。謂具知。定成就過去未來四。三世二。現在二。過未四者。謂四受。三世二者。謂意一受現二者。謂身命。餘不定如前說。健馱羅國說。此文應言過未成五。謂五受。三世成一。謂意受名不定。故迦濕彌羅說。名雖不定以數定故應如前說。若成就信根彼定不成就過去未來八。謂命等。定成就過去未來七。現在一。
the mind- and equanimity-faculties. Whoever possesses the pleasure-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Two are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties. One is invariably possessed as future alone — namely, the pleasure-faculty. One is invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the pain-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Five are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the mind- and four feeling-faculties excluding displeasure. Two are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the body- and life-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the joy-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Two are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties. Two are invariably possessed as future alone — namely, the pleasure- and joy-faculties. One is invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the displeasure-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future, nor as any of the three time-periods — namely, the life-faculty and the rest as past or future, and the faculty of complete knowledge across all three time-periods. Four are invariably possessed as both past and future — namely, the four feeling-faculties. Two are invariably possessed across all three time-periods — namely, the mind-faculty and one feeling-faculty. Two are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the body- and life-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. The masters of Gandhāra hold that this passage ought to state that five faculties are invariably possessed as past or future — namely, the five feeling-faculties — and that one faculty is invariably possessed across all three time-periods — namely, the mind-faculty — since "feeling" is not a fixed name. The Vaibhāṣika masters of Kashmir hold instead that although the name is unfixed, the number is fixed, and so the account should be given exactly as already stated. Whoever possesses the faith-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and the rest. Seven are invariably possessed as both past and future,
過未七者。謂意捨信等五。現一者謂命。餘不定如前說。如信根。
namely, the mind- and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions. One is invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the faith-faculty, so too —
精進念定慧根亦爾。若成就未知當知根。彼定不成就過去未來八。
diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and the wisdom-faculty. Whoever possesses the faculty of the yet-unknown invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future,
三世二。現在二。過未八者謂命等。三世二者。謂已知具知。現二者。謂苦憂。定成就三世七。過去未來三。未來現在一。現在二。
nor as any of two of the three time-periods — namely, the life-faculty and the rest as past or future, and the already-known and complete-knowledge faculties across all three time-periods. Two are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the pain- and displeasure-faculties. Seven are invariably possessed across all three time-periods,
The resolution of the Gandhāran/Western-versus-Kashmir dispute over "feeling" — agreeing on the fixed number while conceding the name itself floats between the five candidates — is a genuinely elegant piece of linguistic-metaphysical compromise: both sides get to be right, because the disagreement was never really about the underlying reality, only about how loosely a single word may be allowed to point at five different things in turn.
6. The Census Concludes: What Every Being Definitely Does and Does Not Possess
The temporal census runs its full course through the yet-unknown, already-known, and complete-knowledge faculties, then reverses direction entirely to ask the mirror question — for whoever lacks a given faculty, which others are invariably also lacking, and which invariably still present — before repeating that same reversal across all three time-periods, closing this fascicle's single longest and most exhaustive combinatorial exercise.
三世七者。謂意一受信等五。過未三者。謂三受。未現一者。謂未知當知。現二者。謂身命此中二說如前。餘不定如前說。若成就已知根。彼定不成就過去未來八。三世二。過未八者。謂命等。三世二者。謂餘二無漏。定成就過去未來七。未來三。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。未三者。謂樂喜已知。現一者謂命。餘不定如前說。若成就具知根。彼定不成就過去未來八。三世三。過未八者。謂命等。三世三者。謂憂餘二無漏。定成就過去未來七。未來三。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。未三者。謂樂喜具知。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若不成就眼根。彼於二十二根。幾不成就幾成就。乃至具知根問亦爾。答若不成就眼根。彼定不成就一。謂眼。定成就三。謂命意捨。餘不定如前說。如眼根。耳鼻舌女男根三無漏根亦爾。若不成就身根。彼定不成就十。謂七色苦憂未。知當知。定成就八。謂命意捨信等五。餘不定如前說。若男女根俱不成就。彼定不成就二。謂男女。定成就三。謂命意捨。餘不定如前說。命意捨根無不成就。若不成就樂根。彼定不成就九。謂女男四受除捨三無漏。定成就八。謂命意捨信等五。餘不定如前說。若不成就苦根。彼定不成就五。謂女男苦憂未知當知。定成就八。謂命意捨信等五。餘不定如前說。若不成就喜根。彼定不成就八。謂女男苦喜憂三無漏。定成就八。謂命意捨信等五。餘不定如前說。若不成就憂根。彼定不成就一。謂憂。定成就八。謂命意捨信等五餘。不定如前說。若不成就信根。彼定不成就八。謂信等五三無漏。定成就八。謂身命意五受。餘不定如前說。如信根。精進念定慧根亦爾。若不成就眼根。彼於三世二十二根。幾不成就幾成就。乃至具知根問亦爾。答若不成就眼根。彼定不成就三世一。過去未來七。三世一者。謂眼。過未七者。謂命等七。定成就過去未來二。現在一。過未二者。謂意捨。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。如眼根。耳鼻舌女男根亦爾若不成就身根。彼定不成就三世十。過去未來一。三世十者。謂七色苦憂未知當知。過未一者謂命。定成就過去未來五。三世二。現在一。過未五者。謂信等五。
namely, the mind-faculty, one feeling-faculty, and faith with its four companions. Three are invariably possessed as past or future — namely, the remaining three feeling-faculties. One is invariably possessed as future-and-present — namely, the faculty of the yet-unknown. Two are invariably possessed in the present alone — namely, the body- and life-faculties. Both accounts already given here should be understood exactly as before; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the already-known faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future, nor two faculties as any of the three time-periods — the eight are the life-faculty and the rest; the two are the remaining two uncontaminated faculties. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties; as future alone, three; and in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind- and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the three are pleasure, joy, and the already-known faculty; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever possesses the faculty of complete knowledge invariably does not possess eight faculties as past or future, nor three faculties as any of the three time-periods — the eight are the life-faculty and the rest; the three are displeasure and the remaining two uncontaminated faculties. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties; as future alone, three; and in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind- and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the three are pleasure, joy, and the faculty of complete knowledge; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. "Whoever does not possess the eye-faculty — of the twenty-two faculties, how many does that being not possess, and how many possess, and so on, up through the question concerning the faculty of complete knowledge?" Answer: whoever does not possess the eye-faculty invariably does not possess one faculty — namely, the eye; and invariably possesses three faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the eye-faculty, so too the ear, nose, and tongue faculties, the female and male faculties, and the three uncontaminated faculties. Whoever does not possess the body-faculty invariably does not possess ten faculties — namely, the seven form-faculties, the pain-faculty, the displeasure-faculty, and the faculty of the yet-unknown; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess either the male or female faculty invariably does not possess two faculties — namely, the male and female faculties; and invariably possesses three faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described — the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties are never absent from any being. Whoever does not possess the pleasure-faculty invariably does not possess nine faculties — namely, the male and female faculties, the four feeling-faculties excluding equanimity, and the three uncontaminated faculties; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the pain-faculty invariably does not possess five faculties — namely, the male and female faculties, the pain- and displeasure-faculties, and the faculty of the yet-unknown; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the joy-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties — namely, the male and female faculties, pain, joy, displeasure, and the three uncontaminated faculties; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the displeasure-faculty invariably does not possess one faculty — namely, displeasure itself; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties, and faith with its four companions; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the faith-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties — namely, faith with its four companions and the three uncontaminated faculties; and invariably possesses eight faculties — namely, the body-, life-, and mind-faculties, and the five feeling-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the faith-faculty, so too diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and the wisdom-faculty. "Whoever does not possess the eye-faculty — across the three time-periods, of the twenty-two faculties, how many does that being not possess, and how many possess, and so on, up through the question concerning the faculty of complete knowledge?" Answer: whoever does not possess the eye-faculty invariably does not possess one faculty across all three time-periods — namely, the eye — and invariably does not possess seven faculties as past or future — namely, the life-faculty and six others. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, two faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the two are the mind- and equanimity-faculties; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the eye-faculty, so too the ear, nose, tongue, female, and male faculties. Whoever does not possess the body-faculty invariably does not possess ten faculties across all three time-periods, and one as past or future — the ten are the seven form-faculties, pain, displeasure, and the faculty of the yet-unknown; the one is the life-faculty. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, five faculties; across all three time-periods, two; and in the present alone, one — the five past-and-future are —
三世二者。謂意捨。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若男女根俱不成就。彼定不成就三世二。過去未來六。三世二者。謂男女。過未六者。謂五色命。定成就過去未來二。現在一。過未二者。謂意捨。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。命意捨根無不成就。若不成就樂根。彼定不成就三世九。過去未來六。三世九者。謂女男四受除捨三無漏。過未六者。謂五色命。定成就過去未來七。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若不成就苦根。彼定不成就三世五。過去未來六三世五者。謂女男苦憂未知當知。過未六者。謂五色命。定成就過去未來七。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若不成就喜根。彼定不成就三世八。過去未來六。三世八者。謂女男苦憂喜三無漏。過未六者。謂五色命。定成就過去未來七。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。若不成就憂根彼定不成就三世一。過去未來八。三世一者。謂憂。過未八。謂命等。定成就過去未來七。現在一。過未七者。謂意捨信等五。現一。謂命。餘不定如前說。若不成就信根。彼定不成就三世八。過去未來八。三世八者。謂信等五三無漏。過未八者。謂命等。定成就過去未來四。三世二。現在二。過未四者。謂四受。三世二者。
faith with its four companions; the two across all three time-periods are the mind-faculty and one feeling-faculty; the one present-alone is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess both the male and female faculties together invariably does not possess two faculties across all three time-periods, and six as past or future — the two are the male and female faculties; the six are the five remaining form-faculties and the life-faculty. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, two faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the two are the mind- and equanimity-faculties; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described — the life-, mind-, and equanimity-faculties are never absent from any being. Whoever does not possess the pleasure-faculty invariably does not possess nine faculties across all three time-periods, and six as past or future — the nine are the male and female faculties, the four feeling-faculties excluding equanimity, and the three uncontaminated faculties; the six are the five remaining form-faculties and the life-faculty. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind-faculty and faith with its four companions; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the pain-faculty invariably does not possess five faculties across all three time-periods, and six as past or future — the five are the male and female faculties, pain, displeasure, and the faculty of the yet-unknown; the six are the five remaining form-faculties and the life-faculty. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind-faculty and faith with its four companions; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the joy-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties across all three time-periods, and six as past or future — the eight are the male and female faculties, pain, displeasure, joy, and the three uncontaminated faculties; the six are the five remaining form-faculties and the life-faculty. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind-faculty and faith with its four companions; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the displeasure-faculty invariably does not possess one faculty across all three time-periods, and eight as past or future — the one is displeasure itself; the eight are the life-faculty and the rest. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, seven faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the seven are the mind-faculty and faith with its four companions; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Whoever does not possess the faith-faculty invariably does not possess eight faculties across all three time-periods, and eight as past or future — the eight of all three time-periods are faith with its four companions and the three uncontaminated faculties; the eight past-or-future are the life-faculty and the rest. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, four faculties; across all three time-periods, two; and in the present alone, two — the four past-and-future are the four feeling-faculties; the two of all three time-periods are —
謂意一受。現二者。謂身命餘不定如前說。如信根。精進念定慧根亦爾。若不成就未知當知根。彼定不成就三世一。過去未來八。三世一者。謂未知當知。過未八者。謂命等。定成就過去未來二。現在一。過未二者。謂意捨。現一者。謂命。餘不定如前說。如未知當知根。已知具知根亦爾。諸根善彼根因善根耶。設根因善根彼根善耶。答諸根善彼根。因善根謂八根全。及六根少分。此以善根為三因。即相應俱有同類。有根因善根彼根非善。謂善根所引異熟生根。即善根所引異熟命等八根。及意樂喜捨根。此以善根為一因。
the mind-faculty and one feeling-faculty; the two present-alone are the body- and life-faculties; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the faith-faculty, so too diligence, mindfulness, concentration, and the wisdom-faculty. Whoever does not possess the faculty of the yet-unknown invariably does not possess one faculty across all three time-periods, and eight as past or future — the one is the faculty of the yet-unknown itself; the eight are the life-faculty and the rest. This being invariably possesses, as past and future, two faculties, and, in the present alone, one — the two are the mind- and equanimity-faculties; the one is the life-faculty; the remainder are unfixed, exactly as already described. Exactly as with the faculty of the yet-unknown, so too the already-known and complete-knowledge faculties. "Whatever faculty is wholesome — is that faculty caused by a wholesome root?" And, conversely, "whatever faculty is caused by a wholesome root — is that faculty wholesome?" Answer: whatever faculty is wholesome is indeed caused by a wholesome root — namely, eight faculties entirely, and a portion of six further faculties; this bears three causes toward the wholesome root — namely, the associated, co-existent, and homogeneous causes. There is a faculty caused by a wholesome root that is not itself wholesome — namely, the ripening-produced faculties drawn forth by a wholesome root, that is, the life-faculty and the other seven such faculties drawn forth by a wholesome root's own ripening, together with the mind-, pleasure-, joy-, and equanimity-faculties; this bears a single cause toward the wholesome root —
Running the entire census twice — once for what a faculty's presence guarantees, once for what its absence guarantees — and then doing both all over again across three time-periods, is Abhidharma completism at its most thorough: no directional or temporal angle on "which faculties travel together" is left unexamined, however much the resulting text comes to resemble a pure numerical ledger.
7. Wholesome, Unwholesome, and Neutral Roots: What Actually Causes a Faculty's Moral Quality?
Having closed the Fish Nyāsa's possession census, the treatise turns to a causal question: is a wholesome faculty always caused by a wholesome root, and vice versa? The answer distinguishes a faculty's own moral quality from its causal ancestry — ripening-produced faculties like the life-faculty can be caused by a wholesome root's own past karma without being wholesome themselves — before naming non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion as the three roots of wholesome causation, and greed, hatred, and delusion as their unwholesome counterparts.
謂異熟因。此中無貪無瞋無癡名因善根。
namely, the ripening cause. Here, non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion are what is meant by "causal wholesome root."
諸根不善彼根因不善根耶。設根因不善根彼根不善耶。答諸根不善彼根因不善根。謂六根少分。此以不善根為四因。即相應俱有同類遍行。有根因不善根。彼根非不善。謂不善根所引異熟一生根。即不善根所引命等八根。及意苦根。此以不善根為一因。謂異熟因。
"Whatever faculty is unwholesome — is that faculty caused by an unwholesome root?" And, conversely, "whatever faculty is caused by an unwholesome root — is that faculty unwholesome?" Answer: whatever faculty is unwholesome is indeed caused by an unwholesome root — namely, a portion of six further faculties; this bears four causes toward the unwholesome root — namely, the associated, co-existent, homogeneous, and universal causes. There is a faculty caused by an unwholesome root that is not itself unwholesome — namely, the ripening-produced faculties drawn forth by an unwholesome root, that is, the life-faculty and the other seven such faculties drawn forth by an unwholesome root's own ripening, together with the pain-faculty; this bears a single cause toward the unwholesome root — namely, the ripening cause.
及欲界有身見邊執見相應根。此以不善根為二因。謂同類遍行。此中貪瞋癡名因不善根。
And the faculty associated with self-view and extreme-view within the desire realm bears two causes toward the unwholesome root — namely, the homogeneous and universal causes. Here, greed, hatred, and delusion are what is meant by "causal unwholesome root."
That a faculty can be causally downstream of a wholesome root's own ripening without itself counting as wholesome is a precise piece of moral bookkeeping: karma's own moral coloring, on this account, does not simply propagate forward unchanged into everything it produces, and a neutral effect can still trace its own lineage back to a genuinely wholesome cause.
8. Three or Four Neutral Roots? Kashmir and the Western Masters Disagree
A rich scholastic dispute opens over the neutral root itself: the Vaibhāṣika masters of Kashmir count exactly three — neutral craving, neutral wisdom, and neutral ignorance — while the Western masters insist on four, adding neutral view and neutral conceit as their own separate categories, each school working out in careful detail exactly how many neutral roots any given defiled or neutral mind draws upon at once.
諸根無記彼根因無記根耶。設根因無記根。彼根無記耶。答應作四句。迦濕彌羅國毘婆沙師說。無記根有三。謂無記愛慧無明。無記愛者。謂色無色界五部愛。無記慧者。謂有覆無記慧。無覆無記慧。有覆無記慧。謂欲界有身見邊執見。及色無色界五部染污慧。
"Whatever faculty is neutral — is that faculty caused by a neutral root?" And, conversely, "whatever faculty is caused by a neutral root — is that faculty neutral?" Answer: this calls for a tetralemma. The Vaibhāṣika masters of Kashmir hold that there are three neutral roots — neutral craving, neutral wisdom, and neutral ignorance. Neutral craving refers to the craving belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms; neutral wisdom refers to obscured-neutral wisdom and unobscured-neutral wisdom; obscured-neutral wisdom refers to the self-view and extreme-view of the desire realm, together with the defiled wisdom belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms.
無覆無記慧。謂威儀路工巧處異熟生變化心俱生慧。無記無明者。
Unobscured-neutral wisdom refers to the wisdom co-arisen with deportment, craftsmanship, ripening-produced states, and transformation-mind. As for neutral ignorance —
謂欲界有身見邊執見相應無明。及色無色界五部無明。此中無記貪相應心。由三無記根故名有根心。所餘有覆無記心由二無記根故名有根心。謂無記慧無明一切無覆無記心。由一無記根故名有根心。
this refers to the ignorance associated with self-view and extreme-view in the desire realm, together with the ignorance belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms. Here, a mind associated with neutral craving is called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of three neutral roots; every other obscured-neutral mind is called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of two neutral roots — namely, neutral wisdom and ignorance; every unobscured-neutral mind is called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of a single neutral root —
謂無記慧。依此以釋四句義者。有根無記。彼根非因無記根。謂無緣根即命等八根。此根無記而不以無記根為因。有根因無記根彼根非無記。謂不善根。即六少分。此根不善而以無記根為二因。謂同類遍行。有根無記彼根亦因無記根。謂無記有緣根。即五少分。此根無記亦以無記根為四因。謂相應俱有同類遍行。有根非無記。彼根亦非因無記根。謂善根。即八全六少分。此根非無記。亦不以無記根為因。頗有根非因善根。非因不善根。非因無記根。彼根非無因耶。答有。謂無緣根。即命等八根。以色心不相應行為因。此非三性根為因而以色心不相應行為三因。謂俱有同類異熟。西方諸師說。無記根有四。謂無記愛見慢無明。無記愛者。謂色無色界五部愛。無記見者。謂欲界有身見邊執見。及色無色界五見。無記慢者。謂色無色界五部慢。無記無明者。謂欲界有身見邊執見相應無明。及色無色界五部無明。此中無記貪相應心。由二無記根故名有根心。謂無記愛無明。無記見慢相應心。亦各由二無記根故名有根心。謂即彼及無明。所餘有覆無記心。由一無記根故名有根心。謂無記無明。依彼以釋四句義者。此文應作是說。有根無記彼根非因無記根。謂無覆無記根。此根無記而不以無記為根因。有根因無記根彼根非無記。謂不善根。此根非無記而以無記根為二因。謂同類遍行。有根無記彼根亦因無記根。謂有覆無記根。此根無記亦以無記根為四因。謂相應俱有同類遍行。有根非無記彼根亦非因無記根。謂善根此根非無記。亦不以無記根為因。頗有根非因善根。非因不善根。非因無記根。彼根非無因耶。答有。謂無覆無記根。以色心不相應行等為因。此根不以三性根為因。而以色心不相應行。
namely, neutral wisdom. Explaining the tetralemma on this basis: there is a faculty that is neutral, yet not caused by a neutral root — namely, the objectless faculties, that is, the life-faculty and the other seven such faculties; this faculty is neutral, yet does not take a neutral root as its cause. There is a faculty caused by a neutral root, yet not itself neutral — namely, the unwholesome root, that is, a portion of six faculties; this faculty is unwholesome, yet bears the neutral root as two of its causes — namely, the homogeneous and universal causes. There is a faculty that is neutral, and also caused by a neutral root — namely, the neutral faculty that takes an object, that is, a portion of five faculties; this faculty is neutral, and also bears the neutral root as four of its causes — namely, the associated, co-existent, homogeneous, and universal causes. There is a faculty that is not neutral, and also not caused by a neutral root — namely, the wholesome root, that is, eight faculties entirely and six in part; this faculty is not neutral, and does not take the neutral root as its cause. One might ask: is there any faculty that is caused by neither the wholesome root, the unwholesome root, nor the neutral root, yet is itself uncaused? Answer: yes — namely, the objectless faculties, that is, the life-faculty and the other seven such faculties, which take formations dissociated from mind as their cause; these are not caused by any of the three moral-quality roots, yet do take formations dissociated from mind as three of their causes — namely, the co-existent, homogeneous, and ripening causes. The Western masters hold instead that there are four neutral roots — neutral craving, view, conceit, and ignorance. Neutral craving refers to the craving belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms; neutral view refers to the self-view and extreme-view of the desire realm, together with the five views belonging to the form and formless realms; neutral conceit refers to the conceit belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms; neutral ignorance refers to the ignorance associated with self-view and extreme-view in the desire realm, together with the ignorance belonging to the five categories of the form and formless realms. Here, a mind associated with neutral craving is called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of two neutral roots — namely, neutral craving and ignorance; a mind associated with neutral view or conceit is likewise called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of two neutral roots in each case — namely, that very root together with ignorance; every other obscured-neutral mind is called a "faculty-bearing mind" on account of a single neutral root — namely, neutral ignorance. Explaining the tetralemma on the basis of that account: this passage ought to be phrased as follows — there is a faculty that is neutral, yet not caused by a neutral root — namely, the unobscured-neutral root; this faculty is neutral, yet does not take the neutral root as its own cause. There is a faculty caused by a neutral root, yet not itself neutral — namely, the unwholesome root; this faculty is not neutral, yet bears the neutral root as two of its causes — namely, the homogeneous and universal causes. There is a faculty that is neutral, and also caused by a neutral root — namely, the obscured-neutral root; this faculty is neutral, and also bears the neutral root as four of its causes — namely, the associated, co-existent, homogeneous, and universal causes. There is a faculty that is not neutral, and also not caused by a neutral root — namely, the wholesome root; this faculty is not neutral, and does not take the neutral root as its cause. One might ask: is there any faculty that is caused by neither the wholesome root, the unwholesome root, nor the neutral root, yet is itself uncaused? Answer: yes — namely, the unobscured-neutral root, which takes formations dissociated from mind and the rest as its cause; this faculty does not take any of the three moral-quality roots as its cause, but does take formations dissociated from mind as its cause.
That two schools can disagree not just on doctrine but on the sheer headcount of a basic category — three neutral roots or four — and each defend a fully worked-out, internally consistent tetralemma on that basis, shows how even something as seemingly settled as "how many kinds of X exist" remained a live and contested question throughout this tradition's history.
9. Why Conceit Counts as a Root for Some, and Doubt for Neither
The dispute sharpens into a genuinely illuminating disagreement about what "root" itself even means: the Western masters define it as forceful, deeply rooted power — hence conceit, capable of destroying a hundred thousand accumulated merits in a single stroke, qualifies — while the masters of this country define it instead as a kind of lowness, disqualifying conceit precisely because it elevates the mind rather than grounding it; both schools, meanwhile, agree that doubt can never count as a root, since a root requires fixed, settled abiding, and doubt is defined by its own perpetual oscillation.
無覆無記心心所為四因。謂相應俱有同類異熟。此即總說然相應根具有四因。不相應根唯三因。除相應因。問何故西方諸師。立慢為無記根。答彼說力堅強義是根義。慢力堅強故立為根。謂瑜伽師。
The unobscured-neutral mind and mental factors bear four causes — namely, the associated, co-existent, homogeneous, and ripening causes. This is stated only in general terms; more precisely, an associated faculty possesses all four causes, while a dissociated faculty possesses only three, excluding the associated cause. One might ask: why do the Western masters establish conceit as a neutral root? Answer: they hold that having a forceful and firmly rooted power is what defines a "root" — and since conceit's own power is forceful and firmly rooted, it is established as a root, for it is precisely through the power of conceit that a yogin —
所以退失百千善品皆由慢力。問何故此國諸師不立為根耶。答此說下義是根義。慢令心舉於下不順故不立根。問何故此國諸師立無覆無記慧為無記根。答此說為依因義是根義。無覆無記慧為依因勝故立為根。問何故西方諸師不立為根。答彼說力堅強義是根義。無覆無記慧勢力羸劣故不立根。問何故此彼國師俱不立疑為無記根。答俱說定住義是根義。疑不定住二門轉故。不立為根。如是說者。如善不善根俱有三種。無記根亦應爾。又如不善慢不立不善根。無記慢亦應爾故。無記根唯三者善。
comes to lose a hundred thousand wholesome qualities already accomplished. One might ask: why do the masters of this country not establish it as a root? Answer: they hold that having the character of lowness is what defines a "root" — and since conceit causes the mind to become elevated, contrary to lowness, it is not established as a root. One might ask: why do the masters of this country establish unobscured-neutral wisdom as a neutral root? Answer: they hold that serving as a superior basis is what defines a "root" — and since unobscured-neutral wisdom serves as a superior basis, it is established as a root. One might ask: why do the Western masters not establish it as a root? Answer: they hold that having a forceful and firmly rooted power is what defines a "root" — and since unobscured-neutral wisdom's own power is weak and feeble, it is not established as a root. One might ask: why do the masters of both countries alike decline to establish doubt as a neutral root? Answer: both hold that abiding with fixed determination is what defines a "root" — and since doubt, unfixed, oscillates between its two alternatives, it is not established as a root. As the assessors conclude, exactly as the wholesome and unwholesome roots each comprise three kinds, the neutral root ought likewise to comprise three kinds; and exactly as conceit, being unwholesome, is not established as an unwholesome root, so too neutral conceit ought likewise not to be established as a neutral root — it is for this reason that the neutral root is best understood to comprise only these three kinds.
Watching two entirely different definitions of the single word "root" — raw forceful power versus a settled, grounding lowness — produce two entirely different verdicts on whether conceit belongs in the category is a vivid demonstration of how much a technical term's own working definition can silently determine an entire debate's outcome before any specific case is even examined.
10. A Final New Chapter: The Cause-Condition Nyāsa Opens
The fascicle closes by opening yet a third new nyāsa in a single fascicle — the Cause-Condition Nyāsa — framed specifically around two of the four classical conditions, the cause-condition and the object-condition, since the immediately-preceding condition applies only for a single instant and the dominant condition applies so universally that framing the discussion around either would make the text unmanageably sprawling; a dense summary then maps, faculty by faculty, exactly which time-periods and which of the five categories of cutting-off each faculty can take as its object.
根蘊第六中因緣納息第七諸根因過去。彼根緣過去耶。如是等章。及解章義既領會已。當廣分別。問何故作此論。答為止撥無去來二世及撥無因緣者意。乃至廣說故作斯論。此中依二緣作論。謂因緣所緣緣。問何故不依餘二緣作。論耶。答等無間緣唯一剎那增上緣通一切法。若依彼作論則文義不婉博故。此但依二緣作論。此中應作略毘婆沙。謂二十二根中。十四有所緣。八無所緣。有所緣中。五識身相應品過去緣過去。現在緣現在。未來生法緣未來。不生法緣三世。意識身相應品隨在何世。若生不生皆緣三世及無為法。又見苦見集所斷根通緣五部。見滅見道所斷根唯緣自部及不斷修斷。不斷根通緣五部及不斷。又欲色界繫及不繫根。通緣三界繫及不繫。無色界繫根唯緣色無色界繫及不繫。因緣差別亦應准知。是謂此中略所說義。隨文廣釋如理應知。於中一切初翻因略而緣廣。一切後翻緣略而因廣。此中諸忍以智名說智眷屬故。
The Faculties Aggregate, within the Cause-Condition Nyāsa, Chapter Seven: "whatever faculty is bound to the past — does that faculty take the past as its object?" Such is the chapter heading, and such is the explanation of its meaning. Having grasped this, a full analysis should now be given. One might ask: why raise this discussion at all? Answer: to block the view of those who deny the reality of the past and future time-periods, and of those who deny the reality of the cause-condition and object-condition altogether, and so on, as stated at length — it is for this reason that the present discussion is raised. This discussion is framed specifically around two conditions — the cause-condition and the object-condition. One might ask: why is it not framed around the remaining two conditions as well? Answer: the immediately-preceding condition applies only for a single instant, while the dominant condition applies universally to every dharma whatsoever — were the discussion framed around these instead, its own wording would become far too unwieldy and sprawling; it is for this reason that the discussion is framed specifically around these two conditions alone. A brief summary of the Vibhāṣā's own treatment should be given here: among the twenty-two faculties, fourteen take an object, and eight take no object at all. Among those that take an object, the class associated with the five sense-consciousness-bodies takes the past as its object when itself past, and the present as its object when itself present; when future, if it is a dharma capable of arising, it takes the future as its object, while if it is a dharma incapable of arising, it takes all three time-periods as its object. The class associated with the mental-consciousness-body, whichever time-period it itself belongs to, whether it is a dharma capable of arising or incapable of arising, always takes all three time-periods and the unconditioned as its object. Moreover, whatever faculty is cut off by seeing suffering or by seeing origin pervasively takes all five categories as its object; whatever faculty is cut off by seeing cessation or by seeing the path takes only its own category and what is uncuttable as its object; whatever faculty is uncuttable pervasively takes all five categories together with the uncuttable as its object. Moreover, whatever faculty is bound to the desire or form realm, or unbound, pervasively takes as its object whatever is bound to any of the three realms, or unbound; whatever faculty is bound to the formless realm takes as its object only whatever is bound to the form or formless realm, or unbound. The differences of cause and condition should likewise be inferred accordingly. This, then, is the brief exposition of the meaning taught here; following the text, its fuller explanation should be understood exactly as reason dictates. Within this passage, every first turn of phrase states the cause briefly while stating the object at length, and every later turn of phrase states the object briefly while stating the cause at length. Throughout this passage, whenever the various patient-acceptances are spoken of, they are named after "knowledge," since they belong to knowledge's own retinue.
The frank admission that two of the four classical conditions are simply too extreme in scope — one too narrow, one too broad — to organize a coherent discussion around is a rare moment of explicit compositional reasoning: rather than mechanically applying every available analytical category to every topic, this tradition is shown here actively selecting its own tools based on which ones will actually produce a manageable, well-proportioned text.
Fascicle 156 Complete
This closes fascicle 156 of Ru-Yi's translation, drawn from the treatise's true CBETA boundary. Fascicle 156 concludes the One-Mind Nyāsa (根蘊第六中一心納息第五之二) with a full cross-association census of the unlearner's own noble path-factors, then opens two further new nyāsas in swift succession: the Fish Nyāsa (魚納息第六), an exhaustive possession census across all twenty-two faculties and all three time-periods, and the Cause-Condition Nyāsa (因緣納息第七), framed around the cause-condition and object-condition alone — and it is with this brief opening of the Cause-Condition Nyāsa that the entire Sixth Aggregate, the Faculties Aggregate (根蘊第六), itself comes to a close, spanning fascicles 93 through 156. Fascicle 157 opens an entirely new aggregate: the Seventh Aggregate, the Concentration Aggregate (定蘊第七), beginning with its own first nyāsa, the Attainment Nyāsa (得納息第一之一).