無著

真諦所譯《婆藪槃豆法師傳》記三兄弟，長兄即無著。他初亦於薩婆多部出家，修定得離欲，然「思惟空義不能得入。欲自殺身」〔T50n2049 0188c02〕——小乘空觀學到極處而心不能安，安不下來到了要捨身的地步。賓頭羅阿羅漢為說小乘空觀，如教觀之即得入；意猶未安，「謂理不應止爾」，因此乘神通「往兜率多天諮問彌勒菩薩」〔T50n2049 0188c05〕。彌勒為說大乘空觀，還閻浮提如說思惟乃悟。他的名字即由此得：「既得大乘空觀。因此為名。名阿僧伽。阿僧伽譯為無著」〔T50n2049 0188c08〕。

Paramārtha's translation of the Life of Master Vasubandhu records three brothers, of whom Asaṅga was the eldest. He too went forth in the Sarvāstivāda, attained concentration and freedom from desire, yet "contemplating the meaning of emptiness he could not enter it, and wished to take his own life" 〔T50n2049 0188c02〕 — the lesser-vehicle contemplation of emptiness carried to its limit and still the mind would not settle, would not settle to the point of throwing the body away. The arhat Piṇḍola taught him the lesser-vehicle contemplation of emptiness and, contemplating as instructed, he entered it; but his mind was still unsettled, holding that "the principle ought not to stop here," and so by spiritual power he "went to the Tuṣita heaven to inquire of the bodhisattva Maitreya" 〔T50n2049 0188c05〕. Maitreya taught him the great-vehicle contemplation of emptiness, and returning to Jambudvīpa he contemplated as taught and awoke. His name came from just this: "Having attained the great-vehicle contemplation of emptiness, he was named from it — named Asaṅga, which translates as 'Unattached'" 〔T50n2049 0188c08〕.

其後數上兜率多天諮問大乘經義，還而為人說，「聞者多不生信」。無著於是發願，求彌勒親下：「我今欲令眾生信解大乘」〔T50n2049 0188c12〕。彌勒如其願，於夜時下閻浮提，「於說法堂誦出十七地經。隨所誦出隨解其義」〔T50n2049 0188c15〕，「經四月夜解十七地經方竟」〔T50n2049 0188c17〕。同一堂中聽法，然「唯無著法師得近彌勒菩薩」〔T50n2049 0188c18〕，餘人但得遙聞；「晝時無著法師更為餘人解釋彌勒所說」〔T50n2049 0188c19〕。本編所譯《瑜伽師地論》本地分，其漢傳所繫之源即此十七地。

Thereafter he ascended repeatedly to Tuṣita to inquire into the great-vehicle scriptures, and returning taught what he had heard; but "most who heard did not give rise to faith." Asaṅga then made a vow, asking Maitreya to descend in person: "I wish now to bring living beings to faith and understanding of the Great Vehicle" 〔T50n2049 0188c12〕. Maitreya did as he asked, descending to Jambudvīpa by night and "in the Dharma hall reciting forth the Sūtra of the Seventeen Grounds, explaining the meaning as he recited" 〔T50n2049 0188c15〕; "after four months of nights the exposition of the Sūtra of the Seventeen Grounds was complete" 〔T50n2049 0188c17〕. They heard in one hall, yet "only Master Asaṅga was able to come near the bodhisattva Maitreya" 〔T50n2049 0188c18〕, the rest hearing only from afar; "by day Master Asaṅga explained again to the others what Maitreya had said" 〔T50n2049 0188c19〕. The Seventeen Grounds are the source to which the Chinese tradition traces the Basic Section of the Yogācārabhūmi rendered in this edition.

此傳所記之無著，其位置在「近」與「說」二字：夜近彌勒而聽，晝為餘人而說。他自己的著作因此都帶著同一形狀——不是自出議論，是把所聞轉為可傳。本編所譯《攝大乘論本》繫其名，即此一役之果。生卒之年漢傳不出，此處如實標不詳，不代為補。

The Asaṅga of this Life stands at two words: near, and speak. By night he was near Maitreya and listened; by day he spoke to the others. His own works carry that same shape — not opinions put forth on his own account, but what was heard turned into what can be handed on. The Compendium of the Great Vehicle rendered in this edition bears his name as the fruit of that office. His dates the Chinese record does not give, and this edition marks them honestly as unknown rather than supplying them.