解脫道論 四大事、聚、散與不離

The function doorway first gives two sets of four functions and then eight sentences with “because two elements are near.” The results are raising the initial step, raising the later step, initial sitting and lying, later walking and standing, initial sloth and sleep, later energy and vigor, initial heaviness, and later lightness. None of the eight names the two elements; all remain unresolved.

The grouping doorway combines the four elements with color, odor, taste, and touch as eight qualities, and gives earth-, water-, fire-, and wind-groups, each with one greatest and three least. The dispersion doorway first says earth arises from the finest space-adjacent mote, is combined by water without dispersing, matured by fire without becoming putrid, and sustained by wind so that it turns. The former teachers separately say that the bodily earth element pulverized into dust amounts to one hu and two sheng, and after combination with water to six sheng and five ge, followed by fire’s maturing and wind’s turning. The quantities retain their distinct subjects and source units.

The non-separation doorway gives earth, water, fire, and wind each in relation to the other three, then closes with “the four elements depend reciprocally upon one another and come to abide without dispersing” and contemplation through non-separation. The question uses “non-separation,” while the conclusion uses the shorter form “non-separated”; both remain.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Four Great Elements by Function, Grouping, Dispersion, and Non-Separation · Doorway · Summer 2026

Contemplating the Elements through Function

Question: How does one contemplate the elements through function?

Answer: The first set says that holding is the function of the earth element, binding that of water, causing maturation that of fire, and 遮 that of wind. The expression 遮 receives no further explanation here.

The second set says that establishing is the function of earth, descending that of water, raising that of fire, and moving and turning that of wind. The source places the two sets side by side without saying how they correspond.

Eight sentences then follow: because two elements are near, there comes to be raising the initial step; because two elements are near, raising the later step; because two elements are near, initial sitting and lying; because two elements are near, later walking and standing; because two elements are near, initial sloth and sleep; because two elements are near, later energy and vigor; because two elements are near, initial heaviness; because two elements are near, later lightness. Each sentence says only “two elements are near.” None names the two, and the source does not say whether all eight refer to one pair. It also does not define the scope of “initial” and “later.”

In this way one contemplates the four great elements through function.

Contemplating the Four Great Elements through Grouping

How does one contemplate the four great elements through grouping?

Answer: A group consists of earth, water, fire, and wind. In dependence on these elements arise color, odor, taste, and touch, making eight qualities. The source next says, “these eight qualities 或多 co-arise, abide, and are not separate.” The attachment of 或多 is unresolved. What can be established is that the eight qualities co-arise, co-abide, and do not separate; this “combination” is called a group.

Groups are of four kinds: earth-group, water-group, fire-group, and wind-group. In an earth-group, earth is greatest and water, fire, and wind are successively least. In a water-group, water is greatest and earth, wind, and fire are least. In a fire-group, fire is greatest and earth, wind, and water are least. In a wind-group, wind is greatest and fire, water, and earth are successively least. The source uses “successively” only for earth- and wind-groups, not water- and fire-groups; nothing is supplied.

In this way one contemplates the elements through grouping.

Contemplating the Four Great Elements through Dispersion

Question: How does one contemplate the four great elements through dispersion?

Answer: Contemplate that the earth element arises from the “finest space-adjacent mote.” The source does not explain the division of that expression. Earth does not disperse because water combines it, does not become putrid because fire matures it, and turns because wind sustains it. Contemplate in this way.

The former teachers further said: when the earth element in the body of an average person is pulverized into dust, it amounts to one hu and two sheng. When combined with water, it amounts to six sheng and five ge. Fire then matures it, and it rises and revolves following wind. The first quantity expressly belongs to the bodily earth element; the second to earth after combination with water. Both remain with their source units.

In this way one contemplates the elements through dispersion.

Contemplating the Four Great Elements through Non-Separation

Question: How does one contemplate the four great elements through non-separation?

Answer: The earth element is gathered by water, matured by fire, and sustained by wind; thus the other three elements combine. The water element dwells at the place of earth, is matured by fire, and sustained by wind; the source concludes, “thus gathered by the three elements.” The fire element dwells at the place of earth, is gathered by water, and sustained by wind; the source concludes, “thus matured by the three elements.” The wind element dwells at the place of earth, is gathered by water, and matured by fire; the source concludes, “thus sustained by the three elements.” The subject-object relations of the three conclusions are not fully clear, so the forms remain without being regularized.

The three other elements dwell upon earth. Gathered by water, the three do not disperse; matured by fire, the three do not become putrid; sustained by wind, the three can turn and “directly abide without dispersing.” How “turn,” “directly abide,” and “not disperse” group is unresolved.

Thus the four elements depend reciprocally upon one another and come to abide without dispersing. In this way one contemplates the elements through non-separation.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Four Great Elements by Function, Grouping, Dispersion, and Non-Separation · Vernacular · Summer 2026

This passage answers four questions in sequence: how to contemplate the elements through function, grouping, dispersion, and non-separation 〔T32 439b11–439c11〕. The function doorway gives two sets of four functions and then eight sentences with “because two elements are near.” Grouping gives eight qualities and four groups. Dispersion first speaks of the space-adjacent mote and then quotes former teachers on quantities in hu, sheng, and ge. Non-separation explains each element in relation to the other three. The four answers retain their own boundaries, lists, and conclusions; no doorway is rewritten as the general definition of the other three.

Function: Two Sets of Four Kept in Source Order

The first set reads: “Holding is the function of earth, binding of water, causing maturation of fire, and 遮 of wind” 〔T32 439b11–12〕. The order is holding, binding, causing maturation, 遮. The single graph 遮 is not explained or related here to the wind element’s other names. The second set begins “again”: “Establishing is the function of earth, descending of water, raising of fire, and moving and turning of wind” 〔T32 439b13–14〕. The two sets follow the fixed order earth, water, fire, wind, but the treatise does not call the first capacities and the second directions, nor say that each element has static and dynamic sides. Only the two fourfold lists can be established.

Eight sentences follow. The first two are “because two elements are near, there comes to be raising the initial step” and “raising the later step” 〔T32 439b14–15〕. The third and fourth give initial sitting and lying, then later walking and standing 〔T32 439b15–16〕. The fifth and sixth give initial sloth and sleep, then later energy and vigor 〔T32 439b16–17〕. The seventh and eighth give initial heaviness, then later lightness 〔T32 439b17–18〕. Every sentence centers on “because two elements are near,” but none names the two. The text does not say all eight point to one pair or four pairs, so none is supplied.

Two further points remain at the literal level. “Initial” and “later” attach respectively to step, sitting-lying, sloth-sleep, heaviness, and lightness, but the source provides no single definition. Every result is introduced by “comes to be,” while every “two elements” has a number but no names. The eight results, repeated construction, and unnamed pair remain without added explanations. The close is only “in this way one contemplates the four great elements through function” 〔T32 439b18–19〕.

The connecting terms are uneven. The first and second sentences begin “again”; the third does not, the fourth does, and the fifth through eighth do not 〔T32 439b14–18〕. The content can be read as four adjacent pairs—steps, sitting/lying and walking/standing, sloth/sleep and energy/vigor, heaviness and lightness—but the connectives do not make four regular paragraphs. “Initial” and “later” stay in their source positions. “Raising the initial/later step” is not silently recast as lifting and placing a foot, since direction is not stated.

Grouping: Eight Qualities and Four Groups

Grouping is first defined: “A group consists of earth, water, fire, and wind; in dependence on these elements arise color, odor, taste, and touch” 〔T32 439b19–20〕. Four elements plus color, odor, taste, and touch make eight qualities. The next sentence reads: “These eight qualities 或多 co-arise, abide, and are not separate; this combination is called a group” 〔T32 439b20–21〕. How 或多 attaches is not explained. Co-arising, co-abiding, non-separation, and “combination” can be established. This sentence uses 合和, while the non-separation doorway later uses 和合; both forms remain.

Groups are earth, water, fire, and wind 〔T32 439b21–22〕. In an earth-group earth is greatest and water, fire, and wind are “successively least” 〔T32 439b23 / 439b26〕. In a water-group water is greatest and earth, wind, and fire are least 〔T32 439b23–24〕. In a fire-group fire is greatest and earth, wind, and water are least 〔T32 439b24–25〕. In a wind-group wind is greatest and fire, water, and earth are “successively least” 〔T32 439b23 / 439b26〕. All four say one is greatest and three least; only earth and wind use “successively.” No quantities are given for greatest or least. The doorway ends “in this way one contemplates the elements through grouping” 〔T32 439b26–27〕.

The order of the three lesser elements differs in every group: earth-group water-fire-wind; water-group earth-wind-fire; fire-group earth-wind-water; wind-group fire-water-earth 〔T32 439b22–26〕. The treatise does not explain a principle of order. Each main element occurs once as greatest and the other three jointly as least. No numerical quantities or ranking among the three lesser elements are inferred.

Dispersion: Space-Adjacent Mote and the Former Teachers’ Quantities

The first answer says: “Contemplate the earth element as arising from the finest space-adjacent mote” 〔T32 439b27–28〕. “Finest space-adjacent mote” is the received expression; the attachment of “from” remains unresolved, and no size is calculated. Then come three facts: the earth element does not disperse because water combines it, does not become putrid because fire matures it, and turns because wind sustains it 〔T32 439b28–29〕. Water, fire, wind and the results not dispersing, not putrefying, and turning are explicit. The source does not say that bodily putrefaction is the departure of fire or recast the three as a process after death.

“The former teachers further said: when the earth element in the body of an average person is pulverized into dust, it amounts to one hu and two sheng; when combined with water, it amounts to six sheng and five ge; fire matures it, and it rises and revolves following wind” 〔T32 439c01–03〕. The first quantity expressly belongs to the bodily earth element after pulverization; the second occurs after combination with water. The units are not converted. Fire matures and wind turns; “in this way one contemplates the elements through dispersion” closes the doorway 〔T32 439c03〕.

The two statements have explicit boundaries. The first begins with the dispersion question, gives the mote and the three water-fire-wind clauses, and temporarily closes “contemplate in this way” 〔T32 439b27–29〕. The second is expressly introduced as the saying of former teachers, gives one hu two sheng and six sheng five ge, and closes the whole doorway 〔T32 439b29–439c03〕. The first has no volumetric units; the second does not repeat the mote.

Non-Separation: Each Element and the Other Three

The question is “How does one contemplate the four great elements through non-separation?” 〔T32 439c03–04〕. With earth as subject, earth is gathered by water, matured by fire, and sustained by wind, closing “thus the three elements combine” 〔T32 439c04–05〕. With water as subject, water dwells at the place of earth, is matured by fire, and sustained by wind, closing “thus gathered by the three elements” 〔T32 439c06〕. With fire as subject, fire dwells at the place of earth, is gathered by water, and sustained by wind, closing “thus matured by the three elements” 〔T32 439c07〕. With wind as subject, wind dwells at the place of earth, is gathered by water, and matured by fire, closing “thus sustained by the three elements” 〔T32 439c08〕. Each sentence gives a principal element and the other three, but the four conclusions—combine, gathered, matured, sustained—do not share one transparent subject-object construction. The wording remains.

The summary says: “Upon earth the three elements dwell; gathered by water, the three do not disperse; matured by fire, the three do not become putrid; sustained by wind, the three can turn, directly abide, and not disperse” 〔T32 439c08–10〕. The explicit functions of earth, water, fire, and wind are dwelling, gathering without dispersal, maturing without putrefaction, and sustaining with turning. The grouping of “can turn, directly abide, not disperse” remains unresolved. The final sentence reads: “Thus these four elements depend reciprocally upon one another and come to abide without dispersing. In this way one contemplates the elements through non-separation” 〔T32 439c10–11〕. The question uses the fuller form “non-separation,” while the close uses “non-separated”; both are retained.

The four principal-element clauses repeat checkable relations. Earth has water-gathering, fire-maturing, wind-sustaining; water has earth-place, fire-maturing, wind-sustaining; fire has earth-place, water-gathering, wind-sustaining; wind has earth-place, water-gathering, fire-maturing 〔T32 439c04–08〕. The summary again lists dwelling, gathering, maturing, and sustaining in earth-water-fire-wind order 〔T32 439c08–10〕. These repetitions support the reciprocal arrangement and final “come to abide.” They do not settle the syntax of “gathered by the three,” “matured by the three,” and “sustained by the three.”

The doorways have four explicit closes: function—“in this way contemplate the four great elements through function” 〔T32 439b18–19〕; grouping—“through grouping” 〔T32 439b26–27〕; dispersion—“through dispersion” 〔T32 439c03〕; non-separation—“through non-separation” 〔T32 439c11〕. They fix the end of each doorway.

Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Four Great Elements by Function, Grouping, Dispersion, and Non-Separation · Exposition · Summer 2026