清淨道論 色七法思惟Visuddhimagga · Comprehension of Form by the Sevenfold Method
色七法是一把越切越細的刀。第一刀以結生與死為界，一期百年，加上無常苦無我三相——無常因為生滅變異暫時而遮止了常，苦因為逼迫難堪而遮止了樂，無我因為「願已生者不到住、已住者不老、已老者不壞」三處沒有任何人作得了主。第二刀切年增之滅：百年切三時，切十個十年——愚鈍、嬉戲、美色、力、慧、退減、前傾、曲、昧鈍、臥；再切五年、四年、三年、二年、一年；一年切三時節六時節；黑月白月；夜與晝；一晝夜六分；六威儀；最後切到一步的六分——舉、移前、移旁、放下、置地、按押，抬腳時火風強、放腳時地水強。句法始終只有一句：「在Ａ所轉起的色，不及於Ｂ就在那裡滅去」。切到最後，走一步都聽見諸行像投入熱鍋的胡麻畢剝作響。
燈喻說粗細：邊地人問「這可意的東西是什麼」，一人說油盡燈滅、一人說燈心三分之一在滅、一人說一絲一絲在滅，離開了絲火焰不能施設。三個人都對——沒有錯的無常，只有粗的無常。
後五法看由來：食所成依飢飽，餓時的臉像伏在炭籠裡的烏鴉；時節所成依冷熱；業生依六門；心等起依喜憂——附八偈：命與自體以及一切苦樂唯與一心相應，已壞者不入於藏、未來也無積聚，已生住立者如錐尖之芥子；法性色依無憂樹的芽，淡紅到濃紅到黃葉墜落——鐵銅金銀山岩草樹，與我同一律。
The sevenfold method for form is a blade that cuts ever finer. The first cut bounds a hundred-year life by rebirth-linking and death and applies impermanence, suffering, and not-self: impermanent because arising, ceasing, changing, temporary, and precluding permanence; suffering because oppressed and hard to bear, precluding pleasure; not-self because no one can fulfill the wishes “May what has arisen not reach presence, what is present not age, what has aged not break.” The second blade cuts the subsidence of growth in age: the hundred years into three periods, then ten decades—dull, playful, beautiful, strong, wise, declining, stooping, bent, confused, recumbent; then five, four, three, two, and one-year periods; a year into three and six seasons; dark and bright fortnights; night and day; six parts of a day and night; six postural activities; and finally six parts of one step—lifting, advancing, shifting aside, lowering, placing, pressing. Fire and air are strong as the foot rises; earth and water strong as it descends. The syntax never changes: “Form occurring in A ceases right there without reaching B.” At the finest cut, within one step formations crackle like sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan.
The lamp simile explains coarse and subtle vision. A border-country man asks, “What is this delightful thing?” One person sees the lamp go out when the oil is exhausted, another sees each third of the wick cease, another sees it cease fiber by fiber and says no flame can be designated apart from a fiber. All three are right—there is no wrong impermanence, only coarse impermanence.
The remaining five methods examine origins: nutriment-made through hunger and satiety—the hungry face like a crow crouched in a charcoal basket; temperature-made through cold and heat; kamma-born through the six doors; mind-originated through joy and grief, followed by eight stanzas: life, individual existence, and all pleasure and pain are joined to one mind alone; what has broken enters no store, the future has no accumulation, and what has arisen and stands is like a mustard seed on an awl’s point. Natural form is seen in the asoka shoot, from pale red through deep red to the falling yellow leaf—iron, copper, gold, silver, mountains, rocks, grasses, and trees obey the same law as I do.
本單元白話為本編自巴利原典之譯疏（tr. mine）；底本事項詳本單元考據。
§1 色七法之綱與第一法——取與捨為界之百年 〔CSCD §706〕
色七法思惟之說
另一類〔瑜伽者〕則依色七法¹與無色七法而加上三相²，思惟諸行。其中，依取與捨³、依年增之滅、依食所成、依時節所成、依業生、依心等起、依法性色——以這些行相加上〔三相〕而思惟的人，就叫作依色七法加上〔三相〕而思惟。所以古德們說了：
依取與捨，依年增之趣滅，
依食與時節，依業又依心，
依法性色——此七，以廣說而觀。
其中，「取」就是結生，「捨」就是死。這樣，瑜伽者就以這取與捨限定一個百年，而在諸行上加上三相。
怎樣呢？在這期間，一切行都是無常的。為什麼呢？因為有生滅之轉、因為有變異、因為是暫時的、因為遮止了常。而由於已生的諸行到達住，在住的時候為老所困，到達老之後必定破壞，所以它們是苦的——因為常時逼迫、因為難堪、因為是苦之事、因為遮止了樂。又由於在「願已生的諸行不到達住，願已至住位的不老，願已至老的不破壞」這三處並沒有任何人的自在之性，〔諸行〕空無那自在而轉的行相，所以它們是無我的——因為空、因為無主、因為不自在、因為遮止了我。
§2 年增之滅——初中後三時 〔CSCD §707〕
這樣在以取與捨而限定為百年的色上加上三相之後，此後他就依年增之滅⁴而加上〔三相〕。其中，所謂「年增之滅」，就是依年齡而增長、增大了的色的滅沒；意思是說：他依它而加上三相。
怎樣呢？他把那同一個百年，以初時、中時、後時這三時來限定。其中，最初的三十三年叫作初時，此後的三十四年叫作中時，此後的三十三年叫作後時。
這樣以這三時限定之後，他就加上三相：「在初時所轉起的色，不及於中時就在那裡滅去，所以它是無常的。凡是無常的，就是苦的；凡是苦的，就是無我的。在中時所轉起的色，也不及於後時就在那裡滅去，所以它也是無常、苦、無我的。在後時三十三年之中所轉起的色，也沒有所謂能夠去到死亡之後的，所以它也是無常、苦、無我的。」
§3 十個十年——自愚鈍十年至臥十年 〔CSCD §708〕
這樣依初時等等而從年增之滅加上三相之後，他再依「愚鈍十年、嬉戲十年、美色十年、力十年、慧十年、退減十年、前傾十年、曲十年、昧鈍十年、臥十年」這十個十年⁵，而從年增之滅加上三相。
其中，先就這十個十年而言：活一百年的人，最初的十年叫作愚鈍十年，因為那時他是愚鈍而輕躁的小兒。此後的十年叫作嬉戲十年，因為那時他多嬉戲遊樂。此後的十年叫作美色十年，因為那時他的色處達到豐滿。此後的十年叫作力十年，因為那時他的力與勢達到豐滿。此後的十年叫作慧十年，因為那時他的慧善安立——據說即使本性慧弱的人，在那個時候也還是會生起少分的慧。此後的十年叫作退減十年，因為那時他的嬉戲、遊樂、美色、力、慧都退減。此後的十年叫作前傾十年，因為那時他的自體向前傾。此後的十年叫作曲十年，因為那時他的自體像犁頭那樣彎曲。此後的十年叫作昧鈍十年，因為那時他昏昧遲鈍，做過的事一一都忘記。此後的十年叫作臥十年，因為百歲的人就是多臥的。
這裡，這位瑜伽者為了依這些十年而從年增之滅加上三相，就這樣省察：「在第一個十年所轉起的色，不及於第二個十年就在那裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。在第二個十年……乃至（廣說如前）……在第九個十年所轉起的色，不及於第十個十年就在那裡滅去。在第十個十年所轉起的色，不及於後有就在這裡滅去，所以它也是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相。
§4 二十至百分・三時節與六時節・黑白月與晝夜 〔CSCD §709〕
這樣依十個十年而從年增之滅加上三相之後，他再把那同一個百年依五年五年而作成二十分，從年增之滅加上三相。
怎樣呢？他這樣省察：「在第一個五年所轉起的色，不及於第二個五年就在那裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。在第二個五年所轉起的色，〔不及於〕第三個……乃至（廣說如前）……在第十九個五年所轉起的色，不及於第二十個五年就在那裡滅去。在第二十個五年所轉起的色，沒有所謂能夠去到死亡之後的，所以它也是無常、苦、無我的。」
這樣依二十分而從年增之滅加上三相之後，他再作成二十五分，依四年四年而加上〔三相〕；此後作成三十三分，依三年三年；作成五十分，依二年二年；作成一百分，依一年一年。此後把一年作成三分，依雨季、冬季、夏季這三時節而一一時節，在那年增之滅的色上加上三相。
怎樣呢？「在雨季四個月所轉起的色，不及於冬季就在那裡滅了。在冬季所轉起的色，不及於夏季就在那裡滅了。在夏季所轉起的色，不及於再來的雨季就在那裡滅了，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」
這樣加上〔三相〕之後，他再把一年作成六分：「在雨季二個月所轉起的色，不及於秋季就在那裡滅了。在秋季所轉起的〔不及於〕冬季。在冬季所轉起的〔不及於〕涼季。在涼季所轉起的〔不及於〕春季。在春季所轉起的〔不及於〕夏季。在夏季所轉起的，不及於再來的雨季就在那裡滅了，所以是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣在那年增之滅的色上加上三相。
這樣加上〔三相〕之後，此後依黑分與白分⁶：「在黑分所轉起的色，不及於白分〔就滅了〕。在白分所轉起的色，不及於黑分就在那裡滅了，所以是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相。此後依夜與晝：「在夜所轉起的色，不及於晝就在那裡滅了。在晝所轉起的色，也不及於夜就在那裡滅了，所以是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相。此後把那同一個晝夜依午前等等而作成六分⁷：「在午前所轉起的色，不及於午中〔就滅了〕。在午中所轉起的〔不及於〕午後。在午後所轉起的〔不及於〕初夜。在初夜所轉起的〔不及於〕中夜。在中夜所轉起的，不及於後夜就在那裡滅了。在後夜所轉起的色，不及於再來的午前就在那裡滅了，所以是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相。
§5 六威儀與一步之六分——四界之強弱 〔CSCD §710〕
這樣加上〔三相〕之後，他再在那同一個色上，依前進、後退、前視、旁視、屈、伸：「在前進所轉起的色，不及於後退就在那裡滅去。在後退所轉起的〔不及於〕前視。在前視所轉起的〔不及於〕旁視。在旁視所轉起的〔不及於〕屈。在屈所轉起的，不及於伸就在那裡滅去。所以是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相。
此後他把一步之一次，依舉、移前、移旁、放下、置地、按押⁸而作成六分。其中，所謂「舉」，就是把腳從地上提起；所謂「移前」，就是向前移；所謂「移旁」，就是看見樁、刺、蛇類等等什麼東西而把腳這邊那邊地移動；所謂「放下」，就是把腳向下降；所謂「置地」，就是安放在地面上；所謂「按押」，就是在再度舉腳的時候，把腳和地面一起按壓。其中，在舉的時候，地界與水界⁹這二界是少而弱的，另外二界是多而強的；在移前與移旁也是這樣。在放下的時候，火界與風界這二界是少而弱的，另外二界是多而強的；在置地與按押也是這樣。這樣作成六分之後，他就依它們在那年增之滅的色上加上三相。
怎樣呢？他這樣省察：「凡是在舉的時候所轉起的諸界、以及那些所造色，那一切法都不及於移前就在這裡滅去，所以是無常、苦、無我的。同樣，在移前所轉起的〔不及於〕移旁。在移旁所轉起的〔不及於〕放下。在放下所轉起的〔不及於〕置地。在置地所轉起的，不及於按押就在這裡滅去。這樣，在各處所生起的，不及於別的那一分，就在各處節節、結結、分分地，如同投入熱鍋的胡麻那樣畢剝作響地，諸行破壞。所以是無常、苦、無我的。」對這樣觀察節節而轉的諸行的人，色之思惟就變得微細了。
§6 燈喻——三人之智之漸細與六重之配 〔CSCD §711〕
而關於它的微細，有這個譬喻。
據說有一個住在邊地的人，只熟悉木炬、草炬等等，從未見過燈；他來到城裡，在市街上看見燃著的燈，就問一個人：「喂，這個這麼可意的東西叫什麼？」那人對他說：「這有什麼可意的？這叫作燈；等到油盡、燈心盡的時候，連它去到哪裡的路徑都將不可知。」另一個人這樣說：「這是粗的。因為當這燈心次第燃燒的時候，在三分之一三分之一之處，火焰不及於別的部分就將滅去。」又另一個人這樣說：「這也是粗的。因為在這〔燈心〕的一指一指之間、半指半指之間，在一線一線上、一絲一絲上，火焰不及於別的絲就將滅去；然而離開了絲，火焰是不能被施設的。」
其中，那說「等到油盡、燈心盡，連燈去到哪裡的路徑都將不可知」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者在依取與捨而以百年限定的色上加三相¹⁰。那說「在燈心的三分之一三分之一之處，火焰不及於別的部分就將滅去」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者在以百年之三分而限定的年增之滅的色上加三相。那說「在一指一指之間，火焰不及於別的就將滅去」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者在以十年、五年、四年、三年、二年、一年而限定的色上加三相。那說「在半指半指之間，火焰不及於別的就將滅去」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者依一一時節而把一年分為三分、六分，在以四個月、二個月而限定的色上加三相。那說「在一線一線上，火焰不及於別的就將滅去」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者依黑分與白分、依夜與晝、以及把一個晝夜作成六分而依午前等等，在所限定的色上加三相。那說「在一絲一絲上，火焰不及於別的就將滅去」的人的智，就如同瑜伽者依前進等等、以及依舉等等之中的一一分，在所限定的色上加三相。
§7 食所成、時節所成、業生三法——飢飽、冷熱、六門 〔CSCD §712–714〕
他這樣以種種行相在年增之滅的色上加上三相之後，再把那同一個色分解，依食所成等等而作成四分，在一一分上加上三相。
其中，他的食所成色是依飢與飽而顯現的。因為飢餓時所等起的色是焦而疲的，像燒焦的樁那樣、像伏在炭籠裡的烏鴉那樣，色惡而形壞；飽足時所等起的則是飽而悅、柔軟、潤滑、有可觸之樂的。他把握了它而〔省察〕：「在飢餓時所轉起的色，不及於飽足時就在這裡滅去。在飽足時所等起的，也不及於飢餓時就在這裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣在那上面加上三相。
時節所成〔色〕是依冷與熱而顯現的。因為在熱時所等起的色是焦、疲而色惡的；由冷時節所等起的色則是飽、悅而潤滑的。他把握了它而〔省察〕：「在熱時所轉起的色，不及於冷時就在這裡滅去。在冷時所轉起的色，不及於熱時就在這裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣在那上面加上三相。
業生〔色〕是依處門¹¹而顯現的。因為在眼門，依眼十法、身十法、性十法而有三十個業生色；而支持它們的、由時節、心、食所等起的有二十四個——合為五十四個。在耳門、鼻門、舌門也是這樣。在身門，依身十法、性十法以及時節等起等等，有四十四個。在意門，依心所依十法、身十法、性十法以及時節等起等等，同樣有五十四個。他把握了那一切色而〔省察〕：「在眼門所轉起的色，不及於耳門就在這裡滅去。在耳門所轉起的〔不及於〕鼻門。在鼻門所轉起的〔不及於〕舌門。在舌門所轉起的〔不及於〕身門。在身門所轉起的，不及於意門就在這裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣在那上面加上三相。
§8 心等起與法性色——喜憂之色與無憂樹芽之八位 〔CSCD §715–716〕
心等起〔色〕是依喜與憂而顯現的。因為在喜的時候所生起的色是潤滑、柔軟、悅而有可觸之樂的；在憂的時候所生起的則是焦、疲而色惡的。他把握了它而〔省察〕：「在喜的時候所轉起的色，不及於憂的時候就在這裡滅去。在憂的時候所轉起的色，不及於喜的時候就在這裡滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣在那上面加上三相。
對這樣把握心等起色而在其上加三相的人，這個義理就顯現了：
命與自體，以及一切苦與樂，
唯與一心相應；剎那輕疾而轉。
那些住世八萬四千劫的諸天，
也不曾以二心相合而住立。
於此處，死者所滅的、住者所滅的，
一切諸蘊都是同等的：已去而不再結生。
無間已壞的，以及在未來將壞的，
與其間所滅的，於相並無差別。
未生者不曾生，以現在者而活；
由心之壞而世間死——此乃依第一義之施設。
已壞者不入於藏，未來也無積聚；
凡已生而住立者，猶如錐尖之芥子。
已生諸法，壞滅即在其前；
彼諸壞法而住立，不與舊者相雜。
自不可見而來，已壞則趣於不可見；
如空中電之起，生起而又滅去。
這樣在食所成等等之上加上三相之後，他再在法性色上加上三相。所謂「法性色」¹²，就是外在的、不繫於根的，以鐵、銅、錫、鉛、金、銀、珍珠、摩尼、琉璃、螺、石、珊瑚、赤玉、瑪瑙、地、岩、山、草、樹、蔓等等為別的，自成劫¹³以來所生起的色。那對他是依無憂樹之芽等等而顯現的。
因為無憂樹的芽最初是淡紅色的，此後經過二三日成為濃紅色，再經過二三日成為淺紅色，此後是嫩葉之色，此後是熟葉之色，此後是綠葉之色，此後是青葉之色。此後自成為青葉之色時起，令同分色之相續不斷，經一年左右成為黃葉，從葉柄折斷而墜落。
他把握了它而〔省察〕：「在淡紅色時所轉起的色，不及於濃紅色時就滅去。在濃紅色時所轉起的〔不及於〕淺紅色時。在淺紅色時所轉起的〔不及於〕嫩葉色時。在嫩葉色時所轉起的〔不及於〕熟葉色時。在熟葉色時所轉起的〔不及於〕綠葉色時。在綠葉色時所轉起的〔不及於〕青葉色時。在青葉色時所轉起的〔不及於〕黃葉時。在黃葉時所轉起的，不及於從葉柄折斷而墜落之時就滅去，所以它是無常、苦、無我的。」——他這樣加上三相；這樣在那上面加上三相之後，就依這個方式思惟一切法性色。
先這樣依色七法加上三相而思惟諸行。
註
¹ 色七法：以七種行相分別色而加三相之思惟法門——取與捨、年增之滅、食所成、時節所成、業生、心等起、法性色。
² 加三相：以無常、苦、無我三相加於所限定之色而遍觀之定式；本篇之思惟，一一分位皆以此式而行。
³ 取與捨：論自釋「取」為結生、「捨」為死，以此二端限定一期百年之色。
⁴ 年增之滅：依年齡而增長、增大了的色之滅沒；本篇以下四節逐層細分其分位。
⁵ 十個十年：以百歲之人一生分為十段，各以其時之相而立名。
⁶ 黑分與白分：一月之二分，即月虧之半月與月盈之半月。
⁷ 午前等等六分：晝之午前、午中、午後與夜之初夜、中夜、後夜。
⁸ 一步之六分：舉、移前、移旁、放下、置地、按押；論於下逐一自釋其相。
⁹ 地界與水界：四大種之二；四大種與所造色之分別，開演在〈色蘊〉一單元。
¹⁰ 三人之智：邊地人所問而三人次第所答，其智漸細；下文以六重逐一配瑜伽者所分之時之漸細。
¹¹ 處門：眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意六門；業生色依之而顯現。
¹² 法性色：不繫於根之外色，即無情之色。
¹³ 成劫：世界成立之劫；法性色自此而起。
The vernacular of this unit is this edition’s own rendering-with-exposition from the Pāli original (tr. mine); see this unit’s apparatus for the base-text particulars.
§1 Framework of the Sevenfold Method for Form and the First Method—A Hundred Years Bounded by Taking Up and Laying Down 〔CSCD §706〕
Discourse on Comprehension of Form by the Sevenfold Method
Another [meditator] comprehends formations by applying the three characteristics² through the sevenfold method for form¹ and the sevenfold method for the immaterial. One who applies [the three characteristics] and comprehends through taking up and laying down,³ the subsidence of growth in age, what is nutriment-made, what is temperature-made, what is kamma-born, what is mind-originated, and natural form is called one who comprehends by applying [the three characteristics] through the sevenfold method for form. Hence the Ancients said:
Through taking up and laying down, through growth in age tending to subsidence,
Through nutriment and temperature, through kamma and through mind,
Through natural form—these seven he contemplates in detail.
Here “taking up” is rebirth-linking, and “laying down” is death. Thus the meditator delimits a hundred years by this taking up and laying down and applies the three characteristics to formations.
How? During this interval all formations are impermanent. Why? Because their occurrence consists in arising and ceasing, because they change, because they are temporary, and because they preclude permanence. Since formations that have arisen reach presence, are assailed by aging while present, and necessarily break up after reaching aging, they are suffering—because they are constantly oppressed, because they are hard to bear, because they are a basis of suffering, and because they preclude pleasure. And because no one has mastery in the three cases, “May formations that have arisen not reach presence; may those that have reached presence not age; may those that have aged not break up,” and because they occur in a manner devoid of such mastery, they are not-self—because empty, ownerless, not subject to mastery, and precluding self.
§2 Subsidence of Growth in Age—The Three Periods of Beginning, Middle, and End 〔CSCD §707〕
Having applied the three characteristics to form delimited as a hundred years by taking up and laying down, he next applies them by way of the subsidence of growth in age. Here “subsidence of growth in age” means the subsidence of form that has grown and increased according to age; that is, he applies the three characteristics by means of it.
How? He delimits that same hundred years into three periods: beginning, middle, and end. Of these, the first thirty-three years are called the beginning period, the next thirty-four the middle period, and the following thirty-three the final period.
Having delimited them into these three periods, he applies the three characteristics: “Form occurring in the beginning period ceases right there without reaching the middle period; therefore it is impermanent. Whatever is impermanent is suffering; whatever is suffering is not-self. Form occurring in the middle period likewise ceases right there without reaching the final period; therefore it too is impermanent, suffering, and not-self. And form occurring during the thirty-three years of the final period cannot possibly pass beyond death; therefore it too is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.”
§3 Ten Decades—from the Dull Decade through the Recumbent Decade 〔CSCD §708〕
Having applied the three characteristics by way of the subsidence of growth in age through the beginning period and so forth, he next applies them by way of the subsidence of growth in age through these ten decades: the dull decade, playful decade, beautiful decade, strong decade, wise decade, declining decade, stooping decade, bent decade, confused decade, and recumbent decade.⁵
Of these ten decades, the first ten years of one who lives a hundred years are called the dull decade, because then he is a dull and frivolous child. The next ten are called the playful decade, because he spends much time playing and amusing himself. The next ten are called the beautiful decade, because then his visible appearance reaches fullness. The next ten are called the strong decade, because then his strength and power reach fullness. The next ten are called the wise decade, because then his wisdom is well established—it is said that even one naturally weak in wisdom still develops a little wisdom then. The next ten are called the declining decade, because then his play, amusement, beauty, strength, and wisdom decline. The next ten are called the stooping decade, because then his individual form stoops forward. The next ten are called the bent decade, because then his individual form is bent like the tip of a plough. The next ten are called the confused decade, because then he is confused and dull, forgetting each thing he has done. The next ten are called the recumbent decade, because one who is a hundred years old lies down much of the time.
Here, in order to apply the three characteristics by way of the subsidence of growth in age through these decades, this meditator reviews thus: “Form occurring in the first decade ceases right there without reaching the second decade; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self. Form occurring in the second decade ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... form occurring in the ninth decade ceases right there without reaching the tenth. Form occurring in the tenth decade ceases right here without reaching a subsequent becoming; therefore it too is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics.
§4 From Twenty to One Hundred Divisions; Three and Six Seasons; Dark and Bright Fortnights; Night and Day 〔CSCD §709〕
Having thus applied the three characteristics through ten decades by way of the subsidence of growth in age, he next divides that same hundred years into twenty periods of five years each and applies the three characteristics by way of the subsidence of growth in age.
How? He reviews thus: “Form occurring in the first five years ceases right there without reaching the second five; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self. Form occurring in the second five [does not reach] the third ... and so forth (expanded as before) ... form occurring in the nineteenth five ceases right there without reaching the twentieth. Form occurring in the twentieth five cannot possibly pass beyond death; therefore it too is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.”
Having applied the three characteristics by way of the subsidence of growth in age through twenty divisions, he next makes twenty-five divisions and applies [the three characteristics] in four-year periods; then thirty-three divisions in three-year periods; fifty divisions in two-year periods; and one hundred divisions in one-year periods. He next divides one year into three and, through each of the three seasons—rains, winter, and summer—applies the three characteristics to the form subject to the subsidence of growth in age.
How? “Form occurring during the four months of the rains ceases right there without reaching winter. Form occurring in winter ceases right there without reaching summer. Form occurring in summer ceases right there without reaching the returning rains; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.”
Having applied [the three characteristics] thus, he next divides a year into six: “Form occurring during the two months of the rains ceases right there without reaching autumn. What occurs in autumn [does not reach] winter; what occurs in winter [does not reach] the cool season; what occurs in the cool season [does not reach] spring; what occurs in spring [does not reach] summer; what occurs in summer ceases right there without reaching the returning rains; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics to form subject to the subsidence of growth in age.
Having applied [the three characteristics] thus, he next applies them by way of the dark and bright fortnights:⁶ “Form occurring in the dark fortnight does not reach the bright fortnight. Form occurring in the bright fortnight ceases right there without reaching the dark fortnight; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Next, by way of night and day: “Form occurring at night ceases right there without reaching the day. Form occurring during the day likewise ceases right there without reaching the night; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” He next divides that same day and night into six parts,⁷ beginning with the forenoon: “Form occurring in the forenoon does not reach midday. What occurs at midday [does not reach] the afternoon; what occurs in the afternoon [does not reach] the first watch; what occurs in the first watch [does not reach] the middle watch; what occurs in the middle watch ceases right there without reaching the last watch. Form occurring in the last watch ceases right there without reaching the returning forenoon; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics.
§5 Six Postural Activities and the Six Parts of One Step—Strength and Weakness of the Four Elements 〔CSCD §710〕
Having applied [the three characteristics] thus, he next applies them to that same form by way of going forward, returning, looking ahead, looking aside, bending, and stretching: “Form occurring while going forward ceases right there without reaching returning. What occurs while returning [does not reach] looking ahead; what occurs while looking ahead [does not reach] looking aside; what occurs while looking aside [does not reach] bending; what occurs while bending ceases right there without reaching stretching. Therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics.
Next he divides a single step into six parts: lifting, advancing, shifting aside, lowering, placing, and pressing.⁸ Here “lifting” is raising the foot from the ground; “advancing” is moving it forward; “shifting aside” is moving the foot this way or that on seeing a stump, thorn, snake, or the like; “lowering” is bringing the foot downward; “placing” is setting it upon the ground; and “pressing” is pressing the foot together with the ground when the other foot is lifted. During lifting, the earth and water elements⁹ are slight and weak while the other two are abundant and strong; the same applies during advancing and shifting aside. During lowering, the fire and air elements are slight and weak while the other two are abundant and strong; the same applies during placing and pressing. Having divided [a step] into six in this way, he applies the three characteristics through them to form subject to the subsidence of growth in age.
How? He reviews thus: “Whatever elements and derived forms occur during lifting all cease right here without reaching advancing; therefore they are impermanent, suffering, and not-self. Likewise, what occurs during advancing [does not reach] shifting aside; what occurs during shifting aside [does not reach] lowering; what occurs during lowering [does not reach] placing; what occurs during placing ceases right here without reaching pressing. Thus what arises at each place does not reach another part; at every place, section by section, joint by joint, portion by portion, formations break up with a crackling sound like sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan. Therefore they are impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” For one who observes formations occurring section by section in this way, comprehension of form becomes subtle.
§6 The Lamp Simile—The Increasing Subtlety of Three Persons’ Knowledge and Its Sixfold Correspondence 〔CSCD §711〕
There is this simile concerning its subtlety.
It is said that a man living in a border country, familiar only with torches of wood and grass and never having seen a lamp, came to a city. Seeing a lamp burning in the marketplace, he asked someone, “Friend, what is this delightful thing called?” The other told him, “What is delightful about it? It is called a lamp; when its oil and wick are exhausted, even the path by which it has gone will be unknowable.” Another man said, “That is coarse. For as this wick burns progressively, at each third the flame ceases without reaching another part.” Still another said, “That too is coarse. For between each finger’s breadth and half-finger’s breadth, on each thread and each fiber, the flame ceases without reaching another fiber; yet apart from a fiber, a flame cannot be designated.”
Here the knowledge of the man who says, “When the oil and wick are exhausted, even the path by which the lamp has gone will be unknowable,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form delimited as a hundred years by taking up and laying down. The knowledge of the man who says, “At each third of the wick, the flame ceases without reaching another part,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form subject to the subsidence of growth in age and delimited by the three divisions of a hundred years. The knowledge of the man who says, “Between each finger’s breadth, the flame ceases without reaching another,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form delimited by ten, five, four, three, two, and one year. The knowledge of the man who says, “Between each half-finger’s breadth, the flame ceases without reaching another,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form delimited by four and two months, dividing each year into three seasons and six. The knowledge of the man who says, “On each thread the flame ceases without reaching another,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form delimited by the dark and bright fortnights, night and day, and the six parts of a day and night beginning with the forenoon. The knowledge of the man who says, “On each fiber the flame ceases without reaching another,” is like the meditator’s applying of the three characteristics to form delimited by going forward and the rest and by each part beginning with lifting.
§7 Nutriment-Made, Temperature-Made, and Kamma-Born—Hunger and Satiety, Cold and Heat, and the Six Doors 〔CSCD §712–714〕
Having thus applied the three characteristics in various modes to form subject to the subsidence of growth in age, he next analyzes that same form into four divisions beginning with nutriment-made and applies the three characteristics to each division.
Here his nutriment-made form becomes evident by way of hunger and satiety. For form originated when one is hungry is scorched and weary, ill-colored and misshapen, like a burnt stump or a crow crouching in a basket of charcoal; what is originated when one is sated is full, pleasant, soft, smooth, and agreeable to touch. He apprehends it and [reviews]: “Form occurring when one is hungry ceases right here without reaching the time of satiety. What is originated when one is sated likewise ceases right here without reaching the time of hunger; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics to it.
Temperature-made [form] becomes evident by way of cold and heat. For form originated in hot weather is scorched, weary, and ill-colored; form originated by cold temperature is full, pleasant, and smooth. He apprehends it and [reviews]: “Form occurring in hot weather ceases right here without reaching cold weather. Form occurring in cold weather ceases right here without reaching hot weather; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics to it.
Kamma-born [form] becomes evident by way of the bases and doors.¹¹ At the eye door there are thirty kamma-born material phenomena by way of the eye decad, body decad, and sex decad; twenty-four originated by temperature, mind, and nutriment support them, making fifty-four. The same applies at the ear, nose, and tongue doors. At the body door there are forty-four by way of the body decad, sex decad, temperature-originated form, and so forth. At the mind door there are likewise fifty-four by way of the heart-base decad, body decad, sex decad, temperature-originated form, and so forth. He apprehends all that form and [reviews]: “Form occurring at the eye door ceases right here without reaching the ear door. What occurs at the ear door [does not reach] the nose door; what occurs at the nose door [does not reach] the tongue door; what occurs at the tongue door [does not reach] the body door; what occurs at the body door ceases right here without reaching the mind door; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics to it.
§8 Mind-Originated and Natural Form—The Form of Joy and Grief and the Eight Stages of an Asoka Shoot 〔CSCD §715–716〕
Mind-originated [form] becomes evident by way of joy and grief. For form arising at a time of joy is smooth, soft, pleasant, and agreeable to touch; what arises at a time of grief is scorched, weary, and ill-colored. He apprehends it and [reviews]: “Form occurring at a time of joy ceases right here without reaching a time of grief. Form occurring at a time of grief ceases right here without reaching a time of joy; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics to it.
For one who thus apprehends mind-originated form and applies the three characteristics to it, this meaning becomes evident:
Life and individual existence, with all pleasure and pain,
Are joined to one mind alone; the moment turns swiftly.
Even those deities who remain in the world for eighty-four thousand aeons
Never stand through the conjunction of two minds.
Here the aggregates of one who dies and of one who remains
All cease alike: once gone, they do not reconnect.
What has broken up immediately, what will break up in the future,
And what ceases between them have no difference in characteristic.
What has not arisen has never lived; one lives through the present;
With the mind’s dissolution the world dies—this is designation in the ultimate sense.
What has broken up enters no store; the future has no accumulation;
What has arisen and stands is like a mustard seed on an awl’s point.
For arisen phenomena, dissolution stands before them;
Those breaking phenomena stand without mingling with the old.
They come from the unseen and, broken, go to the unseen;
Like lightning arising in the sky, they arise and cease.
Having thus applied the three characteristics to what is nutriment-made and the rest, he next applies the three characteristics to natural form. What is called “natural form”¹² is external form unconnected with a faculty, differentiated as iron, copper, tin, lead, gold, silver, pearl, gem, beryl, conch, stone, coral, ruby, agate, earth, rock, mountain, grass, tree, creeper, and so forth, arisen since the aeon of evolution.¹³ It becomes evident to him through an asoka shoot and the like.
For an asoka shoot is first pale red; after two or three days it becomes deep red; after another two or three days, light red; then the color of a tender leaf, then that of a mature leaf, then green leaf color, then blue-green leaf color. From the time it becomes blue-green, it maintains an uninterrupted continuity of similar form and, after about a year, becomes a yellow leaf, breaks from its stalk, and falls.
He apprehends it and [reviews]: “Form occurring at the pale-red stage ceases without reaching the deep-red stage. What occurs at the deep-red stage [does not reach] the light-red stage; what occurs at the light-red stage [does not reach] the tender-leaf stage; what occurs at the tender-leaf stage [does not reach] the mature-leaf stage; what occurs at the mature-leaf stage [does not reach] the green-leaf stage; what occurs at the green-leaf stage [does not reach] the blue-green stage; what occurs at the blue-green stage [does not reach] the yellow-leaf stage; what occurs at the yellow-leaf stage ceases without reaching the time when it breaks from its stalk and falls; therefore it is impermanent, suffering, and not-self.” Thus he applies the three characteristics. Having applied them to that [shoot], he comprehends all natural form by this method.
Thus, first, he comprehends formations by applying the three characteristics through the sevenfold method for form.
Notes
¹ Sevenfold method for form: a method of comprehension that analyzes form in seven ways and applies the three characteristics—taking up and laying down, subsidence of growth in age, nutriment-made, temperature-made, kamma-born, mind-originated, and natural form.
² Applying the three characteristics: the fixed procedure of surveying delimited form by applying impermanence, suffering, and not-self; every division in this section’s comprehension uses this formula.
³ Taking up and laying down: the treatise itself explains “taking up” as rebirth-linking and “laying down” as death, using the two ends to delimit the form of a hundred-year lifespan.
⁴ Subsidence of growth in age: the subsidence of form that has grown and increased according to age; the next four sections progressively subdivide its stages.
⁵ Ten decades: dividing the life of a person who lives to a hundred into ten stages, each named for its characteristic at that time.
⁶ Dark and bright fortnights: the two halves of a month, the waning and waxing half-moons.
⁷ Six parts beginning with the forenoon: the forenoon, midday, and afternoon of the day, and the first, middle, and last watches of the night.
⁸ Six parts of one step: lifting, advancing, shifting aside, lowering, placing, and pressing; the treatise explains each characteristic below.
⁹ Earth and water elements: two of the four great elements; the four great elements and derived form are analyzed in the unit on the form aggregate.
¹⁰ Knowledge of the three persons: the border-country man asks and three persons answer in sequence, their knowledge becoming progressively subtler; the text below matches six levels to the meditator’s increasingly fine divisions of time.
¹¹ Bases and doors: the six doors of eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, through which kamma-born form becomes evident.
¹² Natural form: external form not connected with a faculty—that is, inanimate form.
¹³ Aeon of evolution: the aeon in which the world forms; natural form arises from that point.
從「一百年」切到「一步的六分」——色七法是一把越切越細的刀，切到你看見諸行像投入熱鍋的胡麻那樣節節畢剝作響；燈喻告訴你：粗細不同的智，看的是同一盞燈
大局 — 把「無常」從一生的尺度磨到一剎那的尺度
上一單元教「看見色的生起」；本單元給另一類瑜伽者一套系統：色七法——取與捨・年增之滅・食所成・時節所成・業生・心等起・法性色（§1 綱）。第一法把一期百年以結生（取）與死（捨）為界加三相（§1）；第二法「年增之滅」把百年切成三時（§2）、十個十年（§3）、二十分・二十五分・三十三分・五十分・百分、一年三時節・六時節、黑白月、晝夜、一晝夜六分（§4）、六威儀、一步之六分（§5）——越切越細，切到「如投入熱鍋之胡麻畢剝作響地諸行破壞」；燈喻總結這六重之細（§6）。第三至五法：食所成依飢飽、時節所成依冷熱、業生依六門（§7）；第六法心等起依喜憂——附八偈說「命與自體唯與一心相應」；第七法法性色依無憂樹芽之八位（§8）。〔所見〕本單元是全弧「度遍知」段的主體功夫：同一個三相，用七把刀、幾十種分位反覆貼——不是重複，是把無常從「我知道人會老死」磨到「我看見這一步裡諸界節節破壞」。燈喻說得最好：粗智與細智看的是同一盞燈，只是有人看到油盡燈滅，有人看到一絲一絲在滅。
§01 色七法之綱與第一法——取與捨為界之百年 → 白話 §1
另一類依色七法與無色七法加三相思惟諸行；色七法：取與捨・年增之滅・食所成・時節所成・業生・心等起・法性色（古德偈：依取與捨、依年增之趣滅、依食與時節、依業又依心、依法性色——此七以廣說而觀）。取＝結生、捨＝死，以此限定百年加三相：其間一切行無常（有生滅之轉・有變異・暫時・遮止常）；已生之行到住、住時為老所困、老後必壞故苦（常時逼迫・難堪・苦之事・遮止樂）；於「願已生者不到住、已住者不老、已老者不壞」三處無人有自在，空無自在而轉之行相故無我（空・無主・不自在・遮止我）（白話 §1）。〔讀法〕先看每一相的「四個理由」：無常四由（生滅・變異・暫時・遮常）、苦四由（逼迫・難堪・苦事・遮樂）、無我四由（空・無主・不自在・遮我）——這是全書貼三相的標準句法，後面幾十次「無常、苦、無我」都省略了這十二由，讀者要自己填回去。〔所見〕「願已生者不到住、已住者不老、已老者不壞——這三處沒有任何人的自在」——無我在這裡不是哲學，是三個「你希望但辦不到」的願。
§02 年增之滅——初中後三時 → 白話 §2
年增之滅＝依年齡增長增大之色的滅沒；百年分初時三十三年・中時三十四年・後時三十三年：初時之色不及中時而滅、中時之色不及後時而滅、後時之色不能去到死後——皆無常苦無我（白話 §2）。〔讀法〕第一刀：把百年切三段。句法從此固定：「在Ａ所轉起的色，不及於Ｂ就在那裡滅去」——後面每一節都是這一句換不同的Ａ與Ｂ。〔所見〕「凡是無常的就是苦的、凡是苦的就是無我的」——論主在這裡把三相寫成一條鏈子，前面 20-01 §5 已鋪過理由，這裡直接用。
§03 十個十年——自愚鈍十年至臥十年 → 白話 §3
再依十個十年：愚鈍十年（愚鈍輕躁之小兒）・嬉戲十年・美色十年（色處豐滿）・力十年・慧十年（慧善安立；本性慧弱者此時亦生少分慧）・退減十年（嬉戲美色力慧皆退）・前傾十年・曲十年（如犁頭彎曲）・昧鈍十年（做過即忘）・臥十年（百歲多臥）——第一十年之色不及第二而滅……第十之色不及後有而滅，皆無常苦無我（白話 §3）。〔讀法〕這十個名字本身就是一篇人生短文：愚鈍→嬉戲→美色→力→慧→退減→前傾→曲→昧鈍→臥。論主在「慧十年」加了一句慈悲的旁白——「即使本性慧弱的人，那時也還是會生起少分的慧」。〔所見〕觀道把一生切段，不是為了感傷，是為了在每一段之間看見「不及於下一段就滅」——四十歲的色不會活到五十歲，這是可以驗證的無常。
§04 二十至百分・三時節與六時節・黑白月與晝夜 → 白話 §4
再依五年成二十分、四年二十五分、三年三十三分、二年五十分、一年百分；一年三時節（雨季四月・冬季・夏季）、六時節（雨季二月・秋・冬・涼・春・夏）；黑分白分；夜與晝；一晝夜六分（午前・午中・午後・初夜・中夜・後夜）——各皆「Ａ之色不及Ｂ而滅」加三相（白話 §4）。〔讀法〕這一節是「切刀」加速：從五年一段一路切到一夜三更。讀者不必逐段跟讀，要看的是每一次切細，同一句法都還成立——這是無常「處處皆然」的實證，不是抽象命題。〔所見〕「在黑分所轉起的色，不及於白分」——連月相都拿來當尺，說明論主要的不是某一個特殊的尺度，是任何尺度上都看得見。
§05 六威儀與一步之六分——四界之強弱 → 白話 §5
再依前進・後退・前視・旁視・屈・伸六者加三相；再把一步分舉・移前・移旁・放下・置地・按押六分（舉＝提腳、移前＝向前、移旁＝見樁刺蛇而左右移、放下＝降腳、置地＝安於地、按押＝再舉時與地共壓）：舉・移前・移旁時地水二界少弱火風多強，放下・置地・按押時火風少弱地水多強；於此六分加三相——舉時之諸界與所造色不及移前而滅……置地之色不及按押而滅——「在各處節節、結結、分分地，如投入熱鍋之胡麻畢剝作響地諸行破壞」；如是觀節節而轉之諸行者，色之思惟即微細（白話 §5）。〔讀法〕一步六分是全單元的高潮：走一步，六個色聚生滅，每一分裡四界的強弱還在換手（抬腳時火風強、放腳時地水強）。「如投入熱鍋的胡麻那樣畢剝作響」——這是全書寫無常最有聲音的一句。〔所見〕「對這樣觀察節節而轉的諸行的人，色之思惟就變得微細了」——「微細」是這一節的果：不是知道更多，是看得更細。下一節的燈喻正是為這個「細」而設。
§06 燈喻——三人之智之漸細與六重之配 → 白話 §6
邊地人只識木炬草炬未見燈，入城見燈問「這可意的東西是什麼」；一人答：「叫燈，油盡燈心盡時連它去哪的路都不可知」；另一人：「這是粗的——燈心次第燃燒，三分之一處火焰不及別分即滅」；又一人：「這也粗——一指一指、半指半指、一線一線、一絲一絲上，火焰不及別絲即滅；然離絲不能施設火焰」。配：油盡之智＝百年取捨之加三相；三分之一＝百年三時；一指＝十年五年四年三年二年一年；半指＝一年三分六分；一線＝黑白分晝夜六分；一絲＝六威儀與一步六分（白話 §6）。〔讀法〕三個人說的都對，只是粗細不同——觀道沒有「錯的無常」，只有「粗的無常」。邊地人的問句很妙：「這麼可意的東西叫什麼？」——他先被燈吸引；三個城裡人一句比一句冷靜，把「可意」拆到一絲一絲的滅。〔所見〕「離開了絲，火焰是不能被施設的」——最細的那個人多說了一句：火焰不離燈絲而有，正如色不離剎那而有；細到底就碰到「唯有剎那、無有東西」的邊。這是給下一單元（無色七法）與二十一品的伏筆。
§07 食所成、時節所成、業生三法——飢飽、冷熱、六門 → 白話 §7
再把色依食所成等作四分各加三相：食所成依飢飽顯現——飢時之色焦疲如燒焦之樁、如伏於炭籠之烏鴉，飽時飽悅柔軟潤滑有可觸之樂，飢之色不及飽而滅、飽之色不及飢而滅；時節所成依冷熱——熱時焦疲色惡、冷時飽悅潤滑；業生依處門——眼門三十業生色加二十四支持色為五十四，耳鼻舌同，身門四十四，意門五十四，眼門之色不及耳門而滅……身門之色不及意門而滅（白話 §7）。〔讀法〕這三法比前面的「時間切片」多了一個維度：由來——這色是餓出來的、是熱出來的、是業在眼門生的。餓時的臉「像伏在炭籠裡的烏鴉」——論主的譬喻常帶一點笑意。〔所見〕業生色「依門」而分，眼門五十四、身門四十四——與 18-01 §4 那套數字同源；到這裡讀者應當已經不再怕數字：它們只是說「這一堆」與「那一堆」的分法。
§08 心等起與法性色——喜憂之色與無憂樹芽之八位 → 白話 §8
心等起依喜憂——喜時之色潤滑柔軟悅有可觸之樂、憂時焦疲色惡，互不及而滅；於此顯現八偈：命與自體及一切苦樂唯與一心相應、剎那輕疾而轉；住世八萬四千劫之諸天亦不曾以二心相合而住；死者住者所滅之蘊同等——已去不再結生；無間已壞・未來將壞・其間所滅於相無別；未生者不曾生、以現在者而活、由心之壞而世間死——此依第一義之施設；已壞者不入於藏、未來無積聚、已生住立者如錐尖之芥子；已生諸法壞滅在其前、不與舊者相雜；自不可見而來、已壞趣不可見、如空中電起而滅。再於法性色（外在不繫根之色：鐵銅錫鉛金銀珍珠摩尼琉璃螺石珊瑚赤玉瑪瑙地岩山草樹蔓等，自成劫以來所生）依無憂樹芽加三相：淡紅→濃紅→淺紅→嫩葉→熟葉→綠葉→青葉（同分色相續約一年）→黃葉從葉柄折斷墜落——各不及後位而滅；依此思惟一切法性色。如是依色七法加三相思惟諸行（白話 §8）。〔讀法〕八偈是全單元的哲學高峰：「命與自體以及一切苦與樂，唯與一心相應」——你的一生在第一義上只有「這一心」這麼長；「已壞者不入於藏，未來也無積聚」——沒有倉庫存著過去、也沒有倉庫備著未來；「如錐尖之芥子」——現在住立的那一點就這麼小。〔所見〕法性色（外色）也拿來加三相——無憂樹的芽從淡紅到黃葉，這是把觀道從「我的身」推到「一切色」：不只是我無常，鐵銅金銀山岩草樹都無常。從此以後，世界不再是「我在其中無常」的背景，是與我同一律的東西。
給一般讀者
帶走一把刀與一盞燈。刀：「在Ａ所轉起的色，不及於Ｂ就在那裡滅去」——Ａ與Ｂ可以是三十歲與四十歲、雨季與冬季、黑月與白月、午前與午中、抬腳與放腳；越切越細，切到走一步都聽見諸行像熱鍋裡的胡麻畢剝作響。燈：三個人看同一盞燈，一個看到油盡燈滅、一個看到燈心三分之一在滅、一個看到一絲一絲在滅——沒有錯的無常，只有粗的無常。還有一句偈：「命與自體，以及一切苦與樂，唯與一心相應」——你的一生，在第一義上，只有這一心那麼長。
想讀本單元全文：白話 §1–§8 即色七法之綱與取捨百年、三時、十個十年、二十分至晝夜六分、六威儀與一步六分、燈喻、食時節業三法、心等起八偈與法性色無憂樹芽的全段逐段全譯。
From “a hundred years” down to “six parts of one step”—the sevenfold method for form is a blade that cuts ever finer, until you see formations breaking section by section with the crackle of sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan. The lamp simile tells you that coarse and subtle knowledge see the same lamp
The Big Picture — Honing “Impermanence” from the Scale of a Lifetime to the Scale of a Moment
The preceding unit taught “seeing the arising of form”; this one gives another kind of meditator a system: the sevenfold method for form—taking up and laying down, subsidence of growth in age, nutriment-made, temperature-made, kamma-born, mind-originated, and natural form (the framework in §1). The first method delimits a hundred-year life by rebirth-linking (“taking up”) and death (“laying down”) and applies the three characteristics (§1). The second, “subsidence of growth in age,” cuts the hundred years into three periods (§2); ten decades (§3); twenty, twenty-five, thirty-three, fifty, and one hundred divisions; three and six seasons; dark and bright fortnights; night and day; six parts of a day and night (§4); six postural activities; and six parts of one step (§5). Each cut is finer, until “formations break up section by section, joint by joint, portion by portion, crackling like sesame seeds cast into a hot pan.” The lamp simile gathers up these six levels of refinement (§6). The third through fifth methods treat nutriment-made form through hunger and satiety, temperature-made through cold and heat, and kamma-born through the six doors (§7). The sixth treats mind-originated form through joy and grief, with eight stanzas stating that “life and individual existence are joined to one mind alone.” The seventh treats natural form through the eight stages of an asoka shoot (§8). 〔What is seen〕 This unit is the main practice of the whole arc’s “full understanding as investigation” stage. It applies the same three characteristics repeatedly with seven blades and dozens of divisions. This is not repetition; it hones impermanence from “I know people age and die” into “I see the elements breaking section by section within this one step.” The lamp simile says it best: coarse and subtle knowledge see the same lamp, but one person sees the lamp go out when its oil is exhausted, while another sees it cease fiber by fiber.
§01 Framework of the Sevenfold Method for Form and the First Method—A Hundred Years Bounded by Taking Up and Laying Down → Vernacular §1
Another comprehends formations by applying the three characteristics through the sevenfold methods for form and the immaterial. The seven for form are taking up and laying down, subsidence of growth in age, nutriment-made, temperature-made, kamma-born, mind-originated, and natural form (the Ancients’ stanza says: through taking up and laying down; through growth in age tending to subsidence; through nutriment and temperature; through kamma and mind; through natural form—these seven one contemplates in detail). Taking up is rebirth-linking, laying down death. With these he delimits a hundred years and applies the three characteristics. All formations during it are impermanent because they undergo arising and ceasing, change, are temporary, and preclude permanence. Because arisen formations reach presence, are assailed by aging while present, and necessarily break after aging, they are suffering—constantly oppressed, hard to bear, a basis of suffering, and precluding pleasure. Because no one has mastery in the three cases “May what has arisen not reach presence; may what has reached presence not age; may what has aged not break up,” they occur empty of mastery and are not-self—empty, ownerless, not subject to mastery, and precluding self (Vernacular §1). 〔How to read〕 First see the reasons under each characteristic: four for impermanence—arising and ceasing, change, temporariness, preclusion of permanence; four for suffering—oppression, intolerability, basis of suffering, preclusion of pleasure; and four for not-self—emptiness, ownerlessness, absence of mastery, preclusion of self. This is the book’s standard syntax for applying the characteristics. The dozens of later repetitions of “impermanent, suffering, and not-self” omit these reasons; the reader should supply them. 〔What is seen〕 “May what has arisen not reach presence, what has reached presence not age, what has aged not break up—no one has mastery in these three places”: not-self here is not philosophy but three wishes you cannot make come true.
§02 Subsidence of Growth in Age—The Three Periods of Beginning, Middle, and End → Vernacular §2
Subsidence of growth in age is the subsidence of form grown and enlarged according to age. A hundred years are divided into thirty-three years of the beginning period, thirty-four of the middle, and thirty-three of the end. Form of the beginning period ceases without reaching the middle; middle-period form without reaching the end; final-period form cannot pass beyond death. Each is impermanent, suffering, and not-self (Vernacular §2). 〔How to read〕 The first cut divides a hundred years into three. From here the syntax is fixed: “Form occurring in A ceases right there without reaching B.” Every later section repeats the sentence with a different A and B. 〔What is seen〕 “Whatever is impermanent is suffering; whatever is suffering is not-self”: here the commentator writes the three characteristics as a chain. 20-01 §5 already supplied the reasons; here he uses it directly.
§03 Ten Decades—from the Dull Decade through the Recumbent Decade → Vernacular §3
Next come ten decades: dull (the dull, frivolous child), playful, beautiful (visible appearance at fullness), strong, wise (wisdom well established; even one naturally weak in wisdom develops a little then), declining (play, beauty, strength, and wisdom decline), stooping, bent (like the tip of a plough), confused (forgetting immediately what one has done), and recumbent (a centenarian lies down much). Form in the first decade ceases without reaching the second, and so on; form in the tenth ceases without reaching another becoming. All is impermanent, suffering, and not-self (Vernacular §3). 〔How to read〕 The ten names form a miniature essay on life: dull → playful → beautiful → strong → wise → declining → stooping → bent → confused → recumbent. The commentator adds a compassionate aside in the “wise decade”: “Even one naturally weak in wisdom still develops a little wisdom then.” 〔What is seen〕 Dividing life is not for sentiment but to see at each boundary that one form “ceases without reaching the next.” The form of one’s forties does not survive into one’s fifties; this is verifiable impermanence.
§04 From Twenty to One Hundred Divisions; Three and Six Seasons; Dark and Bright Fortnights; Night and Day → Vernacular §4
Next he divides the hundred years into five-year periods making twenty divisions; four-year periods making twenty-five; three-year periods making thirty-three; two-year periods making fifty; and one-year periods making one hundred. A year is divided into three seasons—four months of rains, winter, and summer—and six seasons—two months of rains, autumn, winter, cool season, spring, summer; then dark and bright fortnights; night and day; and the six parts of a day and night—forenoon, midday, afternoon, first watch, middle watch, last watch. In each case he applies the three characteristics through “form in A ceases without reaching B” (Vernacular §4). 〔How to read〕 This section accelerates the blade, cutting from five-year periods all the way down to one watch of the night. The reader need not plod through every period. See instead that each finer cut leaves the same sentence true. This demonstrates that impermanence is “everywhere thus,” not an abstract proposition. 〔What is seen〕 “Form occurring in the dark fortnight does not reach the bright fortnight”: even the moon’s phase becomes a ruler, showing that the commentator seeks no privileged scale—impermanence is visible at any scale.
§05 Six Postural Activities and the Six Parts of One Step—Strength and Weakness of the Four Elements → Vernacular §5
He next applies the three characteristics through going forward, returning, looking ahead, looking aside, bending, and stretching, then divides a single step into lifting, advancing, shifting aside, lowering, placing, and pressing (lifting the foot, moving it forward, shifting it around a stump, thorn, or snake, lowering it, setting it down, and pressing foot and ground as the other foot lifts). In lifting, advancing, and shifting aside, earth and water are slight and weak while fire and air are abundant and strong; in lowering, placing, and pressing, fire and air are slight and weak while earth and water are abundant and strong. Applying the three characteristics to the six parts, the elements and derived forms of lifting cease without reaching advancing, and so forth, until those of placing cease without reaching pressing. “At each place, section by section, joint by joint, portion by portion, formations break up with a crackling sound like sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan.” For one who observes formations proceeding section by section, comprehension of form becomes subtle (Vernacular §5). 〔How to read〕 The six parts of a step are the unit’s climax: in one step, six clusters of form arise and cease, and within each part the strengths of the four elements exchange places—fire and air strong as the foot rises, earth and water strong as it descends. “Like sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan, crackling”: this is the book’s most audible line about impermanence. 〔What is seen〕 “For one who observes formations occurring section by section, comprehension of form becomes subtle.” Subtlety is this section’s result: not knowing more but seeing more finely. The next section’s lamp simile is designed precisely for this “subtle.”
§06 The Lamp Simile—The Increasing Subtlety of Three Persons’ Knowledge and Its Sixfold Correspondence → Vernacular §6
A border-country man who knew only wooden and grass torches and had never seen a lamp entered the city and asked of a lamp, “What is this delightful thing?” One person answered, “It is called a lamp; when oil and wick are exhausted, even the path by which it went cannot be known.” Another said, “That is coarse—the wick burns progressively, and the flame at each third ceases without reaching another part.” A third said, “That too is coarse—at each finger’s breadth, half-finger’s breadth, thread, and fiber, the flame ceases without reaching another fiber; yet apart from a fiber no flame can be designated.” The correspondences are: exhaustion of oil = applying the characteristics to a hundred years bounded by taking up and laying down; one third = the hundred years’ three periods; a finger’s breadth = divisions by ten, five, four, three, two, and one year; half a finger = the year’s three and six seasons; a thread = dark and bright fortnights and the six parts of night and day; a fiber = the six postural activities and six parts of one step (Vernacular §6). 〔How to read〕 All three people are right; only their degrees of coarseness differ. On the insight path there is no “wrong impermanence,” only “coarse impermanence.” The border man’s question is revealing: “What is this delightful thing?” He is first attracted to the lamp; the three city men grow progressively cooler, analyzing the “delightful” thing into cessation fiber by fiber. 〔What is seen〕 “Apart from a fiber, a flame cannot be designated”: the subtlest person adds one statement. Flame does not exist apart from the wick’s fibers, just as form does not exist apart from moments. At the finest limit one reaches “only moments, no thing.” This prepares the next unit—the sevenfold method for the immaterial—and Chapter Twenty-One.
§07 Nutriment-Made, Temperature-Made, and Kamma-Born—Hunger and Satiety, Cold and Heat, and the Six Doors → Vernacular §7
He next divides form into four beginning with nutriment-made and applies the three characteristics to each. Nutriment-made form appears through hunger and satiety: when hungry, form is scorched and weary, like a burnt stump or a crow crouched in a charcoal basket, ill-colored and misshapen; when sated, it is full, pleasant, soft, smooth, and agreeable to touch. Hungry form ceases without reaching satiety, sated form without reaching hunger. Temperature-made form appears through cold and heat: in heat it is scorched, weary, and ill-colored; in cold, full, pleasant, and smooth. Kamma-born form appears through the bases and doors: at the eye door thirty kamma-born forms plus twenty-four supporting forms make fifty-four; the ear, nose, and tongue are the same; the body door has forty-four, the mind door fifty-four. Eye-door form ceases without reaching the ear door, and so on until body-door form ceases without reaching the mind door (Vernacular §7). 〔How to read〕 These three methods add another dimension to the preceding “time slices”: origin. This form was made by hunger, by heat, or by kamma at the eye door. The hungry face is “like a crow crouched in a basket of charcoal”; the commentator’s similes often carry a trace of humor. 〔What is seen〕 Kamma-born form is divided “by doors”: fifty-four at the eye door, forty-four at the body door. The numbers share their source with 18-01 §4. By now the reader need not fear them; they merely distinguish “this heap” from “that heap.”
§08 Mind-Originated and Natural Form—The Form of Joy and Grief and the Eight Stages of an Asoka Shoot → Vernacular §8
Mind-originated form appears through joy and grief: in joy it is smooth, soft, pleasant, and agreeable to touch; in grief, scorched, weary, and ill-colored. Each ceases without reaching the other. Eight stanzas then become evident: life, individual existence, and every pleasure and pain are joined only to one mind, the moment turning swiftly; even deities living eighty-four thousand aeons never stand through two minds joined; the aggregates that cease in one who dies and one who remains are alike—gone, they do not reconnect; what has just broken, will break in future, and ceases between are no different in characteristic; the unborn never lived, one lives by the present, and the world dies with mind’s breaking—designation in the ultimate sense; what has broken enters no store, the future has no accumulation, and what arises and stands is like a mustard seed on an awl’s point; dissolution stands before arisen phenomena, which do not mingle with the old; they come from the unseen and go to the unseen, like lightning arising and ceasing in the sky. Natural form—external form unconnected with faculties: iron, copper, tin, lead, gold, silver, pearls, gems, beryl, conch, stone, coral, ruby, agate, earth, rock, mountain, grass, tree, creeper, and the rest, arisen since the aeon of evolution—is then treated through an asoka shoot: pale red → deep red → light red → tender leaf → mature leaf → green → blue-green (maintaining similar continuity for about a year) → yellow leaf breaking from the stalk and falling. Each stage ceases without reaching the next; by this method all natural form is comprehended. Thus formations are comprehended through the sevenfold method for form (Vernacular §8). 〔How to read〕 The eight stanzas are the philosophical summit of the unit: “Life and individual existence and all pleasure and pain are joined to one mind alone.” In the ultimate sense, your life is only as long as “this mind.” “What has broken enters no store, the future has no accumulation”: no warehouse stores the past, none stocks the future. “Like a mustard seed on an awl’s point”: the present standing point is that small. 〔What is seen〕 Natural, external form also receives the three characteristics. The asoka shoot moves from pale red to yellow leaf; the insight course extends from “my body” to “all form.” Not only am I impermanent—iron, copper, gold, silver, mountains, rocks, grasses, and trees follow the same law. From here the world is no longer a background within which “I am impermanent”; it obeys the same law as I do.
For the General Reader
Take away one blade and one lamp. The blade: “Form occurring in A ceases right there without reaching B.” A and B may be one’s thirties and forties, rains and winter, dark and bright fortnights, forenoon and midday, lifting and lowering the foot. Cut ever finer until, within one step, you hear formations crackling like sesame seeds in a hot pan. The lamp: three people see one lamp; one sees it go out when oil is exhausted, one sees each third of the wick cease, and one sees it cease fiber by fiber. There is no wrong impermanence, only coarse impermanence. And one stanza: “Life and individual existence, with all pleasure and pain, are joined to one mind alone.” In the ultimate sense your life lasts only as long as this mind.
To read this unit in full: Vernacular §§1–8 gives the complete, sequential translation of the sevenfold framework and the hundred years bounded by taking up and laying down; the three periods; ten decades; twenty divisions through six parts of day and night; six postural activities and six parts of a step; the lamp simile; the nutriment-made, temperature-made, and kamma-born methods; and mind-originated form, the eight stanzas, and the asoka shoot as natural form.
考據Apparatus
一、科判定位
譯底 本單元之譯底＝CSCD（內用不上站）。本層一切巴利逐字取自本單元原典欄之譯底，定位一式：〔CSCD §NN〕式對譯底欄逐字可核。本品無自家對頁之巴利，故頁域一概不記。
品名 道非道智見清淨 Maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi（品題行落於本品之首單元，本檔不重錄）。
篇名 譯底欄自帶 ### 小節 1 個，即本篇之題 ### Rūpasattakasammasanakathā（色七法思惟之說）。
段號域 譯底欄之段號自〔CSCD §706〕至〔CSCD §716〕，實落段號 11 個，無缺、無重、無降序階。本篇於譯底欄之幅為 17,342 位元組——為本品七單元之最長（次為觀之隨染之單元之 11,357）。
篇之骨——三層 ①〔CSCD §706〕出七法之綱（取捨、年增之滅、食所成、時節所成、業生、心等起、法性色）並繫古德之偈，繼以第一法（百年為界）加三相；②〔CSCD §707〕至〔CSCD §711〕廣開第二法「年增之滅」——三時、十個十年、二十至百分、三時節與六時節、黑白月、晝夜、晝夜六分、行住等六、一步之六分，末以燈喻總配之；③〔CSCD §712〕至〔CSCD §716〕逐一開後五法——食所成（飢飽）、時節所成（冷熱）、業生（六門）、心等起（喜憂）、法性色（無憂樹芽之色變）。
七法之次第與其篇幅之極不均 第一法唯〔CSCD §706〕一段，第二法佔〔CSCD §707〕至〔CSCD §711〕五段（約全篇之半），後五法各唯一段。論自標其第二法之細分為「漸細」之階（〔CSCD §711〕之燈喻即其總配）——本目誌其實而不代評其偏。
三相加法之定式 本篇加三相之句式逐一同構：先出所分之二時（paṭhame vassapañcake pavattarūpaṃ dutiyaṃ vassapañcakaṃ appatvā tattheva nirujjhati 之族），次繫 tasmā taṃ aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā，末繫 tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti。tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti 逐字實測 19 見，連其餘屈折共 30 見，另有複合之形 tilakkhaṇāropanaṃ 6 見——為本篇之節拍與其最密之定式。
第一法之三相之釋為全篇唯一之廣釋 〔CSCD §706〕於無常出四由（Uppādavayavattito, vipariṇāmato, tāvakālikato, niccapaṭikkhepato ca）、於苦出四由（abhiṇhasampaṭipīḷanato, dukkhamato dukkhavatthuto, sukhapaṭikkhepato ca——譯底於 dukkhamato 與 dukkhavatthuto 之間無讀點，然本論於 21-06 之同族長列作 Abhiṇhapaṭipīḷanato, dukkhamato, dukkhavatthuto, rogato…，二者分立，故本欄計為四）、於無我出四由（suññato, assāmikato, avasavattito, attapaṭikkhepato ca）。後諸法之三相皆唯繫 aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā 而不重釋其由——廣釋唯首，餘皆從略。
篇末之收 本篇收於 Evaṃ tāva rūpasattakavasena tilakkhaṇaṃ āropetvā saṅkhāre sammasati.（如是且以色七法加三相而思惟諸行）——tāva（且）一語即預告次篇之無色七法。
前後接點 前承見色之生起與無色之生起之行相之單元：本篇首句 Aparo rūpasattakaarūpasattakavasena tilakkhaṇaṃ āropetvā saṅkhāre sammasati——Aparo 一語標其為別一行者之門，與前篇之四等起之門為對。後接無色七法思惟之單元：本篇末以「且以色七法」收，次篇即以 Yaṃ pana vuttaṃ ''arūpasattakavasenā''ti, tattha ayaṃ mātikā 起——次篇之首句逐字回引本篇首句之語，二篇之接為一綱之二分。
movement 品夾《總覽》繫本單元於 §C〈道非道智見清淨（第 20 品）— 認出「不是道」的那十樣〉一節；其所繫之章§逐字見該表，本目不重錄、不截取——段號與章§二系不明對映，不推估不換算。
二、詞義與譯語
本目只記本篇用法與其定位；名相定讀以規範詞表為準，詞表所未定者，本目不代定。前此諸品或本品前單元已立之讀不重解。以下唯列本篇新出者。
七法之綱〔CSCD §706〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rūpasattaka | 色七法 | 本篇之題與其綱；本篇之屈折諸形 4 見 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| ādānanikkhepana | 取與捨 | 七法之一；論釋 ādānanti paṭisandhi. Nikkhepananti cuti. | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| vayovuḍḍhatthaṅgama | 年增之滅 | 七法之二；論釋 vayavasena vuḍḍhassa vaḍḍhitassa rūpassa atthaṅgamo | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §707〕 |
| āhāramaya | 食所成 | 七法之三 | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §712〕 |
| utumaya | 時節所成 | 七法之四 | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §713〕 |
| kammaja | 業生 | 七法之五 | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §714〕 |
| cittasamuṭṭhāna | 心等起 | 七法之六 | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §715〕 |
| dhammatārūpa | 法性色 | 七法之七；論釋為 bahiddhā anindriyabaddhaṃ 之外色 | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §716〕 |
三相之由〔CSCD §706〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| tāvakālika | 暫時 | 無常之由之三 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| niccapaṭikkhepa | 常之遮 | 無常之由之四 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| abhiṇhasampaṭipīḷana | 常時逼迫 | 苦之由之一 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| dukkhavatthu | 苦之事 | 苦之由之三 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| sukhapaṭikkhepa | 樂之遮 | 苦之由之四 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| vasavattibhāva | 自在之性 | 無我之由之所遮 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| assāmika | 無主 | 無我之由之二 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| avasavatti | 不自在 | 無我之由之三 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| attapaṭikkhepa | 我之遮 | 無我之由之四 | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
年增之滅之諸分〔CSCD §707〕–〔CSCD §710〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| paṭhamavaya | 初時 | 百年之三分之一，其數三十三年 | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| majjhimavaya | 中時 | 三分之二，其數三十四年 | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| pacchimavaya | 後時 | 三分之三，其數三十三年 | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| mandadasaka | 愚鈍十年 | 十個十年之一 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| khiḍḍādasaka | 嬉戲十年 | 十個十年之二 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| vaṇṇadasaka | 美色十年 | 十個十年之三 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| baladasaka | 力十年 | 十個十年之四 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| paññādasaka | 慧十年 | 十個十年之五 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| hānidasaka | 退減十年 | 十個十年之六 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| pabbhāradasaka | 前傾十年 | 十個十年之七 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| vaṅkadasaka | 曲十年 | 十個十年之八；論以 naṅgalakoṭi viya 喻之 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| momūhadasaka | 昧鈍十年 | 十個十年之九 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| sayanadasaka | 臥十年 | 十個十年之十 | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| kāḷajuṇha | 黑分與白分 | 一月之二分 | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| rattindiva | 夜與晝 | 一日之二分 | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| pubbaṇha・majjhanha・sāyanha | 午前・午中・午後 | 晝夜六分之三 | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| paṭhamayāma・majjhimayāma・pacchimayāma | 初夜・中夜・後夜 | 晝夜六分之三 | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| abhikkama・paṭikkama | 前進・後退 | 六威儀之二 | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| ālokana・vilokana | 前視・旁視 | 六威儀之二 | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| samiñjana・pasāraṇa | 屈・伸 | 六威儀之二 | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| uddharaṇa | 舉 | 一步六分之一：pādassa bhūmito ukkhipanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| atiharaṇa | 移前 | 一步六分之二：purato haraṇaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| vītiharaṇa | 移旁 | 一步六分之三：ito cito ca pādasañcāraṇaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| vossajjana | 放下 | 一步六分之四：pādassa heṭṭhā oropanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| sannikkhepana | 置地 | 一步六分之五：pathavītale ṭhapanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| sannirumbhana | 按押 | 一步六分之六：pādassa pathaviyā saddhiṃ abhinippīḷanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| omatta・adhimatta | 少・多 | 四界於一步六分中之強弱 | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| pabbaṃ pabbaṃ sandhi sandhi odhi odhi | 節節・結結・分分 | 諸行之斷處；本篇二見（後見於無色七法之單元） | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
燈喻與後五法〔CSCD §711〕–〔CSCD §716〕
| 巴利 | 本編用語 | 本篇用法之要 | 定位 |
|---|---|---|---|
| opamma | 譬喻 | 論自標燈喻之名：Sukhumatte ca panassa idaṃ opammaṃ | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| padīpa | 燈 | 燈喻之體 | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| vaṭṭi | 燈心 | 燈喻之第二層之所分 | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| aṃsu | 絲 | 燈喻之第五層之所分——論自標其為不可更分者：Aṃsuṃ pana muñcitvā na sakkā jālaṃ paññāpetu | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| oḷārika | 粗 | 三人之判語；本段二見 | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| chāta・suhita | 飢・飽 | 食所成色之二位 | 〔CSCD §712〕 |
| jhatta・kilanta | 焦・疲 | 飢時之色之相；本篇三見 | 〔CSCD §712〕・〔CSCD §713〕・〔CSCD §715〕 |
| dhāta・pīṇita | 飽・悅 | 飽時之色之相 | 〔CSCD §712〕 |
| uṇhakāla・sītakāla | 熱時・冷時 | 時節所成色之二位 | 〔CSCD §713〕 |
| āyatanadvāra | 處門 | 業生色之六位 | 〔CSCD §714〕 |
| somanassita・domanassita | 喜・憂 | 心等起色之二位 | 〔CSCD §715〕 |
| anindriyabaddha | 不繫於根者 | 法性色之定義 | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| vivaṭṭakappa | 成劫 | 法性色所起之始 | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| asokaṅkura | 無憂樹之芽 | 法性色之例；論分其色為八位 | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| paṇḍupalāsa | 黃葉 | 無憂樹芽之色之末位 | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| sabhāgarūpasantatimanuppabandhāpayamāna | 令同分色之相續不斷者 | 葉之久住之相 | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
三、異讀
材料之面 本篇無自家對頁之巴利，故無校勘段可錄；可查之面唯譯底欄自身。誌錄不判。
普查之實測 譯底欄全篇逐字普查：異讀括注式（(sī.)・(syā.)・(kaṃ.)・(pī.) 等）零命中；異誦之標識詞 pāṭho 零命中。異說之標識詞 porāṇā 實測 1 見——其為引古德之偈之標識（Tenāhu porāṇā –），非異讀之記，故不入異讀之列而別記於引據之目。方括注唯二式（[§NN] 段號 11 個與版頁記 16 個，後者皆在註記之內）。圓括注 1 處，為出處標記，無非出處之括注。引號標記 '' 實測 56 處。查無即記無：譯底欄自身無異讀之記。
本欄自出之一處字面之不齊——綱與偈之詞形有異 〔CSCD §706〕之散文之綱作 vayovuḍḍhatthaṅgamato，而同段所繫之古德偈作 vayovuḍḍhatthagāmito——前者之後分作 atthaṅgamato（滅），後者作 atthagāmito（趣滅）。且散文之綱作 āhāramayato, utumayato，而偈作 Āhārato ca ututo（不帶「所成」一分）；散文作 kammajato, cittasamuṭṭhānato，而偈作 kammato cāpi cittato。綱與偈之七名，其形逐一有異而其數與序全同——本目誌其字面之實而不判其為傳本之別、清檔之記或偈頌之律（音節之限）。
本欄自出之第二處 〔CSCD §708〕之十個十年，其第七作 pabbhāradasakaṃ 而其釋作 purato pabbhāro hoti；第八作 vaṅkadasakaṃ 而其釋作 naṅgalakoṭi viya vaṅko hoti。十名之釋，唯此二名之釋語與其名同根，餘八名之釋皆別出他語。誌其實而不判。
本欄之界 上列皆為譯底欄之字面之實；未與 PTS 掃描頁對勘。本欄之零命中唯就譯底欄一面，不以之推斷他本。
四、論主引據
論主自引之處，逐處繫段號錨；出處唯本文自標者記之，不代考定。「本文自標之出處」欄之括注逐字照錄，不代譯其經名。
| 位置 | 引式〔逐字〕 | 所引之要 | 本文自標之出處 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §706〕 | Tenāhu porāṇā –／''Ādānanikkhepanato, vayovuḍḍhatthagāmito; Āhārato ca ututo, kammato cāpi cittato; Dhammatārūpato satta, vitthārena vipassatī''ti. | 古德偈——色七法之綱 | 不繫 |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Jīvitaṃ attabhāvo ca, sukhadukkhā ca kevalā; Ekacittasamāyuttā, lahuso vattate khaṇo. | 八偈——心與剎那之無常；為本篇唯一繫號之引 | (mahāni. 10) |
引式之數〔本欄實測〕 Tenāhu 1 處・kira 2 處（〔CSCD §708〕之慧十年之釋與〔CSCD §711〕之燈喻之開，二處皆為傳說之語而非引）；Yathāha・Vuttañhetaṃ・Vuttampi cetaṃ・Tenāha 俱零命中。本文自標之圓括注出處 1 處・1 種（大義釋）。本篇之引唯二——一為古德偈（不繫號）、一為經偈（繫號）；其幅之鉅（17,342 位元組）而引之寡，為本品七單元中引最疏者。此數唯就本篇之域，不及全書。
〔CSCD §715〕之偈之出處與其位 該偈八首十六行，其括注 (mahāni. 10) 落於末行之末（Vijjuppādova ākāse, uppajjanti vayanti cāti. (mahāni. 10);）——八首共一括注而不逐首繫。誌其實而不判。
引偈之前無引語 〔CSCD §715〕之偈，其前唯 Tassevaṃ cittasamuṭṭhānarūpaṃ pariggahetvā tattha tilakkhaṇaṃ āropayato ayamattho pākaṭo hoti –（此義顯現）而無 Vuttañhetaṃ 之類引語。引經而不用引語，為本篇之獨式。誌之不判。
五、譬喻·修辭
本目只記本篇譬喻之所在與其所配，不作文學評價。
甲・譬喻 本篇之比況語實測：viya 詞界 10 見——為本品七單元之最多；opamma 之屈折 1 見（論自標燈喻之名）、sadisa 諸形 1 見、upamā 諸形 零命中、Yathā hi 起之對句式喻 零命中。
| 位置 | 譬喻 | 所配之義 |
|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §708〕 | tadā hissa attabhāvo naṅgalakoṭi viya vaṅko hoti | 如犁之頭之曲——曲十年之身 |
| 〔CSCD §710〕 | tattakapāle pakkhittatilā viya taṭataṭāyantā saṅkhārā bhijjanti | 如投熱鍋之胡麻之爆裂——諸行之節節而壞 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | dārutiṇukkādīsu kataparicayo adiṭṭhapubbapadīpo paccantavāsiko | 邊地之人唯識木炬草炬而未見燈——燈喻之緣起 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''telakkhayena vaṭṭikkhayena ca padīpassa gatamaggopi na paññāyissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「油盡心盡則燈之去處不可知」者之智——百年為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Vaṭṭiyā tatiyabhāge tatiyabhāge jālā itarītaraṃ padesaṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「心之三分之焰不及他分而滅」者之智——三時為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aṅgulaṅgulantare jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「指指之間焰不及他而滅」者之智——十年至一年為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aḍḍhaṅgulaḍḍhaṅgulantare jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「半指半指之間焰不及他而滅」者之智——時節為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Tantumhi tantumhi jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「線線之焰不及他而滅」者之智——黑白月與晝夜為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aṃsumhi aṃsumhi jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | 如知「絲絲之焰不及他而滅」者之智——威儀與一步六分為界之加三相 |
| 〔CSCD §712〕 | jhāmakhāṇuko viya, aṅgārapacchiyaṃ nilīnakāko viya ca dubbaṇṇaṃ dussaṇṭhitaṃ | 如焦樁、如伏於炭籠之烏——飢時之色 |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Nibbattā yepi tiṭṭhanti, āragge sāsapūpamā | 如錐尖之芥子——已生而住者（所引之偈） |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Vijjuppādova ākāse, uppajjanti vayanti cāti | 如空中電之起——諸法之生滅（所引之偈） |
燈喻之六重配對 〔CSCD §711〕之燈喻，其法為「三人之智之漸細」對「行者所分之時之漸細」之六重逐一相配——purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya 之句式實測 6 見，其六重逐一為：油盡心盡對百年、心之三分對三時、指指之間對十年至一年、半指之間對時節、線線對黑白月與晝夜、絲絲對威儀與一步六分。六重之配於譯底欄逐字可核，無一重之闕——為本篇章法之最密處。
乙・修辭之可核觀察 ①Kathaṃ? 之引釋式實測 5 見（〔CSCD §706〕〔CSCD §707〕〔CSCD §709〕二見〔CSCD §710〕），Kasmā? 自問 1 見（〔CSCD §706〕之無常之由之開），? 全篇 7 見——其一在燈喻之對話之內（kiṃ nāmetaṃ evaṃ manāpa）。②tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti 逐字實測 19 見（連其餘屈折共 30 見）——為本篇最密之定式。③appatvā（不及而）及其連聲之形 實測 41 見——「不及他位而滅」之句為本篇之骨，每一分位之思惟皆以之行。④tasmā taṃ aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā 及其變形（tasmā tampi aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā・tasmā aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā・tasmā aniccā dukkhā anattā）實測 18 見。⑤縮排之偈行 19 行（古德偈 3 行、所引之經偈 16 行）。⑥…pe… 省略式 2 見（〔CSCD §708〕之十年之列與〔CSCD §709〕之二十分之列）。⑦iti paṭisañcikkhati（如是省察）之引釋式 3 見。
以上諸數唯就本篇之域實測，不及全書。
六、章內互讀
每指皆帶段號錨；所指之處唯就本篇文中可核之名相立——本篇之段號與章§二系不明對映，故所指不繫章§，亦不推估換算。不代考定。
| 本篇之處 | 所指 | 可核之由 |
|---|---|---|
〔CSCD §706〕 Tattha ādānanti paṭisandhi. Nikkhepananti cuti. | 行緣識廣說之單元〔CSCD §621〕・〔CSCD §622〕 | 結生與死之相在彼廣說，本篇取其二為百年之二端 |
〔CSCD §710〕 Tattha uddharaṇe pathavīdhātu āpodhātūti dve dhātuyo omattā honti mandā | 四界分別之篇 | 四界之相在彼立，本篇以其強弱配一步之六分 |
〔CSCD §710〕 tattakapāle pakkhittatilā viya taṭataṭāyantā saṅkhārā bhijjanti | 無色七法思惟之單元〔CSCD §717〕 | 次篇之聚思惟逐字復用此喻 |
〔CSCD §712〕 Tatrāssa āhāramayaṃ rūpaṃ chātasuhitavasena pākaṭaṃ hoti. | 見色之生起與無色之生起之行相之單元〔CSCD §703〕 | 前篇立食等起之五目，本篇以飢飽二位加三相 |
〔CSCD §714〕 Cakkhudvārasmiṃ hi cakkhukāyabhāvadasakavasena tiṃsa kammajarūpāni | 見清淨之單元〔CSCD §664〕・〔CSCD §665〕 | 彼篇以所依與門立六十色，本篇以六門立業生色之五十四等 |
〔CSCD §715〕 Cittabhaṅgā mato loko, paññatti paramatthiyā. | 有輪之單元 | 彼篇立世俗與第一義之辨，本篇所引之偈與之同旨 |
〔CSCD §716〕 Dhammatārūpaṃ nāma bahiddhā anindriyabaddhaṃ | 色蘊之單元 | 內外之色之分在彼立，本篇取其外者為第七法 |
七、傳本
作者、傳本與注疏源流諸問題，本編不於考據內立說。
I. Placement in the Outline
Base text This unit’s base text is CSCD (for internal use and never published online). Every Pāli string in this layer is copied verbatim from this unit’s base-text column, and loci uniformly take the form 〔CSCD §NN〕 for verbatim checking against that column. Because this chapter has no edition-owned facing Pāli, no page range is recorded.
Chapter title Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What Is and Is Not the Path, Maggāmaggañāṇadassanavisuddhi (the chapter-title line occurs in the first unit of the chapter and is not repeated here).
Section title The base-text column carries 1 ### heading, this section’s title ### Rūpasattakasammasanakathā (Discourse on Comprehension of Form by the Sevenfold Method).
Paragraph-number range The base-text column runs from 〔CSCD §706〕 through 〔CSCD §716〕, containing 11 paragraph numbers, with no gaps, duplicates, or descending step in the sequence. This section spans 17,342 bytes in the base-text column—the longest of the chapter’s seven units (the unit on the corruptions of insight is next at 11,357).
Skeleton of the section—three levels (1) 〔CSCD §706〕 gives the framework of seven methods—taking up and laying down, subsidence of growth in age, nutriment-made, temperature-made, kamma-born, mind-originated, and natural form—links it to a stanza of the Ancients, and then applies the three characteristics through the first method, a hundred-year boundary; (2) 〔CSCD §707〕 through 〔CSCD §711〕 extensively develop the second, “subsidence of growth in age”—three periods, ten decades, twenty through one hundred divisions, three and six seasons, dark and bright fortnights, night and day, six parts of a day and night, six activities beginning with going, and six parts of one step, all gathered up at the end by the lamp simile; and (3) 〔CSCD §712〕 through 〔CSCD §716〕 develop the remaining five methods in turn—nutriment-made (hunger/satiety), temperature-made (cold/heat), kamma-born (six doors), mind-originated (joy/grief), and natural form (changes in the color of an asoka shoot).
Sequence of the seven methods and their extremely unequal spans The first occupies only 〔CSCD §706〕; the second occupies the five paragraphs 〔CSCD §707〕 through 〔CSCD §711〕 (about half the whole section); each of the final five occupies one paragraph. The treatise explicitly presents subdivisions of the second method as stages of “increasing subtlety” (the lamp simile in 〔CSCD §711〕 is their overall correspondence). This apparatus records the fact without evaluating the imbalance.
Fixed formula for applying the three characteristics Each application in this section has the same structure: it first states the two periods distinguished (paṭhame vassapañcake pavattarūpaṃ dutiyaṃ vassapañcakaṃ appatvā tattheva nirujjhati and its family), then appends tasmā taṃ aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā, and finally tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti. The exact phrase tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti occurs 19 times, 30 including other inflections, and the compound form tilakkhaṇāropanaṃ occurs 6 times—the cadence and densest formula of the section.
The first method’s explanation of the three characteristics is the only full explanation For impermanence, 〔CSCD §706〕 gives four grounds (Uppādavayavattito, vipariṇāmato, tāvakālikato, niccapaṭikkhepato ca); for suffering, four (abhiṇhasampaṭipīḷanato, dukkhamato dukkhavatthuto, sukhapaṭikkhepato ca—the base text sets no comma between dukkhamato and dukkhavatthuto, but the treatise’s parallel list at 21-06 reads Abhiṇhapaṭipīḷanato, dukkhamato, dukkhavatthuto, rogato…, where the two stand apart, so this column counts four); and for not-self, four (suññato, assāmikato, avasavattito, attapaṭikkhepato ca). All later methods append only aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā and do not repeat the grounds—full explanation first, abbreviation thereafter.
Close of the section This section closes with Evaṃ tāva rūpasattakavasena tilakkhaṇaṃ āropetvā saṅkhāre sammasati. (thus, first, he comprehends formations by applying the three characteristics through the sevenfold method for form)—the word tāva (“first”) announces the following section’s sevenfold method for the immaterial.
Connection before and after It follows the unit on modes of seeing the arising of form and the immaterial. Its first sentence is Aparo rūpasattakaarūpasattakavasena tilakkhaṇaṃ āropetvā saṅkhāre sammasati—Aparo marks this as a door for a different practitioner, contrasted with the preceding door through the four origins. It is followed by the unit on comprehension of the immaterial by the sevenfold method. This section closes with “first through the sevenfold method for form,” and the next begins Yaṃ pana vuttaṃ ''arūpasattakavasenā''ti, tattha ayaṃ mātikā—the next section’s opening quotes the wording of this one’s first sentence verbatim; the two sections are the two halves of one framework.
Movement The chapter Overview assigns this unit to §C, “Purification by Knowledge and Vision of What Is and Is Not the Path (Chapter 20)—Recognizing Those Ten Things That Are ‘Not the Path.’” The chapter-section wording to which it refers appears verbatim in that table and is neither repeated nor excerpted here; because the paragraph-number and chapter-section systems have no known mapping, none is inferred or converted.
II. Terms and Renderings
This section records only usage and location in this unit; normative readings of terms are governed by the normative glossary, and this section does not decide terms that the glossary leaves unsettled. Readings established in earlier chapters or earlier units of this chapter are not re-explained. Only terms newly appearing in this section are listed below.
Framework of the Seven Methods 〔CSCD §706〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| rūpasattaka | sevenfold method for form | Title and framework of the section; inflected forms occur 4 times | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| ādānanikkhepana | taking up and laying down | First of the seven; explained as ādānanti paṭisandhi. Nikkhepananti cuti. | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| vayovuḍḍhatthaṅgama | subsidence of growth in age | Second of the seven; explained as vayavasena vuḍḍhassa vaḍḍhitassa rūpassa atthaṅgamo | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §707〕 |
| āhāramaya | nutriment-made | Third of the seven | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §712〕 |
| utumaya | temperature-made | Fourth of the seven | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §713〕 |
| kammaja | kamma-born | Fifth of the seven | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §714〕 |
| cittasamuṭṭhāna | mind-originated | Sixth of the seven | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §715〕 |
| dhammatārūpa | natural form | Seventh of the seven; explained as external form bahiddhā anindriyabaddhaṃ | 〔CSCD §706〕・〔CSCD §716〕 |
Grounds for the Three Characteristics 〔CSCD §706〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| tāvakālika | temporary | Third ground for impermanence | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| niccapaṭikkhepa | preclusion of permanence | Fourth ground for impermanence | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| abhiṇhasampaṭipīḷana | constant oppression | First ground for suffering | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| dukkhavatthu | basis of suffering | Third ground for suffering | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| sukhapaṭikkhepa | preclusion of pleasure | Fourth ground for suffering | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| vasavattibhāva | state of mastery | What the grounds for not-self negate | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| assāmika | ownerless | Second ground for not-self | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| avasavatti | not subject to mastery | Third ground for not-self | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
| attapaṭikkhepa | preclusion of self | Fourth ground for not-self | 〔CSCD §706〕 |
Divisions of Subsidence of Growth in Age 〔CSCD §707〕–〔CSCD §710〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| paṭhamavaya | beginning period | First third of a hundred years, thirty-three years | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| majjhimavaya | middle period | Second third, thirty-four years | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| pacchimavaya | final period | Third third, thirty-three years | 〔CSCD §707〕 |
| mandadasaka | dull decade | First of the ten decades | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| khiḍḍādasaka | playful decade | Second of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| vaṇṇadasaka | beautiful decade | Third of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| baladasaka | strong decade | Fourth of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| paññādasaka | wise decade | Fifth of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| hānidasaka | declining decade | Sixth of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| pabbhāradasaka | stooping decade | Seventh of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| vaṅkadasaka | bent decade | Eighth of the ten; likened through naṅgalakoṭi viya | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| momūhadasaka | confused decade | Ninth of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| sayanadasaka | recumbent decade | Tenth of the ten | 〔CSCD §708〕 |
| kāḷajuṇha | dark and bright fortnights | Two divisions of a month | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| rattindiva | night and day | Two divisions of a day | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| pubbaṇha・majjhanha・sāyanha | forenoon・midday・afternoon | Three of the six divisions of day and night | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| paṭhamayāma・majjhimayāma・pacchimayāma | first watch・middle watch・last watch | Three of the six divisions of day and night | 〔CSCD §709〕 |
| abhikkama・paṭikkama | going forward・returning | Two of the six postural activities | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| ālokana・vilokana | looking ahead・looking aside | Two of the six postural activities | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| samiñjana・pasāraṇa | bending・stretching | Two of the six postural activities | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| uddharaṇa | lifting | First of the six parts of a step: pādassa bhūmito ukkhipanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| atiharaṇa | advancing | Second part: purato haraṇaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| vītiharaṇa | shifting aside | Third part: ito cito ca pādasañcāraṇaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| vossajjana | lowering | Fourth part: pādassa heṭṭhā oropanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| sannikkhepana | placing | Fifth part: pathavītale ṭhapanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| sannirumbhana | pressing | Sixth part: pādassa pathaviyā saddhiṃ abhinippīḷanaṃ | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| omatta・adhimatta | slight・abundant | Weakness and strength of the four elements in the six parts of a step | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
| pabbaṃ pabbaṃ sandhi sandhi odhi odhi | section by section・joint by joint・portion by portion | Points at which formations break; occurs twice in the chapter, the second in the unit on the sevenfold method for the immaterial | 〔CSCD §710〕 |
The Lamp Simile and the Final Five Methods 〔CSCD §711〕–〔CSCD §716〕
| Pāli | Rendering | Usage in this unit | Locus |
|---|---|---|---|
| opamma | simile | The treatise’s own name for the lamp simile: Sukhumatte ca panassa idaṃ opammaṃ | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| padīpa | lamp | Subject of the lamp simile | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| vaṭṭi | wick | What is divided at the simile’s second level | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| aṃsu | fiber | What is divided at the fifth level—explicitly said to be indivisible further: Aṃsuṃ pana muñcitvā na sakkā jālaṃ paññāpetu | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| oḷārika | coarse | Judgment of the three persons; occurs twice in the paragraph | 〔CSCD §711〕 |
| chāta・suhita | hungry・sated | Two states of nutriment-made form | 〔CSCD §712〕 |
| jhatta・kilanta | scorched・weary | Characteristics of form when hungry; occurs three times in the section | 〔CSCD §712〕・〔CSCD §713〕・〔CSCD §715〕 |
| dhāta・pīṇita | full・pleasant | Characteristics of form when sated | 〔CSCD §712〕 |
| uṇhakāla・sītakāla | hot weather・cold weather | Two states of temperature-made form | 〔CSCD §713〕 |
| āyatanadvāra | bases and doors | Six positions of kamma-born form | 〔CSCD §714〕 |
| somanassita・domanassita | joy・grief | Two states of mind-originated form | 〔CSCD §715〕 |
| anindriyabaddha | not connected with a faculty | Definition of natural form | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| vivaṭṭakappa | aeon of evolution | Beginning from which natural form arises | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| asokaṅkura | asoka shoot | Example of natural form; its color is divided into eight stages | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| paṇḍupalāsa | yellow leaf | Final color-stage of the asoka shoot | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
| sabhāgarūpasantatimanuppabandhāpayamāna | maintaining an uninterrupted continuity of similar form | Characteristic of the leaf’s long duration | 〔CSCD §716〕 |
III. Variant Readings
Scope of the material This section has no edition-owned facing Pāli, so no collation can be recorded; the only searchable surface is the base-text column itself. Facts are recorded without judgment.
Measured general scan A literal scan of the entire base-text column finds zero occurrences of variant-reading parentheticals such as (sī.), (syā.), (kaṃ.), and (pī.), and zero occurrences of the variant-recitation marker pāṭho. The marker of alternative attribution porāṇā occurs once, introducing a stanza of the Ancients (Tenāhu porāṇā –), not recording a variant, so it is excluded from the list of readings and recorded under citations below. Square-bracket notes have only two forms: 11 paragraph numbers [§NN] and 16 edition-page notes, the latter all inside comments. There is 1 parenthetical note, a source reference, with no non-source parenthetical note. The quotation marker '' occurs 56 times. Nothing found is recorded as nothing found: the base-text column itself carries no variant reading.
One literal inconsistency—different forms in framework and stanza The prose framework in 〔CSCD §706〕 reads vayovuḍḍhatthaṅgamato, while the Ancients’ stanza in the same paragraph reads vayovuḍḍhatthagāmito—the former ends in atthaṅgamato (subsidence), the latter in atthagāmito (tending to subsidence). The prose has āhāramayato, utumayato, while the stanza has Āhārato ca ututo (without the “-made” component); the prose has kammajato, cittasamuṭṭhānato, while the stanza has kammato cāpi cittato. The forms of all seven names differ between framework and stanza, while their number and order are identical. This apparatus records the literal fact without judging it a manuscript variant, a feature of the cleaned file, or a constraint of verse meter.
A second literal feature within this column Among the ten decades in 〔CSCD §708〕, the seventh is pabbhāradasakaṃ and its explanation contains purato pabbhāro hoti; the eighth is vaṅkadasakaṃ and its explanation contains naṅgalakoṭi viya vaṅko hoti. Only these two of the ten names are explained with words from the same root; the other eight explanations use different wording. The fact is recorded without judgment.
Boundary of this record Everything listed above is a literal fact of the base-text column; it has not been collated against the PTS scanned pages. Zero occurrences here concern this one surface only and do not warrant an inference about other editions.
IV. The Commentator’s Citations
Each place where the treatise cites another text is linked to a paragraph-number anchor. Only sources explicitly marked by the text itself are recorded, without deciding their identity. Parentheticals in the “Source Explicitly Marked by the Text” column are copied verbatim; their titles are not translated here.
| Location | Citation Formula [Verbatim] | Import of the Citation | Source Explicitly Marked by the Text |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §706〕 | Tenāhu porāṇā –／''Ādānanikkhepanato, vayovuḍḍhatthagāmito; Āhārato ca ututo, kammato cāpi cittato; Dhammatārūpato satta, vitthārena vipassatī''ti. | Stanza of the Ancients—the framework of the sevenfold method for form | No reference attached |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Jīvitaṃ attabhāvo ca, sukhadukkhā ca kevalā; Ekacittasamāyuttā, lahuso vattate khaṇo. | Eight stanzas—impermanence of mind and moment; the only citation in the section with a source reference | (mahāni. 10) |
Count of citation formulas [measured in this column] Tenāhu occurs once; kira twice (the explanation of the wise decade in 〔CSCD §708〕 and opening of the lamp simile in 〔CSCD §711〕, both hearsay expressions rather than citations). Yathāha, Vuttañhetaṃ, Vuttampi cetaṃ, and Tenāha all have zero occurrences. The text explicitly marks 1 parenthetical source of 1 kind (the Mahāniddesa). This section has only two citations—a stanza of the Ancients without a reference and a canonical stanza with one; despite its great span of 17,342 bytes, its citations are the sparsest among the chapter’s seven units. These figures apply only within this section, not to the whole work.
Source and placement of the stanza in 〔CSCD §715〕 The citation consists of eight stanzas in sixteen lines. Its parenthetical (mahāni. 10) occurs at the end of the final line (Vijjuppādova ākāse, uppajjanti vayanti cāti. (mahāni. 10);)—one reference for all eight stanzas, not one for each. The fact is recorded without judgment.
No citation formula before the stanza The stanza in 〔CSCD §715〕 is preceded only by Tassevaṃ cittasamuṭṭhānarūpaṃ pariggahetvā tattha tilakkhaṇaṃ āropayato ayamattho pākaṭo hoti – (“this meaning becomes evident”), with no formula such as Vuttañhetaṃ. Citing scripture without a citation formula is unique to this section. The fact is recorded without judgment.
V. Similes and Rhetoric
This section records only where similes occur and the meanings with which they are paired; it offers no literary evaluation.
A. Similes The word-boundary form viya occurs 10 times, the most among the chapter’s seven units; inflections of opamma occur once (the treatise’s own name for the lamp simile), forms of sadisa once, forms of upamā zero times, and paired similes beginning with Yathā hi zero times.
| Location | Simile | Meaning Paired with It |
|---|---|---|
| 〔CSCD §708〕 | tadā hissa attabhāvo naṅgalakoṭi viya vaṅko hoti | Bent like the tip of a plough—the body in the bent decade |
| 〔CSCD §710〕 | tattakapāle pakkhittatilā viya taṭataṭāyantā saṅkhārā bhijjanti | Crackling like sesame seeds thrown into a hot pan—formations breaking section by section |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | dārutiṇukkādīsu kataparicayo adiṭṭhapubbapadīpo paccantavāsiko | A border-country man familiar only with wood and grass torches, never having seen a lamp—the setting of the lamp simile |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''telakkhayena vaṭṭikkhayena ca padīpassa gatamaggopi na paññāyissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like the knowledge “when oil and wick are exhausted, the lamp’s path cannot be known”—applying the characteristics with a hundred-year boundary |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Vaṭṭiyā tatiyabhāge tatiyabhāge jālā itarītaraṃ padesaṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like knowledge that “at each third of the wick the flame ceases without reaching another part”—applying them through three periods |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aṅgulaṅgulantare jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like knowledge that “between each finger’s breadth the flame ceases without reaching another”—boundaries from ten years through one |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aḍḍhaṅgulaḍḍhaṅgulantare jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like knowledge that “between each half-finger’s breadth the flame ceases without reaching another”—seasonal boundaries |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Tantumhi tantumhi jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like knowledge that “on each thread the flame ceases without reaching another”—dark/bright fortnights and night/day boundaries |
| 〔CSCD §711〕 | ''Aṃsumhi aṃsumhi jālā itarītaraṃ appatvāva nirujjhissatī''ti purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya | Like knowledge that “on each fiber the flame ceases without reaching another”—postural activities and six parts of a step |
| 〔CSCD §712〕 | jhāmakhāṇuko viya, aṅgārapacchiyaṃ nilīnakāko viya ca dubbaṇṇaṃ dussaṇṭhitaṃ | Like a burnt stump and a crow crouched in a charcoal basket—form when hungry |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Nibbattā yepi tiṭṭhanti, āragge sāsapūpamā | Like a mustard seed on an awl’s point—what has arisen and stands (cited stanza) |
| 〔CSCD §715〕 | Vijjuppādova ākāse, uppajjanti vayanti cāti | Like lightning arising in the sky—the arising and cessation of phenomena (cited stanza) |
Sixfold correspondence in the lamp simile The method of the lamp simile in 〔CSCD §711〕 is to pair six levels of “increasing subtlety in the three persons’ knowledge” one by one with “increasing subtlety in the practitioner’s divisions of time.” The formula purisassa ñāṇaṃ viya occurs 6 times. The six correspondences are: exhaustion of oil and wick to a hundred years; thirds of the wick to three periods; finger-widths to ten through one-year divisions; half-finger-widths to seasons; threads to dark/bright fortnights and night/day; fibers to postural activities and six parts of a step. All six are verifiable verbatim in the base-text column, with none omitted—the densest structural point in the section.
B. Verifiable rhetorical observations (1) The explanatory question Kathaṃ? occurs 5 times (〔CSCD §706〕, 〔CSCD §707〕, twice in 〔CSCD §709〕, and 〔CSCD §710〕); the self-addressed Kasmā? occurs once, opening the grounds for impermanence in 〔CSCD §706〕. ? occurs 7 times in all—one within the lamp-simile dialogue (kiṃ nāmetaṃ evaṃ manāpa). (2) The exact phrase tilakkhaṇaṃ āropeti occurs 19 times, 30 including other inflections—the densest formula in the section. (3) appatvā (“without reaching”) and its sandhi forms occur 41 times—the sentence “ceases without reaching another stage” is the section’s skeleton, used in every division. (4) tasmā taṃ aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā and its variants (tasmā tampi aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā, tasmā aniccaṃ dukkhamanattā, tasmā aniccā dukkhā anattā) occur 18 times. (5) There are 19 indented verse lines: 3 in the Ancients’ stanza and 16 in the cited canonical stanzas. (6) The abbreviation …pe… occurs 2 times, in the lists of decades at 〔CSCD §708〕 and twentieths at 〔CSCD §709〕. (7) The explanatory formula iti paṭisañcikkhati (“he reviews thus”) occurs 3 times.
All these figures were measured only within this section and do not apply to the whole work.
VI. Intratextual Cross-Reading
Every reference carries a paragraph-number anchor. Each target is established only through terms verifiable in this section; because the paragraph-number and chapter-section systems have no known mapping, no target is linked to a chapter section and none is inferred or converted. No source identification is decided here.
| Place in This Section | Target | Verifiable Basis |
|---|---|---|
〔CSCD §706〕 Tattha ādānanti paṭisandhi. Nikkhepananti cuti. | Unit expanding “with formations as condition, consciousness” 〔CSCD §621〕・〔CSCD §622〕 | Rebirth-linking and death are explained there in detail; this section takes them as the two ends of a hundred years |
〔CSCD §710〕 Tattha uddharaṇe pathavīdhātu āpodhātūti dve dhātuyo omattā honti mandā | Section on defining the four elements | The characteristics of the four elements are established there; here their strengths are paired with the six parts of a step |
〔CSCD §710〕 tattakapāle pakkhittatilā viya taṭataṭāyantā saṅkhārā bhijjanti | Unit on comprehension of the immaterial by the sevenfold method 〔CSCD §717〕 | The next section’s comprehension by groups repeats this simile verbatim |
〔CSCD §712〕 Tatrāssa āhāramayaṃ rūpaṃ chātasuhitavasena pākaṭaṃ hoti. | Unit on modes of seeing the arising of form and the immaterial 〔CSCD §703〕 | The preceding section establishes five headings under nutriment-originated form; this one applies the characteristics through hunger and satiety |
〔CSCD §714〕 Cakkhudvārasmiṃ hi cakkhukāyabhāvadasakavasena tiṃsa kammajarūpāni | Units on purification of view 〔CSCD §664〕・〔CSCD §665〕 | Those sections establish sixty material phenomena by bases and doors; this one establishes fifty-four and the rest through the six doors |
〔CSCD §715〕 Cittabhaṅgā mato loko, paññatti paramatthiyā. | Unit on the round of becoming | That section distinguishes conventional and ultimate; the cited stanza here has the same import |
〔CSCD §716〕 Dhammatārūpaṃ nāma bahiddhā anindriyabaddhaṃ | Unit on the form aggregate | The distinction between internal and external form is established there; this section takes the external as the seventh method |
VII. Transmission
This edition does not advance a position in the apparatus on questions of authorship, textual transmission, or the lineage of the commentaries.