11.2 四大种 Four Big Seeds

种是因义。四大种，即地、水、火、风，是生命之树的四粒种子，亦作四大，西方人称之为唯心主义的四个基本元素（Four Basic Elements）。世界的一切都是四大种所造；这怎么理解？由身体和外部世界都是心的投影来理解，如新生儿的视力才20几厘米，世界无非是吃奶和大小便产生的快乐感觉；随着成长，身体和外部世界逐渐长大，直至长成三千大千世界（参见13.1节）。

Seed means reason. Buddhist “four big seeds”, western world call as “four basic elements”, are earth, water, fire, and wind, are four seeds of Life Tree. Everything in the world is created by the four; how should these be understood? Understanding that both the body and the external world are projections of the heart (i.e., mind), for example, the eyesight of a newborn is only 20 centimeters, the world is nothing but the joyful sensations of feeding and urinating; as it grows, the body and the external world gradually grow, until they grow into “three-grand great-grand worlds” (refer to section 13.1).

（1）地是界的比喻Earth is a metaphor for boundary

人使用极限进行思维，即是使用界进行认知，界如边、表、正义等，（参见插图右边部分）。界无形，古德用地来比喻界。高山大地是界的形象；能持，孕育万物是界的功能；坚韧是界的体性。界有了地的形象比喻，人们就可以轻易地理解出界的生、依、立、持、养，这五种因性。

Humans use limits to think, that is, use Boundary to cognition; Boundary means limits, boundary conditions, edges, boarders, surfaces, etc. such as surface is boundary of volume (refer to illustration right side). Boundary is invisible, and Ancient-Virtue（i.e., ancients） used land as a metaphor for Boundary, so, mountains and earth are images of the Boundary. Being able to sustain and nurture all things is the function of Boundary; toughness is Boundary’s nature. After Boundary has images of earth, people can easily understand its five causalities nature: birth, dependence, establishment, hold, and nourishment.

“十八界” ，在佛学中是个常用的名词。十八界就是：（六根界：）眼根界、耳根界、 鼻根界、舌根界、身根界、意根界； （六境，亦作六尘）色界、声界、香界、味界、触界、法界；（六识，亦作六情）眼识界、耳识界，鼻识界、舌识界、身识界、意识界。

“Eighteen boundaries” are a useful concept in Buddhism; the eighteen are: (six roots) eye root boundary, ear root boundary, nose root boundary, tongue root boundary, body root boundary, Intent root boundary; (six environments, often called as six-dusts) color boundary, sound boundary, smell boundary, taste boundary, touch boundary, juristic boundary; (six senses, six feelings) eye sense boundary (i.e., seeing), ear sense boundary (i.e., hearing), nose sense boundary (i.e., smelling), tongue sense boundary (i.e., tasting), body sense boundary (i.e., touch, feeling), juristic sense boundary (i.e., knowing).

界是种子义、能持义。种子义是约无意识中能生起诸法的功能，即十八界法各由自种生起而有差别相。能持义是约能持诸法自相义；即十八界法各持自相不乱，所以名界。

Boundary means seed, can sustain. “Seed” is talking of functions that all laws rise into performances in unconsciousness. Each of the eighteen boundaries arouse from its own kinds, differences appear there upon. “Sustainment” is saying that Boundary can hold the laws’ own phenomena. Because of the eighteen boundaries, innumerable things in the world are organized, don’t run into chaos.

（2）水是识的比喻Water is a metaphor for sense

这样，识就有了江、河、湖、海、云、雨等的巨大形象。识性如水，如粘、附着、流动性等。此大种以流湿为体性，能摄为功能，也有生依立持养五种因性。

This way, senses had huge images of rivers, lakes, seas, clouds, rains, etc. Sense is like water, such as stickiness, adhesion, fluidity, etc. The big seed is by “flowing, wetting” as its bodily nature, is by “cable to assimilate” as its function; it also has five causalities nature: birth, dependence, establishment, hold, and nourishment.

(3) 火是无意识的比喻Fire is a metaphor for unconscious

古德常用火来比喻无意识；这样，无意识就有了猛焰、烈日、赤火的形象。火以温热为体性，能熟为功能。能熟，如日熟谷。大种火亦有生依立持养五种因性。

Ancient Virtues often use fire as metaphor for Unconscious (ancients call God-sense), so, Unconscious gained the images of fierce burning, scorching sun, and red fire. The big seed is by “warmth” as its bodily nature, is by “capable to mature” as its function, such as white sun can mature grains. Big seed Fire also has five causalities nature: birth, dependence, establishment, hold, and nourishment.

(4) 风是境的比喻 Wind is a metaphor for environment

古德用风来比喻不断变化的环境，境就有了疾猛大风为形象。境以轻动为体性，能长为功能，也有生依立持养五种因性。

Ancient Virtue often uses wind as a metaphor for the ever-changing environment, so environment has a strong wind as an image. Big seed Environment takes light movement as its essence, its ability to grow as its function, and it also has five causes nature of life: birth, dependence, establishment, hold, and nourishment.

【插图二位】

通过以上四种比喻，就有了人们所说的地、水、火、风，四大种；此四大种都是通性无记的。通性是说此四大种都与无意识相通。无记是说人对四大种没有记忆，不能被回忆。世界万物都是由这四大种和合所成。若大种有变化，依其所造的一切事物都会随之而改变。

Through the above four metaphors, there are what people call earth, water, fire, and wind, the four basic elements. The four big seeds all are with “association non-memory nature”. “Association-nature” is saying the four relate to Unconscious (ancient God-sense). “Non-memory nature” is saying that we humans don’t remember them, no memories, can’t recall them. Everything in the world is formed by the combination of these four elements. If there is a change in the great seed, all things made according to it will change accordingly.

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