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五因

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: five causes

Senses:

  • The five causes in the Abhidharmakośa-bhāṣya are:
    1. 生因 producing cause; the four elements 四大 combine to produce all matter
    2. 依因 supporting cause; all matter depends upon the four elements
    3. 立因 upholding or establishing cause; the four elements support matter and enable it to maintain its existence to the present moment
    4. 持因 maintaining cause; the four elements enable matter to span past, present, and future
    5. 養因 nourishing or strengthening cause; the four elements provide the basis for the expansion of matter. 〔倶舍論 T 1558.29.38b11〕
    These all refer to the four elements, earth, water, fire, wind, for they are the causers or producers and maintainers of the infinite forms of nature. The five causes in the Nirvana Sutra are:
    1. 生因 cause of rebirth, i. e. previous delusion;
    2. 和合因 intermingling cause, i. e. good with good, bad with bad, neutral with neutral;
    3. 住因 cause of abiding in the present condition, i. e. the self in its attachments;
    4. 增長因 causes of development, e.g., food, clothing, etc.;
    5. 遠因 remoter cause, the parental seed. 〔涅槃經 T 374.12.492b16〕
    (Skt. pañca hetavaḥ, pañca-prakāro hetuḥ, pañca-kāraṇa, pañca kāraṇāni, pañca-kāraṇa-saṃbhava) 〔解深密經 T 676.16.705c26〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, Nakamura, Soothill, Hirakawa, JEBD]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 265

    Bulgyo sajeon 617a

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) 81a/89

    Bukkyōgo daijiten (Nakamura) 354d

    Fo Guang Dictionary 1074

    Ding Fubao

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0088

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 509-2, 91-1

    (Soothill's) Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms 116

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2001-11-03

    Updated: 2018-01-17