11.2 四大種 Four Big Seeds

種是因義。四大種，即地、水、火、風，是生命之樹的四粒種子，亦作四大，西方人稱之為唯心主義的四個基本元素（Four Basic Elements）。世界的一切都是四大種所造；這怎麼理解？由身體和外部世界都是心的投影來理解，如新生兒的視力才20幾厘米，世界無非是吃奶和大小便產生的快樂感覺；隨著成長，身體和外部世界逐漸長大，直至長成三千大千世界（參見13.1節）。

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

人使用極限進行思維，即是使用界進行認知，界如邊、表、正義等，（參見插圖右邊部分）。界無形，古德用地來比喻界。高山大地是界的形象；能持，孕育萬物是界的功能；堅韌是界的體性。界有了地的形象比喻，人們就可以輕易地理解出界的生、依、立、持、養，這五種因性。

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」 ，在佛學中是個常用的名詞。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，亦作六塵）色界、聲界、香界、味界、觸界、法界；（六識，亦作六情）眼識界、耳識界，鼻識界、舌識界、身識界、意識界。

「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).

界是種子義、能持義。種子義是約無意識中能生起諸法的功能，即十八界法各由自種生起而有差別相。能持義是約能持諸法自相義；即十八界法各持自相不亂，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）水是識的比喻Water is a metaphor for sense

這樣，識就有了江、河、湖、海、雲、雨等的巨大形象。識性如水，如粘、附著、流動性等。此大種以流濕為體性，能攝為功能，也有生依立持養五種因性。

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) 火是無意識的比喻Fire is a metaphor for unconscious

古德常用火來比喻無意識；這樣，無意識就有了猛焰、烈日、赤火的形象。火以溫熱為體性，能熟為功能。能熟，如日熟谷。大種火亦有生依立持養五種因性。

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) 風是境的比喻 Wind is a metaphor for environment

古德用風來比喻不斷變化的環境，境就有了疾猛大風為形象。境以輕動為體性，能長為功能，也有生依立持養五種因性。

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.

【插圖二位】

通過以上四種比喻，就有了人們所說的地、水、火、風，四大種；此四大種都是通性無記的。通性是說此四大種都與無意識相通。無記是說人對四大種沒有記憶，不能被回憶。世界萬物都是由這四大種和合所成。若大種有變化，依其所造的一切事物都會隨之而改變。

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.

↪️返回第11章《生命之樹》的目錄↪️Back to Catalog of Chapter 11 Tree of Life

• [08/10]11 生命之樹 Tree of Life
• [08/10]1 娃娃婚約
• [08/10]2 啟蒙
• [08/10]2.2 啟蒙前的視力測試
• [08/12] 11.2 四大種 Four Big Seeds
• [08/14]2.3 前世姻緣（桃花劫故事之二）
• [08/17]11.3 十二生長處 Twelve Growth Places

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