Visuddhimagga XIV-59

439. Sahajarūpānupālanalakkhaṇaṃ jīvitindriyaṃ, tesaṃ pavattanarasaṃ, tesaññeva ṭhapanapaccupaṭṭhānaṃ, yāpayitabbabhūtapadaṭṭhānaṃ.

（十二）「命根」──有守护俱生色的特相。有使它们（俱生色）前进的味。使他们的维持为现起。以应存续的大种为足处。

Ñ(XIV,59): 12. The life faculty has the characteristic of maintaining conascent kinds of matter. Its function is to make them occur. It is manifested in the establishing of their presence. Its proximate cause is primary elements that are to be sustained.

Santepi ca anupālanalakkhaṇādimhi vidhāne atthikkhaṇeyeva taṃ sahajarūpāni anupāleti udakaṃ viya uppalādīni.

虽然（命根）有守护（俱生色）的特相等，但必须有俱生色的剎那它才能守护，正如水的保护莲华相似。

Ñ: And although it has the capacity consisting in the characteristic of maintaining, etc., yet it only maintains conascent kinds of matter at the moment of presence, as water does lotuses and so on.

Yathāsakaṃ paccayuppannepi ca dhamme pāleti dhāti viya kumāraṃ.

虽然它们各有它们自己的生起之缘，然而（命根）保护（它们），正如保姆的保护孩子相似。

Ñ: Though states (dhamma) arise due to their own conditions, it maintains them, as a wet-nurse does a prince.

Sayaṃ pavattitadhammasambandheneva ca pavattati niyāmako viya.

（命根）自己当与进行之法结合而进行，正如船长和船相似。

Ñ: And it occurs itself only through its connexion with the states that occur, like a pilot;

Na bhaṅgato uddhaṃ pavattati, attano ca pavattayitabbānañca abhāvā.

它不能在（俱生色）破坏了以后而自己进行，因为没有了使它进行之法存在的缘故。

Ñ: it does not cause occurrence after dissolution, because of its own absence and that of what has to be made to occur.

Na bhaṅgakkhaṇe ṭhapeti, sayaṃ bhijjamānattā.

它不能存在于（俱生色的）破坏的剎那，因为它自己也破坏的缘故，

Ñ: It does not prolong presence at the moment of dissolution because it is itself dissolving,

Khīyamāno viya vaṭṭisneho dīpasikhaṃ.

正如油尽的灯芯，不能保持灯焰一样。

Ñ: like the flame of a lamp when the wick and the oil are getting used up.

Na ca anupālanapavattanaṭṭhapanānubhāvavirahitaṃ, yathāvuttakkhaṇe tassa tassa sādhanatoti daṭṭhabbaṃ.

因为（命根）已在上述（的俱生色）的剎那完成了它的工作，当知这并不是说它没有守护及令其进行和存续的能力。

Ñ: But it must not be regarded as destitute of power to maintain, make occur, and make present, because it does accomplish each of these functions at the moment stated (cf. Dhs. §635).