因明

Hetuvidya, [lang id =1028]醯都費陀, the science of cause, logical reasoning, logic, with its syllogistic method of the proposition, the reason, the example. The creation of this school of logic is attributed to Akṣapāda, probably a name for the philosopher Gautama (not Śākyamuni). The [lang id =1028]因明論 or <Hetu-vidyā-śāstra> is one of the [lang id =1028]五明論 pañcavidya-śāstras, a treatise explaining causality, or the nature of truth and error.

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因， 即萬法生起之因。 謂世間種種言論， 及圖書印璽， 地水火風萬法之因， 皆悉明了通達， 故曰因明。

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五明之一， 即論理學。