仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 2.345

2.345

The commentary states: Saying 'constantly contemplating' expresses that it is uninterrupted. Saying 'ultimate truth' clarifies what is realized. 'Illumining non-duality': both real and conventional are illumined, being without duality. 'Twenty-one births' clarifies the births passed through. Each bhūmi has three; now, being the seventh bhūmi, twenty-one births are passed through. Cognition in all cases illumines suchness, hence it is called 'empty and quiescent practice.' In terms of principle, residing in the bhūmis actually involves twenty births, but because one will definitely attain it in the final, ultimate birth, [it says twenty-one]. 'Attachment to phenomena in accord with the path': attachment to wholesome dharmas. In the *Vibhāṣā-śāstra*, it is called desire for wholesome dharmas. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'At the summit stage, attachment to phenomena in accord with the path is not yet suppressed; it does not say it is the stage of severing.' Here it speaks of severing because, prior to the sixth bhūmi, there are both concentrated and dispersed states, and attachment arises in dispersed states. Now, entering this bhūmi, although there is preparatory effort, because signlessness is continuously present and there is no dispersed longing, there is forever no attachment. 'Habits of ignorance': as the sūtra below says, 'severing the fine active characteristics of the fruits of all karma.' 'Fruits of all karma' refers to fractional birth. 'Fine active [characteristics]' refers to the cognitive obstacle. Grasping fine active characteristics of arising and ceasing can obstruct the wondrous signless path of this bhūmi. The essence of the cognitive obstacle is precisely ignorance; accompanying the former attachment, it is halted and severed upon entering the bhūmi. Therefore, the verse says, 'The Far-Reaching Great Being alone can sever.' In the preceding prose, the seventh, eighth, and ninth bhūmis were combined into a single passage under non-arising kṣānti, severing the habits of form and mind. The reason this is concluded separately here is that attachment to phenomena is forever ended, fractional birth is transcended, and it is the final limit of purposeful effort. Possessing these three meanings, it is therefore concluded separately. Furthermore, if counting the great eons of the three incalculables, now in the seventh bhūmi, the second eon is complete. Moreover, the latter two [bhūmis] alike belong to the third eon and are both effortless; hence they are concluded together. Hereafter, the fifth section consists of five verses clarifying the latter three bhūmis. Within this, there are two parts: first, separately clarifying the three bhūmis, and afterward, concluding as a whole regarding the severing of obstacles. First, in clarifying the three bhūmis, the text is divided into three: first, the Immovable bhūmi. The text is further divided into two: first, the first part clarifies the Immovable bhūmi.