妙法蓮華經玄義 5.8

5.8

Regarding the number, people understand it differently. Some say: 'Sudden awakening is Buddhahood itself; there is no distinction of stages and ranks.' They quote the *Viseṣacinti-brahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra*: 'Such a practitioner does not advance from one ground to another.' There is also a master who says: 'The initial mind of sudden awakening is itself the ultimate, perfect culmination; that there are forty-two stages is merely an expedient means to convert those of dull faculties, establishing designations of shallow and deep.' He quotes the *Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra*: 'The first ground is the second ground, and the second ground is the third ground; in quiescent suchness, what sequence of stages could there be?' There is also a master who says: 'The initial sudden awakening up to the ten abodes is itself the ten grounds; and speaking of the ten practices, ten dedications, and ten grounds is merely a repeated explanation.' Now I say that all these interpretations take a one-sided view. Indeed, within the impartial dharma realm, awakening and non-awakening are not even spoken of, so who could discern shallow and deep? Yet, since one may speak of awakening and non-awakening, what is there to prevent speaking of shallow and deep? As for ultimate Mahāyāna, none surpasses the *Avataṃsaka*, *Mahāsaṃnipāta*, *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā*, *Saddharmapuṇḍarīka*, and *Mahāparinirvāṇa*; although they illuminate the impartiality of the dharma realm as devoid of preaching and indication, the stages of bodhisattva practice remain lucidly clear in themselves. Furthermore, someone says: 'The impartial dharma realm definitely has no sequential stages.' Now I question this statement by analogy: Does the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya) admit of distinction, or does the ultimate truth admit of no distinction? Those who see the ultimate distinguish the seven worthy ones, the seven noble ones, the twenty-seven worthy and noble ones, and so on. Now, although the real mark is impartial and devoid of sequential stages, what fault is there when those who see the real mark distinguish sequential stages? The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: 'It is like entering the ocean: there are those who have just entered, those who have reached the middle, and those who have arrived at the other shore.' If distinguishing stages by seeing the ultimate is like the shallows and depths of rivers, then distinguishing stages by the real mark is like the shallows and depths of entering the ocean. Therefore, the *Samantabhadra-dhyāna-sūtra* says: 'The cause of the Great Vehicle is the real mark of all phenomena.' The fruition of the Great Vehicle is also the real mark of all phenomena. To discuss the various sequential stages is by no means an idle conjecture. There is no harm in following the sūtras and clarifying the stages through the four siddhāntas, returning to the seven categories to elucidate the graduated stages: namely, the ten faiths, ten abodes, ten practices, ten dedications, ten grounds, virtual awakening, and wondrous awakening.