法華玄義釋籤 7.28

7.28

初明十如，如文。次因緣智中，先引經，次釋相。初引經云「下中上上上」者，《大經》二十五云：「觀十二因緣凡有四種，謂下、中、上、上上。下智觀故不見佛性，以不見故得聲聞菩提。中智觀者不見佛性，以不見故得緣覺菩提。上智觀者見不了了，不了了故住十住地。上上智觀故見則了了得阿耨菩提。以是義故，十二因緣名為佛性。佛性者第一義空，第一義空名為中道，中道名佛，佛名涅槃。」今文銷釋從彼得名，人不見之秖謂因緣為緣覺觀法。又《婆沙》亦云：「無明緣行三種不同。若上智觀於緣相得佛菩提，若中智觀於緣相得緣覺菩提，若下智觀於緣相得聲聞菩提。」以緣有體故轉下作中、轉中作上，故知論文雖有三品但成下智。又準《阿含》觀十二因緣有逆有順，從無明至老死名順，從老死至無明為逆，生滅皆然，自為藏教中乘觀因緣法。《大經》文通。又欲順四諦觀故，並初觀受由觸等，以現五果受居初故也。

First, the explanation of the ten suchnesses is as in the text. Next, in the wisdom of conditions: first, citing the sūtra; second, explaining the characteristics. First, regarding the citation of the sūtra stating "lower, middle, higher, and highest": the Great Sūtra, fascicle twenty-five, says: "Contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination generally has four kinds, namely: lower, middle, higher, and highest. Contemplating with lower wisdom, one does not see the Buddha nature; because one does not see it, one attains the bodhi of the śrāvaka. Contemplating with middle wisdom, one does not see the Buddha nature; because one does not see it, one attains the bodhi of the pratyekabuddha. Contemplating with higher wisdom, one sees it indistinctly; because it is indistinct, one abides in the stages of the ten abodes. Contemplating with highest wisdom, seeing it distinctly, one attains anuttara-bodhi. For this reason, the twelve links of dependent origination are called the Buddha nature. Buddha nature is the ultimate emptiness; the ultimate emptiness is called the Middle Way; the Middle Way is called Buddha; Buddha is called nirvāṇa." The commentary here explains and derives its terms from that passage; people fail to see this and merely think that dependent origination is the contemplation method of the pratyekabuddha. Furthermore, the Vibhāṣā also says: "Ignorance conditioning action has three differences. If contemplated with higher wisdom regarding the characteristics of conditions, one attains Buddha bodhi; if contemplated with middle wisdom regarding the characteristics of conditions, one attains pratyekabuddha bodhi; if contemplated with lower wisdom regarding the characteristics of conditions, one attains śrāvaka bodhi." Because conditions have substantial entity, transforming the lower produces the middle, and transforming the middle produces the higher; hence we know that although the treatise text has three grades, they only constitute lower wisdom. Furthermore, based on the Āgama, contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination has reverse and forward orders: from ignorance down to aging-and-death is called forward; from aging-and-death back to ignorance is called reverse; this is true of both arising and perishing, which naturally serves as the method of contemplating dependent origination for the middle vehicle of the Tripiṭaka Teaching. The text of the Great Sūtra is comprehensive. Furthermore, wishing to accord with the contemplation of the four truths, all begin by contemplating feeling as derived from contact, and so forth, because among the five present fruition [links], feeling occupies the first position.