法華玄義釋籤 7.6

7.6

次釋忍法者，今文總云「三十二心」者是。有本云「四十二心」者誤，上下四諦各十六行，故三十二。今文從略。但總相從緣一時論減，次減一緣至二行一緣在，皆名中忍；至一行一緣在，方名上忍。言「但作二心觀於一行」者，《婆沙》云：「減至苦法忍後心得正決定，彼四心同一行一緣，所謂增上忍，如似世第一法中苦法忍、苦法智二心同緣。」今更依《俱舍》略出之。論云：「從此生煖法者，謂從總相念住後成就已生煖法名，聖道如火能燒惑薪，聖火前相故名為煖，已觀四諦脩十六行名煖位也。此善根分位長故，能具觀四諦及能具脩十六行，觀無常苦空無我，乃至道如行出。次辨頂位者，從此頂善根有下中上，至成滿時有善根名為頂，亦觀四諦脩十六行同前煖位。煖頂二善俱名動善，可退動故。動善根中頂為最勝，如人頂故名為頂法。忍位是進，煖位是退，此頂是進退兩際，猶如山頂，故名為頂。」頌云：「如是二善根皆初法後四」者，煖頂二善初安足時皆唯法念，後增進時則通四念。初安足者謂煖，八諦十六行相最初遊踐四聖諦跡名初安足，謂見道中唯法念住，以煖頂位順見道故，故初安足唯法念住；後增進位稍容預故，故得通脩四念住位。忍唯法念住者，從頂有善根生，名為法忍。忍可四諦，最殊勝故。又無退故名為忍法。忍初安足及後增進皆法念住，近見道故，是故初後皆法念住。頌云：「下中忍同頂」者，此善根有下中上，下中二位同煖頂位，具觀四諦十六行，上忍唯觀欲苦。頌云：「一行一剎那」者，上忍唯苦下一行一剎那名為上忍。下品具足觀十六諦，中品減緣。所言緣者，上下八諦名之為緣，是所緣故，各十六行故三十二名之為行，能緣行故。應知七周減緣，二十四周減行，謂四行觀欲苦，乃至四行觀欲道，乃至三行觀上界道，名一周減一行。如是一一諦下各有三行，與緣名異，從行為名，故三八二十四周減行。一一諦下各有一行與緣名同，亦與緣同減，從緣為名但名減緣，是則上界四諦，下界留苦，唯減三緣，上四下三名為七周。緣之與行皆從後減，故使欲界最後留苦，都有三十一周減緣減行，後但有一行二剎那心觀於欲苦名中忍滿，唯有一行一剎那心觀於欲苦名上忍成就。此中忍位未減道時，雖減行相，未減道故，故得具觀四種諦也。頌云：「下中忍同頂」者，約此說也。若此中忍減道諦時但脩十二行，既減彼道心無欣慕，故彼道下四行亦不起得。由此道理，減滅諦時但脩八行，除滅道下各四行故；減集諦時但脩四行，故於中忍具脩十六、十二、八、四行相，於上忍中，亦脩四行，雖起一行一剎那心以觀苦故，起能得得脩彼苦下四行相故。

Next, in explaining the stage of forbearance (kṣānti): the present text generally speaks of 'thirty-two minds,' which is this. Some editions read 'forty-two minds,' which is an error; the four truths above and below each have sixteen aspects, hence thirty-two. The present text follows an abbreviated presentation. It merely discusses reduction at once according to objects in general terms; next, reducing by one object until two aspects and one object remain is in all cases termed 'intermediate forbearance'; when only one aspect and one object remain, only then is it termed 'highest forbearance.' Regarding the statement that 'one only produces two moments of mind contemplating a single aspect': the Vibhāṣā states, 'Reducing until, after the forbearance of the dharma of suffering, the mind attains right determination; those four minds have the same single aspect and single object, which is called supreme forbearance, just like in the worldly supreme dharmas where the two minds of the forbearance of the dharma of suffering and the cognition of the dharma of suffering share the same object.' Now, relying further on the Abhidharmakośa, we shall briefly set it forth. The treatise states: 'From this arises the stage of heat,' which means that after having perfected the general contemplation of mindfulness, the name 'heat' arises; the noble path is like fire capable of burning the fuel of afflictions, and being the prior portent of the noble fire, it is therefore named 'heat'; having contemplated the four truths and cultivated the sixteen aspects is called the stage of heat. Because the duration of this wholesome root is long, one can fully contemplate the four truths and fully cultivate the sixteen aspects, contemplating impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self, up to path, correct, practice, and deliverance. Next, in distinguishing the stage of the summit: from this, the wholesome root of the summit has inferior, intermediate, and superior degrees; upon reaching completion, there is a wholesome root named the 'summit,' which also contemplates the four truths and cultivates the sixteen aspects, the same as the preceding stage of heat. The two wholesome states of heat and summit are both termed 'unstable wholesome roots,' because they can backslide and be shaken. Among the unstable wholesome roots, the summit is the supreme, being like the crown of a person's head, and is therefore called the dharma of the summit. The stage of forbearance is advance, and the stage of heat is retreat; this summit is the boundary between advance and retreat, just like the peak of a mountain, and is therefore called the summit. The verse states: 'These two wholesome roots are both initially of dharmas and later of all four'; when the two wholesome roots of heat and summit are initially established, they are both exclusively mindfulness of dharmas; later, when they progress and advance, they extend to all four applications of mindfulness. 'Initially established' refers to heat: initially treading the tracks of the four noble truths across the eight truths and sixteen aspects is called initial establishment; that is, in the path of seeing there is only mindfulness of dharmas, and because the stages of heat and summit accord with the path of seeing, their initial establishment is therefore exclusively mindfulness of dharmas. Because the subsequent stage of advancement is somewhat more relaxed, one is therefore able to cultivate all four applications of mindfulness. That forbearance is exclusively mindfulness of dharmas means: from the summit a wholesome root arises, named 'forbearance of dharmas.' It approves the four truths and is most excellent. Moreover, because there is no backsliding, it is called the dharma of forbearance. Both the initial establishment of forbearance and its subsequent advancement are mindfulness of dharmas; because it is close to the path of seeing, therefore both beginning and end are mindfulness of dharmas. The verse states: 'Inferior and intermediate forbearance are the same as the summit'; this wholesome root has inferior, intermediate, and superior degrees; the inferior and intermediate stages are the same as the stages of heat and summit, fully contemplating the four truths and sixteen aspects, whereas superior forbearance contemplates only the suffering of the desire realm. The verse states: 'One aspect, one thought-instant'; superior forbearance is only one aspect and one thought-instant under suffering, which is named superior forbearance. The inferior grade completely contemplates the sixteen truths, while the intermediate grade reduces objects. What are termed 'objects' refers to the eight truths above and below, which are called objects because they are what is perceived; each has sixteen aspects, so the thirty-two are called aspects because they are the aspects that actively perceive. It should be understood that there are seven rounds of reducing objects and twenty-four rounds of reducing aspects: that is, four aspects contemplate the suffering of the desire realm, up to four aspects contemplate the path of the desire realm, and up to three aspects contemplate the path of the higher realms—this is called one round reducing one aspect. In this way, under each and every truth there are three aspects whose names differ from the object, named after the aspect; therefore, three times eight is twenty-four rounds of reducing aspects. Under each and every truth there is one aspect whose name is identical with the object, and it is reduced along with the object; being named after the object, this is simply called reducing objects. Thus, across the four truths of the higher realms, while retaining suffering in the lower realm, only three objects are reduced; the four above and three below are called the seven rounds. Both objects and aspects are reduced from the end backwards, which results in suffering in the desire realm being retained at the very end. In all, there are thirty-one rounds of reducing objects and reducing aspects; subsequently, there is only one aspect and two thought-instants of mind contemplating the suffering of the desire realm, which is called the completion of intermediate forbearance; there is only one aspect and one thought-instant of mind contemplating the suffering of the desire realm, which is called the accomplishment of superior forbearance. In this intermediate forbearance stage, before the truth of the path is reduced, although aspects are reduced, because the path has not yet been reduced, one can still fully contemplate the four kinds of truths. When the verse states 'Inferior and intermediate forbearance are the same as the summit,' it is said with reference to this. If during this intermediate forbearance the truth of the path is reduced, one cultivates only twelve aspects; having reduced that path, the mind has no admiration for it, and therefore the four aspects under that path also do not arise or attain [possession]. By this principle, when the truth of cessation is reduced, one cultivates only eight aspects, because the four aspects under each of cessation and the path are eliminated; when the truth of origination is reduced, one cultivates only four aspects. Therefore, in intermediate forbearance, one fully cultivates sixteen, twelve, eight, and four aspects; in superior forbearance, one also cultivates four aspects, for although one gives rise to only one aspect and one thought-instant of mind to contemplate suffering, by giving rise to the possession capable of acquiring them, one cultivates the four aspects under that suffering.