妙法蓮華經文句 1.97

1.97

The two phrases ‘having exhausted the bonds of all existences, their minds have attained self-mastery’ praise ‘unborn.’ ‘All existences’ refers to the twenty-five existences, which are the places of birth; ‘bonds’ refers to the causes of birth in the twenty-five existences. The cause being exhausted and the effect eliminated, praising ‘unborn’ is clear! One should not take this as praising ‘slayer of foes.’ An arhat should only have bonds exhausted, but not yet have existences exhausted; that existences are exhausted is speaking of the effect while still in the cause, and moreover their exhaustion will take place before long.