妙法蓮華經玄贊 3.36

3.36

Next, regarding the four formless liberations, the *Kośa* says that they take the wholesome state of the four formless concentrations as their nature, and are not indeterminate or defiled, because they are already liberated; nor are they distracted wholesome states, because their nature is weak and inferior. The path of liberation of the preparatory stage also obtains the name of liberation; the uninterrupted path is not so, because its intentional object is inferior, for it must turn away from the lower stage to be called liberation; thus, they are mostly described as fundamental, because the preparatory stage is not complete. Now, according to the Mahāyāna, having all already abandoned the desire of their own stage, relying on their own fundamental stage they again contemplate the objects of their own stage, reflecting with resolute conviction so as to make obstacles further removed and induce superior virtues. That is: if someone has already attained dispassion toward that sphere of space, they immediately reflect with resolute conviction upon the sphere of space—this is called the operational mode of the liberation of the sphere of space. Having already attained dispassion toward that sphere of consciousness, they immediately reflect with resolute conviction upon that very consciousness—this is called the operational mode of the liberation of the sphere of consciousness. Having already attained dispassion toward the sphere of nothingness, they reflect with resolute conviction upon the sphere of boundless consciousness—this is called the operational mode of the liberation of the sphere of nothingness. The two names 'space' and 'consciousness' are designations derived from the intentional object and operational mode of their own stage; the sphere of nothingness takes the nonexistence of consciousness as the name of its own stage, hence one reflects with resolute conviction upon the sphere of consciousness. Having already attained dispassion toward the Summit of Existence, one no longer forms resolute conviction toward anything else, up to pervasively regarding the place where perception may arise, immediately forming resolute conviction toward that place; the sphere of nothingness is called the place where perception may arise, and now the mind and mental factors taking this nothingness as their object are named the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, hence one pervasively reflects with resolute conviction upon this, as will be understood below. The above explanation of abandoning defilement is spoken in terms of the aśaikṣa; hence the *Yogācārabhūmi* states: 'The first seven liberations produce resolute conviction toward what has already been liberated, and are obtained by bodily witnesses.' If relying on the *Vijñaptimātratā*, there are explanations from two masters: one says that subduing defilement of the first dhyāna and above yields the concentration of cessation; the second says that subduing defilement of the fourth dhyāna and above yields the concentration of cessation. Below the sphere of nothingness, defilement can admit of the meaning of being subdued, making obstacles further removed and inducing superior virtues; the single stage of the Summit of Existence cannot yet be subdued in its concentration. Therefore in the twelfth fascicle of the *Yogācārabhūmi*, for the two liberations of space and consciousness, there are words stating that one is free from the defilement of one's own stage. For the two stages above, there are no words stating freedom from the defilement of one's own stage, because śaikṣas and aśaikṣas are discussed elliptically; they are also only in the fundamental stages, not the preparatory stages. Regarding the liberation of cessation, both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna state that it is identical with the concentration of cessation, but lacks an operational mode, because perception and feeling have been cast aside. However, at the time of entering, it has two operational modes, namely relying on the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception and the perception of the signless realm, because the two entries of initial cultivation and long familiarity are clear.