法華玄贊義決 1.7

1.7

Answer: Doubts are new and old. The old doubt was that one could not become a buddha; therefore they had not turned their minds. When it was taught that the past [teachings] were not the ultimate reality and that all would become buddhas, on first hearing what the Buddha taught, within their minds arose great alarm and doubt: 'Could this be Māra acting as the Buddha to disturb my mind?'—up to 'I have heard and severed the net of doubts.' Thus it was spoken to sever doubts. Regarding what was said—that rebirth is already determinate, namely this very lifetime, and the nirvedha-bhāgīya of a single lifetime, and so forth—the thirteenth [fascicle] of the Abhidharmasamuccaya states: 'Pudgalas who have not completed the provisions (sambhāra), pudgalas who have completed and not completed the provisions, and pudgalas who have completed the provisions,' and so forth, down to: 'Such three kinds of pudgalas, due to accomplishing three grades each of the mokṣa-bhāgīya and nirvedha-bhāgīya. With respect to being able to engender the nirvedha-bhāgīya and the abhisamaya of the truths, in respective order, indeterminate, determinate, and this very lifetime: pure faith and superior understanding toward the superior dharma of the truths are the mark of the mokṣa-bhāgīya; the mark of patient acceptance of the profound dharma of the truths regarding this very dharma is the nirvedha-bhāgīya; in respective order, due to the predominance of faith and the predominance of wisdom.' Here, the three grades of the nirvedha-bhāgīya exclude laukikāgradharma. Because the nature of laukikāgradharma is only a single kṣaṇa and definitely does not continue, in this very lifetime one definitely enters abhisamaya, not being in the previous stage. The purport of the preceding text is to show that within each of the two stages of provisions and prayoga there are three grades: in respective order, indeterminate, determinate, and this very lifetime. However, dividing the stage of prayoga into three grades—indeterminate, determinate, and this very lifetime—pertains to ūṣmagata, mūrdhan, and kṣānti, excluding laukikāgradharma; laukikāgradharma is only a single kṣaṇa, definitely does not continue, and cannot be divided. As for the statement that in this very lifetime one definitely enters abhisamaya, this is stated in terms of a momentary (kṣaṇika) arising; the previous statement in the mokṣa-bhāgīya of 'this very lifetime' is stated in terms of a single lifetime's existence.