法華玄贊義決 1.8

1.8

Another explanation holds that both are explained in terms of a single lifetime. Because the supreme mundane factor is called "at the time of this very birth," since the supreme mundane factor has already been excluded, it clearly refers to a single lifetime. Although the supreme kṣānti is also just a single moment, it is still separated [from darśana-mārga] by the supreme mundane factor, and thus is not "born at this very moment," uninterruptedly entering darśana-mārga. Furthermore, by universally dividing ūṣmagata, mūrdhan, and kṣānti into three, they constitute three periods. With respect to the nirvedha-bhāgīya, there are further six kinds: first, concordant nirvedha-bhāgīya; second, advancing; third, penetrating; fourth, turning to the remainder; fifth, in a single lifetime; sixth, in a single session. The inferior good roots first aroused that take the truth as their object and practice are called the concordant nirvedha-bhāgīya. When these very good roots transform into middling ones, they are called the advancing nirvedha-bhāgīya, because they are superior compared to the preceding inferior ones. When these very good roots increase to superior ones and in this lifetime are determinately capable of penetrating the principle of truth, they are called the penetrating nirvedha-bhāgīya. These preceding three kinds reside at the stages of ūṣmagata, mūrdhan, and kṣānti. If considered according to the Hīnayāna, they can be matched respectively with "indeterminate," "determinate," and "at the time of this very birth." If according to the Mahāyāna, it is only at the stage of completing middling kṣānti that it is called "at the time of this very birth," because while at the inferior kṣānti and before completing the middling kṣānti, there are still many lifetimes. In the stages of the two vehicles, although in this very life there can be a turning toward [the other vehicle], it is called the turning-to-the-remainder nirvedha-bhāgīya. If it is turning to the remainder, from life to life it is indeterminate, because in seeking the unsurpassed bodhi of a pratyekabuddha, one further cultivates superior practices over many lifetimes. If one is at the nirvedha-bhāgīya of the Mahāyāna, one will definitely not turn the mind to seek the other inferior vehicles, let alone in a single lifetime, etc., because ascending to the seventh dwelling is called non-retrogression; this nirvedha-bhāgīya is cultivated at the stage of dedication, and one should infer from this. If mokṣa-bhāgīya passes beyond the seventh dwelling, whether indeterminate or determinate, none turn to the remainder. Because of "turning to the remainder" and the preceding statement, that there is a sense in which one may regress from the inferior and middling mokṣa-bhāgīya and nirvedha-bhāgīya is stated with respect to the stages of the two vehicles. If one can definitely penetrate in this life, it is called the single-lifetime nirvedha-bhāgīya. The preceding mention of "penetrating" was stated in terms of the capacity in the stages of the two vehicles. However, if one has an indeterminate lineage, then it is not determinate; nirvedha[-bhāgīya] that turns to the remainder belongs only to the indeterminate lineage. The single-lifetime nirvedha-bhāgīya is based on the determinate lineage, each proceeding toward its own vehicle; or it also generally includes those of indeterminate lineage, which refers to entering in a single life without turning the mind, not that all of indeterminate lineage can turn their minds before the darśana-mārga. A single session also generally includes the indeterminate lineage, being at the middling and superior kṣānti. The preceding text has already excluded the supreme mundane factor, because it is only a single moment. Regarding "the three kinds of mental training cut off the obstacles in the four places," Anhui's Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya, fascicle six, says: Having already explained the characteristics of the knowable, how should one view the entrance into the characteristics of the knowable, where the basis for the perfuming of extensive hearing is not subsumed under the ālayavijñāna? This intention implicitly states that the original untainted seeds serve as the basis, saying they are not subsumed under the ālaya. Next it asks: Who can awaken and enter? This asks about the person capable of entering: namely, one whose continuum of the perfuming of extensive hearing of the Mahāyāna, who has already served immeasurable Buddhas appearing in the world, who has already attained wholly determinate and superior resolution, and who, having well accumulated all good roots, is well equipped with the provisions of merit and wisdom. The bodhisattva answers this regarding the person capable of entering, based on giving rise to active perfuming of extensive hearing and having the two provisions equipped. Where can one enter? This asks about the dharmas entered and the stages capable of entering: namely, precisely within those appearances resembling dharma and resembling meaning, the intentional speech of Mahāyāna dharmas and characteristics, etc., which arise at the adhimukticaryā-bhūmi, etc. The resembling dharmas and meanings are the dharmas entered; the arising adhimukti, caryā-bhūmi, darśana-mārga, bhāvanā-mārga, and niṣṭhā-mārga answer the stages capable of entering. In these four stages, in accordance with hearing there is superior resolution, in accordance with the principle there is penetration, remedying all obstacles, and abandoning all obstacles; such respectively are the differences of the four paths capable of entering. The treatise says: By what can one enter? By being supported by the power of good roots, namely by training the mind through the three aspects, which are the four places, understanding the objects of dharma and meaning, and by being unflagging in the constant and earnest prayoga of śamatha and vipaśyanā. The commentary explains: "By what can one enter?" asks about the cause of entering. Namely, by what cause? Exactly by being supported by the power of good roots. Although there is the power of good roots, because the mind might shrink back, it speaks of training the mind through three aspects. As for the three trainings: Immeasurable sentient beings in immeasurable worlds, beings of a single lifetime, moment by moment awaken to unsurpassed, right and complete bodhi—this is the first. By this resolve one can practice giving and so forth; I have already obtained such a resolve, and by slight effort in cultivating giving and so forth, I shall achieve fulfillment—this is the second. If those endowed with good accompanied by obstacles, at the end of life, take birth with an entirely complete and delightful self-body, I have wonderful good, good without obstacle; how could I at that time fail to obtain complete perfection?—this is the third. The commentary explains: "Immeasurable worlds," etc., shows the first training, citing others as an example for oneself to make the mind grow bold without shrinking back. "By this resolve" shows the second; "If endowed with," etc., shows the third, as detailed in that commentary. The treatise says: By abandoning the mental engagement of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, one cuts off mental engagement; by abandoning doubts regarding the Mahāyāna, because one can eternally cut off doubts born of deviant wisdom; by abandoning the grasping of self and mine regarding the dharmas heard and reflected upon, one cuts off grasping of dharmas; by being without mental engagement and without discrimination regarding all characteristics present and presently abiding as established, one cuts off discrimination. The commentary explains: "Cutting off mental engagement" means cutting off the discriminative mental engagement of the two vehicles; the intention of this explanation is that the reason one abandons the mental engagement of śrāvakas and so forth is that because one can cut it off, one does not give rise to a mind that inclines toward or grasps the two vehicles. The commentary explains: "Because one can eternally cut off doubts born of deviant wisdom" means that regarding the profound and vast Mahāyāna, one does not give rise to erroneous wisdom, inversion, or doubt; the intention of this explanation is that "abandoning doubts regarding the Mahāyāna" is because of cutting off doubts. "Doubts" refers to giving rise to doubt and perplexity regarding the Buddha's various differing teachings in the explicit and esoteric three baskets; this is called doubts. "Abandoning doubts" means because one can eternally cut them off. "Cutting off grasping of dharmas" means that regarding the dharmas heard and reflected upon, one can eternally cut off the grasping of self and mine, namely that "I can hear, I can reflect and perceive, the texts heard, the meanings reflected upon"—such clinging is completely absent, because one realizes direct realization in the ultimate truth. The intention of this explanation is: why is this grasping absent? Because by realizing direct realization in the ultimate truth, one cuts off grasping of dharmas; based on not clinging to what is heard and reflected upon, it is called cutting off grasping of dharmas. Grasping of dharmas having ceased, grasping of self is also cut off, and one does not give rise to the perception that "I can hear, reflect," and so on. The fourth is also the abandonment of all grasping of dharmas. Regarding the seven bhūmis and four bodhisattva practices: The seven bhūmis are: First, gotra-bhūmi, which is the gotra-dwelling, the stage before arousing the mind. Second, adhimukticaryā-bhūmi, which is the adhimukticaryā-dwelling, after arousing the mind and prior to the bhūmis. Third, adhyāśaya-bhūmi, which is the pramuditā-dwelling, at the first bhūmi. Fourth, pratipatti-bhūmi, which includes the superior moral discipline dwelling, the superior mind dwelling, the superior wisdom dwelling associated with the factors of awakening, the superior wisdom dwelling associated with the factors of truth, the superior wisdom dwelling associated with conditioned arising, and the signless dwelling with prayoga and exertion; collectively these six dwellings are called the pratipatti-bhūmi, corresponding respectively from the immaculate to the far-reaching. Fifth, niyata-bhūmi, which is the dwelling without prayoga and exertion, at the eighth bhūmi. There are three kinds of determination: first, determination of gotra; second, determination of arousing the mind; third, determination of not practicing in vain. This eighth bhūmi falls under the third determination, hence it is called the determinate practice bhūmi. [Sixth,] the unhindered comprehension dwelling, at the ninth bhūmi. Seventh, the exemplary ultimate bhūmi, which is the supreme perfected bodhisattva dwelling and the Tathāgata dwelling, at the tenth bhūmi and at the Buddha bhūmi, because the tenth bhūmi is the ultimate cause and the Buddha bhūmi is the ultimate fruit. The four practices are: first, the practice of the factors of bodhi; second, the practice of spiritual powers; third, the practice of pāramitās; fourth, the practice of maturing sentient beings. As for the arising causes, there are two kinds: general and particular. The general runs through other teachings; the particular belongs to a single sūtra. The general has many meanings: There is expounding all dharmas through a single cause of arising, as the Sūtra of Immeasurable Meanings says: "Dharmas are immeasurable because the dispositions and desires of sentient beings are immeasurable; the dharmas expounded are likewise immeasurable." This speaks merely of sentient beings as the cause for initiating the teaching. Another single cause is as the Lotus Sūtra says: "It is for the sake of these sentient beings that great compassion is aroused." This speaks of the Buddha initiating the exposition of the sūtra out of great compassion. There is the case of two causes, which combines the previous two. The Viṃśikā says: "Through reciprocal superior influence, the two consciousnesses become determinate." There are also two causes as the Lotus Sūtra's verse states: "Through various causes and conditions and immeasurable parables, illuminating the Buddha Dharma to awaken sentient beings." These are the two causes: for the sake of the Dharma and for the sake of people. There are also three causes, as the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra's "How should one abide? How should one cultivate? How should one subdue the mind?" Although this is formulated solely with respect to setting out toward the Mahāyāna, in reality all three vehicles are like this; setting aside the other two vehicles, it speaks of proceeding toward the Mahāyāna, which constitutes three causes: first, causing them to arouse the mind; second, causing them to cultivate practice; third, causing them to cut off obstacles. These are respectively causing them to inspect the path, accomplish the path, and not lose the path; this is stated in terms of the sequence of cultivation. There are also four causes, as chapter three of the Lotus says: "Those not yet crossed over are caused to cross over; those not yet emancipated are caused to be emancipated; those not yet at ease are caused to be at ease; those not yet in nirvāṇa are caused to attain nirvāṇa." That is, for sentient beings who have not yet separated from suffering, causing them to separate from suffering; for those who have not yet obtained joy, causing them to obtain joy; for those unable to arouse the mind to cut off evil and cultivate good, causing them to arouse the mind to cut off evil and cultivate good; for those who have not yet obtained the fruit, causing them to obtain the fruit. This is based on the sequence of great vows for transforming sentient beings. There are also five causes, as the second fascicle of the Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: "If someone can penetrate and accord with the words, speeches, chapters, and phrases expounded by the Tathāgata..." up to "...can know by what the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma, by what suitability he expounds it, by what skillful means he expounds it, by what dharma-gate he expounds it, by what great compassion he expounds it. Brahmā, if a bodhisattva can know that the Tathāgata expounds through these five powers, this bodhisattva is capable of doing the Buddha's work." "By what he expounds the Dharma" means expounding the three times, mundane and supramundane, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, skandhas, dhātus, and āyatanas, etc., which discusses the essence of dharma. "By what suitability he expounds" means in accordance with the capacities and suitabilities: either expounding purity as impurity, self as non-self, etc., or expounding explicitly or expounding esoteric meaning. "By what skillful means" means either causing them to separate from suffering, or causing them to obtain joy, revealing, teaching, benefiting, and delighting them, etc., skillfully expounding that which is ineffable. "By what dharma-gate" means expounding a single dharma through various approaches. "By what great compassion" means giving rise to those four causes; the first two and fourth are what is expounded, the third encompasses both that which expounds and that which is expounded, and the fifth is the initiating cause, thus forming three paradigms. The first two and fourth serve as what is expounded; regarding the third, because of skillful means he can initiate the teaching; regarding the fifth, because of great compassion he can initiate skillful means for the sake of beings to expound this and that dharma. As for great compassion, there are thirty-two kinds, as in the statement: "All dharmas are without self, yet sentient beings do not believe and do not understand; the Tathāgata arousing great compassion toward this," etc. That is, according as beings do not understand the object and are deluded and sunk in saṃsāra unable to escape, he therefore gives rise to great compassion. Accompanying their lack of awakening, the mind of compassion initiates the teaching; thus sentient beings are what stimulates, and the Tathāgata's great compassion is what responds. In brief there are two conditions, when expanded there are five, and extensively there are immeasurable, which is also the same as expounded in the Vivaraṇa-saṃgrahaṇī of the Yogācārabhūmi. This will be distinguished next. Furthermore, there are six causes: based on Bodhisattva Asaṅga's Prajñāpāramitā-upadeśa, which explains that Elder Subhūti's questioning had six intentions, the Buddha's answers to him likewise have six intentions. The treatise says: For what reason did the Elder Subhūti ask? The answer is: there are six causes and conditions—to cut off doubt, to arouse faith, to enter the profound Dharma, to prevent retrogression, to generate joy, and to cause the correct Dharma to abide long. Namely, if there are those with doubts, they are enabled to cut off doubt; for those who have already cut off doubt, there are bodhisattvas who delight in merit but whose minds are not yet perfected, who hearing of great merit give rise to faithful resolution toward the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra; for those whose minds are already perfected, it causes them to enter the profound meaning; for those who have already attained what is not shallow, by greedlessly upholding and cultivating it with much merit, they no longer regress; for those who have attained concordant gathering and pure mind, by personally entering the Dharma and seeing it, joy arises; and for those who can cause the future Mahāyāna teaching to abide long. One should consider matching this to the Lotus Sūtra throughout. There are also eight causes, based on the text answering accomplishment by Mañjuśrī in the first chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, which are the eight great causes of meaning; one should match the text according to the meaning. If based on the rules for explaining sūtras in the Vivaraṇa-saṃgrahaṇī of Yogācārabhūmi fascicle eighty-one, first explaining the essence of the sūtra, explaining the literal meaning, the arising of the Dharma, and explaining difficulties in sequence; within the explanation of meaning there are many. The fourth, the bases (āśraya-vastu), and the arising in the general outline, both are the causes for launching the discourse. That treatise says: As expounded above, it is because of the matter, time, or person that the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, propagate the holy teaching; therefore those are called the bases of matters. There are three bases: First, the fundamental bases of matters, of which there are six: 1. good destinies, 2. bad destinies, 3. retrogression and following, 4. ascending and advancing, 5. saṃsāra, 6. nirvāṇa and saṃsāra. That is, the former four are saṃsāra; nirvāṇa is with remainder, without remainder, etc., among which there are three pairs. Second, the bases of matters of obtaining skillful means, of which there are twelve, namely twelve practices: 1. practicing desire, 2. practicing freedom from desire, 3. good practice, 4. unwholesome practice, 5. painful practice, 6. non-painful practice, 7. practice concordant with retrogression, 8. practice concordant with advancement, 9. defiled practice, 10. pure practice, 11. practice for one's own benefit, 12. practice for others' benefit. Among these are six pairs. Third, matters based on compassion for others, of which there are five: 1. causing freedom from desire, which is expounding the faults of saṃsāra; 2. manifestation, which is displaying the four kinds of principles, namely the principles of nature, causality, proof, and function; 3. instruction in the path, which is instructing those who have not yet aroused the mind to arouse the mind and cultivate correct practices; 4. praising and encouraging, which is praising and exhorting those seen to shrink back so as to make them advance; 5. rejoicing, which is rejoicing along with those seen capable of advancing in cultivation without shrinking back. The basis of time is the three times; the basis of persons is the twenty-seven kinds of persons, which also subsume the Tathāgata's five powers in the Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra. Among the bases of matters, the fundamental bases and the basis of time are "by what he expounds the Dharma"; subsuming the bases of obtaining skillful means is "by what suitability he expounds the Dharma, by what skillful means, by what dharma-gate", or subsumed under great compassion and by what skillful means. The basis of compassion is freedom from desire, etc.; in terms of skillful means capable of initiating these five, it is the basis of persons of great compassion, which is also subsumed under great compassion. The Yogācārabhūmi separately distinguishes the agent of compassion and the object of compassion, whereas the Viśeṣacinti, based on the causes that arouse compassion, also subsumes them under great compassion. Thus that sūtra says: "All dharmas are without self, yet sentient beings do not believe and do not understand; the Tathāgata toward this arousing great compassion." This shows that the Buddhas, extending benevolence and compassion, for the sake of sentient beings based on good and bad destinies, up to practicing benefit for oneself and others, according to what is appropriate, cause them to know faults and virtues, revulsion and aspiration, cultivation and cessation, as well as realization, and therefore cause freedom from desire. Showing, teaching, praising, rejoicing, and so on, should be considered and matched to the textual passages according to their meaning; fearing verbosity, they are not detailed here. As for the particular, based on the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, whatever is expounded in the sūtras is all for the sake of initiating intention; intentions, causes, requests, and so forth, are all analogous.