大方廣佛華嚴經疏 37.16

37.16

Now, regarding the first, the applications of mindfulness: the body and so forth are the objective referents; mindfulness and wisdom are the essence; observing the body by following along with it, and so on, is the cultivation; destroying the four delusions, accessing the four truths, and the body and so forth being freed from bondage are its fruits. Among these four—the body and the rest—the first three are three aggregates, whereas combining saṃjñā and saṃskāra as the mindfulness of dharmas is done to illuminate the matter of what the self relies upon, the matter of what the self enjoys, the matter of the self's own nature, and the matter of the self's defilement and purification. These four are required precisely because they counter the four delusions: observing the body as impure counters the delusion of purity; observing feelings as suffering, observing the mind as impermanent, and observing dharmas as non-self counter the [other] three, as can be understood. This sequence moves from coarse to subtle, for the purpose of teaching antidotes. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'Since this body is so impure, beings who crave it do so because the sense objects give rise to feelings, which they calculate to be pleasure.' Who experiences this pleasure? Therefore, one next observes the mind as arising and perishing thought-moment by thought-moment; afterwards, one observes the two aggregates as lacking any autonomy. Destroying these four delusions constitutes the four right practices, opening the door to true reality. If so, why are permanence, pleasure, self, and purity placed in that order when speaking of the four delusions? This is because the sequence moves from the heavier to the lighter. However, each of these four stations is capable of giving rise to all four delusions; speaking according to prevalent reckoning, one is assigned to each. Nevertheless, observing impurity and so forth applies to both the Small and Great [Vehicles]. Yogācārabhūmi, fascicle forty-five, says: 'A bodhisattva knows the factors of the path of the śrāvakas as they truly are,' as in the 'Śrāvakabhūmi'. How does the Mahāyāna know them as they truly are? This refers to ultimate cultivation and conventional cultivation. Conventional cultivation means observing impurity and so forth, yet without positing them as real. Ultimate cultivation means the nature that is free from marks. The Mahāsaṃnipāta, the Prajñāpāramitā, and the like all observe both nature and marks together; so too does the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, up to not being mindful of body, feelings, mind, or dharmas. The *Acintyaprabhāva-nirdeśa-sūtra* says: 'Observe the body as ultimately empty; observe feelings as empty internally and externally; observe the mind as non-existent; observe dharmas as merely nominal.' This is said in terms of knowing them as they truly are. Yet there are two meanings: first, the dharmatā is serene, permanent, joyful, self, and pure, thereby expelling the delusions of impermanence and so forth; second, this entry into the emptiness of dharmas expels all eight delusions at once, and the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra also states that the four [stations of] mindfulness can eliminate the eight delusions. Once the eight delusions are eliminated, the eight practices are accomplished; the four pairs and eight solitary trees of the twin trees in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra—the four withered and the four blooming—precisely signify this. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā explains cultivating the four applications of mindfulness with all aspects. How are they cultivated with all aspects? One should observe the form of this body: because dharmatā arises dependently, one form is all forms; because dependent arising is empty, all forms are one form; because dharmatā is the middle, it is neither one nor all, and simultaneously illuminates one and all; it is also neither form nor non-form, and simultaneously illuminates form and non-form. As it is with the mindfulness of body, so it is with the other three. How do the withered and the blooming signify these applications of mindfulness? The form of dharmatā is truly not pure; ordinary people calculate it as pure, which is called a delusion. It is truly not impure; the two vehicles calculate it as impure, which is called a delusion. Now, observing the elements of form as empty, all is empty; in emptiness there is no purity, so how could there be defiled attachment? Then the delusion of purity held by ordinary people is destroyed, and the 'withered' application of mindfulness is accomplished. The elements of form do not destroy provisional names, so all is provisional, and the discerning of names and marks is inexhaustible; provisional wisdom is ever-pure, so how could one stagnate in emptiness and adopt ash-like cessation? Saying that form is impure is the delusion of impurity held by the two vehicles; when broken, the 'blooming' application of mindfulness is accomplished. Thus, the eight delusions are both destroyed, and both the withered and the blooming are established; observing the original limit of form as neither empty nor provisional, all is neither empty nor provisional; being not empty, it is not the delusion of impurity; being not provisional, it is not the delusion of purity; being neither of the two extremes, it is called the middle way. The Buddha realized this principle, and therefore entered parinirvāṇa in their midst. The remaining three are analogous to this. Thus, the antidotal dharmic medicines are four in number: the wisdom observing dharmatā is called 'mindfulness', and the one truth or three truths are called 'stations'. When all is empty, none of the delusions or withered and blooming [trees] are not empty and tranquil; when all is provisional, none of the twin trees of the two extremes are not established; when all is the middle, none is not the dharmadhātu. Just a single thought-moment of the mind is vast and profound like this; therefore, deeply observing the applications of mindfulness means directly sitting in the bodhimaṇḍa, with no need for anything else. Because faculties and suitabilities differ, the remaining factors are taught. Since this one section is so profound, the remaining six may be understood by analogy. In the text below, the marks are only briefly explained; an able expounder should disclose them one by one. The present sūtra merely says 'observes the body' without mentioning pure, impure, and so forth; it speaks from the general mark to show its comprehensiveness. In the text there are two parts: first, observing the mindfulness of body separately; later, from 'In this way' onward, analogously revealing the remaining three. Now, first, regarding observing the body, it naturally has three contemplations: internal and so forth. The marks of these three are extensively revealed in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and Yogācārabhūmi; here I will briefly mention one or two. The Yogācārabhūmi says: 'The forms of one's own internal sentient beings are the internal body; external insentient forms are the external body; other sentient beings are the internal-and-external body. The first is one's own body, because it is loved by self-love. The second is material requisites and so forth, because they are loved by love for what belongs to self. The last is family, wife, and children, because they are both other and self, loved by self-love and love for what belongs to self.' Fascicle twenty-eight of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa also explains this extensively. Fascicle fifty-three further says: 'One's own body is called internal; other bodies are called external.' Yet it does not explain 'internal-and-external'; taking the sense of the explanation below, it merely combines the previous two, hence saying 'internal-and-external'. Why are there these three? To destroy three kinds of deviant conduct: some people have strong attachments to the internal, abandoning wives and wealth to preserve their own bodies; some have strong attachments to the external, coveting wealth to the point of losing their lives or giving up their lives for their wives; some are attached to both. Destroying these three deviant [conducts] accomplishes three right practices; this is said in terms of three people whose antidotes are distinct. If said in terms of a single person initiating contemplation from beginning to end: first observing one's own body, seeking purity and so forth, it cannot be found, [and one thinks] perhaps it exists externally; next one observes the external and again it cannot be found, whereupon doubt arises, saying: 'When I observed the internal, I might have made an error regarding the external; when I observed the external, I might have made an error regarding the internal.' Next, one observes both internal and external together, and it still cannot be found. The first two are specific, the last is comprehensive. Through these two explanations, we clearly know that it merely combines the previous two as the internal-and-external body. Now, first, in observing the internal body, it first identifies the specific objective referent; next, 'observing the body by following along with it' generally reveals the aspect of cultivation. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'Investigating and following along in observation, knowing it to be impure,' and so forth. However, 'following along' (xun) has two meanings: first, the meaning of 'investigating' (xun), because one thoroughly investigates the five kinds of impurity; second, the meaning of 'following' (sui), meaning that even with eyes closed, one clearly sees the image of the body, because it conforms to the similar nature of the original archetype. The internal body designated previously is the original archetype; now saying 'following along with the body' refers to the image—this is the meaning in the Abhidharmasamuccaya-vyākhyā. Next, 'diligently, bravely, mindfully, and knowingly' reveals the deportment of cultivation. Because worldly affairs such as greed and beginningless bad habits are extremely difficult to abandon—more difficult than an affectionate father in the world parting from a filial son—one must use energetic striving to be able to expel them. 'Diligent' means aspiring and striving, urging oneself on; 'brave' means courageous and unceasing; 'mindful' means clearly remembering and not forgetting; 'knowing' means decisive without regret. Furthermore, if the mind wanders, one should be mindful of the sufferings of old age, sickness, and death, the sufferings of the three evil destinies, the impermanence of physical life, and the impending demise of the Buddha-Dharma—this is called 'mindful and knowing'. One can then whip the mind to return to the original contemplation, whereupon diligence and courage arise; possessing all the above meanings, one is not negligent. Next, saying 'dispelling worldly greed and dejection' refers to the fruit of contemplation, because there is that which is abandoned. Observing the impurity of the body originally served to treat greed; when practitioners have abandoned the five desires and worldly pleasures but have not yet attained the joy of absorption, dejection may sometimes arise. Like a fish delighting in water, always seeking pleasurable things, they turn back to thinking of their original desires. Because these two frequently arise, they are specially dispelled. Furthermore, greed is the foremost of the five hindrances; when greed is eliminated, the five hindrances are all removed, like splitting the first joint of a bamboo. Dejection among the five feelings is particularly capable of obstructing absorption, just as in destroying wicked bandits one first eliminates the chief harm; therefore, it is specially mentioned. Impurity and so forth are extensive as in the two treatises. The aspect of observing as it truly is has already been stated above. Next, in observing the external body and the internal-and-external body, the objects observed differ slightly, but the aspects of contemplation are largely identical. As for analogizing to the remaining three applications of mindfulness later: following the sense of the Yogācārabhūmi, feelings, mind, and dharmas arise based on the preceding three bodies—internal and so forth—so feelings, mind, and dharmas, arising in accordance with their basis, also have internal and the rest. The intent of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa is largely the same as this. The treatise asks: 'Among the four applications of mindfulness, mind is solely internal, feelings and dharmas are solely external, and body encompasses both internal and external. Why do all four have internal and so forth? Answer: Feelings are of two kinds: 1. bodily, 2. mental. Mental feeling is called internal; bodily feeling is called external. Furthermore, feelings associated with the mental consciousness are called internal; feelings associated with the five consciousnesses are called external,' and so forth. Although the mind is internal, because it takes external dharmas as objects it is called external. The five consciousnesses are definitively external. Furthermore, the concentrated mind is internal, while the distracted mind is external. Although dharmas are external, mental factors that take internal dharmas as objects are called internal; mental factors that take external dharmas as objects, as well as unconditioned dharmas and formations not associated with mind, are external. In the latter three applications of mindfulness, the former two are also combined to make 'internal-and-external'; the rest is as in the two treatises. Their aspects of successive contemplation are as generally explained previously.