大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 82.54

82.54

The Commentary states: "If analyzed according to severance by transcendence..." and so forth: From here below distinguishes confusion, properly taking the candidate for the first fruit and not taking the candidates for the second and third fruits; because one who severs by transcendence does not necessarily attain the first, the sūtra omits it. Since by principle it ought to exist, it is brought out again. That is, the Kośa states: "Possessing the afflictions of cultivation and severing one / up to five is the candidate for the first fruit. / Severing the next three is the candidate for the second; / separating from eight stages is the candidate for the third. / Reaching the sixteenth mind, / following the three candidates one abides in the fruit, / named 'resolved by faith' and 'attained by vision', / also distinguished by dull and sharp faculties."
Explanation: The present Commentary grasps the intent, unfolding that verse to form prose, and the principles are all already complete. The above Upadeśa text uses the term kulaṃkula ('family-to-family'), which is also a concept from the Kośa. The verse states: "Severing three or four grades of desire, / [born in] three or two lifetimes is a kulaṃkula. / Severing up to five is the candidate for the second; / severing six is the fruit of the once-returner (sakṛdāgāmin)."
Explanation: The first two lines clarify the kulaṃkula; the lower two lines clarify the candidate and the fruit. That is, when a stream-enterer advances to sever the afflictions of cultivation, if three conditions are complete, their name shifts to kulaṃkula: 1. by virtue of severing three or four grades of the afflictions of cultivation; 2. by virtue of perfecting the virtues of the faculties, being able to counteract with those uncontaminated faculties; 3. by virtue of undergoing rebirth, receiving further three or two rebirths in the desire realm. In the verse, only the first and last two conditions are mentioned, while perfecting the faculties is not mentioned, because after the fruit of stream-entry, when one advances to sever the afflictions of cultivation, all the uncontaminated faculties must by principle be present. As the meaning is established by implication, the verse does not state it.
Saying that severing three or four grades results in undergoing three or two rebirths means: if one severs three grades, it is called undergoing three rebirths; if one severs four grades, it is called undergoing two rebirths. This means that the nine grades of afflictions can moisten seven rebirths: the highest-superior grade can moisten two rebirths; the highest-medium, highest-inferior, and medium-superior each moisten one rebirth; the medium-medium and medium-inferior together moisten one rebirth; and the three inferior grades of afflictions together moisten one rebirth. Since the top three grades can moisten four rebirths, when the top three grades are severed, four rebirths are thereby reduced, and it is called undergoing three rebirths. Since it is said that the medium-superior also moistens one rebirth, severing the medium-superior affliction reduces yet another rebirth, which along with the four reduced above makes five rebirths reduced in all, leaving two rebirths to be undergone.
Question: Why is there no kulaṃkula named for severing one grade, two grades, or five grades?
Answer: There is definitely no dying and being reborn in the interim having severed one or two grades without severing three grades; nor is there dying and being reborn having severed five grades without severing six grades. That is, because when the noble one has attained the first fruit, in severing the afflictions of cultivation of desire they generate great exertion, there can definitely be no dying and being reborn without having severed an entire major grade (three grades are called two major grades). Therefore, severing one or two grades necessarily entails severing three grades. As for severing the fifth grade without failing to sever the sixth: the sixth grade realizes the fruit of the once-returner; since there is no single grade capable of obstructing the attainment of the fruit, severing five grades necessarily entails severing the sixth. The rest is as explained there. The reason for citing this passage is that the amount of afflictions severed for the once-returner and non-returner below both depend on this.