勝鬘寶窟 2.43.3

2.43.3

From "Only the Tathāgata" onwards, this is the second pair, which also has three [parts]: first, it clarifies the Buddha's attainment; "accomplishes immeasurable merit" explains the reason why the Buddha attains it; from "arhats" onwards is the second clause, clarifying that the two vehicles do not attain it; "as for saying that they attain nirvāṇa" is the third, harmonising the teaching. From "Only the Tathāgata" onwards is the third pair, which also has three clauses: first, it clarifies the Buddha's attainment; next, it clarifies that the two vehicles do not attain it; "as for saying that they attain nirvāṇa" is the third, harmonising the teaching. From "Only the Tathāgata" onwards is the fourth pair, which also has three clauses: first, it clarifies the Buddha's attainment; next, it clarifies that the two vehicles do not attain it; third, it harmonises the teaching. First, "all faults that should be severed are severed and eliminated" refers to purification by upāya. "Accomplishing the foremost purity" refers to essential purity. Furthermore, because all faults are severed, all is purified. The *Buddhadhātu-śāstra* distinguishes these four virtues in terms of stages: all merit is at the eighth bhūmi, immeasurable merit is at the ninth bhūmi, inconceivable merit is at the tenth bhūmi, and the merit of the foremost purity is at the Buddha stage. Thus the treatise says: "'All merit' is the stage of the eighth [bhūmi], the Immovable (acalā), because it is free of discrimination, free of leakages, and uninterrupted, spontaneously accomplished, and constantly corresponds to the noble path of the bodhisattva. In the domain of non-objective boundary of the buddhas and tathāgatas, all merits are accomplished. Second, 'immeasurable merit' is the stage of the ninth [bhūmi], Good Intelligence (sādhumatī), because it is capable of subsuming the ocean of countless entrances to samādhi and dhāraṇī, and is that upon which immeasurable wisdom relies; therefore immeasurable merits are all accomplished. Third, 'inconceivable merit' is the stage of the tenth [bhūmi], Cloud of Dharma (dharmameghā), because the secret Dharma-treasuries of all tathāgatas are clearly witnessed and seen, being that upon which wisdom relies; therefore the inconceivable [merits] are all accomplished. Fourth, 'ultimate purity' is because all afflictions, all lingering predispositions (vāsanā), and all obstacles to knowledge are already eliminated; because the wisdom of complete elimination is manifest, the merit of ultimate purity is fully accomplished." Question: Why clarify these four merits? Answer: Because nirvāṇa and these four merits subsume each other and are not separate. Thus the treatise says: "For the sake of sentient beings with the view of self, it is called the dharmakāya; for the sake of perverted sentient beings, it is called the tathāgata; for the sake of bodhisattvas newly embarking on the Mahāyāna, it is called the true reality." These three will be explained later. "For the sake of bodhisattvas of the tenth bhūmi, it is called the Buddha's possession of nirvāṇa, endowed with the four merits." Only the Buddha has the four merits. Previously it was in terms of four persons being endowed with the four; later, only the Buddha has the four; here it is discussed solely with respect to the Buddha. Question: How are these four merits shallower or deeper? Answer: "All" is merely a comprehensive name; its sense remains general. "Immeasurable" is the culmination of count, surpassing the preceding "all". "Inconceivable" transcends conceptual calculation, further surpassing "immeasurable". These three are in terms of the portal of virtues, so there are superior and inferior ones. The fourth is in terms of the portal of severance, clarifying the Buddha's purity in contrast to the impurity of the two vehicles. Masters south of the Yangtze explained the Buddha's possession of the four merits as the meaning of the four wisdoms: the first is the wisdom that my births are exhausted; the second is the wisdom that the brahma-conduct has been established; the third is the wisdom that what was to be done has been accomplished; the fourth is the wisdom that there will be no further becoming. In contrast to the four wisdoms of the two vehicles above, it clarifies that the Buddha has the four wisdoms. From "Only the Tathāgata attains nirvāṇa" onwards is the fifth: first, it concludes by praising the Tathāgata's attainment of nirvāṇa. From "Therefore the arhats" onwards concludes that the two vehicles do not attain it. The textual context is easy to know. As for "gaze up with reverence": beneath the adamantine [stage] is still the rank of sentient beings; the Tathāgata abides as the pinnacle and embodies the ultimate, his path surpassing the practice of the three vehicles and the ten bhūmis, being that which sentient beings of the three vehicles and ten bhūmis gaze up at with reverence. As for "speaking of arhats and pratyekabuddhas observing liberation": below this clarifies that the four wisdoms are not ultimate. Therein, it may be combined into two or divided into four. Combined into two: first, it clarifies that the two vehicles do not attain the four wisdoms; from "if one knows all suffering" onwards, it clarifies that the Tathāgata attains them. Question: It should only clarify that the two vehicles do not attain them; why clarify that the Buddha attains them? Answer: There are two meanings in general: first, adducing the Buddha's attainment reveals their non-attainment; second, it intends to indicate that which the two vehicles enter. Previously, within [the discussion of] nirvāṇa, it first clarified the Buddha's attainment and later distinguished the non-attainment of the two vehicles; here, it first clarifies the non-attainment of the two vehicles and later clarifies the Buddha's attainment—they reveal each other mutually. As for dividing into four: first, it shows that the two vehicles do not attain them; second, from "Why is this? Because there are two kinds of death" onwards, it explains the reason why the two vehicles do not attain them; third, from "if one knows all suffering" onwards, it explains the reason why the Tathāgata attains them; fourth, from "the Tathāgata's genuine siṃhanāda that my births are exhausted" onwards, it explains the Tathāgata's attainment. For the two vehicles, it first clarifies the non-attainment and later clarifies the reason for non-attainment; for the Tathāgata, it first clarifies the reason for attainment and later clarifies the attainment—these are also mutually revealing. In the preceding [discussion of] nirvāṇa, it first clarified the Buddha's attainment and later clarified the reason for attainment; now in [the discussion of] the four wisdoms, it first clarifies the reason for attainment and later clarifies the attainment—this is also mutually revealing. In the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles, it first clarified the reason for non-attainment, and later clarified the non-attainment and the conventional statement of attainment; now in the four wisdoms, it first clarifies the non-attainment and later clarifies the reason for non-attainment. These are also mutually revealing. Clarifying the non-attainment contains two parts: first, citing the Tathāgata's past statements; from "moreover, this is the Tathāgata's upāya" onwards, it harmonises the intent of the Buddha's teaching. Within citing the past statements there are two parts: first, clarifying the culmination of the four wisdoms of the two vehicles; second, from "attaining the resting place", clarifying the culmination of the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles. "Arhats and pratyekabuddhas": these are the persons who attain wisdom. "Observing liberation, the four wisdoms are ultimate": this is the mark of the four wisdoms, the noble wisdom of the non-learner (aśaikṣa). Conditioned liberation—liberation is the actual substance of the four wisdoms. The two vehicles emerge within existence and, observing that liberation, give rise to the thought that the four wisdoms are ultimate; this is called "observing liberation, the four wisdoms are ultimate". "Attaining the resting place" is the second: attaining the culmination of nirvāṇa; being free from fragmentary death (pariccheda-cyuti) is called "reviving" (su); no longer going back and forth among the six destinies is called "resting" (xi). Some say: "observing" relies on the *Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya*, where the realms of the two wisdoms of exhaustion (kṣayajñāna) and non-arising (anutpādajñāna) lie within the four gates. When the two wisdoms of exhaustion and non-arising are unfolded, they constitute the four wisdoms. That their realms lie within the four gates means that generally observing the four truths serves as their realm; hence it says "observing". Saying that the realms of the two wisdoms of exhaustion and non-arising lie within the four gates means unfolding the wisdoms of exhaustion and non-arising to form the four wisdoms, as explained above. Their realms lying within the four gates means: as in saying "suffering has already been known by me" is the wisdom of exhaustion; "it will not be known again" is the wisdom of non-arising. The other three [truths] are also like this. Therefore it says that the realm lies within the four gates. "Liberation" is the stage of liberation of the non-learner.