兩卷無量壽經宗要 1.6

1.6

Third is differentiation according to persons. Herein there are two parts: first, differentiation according to the three categories of sentient beings, and second, differentiation regarding the sentient beings of the four doubts. First, regarding the three categories, as the sūtra states below: 'If there are sentient beings who are born in that land, they all dwell in the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi. Why is this? In that Buddha-land there are no mithyātva-niyata-rāśi or aniyata-rāśi.' What are the characteristics of these three categories? This meaning is explained in full in the Ratnagotravibhāga. It says: In brief, within the entire realm of sentient beings, there are three kinds of sentient beings. What are the three? The first seek existence; the second are free from seeking existence; the third seek neither of the two. Those who seek existence are of two kinds: first, those who slander the path to liberation and lack the nature of nirvāṇa, who always seek to dwell in the world and do not seek to realize nirvāṇa; second, within the Buddha's teaching, those who share the position of an icchantika because they slander the Mahāyāna. Therefore the Bujeng bujian jing states: 'If there is a bhikṣu down to an upāsikā who gives rise to one view or gives rise to two views, the Buddhas, Tathāgatas, are not their World-Honored One, and such people are not my disciples.' Those who are free from seeking existence are also of two kinds: first, those without the skillful means to seek the path, and second, those with the skillful means to seek the path. Those without skillful means are also of two kinds: first, the many kinds of non-Buddhists with their various erroneous views; second, those within the Buddha's teaching who practice similarly to non-Buddhists, who although they believe in the Buddha's teaching grasp it inverted, such as the Vātsīputrīyas and so forth, down to detailed explanations. Those with skillful means are also of two kinds, namely the two vehicles. Those who seek neither of the two are the foremost sentient beings of sharp faculties, the bodhisattvas and so forth. Furthermore, those sentient beings who seek existence, the icchantikas and those within the Buddha's teaching who share the icchantika's position, are called sentient beings of the mithyātva-niyata-rāśi. Furthermore, among sentient beings free from seeking existence, those who fall into seeking the path without skillful means are called sentient beings of the aniyata-rāśi. The śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and those who seek neither of the two are called sentient beings of the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi. Thus the treatise explains. Here, it generally classifies the two vehicles and bodhisattvas as the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi, but does not yet differentiate the limits of their stages. At what stage does one enter the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi? Based on what meaning is it called the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi? Definitively not regressing into severing the roots of goodness—such is the meaning of the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi. Discussing their stages based on the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, there are two kinds of samyaktva-niyata-rāśi: first, the innate samyaktva-niyata-rāśi; second, the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi attained through cultivation. If explained according to this, among the five kinds of gotra, a person of the bodhisattva-gotra who from beginningless time does not commit the five heinous offenses or sever the roots of goodness is named the innate samyaktva-niyata-rāśi. Those of the two-vehicle nature and those of indeterminate nature may commit the five heinous offenses and sever the roots of goodness. When they sever the roots of goodness they fall into the mithyātva-niyata-rāśi; when their roots of goodness continue but they have not yet entered [the path], they belong to the aniyata-rāśi. When they have entered, three grades should then be distinguished: if one who enters originally possesses inferior roots of goodness, up through the stage of ūṣmagata one is still indeterminate, and only upon entering the stage of mūrdhan does one become definitively determined, because the treatise states that 'at the stage of mūrdhan one does not sever the roots of goodness.' If one who enters originally possesses medium roots of goodness, upon reaching the stage of ūṣmagata one is called definitively determined. If one who enters originally possesses superior roots of goodness, at the very moment of entering one becomes definitively determined. As the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: 'If there is one who enters while abiding in inferior roots of goodness, know that the inferior is called having gaps, not yet continuous, and not yet well purified. If there is one who enters while abiding in medium roots of goodness, know that it is medium. If there is one who enters while abiding in superior roots of goodness, know that the superior is called gapless, already capable of continuity, and already well purified.' Such are the characteristics of having entered. Furthermore, that treatise says: 'Relying on this inferior root of goodness conducive to liberation (mokṣa-bhāgīya), the Bhagavān said: If one is endowed with the superior right view of the mundane world, even though passing through a thousand lifetimes, one will not fall into the evil destinies.' This text clearly shows that for one who enters while originally abiding in superior roots of goodness, at the very moment of entering into the inferior good conducive to liberation one attains non-retrogression, because there are no gaps. Furthermore, that treatise says: 'When one abides in inferior maturation, one may still go to the evil destinies. If medium or superior, one does not go to the evil destinies.' This text clearly shows that for one who enters while originally abiding in inferior roots of goodness, even though reaching the inferior maturation stage of ūṣmagata, one has not yet attained non-retrogression and therefore may go to the evil destinies. This is differentiation according to the stages of the two vehicles. If a person of indeterminate gotra enters by proceeding directly toward the Mahāyāna, only upon reaching the gotra stage does one become definitively determined. As the Awakening of Faith says: 'Relying on what kind of person and cultivating what kind of practice does one achieve faith and become capable of generating the aspiration [for enlightenment]? Namely, relying on sentient beings of the aniyata-rāśi who, because of the power of perfumed roots of goodness, have faith in karma and its fruition, are able to perform the ten virtues, are weary of the suffering of birth and death, desire to seek unsurpassed bodhi, and are able to meet Buddhas, personally attend upon and make offerings to them, and cultivate faith. After passing through ten thousand eons, because their faith is perfected, the Buddhas and bodhisattvas instruct them to generate the mind [for enlightenment]; or through great compassion they are able to generate it of themselves; or because the true Dharma is about to be extinguished, by the condition of protecting the Dharma, they are able to generate it of themselves. When faith is perfected in this way, those who are able to generate the mind enter the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi and ultimately never regress; they are said to dwell in the lineage of the Tathāgata, corresponding to the correct cause.' Saying that one 'dwells in the lineage of the Tathāgata' means having entered the stage of the acquired nature (gotra), which is the first abode of the ten abodes—the abode of initial generation of the aspiration. What has been explained above all clarifies the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi attained through cultivation. If one of innate bodhisattva-gotra enters by proceeding directly toward the Mahāyāna, at the very moment of entering one permanently attains non-retrogression and does not fall into the evil destinies through the power of karma. Stated according to this, upon entering the stage of the ten faiths one immediately attains non-retrogression, unlike the aforementioned person of indeterminate nature. Explanations such as these all concern the defiled land. If considered in terms of those who attain rebirth in that Pure Land, the determinate two vehicles are not reborn there; among those of indeterminate nature, persons of the three grades who generate the Mahāyāna mind can all be reborn there, and at the time of rebirth there they immediately enter the samyaktva-niyata-rāśi because of being sustained by the power of external conditions. Such, in brief, is the meaning of the differentiation of the three categories.