阿彌陀經疏 1.87

1.87

經曰：「皆是大阿羅漢眾所知識」，次釋舉位也。初舉得位即羅漢，次舉名聞即眾所知識。所言大者，謂臘高德上，即迦葉結集中言：若阿羅漢具三明八解脫大羅漢者住。故言大也。阿羅漢者，《善見律》云：阿羅之名義含五種。真諦云：其名有六：一、名殺賊，即阿羅名殺賊，漢名為能，謂三界見修煩惱侵善法財喻之如賊，又六塵如賊，是人能以智慧力斷之令盡，證六塵空，況之如殺，真諦稱殺怨，即《涅槃經》云：一切煩惱是菩薩怨，佛應害之，故言殺賊。三果雖斷未能全盡，不與此名。二者阿羅名一切惡業、漢名遠住，是人遠離一切惡業住無漏善功德中，名阿羅漢，真諦稱不生，謂是人雖有故業，無煩惱緣潤故，彼舊業如六年陳種無力能生，故阿羅漢言我生已盡，故名不生。不生何處？謂不於三界煩惱之中更受生死之報。三者阿之言無、羅漢名覆藏，世人作惡即自覆藏，彼不作惡亦無覆藏，是故羅漢自稱梵行已立。四者阿羅謂三界車輪、漢稱打破，人能打三界十二因緣輪轉車輪，故名阿羅漢，即真諦稱為破輪，謂破十二因緣輪，即以無明愛取為輞，謂煩惱貫穿三故，即以行有為轂，由業能生種種報故，即以現在五果、識等未來二果謂生老死，總七果為輻。五者名應供，是智斷具足勝福田，堪消物養、能生大利，故名應供。若真諦云示不償，謂不償生死債故，是人由三學圓滿、四流永絕，一向涅槃不入生死，故名不償。六名應教，謂自覺已滿，將己所證堪應教人，故名應教。若《大品經》云：是人斷五上分結盡名阿羅漢。五上分者：一色愛、二無色愛、三禪、四慢、五無明。此五是上二界結性，謂將至上分，故隨生上界生上界縛，故說上分結也。此五一向思惟所斷，是人由斷盡故名阿羅漢。眾所知識者，此舉名聞。《法華論》云：諸王、王子、大臣、帝釋、梵天王等皆知識故，又聲聞菩薩佛等是勝智者，皆善知識故，又釋一切凡聖識其形容、知其種姓故。

The sūtra says: “All great arhats, known and recognized by the assembly.” Next this explains citing the rank. First it cites the attained rank, namely arhat; next it cites fame, namely “known and recognized by the assembly.” What is called “great” means advanced in seniority and superior in virtue; as Kāśyapa said at the council: “Only if they are great arhats endowed with the three knowledges and eight liberations may they stay.” Hence they are called “great.” As for “arhat,” the Samantapāsādikā states: “The name ‘arhat’ implicitly contains five meanings.” Paramārtha says: “Its meanings are six. First, it is called ‘slayer of thieves’: a-ra means slayer of thieves, and han means capable; that is, the afflictions of seeing and cultivation in the three realms that plunder the wealth of wholesome dharmas are compared to thieves, and the six dusts are also like thieves; this person can use the power of wisdom to cut them off completely and realize the emptiness of the six dusts, which is compared to slaying. Paramārtha calls it ‘slaying enemies’; as the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: ‘All afflictions are enemies of the bodhisattva, and the Buddha should destroy them’; hence it is called ‘slayer of thieves.’ Although the [first] three fruits cut them off, they have not yet done so completely, and so are not given this name. Second, a-ra means ‘all evil deeds’ and han means ‘dwelling far from’; this person stays far away from all evil deeds and dwells in uncontaminated wholesome merits, hence is called an arhat; Paramārtha calls it ‘unborn’ (non-arising), meaning that although this person has past karma, because there is no condition of affliction to moisten it, that old karma is like six-year-old aged seeds that have no power to sprout; thus the arhat says ‘my births are exhausted,’ hence it is called ‘unborn.’ Unborn where? It means not receiving retribution of birth-and-death again amid the afflictions of the three realms. Third, a means ‘without’ and ra-han means ‘concealment’; worldly people do evil and then conceal it themselves, but they do no evil and have no concealment; therefore the arhat declares of himself that ‘the brahma-conduct has been established.’ Fourth, a-ra means ‘the wheel of the three realms’ and han is called ‘shattering’; a person who can shatter the turning wheel of the twelve links of dependent origination in the three realms is therefore called an arhat; this is what Paramārtha calls ‘breaker of the wheel,’ meaning breaking the wheel of the twelve links of dependent origination, taking ignorance, craving, and grasping as the rim, meaning that afflictions penetrate the three [realms]; taking formations and becoming as the hub, because karma can produce diverse retributions; and taking the five present fruits, consciousness and so on, and the two future fruits, namely birth and aging-and-death, seven fruits in all, as the spokes. Fifth, it is called ‘worthy of offerings’ (arhat): they are a supreme field of merit endowed with wisdom and eradication, capable of consuming worldly offerings and able to generate great benefit; hence called ‘worthy of offerings.’ As Paramārtha says, it indicates ‘not repaying,’ meaning not repaying the debt of birth-and-death; because this person has perfected the three trainings and permanently severed the four floods, exclusively tending to nirvāṇa and not entering birth-and-death, it is called ‘not repaying.’ Sixth, it is called ‘worthy of teaching,’ meaning that self-awakening is already complete, and what one has personally realized can fitly be used to teach others; hence called ‘worthy of teaching.’ As the Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra says: ‘A person who has completely severed the five higher fetters is called an arhat.’ The five higher fetters are: first, desire for the form realm; second, desire for the formless realm; third, dhyāna; fourth, conceit; fifth, ignorance. These five are fettering natures of the upper two realms; meaning, approaching the higher portion, they follow birth in the upper realms and are bonds of the upper realms; hence they are called higher fetters. These five are severed exclusively by contemplation; because this person has severed them completely, he is called an arhat.” As for “known and recognized by the assembly,” this cites fame. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa says: “Because kings, princes, great ministers, Śakra, Brahmā kings, and others all know them; furthermore, because śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, buddhas, and others are those of supreme wisdom and are all good spiritual friends; furthermore, it is explained that all ordinary beings and nobles recognize their appearances and know their clans.”