大般涅槃經集解 34.44

34.44

Sengliang comments: The first three are causes, and the later four are fruits. Since wisdom is able to eradicate cause and fruit, he comprehensively explains the virtues of the stage. As for 'nor does he fear the three evil destinies': evil has already been gradually eliminated, so he explains it next. These three are coarse, hence they are eliminated first. As for 'evil being of two kinds': this refers to evil within the wholesome destinies. As for 'not fearing receiving the twenty-five states of existence': having no such evils as above, he is able to sever the twenty-five states of existence.
Fayao says: Attaining the aforementioned practices of morality, concentration, and wisdom, one enters this stage of the first abiding. Being free from the five terrors, it is therefore called the Stage of Fearlessness. 'Fearing greed, anger, sickness, death, and the like' is the fear of neither dying nor living. 'Icchantikas and the like' is the fear of ill repute. 'Not fearing the three evil destinies' is having no fear of evil destinies. 'Not fearing śramaṇas up to Māra Pāpīyas' is having no fear of assemblies. The preceding Immovable Stage is the beginning of entering the first stage; the Endurance Stage is the middle of the first stage; this Stage of Fearlessness is the end of the first stage. Alternatively, it may be the seventh abiding: in the seventh abiding, the fetters of the three realms are exhausted, and only then is there no fear of the three fears.
Sengzong says: The Stage of Fearlessness is the seventh stage. Previously, concluding the fruit of morality, he spoke of the initial Immovable Stage; next, concluding the fruit of concentration, he spoke of the third Endurance Stage; now, concluding the fruit of wisdom, he points to the seventh stage. The reason for this is to show that practice has shallow and deep levels, and the concluding fruits are also different. Calling fearlessness the seventh stage relies on the common explanation of the seventh stage as the Stage of Far-Reaching Practice (Dūraṅgamā). Here it is called fearlessness because one does not fear the retributions of the three realms; hence it is particularly named so.
Baoliang says: The fruit of fearlessness is likewise in the first stage. This clarifies that wisdom is of an understanding nature, illuminating without clinging to conditions. Since it fully possesses non-conceptual knowledge, he concludes it with fearlessness. First, there is no fear of inability to live: because the bodhisattva thoroughly realizes that the marks of all phenomena are empty and does not rely on material requisites for living, how could he fear inability to live? Because he does not fear, the three poisons do not arise; hence there is no fear of inability to live. Second is the lack of fear of the three evil destinies; third is the lack of fear of ill repute; fourth is the lack of fear of the majesty of assemblies; fifth is the lack of fear of saṃsāra: the great being does not fear undergoing the saṃsāra of the twenty-five states of existence.