大般涅槃經集解 68.14

68.14

Sengliang states: Subduing fetters and taking birth in the fourth dhyāna, because one recedes through the flow of afflictions, but advances when the path flows through, revolving up and down is called 'flowing upward', which differs from the standard explanation. Sengzong states: It says that after attaining the fourth dhyāna, an attachment to the first dhyāna arises at a later time, and one regresses to be born in the first dhyāna. If based on the Abhidharma treatises, there is no regression in rebirth. It can also be said that while this body is only in the first dhyāna, one remotely attains the mind of the fourth dhyāna, and later the attachment to the first dhyāna arises again, and is therefore called regression; in truth, it is not regression in rebirth. Flowing along this path, one then severs fetters again and reaches the fourth dhyāna. Baoliang states: Explaining the fifth person. From understanding primary birth in the first dhyāna, receiving the retribution of the second dhyāna and above are all comprehensively called 'persons who flow upward'. If there is a person who, having attained the fourth dhyāna, regresses to be born in the first dhyāna—yet these words are not correct: an anāgāmin has already severed all delusions in the lower three dhyānas, so how could they regress in rebirth? This is a person of the flow of afflictions, in the rank of an ordinary person. Since he is explaining an anāgāmin, why bring this up? It is precisely to dispel people's doubts. If one goes from below upward, it is also called 'flowing upward'. Flowing from above down, however, is natural in this matter. What is it like by analogy? It is like wind coming from the east being called 'east wind', and water coming from the west being called 'flowing eastward'. Thus, speaking with respect to wind, it takes its name from where it comes; speaking with respect to water, it is discussed in terms of where it is headed. The matter of these two persons is also like this; fearing that investigators might go astray, he brought in an ordinary person to clarify what is correct. One who flows according to the path is called an anāgāmin; one who flows according to afflictions is not taken to be a person who flows upward.