大般涅槃經義記 3.39

3.39

Next, the second part separately takes up and separately praises them, first distinguishing the first reliance. Therein, first is the question, next the distinction, and finally the conclusion. From 'not the eighth' onward distinguishes it from the rest. Within the distinction there are four: first, 'able to uphold,' etc., is the practice of self-benefit: upholding the precepts to abandon evil, and establishing the Dharma to cultivate good; second, from 'from the Buddha' onward is understanding of self-benefit; third, from 'in turn for' onward is the practice of benefiting others: expounding the eight awarenesses for them to cause them to advance in goodness, and instructing them to repent if there are transgressions to cause them to abandon evil; fourth, from 'well knowing' onward is understanding of benefiting others: thoroughly comprehending the bodhisattva's deportment of skillful transformation is called 'knowing the expedient and esoteric dharmas'. 'Called an ordinary person' is the general conclusion. Ordinary persons comprise internal and external; this is an internal ordinary person: among the remaining retributions of delimited succession in the six destinies, there is no exclusive elimination anywhere, hence called an internal ordinary person. In distinguishing differences below, 'not the eighth person' distinguishes it from the preceding. Who is the eighth person, such that it says 'not'? According to the *Vibhāṣā*, a srotāpanna is called the eighth person, contrasted with the seven expedient stages prior to the path of seeing. Hence that treatise asks, 'What are the eight persons? Namely, those resolute in faith and those resolute in dharma.' Dull-rooted persons entering the path of seeing the truths are called resolute in faith; sharp ones are called resolute in dharma. According to tradition transmitted from foreign lands, there are said to be another eight: first, persons of initial resolve, who have not yet undertaken practice; second, those of practice with marks, who loathe birth-and-death and delight in cultivating good dharmas; third, persons of markless practice, who learn to contemplate the principle of emptiness and overcome joy and revulsion, having no anger in their minds when seeing someone commit evil and having no rejoiceful delight when seeing someone cultivate good; fourth, persons of expedient practice, who although seeing that dharmas are empty, constantly follow phenomenal existence to give rise to all good practices—these four are on the stages of favorable destinies; fifth, the stage of practice lineage; sixth, the stage of nature lineage; seventh, the stage of understanding and practice; eighth, the stage of noble lineage. The first reliance is prior to the bhūmis and has not yet equaled the noble lineage, and therefore is not the eighth person. 'The eighth person is not called an ordinary person' displays how the subsequent differs from the preceding. 'Not called an ordinary person' distinguishes it from the first reliance; 'called a bodhisattva' discusses it according to its specific mark; 'not called a buddha' distinguishes it from what follows.