大般涅槃經疏 10.4

10.4

'Four' is a number; 'reliance' means to depend upon. All the world depends upon them to obtain benefit, hence they are called the 'four reliances'. Depending is of two kinds: 1. Depending on one's own Dharma to obtain benefit; 2. Depending on others to obtain benefit. If one only depends on the Dharma without also depending on the person, it is not called reliance. If one depends on the person, one also gains the Dharma. The text says: 'Four persons appear in the world; their safeguarding, upholding, establishing, and benefiting have powerful significance.' Therefore, the four reliances are established, answering the earlier question: 'How does one attain the vast to serve as a reliance for the multitude?' 'Vast' is the Dharma. 'One who attains' is the person. If one simply discusses the vast, it can also be relied upon, but does not necessarily entail a person; whereas if one has attained the Dharma, the person must possess the Dharma. The previous question asked about the person who attains the Dharma, and now the answer concerns the person who attains the Dharma; therefore, we know that the name 'four reliances' is established based on persons. Furthermore, in the past, persons were mixed in truth and falsity, so one relied on the Dharma to select persons; now, dharmas are conflated between Hinayāna and Mahāyāna, so one relies on persons to select dharmas. Now, one relies on correct persons to grasp the correct Dharma; therefore, based on four persons, the Chapter on the Four Reliances is established. Furthermore, in the past, when relying on the Dharma to select persons, the person lacked the Dharma and the Dharma was also not pervasive, like abandoning this and going to that in search of empty space. Now it is made clear that the person directly upholds the Dharma, not abandoning this and going to that; therefore, the Chapter on the Four Reliances is established based on the four persons. This is explaining the chapter using the meaning of the four siddhāntas. Question: The Tathāgata is the correct person; why not manifest the Tathāgata's image? The four fruits are not correct persons; why manifest the image of the four fruits? Answer: Although the Buddha is the correct person, these appear after the Buddha's [parinirvāṇa], so they cannot manifest the Tathāgata's image. The four fruits are not [the supreme] correct persons, but the four fruits are true fields of merit, their transformative path is easily practiced, and it is suitable to manifest this image. Question: If other images are difficult, why does the Śūraṅgama speak of manifesting various forms? Answer: Generally speaking, all are manifested; specifically, the four fruits are preserved. There is the Tathāgata acting as the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata acting as the four reliances, the four reliances acting as the Tathāgata, the four reliances acting as the four reliances, the four reliances acting as the four fruits, the four fruits acting as the four fruits, and the four fruits being unable to act as the four reliances. Although there are various meanings, we now adopt one perspective: that is, the four reliances manifest as the image of the four fruits. Question: If the Tathāgata acts as the four reliances, can the four reliances be taken as one single reliance? Answer: Above, the single characteristic was opened into four characteristics, and the four characteristics were combined into a single characteristic; opened, there are a hundred liberations; combined, there is only the Tathāgata's nirvāṇa. Now, from nirvāṇa, the four reliances are opened forth; combined, it is still the Buddha acting as the four reliances. Question: Why was it first instructed to rely on the Dharma, and later instructed to rely on persons? Answer: When the Buddha first appeared in the world, heterodox persons were very numerous, so he had people rely on the correct Dharma to select against heterodox persons. Later, there were no heterodox persons, only lesser dharmas, so he had people rely on correct persons to select against lesser dharmas. It is also because the earlier people were sharp, so they relied on the Dharma, while later people are dull, so they rely on persons. Ultimately speaking, one relies on both person and Dharma. The text says: 'That which relies on the Dharma is the dharmatā; the dharmatā is precisely the Tathāgata.' Formerly, the stages and practices of the four reliances were explained differently. Master of the Daśabhūmika: Before the thirty minds is the disciple stage; the thirty minds are the teacher stage. From the first bhūmi upwards is the second reliance, all being teacher stages. Masters of the Harivarman's Satyasiddhi: Before the sixth mind of the ten abodes is the disciple stage; from the seventh abode upwards is the teacher stage of the first reliance. They also say before the twelve minds is the disciple stage, and the thirteenth mind is the teacher stage of the first reliance. They saw that in the Avataṃsaka, the thirteenth mind is the master, guide, honored, and supreme. They also say before the seventeenth mind is the disciple stage, and from the eighteenth mind upwards is the teacher stage of the first reliance. They also say before the nineteenth mind is the disciple stage, and the twentieth mind, the final mind of the path-species, is the teacher stage of the first reliance. Mādhyamika masters: The ten faiths are none of them teacher stages; from the initial mind of the ten abodes up to the sixth abode is the teacher stage of the first reliance; from the seventh abode to the seventh bhūmi is the stage of the second reliance; the eighth and ninth bhūmis are the stage of the third reliance; the tenth bhūmi is the stage of the fourth reliance. Speaking in terms of differentiation: the first has afflictions and lacks nirvāṇa; the last has nirvāṇa and lacks afflictions. Speaking in terms of non-differentiation: the first and the last both have afflictions and both have nirvāṇa. However, the Daśabhūmika masters represent the distinct meaning; the Mādhyamika represents the perfect meaning; the Satyasiddhi establishes reliances within the thirty minds without severing distinct delusions, succeeding in neither distinct nor perfect. Now, taking the stages before the bhūmis where distinct delusions are not yet severed as the first reliance, and the severing of distinct delusions on the bhūmis to form three reliances, is the distinct meaning; taking the ten faiths as the first reliance, and the thirty minds and ten bhūmis where distinct delusions are severed to form three reliances, is the perfect meaning. Regarding the perfect meaning, we further make common and distinct divisions: the common is that the forty minds together constitute the four reliances; the distinct is that the ten faiths are the first reliance, the first to sixth abodes are the second reliance, the seventh to ninth abodes are the third reliance, the tenth abode is the fourth reliance, and the rest follow this pattern. Others explain that the first reliance has disciple and teacher stages. Now we say this is not so: the four reliances are universally teacher stages, because they can serve as a reliance for the world; they are universally disciple stages, because they propagate the Buddha's Dharma. Speaking distinctly, the first reliance is solely disciple, the final reliance is solely teacher, and the intermediate ones are both teacher and disciple, and so on.