大般涅槃經疏 30.4

30.4

The beginning of the fascicle is the fourth section, distinguishing the methods of practice, which again has five parts: first, cultivating practice; second, the general and particular; third, name and essence; fourth, the number of persons; fifth, concluding on abiding. The first passage again has four parts: first, contemplation of impurity; second, contemplation of the stations of mindfulness; third, contemplation of causes and conditions; fourth, contemplation of the heat factor (ūṣmagata). However, since one who attains abiding possesses only two expedients, why use four? Impurity and causes and conditions are the prior expedients to mindfulness and heat: expanding them lists four, while combining them yields only mindfulness and heat. The first again has two parts: first, in explaining the arising of conditions it says that there are five things in which wisdom is not complete, which are the previous faith, morality, generosity, hearing, and wisdom; next, it directly explains the four dharmas, taking impurity as the name. If one relies on the three gates of liberation in the *Za xin* [i.e., *Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya*], here in addition eighteen realms are taught for those with excessive attachment to a self; if one relies on the five gates of liberation in the *Dichi* [i.e., *Bodhisattvabhūmi*], then causes and conditions are sufficient. Next, from "having practiced according to the Dharma" onward is the contemplation of the stations of mindfulness. Contemplations are general and particular: the general is profound, and the particular is shallow (and so on). From "having attained this contemplation" onward is the third, the contemplation of causes and conditions. From "having contemplated in this way" onward is the fourth, the contemplation of the heat factor. Speaking generally, by the former two expedients one can also attain abiding; speaking particularly, it properly relies on the heat factor. When the understanding of emptiness is completed, one definitely does not regress, which is called a "person who abides". Next, from "Kāśyapa said to the Buddha" onward explains the general and particular discriminating evaluation of the heat factor: first question, next answer. The initial question again has two parts: first, questioning regarding the person, generally bringing up contact with heat as a question; next, citing what the Buddha taught as proof. The Buddha's reply has two parts: first, rejecting his question: "What you rely upon is not what I have spoken." Next, from "Such a heat factor" onward directly answers, again having two parts: first, clarifying the distinction of stages; next, clarifying the distinction of persons. Regarding the first, the distinction of stages: it exists in the form [realm] and is absent in the desire [realm]. Regarding the next, the distinction of persons: my disciples have it, while non-Buddhists do not. The text says, "The heat factor exists in the form [realm] and is absent in the desire [realm]"; this is nevertheless explained with three meanings: first, predominantly using the concentration of the form [realm] to generate the contemplation of the heat factor, speaking from what is predominant; second, based on the middle, all three realms can generate the heat factor, but the form realm occupies the middle, so it is said to exist in the form realm; third, speaking based on the superior place, generating heat from the form realm is easy, while from the desire realm it is difficult. From "Although the form realm has it" onward is the second, clarifying the distinction of persons, eliminating non-Buddhists, [belonging] only to the Buddha's disciples. The six external modes of contemplation are: aspiring to what is above as superior, subtle, and an escape; and recoiling from what is below as suffering, coarse, and heavy. The sixteen modes of the Buddha's disciples are the sixteen [aspects of the] truths, which are also the receptivity to the dharma of suffering, knowledge of the dharma of suffering, subsequent receptivity to suffering, subsequent knowledge of suffering, and so on. Since afflictions are not yet severed here, these are merely the contemplations of the sixteen truths. Personally, I say: cultivating aspiration and recoil in connection with this contemplation of the truths means that the Buddha's disciples also cultivate aspiration and recoil; whereas non-Buddhists cultivate it solely with reference to the stages.