大般涅槃經疏 30.9

30.9

From "Kāśyapa said: '[One who] attains the anāgāmin...'" below, is the third round, first asking and then answering. The question states that the anāgāmin also possesses the eight knowledges and the sixteen practices. The Buddha's answer also has two parts: first clarifying the difference in practice, and next clarifying the difference in objective support. Here, first, the difference in practice is clarified. The so-called sixteen practices are the contemplation of the sixteen [aspects of the] truths. As for "with contamination," this refers to approximate understanding. Regarding "with common and uncommon," there are three interpretations: First, the master of the Abhidharma says that the preceding fifteen minds contemplate in common, whereas the sixteenth is uncommon, simultaneously and collectively contemplating suffering. When contemplating suffering, one can only contemplate suffering and does not extend to the remaining truths. The same applies up through the path; hence they are said to be common. If upon attaining the sixteenth mind one simultaneously and uniquely contemplates the sixteen truths, it is therefore called uncommon. Second, Master Ai says: The sixteen with contamination are shared in common with ordinary worldlings; the sixteen without contamination are not shared in common with ordinary worldlings. This interpretation is not correct: the sūtra text says "those with contamination have both common and uncommon," so why explain it in terms of the uncontaminated? Third, [Master] Héxī says: Among the seven skillful means, the first three skillful means also contemplate the sixteen, so this is called common; the latter four skillful means are uncommon. If a candidate for the first fruit practices sequentially, they fully perform the contemplation of the seven skillful means, relinquishing the common and attaining the uncommon. If one is an escalating [practitioner], they merely perform the latter four skillful means and directly realize the third fruit; therefore [the sūtra] says it is not so. As for the sixteen uncontaminated practices also having two kinds—one being the path toward and the other being the attainment—the treatise masters explain: Before the first fruit there is as yet no fruit; hence it is called relinquishing the path toward and attaining the fruit. Before the anāgāmin there are already two fruits; an escalating practitioner, though not realizing them, passes through them, and therefore it is said to be not so. If according to the Abhidharma tradition, an escalating practitioner directly attains the anāgāmin without passing through the preceding two fruits, then from the path of skillful means they enter the sixteen minds: the fifteen minds are the path toward the anāgāmin, and the sixteenth mind realizes the fruit of the anāgāmin; this is also relinquishing the path toward and attaining the fruit. Explaining it this way is inconvenient, and they also explain: For the first fruit it is definitely so, but for the anāgāmin it is indefinite; for escalating ones it is also so, while for sequential ones it is not so. Since it is indefinite, it is therefore said to be not so. The eight knowledges also being of two kinds means that the four truths each have inferential and direct [perceptions], thus making eight, not the eight of the ten knowledges. If according to the Abhidharma masters, then on the path toward there are only seven knowledges, and in the fruit there is only one knowledge; this too is inconvenient. From "A srotāpanna takes the four truths as objective support" below, the second part clarifies the distinction of objective support. Saying that the first fruit takes the four truths as objective support while the anāgāmin takes one truth as objective support means: When the first fruit initially enters the path, at the time of skillful means they fully traverse the contemplation of the sixteen practices, and therefore comprehensively take the four truths as objective support. The anāgāmin is on the path of cultivation: whatever single truth they attain in accordance with the factor of awakening of dharmapravicaya serves as their objective support, and therefore it is said to be one truth. "Comprehensively contemplating one's own practice" matches the fifth analogy, which is the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin. If it subsumes the noble ones, it subsumes the path toward the anāgāmin, further subsumes the path toward the sakṛdāgāmin, along with the fruit of its own level. Subsuming these three things, why does it subsume the path toward the anāgāmin? The anāgāmin essentially takes abiding upon having contemplated; while you are on the path toward, you are still practicing and not abiding, and therefore it is subsumed, because the path toward an upper [fruit] is subsumed under the lower fruit. If one attains the anāgāmin, it is called having practiced and then abiding, just as an arhat is internally subsumed under the fruit of the anāgāmin. If according to this analogy, the path toward the sakṛdāgāmin ought to be subsumed under the first fruit. But this is not so, because the first fruit only clarifies the correct stage and does not speak of advancing practice, and furthermore, the paths of seeing and cultivation are distinct, so they do not subsume each other. Now the stage of the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin has one fruit and two paths toward. The text says that for the sake of severing the four afflictions, three poisons, and conceit, it ought to fully speak of the ten fetters; but because in the path of cultivation the five views and doubt are all subsumed under conceit, they are not mentioned. The text has two parts: first matching directly, and next citing the analogy to align with it. From "having practiced, then abiding" below, matches the sixth analogy of the anāgāmin person, and has four parts: first, the topic headings; second, the explanation; third, distinguishing the one who attains extinction in the intermediate state; fourth, explaining "abiding again." In these initial topic headings there are again four: first, listing two persons; second, listing five persons; third, listing six persons; fourth, listing seven persons. Here first the two persons are listed: that is, passing through rebirth and not passing through rebirth; the one who passes through rebirth is the upward-faring person. Question: According to the *Zhuāngyán*, there are eleven anāgāmins; among the nine persons they further clarify those who are released by faith and those attained through vision, making up eleven. Master Kāishàn merely says there are nine, and further critiques the *Zhuāngyán*, saying: This distinguishes sharp from dull, and they are not two persons. Now we only ask regarding this text: Among the nine, why does it only present seven, not speaking of bodily witnesses and those who transfer rebirths? The answer has three points: First, not speaking of those who transfer rebirths and bodily witnesses is because those who transfer rebirths never emerge from absorption, so they are not spoken of; bodily witnesses enter the cessation absorption, and the Mahāyāna does not teach this absorption, so there are not these two persons. Second, it is merely a difference of breadth and brevity. Third, bodily witnesses and those who transfer rebirths are clarified in the *Prakaraṇapāda*, but do not exist in our Mahāyāna.