淨名玄論 5.40

5.40

Regarding subsuming the four cognitions into the two cognitions, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "All-knowledge, cognition of all aspects, markless cognition, and effortless cognition; the former two are emptiness and existence, the next is not obtained from a teacher, and the latter is effortless." These correspond to the Buddha-cognition, all-knowledge, natural cognition, and teacherless cognition in the Lotus Sūtra; the former two separately distinguish emptiness and existence, while the latter two pertain to both emptiness and existence. Next, regarding the four unhindered cognitions, there are many approaches; here I briefly present one explanation: Knowing saṃvṛti-satya is knowing dharmas; knowing paramārtha-satya is knowing meaning—these constitute the two cognitions. Unhindered delight in speech and unhindered language are both cognitions of saṃvṛti-satya. Next, explaining the four knowledges: "My births are exhausted, the pure conduct has been established, what was to be done has been done, and there will be no further becoming." The explanations of this differ. The Vibhāṣā says: "'My births are exhausted' is the cognition of having severed the origin. The causes of origin are able to produce future suffering results, which is called 'birth'. The non-learner having completely severed them is called 'my births are exhausted'. 'The pure conduct has been established' is the cognition of having cultivated the path; 'brahma' means purity. The undefiled noble path is able to eliminate defilement and, free from hindrances, is pure, which is called 'brahma'. When the noble person who is a non-learner fulfills and completes the practices of the path, it is called 'has been established'. 'What was to be done has been done' is the cognition of having realized cessation. Severing delusions and realizing cessation is called 'what was to be done'. When the non-learner's achievement of realizing the fruit is accomplished, it is called 'has been done'. 'There will be no further becoming' is the cognition of having severed suffering. Retribution in a future lifetime is called 'further becoming'. When the path of the non-learner no longer receives this further becoming, it is called 'there will be no further becoming'." Question: When the sūtras explain the four truths, they first clarify suffering and origin, and afterwards clarify cessation and the path. Why now is there first severing origin and cultivating the path, and afterwards realizing cessation and severing suffering? Answer: The four truths demonstrate the gate of aversion and aspiration: first suffering and origin, then cessation and the path. Regarding the gate of aversion and aspiration, the sequence is reverse contemplation; thus the result comes first and the cause after. The four cognitions are the gate of forward contemplation; thus the cause comes first and the result after. Therefore, origin and path come first, and cessation and suffering are clarified after. Furthermore, one must eliminate hindrances, and only then will the good be accomplished; thus severing origin comes first and clarifying the path comes after. Among the latter results, first one extinguishes present faults, and only then does one not receive future suffering retributions; thus cessation comes first and suffering after. The Śrīmālā and the Nirvāṇa Sūtra explain the four cognitions differently again, but I will not describe that now. The four cognitions all enter the Mahāyāna provisional cognition, and are the real cognition of the Hīnayāna.