金光明經玄義 2.7

2.7

Next is the contemplation of the path of afflictions. Afflictions and karma are both causes of the body; for now we take afflictions as the cause of the body to arouse contemplation. The *Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa* says: 'Not destroying the cause of the body, yet according with the single characteristic.' One should analyze this in four propositions: For whom are both the cause and fruit of the body destroyed? For whom are both the cause and fruit of the body not destroyed? For whom is the fruit destroyed but the cause not destroyed? For whom is the cause destroyed but the fruit not destroyed? What is the fruit of the body? It refers to the six parts, such as the head, born of parents. What is the cause of the body? It refers to greed, anger, ignorance, and the bodily, vocal, and mental karma, and so forth. For now, setting aside the three karmas, we contemplate greed, anger, ignorance, and the four fruits. Using the contemplative wisdom of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness to shatter greed, anger, and ignorance—severing the bondage of afflictions—is called destroying the cause of the body; not receiving subsequent existence is called destroying the fruit of the body. Ordinary worldly people use fine clothes and delicious food to nourish the five aggregates, giving free rein to their minds and indulging their dispositions, heedless in greed, anger, and ignorance, distressing themselves and others. When one body dies and disintegrates, they take on yet another body; causes and fruits continue without end. This is called neither cause nor fruit being destroyed. Like one who violates the king's law and is handed over to a caṇḍāla, or like enemies who mutilate their own bodies: once the body has decomposed and rotted, the four aggregates are also extinguished; this is destroying the fruit. Yet the bodily causes of greed, anger, and ignorance become ever more blazing, enveloping them in saṃsāra with no time of release; this is the third proposition. For the remaining three fruits, one also uses the contemplative wisdom of impermanence to sever the causal bondage of the five lower fetters, while the bodily fruit of the five lower fetters is not yet exhausted; this is called destroying the cause of the body without destroying the fruit of the body. These four propositions differ in what is preserved and what is destroyed, and none of them accords with the single characteristic. According with the single characteristic means practicing the shared contemplation of the defilements: contemplating a single thought of greed, anger, or ignorance—does the mind arise from itself? Does it arise in response to objects? Does it arise from sense faculties and great elements? Or does it arise apart from faculties and objects? None of these holds true: it is not from self, not from other, not from both, and not without cause; nor does it arise because the preceding thought perished; it is not arising, not non-arising, not cessation, not non-cessation. Seeking the mind horizontally and vertically in this way, it is unattainable. When the mind is fundamentally non-existent to begin with, what destruction can be discussed? This is called not destroying the cause of the body yet according with the single characteristic. According with the single characteristic is precisely according with gold; the wisdom that accords with the characteristic is precisely according with light; the quiescence and cessation of all mental factors is precisely according with radiance. Having realized the proposition of 'not destroying' and according with the single characteristic, clearly understanding the destruction of the cause of the body also accords with the single characteristic, destroying the fruit of the body and not destroying the fruit of the body also accord with the single characteristic; all are likewise so (and so forth).