大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 7.3

7.3

The sūtra says: 'Furthermore, Master of Mysteries! The śrāvaka assembly abides in the ground of objective conditions, recognizes arising and ceasing, eliminates the two extremes, and through the wisdom of ultimate investigation obtains the cause of practice that does not conform [to cyclic existence]; this is called the śrāvaka samādhi path.' As explained in the Abhidharma, the nine contemplations of impurity, the eight liberations through mindfulness, the eight bases of mastery, the ten totalities, the three samādhis, and so forth, are all called abiding in the ground of objective conditions. Relying on these samādhis as skillful means, their minds become tranquil and serene, attaining correct investigation, realizing that both worldly and transworldly phenomena have causes and conditions: the worldly takes origination as cause and suffering as effect; the transworldly takes the path as cause and cessation as effect, as extensively explained in the Āgamas. To state the essence in the Vinaya, it is: 'All phenomena arise from conditions; the Tathāgata has explained their cause; their cessation has also been explained by the Great Śramaṇa.' Because they know the arising and ceasing of causes and conditions, views of existence and non-existence are eradicated, they distance themselves from the two extremes of annihilationism and eternalism, and wisdom of the true reality arises; hence it is called 'wisdom of ultimate investigation.' Because it can investigate to the utmost without distortion or error, it is called the truth. From ignorance down to aging-and-death: 'when this exists, that exists; with the arising of this, that arises,' revolving endlessly in saṃsāra. Revolving in accordance with this is called 'conforming'. Having perceived the four true realities, one turns one's back on the stream of birth and death to follow the noble path, even able to declare personally: 'Birth is exhausted, the holy life is established, what was to be done has been done, and there will be no further becoming.' This is called 'not conforming'. Such diverse practices of non-conformance require samādhi as their cause; hence it is said, 'obtains the cause of practice that does not conform.' Although the various schools have different explanations of the śrāvaka samādhi, as long as it accords with this Dharma seal, it is called correct practice; if it lacks this seal, it is called false practice.