金剛般若論會釋 2.38

2.38

From "what is eliminated by sūtra practice" onward properly explains the sūtra's three practices that can serve as antidotes. First, within serving as an antidote to the suffering of transmigration, there are three parts: first, matching the causes and conditions of the suffering and endurance with the antidote, and marking the sūtra text, which is the general text; next, from "if clinging to form" onward, explaining the sūtra text "should not produce a mind that abides in form" and so forth; and finally, from "in order to accomplish those non-abidings" onward, explaining the concluding text "should produce a mind that does not abide anywhere" and so forth. The first text again has two parts: first, matching; and second, explaining. When the three characteristics of suffering are pressing before one, one does not wish to arouse the aspiration [for awakening], does not give up saṃsāra to rescue beings, and then clings to nirvāṇa, generating a lesser aspiration; or one denies everything entirely, deeply infatuated with wrong views, constantly dwelling in saṃsāra, and thus does not arouse the aspiration—this is the cause of the suffering of transmigration. That is, the three notions of dharma-attachment, delusion, greed, and so forth—all of the two obscurations constitute its essence. The proximate cause of transmigration is precisely the defilement of delusion, because ignorance conditions volitional formations; the root of delusion is precisely the cognitive obscuration. The minds of the three notions are the sequential stages of the arising of saṃsāra, as the Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa states. As an antidote to this, one should arouse [aspiration] free from the three signs: arousing the non-conceptual aspiration and so forth is being free from the three signs, so delusion and the rest naturally do not exist. Because ignorance is extinguished, even old age and death are extinguished along with it, and transmigration naturally ceases. Vasubandhu's treatise states: "If there is a bodhisattva who is not free from the notion of self and the rest, that bodhisattva, seeing the suffering of ascetic practice, will also wish to abandon bodhicitta." To counter that, the sūtra states: "One should arouse the aspiration free from all signs," and so forth. Because there is this fault before arousing the aspiration, the subsequent sūtra text refutes it. It states: "For what kind of mind does one give rise to the active aspects and practice? For what kind of mind does one not abandon bodhi? It refers to, for the sake of kṣānti-pāramitā, cultivating that mind capable of training; that is, practicing with the sign of no self and so forth, and also familiarizing the mind capable of training with the sign of no self and so forth, without abandoning bodhi." Furthermore, those who attain the accomplishment of endurance in the ultimate truth of selflessness are bodhisattvas who have entered the first stage or above; because bodhisattvas of the first stage and above have accomplished endurance, they are free from all signs. Having realized and aroused bodhicitta, they encourage those of the initial lineage who arouse the aspiration to also be free from all signs.