金剛般若論會釋 2.92

2.92

The Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi also says: In this way, heat and summits rely on the grasping consciousness to contemplate the grasped object as empty; when lower endurance arises, it seals the mark of the emptiness of the realm; at the stage where middle endurance turns, regarding the grasping consciousness, it conforms to, delights in, and approves that it is empty just like the realm; at the stage where upper endurance arises, it seals the grasping consciousness as empty; the supreme worldly dharmas simultaneously seals both marks of emptiness. Because they all still bear cognitive marks (sa-nimitta), they have not yet been able to realize the true reality. Therefore it is said that the bodhisattva in these four stages still sets up a slight thing before them, asserting that it is the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only; because the two marks of emptiness and existence are not yet eliminated, and the contemplating mind bears cognitive marks, something is still attained, so one does not truly abide in the true principle of consciousness-only; only after those marks are extinguished does one truly abide in it. According to this meaning, a verse says: 'The bodhisattva in the stage of concentration / contemplates mental reflections as being mind only (the heat stage); / once the conceptualization of external objects is eliminated, / he closely observes that they are merely his own thoughts (the summit stage); / abiding in this way in the internal mind, / he knows that the grasped object does not exist (lower endurance); / next, the grasping subject is also nonexistent (middle and upper endurance); / afterwards, he contacts the unapprehendable (directly entering the noble stage; supreme worldly dharmas is not mentioned because its duration is brief).' This stage of applied preparation has not yet shed the bondage of marks, nor has it been able to sever the bondage of crude heaviness (dauṣṭhulya); now, teaching signlessness is taught to eliminate its bondage of marks. Prior to the ten dedications, contemplating consciousness-only relying on contemplation of causes and conditions completely fails to eliminate the bondage of marks and crude heaviness; using that as a cause, one enters the ten dedications. Prior to the four roots of goodness, relying on the contemplation of consciousness-only, one performs contemplation of signlessness and the like; although the bondage of conceptual discrimination is somewhat subdued, the contemplation is still of general characteristics (sāmānya-lakṣaṇa), unable to be performed specifically, and has not yet eliminated the bondage. In the stage of the four roots of goodness, relying on the contemplation of signlessness to contemplate tathatā, because it still bears marks, one has not yet realized reality; the two bondages of conceptual discrimination are both completely subdued, but although the two bondages that are innate are somewhat subdued, they are also not yet severed. Entering the stage of the path of seeing and performing the contemplation of tathatā, realizing the real tathatā in each and every phenomenon and penetrating the principle of signlessness, only then does one sever the two bondages. Therefore the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra and others state that the contemplation of specific characteristics (sva-lakṣaṇa) can sever afflictions, while some treatises state that severing afflictions relies on the contemplation of general characteristics—this is said in reference to applied preparation. There are differences among the three masters, as explained there. When first performing the contemplation of causes and conditions, one also performs the contemplation of consciousness-only and so forth, but only in terms of general characteristics; causes and conditions, consciousness-only, and so forth cannot yet be performed specifically. From the initial contemplation of causes and conditions up to the stage of the contemplation of consciousness-only, it is still performed in terms of general characteristics; only in the contemplation of consciousness-only and the like can one specifically contemplate the phenomena of causes and conditions, because superior knowledge surpasses the inferior; up to the stage of contemplation of signlessness, it is also only in terms of general characteristics; when performing contemplation of signlessness and the like, only then can one specifically contemplate the phenomena of consciousness-only. Therefore, various treatises say that in the stage of provision, regarding the principle of consciousness-only, one can only generate resolute faith following what is heard; reaching the stage of applied preparation, one can gradually subdue and eliminate the grasped and grasping, inducing true vision—this is performing the contemplation of consciousness-only specifically based on signlessness; reaching the contemplation of tathatā, since one specifically realizes reality, one can also specifically know phenomena such as signlessness, because the practice of contemplation is perfected, and because it is the fundamental contemplation. Non-conceptual wisdom can specifically realize the principle, while in the subsequently attained wisdom one can grasp specific matters. Tathatā is merely the intrinsic characteristic of all phenomena; therefore, attaining the intrinsic characteristic is called specifically knowing the principle of all phenomena. Since the substances of all phenomena are also specifically known, the two noble wisdoms can realize the two natures—the consummate nature (pariniṣpanna) and the dependent nature (paratantra)—which is called attaining real dharmas. If one contemplates reality generally, according to its coarse or subtle aspects, it is identical to the preceding two contemplations wherein the imagined self of persons and self of phenomena are nonexistent. Since there is a contemplation of non-conceptual wisdom of distinct substances, at the time of contemplating nonexistence, the principle seen to be nonexistent and the phenomena seen are precisely the two natures. The Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: the nonexistence of the imagined nature, and the nonexistence transformed by the contemplating mind, are subsumed under the dependent nature; the principle of nonexistence that is tathatā is subsumed under the consummate nature. Therefore, to realize specific dharmas, only two wisdoms are spoken of. Because the preceding three contemplations occur before the path of seeing, they are exclusively applied preparation wisdom; after entering the noble [state], they may extend to subsequently attained [wisdom]. However, having entered the noble [state], according to what is appropriate, ten tathatās are expounded. The ten levels of realization are expounded as ten levels because the obstacles abandoned and the path capable of realizing each have their distinct scope in knowing the principle of the ultimate truth; it is not that the substance of tathatā has ten different kinds, nor is it that the realms and marks of the preceding three contemplations are all distinct. Because, as explained earlier, the contemplative practice capable of contemplating has earlier and later stages, the ultimate truth that is contemplated also has four levels; since the ultimate truth of the substantial principle has four levels, the conventional truth contrasted with it is also said to have four: that which is known by intermediate knowledge is called conventional truth, while that which is known by superior knowledge is called ultimate truth; thus, one should examine this closely, for it is exceptionally appropriate. Since the phenomena contemplated differ in shallowness and depth, four levels of truths are expounded; the contemplating mind capable of contemplation, in dependence on the distinctions of the objects, should also be spoken of as different. The minds of the preceding three contemplations extend to both conventional and ultimate contemplations: the first three of the ultimate truth are the latter three of the conventional truth; the single contemplation of tathatā is exclusively ultimate and not conventional, because it contemplates only the ultimate; yet there is no separate contemplation [of it]. As for the purely initial conventional [level], there is no separate entity to be contemplated; it necessarily encompasses the contemplation of the ultimate, because on real dharmas this initial conventional level does not exist; that which is clung to here is not truly the two truths, but based on the mind's conventional conceptualization, it is called conventional. For this reason, the contemplative practices are expounded only in four levels; one cannot say that there is no contemplation of tathatā alone, because speech necessarily narrows the conventional principle; here one must discard conceptual expression to realize reality. The realization of reality through contemplative practice is unlike the establishment of doctrines, which are spoken of in mutual dependence; only through meticulous examination can this be known, as explained in a separate chapter. Although prior to the path of seeing one contemplates the non-conceptualized as signlessness, it still bears marks and cannot yet eliminate them, and so forth extensively. Bodhisattvas at this stage train in contemplation of both the conceptualized truth and the non-conceptualized truth, in order to induce the two future kinds of contemplation and to subdue the two kinds of conceptually discriminated obstacles. The non-conceptualized truth is what is primarily contemplated; it is not like the two vehicles which exclusively contemplate the conceptualized. Therefore, in all stages, they undertake all practices with consciousness-only and signlessness as primary. The vows and practices cultivated, the objects and principles contemplated, and the sentient beings benefited in all these preceding stages are extensively expounded in other sūtras and treatises.