俱舍論頌疏論本 1.37

1.37

The opening word 'He' indicates the object of homage, and the subsequent thirteen characters clarify the Buddha's three virtues. 'He' refers to the Buddhas; hence the treatise says: "What is indicated by the word 'he' is the Buddha, the World-Honoured One." Among the subsequent thirteen characters, the first six characters clarify the virtue of benefiting oneself, and the latter seven characters clarify the virtue of benefiting others. 'All darkness of every kind has been destroyed' is the virtue of benefiting oneself. Darkness is of two kinds: first, the darkness of every kind; second, all darkness. The darkness of every kind is called non-defiled ignorance; all darkness is defiled ignorance. These two kinds of ignorance can conceal real meaning and obstruct true seeing, and are therefore called darkness (the external object is called real meaning; the internal mind is called true seeing). 'Every kind' means that the classes of non-defiled ignorance are boundless, hence called every kind. Obstructing all phenomena such that one cannot realize them is non-defiled ignorance; thus its varieties are manifold. Non-defiled ignorance has inferior prajñā as its essence; within the framework of the three natures, it is subsumed under good and neutral. Its essence is not an affliction, hence it is called non-defiled. Failing to realize objects is called ignorance. Ignorance being itself non-defiled is called non-defiled ignorance—a karmadhāraya compound. It is also called latent impressions (vāsanā); it is the trace formed through repeatedly accustoming oneself to afflictions; being the trace of habituation, it is called latent impressions. Only the Buddha has severed it forever, whereas the two vehicles still possess it. Hence the treatise says: "Although the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas have destroyed all darkness, because their defiled non-wisdom is conclusively severed, it is not of every kind. Why is that? Because with regard to the Buddha's teachings of extremely distant times and places, as well as the boundless distinctions among various meanings and categories, non-defiled ignorance is not yet severed." Explanation: 'The Buddha's teachings' means the phenomena known by the Buddha, namely extremely distant times and the like. Beyond eighty thousand kalpas is called an extremely distant time; beyond the trichiliocosm is called an extremely distant place. 'All darkness' is defiled ignorance. 'All' refers to all objects, namely the objects of the four truths and the five categories abandoned by the path of cultivation; the five categories are not one, hence called all objects. 'Darkness' is precisely all afflictions abandoned through seeing and cultivation; because these afflictions veil and obstruct all objects, they are called darkness. Defiled ignorance has avidyā as its essence; afflictions are impure, hence called defiled. Failing to realize objects is called ignorance. Ignorance being itself defiled is called defiled ignorance—a karmadhāraya compound. When the verse says 'destroyed', destruction has two forms: 1. cessation through deliberation (pratisaṃkhyānirodha), and 2. cessation not through deliberation (apratisaṃkhyānirodha). The destruction of the darkness of every kind is cessation not through deliberation; because the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, has severed the darkness of every kind and realized unarisen dharmas, it is called cessation not through deliberation. What is meant here by 'realized' is that, in the state where superior conditions for non-defiled ignorance are lacking, obtaining cessation not through deliberation is called 'realization'. Through severing this darkness, he attains all-knowledge, being able to know all varieties of dharmas; thus the virtue of wisdom is perfected. 'All darkness has been destroyed' is precisely cessation through deliberation; because the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, has severed the darkness of afflictions and realized unarisen dharmas, it is called cessation through deliberation, because the virtue of abandonment is perfected. The word 'destroyed' in the verse applies to both cessations. The virtue of wisdom has the wisdom within the Buddha's person as its essence; the virtue of abandonment has the cessation through deliberation realized by the Buddha as its essence. Cessation is called abandonment because it is manifested through severance.