俱舍論頌疏論本 3.83

3.83

"Seven, eight, or nine for the middle two" refers to the two intermediate fruits, namely the fruit of the once-returner and the fruit of the non-returner. These two intermediate fruits are realized through either seven faculties, eight faculties, or nine faculties. First, the attainment of the fruit of the once-returner through seven faculties: one who realizes it in gradual order through the worldly path obtains it through seven faculties, namely the mind faculty, the equanimity faculty, and the five faculties of faith and the rest. Because one realizes the fruit of the once-returner relying only on the preparatory concentration (anāgamya), one takes only equanimity, not extending to the other feelings. Relying on the supramundane path, it is obtained through eight faculties: the seven faculties as before, plus the faculty of having known (ājñendriya), making eight. If one realizes the fruit of the once-returner through leaping over by having already eliminated a portion of sensual desire, it is realized through nine faculties just like the fruit of the stream-enterer: having previously severed six grades of greed while in the stage of an ordinary person is called "having eliminated a portion of desire"; now entering the path of vision, reaching the subsequent cognition of the path (mārgānvayajñāna), one leaps over the stream-enterer and directly realizes the second [fruit], which is called "realization through leaping over." What has been explained above is the attainment of the fruit of the once-returner through seven, eight, or nine faculties; one should understand it well. As for the fruit of the non-returner obtained through seven faculties: one who realizes it in gradual order using the worldly path obtains it through seven faculties, namely the mind faculty, equanimity, and the five faculties of faith and the rest. As for its attainment through eight faculties, there are two types of eight: first, relying on the supramundane path, there are the seven faculties as above plus the faculty of having known, making eight; second, using the worldly path in gradual order, there are the mind faculty, joy, equanimity, and the five faculties of faith and the rest. Therefore the treatise states: "Furthermore, for one who realizes the fruit of the non-returner in gradual order, if in the ninth path of liberation one enters the fundamental stage, relying on the worldly path it is obtained through eight faculties. The uninterrupted path is associated with the equanimity feeling, and in the path of liberation there is additionally the joy feeling; these two mutually assist each other to attain the third fruit, and with respect to the acquisition of disjunction, the two causes are as before." The explanation is: if one realizes it through leaping over, one definitely cannot, relying on the preparatory concentration, enter the fundamental stage from the ninth path of liberation, because a leaping-over practitioner has previously attained the fundamental stage and seeks it no further, hence does not enter it. The gradual practitioner has never attained the fundamental stage before; hence, in the ninth liberation of the preparatory concentration, if one aspires to enter, one is able to enter the fundamental stage. The equanimity feeling in the uninterrupted path is the equanimity in the preparatory stage. The joy feeling in the path of liberation is the joy of the fundamental first dhyāna. Because the uninterrupted path severs the defilements of the lower stage and aspires to the higher stage, in the path of liberation one can enter the fundamental stage. For attainment through nine faculties, there are two types of nine: first, realization through leaping over, hence the treatise states: "One who completely eliminates sensual desire and realizes through leaping over obtains it through nine faculties, just as previously leaping over to obtain the once-returner's fruit (having previously severed the nine grades of defilement in the stage of an ordinary person is called 'completely eliminating desire'; now entering the path of vision, up to the subsequent cognition of the path, one leaps over the first two fruits and directly realizes the third, which is called 'realization through leaping over'). Although this is generally stated, there is nonetheless a distinction: because the stages relied upon are distinct, one may take any one among pleasure, joy, and equanimity. For the preceding fruit realized through leaping over, there was only the single equanimity faculty (end of treatise citation)." The explanation is: 'although this is generally stated' means that the general count of nine is the same as that for the once-returner. 'There is nonetheless a distinction' means that among the faculties, the designation of the feeling has a distinction, unlike the once-returner. 'Because the stages relied upon are distinct' explains the distinction mentioned above: because this fruit of the non-returner is realized relying on six stages, there are distinctions in the stages. If realized relying on the preparatory, intermediate, or fourth dhyāna, one uses only the equanimity feeling. Relying on the first or second dhyāna, one realizes it using the joy feeling. Relying on the third dhyāna, one realizes it using the pleasure feeling. Therefore, among the three feelings one may take any one, which means the names of the faculties have distinctions. The second type of nine: for one who realizes the fruit of the non-returner in gradual order using the supramundane path, if in the ninth path of liberation one enters the fundamental stage, it is obtained through nine faculties, namely the mind faculty, joy, equanimity, the five faculties of faith and the rest, and the faculty of having known. The uninterrupted path is associated with the equanimity feeling, and in the path of liberation there is additionally the joy feeling, so there are two feelings; and because it is the supramundane path, the faculty of having known is added. Therefore the treatise states: "Relying on the supramundane path, it is obtained through nine faculties: the eight faculties as before, plus the faculty of having known. Because in the ninth uninterrupted [path] and liberation, this is present in both ('eight faculties as before' means the same as the count of eight faculties in the worldly path previously, with the addition of the faculty of having known making nine; 'because in the uninterrupted and liberation this is present in both' means that this faculty of having known is present in both the uninterrupted and liberation paths, so it must be added)." Based on what has been clarified above, when the verse says 'seven, eight, or nine', one should know that there are two kinds of seven, namely one seven for the once-returner and one for the non-returner. There are three kinds of eight, namely one kind of eight in the fruit of the once-returner, and two kinds of eight in the fruit of the non-returner. There are three kinds of nine, namely one nine in the once-returner, and two nines in the non-returner.