中觀論疏 8.27

8.27

「若佛不出世」下，自上已來明聲聞菩薩二教兩益，今此一章辨緣覺得益。所以但明得益不辨教者，以緣覺自然悟道，不稟於教故也。聲聞菩薩既同稟教，則一類說之；今不稟教，故在後別說。問：何故明緣覺得益耶？答：今為顯此論破邪申明實相之意。此論所以破邪顯實相者，三乘人皆得益故。又是勸信義，不信此論破邪顯正者，非但不得大乘之益，亦失小乘之利也。上半明出世時節。前佛已去、後佛未興，辟支之人於中出世。《華嚴》云「菩薩將欲下生前，以道眼觀大千界，有辟支佛放光照之，若覺知者即取滅度，不覺知者徒著他方。」與此文同也。問：其人何故不值佛耶？答：其恥聲聞從師、憚佛道長遠，二盈之間，故出無佛世。問：辟支既不值師，於何時中迴小入大？答：《法華玄義》已具辨之，今略論四句：一者緣覺果人既不值佛，於三界外聞《法華經》迴三入一。二者緣覺因人及聲聞三果，於三界內聞《法華經》迴小入大。三者羅漢之人，若值佛聞《法華經》，界內入道；若不值佛、生三界外，聞《法華經》方受一乘。四者增上慢二乘，保小拒大，於界內外并不入一乘。問：劫初劫後緣覺何時出世？答：《雜心》云「劫初轉輪王，劫末佛興世，二時間辟支佛」也。問：辟支有幾種？答：略有五種。一本乘辟支，謂百劫修行乃至極疾四世成道。二者退菩提心辟支，《智度論》云「菩薩若證四諦成辟支佛。」三聲聞辟支，如初果人，第七生中若不值佛法，成小辟支，不及身子。問：此人為在家為出家？答：《俱舍論》云「往外道法中出家，著木皮袈裟也。」又云「往山林中，淨居天等施其法服。」四者有犀角喻辟支，獨自出世，則大辟支也。五者有部行辟支，亦有部黨眷屬。問：辟支亦有多人共出世不？答：經云「五百辟支一時出世」，別有因緣不具述。諸義委曲，如法華玄章以論之也。

From the line "If a Buddha does not appear in the world" onward: heretofore the two teachings and two benefits of the śrāvaka and the bodhisattva have been explained; now this one section explains the attainment of benefit by the pratyekabuddhas (causes-and-conditions enlightened ones). As to why it only explains their attainment of benefit and does not differentiate a teaching: it is because pratyekabuddhas awaken to the Way spontaneously and do not receive instruction from a teaching. Since śrāvakas and bodhisattvas both receive instruction, they were explained as one category; now, since [pratyekabuddhas] do not receive instruction, they are explained separately afterward. Question: Why is the attainment of benefit by pratyekabuddhas explained? Answer: It is now to reveal this treatise's purpose of refuting errors and elucidating the true nature of phenomena. The reason this treatise refutes errors and reveals the true nature of phenomena is so that persons of all three vehicles may attain benefit. Furthermore, it has the meaning of exhorting faith: for those who do not believe this treatise's refutation of errors and revelation of the correct, not only do they fail to attain the benefit of the Mahāyāna, they also forfeit the advantages of the Hīnayāna. The first half of the verse explains the time period of their appearance in the world. When a former Buddha has already departed and a subsequent Buddha has not yet arisen, pratyeka persons appear in the world during the interval. The Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: "Before a bodhisattva is about to descend and be born, he observes the great chiliocosm with the eye of the Way. If there is a pratyekabuddha, he emits light to illuminate him: if [the pratyekabuddha] perceives this, he immediately enters extinction; if he does not perceive it, he is moved to another region." This accords with the present text. Question: Why does such a person not encounter a Buddha? Answer: Ashamed of the śrāvaka's reliance on a teacher and daunted by the Buddha-way's great length, between these two extremes, he therefore appears in a world without a Buddha. Question: Since a pratyeka person does not encounter a teacher, at what time does he turn from the small and enter the great? Answer: The Fahua xuanyi has already differentiated this in detail; now we briefly discuss four positions: First, those who have attained the fruit of pratyekabuddhahood, since they did not encounter a Buddha, hear the Lotus Sūtra beyond the three realms and turn from the three to enter the one. Second, pratyekabuddhas on the causal stage and śrāvakas of the [first] three fruits hear the Lotus Sūtra within the three realms and turn from the small to enter the great. Third, arhats, if they encounter a Buddha and hear the Lotus Sūtra, enter the Way within the realms; if they do not encounter a Buddha and are born beyond the three realms, they only receive the One Vehicle upon hearing the Lotus Sūtra. Fourth, two-vehicle practitioners of excessive pride who cling to the small and reject the great do not enter the One Vehicle either within or beyond the realms. Question: At the beginning or the end of a kalpa, when do pratyekabuddhas appear in the world? Answer: The Za xin [lun] says: "At the beginning of a kalpa there are wheel-turning kings, at the end of a kalpa Buddhas arise in the world, and during the interval between the two there are pratyekabuddhas." Question: How many kinds of pratyekas are there? Answer: In brief, there are five kinds: 1. Pratyekas of the original vehicle: meaning those who practice for a hundred kalpas, down to achieving the Way in as few as four lifetimes at the swiftest. 2. Pratyekas who have regressed from the bodhicitta: the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says, "If a bodhisattva realizes the four noble truths, he becomes a pratyekabuddha." 3. Śrāvaka pratyekas: like one at the first fruit who, if he does not encounter the Buddha's teaching in his seventh rebirth, becomes a minor pratyeka, inferior to Śāriputra. Question: Does such a person remain a householder or leave home? Answer: The Kośa-śāstra says: "He goes to leave home within non-Buddhist teachings, wearing bark-cloth kāṣāya." It also says: "He goes into the mountain forests, where gods of the Pure Abodes and others bestow his Dharma robes upon him." 4. There are rhinoceros-horn-simile pratyekas: appearing in the world solitary and alone, these are great pratyekas. 5. There are group-wandering pratyekas: they also have followers and retinues. Question: Do pratyekas also appear in the world together as many people? Answer: The sūtras state that "five hundred pratyekas appeared in the world at one time"; this has distinct causes and conditions and will not be related in full. The detailed nuances of these various doctrines are discussed in the Fahua xuanzhang.