瑜伽師地論略纂 13.75

13.75

Regarding the seeds of nine grades: how is it if they are newly perfumed? Where it says, "If remaining in their fundamental nature, they are called lower grade," the explanation is: these have also been perfumed from beginningless time, but more recently have not given rise to active manifestations; these old seeds are called the lower grade. After being perfumed again, they transform from the lower and are called middle, upper, and so forth. In the case of inherently existing seeds, all three grades are old; why then are they called the middle grade upon reaching cultivation, refinement, and the like? These seeds of three grades are all originally present in themselves. However, here, on the basis of a seed of a single grade, it is conceptually stated that through perfuming, non-perfuming, and so forth, there are three grades, yet their intrinsic substance is uniform, not three [distinct] seeds of different grades. The transformation of the lower into the middle is termed "transformation and cessation" because it is a single seed. Moreover, there is no impediment to their transforming to equality. These inherently existing three grades originally exist from before; after being perfumed and refined again, the lower grade transforms to equal the middle grade; hence in the body of a Buddha all are equal, without seeds of the three grades of upper, middle, and lower. Here it is based on the transformation into equality where the three grades are distinct, not one grade transforming into three states. These are the positions of the two masters of the new and the old.