瑜伽師地論略纂 8.145

8.145

Regarding the treatise saying, "based on purifying the hindrances," and so forth: here, it explains the fourteen minds at the time of abiding. Before obtaining the uninterrupted path (ānantarya-mārga) of absorption (samādhi), one abides in the preparatory path (prayoga-mārga), which is called the stage of purifying hindrances, and arouses eight kinds of minds; based on the uninterrupted path of absorption, one severs the fetters of defilement (saṃyojana) and arouses those six minds. Question: Why are the first eight called 'purifying hindrances' and are the preparation for absorption rather than the uninterrupted path, whereas the latter six purify defilements, constituting both an absorption and an uninterrupted path? The meaning is: taking lust, hatred, and delusion as the hindrances to be counteracted, and non-lust, taming, and so on as the counteragents—this takes three by combining the six, and what is counteracted is precisely three hindrances. This is at the time of moving. Below are the eight kinds at the time of abiding: 'concise or scattered'—concise is the mark of calming (śamatha), while scattered is distraction; 'depressed or uplifted'—depressed is torpor (styāna), while uplifted is the mark of uplifting; 'restless or free from restlessness'—restless is agitation (auddhatya); 'quiescent or not quiescent'—wrong deeds are called not quiescent, and good deeds are called quiescent; again, doubt is not quiescent, while decisive certainty is called quiescent; again, collectively taking the former counteracting paths is called quiescent, and collectively taking the former objects to be counteracted is called not quiescent. These each have distinct counteragents, hence it is called the stage of purifying the various hindrances; 'hindrances' refers to the five hindrances. As for the latter eighteen kinds, speaking in terms of general characteristics, they do not have distinct objects to be counteracted; when attaining the latter six, one must necessarily first attain the purification of the former hindrances before being able to enter the fundamental absorption (maula-samādhi). If so, the counteragent and what is counteracted must necessarily be simultaneous; why then are the hindrances [treated in] the preparatory path, while absorption is the uninterrupted path? The meaning is: taking, for instance, the former counteracting path of quiescence and so on, if it is the preparatory path, the hindrances are suppressed but not eternally severed. Furthermore, when the former counteragent suppresses them, it is the preparatory path; the cessation of what is counteracted is simultaneous with the uninterrupted path and is severed by the uninterrupted path, because the counteragent must arise precisely when what is counteracted ceases.