成唯識論了義燈 7.45

7.45

Furthermore, the statement that in the first fascicle of the Renwang the ten abidings, ten practices, and so forth are in sequence the acquired, the original nature, and so forth, and that the Benye jing is the same in not mentioning the ten faiths, is incorrect. In the first fascicle of the Renwang, there are no separate names for the ten abidings, practices, and dedications; rather, faith, stopping, and firmness correspond respectively to the acquired, original nature, and path gotras. One must not contradict the text and judge the ten faiths and so forth to be the three skillful means, not subsumed under the abidings and so forth. That the Benye jing and others do not mention the name of the ten faiths is because they speak according to the general stages without discussing distinct practices, on the basis that the ten faiths are subsumed under the ten abidings. Where there are separate descriptions, it is because the first abiding is difficult, so the ten faiths are separated out, just as the four roots of wholesomeness are difficult within the inner gate. In the tenth dedication stage, the roots of wholesomeness are separately opened; since they are subsumed under dedication, the ten faiths are definitely subsumed under the ten abidings. The Renwang, Avataṃsaka, Upāsakaśīla-sūtra, and so forth all speak of forty-two stages of worthy ones and nobles, not fifty. Furthermore, it is said that the ten faiths and so forth are skillful means for the ten abidings and so forth, and thus are subsumed under the abidings and so forth, just as the initial sāmantaka belongs to and is subsumed under the primary dhyāna. Moreover, if the stages of the ten faiths are prior, and in the Renwang jing there are additionally the ten wholesomeness bodhisattvas, could there be fifty opened prior to the bhūmis? Furthermore, that the ten faiths of the stages are prior to the ten abidings while the ten faiths of practice and understanding extend to the ten abidings and above has no scriptural authority. If one says that the Benye jing says that before ascending to the ten abidings there are bodhisattvas with the names of ten stages who constantly practice the ten minds of faith and so forth, proving that the ten faiths of the stages are prior to the ten abidings, how much time of cultivation is spent in this stage? Moreover, in the Renwang jing, one practices the bodhisattva path for ten thousand kalpas before entering the ten faiths; could there be another ten thousand kalpas prior to the faiths of the stages for the ten wholesomeness stage? Since this is not established, the ten faiths of the stages should not be separated either. Furthermore, even granted that they are separately opened, what prevents them from being the stage of the acquired gotra? The Renwang jing and other texts divide the stages of kings in the stage of the acquired gotra, stating that the bronze-wheel-turning king is of the acquired gotra; it does not say that what precedes is not, but only that up to this point it is the acquired gotra. It is just that the prior practice is not yet superior and does not obtain the bronze wheel; based on when practice becomes superior, one obtains the bronze wheel stage, and it says that the acquired gotra acts as a bronze-wheel-turning king. If so, the gotra of original nature and so forth should also extend to the prior stages. Answer: They are not analogous. It is in the stage of the acquired gotra that other distinctions are made based on earlier and later, superior and inferior. Furthermore, after explaining the gotra of original nature, the "Bodhisattvabhūmi" next explains the generation of the aspiration [for awakening], and the generation of the aspiration is precisely the stage of the acquired gotra. One cannot say that generation of the aspiration is named only after the stage of non-retrogression, for the lower text further states that both retrogression and non-retrogression are named generating the aspiration. In the Lotus Sūtra, Śāriputra and others had generated the great [aspiration] and retrogressed, yet the Buddha said: "What you have practiced is the bodhisattva path." It also says: "Causing you to generate the mind of omniscient knowledge still remains without being lost." Therefore, we know that collectively it is named generating the bodhicitta, and not only non-retrogression.