大乘起信論義記 1.21

1.21

二乘迴心者，若不定種姓，未入無餘前即有迴心，此不待言。若決定種姓，未入無餘前定不迴心，要入無餘方有迴心，以二乘人本來不得無餘依涅槃界故。《佛性論》第三云「二乘人有三種餘：一、煩惱餘，謂無明住地。二、業餘，謂無漏業。三、果報餘，謂意生身變易身也。」又《無上依經》、《勝鬘經》、《寶性論》等，廣明無漏界中有三種不思議變易生死，謂聲聞、緣覺、大力菩薩。若言此中二乘是不定種姓，理必不然。以未迴心，有分段故；迴心已去是漸悟菩薩，非二乘故。論說二乘有三種餘，非菩薩故，當知定是二乘自位無餘依中，大乘說彼有三種故。然彼二乘既不能知此三餘故，是故化火燒分段身，入無餘依。法爾皆有變易報殘，而彼不知，謂為涅槃；而實但是未燒身前，期以滅智所得滅定。《法華論》云「方便入涅槃城故。涅槃城者，諸禪三昧城，過彼城已，令入大般涅槃城故。」解云：以此當知，二乘無餘體雖滅定，亦通方便，故云諸禪也。由彼二乘根有利鈍，滅定防心，種有強弱，是故在定，極𨒬八萬；乃至一念，由佛根欲性智為增上緣力，又由本有佛性之力，令心還生於淨土中，逢佛菩薩善友力故，修大乘道。然此利鈍遲疾，諸聖教略有七位：謂八萬、六萬、四萬、二萬、一萬等劫，如次以配四果及獨覺人。此五如彼《涅槃經》說。第六位中，如《楞伽》云「三昧酒所醉，乃至劫不覺；酒消然後覺，得佛無上身。」此亦利於前，不𨒬萬劫。第七位，如《法華》第三云「我滅度後，復有弟子不聞是經，不知不覺菩薩所行，自於所得功德，生滅度想，當入涅槃。我於餘國作佛，更有異名，是人雖生滅度之想入於涅槃，而於彼土求佛智慧，得聞此經，唯以佛乘而得滅度，更無餘乘，除諸如來方便說法也。」解云：此最利根，亦捨分段入涅槃已，即於佛土受變易身，受佛教化入於大乘。亦有人解此經文是變化聲聞。理定不然。若是化作，必為引攝實類眾生，若彼眾生受此引攝，亦學先入無餘涅槃，後方迴心。而汝所執無餘灰斷，即便誤彼所引眾生，是則諸佛菩薩等，於彼眾生使成大怨，何名大悲方便攝化？既無此理，故知入寂迴心，定非變化。此上七位並是定性二乘要入寂已方乃迴心，不同不定性人未入寂前有迴心故。

Regarding the turning of the mind by those of the two vehicles: If they are of indeterminate gotra, they turn their minds before entering the remainderless [nirvāṇa], which goes without saying. If they are of determinate gotra, they definitely do not turn their minds before entering the remainderless; they must enter the remainderless and only then do they turn their minds, because those of the two vehicles originally never attained the realm of nirvāṇa without remainder of conditioning. The third fascicle of the Buddhadhātuśāstra states: 'Those of the two vehicles have three kinds of remainder: first, the remainder of defilement, which refers to the entrenchment of avidyā; second, the remainder of karma, which refers to uncontaminated karma; third, the remainder of retribution, which refers to the mind-made body and the body of transformation.' Furthermore, the Anuttarāśrayasūtra, the Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanādasūtra, the Ratnagotravibhāga, and other texts extensively explain that within the uncontaminated realm there are three kinds of inconceivable transformational saṃsāra, namely those of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas of great power. If one were to say that the two vehicles here refer to the indeterminate gotra, that principle is definitely not so. Because before turning their minds they still possess fragmented [saṃsāra]; after turning their minds they are gradually awakening bodhisattvas, not the two vehicles. The śāstra states that the two vehicles have three kinds of remainder, not bodhisattvas; therefore one should know that this definitely refers to the two vehicles in their own stage of remainderless conditioning, of which the Mahāyāna explains that they have three kinds. However, since those of the two vehicles cannot know these three remainders, they burn their fragmented bodies with transformational fire and enter the remainderless. By the nature of things, they all still possess a remnant of transformational retribution, but they do not know this and think it to be nirvāṇa; yet in reality it is only the meditative absorption of cessation attained by anticipating the cessation of consciousness before burning the body. The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkaśāstra states: 'They enter the city of nirvāṇa through expedients. As for the city of nirvāṇa, it is the city of various dhyāna-samādhis; having passed beyond that city, they are caused to enter the city of mahāparinirvāṇa.' Explanation: Based on this, one should know that although the essence of the remainderless state of the two vehicles is the meditative absorption of cessation, it also extends to expedients; hence it is called 'various dhyānas.' Because the faculties of those of the two vehicles have sharp and dull aspects, and the seeds of the mind-guarding meditative absorption of cessation have strong and weak degrees, therefore their stay in meditative absorption lasts as long as eighty thousand [eons]; down to a single thought-moment, through the power of the Buddha's knowledge of faculties, desires, and natures acting as the predominant condition, and also through the innate power of the buddha-nature, their minds are caused to be born again in the pure lands, where through the power of meeting Buddhas and bodhisattvas as good spiritual friends, they cultivate the Mahāyāna path. However, regarding these differences of sharpness, dullness, slowness, and swiftness, the sacred teachings briefly state seven stages: namely, eighty thousand, sixty thousand, forty thousand, twenty thousand, and ten thousand eons, respectively assigned to the four fruits and pratyekabuddhas. These five are as taught in that Nirvāṇasūtra. In the sixth stage, as the Laṅkāvatārasūtra states: 'Drunk on the wine of samādhi, they are unaware for eons; / when the wine wears off, they then awaken / and attain the supreme body of a Buddha.' This is also sharper than the preceding ones, not lasting ten thousand eons. The seventh stage, as the third fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra states: 'After my parinirvāṇa, there will further be disciples who do not hear this sūtra, who are unaware of the bodhisattva practice, and who, giving rise to the thought of extinction regarding the merits they have attained, will enter nirvāṇa. When I become a Buddha in another land under a different name, although these people have given rise to the thought of extinction and entered nirvāṇa, they will seek the Buddha's wisdom in that land, hear this sūtra, and attain extinction solely through the Buddha vehicle, without any other vehicle, except for the Tathāgatas' expedient teachings.' Explanation: These are of the sharpest faculties: having also discarded the fragmented body and entered nirvāṇa, they immediately receive a transformational body in a Buddha-land, receive the Buddha's teaching, and enter the Mahāyāna. Some people also explain that this sūtra text refers to emanation śrāvakas. That principle is definitely not so. If they were emanations, they must be meant to guide real sentient beings; if those sentient beings received this guidance, they would also learn to first enter remainderless nirvāṇa and only later turn their minds. But if what you hold is the remainderless extinction of ashes, that would mislead those guided sentient beings, and the Buddhas and bodhisattvas would thereby cause great enmity for those sentient beings; how could that be called guidance through great compassion and expedients? Since there is no such principle, we know that those who enter cessation and turn their minds are definitely not emanations. The above seven stages all refer to those of determinate two vehicles who must enter cessation before turning their minds, unlike those of indeterminate nature who turn their minds before entering cessation.