大乘義章 13.57

13.57

第一釋名辨相。八勝處者，經中亦名八除入也。為此觀行能息貪欲，勝煩惱處，故云勝處。入者亦是處之別稱。除煩惱處，故名除入。勝處不同，一門說八。八名是何？一內有色相外觀色少，《大智論》中名外觀色若好若醜勝知勝見；二內有色相外觀色多；三內無色相外觀色少；四內無色相外觀色多；五青、六黃、七赤、八白。八中初二，是八解中第一解脫。己身名內，於己身分未滅未壞，名內有色。於外色中，始觀一身以為不淨，名外觀少。何故不多？龍樹釋言「學觀之始，畏心難攝，不敢多觀。譬如鹿遊未調，不可遠放。」若好醜者，論言「於彼外色之中，善果名好，惡果名醜。又外色中，生婬之處名之為好，生瞋之處說之為醜。又彼三十六物之中，骨相名好，皮肉等相說以為醜。又外色中，忘見淨想名之為好，還見不淨說之為醜。」於好於醜不生貪瞋，但觀四大因緣和合，名勝知勝見。第二內有色相外觀多者，內有同前。觀心轉熟能為廣觀，周滿大地悉見不淨，名外觀多。次二勝處是八解中第二解脫，於己身分作其死想、蟲食火燒盡滅之想，名為內無。多少同前。青黃赤白是八解中第三解脫，於外色中除去皮肉作其骨想，後觀此骨作其青黃赤白等想，為四勝處。觀法云何？欲為青觀，先得四禪。次於外色取少青相，還入定中復觀彼青，如是往返極令純熟，名青勝處。黃等亦然。問曰：此四與十一切入中青黃赤白四一切入有何差別？龍樹釋言「一切入廣，普緣一切悉為青等；勝處少緣。」有斯異耳（此一門竟）。

First, explaining the names and distinguishing the characteristics. The eight bases of mastery are also called the eight entrances of elimination in the sūtras. Because this practice of contemplation can pacify greed and master the sphere of afflictions, they are called 'bases of mastery' (abhibhv-āyatana). 'Entrance' (āyatana) is also another term for 'base' (place). Because it eliminates the sphere of afflictions, it is called the 'entrance of elimination.' The bases of mastery are diverse; one approach speaks of eight. What are the eight names? 1. Having the perception of internal forms, one contemplates external forms as few—in the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, this is named 'contemplating external forms, whether pleasant or unpleasant, with superior knowledge and superior vision'; 2. Having the perception of internal forms, one contemplates external forms as many; 3. Having no perception of internal forms, one contemplates external forms as few; 4. Having no perception of internal forms, one contemplates external forms as many; 5. Blue; 6. Yellow; 7. Red; 8. White. Among the eight, the first two correspond to the first liberation among the eight liberations. One's own body is called 'internal'; when the parts of one's own body are not yet extinguished or destroyed, it is called 'internally having form.' Among external forms, initially contemplating a single body as impure is called 'externally contemplating few.' Why not many? Nāgārjuna explains: 'At the beginning of learning contemplation, fearing the mind will be difficult to concentrate, one does not dare contemplate many. It is like an untrained roaming deer, which must not be let go far.' As for pleasant and unpleasant, the treatise states: 'Among those external forms, wholesome fruits are called pleasant, and unwholesome fruits are called unpleasant. Furthermore, among external forms, places that give rise to lust are called pleasant, and places that give rise to anger are called unpleasant. Furthermore, among those thirty-six constituents [of the body], the appearance of bones is called pleasant, and the appearance of skin, flesh, and so forth is called unpleasant. Furthermore, among external forms, forgetting and seeing pleasant/pure features is called pleasant, while seeing the impure again is called unpleasant.' Towards the pleasant and the unpleasant, one gives rise to neither greed nor anger, but merely contemplates the harmonious combination of the causes and conditions of the four great elements—this is called superior knowledge and superior vision. The second, having the perception of internal forms and externally contemplating many: the internal presence is the same as before; as the contemplating mind becomes more practiced, it can engage in broad contemplation, seeing the entire earth filled completely with impurity—this is called externally contemplating many. The next two bases of mastery correspond to the second liberation among the eight liberations: forming regarding one's own body the perception of death, or the perception of being eaten by worms or burned by fire until completely destroyed, is called 'internally having no [form]'; 'few' and 'many' are the same as before. Blue, yellow, red, and white correspond to the third liberation among the eight liberations: removing the skin and flesh from external forms to form the perception of bones, and then contemplating these bones as blue, yellow, red, white, and so on, constitutes the four bases of mastery. What is the method of contemplation? If one wishes to perform the contemplation of blue, one first attains the fourth dhyāna. Next, one takes a small characteristic of blue from external forms, re-enters samādhi, and again contemplates that blue. Going back and forth like this until extremely well-practiced is called the blue base of mastery. Yellow and the others are likewise. Question: What is the difference between these four and the four universal bases of blue, yellow, red, and white among the ten universal bases? Nāgārjuna explains: 'The universal bases are broad, universally cognizing everything as blue and so on; the bases of mastery cognize few.' There is only this difference. (This concludes one section.)