大乘義章 17.19

17.19

次就轉根而為分別。問曰：見中心道峻速，得轉根不？有言不得，於一一行無多緣故。問曰：若言定不得者，依如《毘曇》，信法二人同在見道，論中宣說信行是其法行之因，云何不轉？又復釋言：劣望於勝，理有因義，其實不轉。若依《成實》，同一空觀實難轉根。若依《毘曇》，差別觀諦容有轉義。是義云何？凡轉根者，於境多觀亦能轉根，於境力勵明淨心觀亦能轉根。其四諦法，初則易知、後轉難了。行者於前四現忍中學觀諦時有五種別：有一種人，於四真諦未能觀察，非苦力勵，是人入見，但為信行。其第二人，四現忍中，於前三諦未熟觀察，用道為難，力勵觀察，是人入見，於前三諦見不極明，名為信行；於後道諦照見明了，轉為法行。其第三人，四現忍中，於前二諦未能觀察，於滅於道用之為難，力勵觀察，是人入見，於苦於集見不極明，名為信行；於滅於道照見明了轉，為於法行。其第四人，四現忍中，於初苦諦未能觀察，於後三諦用之為難，力勵觀察，是人入見，於初苦諦見不極明，判為信行；於後三諦照見明了，轉為法行。其第五人，四現忍中，於四真諦並皆力勵，是人入見，於四真諦並極明了，入見諦道，唯名法行。五種人中，初後二人不名轉根，中三名轉。須陀洹向，釋之麁爾。次別解釋須陀洹果。斯陀含向通亦是其須陀洹攝，一處合論。於中曲有六門分別：一定其體、二明得捨、三明須陀斷結多少、四明須陀受身多少、五明家家、六分利鈍。言定體者，須陀洹果，聖德為體。聖德不同，汎論有三：一是果體。依如《毘曇》，行修分別唯第十六道比智心是其果體，得修分別通攝見諦十六聖心悉為果體。若依《成實》，說無相後順舊空觀而為果體。二學等見。須陀果後遊觀無漏，重緣諦理而不增進。三勝果道。須陀果後，更起勝解進斷欲結，或一二品乃至六品。此行緣於何諦進斷煩惱？於四諦中趣緣一諦。問曰：何故前斷見惑四諦俱緣，此斷修惑唯緣一諦？釋言：前斷迷諦煩惱，凡於四諦通皆迷惑，故須通觀。此斷緣事貪瞋癡等非捨通迷，故於四諦趣緣一種能斷果後。問曰：此行既緣諦理，云何能斷緣事煩惱？若依《毘曇》，觀細捨麁，是故能斷。若依《成實》，一切煩惱皆取性起，觀空破性，為是能斷。問曰：此行所觀諦理，為深於前能斷修惑？為與前同能斷修惑？若便更深，深有何相？若當不深，安能異斷？一釋：此行觀理更深，故能異斷。但此深相，階別難分，唯聖自覺，叵以言別，其猶地地九品煩惱難可言別，亦如地地生得善根九品難分，雖不可別，非無階降，此亦如是。又釋：此行觀理同前，亦能異斷。何故如是？理雖同前，數觀心地，數觀心明，故能異斷。如似一藥，少服減病、多能盡病，非多盡病便有異藥；亦如一食，少敢減飢、多食盡飢，非多盡飢令食不一，此亦如是。須陀聖德雖復無量，要唯此三。辨體如此（此一門竟）。

Next, discrimination is made regarding the transformation of faculties. Question: Within the path of seeing, the progression of the mind is swift and steep; can one transform one's faculties or not? Some say that one cannot, because within each single practice there are not multiple conditions. Question: If one says that it is definitely impossible, then according to the Abhidharma, the two types of persons—those who practice by faith and those who practice by Dharma—are both within the path of seeing, and the treatise states that the faith-practitioner is the cause of the Dharma-practitioner; how could there be no transformation? It is further explained: With the inferior looking toward the superior, in principle there is the sense of a cause, but in reality there is no transformation. If according to the Tattvasiddhi, as it is a single contemplation of emptiness, it is indeed difficult to transform the faculties. If according to the Abhidharma, as it contemplates the truths differentially, there can indeed be the sense of transformation. What is this meaning? Generally, those who transform their faculties can transform them by repeatedly contemplating the objective realm, or by exerting effort with a bright and pure mind to contemplate the objective realm. As for the dharmas of the four noble truths, they are easy to know at first, and later become harder to comprehend. When a practitioner learns to contemplate the truths in the preceding four manifestations of forbearance, there are five distinctions: There is one type of person who is not yet able to contemplate the four true truths and does not make strenuous effort; when this person enters the path of seeing, they are merely a faith-practitioner. The second person, within the four manifestations of forbearance, has not yet thoroughly contemplated the first three truths, but considering the truth of the path to be difficult, exerts effort to contemplate it; when this person enters the path of seeing, their sight regarding the first three truths is not extremely clear, so they are called a faith-practitioner, but regarding the later truth of the path their illumination and vision are clear, so they transform into a Dharma-practitioner. The third person, within the four manifestations of forbearance, is not yet able to contemplate the first two truths, but considering cessation and the path to be difficult, exerts effort to contemplate them; when this person enters the path of seeing, their sight regarding suffering and arising is not extremely clear, so they are called a faith-practitioner, but regarding cessation and the path their illumination and vision are clear, so they transform into a Dharma-practitioner. The fourth person, within the four manifestations of forbearance, is not yet able to contemplate the initial truth of suffering, but considering the latter three truths to be difficult, exerts effort to contemplate them; when this person enters the path of seeing, their sight regarding the initial truth of suffering is not extremely clear, so they are judged to be a faith-practitioner, but regarding the latter three truths their illumination and vision are clear, so they transform into a Dharma-practitioner. The fifth person, within the four manifestations of forbearance, exerts effort regarding all four true truths; when this person enters the path of seeing, they are extremely clear regarding all four true truths, and upon entering the path of seeing the truths, they are called solely a Dharma-practitioner. Among these five types of persons, the first and the last do not transform their faculties, while the middle three are called those who transform. This is a rough explanation of the approach to the srotāpanna. Next, the fruit of the srotāpanna is explained separately. The approach to the sakṛdāgāmin is generally subsumed under the srotāpanna as well, and they are treated together in one place. Herein, there are six gates of discrimination: first, determining its essence; second, clarifying acquisition and abandonment; third, clarifying how many defilements the srotāpanna severs; fourth, clarifying how many rebirths the srotāpanna takes; fifth, clarifying the 'family-to-family' (kulaṃkula); sixth, distinguishing the sharp and dull [faculties]. Regarding determining the essence: the essence of the fruit of the srotāpanna is noble virtue. Noble virtues are not identical; generally speaking there are three: First is the essence of the fruit. According to the Abhidharma, discriminating by practice-cultivation, solely the sixteenth mind of the subsequent cognition of the path is its fruit-essence; discriminating by acquisition-cultivation, it comprehensively subsumes all sixteen noble minds of seeing the truths as its fruit-essence. According to the Tattvasiddhi, it states that after the signless, the subsequent contemplation of emptiness is the fruit-essence. Second are the views equal to the trainee. After the fruit of the srotāpanna, one roams and contemplates the untainted, again taking the principle of the truths as object without advancing further. Third is the path of the superior fruit. After the fruit of the srotāpanna, one further gives rise to superior understanding, advancing to sever the fetters of desire, whether one or two grades up to six grades. On what truth does this practice focus to advance and sever afflictions? Among the four truths, it focuses upon any one truth. Question: Why did the previous severing of delusions of seeing take all four truths as objects, whereas this severing of delusions of cultivation takes only one truth as object? It is explained: Previously, one severed afflictions that delude regarding the truths, which are universally deluded regarding all four truths, hence one had to contemplate them all. Here, one severs greed, anger, ignorance, etc., that grasp phenomena, which do not abandon universal delusion; therefore, among the four truths, focusing upon one kind is able to sever [them] after the fruit. Question: Since this practice takes the principle of the truths as object, how can it sever afflictions that grasp phenomena? According to the Abhidharma, by contemplating the subtle one abandons the coarse, and therefore is able to sever them. According to the Tattvasiddhi, all afflictions arise from grasping at an inherent nature; contemplating emptiness destroys the inherent nature, and therefore is able to sever them. Question: Is the principle of the truths contemplated by this practice deeper than the previous one that could sever the afflictions of cultivation, or is it the same as the previous one that could sever the afflictions of cultivation? If it is deeper, what are the marks of this depth? If it is not deeper, how can it effect a different severing? One explanation: This practice contemplates the principle more deeply, hence it can effect a different severing. However, the marks of this depth have gradations that are difficult to distinguish; only the noble ones are self-awakened to them, and they cannot be distinguished by words, just as the nine grades of afflictions of each stage are difficult to distinguish in words, or as the nine grades of innately acquired wholesome roots of each stage are difficult to differentiate; though they cannot be distinguished, it does not mean there are no gradations, and here it is also like this. Another explanation: This practice contemplates the principle in the same way as before, and yet can also effect a different severing. Why is this? Although the principle is the same as before, repeatedly contemplating the mental ground makes the contemplating mind bright, hence it can effect a different severing. Just as with a single medicine: taking a little reduces illness, taking much can eradicate illness, but the fact that taking much eradicates illness does not mean it is a different medicine; also as with a meal: eating a little reduces hunger, eating much dispels hunger, but the fact that eating much dispels hunger does not mean the food is not one and the same; here it is also like this. Although the noble virtues of the srotāpanna are measureless, in essence there are only these three. Determining the essence is like this (this concludes the first gate).