大乘義章 2.13

2.13

In the eighth section, there are five distinctions in meaning: 1. Listing names and distinguishing characteristics; 2. Distinguishing sāsrava and anāsrava; 3. Distinguishing according to person; 4. Distinguishing according to realm; 5. Distinguishing according to ground. In the first section, the names are listed first. What are the names? They are called the emptiness-emptiness samādhi, signlessness-signlessness, and wishlessness-wishlessness. Revealing their names from the first, they are called the repeated-emptiness samādhi, and may also be called the repeated-signlessness and repeated-wishlessness [samādhis]. What are their characteristics? According to the Abhidharma, the sixteen holy practices of the four noble truths are divided into the three gates: under suffering, the two practices of emptiness and non-self are determined as the emptiness gate; next, ten practices are described as the wishless gate—under suffering there are two, namely, suffering and impermanence; under arising there are four: cause, arising, origin, and condition; under the path there are four: path, correctness, path of release, and vehicle—these ten kinds are described as the wishless gate; under cessation there are four practices: destruction, pacification, excellence, and departure, which are the signless gate. Regarding repeated emptiness: an arhat first observes the emptiness gate with the wisdom of the non-learner and the like, which is straightforwardly called the emptiness concentration; afterward, with sāsrava wisdom and the like, one observes that the preceding emptiness wisdom is also empty and non-self; this is called the emptiness-emptiness samādhi. This observes that upon the wisdom there is emptiness and non-self or person; it does not empty the substance of the wisdom. Regarding repeated wishlessness: one also first observes suffering and so forth with the wisdom of the non-learner and the like, which is straightforwardly called wishlessness; afterward, one observes that this wisdom is also impermanent and not to be wished for or sought, striking at the holy path; this is called wishlessness-wishlessness. Question: Why is it not struck at with suffering? Because it opposes the holy path. The path is not suffering; if one observed it as suffering, that would be delusion. Why is the holy path not struck at with cause, arising, origin, and condition? The treatises state that cause and the others accord with the holy path and are not called striking. Why is the holy path not struck at with path, correctness, path of release, and vehicle? Explanation: If one performs the contemplation of path, correctness, and so forth, that is delighting in the holy path; how could it be called striking?