大乘法苑義林章 1.52

1.52

Distinguishing practice has three aspects: first, practice by realization; second, practice by characteristics; third, practice by stages. Practice by realization means: Prior to this path of seeing, although one performs the two consciousness-only contemplations of the ultimate and conventional, they are semblance, not real. Entering the path of seeing, both the real and semblance paths of seeing comprehend true consciousness; only subsequently attained conventional wisdom comprehends conventional consciousness. Before the fourth ground, the ultimate and conventional are contemplated separately; on the fifth ground, the ultimate and conventional first unite, but only with utmost effort can [this contemplation] arise slightly. Reaching the sixth ground, although signlessness is frequent, it cannot yet last for a long time. Only on the seventh ground does it attain a long duration, yet there is still preparatory effort, and it is not yet spontaneous. From the eighth ground upward, there is no effortful cultivation; spontaneously within emptiness, superior practices of existence arise, and the two consciousnesses—the ultimate and conventional—are always combined and cognized together. Having reached the Buddha stage, all three wisdoms are able to cognize the ultimate and conventional consciousnesses. The sixth [consciousness] is not fixed, depending on inclination. The accomplishing-actions [wisdom] cognizes only the conventional, because the cognitive operation is shallow; or it also penetrates the ultimate, because mastery is complete. Practice by characteristics means: What is called cultivating the contemplation of consciousness-only? It means causing the seeds and active operations of the sāsrava and anāsrava contemplative mind to mutually intensify, grow, and become complete. In the initial stage of practice, depending on the Dharma heard, one relies on objects to reflect, making this contemplative mind thoroughly seasoned and mastered; later, suppressing the two grasps of apprehended and grasper, the contemplative mind becomes increasingly clear and superior, the images of the objects gradually become subtle, and suddenly mind and object merge, with the contemplation transforming into the anāsrava. In this way, progressively, the inferior transforms into the middling, the middling transforms into the superior, and it reaches ultimate fulfillment; this is called cultivation. In the first two stages, the sāsrava three wisdoms are cultivated both actively and as seeds. The anāsrava is cultivated as seeds, because its function gradually increases. In the stage of penetration, there is only the wisdom of cultivation, which is purely anāsrava, cultivated both actively and as seeds. The sāsrava is cultivated as seeds in the stage of cultivation. Before the seventh ground, both sāsrava and anāsrava possess the three wisdoms, cultivated both actively and as seeds. From the eighth ground upward, the anāsrava three wisdoms are cultivated actively and as seeds; the sāsrava is cultivated as seeds. In the ultimate stage, the sāsrava is entirely abandoned; because the anāsrava is complete, one no longer cultivates. Yet one possesses the anāsrava contemplation of both ultimate and conventional gates, both actively and as seeds. Practice by grounds has practice by acquisition and practice by habituation. Fascicle nine of the Abhidharmasamuccaya says: "Furthermore, when the path arises, it can establish its own habit-energy; this is called practice by acquisition, because from this type, it mutually intensifies and arises in unbroken succession. Furthermore, this very path being practiced presently is called practice by habituation, because this very path operates presently. Habituation refers to active operation; acquisition refers to seeds. There are cases where, relying on a lower ground, one gives rise to a mind of the lower ground: practice by habituation is only of the lower, while practice by acquisition extends to the higher, because by apprehending higher objects, its power is intensified; the lower increases in both substance and function, whereas the higher increases only in function." The Cheng weishi lun says: "The reason why those in the first three formless realms possess these faculties is that they are additionally acquired through practice by the superior path of seeing. There are cases where, relying on a lower ground, one gives rise to a mind of a higher ground: practice by habituation is only of the higher, while practice by acquisition extends to the lower ground. There are cases where, relying on a higher ground, one gives rise to a mind of a higher ground: practice by habituation is only of the higher, while practice by acquisition also extends to the lower. There are cases where, relying on a higher ground, one gives rise to a mind of a lower ground: practice by habituation is only of the lower, while practice by acquisition extends to the higher. All higher [minds] cultivating lower ones and cultivating one's own ground apply to all categories. A lower cultivating a higher must be one previously attained and cultivated by one with mastery, not by other categories." When the Abhidharmasamuccaya says that "a lower ground cannot cultivate a higher," it speaks with respect to all beginners and those gradually nearing [it] through practice by habituation. Those who have not attained mastery and have not attained the higher concentrations cannot cultivate the higher, because being proximate, they have not yet produced the fruit; this is not the case for superior persons.