大乘法苑義林章 3.24.3

3.24.3

"If one realizes the first fruit relying on the anāgamya-dhyāna, at that time all afflictions that could lead to an unfortunate destiny are all eradicated forever." This refers to one who leaps over to attain the third fruit, as well as a sequential person, who rely on the fundamental dhyānas and the anāgamya; it explains that all attainments of path-vows must first have pure meditation as their condition, because the four roots of goodness are bound to the form realm. As for non-discipline and intermediate vows, whether one is born into such a family or not, if one generates the resolve oneself, or if fathers, sons, and so forth instruct and practice among themselves, they are thus attained through external conditions or attained without relying on another; both are without error. Unlike the Hinayana schools, non-discipline is not attained from another. Above, the conditions of attainment were explained. As for the timing of attainment, first the time of attaining manifest [action] is explained, and afterwards the time of attaining unmanifest [action] is explained. For now, regarding the time when bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs attain manifest [action], it means they attain it when requesting the precepts from the Saṅgha. Fascicle fifty-three states: "Furthermore, if one arouses the mind to go to the master's presence, earnestly makes requests, applies expedients to initiate acts of reverence and the like, abides before the master with correct deportment, and expresses what one desires with speech, producing superior action—this is called bodily manifest and vocal manifest action." The Karmasiddhiprakaraṇa is the same, so it cannot be cited in extenso. Only the manifest volition functioning as the proximate motivating cause, directly initiating body and speech as the transforming cause, constitutes the essence of manifest action; therefore, it must be at this time. If one were to say that at the prior stage when requesting from the Saṅgha, the action is judged according to whether the mind is high, middling, or low, and that the prayer being fulfilled, one only attains manifest [action] at the third karmavācanā—this is a Hinayana doctrine, not what is upheld here. This is because manifest action is not subsumed under physical shape, but is subsumed solely under the manifest volition that initiates body and speech; at that [later] time, one may be mindless, or defiled, or indeterminate, or have a different perceptual condition. Following this [reasoning], the remaining three assemblies of renunciants, as well as upavāsas and upāsakas, all attain the manifest vows from bowing, etc., before the master. Although at a subsequent time they follow the master's words, they do not necessarily have their mind present, and it is not necessarily virtuous nor determinate; it is a subsequent continuation, not the initiating mind. If one accepts receiving vows spontaneously before an image, having bodily, vocal, and mental manifest [actions], they are attained right at the time of seeking and bowing before the Buddha. As for the bodhisattva vows, at the time of requesting and receiving them, they are attained upon the completion of the third round when the words of compassion are uttered, because it is then determinate. The vows of meditation and path are solely unmanifest; their time of attaining manifest [action] is not spoken of. As for non-discipline, only when performing the deed or when giving the instruction does one attain manifest action. Fascicle fifty-three states: "If one is born into a family of non-discipline, possesses discernment, and arouses a resolve oneself, saying, 'I shall sustain myself by this means of livelihood,' and again arouses a mind of desire, delight, and approval toward this means of livelihood, at that time one is called a person of non-discipline. Because of being subsumed under non-discipline, and subsumed under an intensely improper attention and harmful mind, one merely achieves extensive unwholesome roots; yet one has not accomplished the unwholesome actions generated by taking life and generated by the other unwholesome courses of action, so long as the intended deed has not been carried out." What this means is: whether born into such a family or not, if one generates the mind and approves, then because of accomplishing those unwholesome roots, one is designated by what will subsequently arise, namely called a person of non-discipline. That treatise further states: "Afterwards, whether performing it a little or much, according to what is appropriate, one further accomplishes various unwholesome actions." What this means is: afterwards, whether doing it oneself or instructing another to do a little or much, even though life has not yet been severed and so forth, it already constitutes the unwholesome manifest action of taking life, whether bodily or vocal; if afterwards that deed is completed by oneself or another, and the prior life is severed, a little or much, because one's wish is fulfilled and one's original vow satisfied, only then is unmanifest [action] accomplished. Unlike other schools, where upon completion of the prior deed, manifest and unmanifest [actions] are both initiated and attained simultaneously: the superior volition that first initiates the action of body and speech is precisely manifest action; the completion of the deed is a subsequent continuation, not the initiation, and because unmanifest [action] is attained, it is called non-discipline. Manifest action is as explained now. The manifest action of the intermediate state is attained either upon making a resolution, or at the time of instruction, or upon performing the deed. Above, the time of attaining the two manifest [actions] of body and speech was explained. As for mental manifest action, it is attained as soon as the thought is raised. Above, the attainment of manifest [action] was explained. Regarding the attainment of unmanifest [action], the unmanifest [action] of prātimokṣa has three types of attainment: first, the great vows of renunciation are attained when the third karmavācanā is completed, at the time of saying 'it shall be kept thus.' Bodhisattva vows are also attained at the third karmavācanā when answering that one is able to keep them. This is because the superior state that was previously resolved and sought after is now fulfilled, and the ritual action of the Saṅgha is complete at this time. Although seeds were perfumed by the volitional manifest [actions] of the prior stages, now that the ritual action is finished, even if one is mindless or has a mind with a different condition, because of that prior resolve the present vow is now fulfilled. From the moment after the initial thought, the efficacy of the volition-seeds preventing evil multiplies and increases, which is called attaining the vows. Some say that the substantial entity of the volition-seeds multiplies and increases, which is called attaining the vows. This too is incorrect. When the ritual action is finished, that person may be mindless or have a condition of a different moral nature; since there is no present volition or present manifest [action] to perfume them, how could the substantial entity of seeds suddenly be newly produced? From this we know that, depending on the conditions encountered, the new and old seeds—whether specific or general—perfumed by the manifest cause-volition, now that the conditions are fully met, their efficacy multiplies and increases, which is called attaining unmanifest [action]; this is because vows concordant with mind, though moment by moment, are previously unattained. If it were not an increase in efficacy but an increase in substantial entity, how could every moment freshly perfume seeds? Since the unmanifest [action] of meditation and path is the present volition, there cannot be multiple volitions in a single mind. Following this, the unmanifest [action] of prātimokṣa also does not increase in substantial entity. In the initial moment, one [set of] seven [branches] increases in efficacy; in the second moment, there are two [sets of] seven branches; and so on, continuously increasing until abandoned. The 'Viniścaya' section, fascicle sixty, states: "If an unwholesome course of action reaches completion, this is also called becoming a grave evil and becoming a great unwholesome [act] through the fault of contamination, capable of leading to an intensely undesirable fruit. Why is that? If one, with a defiled mind, can induce undesirable, unhappy, and displeasing suffering in another, then by the power and momentum of that suffering mind capable of inducing suffering, the volition of that person incurs a vast sin; therefore it is called the fault of contamination." What this means is: whether performing it bodily oneself or causing another to perform an unwholesome course of action, causing the termination of another's life and so forth, when the deed is completed, by the natural force of things, the volition of the one who acts oneself and of the instructor incurs a vast sin. The prior mind is now fulfilled and the other's suffering is also fulfilled; therefore, incurring sin oneself is called contamination. That treatise further states: "Although that person does not generate such a thought: 'May all those who can induce my suffering incur a great sin,' yet by the nature of things they incur a great sin. For example, just as a lodestone, though without intention, causes all iron to come and attach to itself; yet by the nature of things, all nearby iron comes and attaches to the lodestone without effort. The principle here should be understood to be just the same."