大乘法苑義林章 4.34

4.34

Next, explaining the specific names: First, regarding 'the vimokṣa of viewing forms while possessing form' (rūpī rūpāṇi paśyati vimokṣaḥ), the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'By two causes and conditions it is called "possessing form": namely, being born in the desire realm and attaining the concentration of the form realm, and also because one generates resolute intention toward illumination.' Here one observes the desire realm, taking the forms—whether few or many, good or bad, inferior or superior—that are mastered in the abhibhvāyatanas, and conceives them as illumination. Therefore it is merely named 'possessing form and viewing forms,' without saying 'internally possessing form and viewing external forms,' because 'possessing form' is not only internal, and the objects viewed are not only external. That is, both 'the contemplation of external forms' and 'the viewing of external forms possessing form' are genitive tatpuruṣa compounds. Regarding 'one with no internal conception of form viewing external forms' (adhyātmarūpasaṃjñī bahirdhā rūpāṇi paśyati), it is called 'internally lacking the conception of form' by two causes and conditions: 'First, having already realized and attained the formless attainments, one also personally knows that one has attained this concentration.' Having previously relied on the concentration of the sphere of infinite space, one has already separated from the defilement of the form realm. Therefore the Xianyang shengjiao lun says: '"One with no internal conception of form" means that relying on the formless concentration, one deliberates with resolute intention. Second, because one does not deliberate upon the internal conception of illumination, it is called "internally formless".' This statement intends to clarify that, having already attained the sphere of space, one internally abandons defilement by form, and furthermore within one's own mind one does not form the conception of illumination; hence it is called 'internally formless.' This form from whose defilement one is already separated is called 'external.' Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'If toward such forms one has already attained freedom from desire, they are called "external" because they transcend defilement.' Viewing these forms and forming resolving conceptions of them as few or many is called 'viewing external forms.' Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'Moreover, not deliberating on the characteristics of illumination of that conception, one merely forms resolute intentions toward external forms.' This means that one does not practice the contemplation of luminous forms, but merely forms resolving conceptions of them as few or many, good or bad, and so forth. In the first four abhibhvāyatanas, with form or without form, one separately contemplates forms as either few or many. Here one comprehensively contemplates external forms as few, many, good, bad, and so forth; thus it differs from the abhibhvāyatanas. 'The contemplation of external forms' and 'the contemplation of internal formlessness [viewing] external forms' are both tatpuruṣa compounds. When internally formless, one must have attained the concentrations such as the sphere of space. When correctly contemplating external forms and generating resolute intentions, one relies solely on the form concentrations and not on the formless [concentrations], because the formless cannot contemplate forms as few, many, and so forth. Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'The concentrations of the formless realm do not become manifest.' Regarding 'the pure vimokṣa, realizing it with the body and fully abiding in it' (śubhaṃ vimokṣaṃ kāyena sākṣātkṛtvopasaṃpadya viharati), the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'Having attained the complete purity of equanimity and mindfulness, relying on this, one practices and completes the pure noble conduct; this is called the pure vimokṣa.' This means that in the fourth dhyāna, because one has abandoned the hindrances of the three stages of vitarka, vicāra, prīti, and sukha, the complete purity of equanimity and mindfulness is called 'pure.' Therefore the Yogācārabhūmi says: 'Because one has surpassed all suffering and pleasure, because all agitation is calmed, because it is well polished, and because one is free from the hindrance of transformation into pure or impure, it is called vimokṣa.' Here too, being internally formless, one contemplates external forms, forming a conception of identical single flavor wherein the pure and impure mutually relate and interpenetrate. Because 'internally formless' was already stated previously, it is omitted here. Having omitted the internal, it likewise omits the viewing of external forms and so forth, merely stating 'pure vimokṣa.' The Xianyang shengjiao lun's statement that 'one deliberates with resolute intention solely on what is pure and marvelous' accords with a provisional explanatory approach, or relies on the time when that contemplation is perfected and one successively contemplates solely the conception of purity with a single flavor; hence it speaks thus. Regarding 'realizing it with the body,' within this abiding, all the noble ones mostly abide. 'Body' means the mental body. 'Realizing' means because one attains realization through wisdom and abandonment. When the sense faculties grasp their objects, only the body faculty is in direct physical contact, which excels the other faculties; thus it uniquely receives the designation of 'realizing.' This is also like that. In the previous two vimokṣas, deliberation with resolute intention was still distant, so they were given the name of 'contemplation' (paśyati). Now this vimokṣa is supreme in eliminating hindrances; the noble mind directly seizes it, so it is called 'realizing with the body.' For this reason the noble ones mostly abide in this and in the eighth vimokṣa; because these two are superior, each being at the limit of the two realms. When the World-Honoured One speaks in the sūtras of 'realizing with the body,' it is because the hindrances of form and the formless are abandoned without remainder, and the realization of the transformation of the basis excels the other six. Regarding 'fully abiding,' the fundamental [dhyāna] of the fourth dhyāna is perfected. The eighth is also like this, because the nine successive attainments are perfected. Regarding 'the vimokṣa of the sphere of infinite space' (ākāśānantyāyatana-vimokṣa), the Xianyang shengjiao lun says: '"Space" refers to the objective sphere that is the antidote to form, because it empties out that form. "Infinite" means that the characteristics of the ten directions cannot be distinguished; hence it is called infinite space. "Sphere" (āyatana) refers to the concentrations and other things upon which one relies in that stage. The practitioner who relies, the space that is the object, and the sphere that is the basis are together called "sphere." The marks of the desire and form realms are easy to know, whereas that realm is difficult to comprehend; thus it alone is given the name "sphere".' 'Infinite space' is the object, and 'sphere' is that which grasps the object. 'The sphere of infinite space' is a tatpuruṣa compound. The rest below should be understood accordingly. Regarding 'the sphere of infinite consciousness' (vijñānānantyāyatana), it means the consciousness that grasps infinite space; now taking this consciousness as its objective sphere, because the characteristics of the ten directions cannot be known, it is called infinite consciousness. 'Sphere' is that which grasps the object, with its meaning as explained above. Regarding 'the sphere of nothingness' (ākiṃcanyāyatana), when one investigates the objective sphere above the consciousness sphere, not the slightest thing is found; except for nothingness, there is no other objective sphere. Because one solely sees this sphere as extremely calm, this subtlety of nothingness surpasses the preceding. One contemplates that the spheres above have not the slightest thing, not even a small amount; the remaining meaning is as above. Regarding 'the sphere of neither-conception-nor-non-conception' (naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyatana): 'neither-conception' means transcending the conception of nothingness, for in the sphere of nothingness there is still coarse conception; 'nor-non-conception' means that when investigating the objective sphere above the sphere of nothingness, one only obtains the extremely subtle mind and mental factors that grasp nothingness. Because one solely sees this as extremely calm, the preceding sphere of nothingness grasps only the spheres above the consciousness sphere without even a minor fraction remaining. This summit-of-existence stage grasps only the mind and mental factors that are the graspers of the sphere of nothingness; unlike that stage, it lacks coarse conception, hence it is called 'neither-conception.' Yet because there still remains this extremely calm mind that only lacks [coarse conceptions], it is called 'nor-non-conception.' 'Nor' means 'not'; it does not mean entirely lacking conception. The remaining meaning is the same as before. Regarding 'the vimokṣa of the cessation of conception and sensation, realizing it with the body and fully abiding in it' (saṃjñāvedayitanirodha-vimokṣa-kāyena-sākṣātkṛtvopasaṃpadya viharati): because conception and sensation are stronger and superior to the others and are mental activities, one detests the toil and anxiety and temporarily seeks their pacification. When pacifying them, one must abandon hindrances to attain it; this is called vimokṣa. 'The vimokṣa for the cessation of conception and sensation' is a tatpuruṣa compound. The preceding seven vimokṣas are all karmadhāraya compounds. That is: 'possessing form and viewing forms' is itself the vimokṣa, because it liberates from hindrances; and so on up to 'neither-conception-nor-non-conception' is itself the vimokṣa. They can also be differentiated to form tatpuruṣa compounds, meaning 'the vimokṣa of possessing form and viewing forms,' and so forth.