大乘法苑義林章 6.28

6.28

Sixth, the stages of true destruction: Regarding the four māras of fragmented [saṃsāra], the initial stage of generating the mind among the ten abidings of a bodhisattva is divided into the ten faiths. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra states: 'At the abiding of the initial generation of the mind, one can accomplish the path through the eight manifestations, has already subdued the devaputra-māra of the class of fragmented [saṃsāra], and has already attained supernormal powers.' How could that [māra] obstruct him? In the fourth abiding of noble birth, one has already subdued all discriminative māras of afflictions; they are gradually subdued on the path of provisioning, and can be subdued all at once on the path of application. At the initial mind of the first bhūmi, the essence of discrimination is directly and completely severed; as for the innate ones, they are gradually subdued on the path of application, and can be subdued all at once from the first bhūmi onward. However, by the power of intentional resolve, they sometimes still arise, without this being a fault. From the eighth bhūmi onward, none of them operate, and their seeds are severed by the vajra-like [samādhi]. If one follows Vasubandhu's Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-upadeśa, which states that 'from the first bhūmi onward one receives transformation birth', then the aggregates and death are subdued immediately. If one follows the Cheng weishi lun, some only receive transformation [birth] upon reaching the eighth bhūmi, abandoning the two māras of the aggregates and death only at the culminating mind of the seventh bhūmi, because the aspirations of the two classes of bodhisattvas cultivated in the application [stage] are different. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa praises the virtues of the eighth bhūmi and above, saying: 'Subduing the enmity of māras and controlling all non-Buddhists,' which clarifies that they possess these virtues, not that they only now begin to break them. Furthermore, to completely destroy the four māras requires the eighth bhūmi and above; therefore it praises them. The Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: 'From the first bhūmi onward, one is separated from the coarse four māras; from the eighth bhūmi onward, one is able to be separated from the subtle ones.' Moreover, the māras of fragmented [saṃsāra] are called coarse, because they are abandoned at the first bhūmi. The four māras of transformation [saṃsāra] still remain; subtle is the name for what is not yet abandoned. Regarding the discriminative hindrance of the knowable among the māras of the class of transformation [saṃsāra], at the fourth abiding one is separated from the companions of unshared ignorance; the hindrance of the knowable is gradually subdued on the path of provisioning, can be subdued all at once on the path of application, and is permanently severed at the first bhūmi. The innate hindrance of the knowable in the six consciousnesses is severed portion by portion across the ten bhūmis, and does not operate at all from the eighth bhūmi onward. That in the seventh consciousness is severed so as not to arise only on the path of application of the vajra-like [samādhi]. This and the seeds in the six consciousnesses are severed simultaneously by the vajra-like uninterrupted path. Regarding the two māras of the transformation aggregates and death, the Cheng weishi lun has two explanations. One says: when the vajra-like path arises, they have already been abandoned, because they are abandoned simultaneously with the seeds of the two hindrances. The orthodox position is not like this: they are abandoned only when the path of liberation arises, because this does not contradict the uninterrupted path. Since Amitābha Buddha still has a māra king, what error is there in comparison with the stages above? It must be a great bodhisattva who can act as a māra to obstruct great stages. If it is an abiding bodhisattva, he only then subdues the devaputra-māra; if one has already become a Buddha, no tenth-bhūmi bodhisattva can obstruct him. Having already transcended the three realms, why would there be any further need to subdue him? The four māras of the four inversions are precisely the hindrance of the knowable; the initial four māras are no different from the previous ones, so they are not explained separately.