能顯中邊慧日論 2.10

2.10

Fourth is the fault of failing to understand the four ways of answering questions. [The opponent] says: "If, relying on the four ways of answering questions, because whatever is born must die, one proves that the Buddha's wisdom, having arisen, must necessarily cease; then one should also, on the grounds that without affliction, or once dead, the dead is not reborn, prove that once the Buddha's wisdom has ceased it never arises again, such that it cannot be answered categorically." [If one claims that] this is answered by distinguishing moments—that is, that having extinguished a portion of samsāric existence, the Buddha has no affliction, or having ceased arises anew, and whatever is born must die, but this is not said with respect to the Buddha—this is not so. It is because you do not properly understand the intention of the four ways of answering questions that this objection arises. Once you understand these four ways of answering, this fierce objection will immediately subside. What are they? "Those that are born must die" is answered categorically, without discussing whether it is momentary or across a lifespan. "Does the one who has died get born?" is answered by distinguishing, distinguishing both momentary and lifelong [cases]. If one does not distinguish, why call it an answer by distinguishing? Now, to distinguish: if according to a lifespan, one without afflictions, having died, will certainly not be reborn. If based on moments, whether there are afflictions, or no afflictions, or both, must be distinguished. Among those without afflictions, taking the Tathāgata for instance: wisdom that has currently arisen, viewed in relation to seeds that will generate further, is called "born." Once the currently arisen [wisdom] ceases and no longer perfuses seeds, that is "the dead does not get born." If viewed as seeds generating actual functioning, there is no obstacle to [one] ceasing and other seeds arising; although there are no afflictions, the dead is born again. Bringing up one exemplifies the rest. In persons of the two vehicles with fixed gotra who lack afflictions, once a lifespan has ceased it will certainly not arise again. If based on moments, their currently arisen wise minds still perfuse and form seeds; although the manifest [moment] ceases, new seeds are born again. Persons of unfixed gotra have both momentary cessation and the absence of lifespan cessation, because they do not abandon this body to take on another body again. If you grant that a person of the fruition of non-training who turns their mind, having abandoned the portion of samsāric existence, further undergoes the transformationally produced [body], how can you say that one who dies without afflictions never arises again after death? As for discussing the Buddha, the Buddha does not die; what other person could be called "dying and not being born"? With respect to those with afflictions, those who are born all die. Does the dead get born? Stated in terms of the portions of samsāric existence, there are also those who are not born: those progressing toward the three vehicles who are destined to enter the path of seeing and do not regress, having died from their previous bodies in the three evil realms and the like, will definitely not be born there again, while human and heavenly [rebirths] are indefinite. In terms of moments, what is born must all die. Does the dead get born? Then one must make a distinction: if it is karmic vipāka, although the mind arises it does not perfuse seeds, so having died it does not arise again; if discussed from previous seeds, although it dies it arises anew. Thus, since the Saṃbhogabuddha has birth, he must certainly have cessation, without need for distinction; as to whether the dead is born, momentarily or over a lifespan, one must then distinguish. If one understands in this way, it is called understanding the four ways of answering questions. The Buddha himself definitively stated that all who are born die, which is a categorical answer. How can you now make further distinctions about it?