華嚴一乘教義分齊章 3.16

3.16

Question: 'Why does this explanation differ from the previous teaching?' Answer: 'Because that was to guide the two vehicles and had not yet spoken profoundly, therefore it accommodated the lower by means of the upper, stating that the afflictive obscuration is identical to that of the two vehicles and is only exhausted by gnosis at the buddha stage. Furthermore, it accommodated the upper by means of the lower, also conceding that the two vehicles completely abandon the afflictive obscuration and partially abandon the cognitive obscuration. Now, this [final teaching] proceeds according to the real: because the two vehicles ignorant of the Dharma lack a vast mind, they do not definitively abandon the afflictive obscuration. Alternatively, the former concerned the śrāvakas within the Three Vehicles, while here it concerns those ignorant of the Dharma, and therefore they differ. As for bodhisattvas, between the two obscurations they do not distinguish innate and discriminated, but only have the actual afflictions and the habit-energies: before the stages they suppress the active occurrences of the afflictions; on the first stage they abandon the seeds of the afflictions; on the stages they eliminate habit-energies; and on the buddha stage there is definitive purity. However, during the ranks of the three worthies before the stages, because at the outset they do not fall into the stages of the two vehicles, they are freely able to abandon the afflictive obscuration, but retain it and do not abandon it in order to eliminate the cognitive obscuration and so forth. Therefore the Liang *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* says: "From the ten understandings onward, one attains the supramundane pure mind." It also says: "From the mind of the ten understandings upward, one is called a noble one, because one does not fall into the stages of the two vehicles." The *Renwang jing* says: "Before the stages, one attains the emptiness of persons without realizing the fruition," and so forth. Furthermore, the *Awakening of Faith* says that one attains a partial seeing of the dharmakāya, manifests the eight aspects, and so forth—all have this meaning. Because this bodhisattva fears only the cognitive obscuration, they cultivate contemplations of consciousness-only, suchness, and so forth, suppressing and abandoning that obscuration. However, regarding the afflictive obscuration, not only do they not fear it or cultivate antidotes to it, they also intentionally retain it to assist in accomplishing superior practices. From the first stage onward, having abandoned a coarse portion of the cognitive obscuration, they no longer retain the afflictive obscuration. Therefore, the two obscurations are not divided into seeing and cultivation; upon reaching the first stage, the actual afflictions are all exhausted together. Hence the commentary on the *Maitreya-paripṛcchā-sūtra* says: "Question: 'If a śrāvaka first abandons the afflictions abandoned by the path of seeing, and only thereafter gradually abandons the afflictions of the path of cultivation, why does a bodhisattva not resemble a śrāvaka?' Answer: 'A bodhisattva, for immeasurable kalpas, has performed beneficial deeds for sentient beings. Later, seeing the nectar-realm of phenomena of suchness, they contemplate all those bodies of sentient beings as truly not different from the place of my own aspiration. Therefore, in the bodhisattva's paths of seeing and cultivation, because all afflictions can obstruct the practices that benefit sentient beings, they are all abandoned together right within the path of seeing.'" This text serves as proof. As for the afflictions of manas, their coarseness is also abandoned on the first stage, and residual habit-energies are eliminated later. Hence Asvabhāva's *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* says: "Transforming the defiled manas, one attains the gnosis of equality. At the time of initial direct realization, it has already been realized; in the position of the path of cultivation, it becomes increasingly purified." The explanation says: "becoming increasingly purified" means eliminating habit-energies, because the actual afflictions were already abandoned previously. Later it merely says "becomes increasingly purified," and no longer says "abandoned." If one were to say that this is merely a temporary suppression without arising upon entering the true path of seeing, and not genuine abandonment, then one could not say "becomes increasingly purified," for if they were not abandoned at all, how could it be called "becoming increasingly purified"? If one relies on the initial teaching, it allows for what was said there; therefore, one should know that in this teaching, only habit-energies are eliminated on the stages. The *Ratnagotravibhāga* says: "'Impure' means that all ordinary persons have the afflictive obscuration; 'having stains' means that all śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and others have the cognitive obscuration; 'having spots' means that all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas and others are affected by the two kinds of habit-energy obscurations." The explanation says: the treatise's commentary states that those on the stages are called mahāsattvas, hence we know that they only have the obscuration of habit-energies. Here, habit-energy exists only uninterruptedly after the seeds of the actual afflictions are abandoned. Why? Because prior to abandonment there is no diminution; only uninterruptedly upon the abandonment of seeds is there diminution; therefore the treatise calls them "habit-energies arisen uninterruptedly."