華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 3.90

3.90

"Attainment" (prāpti) is also called "acquisition". It refers to positing attainment provisionally in regard to wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral dharmas, whether they increase or decrease. Wholesome, unwholesome, and neutral dharmas express the meaning of the locus of dependence. "Whether they increase or decrease" expresses the meaning of their self-nature. Why is that? Because when there is an increase, one is said to attain upper-grade faith and so forth; when there is a decrease, one is said to attain lower-grade faith and so forth. "Positing acquisition provisionally" expresses the meaning of provisional designation. The meaning of acquisition possesses these three gates and is termed "acquisition". Other cases should be understood to be established accordingly. There are three distinctions in obtaining attainment: seed attainment, mastery attainment, and active-manifestation attainment. As for "seed attainment", if one is born in the desire realm, the afflictions and secondary afflictions bound to the desire, form, and formless realms are attained through seed attainment, as well as innately acquired wholesome [dharmas]. If one is born in the desire realm, the afflictions and secondary afflictions of the three realms are attained—this is stated based on ordinary beings who have not departed from desire. If one has already departed from desire, or is born in an upper stage, then in accordance with the stage from which one has departed from desire, the afflictions and secondary afflictions of this stage are both attained and not attained: because their latent tendencies have not been eradicated permanently, and because they have been diminished by the path of antidotes, respectively in that order. As for the innately acquired wholesome [dharmas], they are attained in this stage according to the stage where one is born. If one is born in the form realm, the afflictions and secondary afflictions bound to the desire realm are attained through seed attainment, and are also called not attained; the afflictions and secondary afflictions bound to the form and formless realms are attained through seed attainment, as well as innately acquired wholesome [dharmas]. If one is born in the formless realm, the afflictions and secondary afflictions bound to the desire and form realms are attained through seed attainment, and are also called not attained; the afflictions and secondary afflictions bound to the formless realm are attained through seed attainment, as well as innately acquired wholesome [dharmas]. If one has already obtained the path of antidotes to the three realms, then according to whatever categories of antidotes have arisen, the seed attainment of those corresponding categories is not attained; according to whatever categories of antidotes have not arisen, those corresponding categories are attained through seed attainment. "Having already obtained the path of antidotes to the three realms" means having already obtained the supramundane noble path. "According to whatever categories of antidotes have arisen" means that the antidotes to the upper-grade afflictions and so forth abandoned by the path of cultivation have arisen. That "the seed attainment of those corresponding categories is not attained" means that their latent tendencies have been permanently eradicated. As for "mastery attainment", it refers to all expedient wholesome dharmas, mundane and supramundane dhyānas, liberations, samādhis, samāpattis, and other virtues, as well as a portion of neutral dharmas, which are attained through mastery attainment. "Expedient wholesome dharmas" refers to wisdom arising from hearing and so forth: although seeds previously exist, if apart from repeated cultivation and increase in the present life, they can never arise into active manifestation. "A portion of neutral dharmas" refers to the minds of technical skills and transformation. As for "active-manifestation attainment", it refers to the dharmas of the aggregates, realms, and bases: according to whatever wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral [dharmas] are presently manifest, they are attained through active-manifestation attainment. If someone has severed wholesome roots, all wholesome dharmas are attained through seed attainment, and are also called not attained. For those who lack the dharma of nirvāṇa, the icchantikas, they are completely attained. Defiled dharmas, because of lacking the cause of liberation, are also termed ātyantika, because for them the cause of obtaining liberation is permanently unattained. Question: What is called the cause of obtaining liberation? Answer: If, in regard to tathatā, coarse afflictions were previously accumulated, upon encountering compliant conditions for obtaining antidotes, one can permanently eradicate them. This capacity is called the cause of obtaining liberation; what is contrary to this is called having no cause for liberation. Question: What superior benefit is obtained from skill in attainment? Answer: One can skillfully comprehend the increase and decrease of dharmas. Because one knows increase and decrease, one abandons notions of certainty regarding the rise and decline of the world, up to being able to sever both love and wrath. This dharma of attainment, for the śrāvakas of foolish dharma, is matter non-associated [with the mind]. In the Initial Teaching, it is principle non-associated. In the Final Teaching, because it is identical with tathatā, it is inexpressible. Why is that? Because explaining it increases conceptual discrimination. If based on the Distinct Teaching, it fully possesses both the previously stated and the unstated. The remaining meanings are as in the separate chapter.