摩訶止觀 6.194

6.194

今明圓教五品之初，秖是凡地，即能圓觀三諦修於中空，坐如來座；修寂滅忍，著如來衣；修佛定慧，以如來莊嚴而自莊嚴；修無緣慈，入如來室。始從初品進入第五，相似法起，見鵠知池，望煙驗火，即是相似位人，入六根清淨也。例如外道不修念處，永無煖分。二觀亦爾，不修中道，似解不發。今五品修中能生似解，轉入初住，即破無明。故《華嚴》解初住云：「無染如虛空，清淨妙法身，湛然應一切。」正使及習一時皆盡，無有遺餘。「初發過牟尼」，此之謂也。始自初品，終至初住，一生可修，一生可證，不待位登七地爾乃修習，何暇歡喜始入雙流？前教所以高其位者，方便之說；圓教位下者，真實之說。《法華》云：「如此之事，是我方便，諸佛亦然。今當為汝說最實事。」即此意也。

Now we clarify that the beginning of the five ranks of the perfect teaching is merely the ordinary stage, yet one is immediately able to contemplate the three truths perfectly, cultivate the emptiness of the middle, and sit on the Tathāgata's seat; cultivate the forbearance of quiescent extinction and put on the Tathāgata's robes; cultivate the Buddha's concentration and wisdom and adorn oneself with the Tathāgata's adornments; cultivate unconditioned compassion and enter the Tathāgata's room. Beginning from the first rank and advancing into the fifth, the semblance Dharma arises: seeing a white crane one knows of a pool, and seeing smoke one verifies fire; this is a person at the semblance stage who enters the purification of the six sense faculties. It is just as when tīrthikas do not cultivate smṛtyupasthāna, they never have the stage of warmth. The same is true of the two contemplations: if one does not cultivate the middle way, semblance understanding will not arise. Now, cultivating the middle in the five ranks can give rise to semblance understanding, and transitioning into the first abodement, one immediately breaks through avidyā. Therefore the Avataṃsaka explains the first abodement: 'Untainted like empty space, pure and wondrous dharmakāya, serenely responding to all.' Direct proclivities and residual habits are extinguished all at once, without remainder. 'Initial aspiration surpasses Munī' refers to this. Beginning from the first rank and ending at the first abodement, it can be cultivated in a single lifetime and realized in a single lifetime, without waiting to ascend to the seventh stage to cultivate and practice, so why need one wait for the joy stage to first enter the dual flow? The reason the previous teachings elevated the stages was as an expedient explanation; the perfect teaching's lowering of the stage is the real explanation. The Lotus Sūtra says: 'Such matters are my skillful means, and so it is with all Buddhas. Now for your sake I shall speak the most real matter.' This is precisely the meaning.