摩訶止觀 6.26

6.26

Second, the stages common to the three vehicles in directly realizing thought according to the shared tradition: as the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā-prajñāpāramitā explains, the ground of dry wisdom, the ground of nature, and up to the sixth ground are shared with the śrāvaka; reaching the seventh ground is shared with the pratyekabuddha; reaching the eighth and ninth grounds is shared with the bodhisattva; progressing from the bodhisattva ground into the tenth ground is called the "Buddha ground". As for these being called common grounds while having higher and lower levels: the Treatise says, "The three persons equally sever the primary afflictions and equally enter nirvāṇa with residue and without residue"; hence they are called "common". Just as burning wood leaves charcoal or leaves ash, so there are higher and lower levels. The ground of dry wisdom is precisely the stage of the three worthies: first, the five meditations for calming the mind; second, contemplation of the specific characteristics of mindfulness; third, contemplation of the general characteristics of mindfulness. These across the board are external ordinary persons, hence called the "ground of dry wisdom". "Nature" refers to the stage of the four roots of goodness: through the power of general mindfulness, good polluted five aggregates are generated, called "heat"; advancing through the initial, intermediate, and final minds, one attains entry into summit, patience, and the highest worldly dharma, all collectively called "internal ordinary persons", hence called the "ground of nature". These two stages together subdue view-delusions. The "eight persons" refers to the eight types of patience. Transitioning from the highest worldly dharma into the uninterrupted samādhi, it is therefore called the "eight persons". "View" means seeing the truth: severing the view-delusions of the three realms, the eighty-eight proclivities are all exhausted, hence called the "ground of view". "Thinning" means eliminating six grades of desire-realm thought-delusion, hence called the "ground of thinning". "Freedom from desire" means eliminating the nine grades of the desire realm completely, hence called the "ground of freedom from desire". "Finished business" means eliminating the seventy-two grades of the form and formless realms completely, like fire burning wood to charcoal, hence called the "ground of finished business". The pratyekabuddha, possessing deep and sharp merit and wisdom, is able to encroach upon and eliminate habitual impressions, like burning wood to ash. The bodhisattva, possessing deep and sharp merit and wisdom, has the path and contemplation flowing concurrently; they sever habitual impressions as well as ignorance concerning form and mind, attain the Dharma eye and the knowledge of the aspects of the path, play with spiritual penetrations, purify Buddha lands, train in the Buddha's powers, fearlessnesses, and other dharmas, and their remaining habitual impressions are about to be exhausted, like a small residue of ash. The Buddha ground, with great merit aiding and sharpening wisdom, attains the wisdom corresponding to a single thought-moment; habitual impressions are eternally exhausted, like the fire at the destruction of a kalpa leaving neither charcoal nor ash. These are the stages of severing thought-delusions across the ten grounds common to the three vehicles.