止觀輔行傳弘決 1.50

1.50

次「漸則」去，釋行相中云漸如梯磴者，梯者，《說文》云「木階也。極高用梯，次高用磴。」故《大經》第八云「為欲化度諸世間故，種種示現差別之相，如彼梯隥。」《大論》四十云「譬如登樓，得梯則易。」八十八云「譬如登梯，始從初桄漸漸向上，上處雖高亦能得至。」故用譬漸也。磴字，亦可從足，謂升躡也。從木者，非此所用。從石者，謂山坂漸高也。亦可義用，正應從阜作此隥字，亦梯類也，可以升高也，始自人天終至實相故也。「金剛寶」者，《大經》二十二云「如金剛寶，置之日中色則不定。金剛三昧亦復如是，若在大眾色則不定。」大論三十八又云「如玻瓈，珠隨前色變，自無定色。諸法亦爾，或常無常。」經以一行隨於眾行，論以一理應於眾理，理行雖殊同名不定。故金剛、玻瓈珠名雖殊，譬意亦等。《大論》五十九云「金剛寶者，帝釋所執，與修羅戰，碎落閻浮。」釋曰：理行如珠，教法如日。情如眾物，觀如現色。「圓頓」者，圓名圓融圓滿，頓名頓極頓足。又圓者，全也。李奇云「圓，錢也。」即圓全無缺也。體非漸成，故名為頓。體雖極足，須以二十五法為前方便，十法成觀而為正修。今序中語略，具如下文。「如通者騰空」者，近地之空與萬仞同體，故云不二。通者，譬頓行人。騰譬修行觀理，空譬頓理不二。「為三根」等者，此三止觀對根不同，事雖差殊，同緣頓理。離圓教外無別根性，當知此三並依圓理，分此三行名三根性，是故漸次不同於別，或一日一月一生修之可獲。故玄文第十判教中云「漸觀者，從初發心為圓極故，修阿那般那乃至無作。」故知頓人行解俱頓，漸人解頓行漸，不定解頓行或頓漸。有人云：是別。都不見文旨。

Next, from "gradual then" onwards, explaining the characteristics of practice: regarding "gradual is like a ladder and stone steps"—for "ladder," the Shuowen says, "Wooden steps. For the extreme heights one uses a ladder; for the next heights one uses stone steps." Therefore Fascicle 8 of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "In order to transform and deliver all worlds, he manifests diverse characteristics of distinction in various ways, just like those ladder steps." Fascicle 40 of the Dazhidulun says: "For example, in climbing a tower, if one obtains a ladder it is easy." Fascicle 88 says: "For example, in climbing a ladder, one begins from the first rung and gradually goes upward; though the upper place is high, one is also able to reach it." Therefore it is used to illustrate the gradual. For the character deng (磴), it may also take the foot radical (蹬), meaning to ascend and tread upon. That taking the wood radical is not what is used here. That taking the stone radical refers to a mountain slope gradually rising. It can also be used according to the sense; correctly it should take the mound radical (阜) to make this character deng (隥), which is also a type of ladder that can be used to ascend to heights, because it begins from humans and gods and ultimately reaches the true mark. Regarding "vajra jewel": Fascicle 22 of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "Like a vajra jewel placed in the sun, its color is indefinite. The vajra-samādhi is also like this: if in the great assembly, its color is indefinite." Fascicle 38 of the Dazhidulun also says: "Like crystal, the jewel changes color following what is before it, having no definite color of its own. All phenomena are also like this, either permanent or impermanent." The sūtra uses a single practice conforming to manifold practices, and the treatise uses a single principle responding to manifold principles; though principle and practice differ, both are called "indefinite." Therefore, though the names vajra and crystal jewel differ, the intent of the metaphor is equal. Fascicle 59 of the Dazhidulun says: "The vajra jewel is held by Śakra; fighting with the asuras, it shattered and fell onto Jambudvīpa." Explanation: Principle and practice are like the jewel; teachings are like the sun. Dispositions are like the manifold objects; contemplation is like the manifested colors. Regarding "perfect and sudden": "perfect" (yuan) means perfectly integrated and completely fulfilled; "sudden" (dun) means suddenly ultimate and suddenly sufficient. Again, "perfect" means complete. Li Qi says, "Yuan means a coin," which means completely round without defect. Because the essence is not gradually achieved, it is called "sudden." Though the essence is ultimate and sufficient, one must take the twenty-five preparatory dharmas as prior expedients, and the ten dharmas forming contemplation as the primary practice. Here in the preface the words are brief; they are detailed as in the text below. Regarding "like one possessing supernormal powers soaring through space": space near the ground and space at ten thousand fathoms share the same essence, hence they are called non-dual. "One possessing supernormal powers" illustrates the practitioner of the sudden. "Soaring" illustrates practicing the contemplation of principle; "space" illustrates the non-duality of the sudden principle. Regarding "for the three capacities," etc.: these three types of calming and contemplation correspond to differences in capacities; though their activities differ, they together take the sudden principle as their object. Apart from the perfect teaching there are no other faculties and natures; one should know that these three all rely on the perfect principle, and distinguishing these three practices is called the three faculties and natures. Therefore the gradual is not the same as the distinctive [teaching]; it may be attained by practicing it for one day, one month, or one lifetime. Therefore in the classification of teachings in Fascicle 10 of the Fahua xuanyi, it says: "The gradual contemplation means that from the initial arousing of the aspiration, for the sake of the perfect ultimate, one cultivates ānāpāna up to the unconditioned." Hence we know that for a person of the sudden, practice and understanding are both sudden; for a person of the gradual, understanding is sudden while practice is gradual; for a person of the indefinite, understanding is sudden while practice is either sudden or gradual. Some say: this is the distinctive [teaching]. They entirely fail to see the purport of the text.