止觀輔行傳弘決 1.91

1.91

Next, in revealing the correct, regarding 'first, the four noble truths': the four kinds of four noble truths are found in the text of the 'Chapter on Noble Practice' in the Great Scripture (Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra). Fascicle eleven first explains suffering through the eight sufferings, which is the suffering of arising and ceasing. At the end of the text on the truth of suffering, discriminating in terms of the four noble truths, it says: 'Ordinary beings have suffering but not the truth; śrāvakas have suffering and the truth of suffering; bodhisattvas understand suffering and have no suffering.' The remaining three [truths] are also like this; this is the bodhisattva of the shared teaching discriminated against the Tripiṭaka [teaching]. At the beginning of fascicle twelve, using wholesome and unwholesome craving and nine similes—namely, the debt collector, the leftover [meat], the rākṣasī wife, and so forth—to explain the truth of origin, this is the origin of arising and ceasing. At the end of the text on the truth of origin, discriminating in terms of the four noble truths, it says: 'Ordinary beings have suffering and no truth; the two vehicles have suffering and the truth of suffering; bodhisattvas understand suffering to have no suffering, but have the true truth.' The [other] three truths are also like this. The commentary says: 'Since the end of the preceding text on the truth of suffering did not say "having the true", we know it is the shared [teaching].' Now it says 'having the true'; 'true' means genuine and real, so we know it refers to the two kinds of genuine reality: the sequential and non-sequential. This is the distinctive and perfect [teachings] discriminated against the Tripiṭaka [teaching]. Coming to the end of the text explaining the truth of cessation, it only says: 'Because seeing cessation cuts off defilements, it is permanent; because there are no defilements, it is bliss; because of the conditions of the buddhas and bodhisattvas, it is called pure; because there is no twenty-five forms of existence, it is called self.' At the end of the text on the truth of the path, it only speaks of permanent and impermanent, conditioned and unconditioned, and so forth. At the end of the text on cessation and the path, it only speaks of the four virtues, and no longer compares and resolves them with the two vehicles; thus we know it is explained solely in terms of the distinctive and perfect [teachings]. Were it not for our tradition's perfect reconciliation of the sutra's intent, how could the Buddha's skilful and succinct words ever be penetrated? Down to the subsequent passage's 'inferior wisdom' and 'medium wisdom', these are all explicit texts of the four kinds of four noble truths. Later, due to Mañjuśrī's inquiry, the Buddha extensively answered the seven kinds of two truths, and next extensively clarified the single reality, fully detailed in the text of the Profound Meaning (Fahua xuanyi). Now, first in clarifying the four noble truths of arising and ceasing: the meaning of the truths is fully detailed in the third fascicle of the Profound Meaning. Regarding the 'three marks': the mark of abiding is not established, but is explained together with change, because people mostly give rise to the view of permanence regarding abiding. Hence the Vimalakīrti says: 'Monk! You now also arise, also grow old, and also cease.' Old age is precisely change; here the meaning兼 both the life-span and moment-to-moment types of the three marks. Regarding 'four minds': these are the four divisions of defilements. The four divisions must be shifted by the three marks, hence they are called 'fluctuating'; fluctuating is precisely arising and ceasing. Although the four marks belong to the mental formations not associated with mind, those very defilements are arising and so forth; to reveal that they constitute the meaning of arising and ceasing here, they must be explained by arising and so forth. Below, the path and cessation still constitute arising and ceasing, so this suffering and origin must be described as arising and so forth. Because the real, existent path cures those [defilements of] suffering and origin, it is called 'antidote'. When suffering and origin exist, there is no path; when the path exists, it can eliminate suffering and origin, hence it is called 'substituting and displacing'. Cessation has cause and fruit, returning back to remainderless [nirvāṇa], so it is also arising and ceasing. Hence in the Āgamas the meaning of the four noble truths is clarified as pervading all phenomena, as when it says: 'Knowing contaminants, knowing the origin of contaminants, knowing the cessation of contaminants, knowing the path to the cessation of contaminants.' The twelve links of dependent origination and the twelve dhūtas each give rise to the meaning of the four noble truths, fully detailed in the Lotus Commentary's explanation of Kāśyapa. 'Although worldly and world-transcending' and so on generally concludes that the four noble truths all constitute arising and ceasing. The shared teaching is fully detailed in the text of the Siṃhaparipṛcchā-sūtra, already cited in the Appended Notes (Shiqian). For the distinctive meaning: first, in the direct explanation of suffering, it first generally clarifies the object; next, from 'is none other than' downward, it generally clarifies the bodhisattva's power of wisdom in stepping out of provisionality; next, from 'that is' downward, it briefly adduces one realm by way of analogy to explain it. The character pi (鈹) written with the metal and knife radicals is a vulgar form. Pi means to cut open, flaying skin, slicing flesh, severing bone, and so forth. However, the meanings of these words are broadly similar with slight differences; thus the Yupian says: 'Flaying means tearing, carving and cutting, removing flesh and stripping skin.' Slicing means trimming, severing. Ruo means like. Gan means a number. Their kinds of suffering and outward aspects are immeasurable. 'Hence not' and so on adduces the inferior to reveal the superior. The three truths below should be understood accordingly. Question: Why is it that in the text on the truth of suffering it refers to the ten dharma-realms, in the text on the truth of origin it only says 'various kinds', in the text on the truth of the path it analyzes substance and so forth, and in the text on the truth of cessation it differentiates the four teachings? Answer: The meaning of suffering and origin is pervasive and must be referenced to the ten realms; being what is cured, it must generally be stated as ten. The path should also be four; but taking it temporarily as that which can cut off internal and external suffering and origin, it is only stated as two. If cessation were stated as two, it would not conflict with the principle. By borrowing the boundaries of the teachings, it is minutely differentiated into four. This means that suffering and origin are both ten, and path and cessation are both four, because the two kinds of cause and effect are each of the same type. In the truth of origin, 'the body is crooked' and so forth: the body is like origin and the shadow is like suffering; the sound is like origin and the echo is like suffering. In the truth of the path, 'skill and clumsiness in analyzing substance': dividing within and outside the realms, 'expedient means' generally refers [to both]. The various stages of the worthy and noble using wisdom to sever delusions are all called expedient means, so there are four different kinds of expedient means. 'Bent and straight, long and short': the conjured city and the place of jewels each have bent and straight; five hundred [yojanas] is long, three hundred is short. Regarding 'provisional and real': it is as explained in fascicle three under biased and perfect. A worldly explanation of 'provisional' (quan) is to reverse the normal to conform to the Dao. It is also said: 'The traces are close while the journey is far; blending with the light yet not mingling with the dust.' Jia Kui says: 'It means change; it means suitability.' The meaning of the character expresses this, as can be understood from its intent. 'Further, cessation' downward: in the truth of cessation, 'a number of primary and auxiliary' has an import that runs through the four kinds of cessation. 'Further, such' downward: in the truth of cessation of the distinctive [teaching], 'dust and sand' is an analogy for the great number of types of nescience. Other interpretations hold there are only two: first, defiled; second, undefiled. The undefiled is the residual impressions. The intent of our school is that the Hinayana's residual impressions are precisely the delusions distinctive [to bodhisattvas], and hence they are explained now. Dividing into sixteen gates within and outside the realms, one knows the sickness, recognizes the medicine, and dispenses the medicine. 'Further, the three siddhāntas' downward evaluates the immeasurable by means of the four siddhāntas. The distinctive teaching from beginning to end establishes the meaning of the four siddhāntas, that is, from the first bhūmi upward is called the supreme-meaning [siddhānta]. Now this 'immeasurable' establishes the name 'immeasurable' from the side of the meaning of the three siddhāntas before the bhūmis, hence it is said to be 'from the majority'. In the four noble truths of uncreated action, 'are all' means that not only path and cessation, but suffering and origin are also real. The beginning and end are non-dual, hence they are called uncreated; being different from the distinctive immeasurable, it is said that 'there are no more'. Furthermore, the three siddhāntas of the distinctive [teaching] are themselves the supreme meaning, hence it is said that 'there are no more'. This is pervasive in the sutras and cannot be recorded in detail. Next, regarding horizontal and vertical in matching with the lands: 'vertical' refers to establishing teachings according to capacities; since capacities vary in increase and decrease, this causes teachings to have differences. The four lands matched against the teachings have superior and inferior, more and fewer, hence it is called vertical. The substances of the lands directly face each other with no further superiority or inferiority, hence it is called horizontal. Question: In the land of expedient means, the shared delusions are already absent; why do both the horizontal and vertical meanings of the shared teaching state that the shared [teaching] is used? Answer: It is the initial gate of the Mahayana, regulating capacities to enter the sudden; it is studied for the sake of knowing, not used for cutting off delusions. Just as the śrāvakas, upon reaching the Vaipulya assembly and being rebuked, all practiced the shared gate; if they reached the Vaipulya, they would certainly arrive at the Lotus. The necessity of the shared teaching in the land of expedient means applies to those people who did not reach the Vaipulya assembly. Question: If it is the land of real reward, why must the distinctive teaching be used? Answer: This is spoken in terms of the pedagogical path of the teaching; on the path of realization, it is certainly absent. Question: Since the [land of] calm light is ultimate, why must a teaching be used? Both horizontal and vertical texts use uncreated action. Answer: The teaching covers the intermediate and lower, not the ultimate. From the first abidance upward is called the non-calm light; equal awakening is intermediate, and wondrous awakening is superior. This comes from the Commentary on the Vimalakīrti. 'Further, in general exposition' downward explains the general by means of the distinct. Thus suffering and origin are separated into the twelve links, the wisdom contemplating dependent origination is taken as the truth of the path, and the cessation of the twelve links is taken as the truth of cessation. 'Hence the Great Scripture' downward adduces proof. Fascicle twenty-five says: 'The wisdom contemplating dependent origination has four kinds in all: inferior, medium, superior, and supreme. One who contemplates with inferior wisdom does not see the Buddha-nature; because he does not see it, he attains the bodhi of a śrāvaka. One who contemplates with medium wisdom does not see the Buddha-nature; because he does not see the Buddha-nature, he attains the bodhi of a pratyekabuddha. One who contemplates with superior wisdom sees it indistinctly; because he sees it indistinctly, he abides on the ten stages of abidance. One who contemplates with supreme wisdom sees it distinctly and attains anuttarā [samyak-saṃbodhi]. For this reason, the twelve links of dependent origination are called Buddha-nature; Buddha-nature is the emptiness of the supreme meaning; the emptiness of the supreme meaning is called the middle way; the middle way is called Buddha; Buddha is called nirvāṇa.' Dependent origination is not different, but the four contemplations are not equal. Matched to the distinctive teaching, the sutra says 'abides on the ten stages of abidance' and so forth because, through sequential practice, one enters emptiness from the abidances, up to the ten bhūmis where one first enters the middle way; sequentially abiding in the three, it is therefore called abiding. 'Abiding' and 'indistinct' are both spoken in terms of the pedagogical path of the teaching; without the four teachings, this text would be difficult to resolve, as will be explained at length in [the section on] the object of dhyāna. 'Further, the Madhyamaka-śāstra' downward divides the four lines of the treatise to prove the four teachings. Because among these four lines dependent origination stands first, matching dependent origination to the initial teaching has two meanings: first, matching the initial to the initial; second, matching phenomenal fact to phenomenal fact. Furthermore, dependent origination is the root of all phenomena; depending on differences in contemplation, it becomes emptiness, provisionality, and the middle; hence it proves that the different teachings equally contemplate dependent origination. Next, 'further explained' downward again takes the first line to explain the four kinds of four noble truths. In the four kinds of four noble truths, all contemplate dependent origination, hence dependent origination is matched with the four sufferings and origins. The expedient means for ceasing suffering differ in terms of emptiness, analysis and substance, and provisionality and the middle, thereby constituting four differences. The preceding explanation appeared similar, but matched the text with slight difference; therefore it is explained again. 'Further, the verse says' downward again matches with dependent origination: although the previous four lines were matched with the four kinds of dependent origination, dependent origination and that which it produces were not yet divided to match with cause and effect; having made this matching, one then knows the first line is the initial contemplation. The three lines below differ, yet all contemplate dependent origination, hence the text says 'further' and cites the entire treatise as all contemplating dependent origination, dividing the Hinayana and Mahayana according to the earlier and later texts. This relies on the ancient masters' evaluation of the treatise's teaching, saying: 'The teachings are of two kinds: first, shared; second, distinctive. "Shared" means pervasively covering [all], ultimately aiming at non-duality; "distinctive" is like the Lotus, where the three vehicles are each distinct.' Now the text of this treatise only sets forth the distinctive teaching: within the distinctive teaching, it primarily sets forth the Mahayana, which is the first twenty-five chapters; it secondarily sets forth the two vehicles, which is the last two chapters: dependent origination sets forth the intermediate [vehicle], and wrong views sets forth the small [vehicle]. For the time being this is used, hence it says 'points to'. However, the intent of our school differs from the ancients: although the ancients assigned the twenty-five chapters distinctly to the Mahayana, they did not know that they also contain the shared and include the distinctive; and assigning the chapter on dependent origination distinctly to the intermediate vehicle, they did not know that the treatise takes dependent origination as its central theme. 'One should know' downward next concludes that the truths and conditions are not different from the verse.