止觀輔行傳弘決 2.4

2.4

From "In this way" downwards concludes the contemplation of suffering. In "contemplating afflictions", there are two turns within it. First, the aspects of practice are explained in terms of the three truths: "quiet practice" is the practice of the truth of emptiness; "motionless practice" is the practice of the conventional truth; "not saṃsāra" and so forth is the practice of the middle way. From "not discarding" downwards accords with reality in terms of the three contemplations: "not discarding views" is provisionality; "not discarding the unconditioned" is emptiness; "yet practicing the Buddha-path" is the middle. The earlier statement of not discarding is double illumination; now, from "not practicing" downwards, it is double negation. Therefore, in the Vimalakīrti [it says], "Without abandoning views, practicing the thirty-seven aids to the path." There, it explains that views are themselves the aids to the path of the middle way; here, it explains that extremes are themselves the aids to the path of the middle way. The meaning of extremes is identical to views, and thus its meaning is employed to compose this text. Next, "contemplating karma" takes extremely heavy karma as the object of contemplation; hence it points out that the five rebellious acts are themselves bodhi. As for the "five rebellious acts", they mean killing one's father, killing one's mother, killing an arhat, causing schism in the Saṅgha, and shedding [the Buddha's] blood—three kinds of killing, one false speech, and one preliminary act to taking life. In discussing their relative gravity, as in the "Chapter on Karma" in the Upāsakaśīla Sūtra, subsequent karmas are graver than preceding ones; furthermore, there is the fourfold distinction between mind and object, as well as differences among the three periods such as the preliminary expedient. This is not the primary intent here, so it is not differentiated in detail. In the Mahāyāna, killing an upādhyāya and an ācārya are added to make seven rebellious acts. The essential nature of these five or seven rebellious acts is empty and tranquil; hence the Wuxing jing says: "The five rebellious acts are themselves bodhi, and bodhi is itself the five rebellious acts." If one explains the five rebellious acts in terms of contemplative practice, five dharmas that run contrary to the worldly order are called the five rebellious acts. Thus the third fascicle of the Laṅkāvatāra says: "Killing the father of ignorance, slaying the mother of craving, cutting off the enemy of latent defilements, destroying the concord of the aggregates, and cutting off the body of the seven consciousnesses—if anyone does this, he will immediately realize the true Dharma." This rebellion is in fact conformity [to truth], and is not the object of contemplation here. In terms of this, it is the contemplation that is capable of contemplating; that sūtra includes both meanings, while this text reveals it alone. Rebellion and bodhi do not transcend the nature of the mind; hence they are "without dual marks". Knowing the nature of the mind is called the "awakened one"; that the awakened one also does not exist is called "having no awakened one". Facing an object is called "awakening"; inner comprehension is called "knowing"—the substance of knowing and awakening is one, and their intended meaning is not different. The absence of a discriminating inner or outer controller is called "having no discriminator". It is also said: knowing the nature of the five rebellious acts is called the "awakened one"; clearly illuminating bodhi is called the "knower"; knowing these two dharmas is called the "discriminator". Because these are all eradicated, all are stated as "none". Since the substance of rebellion and the true mark are non-dual, it cannot be destroyed, for rebellion originally has no intrinsic nature. From "all" downwards, the light is exemplified by the heavy. Since the five rebellious acts are thus, all karmas are likewise; hence one abides in the limit of reality. "Neither coming nor going" clarifies that rebellion has no arising or ceasing; "neither cause nor fruit" clarifies that contemplation has no beginning or end. From "seal of the dharma-dhātu" downwards, the five rebellious acts are further interpreted by means of the four māras. First it is established: conforming to the three paths, the māras gain advantage; contemplating them as the dharma-dhātu, they cannot be destroyed. "Māras are themselves the seal": suffering is itself the true mark, and the two māras of the aggregates and death are themselves the seal of the dharma-dhātu; afflictions are themselves the true mark, and the affliction-māra is itself the seal of the dharma-dhātu; karma is itself the true mark, and the devaputra-māra is itself the seal of the dharma-dhātu. Next, in the explanation, since māras are themselves the seal, how could the seal destroy the seal? As the Dazhidulun says: "A bodhisattva taught someone to cultivate emptiness and cut off all thoughts. Later, as soon as a single thought of existence arose, he was stirred by māras; he immediately recalled the emptiness he originally cultivated, and the māras perished for him." Cultivating emptiness is still like this; how much more so when contemplating that they are themselves the seal of the dharma-dhātu! Therefore, Chan Master [Daoxiang/Xinxing] originally used this sūtra as the essential mind-teaching; later people inherited and applied it with differing emotional views, resulting in the Chan traditions south of the Yangzi and along the Yellow River falling into divergence.