止觀輔行傳弘決 3.57

3.57

Regarding the sixth, 'subsuming teachings': first, the *Vibhāṣā* is briefly cited to clarify the subsumption of the teachings. In general, what is called 'teaching' is a broad term: wherever there is directing, categorising, distinguishing, and explaining, all are termed 'teachings'; therefore, here, both erroneous and correct, biased and perfect, all have teachings. Next, it specifically explains how the mind subsumes them. First, subsuming the mundane. Regarding 'Sāṅkhya, Vaiśeṣika', and so forth: among all the heterodox traditions, there are three revered founders, Kapila and the others, as explained in the tenth fascicle. Here one founder is briefly listed. Sāṅkhya is translated here as 'Owl'. Vaiśeṣika is the treatise composed [by them], having one hundred thousand verses; it is translated here as 'Invincible'. Regarding 'ninety-five varieties': this generally refers to the various paths, the intention being to present the erroneous ones. Based on the *Ninety-Six Paths Sūtra*, that sūtra in two fascicles explains the characteristics of what each asserts one by one. Among the various paths, one path is correct, which is the Buddha path. Thus the *Dazhidulun*, fascicle twenty-five, states: 'Among the ninety-six paths, the true one is the Buddha.' Here the text only speaks of ninety-five because it discusses the erroneous paths. Among the ninety-five, two names resemble the correct, namely sūtra and abhidharma; the remaining ninety-three are erroneous in both name and substance. Consulting the sūtra to recognise them greatly supplements right wisdom. Question: The *Avataṃsaka* states that 'the ninety-six paths are all erroneous'; how is this reconciled? Answer: The *Avataṃsaka* rebukes the Hīnayāna, and therefore calls them all erroneous. Thus the *Śata-śāstra* states: 'Those conforming to the śrāvaka path are all erroneous.' Thus the *Treatise* [fascicle] twenty-five also states: 'None of the ninety-six paths can attain the true mark of phenomena.' Again, [fascicle] forty-one states: 'The ninety-six paths do not teach mind-made [bodies]; believing in the Hīnayāna's doctrine of reduction to ashes and extinction.' Thus fascicles fifty-three, fifty-six, and seventy-three all concur with the *Avataṃsaka* in rebuking them as erroneous. Regarding the 'five phases': these arose from the Yellow Emperor receiving the celestial essence of the Mysterious Maiden who taught these five phases. The *Bohu tong* states: 'Fire is the honored Yang; water is the lowly Yin; wood is lesser Yang; metal is lesser Yin; earth is the great container. Therefore, with two Yin and three Yang, the honored is matched with Heaven. Water means "to obey" (wei), maintaining and nurturing the ten thousand things. Wood means "to touch" (chu), touching and stirring the ten thousand things. Fire means "to transform" (hua), transforming the ten thousand things. Metal means "to restrain" (jin), restraining what has just arisen. Earth means "to spit out" (tu), containing the ten thousand things. Therefore, all ten thousand classes are completely subsumed by the five phases.' Regarding 'six jia': jia means head. One jia has five phases; one phase lasts two days; six jia make sixty days. In the course of one year, jia completes six cycles, traversing thirty-six [decades]. The *Bohu tong* states: 'Jia has ten stems; time has twelve [branches].' What is called 'stem' (gan) is a number. Jia is the shell (jia) of the myriad things, as when the shell has not yet opened. Yi means bending (qu), coiled like a sprout that has not yet emerged. Bing means bright (ming), meaning the myriad things are bright. Ding means strong (qiang). Wu means flourishing (sheng). Ji means arising (qi). Geng means changing (geng). Xin means beginning (xin). Ren means assuming responsibility (ren). Gui means measuring (du). Regarding the twelve hours [or branches]: zi means kindness (ci); chou means tying (niu); yin means unfolding (yan); mao means luxuriant (mao); chen means quaking (zhen); si means arising (qi); wu means growing (zhang); wei means taste (wei); shen means body (shen); you means gathering (shou); xu means extinguishing (mie); hai means covering (gai). These stems and branches also subsume everything, which is why they are mentioned. As for intercalary calculations and degrees, they are not to be discussed here; they are set out in detail in the treatises on calendar and astronomy. Regarding 'Yin and Yang': the *Taixuanjing* states: 'That which undertakes great tasks and illumines the myriad things is called Yang; that which is obscure, formless, and unfathomable is called Yin.' The *Changes* (*Yijing*) states: 'One Yin and one Yang are called the Dao; that which Yin and Yang cannot fathom is called spirit.' The years, months, hours, and so forth, down to the five phases and the eight trigrams, are all subsumed under Yin and Yang; hence the principle of Yin and Yang is spread throughout the mundane world, and its meaning is inexhaustible. Regarding the 'eight trigrams': these are Zhen, Dui, Li, Kan, Qian, Kun, Gen, and Xun. One trigram has six lines; the lines represent changing in accord with the times. Furthermore, 'line' (yao) means to emulate (xiao), denoting the qi of Yin and Yang. The *Changes* states: 'Suspending one to represent the three; eighteen changes form a trigram.' Regarding the 'Five Classics': the *Bohu tong* states: 'Confucius, seeing the decline of the Zhou Way, returned from Wei to Lu to establish the Five Classics and put his Way into practice.' The 'Record of Rites' (*Liji*), in 'Explanations of the Classics', states: 'Gentle, kind, broad, and thick is the teaching of the *Odes* (*Shijing*). Insightful, penetrating, and far-sighted is the teaching of the *Documents* (*Shujing*). Broad, expansive, easy, and good is the teaching of the *Music* (*Yuejing*). Pure, tranquil, refined, and subtle is the teaching of the *Changes* (*Yijing*). Respectful, frugal, modest, and reverent is the teaching of the *Rites* (*Liji*). Connecting words and comparing events is the teaching of the *Spring and Autumn Annals* (*Chunqiu*).' Here this refers to Rites, Music, Documents, Odes, Changes, and Spring and Autumn Annals. Some include the Commentaries: Rites has three, namely the *Zhouli*, *Yili*, and *Liji*; Commentaries has three, namely *Gongyang*, *Guliang*, and *Zuo zhuan*; hence they are called the Nine Classics. 'Masters' refers to the hundred schools of various masters. 'Histories' refers to the historical records of the various states. Thus all books are subsumed under four categories: Classics, Histories, Masters, and Anthologies. Anthologies refers to extracts compiled by virtuous and talented people past and present, such as the *Yulan* and the like. Now, in order to briefly know the similarities and differences in mundane phenomena, we need not present them at length; the intention is simply to know that all arise from the mind. From 'How...' below, the difference between the two treatises regarding supramundane teachings is explained. The first passage has both a metaphor and its application, fully matching the citation from the *Avataṃsaka* in the first fascicle. Next, the metaphor of the sūtras on emptiness fully contains the seven teachings. That there is no secret [teaching] among the eight is fully discussed in the inquiry following the opening of the chapter above. Next, from 'contemplating the mind's causes and conditions... down to being equal to the Tathāgatas', these are the four teachings: Tripiṭaka and the rest. Next, from 'further contemplating the mind...' onward is the sudden contemplation. Next, from 'if one contemplates the mind's causes and conditions... to the sūtras of clarified butter' is the gradual contemplation. The *Lotus* is unlike other texts: it simply converges the gradual into the sudden. In the *Nirvāṇa*, all four types of persons know the Buddha-nature, so the four phrases are mutually identical. If based on the metaphor of the five periods in the *Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra*, the *Avataṃsaka* is compared to milk. Here, taking convenience, the *Avataṃsaka* is taken separately as a single sudden [teaching], while within the gradual the four flavours are still retained. Hence the Tripiṭaka is compared to the flavour of milk, and shared prajñā is added as curd. Although there is no separate text for shared prajñā, drawing on Vaipulya and Prajñā where an assembly, an occasion, or a chapter exclusively explains the shared meaning, such cases are many. Furthermore, as the present discussion of contemplation principles broadly subsumes phenomena, it easily explains shared prajñā within the gradual teaching; if precisely classifying teachings, this text would not be used. Where within the gradual teaching it is said with respect to *Vaipulya* and *Prajñā* that they are 'identical to emptiness', etc.: that which subsumes is identical in substance, but that which is subsumed is not yet identical; although not yet identical, following that which is expounded, all are called 'identical'. Next, the explanation of the *Lotus* and *Nirvāṇa* is intended to reveal that calming and contemplation subsume both the opening and revealing, and the gleaning teachings. The intention of the *Nirvāṇa* is that in that sūtra all four teachings know the eternal abiding, so the fundamental intent lies in the perfect [teaching]. It provisionally employs the three teachings as a resting place, never truly upholding the provisional as ultimate. Since the original intent was to know the perfect, they are mutually identical; when the coarse mind is stilled, one returns to rely on sudden contemplation. Question: The *Vaipulya* also formulates four phrases as mutually identical; how does it differ from the *Nirvāṇa*? Answer: The *Vaipulya* merely contrasts the great and the small as being heard together at the same time; the four are not separated, and in meaning they are like mutually identical, unlike the *Nirvāṇa*, where understanding is immediately practice. Moreover, this *Vaipulya* also relies on the four phrases of the *Mūlamadhyamakakārikā* regarding identity; it does not mean that the four teachings are immediately capable of mutual identity. Furthermore, this passage is framed around the five periods, conforming to whether those sūtra sections are identical or separate; thus practitioners, according to whichever phrases they employ, come to see reality. Moreover, if the scroll of the sūtra inside an atom is used to illustrate the eight teachings, though the text is brief, the general idea is fully sufficient: the beginning small and the end great is the gradual; great and small undetermined is the indeterminate; the gradual containing four makes seven. Next, within the indeterminate contemplation, where it says: 'if one contemplates causes and conditions, and again contemplates causes and conditions as being the Buddha-nature', this has two meanings: first, someone presently cultivating the perfect becomes an indeterminate person; that is, having originally known the perfect principle, when sometimes contemplating phenomena born of causes and conditions and then re-contemplating causes and conditions, this becomes contemplation of identity with the Middle, immediately seeing the Buddha-nature, as in the three types of calming and contemplation where it is said: 'sometimes pointing to mundane reality as the highest truth, sometimes phenomenal and sometimes noumenal'—this is its mark. Second, arousing the past practice of the perfect: as in the present one merely contemplates arising and ceasing, and later repeatedly contemplates dependent arising, immediately seeing the Buddha-nature. Therefore, initially contemplating causes and conditions is like milk, and due to contemplating causes and conditions one comes to see the Buddha-nature; hence it is said, 'like milk killing a person.' Both emptiness and provisionality have passages with 'again contemplates', the meaning of which conforms to this. When it comes to contemplating the Middle Path, it also has the words 'again contemplates', but lacks one meaning: it is solely a person of sharp faculties leaping into deep stages. If taken as arousing past practice, it is like the stage of the five ranks merely suppressing defilements, yet due to past practice awakening, one immediately breaks through ignorance; this too is indeterminate. From 'briefly subsuming...' onward, the brief is used to exemplify the broad. From 'furthermore...' onward, the purpose of using the mind to subsume the teachings is clarified. The text contains two meanings, which are the distinction between the transformer and the transformed. First, in terms of the transformed: shattering the dust of sentient beings' minds to produce all phenomena. Second, since the Buddha attained it first and now teaches sentient beings, this is transforming others. Transformer and transformed complete one another; neither meaning can be lacking.