止觀輔行傳弘決 5.7

5.7

From "Hīnayāna" onward, it separately sets forth that each has its characteristic signs for the Great and Lesser [Vehicles]. First, within Hīnayāna, "cross-calculating the four dhyānas to be the four fruits" is as already explained before. "In the Mahāyāna, there is also Māra coming to give prophecy" explains that within the Mahāyāna, conceit arises due to prophecy. Therefore the "Inharmonious Chapter" of the Dapin says: "Māra transforms into a monk, goes to the bodhisattva's dwelling, and speaks thus: 'If a bodhisattva realizes prajñā, he attains [the fruit of] a srotāpanna up to a pratyekabuddha.'" Fascicle seventy-seven of the treatise is the same. Fascicle eighty of the treatise also says: "Māra tells the bodhisattva: 'You have received the prophecy of bodhi from the Buddhas, and your parents, brothers, and sisters are named so-and-so.' If one receives it and clings to it, it becomes overweening pride." "Śāriputra gave up his eye" and so on means that after Śāriputra regressed from the Great [Vehicle], he further underwent birth and death; the principle is like views and pride. If lesser habits arise, first break views and pride; hence it says "if views and pride are stilled" and so on. "The Dapin says" and so on merely cites the habituation to the Lesser [Vehicle], nothing more. Next, from "The Dapin says there is a bodhisattva" onward, it explains the arising of slander. As the Dapin says: "Those who have not practiced for long, hearing deep prajñā, arouse slander and fall into the Naraka hell." The "Rejoicing in Accordance Chapter" says: "If a bodhisattva has not practiced the six perfections for long, has not extensively made offerings to Buddhas, has not planted good roots, does not follow good spiritual friends, is not skilled in essential emptiness and the like, and deduces marks to dedicate [merit], one should not expound deep prajñā up to all-knowledge, the eighteen emptinesses, and so forth to such a bodhisattva. Such a bodhisattva, upon hearing it, will surely arouse slander." This is fully as [explained in] the earlier chapters on faith and slander. Therefore, the Tripiṭaka bodhisattva at the stage of external worldlings and the second asaṃkhyeya [kalpa] still has the possibility of slander; only persons at the stage of internal worldlings and the third asaṃkhyeya will not slander. The reason beginners of the distinctive teaching do not slander is that the teaching expounds the middle path, the principle of the middle path is profound, and knowing this profound principle, they temporarily avoid slander. From "These" onward, it determines that the three bodhisattvas all belong to the provisional. From "These ten" onward, it determines the stages of the objects. That the first eight are in the mundane is apparent. Regarding the latter two being stated as "expedient means of holy persons," since they are expedient means to the real path of the perfect teaching, when the expedient is viewed against the real, the real is called holy. The perfect is the holy Dharma that enables one to become an ultimate sage; because persons attain the holy Dharma, they are called holy persons. Hence know that the stages of the ten objects are all within the mundane. From "Aggregates and sense-bases" onward, it determines the hidden and manifest [states] of the objects. That is, the object of the aggregates and sense-bases is manifest, while the other nine objects are hidden. Furthermore, among the remaining nine objects, those that have manifested are manifest, while those that have not yet manifested are hidden. From "Furthermore, the eight" onward, it determines the near and far of the objects. The seven starting with afflictions are still difficult to reverse in contemplation, hence they are called far; the latter two objects, even if not yet contemplated, have already become expedient means, hence they are called near. Furthermore, afflictions and the rest are still far from the true, not to mention the middle path, hence they are called far; the latter two are not like this, hence they are called near.