止觀輔行傳弘決 6.3

6.3

Second, explaining the contemplation of the essential identity: because emptiness comprises both analysis and essential identity, they must be marked and listed. Refuting views was also like this, because it is the beginning of the Mahāyāna gateway. Now, further explaining the use of wisdom in the analytical gateway: this clarifies that their beginning and end are both analytical; it is brought in to distinguish the difference, not as the primary application. In directly explaining the method of contemplation, first it marks it. From 'Delusions of desire...', downward, provisionally gives a general heading showing that each grade has three provisionalities. First, explaining causal composition: it cites the six female desires as external conditions; taking the mind as the internal cause, the thought of desire that arises is called the produced phenomenon. As for the objects of the six desires, the Dazhidulun, in fascicle twenty-one explaining the nine contemplations of decay, states: 'These nine types can cure a practitioner's seven types of tainted desires: 1. Some people are attached to color, namely blue, yellow, red, or white. 2. Some people, even if not attached to color, are only attached to bodily form: fine skin, slender fingers, long eyes, and high brows. 3. Some people are not attached to bodily form, but are attached to deportment: advancing, halting, sitting, rising, walking, staying, bowing, lowering and raising the head, bending and extending, raising the eyebrows, glancing, approaching, and massaging; "charm and posture" refers to a beautiful countenance and graceful movement. 4. Some people are not attached to deportment, but are only attached to speech: soft, pleasant, eloquent, quick-witted, speaking appropriately to the moment, accommodating the mind and complying with the intention, capable of moving people's hearts. 5. Some people are not attached to any of these, but are only attached to smoothness: delicate skin, soft flesh, cool to the touch in hot times, warm to the touch in cold times. 6. Some people are not attached to any of the above, but are only attached to human features, whether male or female. 7. If someone, though free from attachment to the above six, still lacks understanding, they abandon the five sensual pleasures prized by the world and follow them to their death.' Here, the seventh—attachment to human desire—already subsumes the six in seeking the person to be attached to; now, setting aside the general and retaining the specific, it only mentions six. Using the nine [contemplations] to cure the seven is fully explained in the Chanmen. 'These six, down to the appearance of lust manifesting externally', is precisely those six acting against the internal mental faculty to form the produced phenomenon. Citing the case of the first fruit and the case of those beyond study is as in the text. 'Nanda's habit energy of desire' is as cited previously. 'The Lotus Sutra's thoughts of desire...', etc.: this is in order to deeply guard against the faults of desire. If thoughts do not even arise, how much less bodily intercourse? As for the marks of desire, the Kośa says: 'The six heavens experience desire through intercourse, embracing, holding hands, laughing, gazing, and lustful acts. Earth-dwellers engage in bodily intercourse; the Trāyastriṃśa heavens use wind for the deed; the Yāma gods embrace; the Tuṣita gods hold hands; the Nirmāṇarati gods gaze and smile; the Paranirmitavaśavartin gods merely gaze. Even thoughts do not arise, how much less gazing and smiling?' Furthermore, the Vibhāṣā distinguishes the lightness and heaviness of human desire across the four continents: In this continent it is the most frequent, no longer countable; in the eastern continent it reaches at most twelve times, middling or lower being perhaps ten; in the western continent it reaches up to seven or eight times, the fewest being four or five; in the northern continent it reaches at most five, the fewest being three or four. There are also those who cultivate pure conduct (brahmacarya), so those with excessive desire are inferior to animals; this continent also has people of few desires, up to and including pure conduct. Thus there are many or few, coarse or subtle, thoughts and marks. From 'If grasping...', downward, directly explains causal composition. Grasping the former six marks to internally stir the mental faculty is precisely what is produced. In [the section on] continuity, the phrase 'leading to the enactment of the deed' is said for the purpose of guarding against the enactment of the deed by restraining internal continuity, not that continuity already possesses the enacted deed. From 'Provisional and unreal...', downward, comprehensively knows it to be untrue. The word 'principles' means: when generating a mind toward an object, one already knows it to be provisional and unreal; how could one further imagine that through formal courtship and marriage one can return essence to prolong life, or that twice a month communicating with the spirits nourishes life? Even non-Buddhists of the West, seeking the absorptions of neither-conception nor non-conception and non-thought, eliminate all sensual desire of the lower realm; how much less would one grasp at such a doctrine as the correct path?