止觀輔行傳弘決 6.5

6.5

From "Question" onward is the critical analysis. The initial question is as in the text. In the answer, he explains how two treatises determine the grades [of defilement]. Because the paths employed differ, the grades are not the same; hence the *Abhidharma* in its account of the treatise's origin states: "Question: Why is it named *Abhidharma*? Answer: It refers to distinguishing what has not yet been distinguished. It is the path of expedients, the path of superior progress, the unobstructed path, and the path of liberation." Below, in the text of the various khandhas, it merely says: "Two paths subdue, and two paths sever." From "If from..." onward, he differentiates the differences between the two paths. Next, in refuting emotional attachments in the form realm, he first clarifies the difference in the wisdom employed. As for "worldly wisdom," it relies on the six practices of disgust and attraction in worldly dhyāna. Relying on the uncontaminated principle is called "uncontaminated wisdom." A person of double liberation attains both wisdoms; when severing defilements, they use either wisdom as they wish. From "If one initially practices..." onward, he differentiates the two obstacles of phenomenal [manifestation] and nature. For instance, when wishing to enter the first dhyāna, if one still sees phenomenal matters such as the bedding and furnishings of the desire realm's concentration, this is called an obstacle of phenomenal manifestation. If the emotional attachments of desire have not yet been eliminated, the obstacle of nature still remains; when this defilement is broken, the first dhyāna then arises. The second dhyāna is also like this: if applied and sustained thought have not yet been eliminated, the intermediate concentration does not arise; only when the defilements of the first dhyāna are broken does the second dhyāna arise. The obstacles of the third and fourth dhyānas can be understood by analogy with this explanation. In the first dhyāna, the opening passage is the manifestation of the first dhyāna. Next, from "Within it..." onward, he explains the characteristics of defilements in the first dhyāna. Next, from "Grade by grade..." onward, he explains the characteristics of the three provisionalities in the first dhyāna. From "If not..." onward, he explains the intention of refutation. From "Now using..." onward, he also explains the sixty-four rounds. Next, from "the second dhyāna" onward, where he explains causal formation, in all cases the concentration substance of the lower stage is taken as the cause; serial continuation and relativity are explained by analogy with the first dhyāna. In the third dhyāna, where it states: "This bliss is even [...] difficult," when noble persons and disciples of the Buddha cultivate this dhyāna, at each stage they possess the contemplation of the lineage of the noble ones, so relinquishing it is easy; ordinary worldlings generate craving for the various stages, so relinquishing it is difficult. From the concentration without thought up to the realm of dhyāna, where the five anāgāmins are briefly explained: if designated by stage, it is simply named the fourth dhyāna. This dhyāna has nine places: five are the abodes of noble ones, called the pure-dwelling heavens; the [heaven of] no-thought is solely for ordinary worldlings; three are open to both ordinary worldlings and noble ones. As for being born in the five [pure abodes], this is because there are five gradations in cultivating the perfumed dhyānas. In the *Dapin*, the nine concentrations broadly perfume the nine stages, but here they only perfume the stage of the fourth dhyāna. Having first cultivated and attained it, one further causes multiple moments of uncontaminated [mind] to arise continuously; from this, multiple moments of contaminated [mind] are induced; from this, multiple moments of uncontaminated [mind] arise again; in this way, subsequent moments gradually decrease, until finally there are two moments of uncontaminated [mind], then next two moments of contaminated [mind] are induced, and uninterruptedly two moments of uncontaminated [mind] arise again—this is called the completion of the perfuming preparatory application. Next, there is only one moment of uncontaminated [mind], next only one moment of contaminated [mind], and uninterruptedly one moment of uncontaminated [mind] arises again—this is called the completion of the fundamental state. Thus the *Kośa* states: "Completion is due to the intermingling of single moments." As for the "five gradations," they are inferior, medium, superior, superior-eminent, and superior-extreme. One grade has three [moments]; later grades incorporate the earlier ones, so the fifth grade combines into fifteen. In this way, the five grades, in proper sequence—three, six, nine, and so forth—result in birth in the five pure abodes. As for "sandwiched perfuming," it means uncontaminated [minds] before and after, with contaminated [mind] in between, causing the multiple moments of contamination and so forth all to become a single moment of uncontaminated [mind]; therefore it is called sandwiched perfuming. As for the "five heavens," they are the Heaven of No Affliction, No Heat, Good Appearance, Good Vision, and the Ultimate of Form. From here upward, all are without affliction and turmoil. At the start of being without affliction, it receives the name No Affliction. Because it subdues defilements, it is called No Heat. Because the fruit is easily manifested, it is called Good Appearance. Because vision is clear and penetrating, it is called Good Vision. Being supreme among forms, it is called the Ultimate of Form. The three lower dhyānas each also have three heavens; according to the Sarvāstivāda school, there are only sixteen places. In the first dhyāna, the exalted and superior place is called the Great Brahmā King, so it is not separately established. Next, in refuting the formless realm, where it says "the three kinds of form, such as resistant form," when one wishes to enter the station of boundless space from the fourth dhyāna, one must certainly employ expedients to extinguish the three kinds of form. The *Dazhidulun*, fascicles 21 and 41, states: "The three kinds of form are: 1. visible and resistant; 2. invisible and resistant; 3. invisible and non-resistant." The *Dapin* states: "In order to transcend all marks of form, one extinguishes marks of resistant form. Not conceptualizing manifold marks, one enters the station of boundless space. Transcending all form, one extinguishes visible and resistant form, extinguishes resistant form, and extinguishes invisible and resistant form. Not conceptualizing manifold marks of form, one extinguishes invisible and non-resistant form." All material phenomena are of only eleven kinds: the five sense faculties, sense objects, and a fraction of the mental datum base. That fraction is non-indicative form. The *Abhidharma* states: "1. Visible refers to color-and-shape. 2. Resistant has ten kinds, namely the five sense faculties and the [five] sense objects. If one speaks of invisible and resistant, one should only speak of the five faculties and four sense objects. 3. Invisible and non-resistant refers to a fraction of the mental datum base." Fascicle 21 of the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* states: "The destruction of visible form by the eye is called transcending form. The destruction of the five faculties and sense objects is called transcending the resistant. The destruction of what remains of the two kinds and of non-informative form is called transcending differentiated marks. These three forms are all in the form realm. Wishing to enter the formless realm, one therefore extinguishes these three." Here, one should also mention the eight forms and so on within the liberations, bases of mastery, and totality bases. Although non-indicative form is not what is transcended by the contemplation of emptiness in the present text, when one attains the contemplation of emptiness, one will definitely be separated from indicative and non-indicative form. Furthermore, among visible and resistant forms, one should also explain the meaning of the three kinds of resistance; but since this is not the primary intention at present, it is not discussed. The expedients for extinguishing form are detailed in the *Chanmen*: one first visualizes this body as like an earthen steamer, a cage, or a net, until it gradually becomes empty. Fascicle 19 of the *Dazhidulun* states: "Like a bird in a jar: when the jar breaks, it escapes." Question: In the formless realm, is there definitively form, or is it definitively formless? This is fully detailed in the *Xiqian*. Furthermore, I once heard that there was a monk who attained the formless concentration; rising from concentration, he grasped at empty space. Another asked: "What are you seeking?" He replied: "I am looking for my body." A bystander said to him: "Your body is on the bed." When attaining concentration here, he still did not see his body; thus, being born in that realm, according to Hīnayāna concentrations it is determined to be formless. In the Mahāyāna, as it says in the debate in the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*: "The form of the formless realm is not something known by the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas." For now, we rely on the Hīnayāna. From "At that time..." onward, one correctly cultivates contemplation to enter the station of boundless space and the station of boundless consciousness. Next, in the station of nothingness, he first refutes an old error, as in the *Chanmen*: "Question: Does that station of nothingness take a slight amount of consciousness and take it as an object to enter concentration? What about this? Answer: It is not so. One should say that at all times one solely takes the station of nothingness as an object. When it is said that there is a slight amount of consciousness, it is merely that the mental faculty confronts the mental datum of nothingness and generates a thought of a slight consciousness; it does not take a slight consciousness as an object to enter concentration." Because of this, the present text proceeds to refute possessing anything, being of use, and so on. From "Prior station of consciousness..." onward, he next explains that the station of neither-perception-nor-non-perception relies on the eight noble lineages. Here the text is abridged; it should say that the station of boundless space is like a sickness, the stations of boundless consciousness and nothingness are as in the text, and the station of neither-perception-nor-non-perception is like a thorn. The reason it is not stated now is that it provisionally relies on the contaminated state. Regarding this as ultimate, it is called a "superior concentration." In general, relying on contemplation of the noble lineages, one employs the four such as sickness and the four such as impermanence; the first four are antidotes, and the latter four take the truths as objects. Therefore, using these eight to take the formless realm as object, there are general and specific aspects. In general, one uses all eight contemplations to contemplate the four aggregates of that realm as a combination lacking real essence. Specifically, the first four remedy the phenomenal aspects of the four aggregates: feeling is like a sickness, perception is like a boil, formations are like an ulcer, and consciousness is like a thorn. One remedies the principle of the four aggregates with impermanence and so forth: impermanence contemplates consciousness, suffering contemplates feeling, emptiness contemplates perception, and non-self contemplates formations. Possessing these eight, the mind easily generates disgust, is quickly able to relinquish them, and cultivates the uncontaminated state. Question: The four dhyānas merely use the three—suffering, coarseness, and hindrance—as expedients; why must the four stations, such as boundless space, use eight? Answer: The concentration of the station of boundless space is subtle; if the eight faults are not spoken of, the faults are difficult to recognize. Ordinary worldlings also exist who rely on the six practices, but they do not match the noble lineages in relinquishing them swiftly. From "Abhidharma..." onward, he explains the name "neither-perception." He cites the text in an abridged manner. The *Lishi* states: "It is not like the four forms and the three formless states, hence it is called 'neither-perception'; it is not the heaven of no-thought and the concentration of non-mentation, hence it is called 'nor-non-perception'." The text cites the *Vibhāṣā*, yet still does not fully speak of the four dhyānas. Master commentators do not even permit citing the heaven of no-thought of the form realm, much less citing the four dhyānas in general. Since it is the text of a treatise, adopting it is not in error; the commentators' explanation of the meaning is also not entirely wrong. Our school preserves both, so there is no refutation; viewing the preceding three formless states as progressively relinquishing faults serves to explain the name. Thus we know that explaining "neither-perception" based on the same realm is not without its meaning; this is the intention behind not refuting the commentators. Where it says "the *Dazhidulun* says that it is always contaminated," in Hīnayāna sūtras and treatises the single stage of neither-perception is entirely contaminated alone. Thus the *Vibhāṣā* states: "What is the meaning of contamination (āsrava)? Answer: Abiding is the meaning of contamination, because ordinary worldlings reaching here are detained and abide. Soaking is the meaning of contamination, because reaching the summit of the three realms of existence, they are constantly soaked. Flowing out is the meaning of contamination, because when nearing the end of the three realms of existence, they flow back down again. The meanings of holding, intoxication, remaining internal, and negligence are all meanings of contamination." Interpreting in accordance with the first meaning, the summit of existence exclusively receives the name "contamination." The treatise states: "Why is it that neither-perception and the desire realm lack the uncontaminated state? Answer: It is not because they are suitable vessels; uncontaminated phenomena abide in the middle way. Furthermore, the stage of desire is unfixed, while neither-perception is dull and ignorant; the noble Dharma is contrary to these, so both places lack it." According to the *Dazhidulun* and the *Tattvasiddhi*, neither-perception equally lacks it, whereas the desire realm possesses it. From "This concentration..." onward, he explains that neither-perception is endowed with defilements. "Subtle phenomena" refers to the fact that this stage still has four aggregates, two bases, and three realms. The "ten kinds" mentioned are feeling up to wisdom: feeling means what consciousness feels, perception means what consciousness perceives, formations mean dharma-formations, contact means mental contact, volition means dharma-volition, desire means the desire to enter concentration, resolve means superior resolve in dharmas, mindfulness means mindfulness of samādhi, concentration means the mind abiding in accord with dharma, and the faculty of wisdom and power of wisdom. These ten dharmas, along with attachment to the formless, ignorance, restlessness, conceit, and the various formations not associated with mind, come together through the causes and conditions of suffering and its origin to enable birth there; wishing to enter the concentration of cessation, one must first extinguish these. From "One should know..." onward, he explains the intention of applying contemplation. Since one knows that this stage is endowed with subtle afflictions, it possesses the three provisionalities; one employs contemplation to refute them and cause entry into non-arising. Because afflictions are exhausted, it is called phenomenal non-arising; because the principle of the truth of the real is plumbed, it is called principle non-arising. Therefore, one does not abide in the contaminated state due to the stage. From "If one uses..." onward, he next distinguishes the different names received by the two wisdoms. From "This is called..." onward, he concludes the universality. This is the universal refutation of the provisionality of emotional attachment.