止觀輔行傳弘決 6.8

6.8

Next, regarding breaking provisionality of thought in terms of the distinctive teaching: previously, borrowing the distinctive names was only to reveal the meaning of the shared [teaching]. Now, properly dealing with the distinctive [teaching], it reveals the vertical meaning, which is why it is explained next. Question: At the beginning of opening the section, the distinctive and perfect were not listed; why are the distinctive and perfect explained upon reaching this point? Answer: Merely discussing the stages of emptiness properly pertains to the Tripiṭaka and shared [teachings]. To reveal the meaning of the shared [teaching], distinctive names were borrowed. If discussing vertical meaning from beginning to end, it resembles the distinctive; but if discussing the doctrinal intent of the text, one must know perfect fusion. Therefore, the stages of the distinctive and perfect are explained here. As for the statement 'the ten practices emerge from provisionality and are no longer related to what preceded': the vertical intent here is entering emptiness from provisionality, so the distinctive ten practices do not concern the preceding emptiness. Only listing the Tripiṭaka and shared [teachings] had this intention. Therefore, in revealing the essence it says: 'If discussing the three kinds of persons, then there are various stages, great and small.' Next, in the stages of the perfect [teaching], it merely says: 'from the eighth faith to the tenth faith, the exhaustion of habit-energy is severed.' Habit-energy extends to the dust-and-sand [delusions] and ignorance outside the realm; by analogy, it should also say 'no longer related to what preceded.' The reason it does not say so is that from the very beginning, the three truths have been cultivated in a unified, perfect manner, utterly unrelated to the meaning of gradual stages. Here, discussing where coarse afflictions are naturally severed coincides with the gradual stages; hence it does not need to say 'unrelated.' Citing the Avataṃsaka is out of concern that people may not realize coarse afflictions are eliminated first, and that upon initially realizing the initial abode one looks back upon the ten faiths; thus it says 'habit-energy within the realm is exhausted.' Next, from 'Avataṃsaka' onward verifies the stage of the initial abode. Recent interpretations claim that prior to the stages [bhūmis] all are merely suppressed; how can it be resolved that an abode surpasses Śākyamuni? This is the second presentation of the text's perfect intent. From 'Why' onward explains the intent of the Avataṃsaka. The initial passage explains it briefly. From 'If so' onward raises an objection: Since there is a bodhisattva who surpasses a Buddha, could there not also be a voice-hearer who surpasses a bodhisattva? From 'However, by' onward answers: The Buddha path belongs to the stages and abodes of the distinctive and perfect [teachings]; if they can even surpass the Śākyamuni of the Tripiṭaka and shared [teachings], they clearly surpass the bodhisattvas of the Tripiṭaka and shared [teachings]. This comparative judgment is made according to their respective scopes. From 'Furthermore' onward discriminates similarities and differences. In mutually severing views and thought, they gain the designation of function, yet cleverness and clumsiness differ. Although this discriminates how the function of wisdom differs in the previous stage of breaking the provisionality of thought, it also distantly evaluates the similarities and differences in wisdom and severance across various sūtras and treatises. The initial passage temporarily lists the distinct functions of wisdom in severing thought across the four teachings. Next, from 'If it is said' onward evaluates the passage just now discriminating similarities and differences. The initial passage compares the three vehicles within the shared teaching among themselves; next, from 'If it is said' onward compares them with the bodhisattvas of the distinctive and perfect [teachings]. The two vehicles of the shared and Tripiṭaka teachings both sever views and thought, yet their wisdoms differ; one could also say both their wisdom and severance differ, meaning that the shared teaching does not sever the distinctive afflictions. Here, severing the distinctive afflictions is not yet under discussion, so it is omitted. Furthermore, when the three vehicles of the shared teaching are compared among themselves, one could also say their wisdom is identical while severance differs, because there is a difference between habit-energy being exhausted and not exhausted. Next, from 'Question' onward analyzes the four points concerning transcending fruits and so forth. The initial question is self-explanatory. In the answer, the first part explains that transcendence exists. From 'Although not' onward explains that although fruits are transcended, the number of grades is not lost. Just as the travel of a person with spiritual penetrations and an ordinary person differs in speed, how could there be no distance in leagues? Next, the question asks: discussing transcendence should apply to those of sharp faculties; Śāriputra had sharp faculties, so why did he not transcend? Why did he only attain the first fruit upon first hearing the three truths? In the answer, the phrase 'seven days or fifteen days' refers to the Dazhidulun, scroll 38, which says: 'Śāriputra saw his maternal uncle debating with the Buddha; some say that upon hearing Aśvajit explain the three truths, or some say after seven days, or some say after fifteen days, he attained the fruit of no-learning.' Regarding 'Ānanda serving as attendant,' the Dazhidulun says: 'When the Buddha sought an attendant, his mind was on Ānanda, like the morning sun shining on a western wall. When it came time for the compilation in the assembly of Dharma, Kāśyapa rebuked him, saying: "You are like a donkey entering a herd of horses." Having heard this, Ānanda diligently cultivated in a quiet place, yet had not attained no-learning. Letting go of his body to lie down, as his head approached the pillow, before touching it he attained arhatship.' Thus we know that before that he did not lack the power of wisdom; because an arhat is not fit to be an attendant, he did not realize the fruit. Just as when Kumārajīva entered India, the people of the country revered him and provided five novices as attendants. Based on this, below the Buddha, fully ordained monks should not serve as attendants. From 'Bodhisattvas of the shared teaching' onward temporarily explains the meaning of non-transcendence, hence saying there should also be transcendence. Bodhisattvas invariably shoulder sentient beings, so transcendence is not discussed for them. Discussing transcendence inherently depends on the differing practices of persons, for the provisionality of thought must be broken. From 'Transcending fruits' onward discusses transcendence in four ways. 'Original severance' means that originally, when as an outsider cultivating worldly dhyāna, one had already severed the afflictions of thought; this is called original severance. In accordance with the number of grades severed at that original time, when one now enters the sixteen minds, the transcended fruits differ. Having originally attained the stage of neither-perception-nor-non-perception means having already severed the thought [afflictions] of the lower eight grounds; upon reaching the sixteen minds, one should be called a candidate for arhatship, but is only called a non-returner because in the ordinary stage one used defiled wisdom, and due to weak wisdom power is only named a non-returner. When attaining non-returner, these sixteen minds arouse undefiled attainment, replacing the previous defilement, which is called the concentration of seal and maintenance. 'Originally attaining the first dhyāna up to the second, third, and fourth' can be understood by analogy. 'Regarding the nine grades of the desire realm, according to how much was severed by worldly wisdom': if one originally severed nine, one is now called a candidate for the third fruit; if seven or eight grades, one attains the name of the second fruit; severing six grades and so on is called candidate for the second fruit; severing five, four, and so on is merely the first fruit. This differs from gradual severance, the meaning of which is as stated above. 'Or two or three grades are named one who goes from family to family': it should say three or four grades; perhaps the text is erroneous, or the Vibhāṣā differs. 'Come, monk' is as explained in the fourth [fascicle]. The exhaustion of both active defilements and habit-energy belongs only to the Buddha of the Tripiṭaka. Regarding the person of the perfect [teaching] being called 'most transcendent': Question: Previously it was said that because they shoulder [beings], they do not transcend; why is it different here? Answer: This mention of transcendence is named transcendent by contrasting the perfect with the distinctive. Hence the Yingluo is cited to verify transcendence and non-transcendence. In that Benye jing, Bodhisattva Jingshou said to the Buddha: 'All Buddhas and bodhisattvas illuminate all dharma-dhātus with great skillful means and equal great wisdom; do they awaken suddenly and equally, or do they awaken gradually?' The Buddha said: 'In my past assembly, there were one hundred and eighty million immaculate great beings who, right in the assembly, reached the source of the dharma-nature, suddenly awakened to non-duality, saw all dharmas as a single compound mark, and in each of the ten directions expounded this Yingluo; the great assembly all saw one hundred and eighty million suddenly awakened Tathāgatas.' Thus we know that sūtra speaks only of sudden awakening. The fifth fascicle of the Xuanwen judges this as the initial abode; the dragon girl was also like this, both being called sudden awakening. The word 'immaculate' explains immaculateness provisionally in terms of the six identities. Regarding 'Vimalakīrti': although having accomplished the Buddha path, it shows that the initial abode transcends to practice the bodhisattva path; this is non-transcendence. From 'The principle of the true mark' onward is the fourth phrase.