止觀輔行傳弘決 7.23

7.23

Next, in explaining dhyāna, [the text] first addresses the perfection of dhyāna generally. 'Only this...' and so forth lists the teachings. First, 'fundamental' refers to the Tripiṭaka [teaching]. Passing over the middle two teachings, it therefore says 'and so forth'. Although one speaks of non-action, the Śūraṅgama is not accomplished. In between it should say: although one speaks of non-arising, meditative absorption in principle is not accomplished; although one speaks of Buddha-dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, the samādhi of conventional truth is not accomplished. From 'If without...' downward, in rebuking errors, 'without concentration...' and so forth quotes the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra by way of illustration and explanation. Just as when a worldly person lacks the mental factor of concentration among the ten universal mental factors, they will stumble even on a level worldly path, how much more so when practicing the supramundane—without concentration, how could it be accomplished? From 'For this reason...' downward, [the text] generally presents requesting empowerment. Briefly citing the necessity of practicing dhyāna, it therefore speaks generally of 'one mind'; only below does it distinguish the five gates. From 'Moved, the Buddha...' downward, empowerment is received. This generally explains dhyāna. The omission of concluding text is because it is fully explained below in the five gates; to avoid prolixity, they are alternately preserved and omitted. Next, from 'the Dazhidulun...' downward, in explaining the five gates of dhyāna, [the text] first explains the rationale for their introduction. Because the gates within dhyāna are many, it further explains these marks of the five gates of dhyāna. From 'If dhyāna...' downward, this is the main explanation. First it explains counting breaths, which is explained further in the ninth fascicle. As for the 'seven supportive concentrations', the Chapter on the Seven Samādhis of the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra states: 'It refers to relying on the first dhyāna to attain the outflow-free, up to relying on the sphere of nothingness to attain the outflow-free. Because one attains the holy fruit relying on these seven stages, they are therefore called the seven supports.' Some people consider having outflows sufficient in itself; for this reason the Buddha taught the seven supports for the outflow-free. Question: Why does one attain the outflow-free relying on dhyāna? Answer: When attaining the first dhyāna, one contemplates the aggregates of the first dhyāna and gives rise to the eight noble lineages, producing aversion in mind; up through the formless [realms], contemplating the four aggregates is also like this. Question: Why is the desire realm not spoken of as a support? Answer: As the Susīma-sūtra says, 'There is also the outflow-free, namely in the desire realm.' Hence we know it also exists, but because it is minimal it is not mentioned. Question: Why is the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception not spoken of as outflow-free? Answer: Because it is not clearly discerning there. Concentration is abundant and wisdom is scant; hence it is not spoken of as a support. Question: Are the seven perceptions identical to the seven supports? Answer: Outsiders lack reality, and therefore they are called perceptions; holy persons destroy perceptions, and therefore they are called supports. Thus in the present text it merely says 'arousing and attaining the desire-realm concentration up to the seven supports,' without yet distinguishing having outflows from outflow-free and so on. Judging by the treatise's analysis, both senses are valid. From 'Requesting Avalokiteśvara...' downward, it explains assisting practices leading to accomplishment. Next, in explaining the foul to cure sensual greed: as for dan, the Erya states, 'prolonged pleasure.' That written with the radical you refers to excessive drinking, which is not the intent of this text. One may also use excessive drinking as a metaphor for lust, hence writing the character dan. It also shares the meaning of mian. Mian means being indulged in alcohol; it can also be written with the wine radical. Thus the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: 'If one constantly grieves, grief thereupon increases. Even up to lust and craving for alcohol, it is also like this.' 'Contemplation of the foul' refers to the contemplation of provisional visualization. As the Qiuzhengren jing states: 'The Buddha was in Śrāvastī. A monk went to a charnel ground, passing through another's field. The owner of the field scolded him, saying: "What monk is this who does not cultivate the path, but constantly wanders in my field?" He went to question him, and the monk replied: "I have a dispute, and have come to seek a witness." The field owner asked: "Who is the witness?" The monk immediately summoned the field owner to follow him, where they saw scattered corpses. The monk said: "These worms and birds are my witnesses." The field owner questioned him, and the monk replied: "Regarding the afflictions of mental outflows, having contemplated them I return to my cell. Contemplating the body is also like this. I now wish to know the original source of the mind; therefore I contemplate this." Having heard this, the field owner wept and sobbed. That field owner had cultivated this contemplation of the foul for a thousand years under the Dharma of Kāśyapa Buddha. Both the monk and the field owner attained the first fruit.' The nine perceptions are in the ninth fascicle. Citing the eight liberations and so forth from the Dazhidulun is incidental and not the main intent of the text. It merely states that they are all accomplished through the nine perceptions, and therefore says that all take the nine perceptions as their initial gate. This explains the function of the nine perceptions. As for real contemplation, it is like the story of the Elder Xuanze (and so forth). Next, curing anger with loving-kindness: above in explaining patience, it spoke only generally of being like a bridge, the earth, and so on; hence it is called a general cure, not yet having cured heavy anger. Here one specifically cultivates loving-kindness to cure anger; therefore it is called specific. Due to explaining the concentration of loving-kindness, it also mentions the remaining three. Fearing that cultivating loving-kindness may not suit oneself, it therefore says 'the remaining three minds, or inclination, and so forth.' 'And so forth' includes the remaining three; this means cultivating the four immeasurables in accordance with the four persuasions. Its oppositional, transformative, and inclusive applications can be understood by analogy with the above. The explanation of curing delusion is most brief in phrasing, and should follow the pattern of other passages. As for 'The Abhidharma uses the skillful means of the elements to destroy the self' and so forth: self, nihilism and eternalism, and conceptualizing intrinsic nature all belong to delusion. First, regarding destroying the self, sūtras and treatises differ. Thus the Saṃyuktābhidharma-hṛdaya states: 'Practitioners attached to views use the skillful means of the elements. Foolish worldlings do not understand that past karma and defilements accumulate into the five aggregates, and they conceptualize a self among conditions. In one's own body, using the skillful means of the elements, one should contemplate the various natures, various actions, and various marks, namely the six elements of earth and so forth. That earth element is moistened by water and not separated; that water element is held by the earth element and so does not disperse. The fire element matures it and so it does not rot; the wind element moves it and so it increases; the space element is empty and so food can enter and exit; having the consciousness element, there is purposeful activity. Due to many conditions, one therefore knows there is no self. Furthermore, contemplating this body as filled with impurities, like blown and scattered sand, in immaterial dharmas there is continuity before and after. Contemplating in this way, one attains the seed of the emptiness gate of liberation. Giving rise to aversion toward them, one attains the seed of the wishless gate of liberation. Correctly facing nirvāṇa, one attains the seed of the signless gate of liberation. This is called the skillful means of the elements.' If judged by the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, it states: 'For those heavily attached to a self, one analyzes the dharma of the eighteen elements for them.' This is the difference between general and specific with respect to the six elements. Discussing the four great elements, they constitute ten and a half form elements; discussing the consciousness element, it constitutes seven and a half mind elements; it merely combines form into four, combines mind into one, and further adds the space element. Teaching methods adapt to capacities, and their separation or combination is not fixed. Now, in accordance with the Chan jing, conditions destroy the self. The Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra also uses the two time periods to destroy the self. To distinguish them, they are both listed and explained. As for 'the three time periods destroy nihilism and eternalism', because the three time periods are continuous, there is non-nihilism; because the three time periods successively pass away, there is non-eternalism. Moreover, the past destroys eternalism, the future destroys nihilism, and the present causes and effects destroy both nihilism and eternalism. As for 'the two time periods destroy the self', the present and future two time periods possess the twelve links of dependent origination: giving rise to desire toward the father and anger toward the mother is called ignorance; when the father emits his bodily fluid, conceiving it to be one's own possession is called formations. From the consciousness link down to the link of old age and death, it is the same as the three time periods. As for 'a single thought', it is fully explained in the third fascicle of the Xuanwen under the wondrousness of objects. Mindfulness of the Buddha curing drowsiness is as in the text.