止觀輔行傳弘決 7.27

7.27

In the perfection of prajñā, [the text] first explains subsuming dharmas. From 'This principle...' downward, it rebukes errors, as in the text. From 'One should...' downward, it requests empowerment. The text has two parts: first it establishes practice, and next requests empowerment. Within establishing practice, it first explains generally that the stations of mindfulness possess the power to destroy inversions, as in the text. Next it explains the four stations of mindfulness separately. First, foulness has five kinds. In first listing the five kinds of foulness, Dazhidulun 21 explains them extensively. First, as for 'seed', as the treatise verse says: 'This body's seed is foul, / it is not an exquisite jewel, / it is not born from what is white and pure.' The wind of parents' erroneous thoughts and recollections blows the fire of lust, flesh, marrow, and fat melt, and the heat transforms into semen; through karmic conditions, consciousness relies on the seed amidst the red and white essences, and therefore it says 'appropriating the remnants of another's body'. 'Vomiting and weeping' and so forth: the Dazhidulun says, 'When the lust worms inside the bodies of a man and woman unite, the male worm's white essence comes forth like tears, and the female worm's red essence comes forth like vomit; the melting of bone marrow and fat causes these two worms to vomit and weep.' As for 'foulness of the birthplace', as the treatise verse says: 'This body is foul and putrid, / it is not born from an opening flower, / nor is it born from a campaka, / nor does it come forth from a jewel mountain.' Now speaking of 'dwelling place': where one resides is called dwelling, and coming forth from it is called birth; therefore the two texts express just one meaning. Wei means mixed and evil, and also numerous. Si means menial servant. As for 'foulness of its own marks', though clothed, bathed, adorned with various flower perfumes, and fed with superior delicacies and exquisite flavors, within a night all become foul. Even if one wore heavenly garments and ate heavenly food, by the nature of the body it would also become foul, how much more so wearing and eating human clothing and food. As the treatise verse says: 'The substances of earth, water, fire, and wind / can transform and remove impurities; / yet emptying the ocean to wash this body / cannot make it fragrant and clean.' For example, if a dead dog is washed with ocean water, if a single particle of dust remains, it will still stink as in the beginning. Feces and filth are also like this. Ye means earwax. Chi is the solidified discharge of the eyes. 'Dribbling urine': it should be written with the illness radical lin, meaning a disease, because its urine stinks. As for 'foulness of intrinsic nature', from the pathways of feces and urine, and tears, snot, and saliva, they constantly flow without ceasing. As the treatise verse says: 'Various impure substances / fill within its body, / constantly flowing out without stopping, / like a leaking sack holding things.' 'Pus': the Yupian states, 'the blood of boils and carbuncles.' What the flesh of the body has is not different from that. 'Grease' refers to the body's slipperiness and gloss. The Shuowen says, 'With horns it is called zhi; without horns it is called gao.' The foul substances within the body are categorized by this. The Liji states, 'Ox grease is rank, chicken grease is fishy-smelling, sheep grease is mutton-smelling.' If referring to the stench of fish, it should be called xingsha. Fang is fat, and ao is also fat. Now speaking of fishy and rank, it is like dogs, chickens, and the like. Therefore the Sinianchu states: 'The outer twelve things are called marks of foulness; the inner twelve things are called nature of foulness; the middle twelve things are called nature and marks of foulness.' The present text merely divides them into the two kinds of marks and nature, not setting up 'nature and marks of foulness' together; one should combine the middle ones into belonging to nature. As for 'ultimate foulness', as the treatise verse says: 'Carefully and truly contemplate this body, / in the end it must return to the place of death; / it is untalkative and treacherous, / ungrateful like a small child.' Ju means extreme. From 'Such...' downward, it concludes. Qianglang is also called jiqiang, namely the dung-rolling beetle. This beetle knows only the sweetness of dung, and does not distinguish the taste of joy-pills.