止觀輔行傳弘決 7.57

7.57

Regarding the tenth, "No Attachment to Dharma": in "practicing the nine matters above, surpassing inner and outer obstacles" and so forth, inner and outer are distinguished as explained earlier. Having settled in endurance regarding these, one has already entered the six sense-faculties; that one fails to manifest the real is entirely due to dwelling and clinging. Clinging to the Dharma of resemblance is called "falling from the peak." The meaning of falling from the peak should be examined across the four teachings. The opening text provisionally lodges the fall from the peak in three teachings. From "since one does not enter the stage" onward, it directly clarifies the meaning of falling from the peak in the present text. First, clarifying the fall from the peak in the Tripiṭaka [teaching], it is fully explained in the Abhidharma. The text first distinguishes stages that are not falling from the peak: "warmth" exclusively involves regression, so it is not called falling from the peak; the stage of "patience" surpasses the peak, so again it is not called falling. Between the three stages, dwelling at the peak is called falling. Why? At the stage of patience with the five faculties, one no longer emerges from contemplation; supreme patience manifests the real, and therefore there is no falling. Within the dharma of the stage of the peak, attachment frequently arises, so one should have entered the peak but fails to enter. Because of falling back from the peak, one commits grave heinous deeds, which is therefore called falling. The fall from the peak in the shared teaching can be understood by analogy with this. In the distinctive teaching, the stage of the peak is located within the ten practices, so there is no notion of falling. Even if a clinging mind arises within the practices and dedications, it merely delays reaching the bhūmis, which is called falling from the peak; ultimately, no transgression is committed. Below "the Da zhidu lun says", it reveals that attachment exists in the stage of resemblance in the perfect [teaching]. Below "people of today", now discussing the perfect teaching up to the ten faiths: if attachment arises and one does not enter the first stage of abidance, yet in the stage of purity of the six sense-faculties one definitely does not fall into the Hinayana, then dwelling at the peak is termed "falling"; it does not mean regressing and falling. Because within the six sense-faculties there is no notion of regression, how much less could there be the committing of grave heinous deeds? Therefore, this falling from the peak differs from the preceding shared and Tripiṭaka [teachings]. Thus fascicle thirty of the Da zhidu lun clarifies two different meanings of falling from the peak: first, regressing from the peak is called falling; second, dwelling at the peak is called falling. Although the Hinayana teaching possesses both meanings, dwelling at the peak mostly involves regression. Therefore, in the present perfect stage, where [delusions of] view and thought have already fallen away, there is only the single meaning of falling by dwelling at the peak. Thus the Da zhidu lun, fascicle forty-three, says: "A question asks: 'At the peak one should not fall; why speak of falling?' The answer says: 'When one is on the verge of attaining and then loses it, this is called falling. If one attains the peak, wisdom is secure and at ease, and one has no fear of falling.'" This is based on the first meaning, taking regression as falling. According to the second meaning, merely dwelling at the peak without progressing or regressing is called falling; in that case, the initial mind of the ten faiths is still called warmth. Below "the present calming and contemplation", it concludes and indicates this as a whole. From the wondrous object at the start down to detachment from love at the end, practice and understanding are complete, primary and auxiliary are without deficiency, and the practitioner has been delivered to the first stage of abidance, entering non-effort and naturally capable of advancing on the path. From entering abidance onward, the present text does not discuss it, which is why it says "up to this point." Therefore, in various sūtras and treatises, from the first stage of abidance onward, they mostly clarify the marks of assisting the Buddha in transforming others, and no longer discuss self-practice in detail. For this reason, it is now said: "The merits of entering abidance are not discussed at present." The present intention is temporarily to address practice in the final age. As for "this will be explained again later": in the object of bodhisattvas it should be debated more broadly, but because the summer came to an end it was not expounded, so there is nothing discussed below. From the beginning of the fifth fascicle up to this point directly constitutes the exposition of the Dharma, concluding the clarification of the ten dharmas constituting the vehicle regarding the object of the aggregates.