止觀輔行傳弘決 8.4

8.4

From "However, afflictions" below, it clarifies the present defining of characteristics as the contemplated object. Merely mentioning the four shares indeed does not fully encompass the characteristics. If discussed in terms of one's own practice, it is sufficient to serve as an object. Hence the Lotus Sūtra is cited to clarify the intent behind contemplating the object: the intent lies in abandonment, whereas discriminating is not urgent. As for "twenty years," the commentary provides multiple explanations: because [the afflictions of] views and thoughts were not yet eliminated and the capacity for the Great [Vehicle] was not yet mature, for twenty years he was temporarily made to shovel dung. Furthermore, destroying the afflictions of views uses one unobstructed [path] and one liberation [path], and destroying the afflictions of thoughts uses nine unobstructed [paths] and nine liberation [paths], which together make twenty. Again, severing the fetters across the two paths is collectively called twenty. Again, the higher bounds and lower bounds are collectively called twenty. Again, relying on the two types of emissaries (or persons) to jointly sever views and thoughts is also called twenty. The first explanation defines twenty based on the enumeration of obtainments of disjunction; the subsequent explanations all take dual meanings to constitute twenty. From "If so" below, doubts are resolved. The doubt states: If the intent lies in abandonment, did the five hundred arhats not abandon them, yet make various discriminations in the Mahāvibhāṣā? From "For the sake of preserving" below, the doubt is resolved: The five hundred originally entered the path through a single gate and also did not make discriminations; after attaining arhatship, in order to preserve the Buddha-Dharma and make it abide long, and since they were leaders of the assembly, they had to resolve external challenges. For this reason, the five hundred extensively expounded discriminations. If one is not a leader of the assembly, even if one becomes an arhat, unless one enters the rank of provisionality, one also does not necessarily have to make various discriminations. From "Furthermore" below, it clarifies that these marks of delusion precisely serve as the object contemplated by the ten contemplations; therefore, one must differentiate whether they are shared or distinctive, conceivable or inconceivable, and so forth. Since it is said that each possesses four shares, the present object consists only of the four shares among the dull. The present text is brief and has no leisure to differentiate them, but merely differentiates the shared, distinctive, and so forth. If one differentiates them in detail, the sharp and dull belonging to the aggregates are not what is presently contemplated; the sharp and dull that are manifested are what is presently contemplated. Those manifested are further twofold: the sharp that follow dhyāna belong to the view-object below; those outside of views, pride, and karma are what is presently contemplated. In the initial differentiation of shared and distinctive, the statement "combining sharp and dull each into four shares" is in contrast to the earlier unfolding into eighty thousand; hence it is now said that combined there are only four shares. Since the name of four shares is established beyond the realms, the meaning of unfolding and combining is identical in meaning to that within the realms, differing only in that distinctive delusions are different from those within the realms. From "If one treats them as interrelated" and so on, it next differentiates conceivable, inconceivable, and so forth. It clarifies that the preceding shared and distinctive vary according to the teachings. If one treats them as interrelated, that is the meaning of the distinctive [teaching]. Because it does not clarify mutual identity, it is called "interrelated." "Shared delusions are like branches"—branches means branches and leaves. "Distinctive delusions are the root"—root means fundamental root. Branches and root can only be interrelated and nothing more, which is the meaning of the distinctive [teaching]. If treated as the inconceivable, one should say that shared delusions are like flowers and the dharma-nature is like empty space: due to an eye disease, one sees flowers in empty space; if one can realize the disease, one knows that the flowers are identical to space, and space and flowers are identical in substance, which is the meaning of the perfect [teaching]. This has already been explained in the first fascicle, where the three types of calming and contemplation conclude the arousing of the aspiration for awakening. Therefore we know that both the conceivable and inconceivable take the shared delusions within the realms as the contemplated object, because what is manifested is certainly not distinctive delusions. In the contemplation aroused below, it first clarifies the conceivable; hence here in anticipation it also explains both, with the intention lying in mutual identity. Both meanings apply to the shared delusions, hence it says "If one treats them." Next, it explains that there are three causes and conditions. "As explained later" refers to the three: habituation and the rest. From "Marks of arising" below, it first evaluates their marks of arising through four phrases. Therein, it first lists the four phrases, and next evaluates the marks of the object. Although the previous text differentiated the meanings of separation, combination, shared, distinctive, and so on, it did not clarify the conditions of their arising in the internal mind; therefore, in this passage, it re-differentiates the marks of arising, thereby knowing that their present arising is different from desire-covers, aggregates, sense-bases, and so forth. From "Causes and conditions" below, it directly clarifies causes and conditions. Accumulation-cause refers to the cause, with continual perfume-habituation serving as the condition; mental karma serves as the cause, with bad deeds of body and speech serving as the condition; demonic conduct serves as the cause, with the capture by the ten armies serving as the condition. Because these three exist, when one now cultivates the aids to the path, these three manifest again, which are also called conditions. The first, accumulation, has the principle, metaphor, and application. The term "aids to the path" merely means directly contemplating the object of the aggregates and sense-bases. Flowing with the current is called "going down-current": because one does not cultivate contemplation, one follows the flow of birth and death. From "If cultivating the path" below, it refers to currently contemplating the aggregates, which further manifests past seeds. Going against the current is called "going up-current." "States of existence" refers to the twenty-five states of existence, namely the four continents, the four wretched destinies, the six [heavens of] desire together with the Brahmā King, the four dhyānas, the four formless [realms], the Non-conceptual [Heaven], and the five anāgāmin [heavens]. "Towering" (wei) means lofty and steep, the appearance of rising high. The character wei has three pronunciations (wǔhuí, wǔfēi, wǔwéi). Affliction is restrained by contemplation, and therefore rises high. Next, in clarifying karma: "Na" means what. "Zhuo" means high. The marks of karma having already arisen is called "attainment." The grades and ranks not being accomplished is called "not established." In the metaphor it says "like a river" and so on: "calm" (tian) means the water is still; [the reading] "without water" is incorrect. "Waves like connected mountains": Zhuangzi says, "White waves like mountains." The Wenxuan's 'Sea Rhapsody' says, "Waves like connected mountains." The aggregate-object is like the calm river; cultivating contemplation is like the wind rising; the manifestation of delusions is like great waves; indulging body and speech is like "dropping the sail"; losing the single mind is like "letting go of the rudder." Due to this letting go and dropping, the sailing boat is wrecked. If the rudder of the mind is resolute and the sail of body and speech is straightened, the boat of correct contemplation will surely avoid defeat by karma, cross the river of afflictions, and reach the shore of nirvāṇa. Next, regarding the "ten armies" in clarifying māra: the Dazhidulun's explanation of the four māras states, "Question: Where is affliction explained as a māra? Answer: As in the Saṃyuktaratnapiṭaka Sūtra, where the Buddha spoke in verse to Māra, saying: