法界次第初門 1.308

1.308

The attainment of neither-perception-nor-non-perception. The Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra states: "If there is a bhikṣu who possesses a mind of neither-perception, he contemplates thus: 'Now this perception of mine is suffering, is an outflow, is a sore, is an ulcer, and is not quiescent. If I am able to sever such neither-perception and nor-non-perception, this is called quiescence.' If there is a bhikṣu who can sever such perception and nor-non-perception, this is called obtaining the door of liberation of non-perception. Why is this? A bhikṣu who practices the Dharma contemplates thus: 'Whether there is perception of feeling, perception of consciousness, perception of contact, perception of space, perception of consciousness, or neither-perception nor-non-perception and so forth, these are all called coarse perceptions. If I now cultivate non-perception, the samādhi of non-perception will be able to permanently sever such perceptions; therefore, I view neither-perception-nor-non-perception as quiescent.' Having viewed it thus and entered the attainment of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, he does not crave or cling to it, and shatters ignorance. Having [shattered] that ignorance, he is called having obtained the fruit of an arhat. The former three attainments are severed by two paths; the latter fourth attainment can never be severed by the worldly path. Although an ordinary person in the base of neither-perception departs from coarse afflictions, there are still ten kinds of subtle dharmas; because there are no coarse afflictions, all ordinary persons call it nirvāṇa. An ordinary person refers to non-Buddhists such as Udraka Rāmaputra."