四教義 6.2

6.2

Second, explaining the stages of the seven nobles: first, those who follow through faith; second, those who follow through the Dharma; third, those liberated through faith; fourth, those attained through views; fifth, the bodily witness; sixth, the arhat liberated in due time; seventh, the arhat liberated at all times. These seven stages are collectively called 'nobles', taking 'upright' as its meaning, which is the mirror suspended above the refined path. With the true clarity of patience regarding suffering, one relinquishes ordinary nature and attains entry into noble nature; true wisdom sees principle, cutting off the hindrances of the same kind; hence they are called 'nobles'. These seven kinds of noble persons further have two differences, namely those in training and those beyond training. The first five kinds of noble persons are all people in training; the last two kinds of noble persons are in the stage beyond training. As for people in training, beginning from the production of true wisdom through the dharma-patience regarding suffering, from then on there are noble persons. There are the noble truths; possessing both tainted and untainted five aggregates and seeing the noble traces, they are called people in training. Because they do not deduce or seek regarding the truths, they are called people beyond training. Furthermore, regarding people beyond training: their true wisdom having seen principle to the utmost of the three realms, the primary afflictions are already exhausted with no delusions left to remedy; they do not need to further train in the four true wisdoms. Furthermore, with respect to the stages of the seven nobles, they are divided into three paths: namely, the path of seeing, the path of cultivation, and the path beyond training. First, the path of seeing is the eightfold noble path; seeing principle, it severs the delusions to be severed by seeing the truths, up to the fifteen moments of mind, like the expedient of breaking stone. Second, the path of cultivation is the seven factors of awakening; as one contemplates a single truth, it severs [the delusions of] thinking, like the expedient of cutting the threads of a lotus root. Third, the path beyond training is as distinguished before.