四教義 6.20

6.20

Fifth, explaining the critical analysis. Question: If one awakens spontaneously due to past practice, why is it necessary for the Buddha to explain the twelve links of dependent origination for him? Answer: If explained to him, he attains it quickly; if not explained, spontaneous awakening is rare and slow. It is like ripe fruit: although it should fall on its own, if one needs to harvest it quickly, a slight shake causes it to drop. Question: For what reason does the pratyekabuddha vehicle not distinguish fruitions? Answer: Śrāvakas are dull, so fruitions are distinguished [for them]; since pratyekabuddhas have long cultivated wisdom and their faculties are sharp, there is no need to distinguish fruitions. For example, when two people travel together, the one whose body is weak needs resting places, whereas the one whose body is strong proceeds directly to the destination. Therefore the Buddha spoke only of the pratyekabuddha path, and did not establish stages of fruition. Furthermore, collectively considering [the dharmas] to sever fetters is coarse wisdom, so it only removes active defilements, and is called the śrāvaka vehicle. Separately considering [the dharmas] to contemplate causes and conditions is subtle wisdom, so it encroaches upon and removes habit-energies, and is called the pratyekabuddha [vehicle]. Furthermore, because śrāvakas are dull, they first contemplate the truth of suffering; because pratyekabuddhas are sharp, they first contemplate the truth of origination. Question: In the śrāvaka's applications of mindfulness, separate consideration is coarse while collective consideration is superior; why is collective consideration now regarded as coarse and separate consideration as superior? Answer: Because one re-employs separate consideration and collective consideration to contemplate the twelve links of dependent origination subtly, serially, and distinctively, separate [consideration] is superior. Furthermore, the merit and power of meditative absorption of śrāvakas are shallow; their divine eye reaches at most only to a small-thousand realm. Pratyekabuddhas have planted roots of goodness for a long time, and their power of meditative absorption is deep; if they develop the divine eye, it extends beyond the trichiliocosm to see worlds of other regions.