天台八教大意 1.22

1.22

初乾慧地，即是外凡。體陰、界、入如幻如化，總伏見愛八倒，名四念觀。住是觀中，修正勤、如意、根、力、覺、道，雖未得煖法相似理水，總相智慧深利，故稱乾慧地。二、性地者，得煖法理水霑心，增進頂、忍及世第一，見無漏性皆名性地，即內凡也。三八人地、四見地，此兩地不出入觀，共斷見惑，發真無漏，見於諦理即初果位。八人者，八忍也，即無漏一十六心，亦應云八智。智少一分，文略從因，故云八人。五、薄地者，體破欲界六品思惑，故名為薄，即斯陀含果。六、離欲地，斷欲九品，不來欲界，即阿那含果，故云離欲。七、已辦地者，三乘進斷色、無色界八九七十二品思惑，即羅漢果，名為已辦，聲聞行極。八、支佛地，雖同斷見思，福厚根利，能除習氣也。九、菩薩地，從初發心緣無生四諦發菩提心，至六七地從空入假，假謂化道、空即空觀，道觀雙流，誓扶習氣還生三界，用道種智遊戲神通，淨佛國土、或就眾生，三乘機熟，即坐道場。用一念相應智慧進斷餘習及界內無知，得一切種智，名第十佛地。轉無生四諦法輪，化三乘眾入無餘涅槃，如火燒木無復灰炭，香象度河到於邊底。故經云：「諸法實性相，三乘亦皆得，而不名為佛。」

First, the stage of dry wisdom, which is the external ordinary [stage]. One realizes that the aggregates, realms, and sense entrances are like illusions and apparitions, synthetically subduing views and craving along with the eight inversions; this is called the contemplation of the four applications of mindfulness. Abiding in this contemplation, one cultivates the right efforts, bases of psychic power, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, and path; although one has not yet attained the water of the principle of the semblance of the heat stage, synthetic wisdom is deep and sharp, and therefore it is named the stage of dry wisdom. Second, the stage of nature: attaining the water of the principle of the heat stage which moistens the mind, one progresses through summit, patient acceptance, and supreme mundane dharmas; seeing the uncontaminated nature, these are all called the stage of nature, which is the internal ordinary [stage]. Third, the stage of the eight persons, and fourth, the stage of seeing: these two stages do not involve entering or emerging from contemplation; together they sever the afflictions of views, manifest the truly uncontaminated, and perceive the principle of the truths; this is the stage of the first fruit. "Eight persons" refers to the eight patient acceptances, which are the sixteen uncontaminated minds; it should also be called the eight knowledges. Because knowledge is deficient by one part, the text concisely follows the cause, hence calling them the eight persons. Fifth, the stage of attenuation: one realizes and shatters six grades of the afflictions of deliberations of the desire realm, hence it is called attenuated; this is the fruit of the sakṛdāgāmin. Sixth, the stage of freedom from desire: one severs nine grades of [the afflictions of] desire and does not return to the desire realm; this is the fruit of the anāgāmin, hence called freedom from desire. Seventh, the stage of having completed: the three vehicles advance to sever the seventy-two grades (eight times nine) of the afflictions of deliberations of the form and formless realms; this is the fruit of the arhat, named "having completed," the culmination of the śrāvaka's practice. Eighth, the stage of the pratyekabuddha: although identical in severing views and deliberations, their merit is thick and their faculties are sharp, so they are capable of eliminating residual habit energies. Ninth, the stage of the bodhisattva: from the initial generation of the mind, conditioning on the unarisen four truths, one generates the bodhicitta; up to the sixth and seventh stages, from emptiness one enters the provisional. "Provisional" refers to the path of conversion; "emptiness" refers to the contemplation of emptiness. Path and contemplation flowing together, one vows to sustain residual habit energies to be reborn in the three realms, uses the knowledge of the aspects of the path to sport with supernatural powers, purifies buddha lands, and matures sentient beings. When the capacities of the three vehicles are ripened, one sits on the place of awakening. Using the wisdom associated with a single thought-moment, one advances to sever the remaining habit energies and ignorance within the realms, attaining the knowledge of all aspects; this is called the tenth stage of the Buddha. One turns the wheel of the Dharma of the unarisen four truths, converting the assemblies of the three vehicles to enter nirvāṇa without remainder, like fire consuming wood until no ashes or charcoal remain, or like a fragrant elephant crossing a river to reach the other shore and the bottom. Hence the sūtra states: "The true nature and characteristics of all phenomena are also attained by the three vehicles, yet they are not called buddhas."