天台八教大意 1.20

1.20

Now, relying on the gate of existence, the ten meanings are briefly explained: First, clarifying the sphere to be contemplated, which is discerning that conditioned by true ignorance, all phenomena arise. Hence the Mahāvibhāṣā states: "Whether matter is coarse or subtle, contemplating it as a whole, it is impermanent and without self; all [of it] is inverted." As extensively explained in the Abhidharma, it is not like the heterodox paths which postulate subtle atoms, the primordial nature of the world, spontaneity, and so forth. Second, genuine generation of the mind [of awakening]: once one recognizes [the links from] ignorance up to old age and death, one correctly seeks nirvāṇa, generates the minds of the three vehicles, transcends views and craving, seeks neither name nor gain, and aspires solely to [nirvāṇa] without remainder. Third, honoring concentration and wisdom: once one has vowed to seek emergence from existence, one abides by the prātimokṣa and cultivates the path. But with obstructions running rampant, how could the path be attained? For this reason, one cultivates the four applications of mindfulness and studies the five methods of stilling the mind. Shattering the five kinds of hindrances is called stilling; contemplation of concrete phenomena is called concentration; the applications of mindfulness are wisdom. Because wisdom and concentration are equally stilled, it is called calming the mind. Fourth, shattering phenomena universally: causing those who view existence to attain the path, by universally shattering views and craving through the wisdom of impermanence and so forth. Fifth, knowing the unimpeded and the impeded: although one previously knew that views and so forth are faults, one had not yet seen their virtues. Faults are the impeded, and virtues are the unimpeded. The unimpeded refers to the path, cessation, the cessation of ignorance, and so on, as well as the six perfections; the impeded refers to accumulation, arising from conditions, and so on, as well as the six obscurations. Examining them step by step, what is unimpeded must be protected, and what is impeded must be shattered. Sixth, harmonizing and adapting the factors of the path: having recognized the unimpeded and the impeded, one progresses in cultivating the factors of the path—namely, contemplating the body as impure, contemplating feelings as suffering, contemplating the mind as impermanent, and contemplating phenomena as without self. Diligently cultivating the applications of mindfulness is called the four right efforts; cultivating them within a concentrated mind is called the four bases of psychic power; the arising of the five wholesome roots is called the five faculties; the enhancement and growth of the faculties is called the five powers; the harmonizing of concentration and wisdom is called the seven factors of awakening; practicing within the secure path is called the eightfold noble [path]. If one [factor of] stilling comprises the thirty-seven factors [of awakening], the other [methods of] stilling the mind are also like this. These thirty-seven are the practices of the path. When about to enter the city of the uncontaminated, there are three gates: namely, emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. The two practices of emptiness and non-self under [the truth of] suffering serve as the gate of emptiness; the four each of accumulation and path, together with suffering and impermanence under suffering—ten practices in total—serve as the gate of wishlessness; the four under cessation serve as the gate of signlessness. Therefore one knows that the three vehicles without exception rely on the [noble] truths. Seventh, cultivating antidotes: sharp persons enter directly; blunt persons do not enter, and ought to cultivate auxiliary paths. Hence the treatise states: "When a mind of greed and desire arises, teach the cultivation of impurity, the [eight] liberations, and so forth as auxiliaries; the analytical contemplation of impermanence, returning to the real, serves as the primary [path]." Eighth, recognizing the sequence of stages: although cultivating the primary and auxiliary practices and so forth, one clearly recognizes the differing gradations between the genuine and the semblance, preventing superiority conceit. Ninth, skillfully cultivating patient acceptance: synthetically cultivating the four applications of mindfulness, one enters the heat stage, where the smoke of the semblance path arises. If one does not patiently accept, one will not reach heat and summit. Falling back from summit, one commits the five inexpiable offenses; falling back from heat, one becomes an icchantika. After patient acceptance and supreme mundane dharmas, one enters the truly uncontaminated, because one has been able to patiently accept all internal and external obstructions. Tenth, non-attachment to dharma: patient acceptance above urges the external ordinary person forward to enter the internal ordinary [stages], causing them to have no attachment to dharma. It spurs the internal ordinary stages to enter the seeing of the truths, severing the afflictions of views, either leaping over or sequentially attaining the stage of non-learning. Sharp persons attain entry step by step; blunt persons ride [the practice] fully through to the tenth. Although what is explained in the Abhidharma is extensive, it does not go beyond these ten meanings, which are called the ten dharmas constituting the vehicle. As it is with the gate of existence, so it is with the gate of emptiness, the gate of both existence and emptiness, and the gate of neither existence nor emptiness, as extensively explained in the major work. This concludes the Tripiṭaka teaching.