四明尊者教行錄 3.46

3.46

Answer: Calming the mind through conditions is meant for beginners who have much delusion and ignorance in their minds and give rise to views of annihilationism and eternalism; therefore, they are instructed to contemplate the conditions of the three periods of time to counteract and remedy them. Thus Jingxi said: "Because the three periods of time are continuous, there is no annihilation; because the three periods of time alternate and pass away, there is no eternalism," and so forth. This only briefly understands the aspect of the arising of conditions, and does not yet know the aspect of the cessation of conditions. The correct contemplation of a pratyekabuddha, however, does not merely contemplate the three periods of time alone, but can even contemplate hundreds, thousands, and myriads of lifetimes; furthermore, it knows both arising and cessation, and takes both conventional truth and ultimate truth as true. The two contemplations are slightly different and must not be conflated.