宗鏡錄 87.4

87.4

Answer: There are five stages. According to the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśāstra: Those who possess the two Mahāyāna lineages gradually awaken and enter through five stages. First is the naturally abiding lineage (prakṛtistha-gotra), meaning the causes of untainted dharmas obtained inherently (dharmatā) by depending upon the fundamental consciousness from beginningless time. Second is the lineage developed through practice (samudānīta-gotra), meaning what is developed through the perfuming of what is produced by hearing, etc., having heard the dharmas that are the natural outflow (niṣyanda) of the dharmadhātu. Only by possessing these two Mahāyāna lineages can one gradually awaken and enter into consciousness-only. Furthermore, how does one gradually awaken and enter into consciousness-only? It means that with respect to the nature and characteristics of consciousness, bodhisattvas are able to deeply believe and understand in the stage of provision (saṃbhāra-avasthā); in the stage of applied practice (prayoga-avasthā), they can gradually suppress and eliminate grasped objects (grāhya) and grasping subjects (grāhaka), giving rise to true seeing; in the stage of thorough penetration (prativedha-avasthā), they penetrate in accordance with reality; in the stage of cultivation (bhāvanā-avasthā), in accordance with the principle seen, they repeatedly cultivate, suppressing and severing the remaining hindrances; reaching the ultimate stage (niṣṭhā-avasthā), emerging from hindrances into complete clarity, they are able to transform sentient beings to the end of the future, causing them also to awaken and enter the nature and characteristics of consciousness-only. What are the five stages of awakening and entering consciousness-only? First is the stage of provision. The verse says: As long as consciousness has not arisen / seeking to abide in the nature of consciousness-only, / regarding the dormant tendencies (anuśaya) of the two graspings, / one is not yet able to suppress or extinguish them. / The treatise says: From generating a deep and firm great aspiration for awakening (bodhicitta) up until one has not yet generated the factors conducive to penetration (nirvedhabhāgīya), seeking to abide in the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only—up to this point, all is subsumed under the stage of provision. Because one cultivates various supreme provisions for the sake of proceeding toward unexcelled, complete, and perfect awakening (anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi), and diligently seeks liberation for the sake of sentient beings, this is therefore also called the factors conducive to liberation (mokṣabhāgīya). Relying on the four supreme powers of cause, good friends (kalyāṇamitra), mental engagement (manaskāra), and provisions, although the bodhisattva in this stage deeply believes and understands the meaning of consciousness-only, they have not yet understood the emptiness of grasped and grasping, and mostly abide at the outer gate cultivating the bodhisattva practices. Therefore, regarding the dormant tendencies induced by the two graspings, they do not yet have the efficacious power to suppress or extinguish them; they merely contemplate so that the active manifestation (samudācāra) of the two graspings does not arise. These words ‘two graspings’ indicate grasping at the two graspings, because of grasping onto the nature of grasping subject and grasped object. The karmic impressions (vāsanā) of the two graspings are called their dormant tendencies. Accompanying sentient beings, they lie dormant and hidden in the storehouse consciousness (ālayavijñāna), or increase their faults along with them; thus they are named dormant tendencies. They are precisely the seeds of the cognitive hindrance (jñeyāvaraṇa) and the affliction hindrance (kleśāvaraṇa). Affliction hindrance means: taking grasping at a real self that is conceptually constructed (parikalpita) as foremost, headed by the view of individuality (satkāyadṛṣṭi), the one hundred and twenty-eight fundamental afflictions, and the various secondary afflictions (upakleśa) that are their outflows. These all disturb and afflict the body and mind of sentient beings and are able to obstruct nirvāṇa; hence they are named affliction hindrances. Cognitive hindrance means: taking grasping at real dharmas that are conceptually constructed as foremost, headed by the view of individuality, views, doubt, ignorance, affection, anger, conceit, etc., which obscure the non-erroneous nature of the cognitive object and are able to obstruct bodhi; hence they are named cognitive hindrances. Furthermore, while the bodhisattva abides in this stage of provision, although some coarse active manifestations are suppressed, regarding subtle ones and the two dormant tendencies, the power of calm abiding (śamatha) and special insight (vipaśyanā) is slight, and they are not yet able to suppress or extinguish them. In this stage, having not yet realized the tathatā of consciousness-only, they cultivate various supreme practices relying on the power of resolute faith (adhimukti); it should be known that this is also subsumed under the stage of resolute practice (adhimukticaryābhūmi). Furthermore, the supreme practices cultivated refer to merit, wisdom, and so forth. The commentary explains: The ‘naturally abiding lineage’ means that before hearing the true Dharma, the untainted seeds are merely spontaneously formed from beginningless time without having been perfumed to cause them to increase; it is named the original lineage. ‘Nature’ (xing 性) is substance; ‘lineage’ (xing 姓) is category. It means that the distinctive categories of seeds of this bodhisattva, naturally formed and abiding, do not arise only now; hence it is named the naturally abiding lineage. The Bodhisattvabhūmi states that the beginningless, inherent excellence of the six sense-bases is named the naturally abiding lineage. The ‘lineage developed through practice’ means that after hearing the true Dharma, one causes the old untainted seeds to increase and repeatedly practices the lineage. The Bodhisattvabhūmi states that hearing the twelve divisions of the canon is the equal outflow of the dharmadhātu; it flows equally; moreover, the nature of the dharmadhātu is good, acceding to the wholesome and opposing the unwholesome, possessing all virtues, and this is also like that; hence it is named equal outflow. Regarding ‘relying on the four supreme powers of cause, good friends, mental engagement, and provisions’: concerning these four powers above, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says that within being able to awaken and enter, the continuum of perfuming through much hearing of the Mahāyāna is the causal power; having attained attendance upon immeasurable buddhas appearing in the world is the power of good friends; having attained an exclusively decisive, resolute faith that cannot be shaken by evil companions is the power of mental engagement; having well accumulated all wholesome roots, etc., is the power of provisions. Regarding the meaning of dormant tendencies: accompanying sentient beings, always remaining in saṃsāra, lying dormant and hidden in the storehouse consciousness, not appearing elsewhere; thus they are named dormant tendencies. Or, following along and increasing faults; thus they are named dormant tendencies. Following along with sentient beings and multiplying faults; thus they are named dormant tendencies. Why does ‘dormant’ (mian 眠) mean ‘increase’? Just as when a person sleeps, their sleep multiplies and increases; thus faults increase; this is the meaning of dormant tendency. That is, the seeds of the two hindrances. Second is the stage of applied practice. The verse says: Setting up a slight object before oneself / and deeming it to be the nature of consciousness-only, / because of having something apprehended, / one does not truly abide in consciousness-only. / The treatise says: The bodhisattva, having previously well prepared the provisions of merit and wisdom throughout the first incalculable aeon, after the factors conducive to liberation have been completed, in order to enter the path of seeing (darśanamārga) and abide in the nature of consciousness-only, further cultivates applied practice to suppress and eliminate the two graspings: namely, heat (ūṣmagata), summit (mūrdhan), patience (kṣānti), and supreme mundane dharmas (laukikāgradharma). These four are collectively named the factors conducive to penetration (nirvedhabhāgīya), because they accord with and proceed toward the genuine factors of penetration. Furthermore, within these four applied practices, the bodhisattva still sets up a slight object before oneself, deeming it to be the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only; because those two characteristics of emptiness and existence are not yet eliminated, and the mind of contemplation bears characteristics and has something apprehended, one does not truly abide in the true principle of consciousness-only. Only after those characteristics are extinguished does one truly abide. In accordance with this meaning, there is a verse: The bodhisattva in the state of concentration / contemplates mental reflections as being mind alone; / the ideation of external objects having been eliminated, / one carefully contemplates them as being merely one’s own ideation. / Abiding thus in one’s own mind, / one knows that grasped objects do not exist; / because the grasping subject is also absent, / subsequently one contacts non-apprehension. / Furthermore, in this stage of applied practice, the bondage of characteristics (nimittabandhana) has not yet been dispelled, nor can the bondage of coarseness (dauṣṭhulyabandhana) be severed. One can only suppress and eliminate the two graspings produced by conceptual discrimination, because they run contrary to the path of seeing. Regarding the innate ones and the two dormant tendencies, because the tainted mind of contemplation has something apprehended and possesses conceptual discrimination, they are not completely suppressed and eliminated, and cannot be extinguished at all. Furthermore, this stage is also subsumed under the stage of resolute practice, because one has not yet realized the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only. The commentary explains: ‘These four are collectively named the factors conducive to penetration’ means they are called the genuine factors of penetration. Penetration is wisdom, namely the discrimination of dharmas (dharmapravicaya). ‘Penetration’ (jue 決) excludes doubt, because doubt is vacillating; ‘selection’ (ze 擇) excludes views, because views do not discern. ‘Factor’ (fen 分) has the meaning of limb or cause, namely the awakening factor of the discrimination of dharmas (dharmapravicaya-saṃbodhyaṅga). ‘Setting up a slight object before oneself’ means that the mind transforms into [an image of] tathatā, which is termed ‘a slight object.’ Because this is not signless, it is called ‘bearing characteristics.’ When one realizes the real, this characteristic is extinguished. The ‘characteristic’ is precisely the characteristic grasped through emptiness. Third is the stage of thorough penetration. The verse says: When regarding the cognitive object, / wisdom apprehends nothing whatsoever, / at that time one abides in consciousness-only, / because one is free from the characteristics of the two graspings. / The treatise says: When the bodhisattva’s non-conceptual wisdom (nirvikalpajñāna) apprehends nothing whatsoever regarding all remaining objects, because of not grasping the characteristics of various conceptual proliferations (prapañca), only then is it named truly abiding in the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only. That is, the wisdom realizing tathatā is completely equal with tathatā, because both are free from the characteristics of grasping subject and grasped object. The characteristics of grasping subject and grasped object are both conceptual discriminations, arising as the conceptual proliferation of a mind that has something apprehended. Furthermore, although this wisdom has a darśanabhāga, it is without conceptual discrimination; it is said not to be a grasping subject, yet grasping is not entirely absent. Although it has no nimittabhāga, it can be said that this arises bearing the likeness of tathatā, because it is not separate from tathatā. Just as when the self-intimating part (svasaṃvittibhāga) cognizes the darśanabhāga, it cognizes without transforming [into an image], this should also be so. If it transformed [into an image] to cognize, it would not be direct realization; like subsequent wisdom (pṛṣṭhalabdhajñāna), it would possess conceptual discrimination. Therefore one must allow that this possesses darśanabhāga without nimittabhāga. Immediately following applied practice, when this wisdom arises, it personally realizes tathatā; this is named the stage of thorough penetration. Because it first illuminates the principle, it is also named the path of seeing. Furthermore, the former genuine path of seeing realizes the nature of consciousness-only; the subsequent path of seeing of characteristics realizes the characteristics of consciousness-only. Between the two, the former is superior, so the verse specifically speaks of it. The former genuine path of seeing is subsumed under fundamental wisdom (mūlajñāna); the subsequent path of seeing of characteristics is subsumed under subsequent wisdom. Does all subsequent wisdom possess two aspects? Furthermore, this wisdom manifests bodies, lands, and so forth, in order to preach the true Dharma for sentient beings. If it did not transform and manifest the semblance of form, sound, and so on, how could there be such matters as manifesting bodies and preaching the Dharma? If the transformation of the basis of the form aggregate did not manifest form, then the transformation of the basis of the four [mental] aggregates would lack sensation and the rest. Moreover, if this wisdom did not transform into a semblance of an object, dharmas separate from its own substance would not be cognitive objects: when cognizing form, etc., it would cognize sound, etc.; and when cognizing non-existent dharmas, etc., it would lack an objective condition (ālambanapratyaya), because their substance is not real and has no efficacious function. For this reason, subsequent wisdom possesses both aspects. The commentary says: Regarding ‘Moreover, if this wisdom did not transform into a semblance of an object, dharmas separate from its own substance would not be cognitive objects’: since there is no nimittabhāga, the minds of self and other, the bodies and lands of others, and so on—dharmas separate from one’s own substance—without bearing a mental reflection, would not be objective conditions. This is because it directly and personally illuminates them without transforming into a characteristic. It is not like tathatā, because tathatā is the very substance of wisdom itself.