法苑珠林 5.15

5.15

今述諸經具明諸天趣苦光明色界無色界苦。上界雖勝仍有微苦。故成實論云。上二界中雖無麁苦而有微細苦。何以知之。四禪中說有行立臥。隨有四故。皆應有苦。又色界有眼耳身識。即此識中所有諸受。名為苦樂。從一威儀求一威儀。求一威儀故知有苦。又無理解愛著已報。失時大苦。如經中說。唯得道者將命終時無憂苦色。今既是凡寧無憂喜。論中無苦者。以苦相微故說言無。如食少鹽故言無鹽。非是一向唯樂無苦。由上界樂行寂滅不著不能發起麁貪恚瞋。故名無苦無樂。又無刀杖等苦故言無苦。非無微苦。故涅槃經云。世間雖有上妙清淨園林。然死屍處中則為不淨。眾共捨之不生愛著。色界亦爾。雖復淨妙。以有身故。諸佛菩薩悉共捨之。若不作此觀名不修身。故知有苦。又法句喻經云。有四比丘坐於樹下。共相問言。一切世間何者最苦。一人言。天下之苦無過婬慾。一人言。世間之苦無過飢渴。一人言。世間之苦無過瞋恚。一人言。天下之苦莫過驚怖。共諍苦義紛紜不止。佛知其言。往到其所問諸比丘。向論何事。即起作禮具白所論。佛言。比丘。汝等所論不究苦義。天下之苦莫過有身。飢渴寒熱瞋恚驚怖。色欲怨禍。皆由於身。夫身者。眾苦之本。患禍之元。勞心極慮憂畏萬端。三界蠕動更相殘害。吾我縛著生死不息。皆由身與。欲願離世苦當求寂滅。攝心守正泊然無想可得泥洹。此最為樂。故知未得聖智滅此三界之身。當非苦耶。問曰。色界有身有苦可爾。無色無形苦受何生。答曰。彼報精微凡小不覩。無其麁礙非無細色。廣論有無被在別章。故智度論云。上二界死時退時。生大懊惱。甚於下界。譬如極處墮摧碎爛。又成實論云。苦樂隨身至於四禪。憂喜隨心至於有頂。

Now, explaining the sutras, I shall fully clarify the suffering of the heavenly destinies, elucidating the sufferings of the form realm and formless realm. Although the upper realms are superior, they still possess subtle suffering. Thus the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra* says: Although in the upper two realms there is no coarse suffering, there is subtle suffering. How is this known? In the four dhyānas it is explained that there are walking, standing, and lying down. According to the existence of these four, all must entail suffering. Furthermore, the form realm possesses eye, ear, and body consciousnesses; the sensations contained within these very consciousnesses are called suffering and pleasure. Moving from one deportment to seek another deportment, because one seeks a deportment, one knows there is suffering. Moreover, without understanding, one loves and clings to one's already gained retribution; when losing it, there is great suffering. As stated in the sutras, only those who have attained the path have no appearance of grief or suffering when approaching the end of life. Since they are now ordinary beings, how could they be devoid of grief and joy? Where the treatise speaks of 'no suffering', it is because the marks of suffering are subtle that it is said to be absent, just as when eating with little salt, one says there is no salt; it is not that there is entirely pleasure and no suffering. Because pleasure in the upper realms involves tranquil cessation without clinging, coarse greed, hostility, and anger cannot be generated; therefore it is called 'neither suffering nor pleasure'. Furthermore, because there is no suffering from knives, staves, and the like, it is said to have no suffering; it is not that there is no subtle suffering. Thus the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra* says: Although in the world there are superior, wonderful, and pure gardens and groves, if a dead corpse is inside, it becomes impure; everyone together abandons it and does not give rise to love and attachment. The form realm is also like this: although pure and wonderful, because a physical body exists, all the buddhas and bodhisattvas abandon it together. If one does not cultivate this contemplation, it is called not cultivating the body; thus one knows there is suffering. Furthermore, the *Dharmapada-avadāna-sūtra* says: Four bhikṣus were sitting beneath a tree and asked one another, 'In all the world, what is the greatest suffering?' One said, 'In the world there is no suffering greater than sexual desire.' One said, 'In the world there is no suffering greater than hunger and thirst.' One said, 'In the world there is no suffering greater than anger.' One said, 'In the world there is no suffering greater than terror and fear.' They disputed over the meaning of suffering endlessly. The Buddha, knowing their words, went to their place and asked the bhikṣus, 'What matter were you just discussing?' They immediately arose, bowed, and fully related what they had discussed. The Buddha said, 'Bhikṣus, what you have discussed does not reach the ultimate meaning of suffering. In the world, no suffering exceeds having a body. Hunger, thirst, cold, heat, anger, terror, sensual desire, enmity, and calamity—all are due to having a body. Now, the body is the root of all suffering, the origin of misfortunes and calamities. It exhausts the mind, strains all thought, and causes countless anxieties and fears. Writhing beings in the three realms mutually harm one another; the fetters of self and mine cause birth and death to continue without cease: all are caused by the body. Those who desire and vow to leave the worldly sufferings must seek tranquil cessation. Restraining the mind, guarding correctness, and being serene and without thought, one can attain nirvāṇa. This is the supreme pleasure.' Thus we know that if one has not attained the noble wisdom to extinguish this body of the three realms, how could it not be suffering? Question: 'It may be granted that the form realm has a body and thus has suffering, but the formless realm has no physical form; how does painful feeling arise?' Answer: 'That retribution is subtle and refined, invisible to ordinary beings and followers of the small [vehicle]. Being devoid of coarse physical obstruction does not mean there is no subtle matter. The extensive discussion of its existence or nonexistence is covered in another chapter. Thus the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* says: When dying and falling from the upper two realms, they produce great agony, worse than that in the lower realms. It is like falling from the highest point and being crushed to smithereens. Furthermore, the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra* says: Suffering and pleasure accompany the body up to the fourth dhyāna; grief and joy accompany the mind up to the peak of existence.'