諸經要集 11.22

11.22

若論色無色天。依阿毘曇則無不善。據理而言。亦有輕微三業不善。謂彼意地有邪慢等。身口業過。如初禪中。婆伽梵王。語諸梵眾。汝得住此。我能令汝盡老死邊。汝等不須詣瞿曇所。黑齒比丘往彼問言。初禪三昧。依何三昧生。從何三昧滅。梵王答言。我是諸梵中尊者。黑齒比丘言。我不問梵王尊卑。但問。初禪三昧。依何三昧生。從何三昧滅。彼不能答。即捉尊者。牽出眾外。語尊者言。我不能知初禪三昧。從何三昧生。從何三昧滅。汝何忍在梵中損辱我也。此是諂詐不善煩惱。言佛不能令汝解脫。即是謗佛綺語惡口。上界唯有此諂詐。發動身口微不善業。然不於他人起麁違損。以生上者曾修得定。盡離欲界麁貪瞋等。故得彼報。還能修定。雖有煩惱。唯是癡心。以迷道故。起愛慢等。樂修善行法。望得勝他。此等煩惱為定所壞。故不損物。不相違害。若依毘曇。上界煩惱非是不善。說為無記。此細貪等能污淨心。雖是無記體是染污。不同報生色心苦樂及威儀等。白淨無記故。論說為穢污無記。是污穢故。潤業受生。若此煩惱不潤業者。業種則燋永不牽報。上界眾生不應更生。由能潤業故得更生。問上界煩惱。既能潤業潤生得報。何故非記。答上界煩惱雖復潤業。唯得總報受生而已。不由此惑正感樂果。亦不招苦。故是無記。不同下界不善煩惱感得總報及別報苦。

If we discuss the form and formless heavens: according to the Abhidharma, they have no unwholesomeness. Speaking according to principle, they also have slight unwholesome actions of the three karmas, meaning that their mental ground has false pride and the like, and faults of bodily and vocal karma. For example, in the first dhyāna, the king of the Brahmā gods said to the Brahmā assembly: 'You have attained dwelling here; I can cause you to exhaust the limits of old age and death; you do not need to go to Gautama.' The bhikṣu Heichi went there and asked him: 'On what samādhi does the first dhyāna samādhi arise? From what samādhi does it cease?' The Brahmā king replied: 'I am the venerable one among all Brahmās.' The bhikṣu Heichi said: 'I am not asking about the Brahmā king's honor or lowliness; I am only asking: on what samādhi does the first dhyāna samādhi arise, and from what samādhi does it cease?' He could not answer, so he seized the venerable one, pulled him outside the assembly, and said to him: 'I do not know on what samādhi the first dhyāna samādhi arises, and from what samādhi it ceases. Why could you bear to humiliate me before the Brahmā assembly?' This is the unwholesome affliction of deceit. Saying that the Buddha cannot liberate you is slandering the Buddha, frivolous talk, and harsh speech. In the higher realms there is only this deceit, which activates slight unwholesome karma of body and speech; however, they do not give rise to coarse harm toward others. Because those born above had previously cultivated and attained concentration, completely separating from the coarse covetousness and ill will of the desire realm, they obtained that retribution, and can still cultivate concentration. Although they have afflictions, these are only the mind of ignorance; because they are confused about the path, they give rise to attachment, pride, and the like, taking pleasure in cultivating wholesome practices in the hope of surpassing others. These afflictions are broken by concentration, so they do not harm things or conflict with one another. If based on the Abhidharma, afflictions of the higher realms are not unwholesome; they are stated to be indeterminate. These subtle attachments and the like can defile the pure mind; although indeterminate, their essence is defiled. They are unlike retribution-born matter, mind, pleasure, pain, comportment, and so forth, which are clear and pure indeterminate; therefore the treatises call them defiled indeterminate. Because they are defiled, they moisten karma to receive rebirth. If these afflictions did not moisten karma, the seeds of karma would be scorched and never bring about retribution, and sentient beings of the higher realms would not be reborn again. Because they can moisten karma, they are able to be reborn again. Question: Since the afflictions of the higher realms can moisten karma and moisten rebirth to obtain retribution, why are they non-determinate? Answer: Although the afflictions of the higher realms moisten karma, they only result in general retribution and receiving rebirth; one does not directly perceive pleasurable fruits through this delusion, nor does one incur suffering. Therefore they are indeterminate, unlike the unwholesome afflictions of the lower realms that induce general retribution and specific retributions of suffering.