大乘入道次第開決 1.173

1.173

以四諦相轉正法輪等者。然此文中三種法輪。即金光明說轉照持。既法輪義佛法要宗。況此文中三種不同。今者略以三門分別。一明體性。復有五種。一者自性。即取三乘見修無學所有聖道。唯此性能摧碾等故。二者因起。即取能生聖道之教及聞思修諸方便慧為道因故。三者助伴。即取相應四蘊心法及色蘊性。要有戒等方起證故。四者境界。即取四諦十二因緣三性等境。要觀境界方有智故。五者得果。即是三乘菩提涅槃。隨其所應三乘聖道所得果故。故法輪體剋性相從有此五種闕一無故。故亦即是教理行果。二釋名字。復分二義。一法二輪。法有二義。一者軌則。即前體性皆可軌則故為法。二任持義。即前五種皆持自性又得名法。輪有四義。一圓滿義。具轂輻輞圓滿義故。即如所修八聖道中。正見思惟說名為轂。是根本故。正語業命說名為輻。因轂有故。正念勤定說名為輞。攝錄餘故。故說聖道喻之為輪。二摧碾義。此四種法若伏若斷若助若正。未斷煩惱皆能摧故。如聖王輪能降未降諸怨敵故。故喻於輪。三鎮過義。能鎮已伏一切煩惱。遏其勢力更不令起。如聖王輪鎮已伏者更無返動。故喻於輪。四不定義。轉所解法至餘身中。從彼見修無學轉生言教等智發言教他。他從言教轉生見修無學道等。如世間輪隨轉不定。故前聖法喻之為輪。法即是轉持業釋也。三者轉相。有其三義。一示相轉。謂此是苦集滅道諦。示四諦相令其悟解。入於見道斷分別障證諦理故。二勸修轉。謂說汝應遍知永斷作證修習。勸修諦行令更進修。所有斷證有學道故。三引證轉。謂告彼言。汝已知斷證修諦理。住無學道。為作證明。知彼滿故。故一一諦皆有三轉。故維摩經云。三轉法輪於大千等。其一一轉皆有四相。謂即眼智明覺行解。即依三世總別照解而說四種。三轉各四故成十二。四諦合有四十八種。以行數同但言三轉十二行輪。法輪之義其相甚多。恐文繁廣略示少分。然此所說四諦法輪。既包一切染淨因果。體雖非無非定實有非有非無。是中道理。既許通是三乘境界。故亦通是三時法輪。初為小乘除其遍計所執我相了我空故。就不無義說皆為有。故言此是苦集滅道。是以經言。以四諦相轉正法輪。次為大乘除其遍計所執法相令悟諸空。約不有義總說為無。故言一切無自性等。是故經言。以隱密相轉法輪等。復為諸乘雙除二執故。約三性顯中道理。顯說諸法有空之相。是故經言。以顯了相轉正法輪。初轉外道所有我相令入小乘。名轉法輪。次以空法照破前有令入大乘。名照法輪。後以顯說處中之法住持中道。名持法輪。佛法大海深廣無涯。若欲具說窮劫不盡。粗釋經文令易入故。

Regarding "Turning the true wheel of the Dharma through the marks of the four truths," etc.: Now, the three wheels of the Dharma in this text are what the Suvarṇaprabhāsa refers to as turning, illuminating, and holding. Since the meaning of the wheel of the Dharma is the essential principle of the Buddha-Dharma, and moreover in this text there are three different kinds, they are now briefly distinguished through three gates. First, clarifying their essential nature, which furthermore has five types: First is intrinsic nature: namely, taking all the noble paths of the seeing, cultivation, and beyond-training [stages] of the three vehicles, because only this nature can crush and roll over [afflictions], etc. Second is causal arising: namely, taking the teaching that can generate the noble paths, as well as the various expedient wisdoms of hearing, thinking, and cultivation, because they are the causes of the path. Third is accompaniment: namely, taking the associated mental dharmas of the four aggregates and the nature of the form aggregate, because one must have precepts, etc., for realization to arise. Fourth is cognitive object: namely, taking the realms of the four truths, the twelve links of dependent origination, the three natures, etc., because only by contemplating cognitive objects can there be wisdom. Fifth is attained result: namely, the bodhi and nirvāṇa of the three vehicles, because they are the results attained by the noble paths of the three vehicles as appropriate. Thus, strictly speaking and inclusively, the essence of the wheel of the Dharma has these five types; lacking even one, it would not exist. Therefore, it is also simply teaching, principle, practice, and result. Second, explaining the name, which is further divided into two senses: first, "dharma," and second, "wheel." "Dharma" has two senses: First, "rule or standard": namely, all the aforementioned essential natures can serve as models, and are therefore "dharmas." Second, "maintaining": namely, all the five types hold their own nature, and thus also gain the name "dharma." "Wheel" has four senses: First, the sense of "perfection": because it possesses hub, spokes, and rim, having the meaning of perfection. That is, within the eightfold noble path practiced, right view and right intention are called the "hub," because they are the root. Right speech, right action, and right livelihood are called the "spokes," because they exist due to the hub. Right mindfulness, right effort, and right samādhi are called the "rim," because they encompass the rest. Therefore, the noble path is spoken of using the metaphor of a wheel. Second, the sense of "crushing": whether subduing, abandoning, assisting, or primary, these four types of dharmas can all crush afflictions that have not yet been severed, just as the wheel of a noble monarch can conquer all enemies not yet conquered; hence it is compared to a wheel. Third, the sense of "quelling faults": it can quell all afflictions already subdued, checking their momentum so they are never allowed to arise again, just as the wheel of a noble monarch quells those already subdued so that they no longer rebel; hence it is compared to a wheel. Fourth, the sense of "unfixed": it turns the understood Dharma into the bodies of others; from that seeing, cultivation, and beyond-training, wisdom such as verbal teaching is turned and generated to utter teachings to others; from that verbal teaching, others turn and generate the paths of seeing, cultivation, beyond-training, etc. Like a worldly wheel that is unfixed as it turns, the aforementioned noble Dharma is compared to a wheel. "Dharma-wheel" is a karmadhāraya compound in which dharma itself is the turning. Third, the characteristics of the turning, which have three meanings: First, the turning that demonstrates characteristics: namely, "this is the truth of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path," demonstrating the marks of the four truths to lead them to awaken and understand, entering the path of seeing, severing conceptually differentiated hindrances, and realizing the principle of the truths. Second, the turning that encourages cultivation: namely, saying, "you should fully know, forever sever, realize, and cultivate," encouraging them to cultivate the practices of the truths to make further progress, possessing the severing and realization of the path of the trainee. Third, the turning that adduces confirmation: namely, telling them, "you have already known, severed, realized, and cultivated the principle of the truths, abiding in the path beyond training," bearing witness for them, knowing they are fulfilled. Therefore, each truth has three turnings. Thus the Vimalakīrti-sūtra says: "Turning the wheel of the Dharma thrice in the great chiliocosm," etc. Each turning has four aspects: namely, eye, knowledge, clarity, and awakening, which are practice and understanding. That is, four kinds are spoken of based on the general and specific illuminations and understandings of the three periods of time. Each of the three turnings has four, thus making twelve; the four truths together have forty-eight kinds. Because the number of aspects is the same, it is simply called the "wheel of three turnings and twelve aspects." The meanings of the wheel of the Dharma have very many marks; fearing overly extensive text, I have briefly demonstrated a small part. However, this spoken wheel of the Dharma of the four truths encompasses all defiled and pure causes and results; its essence is neither non-existent nor definitely truly existent, neither existent nor non-existent—this is the Middle Way principle. Since it is accepted as commonly being the realm of the three vehicles, it is also commonly the wheel of the Dharma of the three periods. At first, for the Śrāvakayāna, to eliminate their imagined mark of a self and lead them to understand the emptiness of the person, it speaks of everything as existent with respect to the meaning of not being non-existent; hence it says, "this is suffering, origination, cessation, and the path." Thus the sūtra says: "Turning the true wheel of the Dharma through the marks of the four truths." Next, for the Mahāyāna, to eliminate their imagined mark of phenomena and lead them to awaken to all emptiness, it generally speaks of them as non-existent with respect to the meaning of not being existent; hence it says, "all lack an intrinsic nature," etc. Therefore the sūtra says: "Turning the wheel of the Dharma with esoteric marks," etc. Furthermore, for all vehicles, to eliminate both graspings, it reveals the Middle Way principle with respect to the three natures, explicitly explaining the marks of existence and emptiness of all dharmas. Therefore the sūtra says: "Turning the true wheel of the Dharma with explicit marks." First, turning the marks of self held by non-Buddhists to lead them to enter the Śrāvakayāna is called "turning the wheel of the Dharma." Next, using the dharma of emptiness to illuminate and break through previous existence to lead them to enter the Mahāyāna is called "illuminating the wheel of the Dharma." Finally, using explicitly taught dharmas of the middle to abide in and maintain the Middle Way is called "holding the wheel of the Dharma." The great ocean of the Buddha-Dharma is profound, vast, and boundless; if one wished to explain it fully, an entire kalpa would not exhaust it. I have roughly explained the text of the sūtra to make it easy to enter.