英語訳
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are nothing but the Wonderful Dharma Lotus. The affliction objects and below are fully clarified in the Mahā Śamatha-Vipaśyanā as described. In such contemplative practice, those who enter the copper wheel initial abiding stage in this lifetime represent superior accomplishment. Those who reach the iron wheel ten faith stages are called intermediate accomplishment. Those who arrive at the five ranks of contemplative practice stage are called inferior accomplishment. Even without reaching these three types of accomplishment, those who through wisdom achieved through reflection understand according to principle that all dharmas are immediately empty, provisional, and middle, without harboring doubt, are called nominal identity (etc.).
So-called gradual śamatha-vipaśyanā proceeds from shallow to deep, like climbing a ladder. Knowing that true characteristics are difficult to enter easily, one first cultivates refuge and precepts, turning from wrong toward right, accomplishing worldly goodness. Next cultivating various meditations, one penetrates the form and formless realms. Next cultivating the untainted, one penetrates the nirvana path. Next cultivating compassion, one penetrates the bodhisattva path. Finally cultivating true characteristics, one penetrates the secret treasury. This is fully explained in the Dhyāna Pāramitā. So-called indeterminate śamatha-vipaśyanā alternates between gradual and sudden, principle and phenomena, mutually cultivating shallow and deep without fixed sequence, as clarified in the Six Wonderful Gates.
In Tiantai's doctrinal classification, using the great to censure the small and using the perfect to break the partial all proceed according to principle. Dialectical opposition is merely the grand framework of doctrinal classification. Why? When界外 teachings are set against 界内 teachings, post-ground paths against pre-ground paths, effortless paths against effortful paths, and fruition aspects against causal aspects, then disparaging the superior and inferior, abandoning the former through the latter, is naturally reasonable. If we discuss how capacities influence teachings and teachings respond to capacities, then the myriad differences in sentient beings' capacity types formed through ten causes and conditions mean some are suitable for receiving the great, some suitable for receiving the small, some suitable for receiving the perfect,
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and some suitable for receiving the partial. Therefore Master Zhizhe, while taking the Lotus as his foundation, broadly expounded various teachings in the teaching path gate, promoting both provisional and real together, and opened three śamatha-vipaśyanās in the contemplative practice gate to address three capacities. This is like prescribing medicine according to illness. The Profound Meaning states: "People today who propagate the Dharma either use only the great or only the small—all fail to grasp the Buddha's intent. Those who skillfully propagate the sutras adapt their application to the times. Though their mouths speak the provisional, their inner minds do not violate the real Dharma. They simply enable sentient beings to gain the seven benefits of provisional and real." Such passages are too numerous to detail fully. Tiantai's impartial great path is like this. The purpose of promoting Tiantai teachings after the Tang dynasty differs from the orthodox lineage of Tiantai and Hengshan—is it not like the difference between heaven and abyss? Future scholars should reflect on this.
The five periods and teachings mean that both periods and teachings have horizontal and vertical aspects. Now we briefly explain the horizontal and vertical aspects of teachings. Regarding the vertical aspect of teachings: the Tathāgata, to enable the heavily obstructed sentient beings of Jambudvīpa to realize person-selflessness and transcend the ocean of the three existences, expounded the four noble truths and established the three training grounds—this is called the Tripitaka teaching. When person-emptiness wisdom becomes extremely pure, one naturally enters dharma-emptiness wisdom. The dharma-selflessness teaching is called the Shared teaching. The bodhisattva's ten abidings correspond to this path. Emerging from emptiness into the provisional is called the Distinct teaching. The ten practices and ten dedications correspond to this path. This stage also cultivates the sequential three contemplations and enters the middle way ultimate truth. This is called the Perfect teaching. The ten grounds and Buddhahood become the fundamental principle of this teaching. Thus the four teachings are the gradual stages by which the tathāgatagarbha mind emerges from obstructions and manifests. Speaking of the horizontal meaning, because the capacity types of sentient beings formed through ten causes and conditions are not uniform, teachings naturally divide into four. From ordinary beings to sages, capacities and teachings harmonize. However, the vertical meaning is the correct track of the single transformation in Jambudvīpa.
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The horizontal meaning is the universal principle of responding to capacities through all dharma-realm universal gates. Therefore in the three major works, both horizontal and vertical are clarified together, fully investigating the traces of guidance and transformation. Question: Horizontally judging the four teachings is known by all. Regarding vertical judgment of the four, ordinary students are surprised to hear this. Please cite ancestral explanations to show clear evidence. Answer: Ancestral texts are already numerous. Now I present two or three examples. The Profound Meaning, fascicle eight, begins: "Initially hearing adaptation to persons and counteractive treatments, one can immediately arouse practice. First the small practices of human and heavenly realms, then morality, concentration, and wisdom, entering untainted practice of the path of seeing and path of cultivation, finally proving the stage beyond learning. From small toward great, ending in marvelous enlightenment." It also states: "Hearing the ultimate meaning siddhānta, progressively expanding broadly, entering the warmth, peak, patience, and supreme worldly dharmas, next entering the path of seeing, attaining true ultimate meaning, next entering the path of cultivation, reaching the stage beyond learning, from small entering great, seeing the semblance middle way, beginning from a hair's tip, finally achieving an armful." Fascicle ten cites the five flavors analogy from the Great Nirvana Sutra to clarify the gradual cultivation path (etc.). Also, the Textual Commentary, fascicle three, explaining the passage on "causing departure from all attachments," states: "Expounding scattered ten virtues to leave attachment to the three evil paths, expounding calm ten virtues to leave attachment to the desire realm, expounding the Tripitaka to leave attachment to view-delusions and thought-delusions, expounding bodhisattva dharma to leave attachment to nirvana, expounding Buddha dharma to leave attachment to dharma-love that accords with the path." The Textual Commentary, fascicle two, states: "The dharma king and dharma ministers emerge in the world for great purposes, skillfully employing expedients. First using half-word dharma to break the luxuriant growth of the twenty-five existences, forming the four withered twin trees to benefit sentient beings. Next using half-complete dharma to break the two vehicles' individual goodness, forming the bodhisattva's vast four flourishing twin trees to benefit sages. Finally using eternally abiding complete words to break the two extremes of before and after, forming the neither-withered-nor-flourishing Buddha secret treasury ultimate benefit" (etc.). Fascicle seven states: "If there were no two-vehicle practitioners attaining cessation in the world, why would the Tathāgata expound provisional teachings?" The explanation states: "Monks should know that the Tathāgata's expedients
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deeply understand that sentient beings have lesser natures and desires, are attached to the five dusts, and are corrupted by the five turbidities. Therefore he first expounded the three to enable them to break corruption and escape difficulties, then expounded the one" (text). Such passages are too numerous to detail fully. In the present sutra's trace gate revelation, the three carts burning house analogy, the elder and poor son analogy, the conjured city analogy, the jewel in the topknot analogy, the former section of the Nirvana Sutra's new doctor old doctor analogy, the half-word complete-word analogy, the medicine dissolved take milk analogy, etc., all reveal the secrets of gradual entry into the Mahāyāna. Also the Mahāvairocana Sutra states: "Leaving causally conditioned arising, one attains great emptiness arising, therefore called Mahāyāna arising." Also the ten mind-grounds, six fearlessnesses, three great kalpas, etc., all likewise demonstrate the secret essence of gradual entry. This should be examined. How wonderful is Zhizhe's judgment and interpretation through awakened mind! Deeply investigating the source and bottom of the teaching ocean, the two gates of horizontal and vertical have harmonious principles. This can be called the excellent standard within teachings. The horizontal and vertical aspects of the five periods can be understood by analogy with teachings. This is fully clarified in the Profound Restoration True Suspended Discussion.
Later discussants of Tiantai partially focus on the horizontal aspect to judge periods and teachings, falsely boasting of perfect subtlety while disparaging provisional and small teachings. This not only violates what Tiantai taught but also obscures the profound plan of Śākyamuni's single transformation of gradual entry into the supreme Dharma. Is this not greatly lamentable?
Third, clarifying the maṇḍala school involves briefly opening six gates: first, patriarchal transmission; second, scriptural basis; third, doctrinal purport; fourth, selecting capacities; fifth, stages and positions; sixth, cultivation. First, patriarchal transmission: this school's lineage transmission generally has two versions. One transmission states: Vairocana Tathāgata transmitted it to Vajrasattva, Vajrasattva transmitted it to the great master Nāgārjuna, Nāgārjuna transmitted it to Ācārya Nāgabodhi, Nāgabodhi transmitted it to Vajrabodhi Tripiṭaka, Vajrabodhi transmitted it to Amoghavajra Tripiṭaka, Amoghavajra transmitted it to Ācārya Huiguo. This is the esoteric