英語訳
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Below explains the time periods for entering stages. Master Zang says: The initial cultivation of patience has three parts. First clarifies the inner ordinary level's subduing patience. Initial cultivation patience is the ten abodes. Second raises what is lost to reveal what is gained. Further explains the outer ordinary level before the thirty minds. From "These are determined persons" below, reveals what is gained and returns to conclude with the cultivation patience stage. Regarding "upāsaka upāsikā," Master Ce says: This is abbreviated corruption. Correctly it should be "upāsaka," which means "near-serving male." "Upāsikā" means "near-serving female." "Saka" is masculine voice, "sikā" is feminine voice. It means they constantly serve closely to good persons, therefore called "near-serving."
Regarding cultivating the ten good deeds, Master Ye says: The text on cultivation and contemplation has three parts. First, internally contemplating impurity. Second, externally practicing the six harmonies. Third, from "practicing eighty thousand" below, completely cultivating myriad practices. Master Ce says: Practices have three types. First, cultivating the ten good deeds. Next, cultivating impurity patience. Finally, dwelling in the Buddha's family. The ten good deeds mean not killing and such. Or possibly the ten faiths. Though there are two explanations, the Original Record's meaning lies in the ten faiths. Regarding "self-contemplating one's body of earth, water, etc.," Master Ce says: Cultivating impurity has three types. First, the six elements' impurity. Second, the sense faculties' impurity. Third, the realm's impurity. "Dwelling in the Buddha's family" - Master Ce says: Emptiness and selflessness are the Buddha's dwelling place. Because one first realizes the principle of emptiness, it is called dwelling. Master Ye says: This refers to generating the four universal vows. The six harmonious reverences - Master Ye says: The three karmas all accord with compassionate practice, therefore there is no conflict or dispute. Same precepts means the three collections of pure precepts are the same. Same view means equally attaining the prajñā non-arising correct view, separating from the sixty-two views and the Two Vehicle's views of impermanence, etc. Same study means jointly studying the Mahāyāna practices of dual benefit. Regarding "practicing eighty thousand, etc.," Masters Zang and Ce attribute this to the same study text. Master Ye makes it separate text. Master Ye follows the new edition.
Regarding "Although with, etc.," Master Ce says: This raises three subduing difficulties. First, practicing the ten correct paths for ten thousand kalpas. Second, generating bodhi-mind to enter the cultivation patience stage. Third, also constantly learning the three subduing patiences - having these three meanings should mean non-retrogression. Why speak of retrogression and advancement? "These determined persons" who enter the stage of life-emptiness - Master Ce says: This refers to the ten abodes stage. Because they first realize life-emptiness and realize the sage nature, they are called "determined." The six grave [offenses] - Master Ce says: The Upāsaka Precepts Sutra explains: First, killing. Second, stealing. Third, sexual misconduct. Fourth, false speech. Fifth, selling alcohol. Sixth, slanderously speaking of the faults of the four assemblies of householders and monastics.
The twenty-eight minor [offenses] - various masters similarly quote the Upāsaka Precepts Sutra saying: First, not making offerings to parents and teachers. Second, indulging in alcohol. Third, being unable to care for the sick. Fourth, seeing beggars and being unable to give appropriately according to one's means, sending them away empty-handed. Fifth, seeing the four assemblies and not welcoming, seeing off, bowing, or inquiring after them. Sixth, seeing the four assemblies breaking precepts and generating arrogance, saying "I am superior to them, they are not equal to me." Seventh, not receiving the eight precepts on the six fast days each month to make offerings to the Three Jewels. Eighth, having a Dharma teaching place within forty li and not going to listen. Ninth, accepting complete bedding from the saṃgha. Tenth, suspecting water has insects and drinking it anyway. Eleventh, traveling alone in dangerous places. Twelfth, staying alone overnight in a nunnery. Thirteenth, for the sake of wealth and life, beating and scolding servants, children, and outsiders. Fourteenth, giving leftover food to the four assemblies. Fifteenth, keeping cats. Sixteenth, raising elephants, horses, cattle, sheep, etc., without making pure giving to those who have not received precepts. Seventeenth, not storing saṃghāṭī robes, bowls, and staff. Eighteenth, for the sake of life, those who must farm not seeking pure water and dry places. Nineteenth, for the sake of life, engaging in commerce, selling goods with measures and scales - once stating a price then going back and forth, abandoning cheap to pursue expensive. Twentieth,
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engaging in sexual activity at inappropriate times. Twenty-first, engaging in commerce without paying government taxes, stealing and abandoning. Twenty-second, violating national regulations. Twenty-third, obtaining new fruits and vegetables and not first offering to teachers and making offerings to the Three Jewels, but using them oneself first. Twenty-fourth, when monks do not permit Dharma teaching and praise, arbitrarily doing so oneself. Twenty-fifth, on roads walking in front of bhikṣus and śrāmaṇeras. Twenty-sixth, in the saṃgha when distributing food, partially selecting fine things for teachers, giving excessive portions. Twenty-seventh, raising silkworms. Twenty-eighth, when traveling and encountering sick people, not stopping to care for them, not making arrangements, not entrusting them to someone but abandoning them. "Through one asaṃkhyeya kalpa cultivating subduing path patience practice, one begins to be able to enter the saṃghadhāra stage" - Master Ce says: Asaṃkhyeya here depends on the sun-moon treasury counting, not the three disasters, etc. Saṃghadhāra - transmitted interpretation says: nature seed-nature. Or it means "separation from attachment," meaning realizing person-emptiness without grasping attachment to self, sentient beings, etc. This meaning says: Through one asaṃkhyeya cultivating practice subduing patience, one begins to enter nature seed-nature. Master Zang says: Saṃghadhāra - in foreign countries it is called saṃghadhāra, in this region it is called cultivation seed-nature. Also, by meaning-translation it is called "ground of separation from attachment." Because one does not attach to person-self. Master Ye says: Below explains entering the later stage. Saṃgha means "Buddha assembly." Entering the life-emptiness stage is principle-harmony saṃgha. Also called "separating from attachment to self and what belongs to self." I say: The saṃghadhāra stage - if following Master Zang's meaning, it refers to the constant stage. If following Master Ye and others, it is entering the later stage. Generally speaking of the thirteen Dharma teacher stages, they all have texts about experiencing kalpas to enter stages. The sutra's meaning is unclear, therefore there are different interpretations. Now investigating
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this case: Like explaining path seed-nature, saying "through three asaṃkhyeya cultivating eight hundred million pāramitās, one should attain the equal sage ground," etc. - this clarifies cultivating causes in later stages to experience results. The new and old sutra texts are evident. Therefore all masters agree it means entering the first stage. Like explaining the seventh stage, saying "in ten asaṃkhyeya kalpas cultivating non-arising patience, attaining the position of arhat," etc. - taking one look at the text, it seems to explain cultivating causes and experiencing results in the current stage. However, these thirteen texts have necessarily broad purport. Though the same, sometimes they seem different. How strange! This matter is not light. Students should think well.
Scripture: "Furthermore, nature-seed" up to "pāramitā stage"
Master Ce says: The second nature seed-nature text has three parts. First, indicating the distinct name of the stage. Next, from "practicing ten wisdoms" below, explaining contemplation distinctions. Finally, from "with two" below, the time periods for entering stages. The ten wisdom contemplations - all masters point to the four foundations of mindfulness, three good roots, and three foundations of mindfulness from the previous Teaching and Transformation chapter. The ten inversions - all masters point to what the previous ten contemplations remedy: the four inversions of permanence, etc., the three inversions of greed, etc., and the three inversions regarding past, present, and future cause and effect. Regarding the three temporal inversions, Master Ce says: Eliminating the grasping that cause and effect definitely exist in the three times. Master Zang says: cause and effect inversions. Regarding "self, person, etc." - Master Ce says: Knowing that conventionally there are self, person, etc. This is spoken depending on conventional [truth] and is not really existent. Master Zang agrees. Regarding "no fixed characteristics, etc." - Master Ce says: This is the general heading for refined contemplation. Self and phenomena have no fixed concepts. Master Zang says: emptiness contemplation. Master Ye says: From "self, person" below clarifies the two emptiness contemplations. "Self, person, etc." is self-emptiness contemplation. "No fixed characteristics, etc." is phenomena-emptiness contemplation. Cultivation and protection - Masters Zang and Ce both say: What is not yet attained is called cultivation; what is already attained is called protection. Master Ce says: The above textual meaning and purport are difficult to understand. There are various different explanations, and I fear prolixity.