A New Aggregate: Is Attainment Real?
Fascicle 157 opens the entire Seventh Aggregate, the Concentration Aggregate, with the Attainment Nyāsa's foundational argument that attainment and non-attainment are genuinely real entities — then works through an exhaustive cross-tabulation of both across time, moral quality, realm, path-stage, and abandonment-category. This page carries Ru-Yi's complete translation.
Translation Method
The Chinese source is Xuánzàng's seventh-century translation of the Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā-śāstra (阿毘達磨大毘婆沙論), preserved in the Taishō canon (T1545, vol. 27) via the CBETA digital edition — public domain text, translated directly from the Chinese. The English wording throughout is Ru-Yi's own, and the reading notes are original, grounded in standard Sarvāstivāda scholarship rather than a specific named commentator's lecture transcript.
Fascicle 157 opens the Seventh Aggregate, the Concentration Aggregate (定蘊第七), and its first nyāsa, the Attainment Nyāsa (得納息第一之一). Terms established across fascicles 93–156 recur here and are not re-explained at each occurrence.
Classical text is set in the left-hand column below, our English in the right.
1. A New Aggregate Opens: Is Attainment Even Real?
Fascicle 157 opens the Seventh Aggregate, the Concentration Aggregate, with its own first nyāsa, the Attainment Nyāsa — and the treatise begins not with technical detail but with first principles, asking why it composes this discussion at all: to refute the view that the past and future do not exist, and to establish attainment (prāpti) as a genuinely real entity against the Sautrāntika position that "possession" is a mere conventional label, like five fingers conventionally called a fist.
諸得過去法。彼得過去耶。如是等章及解章義。既領會已應廣分別。問何故作此論。答欲止他宗顯己義故。謂或有執。過未是無而說現在是無為法。為遮彼執顯過未有現非無為故作斯論。所以者何。若無過去未來者。應無有情成就彼法。及不成就如第二頭。第三手。第六蘊。第十三處。第十九界等。無有成就不成就者。然有成就過去未來。及不成就故知實有。或復有執。成就非實有法。如譬喻者作如是論。諸有情類不離彼法。說名成就此無實體。但是觀待分別假立。如五指合名之為拳。離即非拳故非實有。如是有情不離彼法說名成就。離即不成就故體非實有。問彼何故立此論耶。答依契經故。如契經說有轉輪王成就七寶。若此成就是實有者。應成就他身及非有情數。謂彼輪王若成就輪寶神珠寶者則法壞。亦是有情數法。亦是非有情數法。若成就象寶馬寶者則趣壞。亦是人趣亦傍生趣。若成就女寶者則身壞。亦是男身亦是女身。若成就主藏臣寶兵將寶者則業壞。亦是王亦是臣。勿有此過故成就非實有。為止彼宗顯成就體是實有故而作斯論。若成就體非實有者便違經說。如說有學成就八支。漏盡阿羅漢成就十支。若成就非實者。彼聖者有漏心現前。及無心時便不成就三世聖道。云何成就八支十支。以支皆是無漏法故。又若成就非實有者。復違餘經。如餘經說。此補特伽羅成就善法及不善法。若成就非實有者。彼起善法時應不成就不善法。起不善法時應不成就善法。起無記法時應俱不成就。又若成就非實有者。復違餘經。如說若苾芻成就七妙法者。於現法中多住喜樂。彼應成就一妙法或不成就。謂七妙法隨一現前。時彼苾芻但成就一。以七妙法皆慧為性。尚無二慧俱起況當有七。若起餘法現在前時則七妙法皆不成就。又若成就非實有者。復違餘經。如說如來應正等覺成就十力。彼應但說成就一力。或不成就。謂若隨起一力現前。餘九離身便不成就。以十力皆慧為體。無二慧俱起故。若起餘法現在前時。是則十力皆不成就。又若成就非實有者。復有餘過異生應名離三界染。諸阿羅漢應名異生。謂諸異。生起善無覆無記心。及無心時身中現無煩惱。復不成就過去未來。豈不名為離三界染。諸阿羅漢起有漏心及無心時。現無聖道。復不成就過去未來。豈非異生無聖法故若爾便為大過。是故成就決定實有。問若成就是實有者。譬喻者所引經云何通。答彼說自在名為成就。謂轉輪王於自七寶攝御自在。假說成就非如成就學八支等。或復有執。成就雖實有體。而不成就。無有實體。為遮彼執顯不成就亦有實體故作斯論。若不成就無實體者。成就亦無實體。觀不成就說成就故。
"Whatever dharma is obtained as past — is it obtained as past?" Such chapter-headings and their explanatory glosses, once grasped, call for full analysis. Question: why is this treatise composed? Answer: to check other schools and to make our own position clear. For there are those who hold that the past and future do not exist, yet who nonetheless speak of the present as though it were unconditioned [permanent] — and it is to block this view, and to establish that the past, future, and present are all real while remaining distinct from the unconditioned, that this treatise is composed. Why so? If there were no past and future, then no sentient being could possess [成就, i.e. attain and retain] any dharma at all, nor fail to possess it — like a second head, a third hand, a sixth aggregate, a thirteenth sense-base, or a nineteenth sense-element, none of which anyone either possesses or fails to possess, since they do not exist at all. But beings genuinely do possess past and future dharmas, and genuinely do fail to possess them — hence the past and future must be real. There are, further, those who hold that possession itself is not a real entity. The Sautrāntikas argue thus: when a class of sentient beings is said to be inseparable from a certain dharma, this is called "possession," yet possession itself has no real substance — it is merely a conventional designation posited relative to something else, just as five fingers joined together are conventionally called a "fist": once separated, there is no fist, precisely because a fist was never a real entity to begin with. In just the same way, when sentient beings are inseparable from a certain dharma, this is called "possession" — yet once separated, there is no possession, precisely because possession itself was never real. Question: on what grounds do they establish this position? Answer: on the authority of scripture. A sūtra states that a wheel-turning king possesses the seven treasures. If this possession were a real entity, the argument runs, then the king would have to possess another being's own body, or even something not classed as a sentient being at all — for if he possesses the wheel-treasure or the wish-fulfilling-jewel-treasure, then the very distinction between dharma-categories collapses, since these are at once classed as belonging to sentient beings and as not belonging to sentient beings. If he possesses the elephant-treasure or the horse-treasure, then the distinction between destinies collapses, since these belong at once to the human destiny and to the animal destiny. If he possesses the woman-treasure, then the distinction of bodily sex collapses, since this is at once a male body and a female body. And if he possesses the treasurer-minister-treasure or the general-treasure, then the distinction of karmic role collapses, since these are at once king and minister. To avoid this absurdity, the Sautrāntikas conclude, possession cannot be a real entity. It is precisely to check that school and to establish that the substance of possession is genuinely real that this treatise is composed. For if the substance of possession were not real, this would directly contradict what the sūtras themselves say. A sūtra states that the trainee possesses the eight factors of the noble path, while the outflow-exhausted arhat possesses the ten factors. If possession were not real, then whenever such a noble one's mind was accompanied by outflows, or whenever that noble one lacked a mind altogether, as in the attainments of no-perception or of cessation, he would fail to possess the noble path belonging to any of the three time-periods — so how could he still be said to possess the eight or the ten factors? For every one of those factors is, by definition, an uncontaminated dharma, which cannot be present in an outflow-accompanied or mindless moment. Furthermore, if possession were not real, this would contradict yet other sūtras. Another sūtra states that a certain person possesses both wholesome and unwholesome dharmas. If possession were not real, then at the very moment a wholesome dharma arose, that person ought to fail to possess any unwholesome dharma, and at the moment an unwholesome dharma arose, he ought to fail to possess any wholesome dharma, and at the moment a neutral dharma arose, he ought to fail to possess either at all. Furthermore, if possession were not real, this would contradict yet other sūtras. Another sūtra states that a monk who possesses the seven excellent dharmas dwells abundantly, in this very life, in joy and happiness. If possession were not real, then such a monk ought to possess only a single excellent dharma at a time, or none at all — since whichever one of the seven excellent dharmas happens to be currently manifest, that monk would then possess only that one, given that all seven excellent dharmas share wisdom as their very nature, and there can never be two instances of wisdom co-arising at once, let alone seven; and whenever some other dharma is manifest instead, then all seven excellent dharmas alike ought to go unpossessed. Furthermore, if possession were not real, this would contradict yet other sūtras. Another sūtra states that the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, possesses the ten powers. If possession were not real, then he ought to be said to possess only a single power at a time, or none at all — for whichever one of the ten powers happens to be currently manifest, the other nine, being absent from him at that moment, ought to go unpossessed, given that all ten powers share wisdom as their very substance, and there can never be two instances of wisdom co-arising at once; and whenever some other dharma is manifest instead, then all ten powers alike ought to go unpossessed. Furthermore, if possession were not real, a further absurdity follows: an ordinary worldling would have to be called one who has left behind the defilements of the three realms, while arhats would have to be called ordinary worldlings. For when an ordinary worldling gives rise to a wholesome or an unobscured-neutral mind, or lacks a mind altogether, no defilement is currently manifest in his mind-stream, and, on the no-possession view, he would then fail to possess any defilement of the past or the future either — would this not make him one who has left behind the defilements of all three realms? Likewise, when an arhat gives rise to a contaminated mind, or lacks a mind altogether, no noble path is currently manifest, and he would then fail to possess the noble path of the past or the future either — would this not make him, absurdly, an ordinary worldling devoid of any noble dharma at all? If it were so, this would be a very grave error indeed. Therefore possession is, without question, a real entity. Question: if possession is a real entity, then how is the sūtra passage cited by the Sautrāntikas themselves to be explained? Answer: what that sūtra calls "possession" there simply means sovereign mastery — that is, the wheel-turning king exercises full sovereign control over his own seven treasures; this is only a conventional manner of speaking about "possession," and is not possession in the same sense as the trainee's possession of the eight factors and so on. There are, moreover, those who hold that although possession has real substance, non-possession has no real substance at all. It is to check that view, and to establish that non-possession too has real substance, that this treatise is composed. For if non-possession had no real substance, then possession itself would likewise have no real substance, since possession is only ever spoken of in contrast to non-possession.
如觀夜立晝。觀闇立明。皆實有體。此。亦如是。又不成就是成就近對治。更互相違。如貪無貪瞋無瞋癡無癡定亂等。若無實體何所相違成近對治。又不成就若無體者。應不施設斷諸煩惱。謂聖道起斷諸煩惱。非如以刀割物以石磨物但斷繫得證離繫得令諸煩惱不成就起說名為斷。故知實有不成就性。或復為欲斷疑網故而作斯論。
Just as night is established relative to day, and darkness relative to light, and both are genuinely real entities — so it is here as well, with possession and non-possession. Furthermore, non-possession stands as the proximate antidote to possession, the two being directly opposed to one another, exactly as craving is opposed to non-craving, hatred to non-hatred, delusion to non-delusion, or a settled mind to a distracted one. If non-possession had no real substance, what could it possibly oppose, or serve as the proximate antidote to? Furthermore, if non-possession had no real substance, then one could not even speak of severing the defilements at all. For when the noble path arises and severs the defilements, this does not happen the way a knife cuts an object or a stone grinds it down; rather, it simply severs the bond-attainment that ties the defilement to the mind-stream and realizes the attainment of separation from that bond, causing the arising of the defilement's own non-possession — and it is this alone that is called "severing." Hence non-possession must genuinely exist as a real entity. This treatise is also composed, further, in order to cut through a net of doubt.
The cascade of sūtra citations marshaled here — the wheel-turning king's seven treasures, the trainee's eight path-factors and the arhat's ten, a person's simultaneous possession of wholesome and unwholesome dharmas, a monk's seven excellent dharmas, the Tathāgata's ten powers, and the absurd consequence that ordinary worldlings and arhats would trade places — is argumentation by sheer accumulated weight: no single sūtra proves attainment is real, but the fact that the nominalist reading breaks all of them at once is treated as decisive.
2. A Doubt About Timing: Does Attainment Always Share Its Dharma's Own Moment?
A natural doubt arises from an earlier discussion of characteristics (lakṣaṇa): since a conditioned characteristic never diverges in time-period or instant from the dharma it characterizes, does attainment behave the same way toward the dharma it is attainment of — or can the two actually come apart in time?
謂雜蘊說過去法生老住無常當言過去。乃至廣說。勿有生疑。如相與法不異世。不異剎那。得與法亦爾。如得與法有異世有異剎那。
The Miscellaneous Aggregate states that a past dharma's own arising, aging, abiding, and impermanence should themselves be called "past," and so on in full — and this might give rise to a doubt: perhaps, just as a conditioned characteristic and the dharma it characterizes never diverge in time-period nor in instant, attainment and its dharma behave the very same way; or perhaps, instead, attainment and its dharma can actually diverge in time-period and diverge in instant —
相與法亦爾。為令此疑得決定故。明相與法定不異世。不異剎那。
and characteristic and dharma might likewise diverge, one could wonder. In order to settle this doubt with certainty, the treatise makes clear that a characteristic and the dharma it characterizes definitely never diverge in time-period, nor diverge in instant,
而得與法有同有異。謂三世法一一各有三世得故。問何故相與所相世及剎那決定無異。得與所得或同或異耶。答相與所相。必同一果。相隨行不相離。無前後。於同聚法不能棄捨。得與所得不同一果。非定相隨非不相離。或有前後。於同聚法或能棄捨。如諸樹皮性離於樹。是故為止他宗顯於己義及令疑者得決定故。設不止他顯己令疑決定。但於法相相應義中。應顯所明故作斯論。
whereas attainment and its dharma do show both sameness and difference — for a dharma belonging to any one of the three time-periods has, in each case, an attainment belonging to all three time-periods. Question: why is it that a characteristic and the dharma it characterizes are necessarily never different in time-period or in instant, while attainment and the dharma attained can be either the same or different? Answer: a characteristic and the dharma it characterizes necessarily share a single fruit — the characteristic accompanies its dharma without ever separating from it, admits no priority or posteriority between them, and cannot be discarded so long as the two remain within the very same cluster. Attainment and the dharma attained, however, do not share a single fruit in this way — they are not necessarily mutually accompanying, nor necessarily inseparable, may admit priority and posteriority between them, and can, within the very same cluster, sometimes be discarded — much as bark, though belonging to a tree, can nonetheless be separated from it. It is therefore in order to check other schools and to make clear our own position, and to bring certainty to those in doubt, that this treatise is composed; or, absent any need to check others or clarify our own position, simply in order to make explicit, within the topic of the mutual association among dharma-characteristics, what ought to be made explicit — for this reason too the treatise is composed.
The resolution turns on a sharp technical distinction between two kinds of relationship: a characteristic and its dharma share a single fruit and can never be discarded independently, like an inseparable escort, while attainment and its dharma merely tend to travel together without being bound to — comparing the latter to bark that belongs to a tree yet can still be peeled away from it.
3. Eleven Kinds of Obtainable Dharmas, and Two Patterns of Attainment Across Time
The treatise catalogs the eleven categories of dharma capable of being obtained at all — four in the desire realm, three each in the form and formless realms, plus the uncontaminated — and introduces a key technical distinction: some dharmas have attainment that is "temporally mixed and instant-mixed" (spanning all three time-periods regardless of when the dharma itself occurs), while others have attainment that tracks the dharma's own time-period exactly, never mixing.
諸得過去法彼得過去耶。此中得言欲何所顯。謂獲成就。云何知然。如施設論說。得云何謂獲成就。獲云何。謂得成就。成就云何。謂獲得。得獲成就聲雖有別而義無異。所得法類有十一種。欲界有四。謂善不善。有覆無記。無覆無記。色界有三。除不善。無色界亦爾。及無漏法。欲界善不善無覆無記各具五蘊。有覆無記唯有四蘊。色界三各具五蘊。無色界三各唯四蘊。無漏法具五蘊。及擇滅非擇滅。除虛空無為非所得法故。此中欲界善不善色。若在過去有三世得。若在未來唯有未來得。若在現在有二世得。謂未來現在。善不善有覆無記四蘊。及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。彼得世雜剎那雜。謂在過去未來現在。皆具三世得故。無覆無記一切色蘊異熟生四蘊。及威儀路。工巧處。多分四蘊彼得世不雜剎那不雜。若在過去得亦過去。若在未來得亦未來。若在現在得亦現在。
"Whatever dharma is obtained as past — is it obtained as past?" Here, what does the word "obtain" [得, prāpti] itself intend to convey? It means to secure and to possess. How is this known? The *Prajñapti-śāstra* states: what is "obtaining"? It is securing and possessing. What is "securing"? It is obtaining and possessing. What is "possessing"? It is securing and obtaining. Though the terms "obtain," "secure," and "possess" differ in wording, their meaning is identical. The dharmas that can be obtained fall into eleven categories: in the desire realm there are four — wholesome, unwholesome, obscured-neutral, and unobscured-neutral; in the form realm there are three, excluding the unwholesome; likewise in the formless realm, three; and, in addition, the uncontaminated dharmas. The desire realm's wholesome, unwholesome, and unobscured-neutral categories each comprise the full five aggregates, while its obscured-neutral category comprises only four aggregates, lacking form. Each of the form realm's three categories comprises the full five aggregates; each of the formless realm's three categories comprises only four aggregates. The uncontaminated dharmas comprise the full five aggregates, together with analytical and non-analytical cessation — space, being an unconditioned dharma, is excluded, since it cannot be obtained at all. Now, as for the desire realm's wholesome and unwholesome matter: if it lies in the past, it has attainments in all three time-periods; if it lies in the future, it has only a future attainment; if it lies in the present, it has attainments in two time-periods, namely future and present. As for the wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four non-material aggregates, together with the unobscured-neutral four aggregates belonging to the class arisen simultaneously with a resultant-fruit mind — their attainment is both temporally mixed and instant-mixed, meaning that whether the dharma itself lies in the past, future, or present, it possesses attainments spanning all three time-periods alike. But the unobscured-neutral dharmas comprising every kind of matter, the four aggregates produced by ripening, and most of the four aggregates belonging to deportment and to craftsmanship — their attainment is neither temporally mixed nor instant-mixed: if the dharma lies in the past, its attainment likewise lies only in the past; if in the future, its attainment likewise lies only in the future; if in the present, its attainment likewise lies only in the present.
威儀路四蘊中。善串習者如佛馬勝。及餘有情所善串習。并工巧處四蘊中善串習者。如佛妙業天子。及餘有情所善串習。彼得亦皆世雜剎那雜。謂在三世各有三世得。故色界善五蘊有覆無記。及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。彼得世雜剎那雜。謂在三世各有三世得故不定。善色蘊如欲界善不善色蘊。說一切有覆無記無覆無記色蘊。及威儀路異熟生四蘊。彼得世不雜剎那不雜。隨在彼世。即唯有彼世得。故無色界善有覆無記四蘊彼得世雜剎那雜。謂在三世各有三世得故。異熟生四蘊彼得世不雜剎那不雜。隨在彼世。即唯有彼世得故。無漏五蘊彼得。亦世雜剎那雜。謂在三世各有三世得故。此則總說。若別說者。諸未曾得無漏五蘊。及未曾得有漏修所成。并未曾得聞思所成。彼最初得。若在未來彼法唯有未來得。若在現在彼法則有未來現在得。若在過去彼法則有三世得。擇滅非擇滅法雖非三世攝而有三世得。然擇滅得有二種。謂有漏無漏。有漏擇滅得。由離欲界染乃至無所有處染故起。是世俗道類。若未離染彼滅唯有過去未來得。若已離染彼滅。即有三世得。無漏擇滅得。
Among the four aggregates of deportment, however, those that have been thoroughly practiced to mastery — as with the Buddha's own disciple Aśvajit, and with other beings who have likewise thoroughly practiced them — and, likewise, among the four aggregates of craftsmanship, those thoroughly practiced to mastery — as with the Buddha's own disciple the god Sukarmadeva, and with other beings who have likewise thoroughly practiced them — their attainment, too, is both temporally mixed and instant-mixed, meaning that in each of the three time-periods there is an attainment belonging to all three time-periods. As for the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates belonging to the class arisen with a resultant-fruit mind — their attainment is also temporally mixed and instant-mixed, meaning that in each of the three time-periods there is an attainment belonging to all three time-periods; this, however, is not fixed. The wholesome aggregate of form behaves like the desire realm's wholesome and unwholesome aggregate of form described above — that is to say, every obscured-neutral and unobscured-neutral aggregate of form, together with the four aggregates of deportment produced by ripening, have an attainment that is neither temporally mixed nor instant-mixed: wherever the dharma itself lies, its attainment lies there too, and there alone. Likewise the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates have an attainment that is temporally mixed and instant-mixed, meaning that in each of the three time-periods there is an attainment belonging to all three time-periods; while its four aggregates produced by ripening have an attainment that is neither temporally mixed nor instant-mixed — wherever the dharma itself lies, its attainment lies only there. The uncontaminated five aggregates likewise have an attainment that is temporally mixed and instant-mixed, meaning that in each of the three time-periods there is an attainment belonging to all three time-periods. This, however, is only a general statement. Stated more precisely: as for any uncontaminated five aggregates never previously obtained, any contaminated dharma cultivated through meditative practice never previously obtained, and any dharma accomplished through hearing or reflection never previously obtained — their very first attainment, if it lies in the future, has only a future attainment; if it lies in the present, has both a future and a present attainment; and if it lies in the past, has attainments in all three time-periods. Analytical and non-analytical cessation, though not themselves classed under any of the three time-periods, nonetheless have attainments in all three time-periods. Now, the attainment of analytical cessation is of two kinds, contaminated and uncontaminated. The contaminated attainment of analytical cessation arises through freedom from the defilements of the desire realm up through the defilements of the sphere of nothing-at-all, and belongs to the class of the mundane path: if the defilement has not yet been abandoned, that cessation's attainment exists only in the past and future; once the defilement has been abandoned, that cessation then has attainments in all three time-periods. The uncontaminated attainment of analytical cessation,
由離三界見修所斷染故起。是聖道類欲界見苦所斷法擇滅。若苦法智未現在前彼滅唯有未來得。若現在前彼滅則有未來現在得。若已滅。彼滅則有三世得。如是乃至有頂第九品法擇滅。若盡智未現前等如理應知。非擇滅得唯是有漏。彼最初得。若在未來彼滅唯有未來得。若在現在彼滅則有未來現在得若在過去彼滅則有三世得。此中初問答顯一一世法有三世得。第二問答顯一一世得得三世及離世法。是謂此處略毘婆沙。
on the other hand, arises through freedom from the defilements abandoned by seeing and by cultivation across all three realms, and belongs to the class of the noble path. Take, for instance, the analytical cessation of the dharma abandoned by seeing suffering in the desire realm: if the patient acceptance regarding suffering-in-the-Dharma has not yet become manifest, that cessation's attainment exists only in the future; once it has become manifest, that cessation then has attainments in the future and the present; and once the defilement has already been abandoned, that cessation then has attainments in all three time-periods. The very same pattern extends up through the analytical cessation of the ninth grade of dharma belonging to the peak of existence: if the knowledge of exhaustion has not yet become manifest, and so on, it should be understood according to the same principle. The attainment of non-analytical cessation, however, is exclusively contaminated: its very first attainment, if it lies in the future, has only a future attainment; if it lies in the present, has attainments in the future and the present; and if it lies in the past, has attainments in all three time-periods. Here, the first question-and-answer pair makes clear that each dharma belonging to any one time-period has attainments in all three time-periods, while the second question-and-answer pair makes clear that each attainment belonging to any one time-period itself has attainments in all three time-periods, as well as attainments of dharmas standing altogether outside the three time-periods, i.e. the unconditioned. This, then, is the brief exegesis on this passage.
That ripening-produced matter and habituated skills (the Buddha's own disciples Aśvajit and the god Sukarmadeva are named as exemplars of mastery) fall into opposite categories on this axis is a reminder that even a single word like "attainment" conceals a considerable amount of internal variation — the same term covers a tightly time-locked relationship in one case and a freely time-spanning one in another, depending entirely on what kind of dharma is at stake.
4. The Full Census: Which Dharma Is Obtained by Which Attainment, Across the Three Times
An exhaustive cross-tabulation now runs in both directions across the three time-periods — for a dharma obtained as past, future, or present, which time-periods can its attainment itself belong to; and conversely, for an attainment belonging to any one time-period, which time-periods can the dharma it obtains belong to, down to the four aggregate-categories involved in each case.
諸得過去法彼得過去耶。答彼得或過去。或未來。或現在。得過去法過去得者。謂過去三界一切諸蘊。及無漏蘊彼所有過去得。得過去法。未來得者。謂過去欲界善不善五蘊。有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。有覆無記及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。無色界善有覆無記四蘊。
"Whatever dharma is obtained as past — is it obtained as past?" Answer: its attainment may be past, future, or present. As for a past dharma obtained by a past attainment: this refers to the past attainment belonging to every aggregate of the three realms lying in the past, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a past dharma obtained by a future attainment: this refers to the future attainment belonging to the desire realm's past wholesome and unwholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; and the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates
無漏五蘊彼所有未來得。得過去法。現在得者。謂過去欲界善不善五蘊。乃至廣說。如未來彼所有現在得。設得過去彼得過去法耶。
— together with the uncontaminated five aggregates' future attainment. As for a past dharma obtained by a present attainment: this refers to the desire realm's past wholesome and unwholesome five aggregates, and so on in full exactly as stated for the future attainment above, now understood as their present attainment. Conversely, if an attainment obtains a past dharma, is that attainment itself past?
答彼法或過去。或未來。或現在。或無為過去得。得過去法者。謂過去得。得過去三界一切諸蘊。及無漏蘊。過去得。得未來法者。
Answer: the dharma so obtained may be past, future, present, or unconditioned. As for a past attainment obtaining a past dharma: this refers to a past attainment obtaining every aggregate of the three realms lying in the past, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a past attainment obtaining a future dharma:
謂過去得。得未來欲界善不善有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。有覆無記。及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。無色界善有覆無記四蘊。無漏五蘊。
this refers to a past attainment obtaining the desire realm's future wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates; and the uncontaminated five aggregates.
過去得。得現在法者。謂過去得。得現在欲界善。乃至廣如得未來說。過去得。得無為法者。謂過去得。得擇滅非擇滅。
As for a past attainment obtaining a present dharma: this refers to a past attainment obtaining the desire realm's present wholesome dharmas, and so on in full exactly as stated for the future dharma above. As for a past attainment obtaining an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a past attainment obtaining analytical or non-analytical cessation.
諸得未來法。彼得未來耶。答彼得或未來。或過去。或現在。得未來法。未來得者。謂未來三界一切諸蘊。及無漏蘊。彼所有未來得。得未來法。過去得者。謂未來欲界善不善有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中。通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。
"Whatever dharma is obtained as future — is it obtained as future?" Answer: its attainment may be future, past, or present. As for a future dharma obtained by a future attainment: this refers to the future attainment belonging to every aggregate of the three realms lying in the future, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a future dharma obtained by a past attainment: this refers to the desire realm's future wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates;
有覆無記及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。無色界善有覆無記四蘊。無漏五蘊彼所有過去得。得未來法。現在得者。謂未來欲界善。乃至廣說如過去。彼所有現在得。設得未來彼得未來法耶。答彼法或未來。或過去。或現在。或無為。未來得。得未來法者。謂未來得。得未來三界一切諸蘊及無漏蘊。未來得。得過去法者。謂未來得。得過去欲界善不善五蘊有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中。通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。有覆無記及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。無色界善有覆無記四蘊。無漏五蘊。未來得。得現在法者。謂未來得。得現在欲界善。乃至廣如得過去說。未來得。得無為者。謂未來得。得擇滅非擇滅。諸得現在法彼得現在耶。答彼得或現在。或過去。或未來。得現在法。現在得者。謂現在三界一切諸蘊。及無漏蘊彼所有現在得。得現在法。
its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates — together with the uncontaminated five aggregates' past attainment. As for a future dharma obtained by a present attainment: this refers to the desire realm's future wholesome dharmas, and so on in full exactly as stated for the past dharma above, now understood as their present attainment. Conversely, if an attainment obtains a future dharma, is that attainment itself future? Answer: the dharma so obtained may be future, past, present, or unconditioned. As for a future attainment obtaining a future dharma: this refers to a future attainment obtaining every aggregate of the three realms lying in the future, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a future attainment obtaining a past dharma: this refers to a future attainment obtaining the desire realm's past wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates; and the uncontaminated five aggregates. As for a future attainment obtaining a present dharma: this refers to a future attainment obtaining the desire realm's present wholesome dharmas, and so on in full exactly as stated for the past dharma above. As for a future attainment obtaining an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a future attainment obtaining analytical or non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is obtained as present — is it obtained as present?" Answer: its attainment may be present, past, or future. As for a present dharma obtained by a present attainment: this refers to the present attainment belonging to every aggregate of the three realms lying in the present, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a present dharma obtained
過去得者。謂現在欲界善不善有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中。通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。有覆無記及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊無色界善有覆無記四蘊。無漏五蘊。彼所有過去得。得現在法。未來得者。謂現在欲界善不善五蘊。有覆無記四蘊。餘如過去得說。彼所有未來得。設得現在。彼得現在法耶。答彼法或現在。或過去或未來。或無為現在得。得現在法者。
by a past attainment: this refers to the desire realm's present wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates, and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates — together with the uncontaminated five aggregates' past attainment. As for a present dharma obtained by a future attainment: this refers to the desire realm's present wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the remainder exactly as stated for the past attainment above — together with their future attainment. Conversely, if an attainment obtains a present dharma, is that attainment itself present? Answer: the dharma so obtained may be present, past, future, or unconditioned. As for a present attainment obtaining a present dharma:
謂現在得。得現在三界一切諸蘊。及無漏蘊現在得。得過去法者。
this refers to a present attainment obtaining every aggregate of the three realms lying in the present, together with the uncontaminated aggregates. As for a present attainment obtaining a past dharma:
謂現在得。得過去欲界善不善五蘊有覆無記四蘊。無覆無記中。通果心俱生品。及威儀路工巧處一分四蘊。色界善五蘊。有覆無記。
this refers to a present attainment obtaining the desire realm's past wholesome and unwholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral four aggregates, the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind, and most of the four aggregates of deportment and craftsmanship; the form realm's wholesome five aggregates, its obscured-neutral aggregates,
及無覆無記中。通果心俱生品四蘊。無色界善有覆無記四蘊。無漏五蘊現在得。得未來法者。謂現在得。得未來欲界善不善有覆無記四蘊。餘如得過去說。現在得。得無為者。謂現在得得擇滅非擇滅。諸得善法彼得善耶。答如是以善法得必是善故。設得善彼得善法耶。答如是。以諸善得唯得善法故。不善無記問答亦爾。能得所得性必同故。諸得欲界法。彼得欲界耶。答如是。以欲界法得必是欲界故。設得欲界彼得欲界法耶。答彼法或欲界。或不繫。欲界者。謂欲界五蘊。不繫者謂諸非擇滅。以生欲界補特伽羅。於三界繫及不繫法得非擇滅。彼得皆是欲界繫故。諸得色界法。彼得色界耶。答如是。以色界法得必是色界故。設得色界。彼得色界法耶。
and the unobscured-neutral four aggregates arisen with a resultant-fruit mind; the formless realm's wholesome and obscured-neutral four aggregates; and the uncontaminated five aggregates' present attainment. As for a present attainment obtaining a future dharma: this refers to a present attainment obtaining the desire realm's future wholesome, unwholesome, and obscured-neutral four aggregates, the remainder exactly as stated for the past dharma above. As for a present attainment obtaining an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a present attainment obtaining analytical or non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is obtained as wholesome — is it obtained as wholesome?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a wholesome dharma must itself be wholesome. Conversely, if a wholesome attainment obtains a dharma, is that dharma itself wholesome? Answer: yes, since a wholesome attainment obtains only wholesome dharmas. The same question-and-answer pattern holds for unwholesome and neutral dharmas, since an attainment and what it attains must necessarily share the very same moral quality. "Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to the desire realm — is it obtained as belonging to the desire realm?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a desire-realm dharma must itself belong to the desire realm. Conversely, if a desire-realm attainment obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to the desire realm? Answer: the dharma so obtained may belong to the desire realm, or it may be unfettered. "Belonging to the desire realm" refers to the desire realm's own five aggregates; "unfettered" refers to non-analytical cessation — for when a person born in the desire realm obtains a non-analytical cessation of a dharma fettered to any of the three realms, or of an unfettered dharma, that attainment is invariably itself fettered to the desire realm. "Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to the form realm — is it obtained as belonging to the form realm?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a form-realm dharma must itself belong to the form realm. Conversely, if a form-realm attainment obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to the form realm?
The sheer combinatorial density here — eleven categories of dharma, three time-periods for the dharma, three or four time-periods for its attainment, cross-multiplied in both directions — is Abhidharma bookkeeping working at its most exhaustive: every possible pairing is not merely asserted but individually itemized down to which specific aggregates in which specific realm populate that exact cell of the grid.
5. Attainment Must Match Its Dharma's Moral Quality and Realm, With One Curious Exception
The census turns from time to other dimensions: an attainment's own moral quality (wholesome, unwholesome, neutral) always matches the dharma it attains, with no exceptions — but an attainment's own realm need not match, since a being of any realm who attains a non-analytical cessation always has that attainment fettered to their own home realm, regardless of which realm's dharma the cessation concerns.
答彼法或色界或不繫。色界者。謂色界五蘊。不繫者。謂諸擇滅非擇滅。擇滅者。謂欲界下三靜慮五蘊擇滅。彼世俗道類。得皆色界繫。以下地擇滅有漏得皆上地近分攝故非擇滅者。謂生色界補特伽羅。於三界繫及不繫法得非擇滅。彼得皆是色界繫故。諸得無色界法。彼得無色界耶。答如是。以無色界法得皆是無色界繫故。設得無色界彼得無色界法耶。答彼法或無色界或不繫。無色界者。謂無色界四蘊。不繫者。謂諸擇滅非擇滅。擇滅者。謂第四靜慮地繫五蘊。及下三無色地繫四蘊擇滅。後世俗道類得皆無色界繫。所以如前。非擇滅者。謂生無色界補特伽羅。於三界繫及不繫法得非擇滅。彼得皆是無色界繫故。諸得學法彼得學耶。答如是。以學法得必是學故。設得學彼得學法耶。答彼法或學。或非學非無學學者謂學五蘊。非學非無學者。謂諸學得。所得擇滅。諸得無學法彼得無學耶。答如是。以無學法得必是無學故。設得無學彼得無學法耶。
Answer: the dharma so obtained may belong to the form realm, or it may be unfettered. "Belonging to the form realm" refers to the form realm's own five aggregates; "unfettered" refers to analytical or non-analytical cessation. As for analytical cessation: this refers to the analytical cessation of the desire realm's own five aggregates, and of the five aggregates fettered to the lower three dhyānas, obtained by the mundane-path class — all such attainment is invariably fettered to the form realm, since the contaminated attainment of a lower ground's analytical cessation is always subsumed under the proximate-access stage of the ground immediately above it. As for non-analytical cessation: this refers to a person born in the form realm obtaining a non-analytical cessation of a dharma fettered to any of the three realms, or of an unfettered dharma — that attainment is invariably itself fettered to the form realm. "Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to the formless realm — is it obtained as belonging to the formless realm?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a formless-realm dharma is invariably itself fettered to the formless realm. Conversely, if a formless-realm attainment obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to the formless realm? Answer: the dharma so obtained may belong to the formless realm, or it may be unfettered. "Belonging to the formless realm" refers to the formless realm's own four aggregates; "unfettered" refers to analytical or non-analytical cessation. As for analytical cessation: this refers to the analytical cessation of the five aggregates fettered to the fourth dhyāna's own ground, and of the four aggregates fettered to the lower three formless grounds, obtained afterward by the mundane-path class — all such attainment is invariably fettered to the formless realm, for the same reason as stated above. As for non-analytical cessation: this refers to a person born in the formless realm obtaining a non-analytical cessation of a dharma fettered to any of the three realms, or of an unfettered dharma — that attainment is invariably itself fettered to the formless realm. "Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to a trainee — is it obtained as belonging to a trainee?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a trainee's dharma must itself belong to a trainee. Conversely, if a trainee's attainment obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to a trainee? Answer: the dharma so obtained may belong to a trainee, or it may belong to neither trainee nor non-trainee. "Belonging to a trainee" refers to the trainee's own five aggregates; "belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee" refers to the analytical cessation obtained by trainees. "Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to a non-trainee — is it obtained as belonging to a non-trainee?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a non-trainee's dharma must itself belong to a non-trainee. Conversely, if a non-trainee's attainment obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to a non-trainee?
答彼法或無學。或非學非無學。無學者。謂無學五蘊。非學非無學者。謂諸無學得所得擇滅。
Answer: the dharma so obtained may belong to a non-trainee, or it may belong to neither trainee nor non-trainee. "Belonging to a non-trainee" refers to the non-trainee's own five aggregates; "belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee" refers to the analytical cessation obtained by non-trainees.
諸得非學非無學法。彼得非學非無學耶。答彼得或非學非無學。或學或無學。非學非無學者。謂有漏五蘊四蘊。得一切非擇滅。得諸擇滅世俗道類。得學者。謂諸擇滅。學道類。得無學者。謂諸擇滅。無學道類得。設得非學非無學。彼得非學非無學法耶。答如是。以諸非學非無學得。唯得非學非無學法故。諸得見所斷法。彼得見所斷耶。答如是。以見所斷法得必是見所斷故。設得見所斷彼得見所斷法耶。答如是。以見所斷得。唯得見所斷法故。諸得修所斷法。彼得修所斷耶。答如是。以修所斷法得必是修所斷故。設得修所斷。彼得修所斷法耶。答彼法或修所斷。或不斷。修所斷者。
"Whatever dharma is obtained as belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee — is it obtained as belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee?" Answer: the attainment may belong to neither trainee nor non-trainee, or it may belong to a trainee, or to a non-trainee. "Belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee" refers to the contaminated five aggregates and four aggregates, together with the attainment obtaining every non-analytical cessation, and the attainment obtaining any analytical cessation belonging to the mundane-path class. "Belonging to a trainee" refers to the attainment obtaining any analytical cessation belonging to the trainee's own path class. "Belonging to a non-trainee" refers to the attainment obtaining any analytical cessation belonging to the non-trainee's own path class. Conversely, if an attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee obtains a dharma, does that dharma itself belong to neither trainee nor non-trainee? Answer: yes, since an attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee obtains only a dharma belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee. "Whatever dharma is obtained as abandoned by seeing — is it obtained as abandoned by seeing?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a dharma abandoned by seeing must itself be abandoned by seeing. Conversely, if an attainment abandoned by seeing obtains a dharma, is that dharma itself abandoned by seeing? Answer: yes, since an attainment abandoned by seeing obtains only a dharma abandoned by seeing. "Whatever dharma is obtained as abandoned by cultivation — is it obtained as abandoned by cultivation?" Answer: yes, since an attainment of a dharma abandoned by cultivation must itself be abandoned by cultivation. Conversely, if an attainment abandoned by cultivation obtains a dharma, is that dharma itself abandoned by cultivation? Answer: the dharma so obtained may be abandoned by cultivation, or it may be unabandoned. "Abandoned by cultivation"
謂修所斷五蘊。不斷者謂一切非擇滅。及世俗道類所得擇滅。諸得不斷法。彼得不斷耶。答彼得或不斷。或修所斷。不斷者。謂無漏五蘊得。及諸擇滅無漏道類得。修所斷者。謂一切非擇滅得。及諸擇滅世俗道類得。設得不斷。彼得不斷法耶。答如是。以不斷得唯得不斷法故。已隨本文辯諸得相。當更隨義顯諸非得。若法有得。
refers to the five aggregates abandoned by cultivation; "unabandoned" refers to every non-analytical cessation, together with any analytical cessation obtained by the mundane-path class. "Whatever dharma is obtained as unabandoned — is it obtained as unabandoned?" Answer: the attainment may be unabandoned, or it may be abandoned by cultivation. "Unabandoned" refers to the attainment obtaining the uncontaminated five aggregates, together with the attainment obtaining any analytical cessation belonging to the uncontaminated-path class; "abandoned by cultivation" refers to the attainment obtaining every non-analytical cessation, together with the attainment obtaining any analytical cessation belonging to the mundane-path class. Conversely, if an unabandoned attainment obtains a dharma, is that dharma itself unabandoned? Answer: yes, since an unabandoned attainment obtains only an unabandoned dharma. Having followed the base text in analyzing the characteristics of attainment, we now turn to further clarify, according to their meaning, the characteristics of non-attainment. If a dharma has attainment,
Watching moral quality behave as a strict one-to-one match while realm-membership admits this single, carefully carved exception reveals something about how this tradition weighs its own categories: some properties are treated as intrinsic to the very relationship of attainment itself, while others are treated as contingent on the attainer's own circumstances, and non-analytical cessation's odd behavior here traces directly back to its own peculiar status as a merely privative, rather than actively realized, kind of dharma.
6. The Logical Bridge to Non-Attainment, and Its Own General Rules
Having exhausted attainment's own characteristics, the treatise pivots to non-attainment (aprāpti) via a simple logical bridge — whatever has attainment has non-attainment, and whatever lacks attainment lacks non-attainment — before laying out non-attainment's own governing rules: it is invariably neutral, regardless of the dharma it fails to obtain; it spans all three realms and belongs to neither trainee nor non-trainee; and it is invariably classed as abandoned by cultivation.
彼法有非得。若法無得。彼法無非得。獲成就非獲非成就說亦爾。
that dharma has non-attainment; if a dharma has no attainment, that dharma has no non-attainment — and the same holds, correspondingly, for "securing"/"not-securing" and "possessing"/"not-possessing."
由此一切有情數法。及擇滅非擇滅。有得非得有獲非獲。有成就非成就。一切非有情數法。及虛空無為。則皆無有得非得等。又於自相續法。有得。有非得等。於他相續法。無得非得等。此中過去未來法。各有三世非得。現在法唯有過未二世非得。以可成就法在現在世必成就故。得與非得更互相違不俱起故。善不善無記法非得。
For this reason, every dharma belonging to a sentient being, together with analytical and non-analytical cessation, has both attainment and non-attainment, both securing and not-securing, both possessing and not-possessing; whereas every dharma not belonging to any sentient being, together with space, an unconditioned dharma, has none of attainment, non-attainment, or the rest at all. Furthermore, with respect to a dharma in one's own mind-stream, one has both attainment and non-attainment and the rest; with respect to a dharma in another's mind-stream, one has neither attainment, non-attainment, nor the rest. Here, a past or a future dharma each has non-attainment belonging to all three time-periods, while a present dharma has non-attainment belonging only to the past and future time-periods, since any dharma capable of being possessed is necessarily possessed while it stands in the present — attainment and non-attainment being mutually opposed and never co-arising. A non-attainment of a wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral dharma
皆唯無記。三界法非得皆通三界。學無學非學非無學法非得。皆唯非學非無學。見所斷修所斷不斷法非得。皆唯修所斷。是謂非得略毘婆沙諸不得過去法。彼非得過去耶。答彼非得或過去。或未來。
is invariably neutral alone, regardless of the dharma's own moral quality. A non-attainment of a dharma belonging to any of the three realms extends alike across all three realms. A non-attainment of a dharma belonging to a trainee, a non-trainee, or to neither, is invariably classed as belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee alone. A non-attainment of a dharma abandoned by seeing, abandoned by cultivation, or unabandoned, is invariably classed as abandoned by cultivation alone. This, then, is the brief exegesis on non-attainment. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as past — is its non-attainment past?" Answer: that non-attainment may be past, or future,
That non-attainment collapses every one of the source dharma's own distinctions — moral quality, path-stage, abandonment-category — into a single fixed value (neutral, neither-trainee-nor-non-trainee, cultivation-abandoned) is a striking asymmetry with attainment's own strict matching behavior: absence, on this account, is far less differentiated than presence, since failing to possess a wholesome path-factor and failing to possess an unwholesome defilement look, from non-attainment's own perspective, exactly alike.
7. Non-Attainment's Own Full Census Across the Three Times
The same exhaustive time-based cross-tabulation performed for attainment is now repeated for non-attainment — for a dharma not obtained as past, future, or present, which time-periods can its non-attainment itself belong to, and conversely which dharmas a non-attainment belonging to a given time-period can fail to obtain — down to specifying, for each cell, exactly which persons (those with severed wholesome roots, those free of desire's defilement, arhats, ordinary worldlings) instantiate it.
或現在。不得過去法。過去非得者。謂過去善不善有覆無記。無覆無記。無漏五蘊。彼所有過去非得。此中斷善根者。善五蘊離欲染者。不善五蘊。諸阿羅漢有覆無記五蘊。一切有情多分無覆無記五蘊。以無覆無記法。已過剎那及未至剎那。多分不成就故。諸異生類無漏五蘊。是謂總相所不得法。不得過去法未來非得者。謂過去善不善有覆無記無覆無記無漏五蘊。彼所有未來非得。如前釋。不得過去法現在非得者。謂過去善不善有覆無記無覆無記。無漏五蘊。彼所有現在非得。隨所應如前釋。設非得過去彼不得過去法耶。答彼法或過去。或未來。或現在。或無為。過去非得。不得過去法者。謂過去非得不得過去善乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。過去非得不得未來法者。謂過去非得不得未來善。乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。
or present. As for a past dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is past: this refers to the past non-attainment belonging to the past wholesome, unwholesome, obscured-neutral, unobscured-neutral, and uncontaminated five aggregates. Here the relevant instances are: for one whose wholesome roots have been severed, the wholesome five aggregates; for one freed from the defilement of desire, the unwholesome five aggregates; for arhats, the obscured-neutral five aggregates; for the great majority of sentient beings generally, the unobscured-neutral five aggregates, since an unobscured-neutral dharma, once its own instant has passed and before its own recurring instant has arrived, generally goes unpossessed; and for ordinary worldlings, the uncontaminated five aggregates. These are, in general, the dharmas that go unobtained. As for a past dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is future: this refers to the future non-attainment belonging to the past wholesome, unwholesome, obscured-neutral, unobscured-neutral, and uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a past dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is present: this refers to the present non-attainment belonging to the past wholesome, unwholesome, obscured-neutral, unobscured-neutral, and uncontaminated five aggregates, explained correspondingly just as above. Conversely, if a non-attainment is past, does it fail to obtain a past dharma? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be past, future, present, or unconditioned. As for a past non-attainment failing to obtain a past dharma: this refers to a past non-attainment failing to obtain the past wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a past non-attainment failing to obtain a future dharma: this refers to a past non-attainment failing to obtain the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above.
過去非得不得現在法者。謂過去非得不得現在善乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。過去非得不得無為法者。謂過去非得不得擇滅非擇滅法。謂具縛者。於擇滅。一切有情於非擇滅。諸不得未來法。彼非得未來耶。答彼非得。或未來。或過去。或現在。不得未來法。未來非得者。謂未來善乃至無漏五蘊。彼所有未來非得。如前釋。不得未來法過去非得者。謂未來善乃至無漏五蘊。彼所有過去非得。如前釋。不得未來法現在非得者。謂未來善乃至無漏五蘊。彼所有現在非得。如前釋。設非得未來。彼不得未來法耶。答彼法或未來。或過去。或現在。或無為。未來非得。不得未來法者。謂未來非得。
As for a past non-attainment failing to obtain a present dharma: this refers to a past non-attainment failing to obtain the present wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a past non-attainment failing to obtain an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a past non-attainment failing to obtain analytical or non-analytical cessation — namely, one still fully bound by every defilement with respect to analytical cessation, and every sentient being with respect to non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as future — is its non-attainment future?" Answer: that non-attainment may be future, past, or present. As for a future dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is future: this refers to the future non-attainment belonging to the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a future dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is past: this refers to the past non-attainment belonging to the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a future dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is present: this refers to the present non-attainment belonging to the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. Conversely, if a non-attainment is future, does it fail to obtain a future dharma? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be future, past, present, or unconditioned. As for a future non-attainment failing to obtain a future dharma: this refers to a future non-attainment
不得未來善。乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。未來非得。不得過去法者。
failing to obtain the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a future non-attainment failing to obtain a past dharma:
謂未來非得。不得過去善乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。未來非得。不得現在法者。謂未來非得。不得現在善乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。未來非得。不得無為法者。謂未來非得。不得擇滅非擇滅。如前釋。諸不得現在法。彼非得現在耶。答彼非得或過去。或未來。非現在相違故。不得現在法。過去非得者。謂現在善乃至無漏五蘊。彼所有過去非得。如前釋。不得現在法。未來非得者。謂現在善乃至無漏五蘊。彼所有未來非得。如前釋。設非得現在。彼不得現在法耶。
this refers to a future non-attainment failing to obtain the past wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a future non-attainment failing to obtain a present dharma: this refers to a future non-attainment failing to obtain the present wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a future non-attainment failing to obtain an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a future non-attainment failing to obtain analytical or non-analytical cessation, explained just as above. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as present — is its non-attainment present?" Answer: that non-attainment may be past or future, since it is opposed to being present. As for a present dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is past: this refers to the past non-attainment belonging to the present wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a present dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is future: this refers to the future non-attainment belonging to the present wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. Conversely, if a non-attainment is present, does it fail to obtain a present dharma?
答彼法或過去。或未來。或無為。非現在相違故。現在非得。不得過去法者。謂現在非得。不得過去善乃至無漏五蘊。隨所應。如前釋。現在非得。不得未來法者。謂現在非得。不得未來善乃至無漏五蘊。如前釋。現在非得不得無為法者。謂現在非得。不得擇滅非擇滅。如前釋。
Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be past, future, or unconditioned, since it is opposed to being present. As for a present non-attainment failing to obtain a past dharma: this refers to a present non-attainment failing to obtain the past wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained correspondingly just as above. As for a present non-attainment failing to obtain a future dharma: this refers to a present non-attainment failing to obtain the future wholesome dharmas and so on up through the uncontaminated five aggregates, explained just as above. As for a present non-attainment failing to obtain an unconditioned dharma: this refers to a present non-attainment failing to obtain analytical or non-analytical cessation, explained just as above.
Naming specific kinds of people as the living instances behind each abstract non-attainment category — the wholesome-root-severed person for unpossessed wholesome dharmas, the arhat for unpossessed obscured-neutral dharmas — keeps this otherwise highly formal census tethered to concrete soteriological reality: every cell in the grid corresponds to an actual kind of being somewhere on the path, not merely a logically possible combination.
8. Non-Attainment Across Moral Quality and the Three Realms
The census turns to non-attainment's relationship with moral quality — confirming that a neutral non-attainment can fail to obtain a dharma of any of the three moral qualities alike, since non-attainment itself carries no moral information — before tracking non-attainment across the three realms, keyed specifically to where a person is born rather than to which realm's dharma is at stake.
諸不得善法。彼非得善耶。答不爾。以彼非得是無記非善性故。設非得無記。彼不得善法耶。答彼法或善或不善。或無記。以無記非得不得三性法故。諸不得不善法。彼非得不善耶。答不爾。以彼非得是無記非不善性故。設非得無記。彼不得不善法耶。答彼法。或善或不善。或無記。以無記非得不得三性法故。諸不得無記法。彼非得無記耶。答如是。以諸非得唯無記故。設非得無記彼不得無記法耶。答彼法。或善。或不善。或無記。以無記非得不得三性法故。諸不得欲界法。彼非得欲界耶。答彼非得或欲界。或色界。或無色界。不得欲界法。欲界非得者。謂生欲界。欲界諸蘊非得。不得欲界法。色界非得者。謂生色界欲界諸蘊非得。不得欲界法無色界非得者。謂生無色界。欲界諸蘊非得。設非得欲界。彼不得欲界法耶。答彼法或欲界。或色界或無色界。或不繫。欲界非得。不得欲界法者。謂生欲界不得欲界諸蘊。欲界非得。不得色界法者。謂生欲界不得色界諸蘊。欲界非得。不得無色界法者。謂生欲界不得無色界諸蘊。欲界非得。不得不繫法者。謂生欲界不得無漏諸蘊。
"Whatever dharma is not obtained, is its non-attainment wholesome?" Answer: no, since non-attainment is by nature neutral, never wholesome. Conversely, if a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma wholesome? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral, since a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain dharmas of all three moral qualities alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained, is its non-attainment unwholesome?" Answer: no, since non-attainment is by nature neutral, never unwholesome. Conversely, if a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma unwholesome? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral, since a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain dharmas of all three moral qualities alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained, is its non-attainment neutral?" Answer: yes, since non-attainment is invariably neutral alone. Conversely, if a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma neutral? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be wholesome, unwholesome, or neutral, since a neutral non-attainment fails to obtain dharmas of all three moral qualities alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to the desire realm, is its non-attainment fettered to the desire realm?" Answer: that non-attainment may be fettered to the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm. As for a desire-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the desire realm: this refers to a person born in the desire realm, whose non-attainment is of the desire realm's own aggregates. As for a desire-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the form realm: this refers to a person born in the form realm, whose non-attainment is of the desire realm's own aggregates. As for a desire-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the formless realm: this refers to a person born in the formless realm, whose non-attainment is of the desire realm's own aggregates. Conversely, if a non-attainment is fettered to the desire realm, does it fail to obtain a desire-realm dharma? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be fettered to the desire realm, the form realm, the formless realm, or unfettered. As for a desire-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a desire-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the desire realm failing to obtain the desire realm's own aggregates. As for a desire-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a form-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the desire realm failing to obtain the form realm's own aggregates. As for a desire-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a formless-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the desire realm failing to obtain the formless realm's own aggregates. As for a desire-realm non-attainment failing to obtain an unfettered dharma: this refers to a person born in the desire realm failing to obtain the uncontaminated aggregates,
及擇滅非擇滅。諸不得色界法彼非得色界耶。答彼非得。或欲界。
together with analytical and non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to the form realm, is its non-attainment fettered to the form realm?" Answer: that non-attainment may be fettered to the desire realm,
或色界。或無色界。不得色界法。欲界非得者。謂生欲界色界諸蘊非得。不得色界法。色界非得者。謂生色界色界諸蘊非得。不得色界法。無色界非得者。謂生無色界色界諸蘊非得。設非得色界。彼不得色界法耶。答彼法或欲界。或色界。或無色界。或不繫。色界非得不得欲界法者。謂生色界不得欲界諸蘊。色界非得。不得色界法者。謂生色界不得色界諸蘊。色界非得。不得無色界法者。謂生色界不得無色界諸蘊。色界非得。不得不繫法者。謂生色界不得無漏諸蘊。及擇滅非擇滅。諸不得無色界法。彼非得無色界耶。答彼非得或欲界。或色界。或無色界。不得無色界法。欲界非得者。謂生欲界無色界諸蘊非得。不得無色界法。色界非得者。謂生色界無色界諸蘊非得。不得無色界法。無色界非得者。謂生無色界無色界諸蘊非得。設非得無色界。彼不得無色界法耶。答彼法或欲界。或色界。或無色界。或不繫。無色界非得。不得欲界法者。謂生無色界。不得欲界諸蘊。無色界非得。不得色界法者。謂生無色界。不得色界諸蘊。無色界非得。不得無色界法者。謂生無色界。不得無色界諸蘊。無色界非得。不得不繫法者。謂生無色界。不得無漏諸蘊。及擇滅非擇滅。諸不得學法。彼非得學耶。答不爾。以彼非得是非學非無學非是學故。設非得非學非無學。彼不得學法耶。答彼法或學。或無學或非學非無學。以非學非無學非得不得三種法故。
the form realm, or the formless realm. As for a form-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the desire realm: this refers to a person born in the desire realm, whose non-attainment is of the form realm's own aggregates. As for a form-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the form realm: this refers to a person born in the form realm, whose non-attainment is of the form realm's own aggregates. As for a form-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the formless realm: this refers to a person born in the formless realm, whose non-attainment is of the form realm's own aggregates. Conversely, if a non-attainment is fettered to the form realm, does it fail to obtain a form-realm dharma? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be fettered to the desire realm, the form realm, the formless realm, or unfettered. As for a form-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a desire-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the form realm failing to obtain the desire realm's own aggregates. As for a form-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a form-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the form realm failing to obtain the form realm's own aggregates. As for a form-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a formless-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the form realm failing to obtain the formless realm's own aggregates. As for a form-realm non-attainment failing to obtain an unfettered dharma: this refers to a person born in the form realm failing to obtain the uncontaminated aggregates, together with analytical and non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to the formless realm, is its non-attainment fettered to the formless realm?" Answer: that non-attainment may be fettered to the desire realm, the form realm, or the formless realm. As for a formless-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the desire realm: this refers to a person born in the desire realm, whose non-attainment is of the formless realm's own aggregates. As for a formless-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the form realm: this refers to a person born in the form realm, whose non-attainment is of the formless realm's own aggregates. As for a formless-realm dharma not obtained, whose non-attainment is fettered to the formless realm: this refers to a person born in the formless realm, whose non-attainment is of the formless realm's own aggregates. Conversely, if a non-attainment is fettered to the formless realm, does it fail to obtain a formless-realm dharma? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be fettered to the desire realm, the form realm, the formless realm, or unfettered. As for a formless-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a desire-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the formless realm failing to obtain the desire realm's own aggregates. As for a formless-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a form-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the formless realm failing to obtain the form realm's own aggregates. As for a formless-realm non-attainment failing to obtain a formless-realm dharma: this refers to a person born in the formless realm failing to obtain the formless realm's own aggregates. As for a formless-realm non-attainment failing to obtain an unfettered dharma: this refers to a person born in the formless realm failing to obtain the uncontaminated aggregates, together with analytical and non-analytical cessation. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to a trainee, is its non-attainment that of a trainee?" Answer: no, since that non-attainment belongs to neither trainee nor non-trainee, never to a trainee. Conversely, if a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain a dharma, does that dharma belong to a trainee? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may belong to a trainee, a non-trainee, or to neither, since a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike.
That non-attainment's own realm is fixed by the non-attainer's birthplace rather than by the dharma being failed to obtain is the precise mirror image of the earlier finding about non-analytical cessation's attainment: in both cases, a being's own present circumstances — where they currently are, rather than what the dharma in question happens to be — turn out to govern the resulting classification.
9. Non-Attainment Across Trainee, Non-Trainee, and Abandonment Status
The census concludes by tracking non-attainment across the trainee/non-trainee distinction and the seeing-abandoned/cultivation-abandoned/unabandoned distinction, confirming in each case the general rules stated earlier: non-attainment itself is always neither-trainee-nor-non-trainee, and always cultivation-abandoned, regardless of which category the unobtained dharma itself falls into.
諸不得無學法。彼非得無學耶。答不爾。以彼非得是非學非無學非是無學故。設非得非學非無學。彼不得無學法耶。答彼法或學。或無學。或非學非無學。以非學非無學非得不得三種法故。諸不得非學非無學法。彼非得非學非無學耶。答如是。以諸非得唯是非學非無學故。設非得非學非無學。彼不得非學非無學法耶。答彼法或學。或無學。或非學非無學。以非學非無學非得不得三種法故。諸不得見所斷法。彼非得見所斷耶。答不爾。以彼非得是修所斷非見所斷故。設非得修所斷。彼不得見所斷法耶。答彼法或見所斷。或修所斷。或不斷。以修所斷非得不得三種法故。諸不得修所斷法。
"Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to a non-trainee, is its non-attainment that of a non-trainee?" Answer: no, since that non-attainment belongs to neither trainee nor non-trainee, never to a non-trainee. Conversely, if a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain a dharma, does that dharma belong to a non-trainee? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may belong to a trainee, a non-trainee, or to neither, since a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee, is its non-attainment that of neither trainee nor non-trainee?" Answer: yes, since non-attainment invariably belongs to neither trainee nor non-trainee alone. Conversely, if a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain a dharma, does that dharma belong to neither trainee nor non-trainee? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may belong to a trainee, a non-trainee, or to neither, since a non-attainment belonging to neither trainee nor non-trainee fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as abandoned by seeing, is its non-attainment that of what is abandoned by seeing?" Answer: no, since that non-attainment is abandoned by cultivation, never by seeing. Conversely, if a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma abandoned by seeing? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be abandoned by seeing, abandoned by cultivation, or unabandoned, since a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as abandoned by cultivation,
彼非得修所斷耶。答如是。以諸非得唯修所斷故。設非得修所斷。
is its non-attainment that of what is abandoned by cultivation?" Answer: yes, since non-attainment is invariably abandoned by cultivation alone. Conversely, if a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation
彼不得修所斷法耶。答彼法或見所斷。或修所斷。或不斷。以修所斷非得不得三種法故。諸不得不斷法。彼非得不斷耶。答不爾以彼非得是修所斷非不斷故。設非得修所斷。彼不得不斷法耶。答彼法或見所斷。或修所斷。或不斷。以修所斷非得不得三種法故。
fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma abandoned by cultivation? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be abandoned by seeing, abandoned by cultivation, or unabandoned, since a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike. "Whatever dharma is not obtained as unabandoned, is its non-attainment that of what is unabandoned?" Answer: no, since that non-attainment is abandoned by cultivation, never unabandoned. Conversely, if a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation fails to obtain a dharma, is that dharma unabandoned? Answer: the dharma so not-obtained may be abandoned by seeing, abandoned by cultivation, or unabandoned, since a non-attainment abandoned by cultivation fails to obtain dharmas of all three of these categories alike.
That this final stretch of the census does nothing but confirm, case by case, the general rules already announced several sections earlier gives the fascicle's closing pages a distinctly different rhythm from its opening argument — less live philosophical dispute, more careful verification that a stated principle actually holds up against every individual instance it claims to cover.
Fascicle 157 Complete
This closes fascicle 157 of Ru-Yi's translation, drawn from the treatise's true CBETA boundary. Fascicle 157 opens the Seventh Aggregate, the Concentration Aggregate (定蘊第七), with its own first nyāsa, the Attainment Nyāsa (得納息第一之一) — beginning with a foundational argument for the very reality of attainment (prāpti) and non-attainment (aprāpti) against the Sautrāntika view that possession is a merely conventional label, then working through an exhaustive cross-tabulation of both attainment and non-attainment across the three time-periods, the three moral qualities, the three realms, the trainee/non-trainee distinction, and the three categories of abandonment. Fascicle 158 continues within this same newly-opened Attainment Nyāsa.