The Gate of Liberation through Emptiness
The sūtra sets out ten modes of forward-and-reverse contemplation of the gathering together of the twelve links of dependent origination, and the treatise, in a long and densely argued commentary, opens onto a further, twofold contemplation: one that accords with great compassion, distinguished into four kinds concerned with ignorance, inverted view, and the seeking of liberation in the wrong place or through a heterodox path; and one that discerns through the wisdom of all characteristics, distinguished into nine. The sūtra then declares that dependent origination, so contemplated through these ten modes, is without self, without a life-force, and without any sentient being, self-natured and empty, departed from any doer or receiver — opening, one by one, the three gates of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness. Finally, the bodhisattva's great compassion turns ever more intense, and, unwilling to rest until the dharmas that assist enlightenment are brought to full completion, he undertakes two kinds of vigorous practice: giving rise to courageous practice, and arousing the resolve of a great man.
The Ten Modes of Forward-and-Reverse Contemplation, and a Contemplation According with Great Compassion
經曰：是菩薩如是十種逆順觀因緣集法，所謂：因緣分次第故、一心所攝故、自業成故、不相捨離故、三道不斷故、觀先後際故、三苦集故、因緣生故、因緣生滅縛故、隨順有盡觀故。
論曰：復有二種異觀：一、大悲隨順觀；二、一切相智分別觀。大悲隨順觀者，有四種：一、愚癡顛倒；二、餘處求解脫；三、異道求解脫；四、求異解脫。云何愚癡顛倒？隨所著處，愚癡及顛倒此事觀故，以著我故。一切處受生遠離我故，則無有生。云何愚癡？無明闇故。如經「是菩薩觀世間生滅已，作是念：世間所有受身生處差別，皆以貪著我故。若離著我，則無世間生處」故。愚癡所盲貪著於我，如是顛倒及有相支中疑惑顛倒，如經「菩薩復作是念：此諸凡夫愚癡所盲貪著於我，無智闇障，常求有無如是等」故。云何餘處求解脫？是凡夫如是愚癡顛倒，常應於阿梨耶識及阿陀那識中求解脫，乃於餘處我我所中求解脫。此對治，如經「是菩薩作是念：三界虛妄，但是一心作，乃至老壞名死」故。云何異道求解脫？於顛倒因中求解脫。顛倒因有三種：性因、自在天因、苦行因及無因。不應如是求。何以故？因緣有支二種業能起因緣事故，如經「是中無明有二種作：一者緣中癡令眾生惑；二者與行作因」如是等故。自生因故，如經「是中無明緣行者，無明因緣令行不斷，助成行故」如是等故。煩惱業妄想因故、非樂因故，如經「是中無明、愛、取三分不斷，是煩惱道」如是等故。先中際因故，及中後際因故，中際前後二際故，如經「是中無明因緣行者，是見過去世事」如是等故。若無如是事，則種種眾生亦無，云何求異解脫？真解脫者有四種相：離一切苦相、無為相、遠離染相、出世間相。彼諸行苦事隨逐乃至無色有縛，如經「十二因緣分說名三苦。無明行乃至六入名為行苦」如是等故。如是因緣生故，如經「是中無明因緣行因緣能生行，餘亦如是」等故。如是復染生縛，如經「是中無明緣行，是生縛說，餘亦如是」等故。如是隨順有求無色有解脫，如經「無明因緣行，隨順有觀說，餘亦如是」等故。如是大悲隨順觀因緣集已說。
Sūtra: This bodhisattva, in this way, contemplates the gathering together of causes and conditions through ten modes, forward and reverse — namely: because of the sequential order of the portions of causes and conditions; because they are gathered within a single mind; because each is accomplished through its own karmic function; because they do not abandon or separate from one another; because the three paths are uninterrupted; because of contemplating the prior limit and the later limit; because the three kinds of suffering arise; because of arising through causes and conditions; because of the bondage of arising and ceasing through causes and conditions; and because of the contemplation, according with existence, of its utter exhaustion.
Commentary: There is, furthermore, a twofold contemplation, different from the foregoing: first, the contemplation that accords with great compassion; second, the discerning contemplation of the wisdom of all characteristics. The contemplation that accords with great compassion is of four kinds: first, ignorance and inverted view; second, seeking liberation in the wrong place; third, seeking liberation through heterodox paths; fourth, seeking a liberation other than the true one. What is ignorance and inverted view? Wherever attachment occurs, this very matter is contemplated through ignorance and inverted view, on account of attachment to self; since, in every place where birth is received, there is, in reality, a departure from self, there is then no birth at all. What, then, is this ignorance? It is the darkness of ignorance — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having contemplated the arising and ceasing of the world, thinks: every distinction among the places where bodies are received and born within the world is entirely on account of craving and attachment to self; were one to depart from attachment to self, there would then be no place of birth within the world." Blinded by ignorance, craving and clinging to self — such an inverted view, together with the doubt and inverted view amid the link that bears the mark of existence — as the sūtra says, "the bodhisattva further thinks: these ordinary beings, blinded by ignorance, craving and clinging to self, obstructed by the darkness of a mind without wisdom, constantly seek existence or non-existence," and so forth. What is seeking liberation in the wrong place? Ordinary beings, thus ignorant and inverted in view, ought properly to seek liberation within the ālaya-consciousness and the ādāna-consciousness, yet instead seek liberation in the wrong place, amid self and what belongs to self. The antidote to this — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva thinks: the three realms are deceptive and illusory, and are nothing but the workings of a single mind... all the way to old age and decay are called death." What is seeking liberation through heterodox paths? It is seeking liberation within an inverted cause. The inverted cause is of three kinds: the cause of inherent nature, the cause of Īśvara, and the cause of ascetic practice; and also the case of no cause at all. One should not seek liberation in this way. Why is this? Because the link of causes and conditions accomplishes the matter of causes and conditions through two kinds of karmic function — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance has two kinds of function: first, delusion regarding the object-condition, which confuses sentient beings; second, serving as the cause for volitional formations," and so forth. Because it is the cause of its own arising — as the sūtra says, "here, as for ignorance conditioning volitional formations: the causal condition of ignorance causes volitional formations to remain uninterrupted, assisting in their accomplishment," and so forth. Because it is the cause of the false conception belonging to affliction and karma, and not the cause of true happiness — as the sūtra says, "here, the three portions of ignorance, craving, and grasping, being uninterrupted, are the path of affliction," and so forth. Because it is the cause linking the prior limit to the middle limit, and the cause linking the middle limit to the later limit — the middle limit standing between these two limits, before and after — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance conditioning volitional formations is what is seen as a matter of the past world," and so forth. Were there no such matter, then the manifold varieties of sentient beings would likewise not exist — how, then, could one seek a liberation other than the true one? True liberation bears four marks: the mark of departing from all suffering, the mark of the unconditioned, the mark of departing far from defilement, and the mark of transcending the world. That matter of the suffering of formations pursues one all the way to the bondage of formless existence — as the sūtra says, "the twelve links of dependent origination are said to name the three kinds of suffering: ignorance, volitional formations, all the way to the six sense-fields are named the suffering of formations," and so forth. Thus, because of arising through causes and conditions — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance, as a causal condition, gives rise to volitional formations; this causal condition is able to give rise to volitional formations, and the rest are likewise so," and so forth. Thus, moreover, defilement gives rise to bondage — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance conditioning volitional formations is spoken of as the bondage of arising, and the rest are likewise so," and so forth. Thus, according with existence, one seeks liberation from formless existence — as the sūtra says, "ignorance conditioning volitional formations is spoken of as the contemplation that accords with existence, and the rest are likewise so," and so forth. The contemplation that accords with great compassion, regarding the gathering together of causes and conditions, has thus been explained.
Fazang closes his line-by-line exegesis of the ten modes with his own set of alternate names for them, confirming that each hides a matching reverse contemplation the sūtra leaves unspoken for brevity: 既云逆順十種，明知前十門中皆有逆順 — "since it speaks of ten modes, forward and reverse, this makes clear that each of these ten approaches, in fact, already contains both a forward contemplation and a reverse one." His own condensed names for the ten are worth setting beside the sūtra's own phrasing: 一有支行列、二攝歸一心、三力用相生、四前後相屬、五三道輪還、六三際因果、七三苦過失、八從因無性、九似有若無、十泯同平等 — "first, the array of the links in sequence; second, their gathering into a single mind; third, the mutual generation of function and power; fourth, mutual belonging before and after; fifth, the revolving of the three paths; sixth, cause and effect across the three time-periods; seventh, the fault of the three sufferings; eighth, arising from a cause yet without inherent nature; ninth, seemingly existent yet as if non-existent; tenth, all effaced into one equality."
On why the bodhisattva's compassion, within the fourfold contemplation, turns specifically toward those who seek liberation "through a heterodox path," Fazang locates the object of that compassion precisely in outsiders' embrace of causelessness: 菩薩見諸外道行異道求解脫中計無因等，起大悲心，觀此緣生，救彼邪執 — "seeing that outsiders, within their seeking of liberation through heterodox paths, posit no cause and the like, the bodhisattva gives rise to great compassion, contemplates this dependent arising, and rescues them from their deviant clinging." The compassion is not generic pity for suffering but a targeted response to a specific philosophical error.
The Wisdom of All Characteristics: A Ninefold Discerning Contemplation
一切相智分別觀者，是中有九種：一、染淨分別觀，著我慢離我慢染淨故，如經「是菩薩觀世間生滅已，作是念：世間所有受身生處差別，皆以貪著我故。若離著我，則無世間生處」故。二、依止觀，此因緣集依何等法？如經「是菩薩復作是念：不如實知諸諦第一義故名為無明」如是等故。三方便觀，因緣有支二種業能起因緣事故，如經「是中無明有二種作：一者緣中癡令眾生惑；二者與行作因」如是等故。四、因緣相觀，有支無作故，如經「是中無明緣行，無明因緣令行不斷，助成行故」如是等故。五、入諦觀，三道苦集諦故，如經「是中無明、愛、取三分不斷，是煩惱道。行有二分不斷，是業道。餘因緣分不斷，是苦道」故。六、力無力信入依觀，先中後際化勝故，如經「無明緣行者，是見過去世事」如是等故。七、增上慢非增上慢信入觀，不如實知微苦我慢故，如經「是中無明行乃至六入名為行苦」如是等故。八、無始觀，中際因緣生故，後際生隨順縛故，如經「無明因緣行因緣能生行，餘亦如是。無明因緣行，是生縛說，餘亦如是」故。九、種種觀，隨順有觀故，欲色無色愛等，如經「無明因緣行，隨順有觀說，餘亦如是」故。如是不住道行勝已說。
次說彼果勝有五種相：一、得對治行勝及離障勝；二、得修行勝；三、得三昧勝；四、得不壞心勝；五、得自在力勝。云何得對治行勝？謂三解脫門。
Commentary (continued): The discerning contemplation of the wisdom of all characteristics is, within this, of nine kinds. First, the contemplation that discerns defilement and purity, since attachment to the pride of self is defilement and departing from the pride of self is purity — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having contemplated the arising and ceasing of the world, thinks: every distinction among the places where bodies are received and born within the world is entirely on account of craving and attachment to self; were one to depart from attachment to self, there would then be no place of birth within the world." Second, the contemplation of what is relied upon: upon what dharma does this gathering together of causes and conditions depend? — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva further thinks: not truly and really knowing the ultimate meaning of the truths is called ignorance," and so forth. Third, the contemplation of skillful means, since the link of causes and conditions accomplishes the matter of causes and conditions through two kinds of karmic function — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance has two kinds of function: first, delusion regarding the object-condition, which confuses sentient beings; second, serving as the cause for volitional formations," and so forth. Fourth, the contemplation of the mark of causes and conditions, since the links are without any agent that makes them — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance conditioning volitional formations: the causal condition of ignorance causes volitional formations to remain uninterrupted, assisting in their accomplishment," and so forth. Fifth, the contemplation of entering the truths, since the three paths are the truth of suffering and its origin — as the sūtra says, "here, the three portions of ignorance, craving, and grasping, being uninterrupted, are the path of affliction; the two portions of volitional formations and existence, being uninterrupted, are the path of karma; and the remaining portions among the causes and conditions, being uninterrupted, are the path of suffering." Sixth, the contemplation relying on entry through faith into what has power and what lacks power, since the transformation across the prior, middle, and later limits is supreme — as the sūtra says, "ignorance conditioning volitional formations is what is seen as a matter of the past world," and so forth. Seventh, the contemplation of entry through faith into overweening pride and the absence of overweening pride, since one does not truly and really know the subtle suffering of the pride of self — as the sūtra says, "here, ignorance, volitional formations, all the way to the six sense-fields, are named the suffering of formations," and so forth. Eighth, the contemplation of beginninglessness, since the middle limit arises through causes and conditions and the later limit's arising accords with bondage — as the sūtra says, "ignorance, as a causal condition, gives rise to volitional formations; this causal condition is able to give rise to volitional formations, and the rest are likewise so; ignorance conditioning volitional formations is spoken of as the bondage of arising, and the rest are likewise so." Ninth, the contemplation of manifold variety, since it accords with the contemplation of existence — the craving for the realms of desire, form, and formlessness, and the rest — as the sūtra says, "ignorance conditioning volitional formations is spoken of as the contemplation that accords with existence, and the rest are likewise so." The excellence of the practice of the non-abiding path has thus been explained.
Next will be explained the excellence of its fruit, which bears five marks: first, attaining the excellence of the antidote practice together with the excellence of freedom from hindrance; second, attaining the excellence of cultivated practice; third, attaining the excellence of samādhi; fourth, attaining the excellence of the unshakeable mind; fifth, attaining the excellence of the power of self-mastery. What, then, is attaining the excellence of the antidote practice? It refers to the three gates of liberation.
Fazang's own name for what the treatise elsewhere calls "deep contemplation" reveals how it was built: 世諦觀六門中，此當第六名深觀。此深觀中攝後三門，合成四句：一不自生、二不他生、三不共生、四不無因生 — "among the six approaches of the contemplation of worldly truth, this is the sixth, named deep contemplation. This deep contemplation gathers in the latter three approaches, forming, altogether, four propositions: first, not self-made; second, not other-made; third, not co-made; fourth, not made without a cause." What reads as a single fourfold formula is thus, on Fazang's account, a synthesis compressing three of the ten modes into one.
On the third of those four propositions — "not made by the two [together]" — Fazang spells out exactly what "the two" are, which is easy to miss without his gloss: 言非二作者，或因為自、以緣為他，或果為自、以因緣為他，此二自他俱不作故 — "as for 'not made by the two': either the cause is taken as 'self' and the condition as 'other,' or the effect is taken as 'self' and the cause-and-condition together as 'other' — in neither pairing do these two, self and other, actually make anything." The apparent paradox — that dependent origination somehow arises though nothing truly makes it — is resolved, for Fazang, only by refusing to let "self" and "other" settle onto any fixed member of the causal relation.
The Gate of Liberation through Emptiness, and the Bodhisattva's Vigorous, Courageous Practice
經曰：是菩薩如是十種觀因緣集已，無我、無壽命、無眾生，自性空，離作者、受者。如是觀時，空解脫門現前生。是菩薩觀彼有支自性滅故，常解脫現前。見因緣處無少法相可生，如是不見少法相故，無相解脫門現前生。是菩薩如是入空、入無相，不生願樂，唯除大悲為首教化眾生。如是無願解脫門現前生。是菩薩修行是三解脫門，離彼我相、離作者受者相、離有無相。
論曰：是中空解脫門有三種相說：一、見眾生無我；二、見法無我；三、彼二作無見，無作者故。如經「是菩薩如是十種觀因緣集已，無我、無壽命、無眾生，自性空，離作者、受者。如是觀時，空解脫門現前生」故。見眾生無我者，無我、無壽命、無眾生，此句示現。見法無我者，自性空，此句示現。彼二作無者，見眾生及法無作事等，以無作者作事亦無，不見作者故，離作者受者，此句示現。無相解脫門，亦三種相說：一、滅障；二、得對治；三、念相不行。如經「是菩薩觀彼有支自性滅故，常解脫現前。見因緣處無少法相可生，如是不見少法相故，無相解脫門現前生」。是中滅障者，觀彼有支自性滅故，此句示現。得對治者，常解脫現前，此句示現。念相不行者，見因緣處無少法相可生，此句示現。無願解脫門亦三種相說：一、依止；二、體；三、勝。如經「是菩薩如是入空、入無相，不生願樂，唯除大悲為首教化眾生，如是無願解脫門現前生」故。是中入空入無相，是名依止。以依止入空入無相故，能成無願不生願樂。不生願樂，是名無願體。大悲為首教化眾生者，是名為勝。聲聞亦有不生願樂無願體，遠離大悲、不樂教化眾生故。滅障勝者，離三種相故，如經「是菩薩修行是三解脫門，離彼我相、離作者受者相、離有無相」故。如是次第於五地中遠離，平等深淨心故。四地中遠離出沒等相，此六地中遠離法平等故。云何得修行勝？
經曰：是菩薩大悲轉增，以重悲故，勤行精進，未滿助菩提分法欲令滿足。菩薩作是念：有為和合故、行離和合故、不行眾緣具故、行不具故不行。唯我知有為法多過，不應具和合因緣，亦不畢竟滅有為法，為教化眾生故。諸佛子！菩薩如是知有為法多過，離自性，不生不滅自性觀。是菩薩作如是觀已，起大悲故、不捨一切眾生故，即時得無障礙智門現前，名般若波羅蜜行光明現前。是菩薩成就如是般若波羅蜜行光明現前照已，為滿助菩提分法因緣而不與有為法共住，觀有為法性寂滅相亦不住其中，欲具足無上菩提分法故。
論曰：得修行勝者有二種修行：一、發勇猛修行；二、起丈夫志修行。發勇猛修行者，知有為法多過，遠離生業煩惱同縛，作勝利益眾生。如經「是菩薩大悲轉增，以重悲故，勤行精進，未滿助菩提分法欲令滿足。菩薩作是念：有為和合故、行離和合故、不行眾緣具故、行不具故不行。唯我知有為法多過，不應具和合因緣，亦不畢竟滅有為法，為教化眾生故」。起丈夫志修行者，厭對觀見多過觀故、滅對故、自性同相無觀故。如經「諸佛子！菩薩如是知有為法多過，離自性，不生不滅自性觀」故。修行勝者，智及大悲勝隨順故，依不住道行，無障礙智門現前，般若波羅蜜行光明現前，知有為法及涅槃平等證故、彼不共住故、彼助道行不滿故。如經「是菩薩作如是觀已，起大悲故、不捨一切眾生故，即時得無障礙智門現前，名般若波羅蜜行光明現前。是菩薩成就如是般若波羅蜜行光明現前照已，為滿助菩提分法因緣而不與有為法共住，觀有為法性寂滅相亦不住其中，欲具足無上菩提分法故」。無障礙智者，謂如來智，然此未成就，名為光明現前。云何得三昧勝？有十空三昧門同為上首，及彼眷屬故。
Sūtra: This bodhisattva, having thus contemplated the gathering together of causes and conditions through these ten modes, knows it to be without self, without a life-force, and without any sentient being, self-natured and empty, departed from any doer or any receiver. Contemplating in this way, the gate of liberation through emptiness manifests and arises before him. This bodhisattva, contemplating that the self-nature of those links is itself ceased, has constant liberation manifest before him; seeing that, in the very place of causes and conditions, not the slightest mark of any dharma can arise, and thus not seeing the slightest mark of any dharma, the gate of liberation through signlessness manifests and arises before him. This bodhisattva, having thus entered emptiness and entered signlessness, gives rise to no wish or desire, save only that great compassion takes the lead in teaching and transforming sentient beings. In this way the gate of liberation through wishlessness manifests and arises before him. This bodhisattva, cultivating these three gates of liberation, departs from the mark of self, departs from the mark of a doer and a receiver, and departs from the mark of existence and non-existence.
Commentary: Here, the gate of liberation through emptiness is spoken of through three marks: first, seeing that sentient beings are without self; second, seeing that dharmas are without self; third, seeing that the making of these two is itself without existence, since there is no doer — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having thus contemplated the gathering together of causes and conditions through these ten modes, knows it to be without self, without a life-force, and without any sentient being, self-natured and empty, departed from any doer or any receiver; contemplating in this way, the gate of liberation through emptiness manifests and arises before him." "Seeing that sentient beings are without self" is made manifest by the clause, "without self, without a life-force, and without any sentient being." "Seeing that dharmas are without self" is made manifest by the clause, "self-natured and empty." "The making of these two is itself without existence" means seeing that, for both sentient beings and dharmas, there is no matter of any making — since there is no doer, the matter of the doing likewise does not exist, and, not seeing any doer, one departs from the doer and the receiver; this is made manifest by the clause, "departed from any doer or any receiver." The gate of liberation through signlessness is likewise spoken of through three marks: first, the cessation of hindrance; second, attaining the antidote; third, the non-arising of any mark to be mindfully apprehended — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, contemplating that the self-nature of those links is itself ceased, has constant liberation manifest before him; seeing that, in the very place of causes and conditions, not the slightest mark of any dharma can arise, and thus not seeing the slightest mark of any dharma, the gate of liberation through signlessness manifests and arises before him." Here, "the cessation of hindrance" is made manifest by the clause, "contemplating that the self-nature of those links is itself ceased." "Attaining the antidote" is made manifest by the clause, "has constant liberation manifest before him." "The non-arising of any mark to be mindfully apprehended" is made manifest by the clause, "seeing that, in the very place of causes and conditions, not the slightest mark of any dharma can arise." The gate of liberation through wishlessness is likewise spoken of through three marks: first, its basis; second, its very substance; third, its excellence — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having thus entered emptiness and entered signlessness, gives rise to no wish or desire, save only that great compassion takes the lead in teaching and transforming sentient beings; in this way the gate of liberation through wishlessness manifests and arises before him." Here, entering emptiness and entering signlessness are named its basis. Because it is based upon entering emptiness and entering signlessness, one is able to accomplish wishlessness, giving rise to no wish or desire. "Giving rise to no wish or desire" is named the very substance of wishlessness. "Great compassion takes the lead in teaching and transforming sentient beings" is named its excellence. The śrāvaka likewise has this giving-rise-to-no-wish-or-desire that is the substance of wishlessness, yet he departs far from great compassion and takes no delight in teaching and transforming sentient beings. The excellence of the cessation of hindrance means departing from three kinds of mark — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, cultivating these three gates of liberation, departs from the mark of self, departs from the mark of a doer and a receiver, and departs from the mark of existence and non-existence." In just this sequence: within the Fifth Ground, this departing is accomplished through the equal, deep, pure mind; within the Fourth Ground, one departs from the marks of arising and passing away and the like; within this Sixth Ground, one departs through the equality of dharmas. What, then, is attaining the excellence of cultivated practice?
Sūtra: This bodhisattva's great compassion turns ever more intense; through this heavier compassion, he diligently exerts himself with vigor, wishing to bring the dharmas that assist enlightenment, not yet fulfilled, to full completion. The bodhisattva thinks this thought: conditioned existence arises through coming together; formations that have departed from this coming-together do not arise; when the manifold conditions are complete, formations arise, and when they are incomplete, formations do not arise. I alone know that conditioned dharmas hold many faults; yet I should neither bring together the causes and conditions that complete them, nor should I utterly extinguish conditioned dharmas — for the sake of teaching and transforming sentient beings. Sons of the Buddha! The bodhisattva, thus knowing that conditioned dharmas hold many faults, departs from their self-nature, contemplating their self-nature as neither arisen nor ceased. This bodhisattva, having made this contemplation, because he gives rise to great compassion and because he does not abandon any sentient being, at that very moment attains the gate of unhindered wisdom manifest before him, named the manifest light of the practice of the perfection of wisdom. This bodhisattva, having accomplished this illumination — the manifest light of the practice of the perfection of wisdom — for the sake of completing the causes and conditions of the dharmas that assist enlightenment, does not dwell together with conditioned dharmas; contemplating the tranquil, quiescent mark of the nature of conditioned dharmas, he likewise does not abide within it, wishing to bring to full completion the unsurpassed dharmas that assist enlightenment.
Commentary: Attaining the excellence of cultivated practice consists of two kinds of practice: first, giving rise to courageous practice; second, arousing the resolve of a great man in practice. Giving rise to courageous practice means that, knowing conditioned dharmas hold many faults, he departs far from the shared bondage of the karma of birth and affliction, and accomplishes the supreme benefit of sentient beings — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva's great compassion turns ever more intense; through this heavier compassion, he diligently exerts himself with vigor, wishing to bring the dharmas that assist enlightenment, not yet fulfilled, to full completion. The bodhisattva thinks this thought: conditioned existence arises through coming together... all the way to for the sake of teaching and transforming sentient beings." Arousing the resolve of a great man in practice means the contemplation that wearies of its object, seeing its many faults; the contemplation that counters cessation; and the contemplation of the absence of any common mark within self-nature — as the sūtra says, "Sons of the Buddha! The bodhisattva, thus knowing that conditioned dharmas hold many faults, departs from their self-nature, contemplating their self-nature as neither arisen nor ceased." The excellence of cultivated practice means that, because wisdom and great compassion excellently accord with one another, in dependence on the practice of the non-abiding path, the gate of unhindered wisdom manifests before him, and the manifest light of the practice of the perfection of wisdom likewise manifests, since he realizes the equality of conditioned dharmas and nirvāṇa, since he does not dwell together with them, and since the practice of the dharmas that assist the path is not yet fulfilled — as the sūtra says, "this bodhisattva, having made this contemplation, because he gives rise to great compassion and because he does not abandon any sentient being, at that very moment attains the gate of unhindered wisdom manifest before him, named the manifest light of the practice of the perfection of wisdom. This bodhisattva, having accomplished this illumination... all the way to wishing to bring to full completion the unsurpassed dharmas that assist enlightenment." "Unhindered wisdom" refers to the wisdom of the Tathāgata; yet, since this is not yet accomplished, it is named "manifest light." What, then, is attaining the excellence of samādhi? It is that there are ten gates of the samādhi of emptiness, all serving equally as the foremost, together with their retinue.
Fazang is explicit that the fivefold fruit of this ground is not a fresh list but a set of payoffs, each keyed to a topic already covered: 初得對治行及離障，是前勝慢對治果。二得修行勝，是前不住道行果 — "the first, attaining the antidote practice together with freedom from hindrance, is the fruit of the earlier antidote to the pride of excellence; the second, attaining the excellence of cultivated practice, is the fruit of the earlier practice of the non-abiding path." The three gates of liberation and the bodhisattva's courageous, great-man practice, in other words, are not new topics but the harvest of everything the ground has already established.
Fazang also previews, in a single line, why the remaining three fruits carry the names they do — a preview that anticipates this collection's next installment: 三得三昧，望前治勝以說果……四不壞心者，望前離障以說果，由滅障故，三昧之心不可破壞……五自在力者，望前修行以說果，謂依前修行上進無礙名自在力 — "the third, attaining samādhi, is spoken of as a fruit in relation to the excellence of the antidote practice just explained... the fourth, the unshakeable mind, is spoken of as a fruit in relation to freedom from hindrance, since, hindrance having been extinguished, the mind of samādhi cannot be broken... the fifth, the power of self-mastery, is spoken of as a fruit in relation to cultivated practice, meaning that, in dependence on that practice, advancing further without hindrance is named the power of self-mastery."
Part 31 Complete
This closes Part 31: the sūtra's own ten modes of forward-and-reverse contemplation of the gathering together of causes and conditions; the treatise's further twofold contemplation — one according with great compassion, distinguished into four kinds turning on ignorance, inverted view, and the seeking of liberation in the wrong place or through a heterodox path, and one discerning through the wisdom of all characteristics, distinguished into nine; the sūtra's declaration that dependent origination, so contemplated, is without self, without a life-force, and without any sentient being, self-natured and empty, opening one by one the three gates of liberation through emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; and, closing this part, the bodhisattva's great compassion turning ever more intense and undertaking two kinds of vigorous practice — giving rise to courageous practice, and arousing the resolve of a great man — so as to bring the dharmas that assist enlightenment to full completion. Part 32 continues within the excellence of this ground's fruit, turning to the bodhisattva's attainment of several kinds of emptiness-samādhi, nine kinds of unshakeable and resolute mind, these bodhisattva-minds converging ever closer toward buddhahood itself, and the closing threefold fruit that brings the entire Sixth Ground, Abhimukhī, to completion.
Continue to Part 32 — Emptiness-Samādhis and Abhimukhī Complete →