Tiantai Four Teachings Commentary (Selected Passages from the "Commentary" Main Text) (天台四教儀集註（選錄「集註」本文）)

Volume 9 of the Collected Commentaries on the Tiantai Four Teachings

Collection by Monk Mengrun of Southern India

The second stage is the Ground of Purity; the third, the Ground of Illumination; the fourth, the Ground of Blazing Wisdom; the fifth, the Ground of Mastery; the sixth, the Ground of Direct Realization; the seventh, the Ground of Far-Reaching Practice; the eighth, the Ground of Unshakable Stillness; the ninth, the Ground of Perfect Wisdom; and the tenth, the Ground of the Dharma Cloud. (In each of these nine grounds above, one aspect of ignorance is eliminated, and one aspect of the Middle Way is realized.)

True to the unconditioned nature, entering the realm of sentient beings, equal to empty space: this is the Ground of Separating from Filth. Through the light of wisdom and faith in patience, cultivating the Buddha's path with utmost purity and brightness arising: this is the Ground of Radiance. Following the patience of non-arising, contemplating all phenomena: this is the Ground of Blazing Wisdom. (Following that patience, cultivating the path, the three realms of ignorance are all without exception empty: this is the Ground of Difficult to Conquer. Above, following all phenomena, contemplating the three times, still and extinct without duality: this is the Ground of Manifesting. Observing all afflictions as neither existing nor non-existing, constantly moving upward, with thought after thought still and extinct: this is the Ground of Far-Reaching. With) the contemplation of non-arising, relinquishing the three realms: this is the Ground of Immovability. Entering the supreme contemplation, the radiant transformation of countless Buddhas and the path of patience of non-arising: this is the Ground of Excellent Wisdom. Entering the contemplation of the Middle Way, receiving the office of the Buddha, already identical to suchness and equal to the Dharma realm, with wondrous clouds universally covering: this is the Ground of Dharma Cloud.

Next, they sever one more layer of fundamental ignorance and enter the rank of Equal Enlightenment, which is also called the Adamantine Mind, the Once-More-Replenishment stage, or the Limited Superior Being.

After reaching the final mind of the tenth stage, one uses contemplative wisdom to cut off one more stage of delusion, thereby entering the stage of Equal Enlightenment. As the Four Doctrines (vol. 14) says: “This means the wisdom of the ultimate edge is perfected, and one enters the gate of profound mystery. Compared to Dharma Cloud, such a person is called a Buddha; compared to Wonderful Enlightenment, they are called a Vajra-Mind Bodhisattva, also known as a Bodhisattva of the Stainless Ground. The three demons are already extinguished, leaving only the death demon—one more stage remains—so one continues severing the habitual traces of ignorance.”

The Collected Commentary explains: “This person enters and realizes hundreds of thousands of meditative absorptions, illuminating a single mark that is both markless and quiescent, inactive by nature. Compared to Wonderful Enlightenment, there remains one level of difference, so what is below this level is called Enlightenment, thus it is named Equal Enlightenment. The wisdom cultivated and contemplated here is pure, singular, hard, and sharp, like a vajra; hence it is called Vajra Mind.”

One who is “at the point of sole remaining birth” still has one stage of ignorance, so there is one more birth. Surpassing this birth, they then fill the position of Wonderful Enlightenment. The Commentary on the Sutra of Guanyin (vol. 4) says: “This corresponds to the role of a crown prince.”

The Profound Meaning (vol. 23) states: “Because there remains delusion yet to be severed, such a person is called a being with a superior.”

They break through one more level of ignorance and enter the stage of sublime awakening. Seated beneath the seven-jeweled Bodhi tree in the Lotus Treasury World, upon the great jeweled lotus throne, they manifest the perfect reward body and, for dull-rooted bodhisattvas, turn the wheel of the immeasurable Four Noble Truths. This is that Buddha.

The Teaching of the Four Doctrines, Volume Four, states: After the final moment of the diamond-like mind, there is a vast and clear perfect awakening. The sublime wisdom reaches the source, and the habitual tendencies of ignorance are exhausted. This is called true liberation. Unburdened and untroubled, serene yet ever-illuminating, this is known as the stage of sublime awakening. The term "storehouse" means that it contains the entire ten-direction realm within itself.

The Seven-Jeweled Bodhi Tree represents the multitude of seven treasures, signifying boundlessness. The Great Jeweled Lotus King Throne is described in the Profound Meaning (Chapter Twelve): Some say that at the path of tranquil cessation, the throne consists of a seven-jeweled lotus. The body is called the lotus center, while the petals number a thousand. On each petal resides a bodhisattva, accompanied by a hundred billion bodhisattvas. Thus, there are hundreds of billions of bodhisattvas. The ten directions emit beams of white light and radiating light from the divisions of the body. The white light enters the crowns of the bodhisattvas on the lotus center, while the radiating light enters the crowns of the bodhisattvas on the lotus petals. This is known as receiving the royal authority of the Dharma. Having completely attained the depths of all buddhas' dharmas, they become buddhas. The lotus center is called the reward body, while what is on the lotus petals is called the response body. The reward and response are only related to one another, not identical intrinsically. This describes the appearance of the buddhahood of the distinct teaching.

Regarding bodhisattvas of dull faculties: they are those who are heavily deluded. They progress through sequential stages of cultivation and realization, finally reaching the jeweled sanctuary. Compared to the complete teaching, they are called dull-witted.

Some scriptures explain that the seven stages and below are known as the path of intentional effort, while the eighth stage and above are called the path of effortless practice. The stage of wondrous enlightenment, which only breaks through a single layer of ignorance, is all described in terms of the doctrinal path.

The Avatamsaka Sutra says that before a bodhisattva reaches the eighth stage, it is like a person preparing a boat to cross the great ocean—while still on land, great effort is required. However, once the eighth stage is reached, due to the power of great skillful means and the proximity to Buddha's wisdom, the mind operates effortlessly, without requiring any deliberate effort.

Regarding the "Wonderful Enlightenment" stage: it is said to only eradicate one single category of fundamental ignorance. But upon what textual basis is this claim made? Various scriptures merely state that cutting off twelve categories of ignorance constitutes the "Wonderful Enlightenment" stage.

Some teachings state that the first stage eliminates wrong views, while from the second to the sixth stages, deluded thinking is eliminated—reaching the same level as an Arhat. However, this is simply using the names of positions from the Distinct Teaching to label the positions of the Universal Teaching.

Reaching the sixth stage, one cuts off conceptual thinking and equals an Arhat. This is understood through the principle of the Ten Perfections, because at the sixth stage, the wisdom of Prajñā emptiness eliminates delusion. As explained in the *Zhǐguān* commentary, the Ten Perfections extend the six perfections by adding: Resolve, Knowledge, Skillful Means, and Wisdom.

It is said that the three worthy ones and the ten sages still abide in karmic retribution, yet only the Buddha dwells in the Pure Land. This uses the names from the Distinct Teaching to clarify the stages of the Perfect Teaching.

There are many categories of this kind, one must understand them in detail. One should use the stages of severance and realization—determining at which stage one severs which afflictions and realizes which principle—to evaluate all teachings and stages. Only then will there be no obstruction to thorough comprehension.

This teaching explains the interplay of "horizontal" (simultaneous, non-causal) and "vertical" (sequential, causal) relationships. Generally speaking, it can be divided into four categories: Nature is horizontal, Cultivation is vertical; Cause is vertical, Result is horizontal; Cause and result each have both vertical and horizontal aspects; and Nature is only horizontal, while Cultivation possesses both.

First, "Nature is horizontal, Cultivation is vertical" means this: The *Miao Dharma Lotus Sutra Commentary*, Chapter 9, says, "If we only speak of the Three Tathagatas of the inherent nature, that is horizontal; the Three Tathagatas of cultivated practice are vertical." (They are attained sequentially, one before the other) "First the Dharma-body, then the Reward-body, and finally the Response-body is also vertical." (This refers to one nature and two types of cultivation) Commentary 9 states: "The term 'inherent nature' is used in both the Complete and the Distinct Teachings. Although the Distinct Teaching speaks of an inherent nature, its three aspects all remain in that nature without being able to integrate with one another, thus forming the meaning of 'distinct'. If these three aspects are attained *during* cultivation, one before the other, then logically it becomes 'vertical'." Furthermore, the *Miao Zong* says: "Adherents of other paths do not realize that the originally awakened nature inherently possesses both pure and impure qualities. Therefore, they do not see these impure qualities as part of the Buddha-nature. They cultivate the auxiliary and direct causes separately in order to reveal the fundamental Dharma-body." (This is the vertical aspect of cultivation.) "Also, because they do not know that the originally awakened nature contains impure qualities, they cannot use the entire nature to initiate the cultivation of both pure and impure karmas. As a result, the principle remains horizontally aligned with the three aspects." (This is the horizontal aspect of nature.)

Second, "Cause is vertical, Result is horizontal" means this: The *Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra Commentary*, Chapter 1, says: "Practice, wisdom, and principle—these three—are realized in a sequential, nourishing order. This is vertical during the causal stage of cultivation. The Dharma-body, Reward-body, and Response-body manifest simultaneously in the resultant state. This is horizontal at the time of realization." Indeed, because this teaching holds that the inherently existing Dharma-body is covered by delusion, one must specifically apply the auxiliary and direct causes to aid each other in revealing it. Furthermore, because this teaching views the three aspects of nature as not mutually inclusive, the resultant Three Bodies appear horizontally. This means "cultivation is vertical" only refers to the verticality of the cause, and "nature is horizontal" results in the horizontality of the result. This is the specific discussion of the relationship between cultivation and nature, cause and result.

Third, "Cause and result each have both vertical and horizontal aspects" means this: The *Lotus Sutra Commentary*, Chapter 2, says: "For those following other paths, the three aspects during the causal stage are vertical and horizontal; the three aspects during the resultant stage are also vertical and horizontal." The verticality of the cause is as described previously; the horizontality of the cause is the horizontality of nature. The verticality of the result is like the *Miao Dharma Lotus Sutra*, Chapter 9, says: "The Dharma-body is originally existent, Enlightenment is attained through cultivation, and Liberation is perfected at the end." The horizontality of the result is also as described earlier. You must understand that in this teaching, the three aspects of cause and result are sequential—that is vertical—and that they are separate and distinct from one another—that is horizontal. The *Miao Dharma Lotus Sutra*, Chapter 5, says: "Supportive conditions come first, contemplative wisdom is in the middle, and true reality is at the end. This threefold sequence is vertical, but the Great Vehicle is not like this. These three aspects are separate and different, which is horizontal, but the Great Vehicle is also not like this."

Fourth, "Nature is only horizontal, while Cultivation possesses both vertical and horizontal aspects" means this: The horizontality of nature is as described above. The three aspects in nature are not yet the result of cultivation; they have no sequence, and therefore lack the meaning of verticality. Whenever one speaks of cultivation, it encompasses both cause and result. Since cause and result each have vertical and horizontal aspects, cultivation naturally possesses them both.