The Afflictions to Be Eliminated by the Anāgāmin

Original text: 若先已离欲界九品。或先已断初定一品。乃至具离无所有处。至此位中。名第三果向。趣第三果故。第三果者。谓不还果。数准前释。 

Explanation: If in prior cultivation of the path one has already departed from the nine grades of afflictive delusions of the desire realm, or has previously eliminated the first grade of afflictive delusion of the first dhyāna of the form realm, and so on, up to having completely departed from the afflictive delusions of the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception stage—wait, up to the Sphere of Nothingness (ākiñcanyāyatana)—of the formless realm, then upon reaching this stage, one is called a candidate for the third fruit, because one is heading toward the third fruit. The third fruit is the fruit of non-returner (Anāgāmin); the enumeration follows the previous explanation. 

The key point being made now is: a candidate for the third fruit has already departed from all the afflictive delusions of the desire realm; even the first grade of afflictive delusion of the first dhyāna of the form realm has been severed, and one thereby becomes a candidate for the third fruit. To depart from all the afflictive delusions of the desire realm, relying solely on the threshold concentration (anāgamya-samādhi) of the desire realm is simply not enough; one must also have the first dhyāna concentration of the form realm, and at the highest, the concentration of the Sphere of Nothingness of the formless realm, in order to sever all the thought-delusions (kuśala-delusions of cultivation) of the desire realm. 

Why is it that having severed the thought-delusions of the desire realm one is only a candidate for the third fruit, and not yet a third-fruit non-returner? Because afflictions must be severed first; only after there are no more obstructions can one continue to contemplate the five aggregates and give rise to deeper wisdom of seeing the path, and only when the third fruit's seeing of the path occurs can the third fruit be realized. It is the same with the second fruit: the candidate for the second fruit severs eight grades of thought-delusion within threshold concentration, removing the obstruction of afflictions, and only then can one further contemplate the five aggregates, give rise to the second fruit's wisdom of seeing the path, and realize the second fruit. The first fruit is also like this: at the stage of an ordinary being (pṛthagjana), within threshold concentration, one severs five grades of thought-delusion; after eliminating the coarse and inferior obstructions of afflictions, one contemplates the five aggregates as suffering, empty, impermanent, and non-self, obtains the initial wisdom that eliminates self-view (ātma-dṛṣṭi), and realizes the first fruit. 

Measured against this standard of seeing the path, how many beings in the Sahā world have truly seen the path of the Small Vehicle? If one has not truly seen the path of the Small Vehicle, and the five aggregates have not been brought to an end, whence could come the higher seeing of the path of the Great Vehicle? It turns out the streets are full of false path-seeing and hollow path-seeing—so what fruits are all those self-proclaimed and other-proclaimed fruits? Just think of the future karmic retribution, and cold sweat will break out over the body again and again. Why are there still so many people who do not know to be afraid? It is nothing but foolishness and delusion—facing the coffin, they surprisingly shed no tears; but when they lie inside the coffin, they will no longer be able to shed tears, and will have no choice but to bleed in the three evil destinies. 

Original text: 次依修道。道类智时。建立众圣有差别者。颂曰。至第十六心。随三向住果名信解。见至亦由钝利别。论曰。即前随信随法行者。至第十六道类智心名为住果。不复名向。随前三向今住三果。谓前预流向今住预流果。前一来向今住一来果。前不还向今住不还果。阿罗汉果必无初得。见道无容断修惑故。 

Explanation: After the candidate for the third fruit, when one again relies upon the cultivation of the path and the analogical knowledge of the path (anvaya-jñāna) arises, distinctions appear among the many noble ones. When one reaches the sixteenth mind-moment, in accordance with the severance-attainment of the three candidates, one abides in the third-fruit stage, and is called one of "resolution through faith" (信解, faith-liberated). Those of "seeing attainment" (见至) who follow the Dharma also differ according to whether their faculties are dull or sharp. The aforementioned followers of faith (随信行) and followers of Dharma (随法行), when they reach the sixteenth mind-moment and the analogical knowledge of the path arises, are called "abiding in the fruit"; they no longer bear the name of "candidate." Following the previous three candidates, they now abide in the three fruits: the former stream-enterer candidate now abides in the fruit of stream-entry; the former once-returner candidate now abides in the fruit of once-returning; the former non-returner candidate now abides in the fruit of non-returning. As for the fruit of the arhat, there is necessarily no initial attainment of it, because at the moment of seeing the path there is no possibility of severing the delusions of cultivation—the previous three fruits have all been cultivated to completion before one can realize the fourth fruit of the arhat and become one beyond training (aśaikṣa). The first three fruits all involve learning, cultivation, and severance; the fourth fruit is beyond training, with nothing more to cultivate or sever.