The Afflictions and Delusions to Be Eradicated by the Third Fruit

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 eradicated the first grade of afflictive delusions of the first dhyāna heaven of the form realm, and so on, up to having completely departed from the afflictive delusions of the Neither-Perception-Nor-Non-Perception... rather, the Ākiñcanyāyatana heaven 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 non-returner fruit (anāgāmin); the enumeration follows the previous explanation. The third fruit is the fruit of non-returning: such a one will not come again to the human world to cultivate the path and attain parinirvāṇa, but will directly attain nirvāṇa without remainder in one of the five Pure Abodes (the five non-returner heavens). There are many differences in the liberating wisdom of the third fruit, which will be discussed later. 

The key point being made now is that a candidate for the third fruit has already departed from all the afflictive delusions of the desire realm; even the first grade of afflictive delusions of the first dhyāna of the form realm has been severed, and thus one becomes a candidate for the third fruit. To depart from all the afflictive delusions of the desire realm, relying solely on the preparatory 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 level the concentration of the Ākiñcanyāyatana (sphere of nothingness) of the formless realm, in order to sever all the delusions of deliberation of the desire realm. 

Why is it that having severed the delusions of deliberation of the desire realm one is only a candidate for the third fruit, and not yet a third-fruit achiever? Because afflictions must first be severed, and 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; only with the third fruit's seeing of the path can one realize the third fruit. The second fruit is the same: the candidate for the second fruit severs eight grades of delusions of deliberation within the preparatory concentration, eliminating 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 person, within the preparatory concentration, one severs five grades of delusions of deliberation, and after eliminating the coarse and inferior obstruction of afflictions, one contemplates the suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and non-self of the five aggregates, obtains the initial wisdom that eradicates the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), and realizes the first fruit. 

Measured by this standard of seeing the path, how many in the Sahā world have truly seen the path of the Small Vehicle? If there is no true seeing of the path in the Small Vehicle, and the five aggregates do not cease, how could there be the somewhat higher seeing of the path of the Great Vehicle? It turns out the streets are full of false seeing of the path and illusory seeing of the path—so what kind of fruits are all those fruits self-conferred and conferred by others? Just think of the future retributive results, and one will break out in wave after wave of cold sweat. Why are there still so many people who do not know to be afraid? It is merely foolishness and delusion: seeing the coffin yet not shedding tears; by the time one is lying inside the coffin, no tears can flow anymore, and one can only 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 follows the cultivation of the path and gives rise to the knowledge of the class of the path (ānantarya and subsequent knowledge), the distinctions among the many noble ones are established. When one cultivates to the sixteenth mind-moment, one abides in the third fruit position together with the severance-accomplishment of the three fruit-candidates; such a person is called one of "resolution through faith" (信解) among the followers of faith. Those of "realization through seeing" (见至) among the followers of the Dharma also differ according to whether their faculties are dull or sharp. The aforementioned followers of faith and followers of the Dharma, when they cultivate to the sixteenth mind-moment and give rise to the knowledge of the class of the path, are called "abiding in the fruit" of the three fruits; they abandon the candidate status and are no longer called candidates. Following the previous three candidates—first-fruit candidate, second-fruit candidate, and third-fruit candidate—they now abide in the three fruits: the previous candidate for the srotāpanna fruit now abides in the srotāpanna fruit; the previous candidate for the sakṛdāgāmin fruit now abides in the sakṛdāgāmin fruit; the previous candidate for the anāgāmin fruit now abides in the anāgāmin fruit. As for the arhat fruit, there is necessarily no initial attainment of it as a candidate stage, because in the seeing of the path there is no room for severing the delusions of cultivation. Only when one attains the fruit of the arhat of the fourth fruit is there no candidate stage and no intermediate fruit in between—one directly realizes the arhat fruit—because once an arhat sees the path, there is nothing left to cultivate or sever; the previous three fruits have all been fully cultivated, and only then can one 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 to cultivate and nothing to sever.