解脫道論 三學的清淨與成就
〈因緣品〉的最後一段，論主做了一件很像重複、其實不是重複的事。
他先說：如此學這三學，就是伏解脫道。
然後說三清淨——戒洗犯戒垢，定洗纏垢，慧除無知垢；換一套再說一遍，戒除惡業垢、定除纏垢、慧除使垢。說完，收一句：如此以三清淨，就是伏解脫道。
然後說三善——戒為初、定為中、慧為後。收一句：如此成就三善道，就是伏解脫道。
然後說三樂——以戒得無過樂，以定得寂滅樂，以慧得正覺樂。收一句：如此成就得三種樂，就是伏解脫道。
然後說中道具足——以戒除欲的耽著，以定除身的羸弱，以慧分別四諦。收一句：如此遠離二邊得中道具足，就是伏解脫道。
五次，同一句話；五次，不同的東西。
三清淨不是從三學推出來的，三樂也不是從三善推出來的。它們不是五個階段，是同一條道的五個面。論主每翻一面，就把它按回原處，讓你知道翻的還是那一樣東西。
這裡也順帶給了一件事的答案：為什麼一部有整品講四諦的論，「中道」二字全書只出現在這一段？
因為這裡的中道不是教理上的中道，是修行分位上的：一邊是欲的耽著，一邊是身的羸弱；戒除這一邊，定除那一邊，慧分別四諦，三樂齊全，就叫中道具足。它屬於「這條道長什麼樣」，所以放在總說的一品，不放在講四諦的地方。
段末不再收了。三除之後說四果——戒多而定慧少，成前二果；戒定多而慧少，成阿那含；三種都修滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫。
說到走到了，就不必再說這是哪一條道。
而「無上解脫」四個字，正是這一品開頭那首偈的第二句。一品之首與一品之末，用了同一個詞；論文沒有把它們連起來說，但它擺在那裡。
In the final passage of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions, the author does something that looks very much like repetition but is not repetition at all.
He first says: to train in the three trainings in this way is the path of suppressed freedom.
Then he speaks of the three purities—virtue washes away the stain of transgressing virtue, concentration washes away the stain of entanglements, and wisdom removes the stain of ignorance. He gives the account again in another form: virtue removes the stain of unwholesome action, concentration removes the stain of entanglements, and wisdom removes the stain of the underlying tendencies. Having said this, he closes: through the three purities in this way, this is the path of suppressed freedom.
Then he speaks of the three goods—virtue in the beginning, concentration in the middle, and wisdom at the end. He closes: by accomplishing the path in its three goods in this way, this is the path of suppressed freedom.
Then he speaks of the three blisses—through virtue one gains blameless bliss, through concentration the bliss of peaceful cessation, and through wisdom the bliss of right awakening. He closes: by attaining and accomplishing the three kinds of bliss in this way, this is the path of suppressed freedom.
Then he speaks of fulfillment of the middle way—through virtue one removes attachment to desire, through concentration one removes bodily weakness, and through wisdom one distinguishes the four truths. He closes: by leaving the two extremes behind and attaining fulfillment of the middle way in this way, this is the path of suppressed freedom.
Five times, the same sentence; five times, different things.
The three purities are not derived from the three trainings, nor are the three blisses derived from the three goods. They are not five stages but five faces of the same path. Each time the author turns it to another face, he presses it back into its original place, so that you know it is still the same thing being turned.
This also supplies the answer to one question along the way: why, in a treatise with entire chapters devoted to the four truths, do the words “middle way” occur only in this passage?
Because the middle way here is not a doctrinal middle way but one defined in terms of a stage of practice. One side is attachment to desire, and the other is bodily weakness; virtue removes the first side, concentration removes the second, and wisdom distinguishes the four truths. When the three blisses are complete, this is called fulfillment of the middle way. It belongs to the question of “what this path looks like,” and so it appears in the chapter that gives the general account, not in the chapters that explain the four truths.
At the end of the passage, the author no longer gives another closing sentence. After the three removals, he states the four fruits: cultivating virtue much and concentration and wisdom little brings the first two fruits; cultivating virtue and concentration much and wisdom little brings non-returning; cultivating all three to fulfillment brings arahantship and unsurpassed freedom.
Once the path has been walked to its end, there is no need to say again which path it is.
And the phrase “unsurpassed freedom” is precisely the second line of the verse at the opening of this chapter. The beginning and end of the chapter use the same words. The treatise does not connect them in its own words, but it places them there.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Purity and Accomplishment of the Three Trainings · Doorway · Summer 2026
阿羅漢優波底沙造，梁扶南三藏僧伽婆羅譯《解脫道論》〈因緣品〉「三學的清淨與成就」· 大正藏 T32n1648〔起 T32 0400b〕。段首〔T32 …〕＝大正藏頁·欄錨。
〔T32 0400b〕
問：學者何義？答：學可學、學增上學、學無學名學。如是學此三學，謂伏解脫道，以三種學成就清淨，所謂戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨，於是戒是戒清淨，定是心清淨，慧是見清淨。戒者洗犯戒垢、定洗纏垢，是謂心清淨。慧除無知垢，此謂見清淨。復次戒除惡業垢、定除纏垢、慧除使垢，如是以三清淨是伏解脫道。又以三種善伏道，謂初、中、後善。以戒為初，以定為中，以慧為後。云何戒為初善？有精進人成就不退，以不退故喜，以喜故踊躍，以踊躍故身猗，以身猗故樂，以樂故心定，此謂初善。定為中善者，以定如實知見，此謂中善。慧為後善者，已如實知見厭患，以厭患故離欲，以離欲故解脫，以解脫故成自知。如是成就三善道已伏解脫道，得三種樂，謂無過樂、寂滅樂、正覺樂。彼以戒得無過樂，以定得寂滅樂，以慧得正覺樂。如是成就得三種樂，是伏解脫道，遠離二邊得中道具足。以此戒善除諸欲著，於無過樂情生欣樂；以定除身羸，於寂滅樂而增喜樂；以慧分別四諦中道具足，於正覺樂深懷愛樂。如是遠離二邊得中道具足，是伏解脫道。以戒除惡趣，以定除欲界，以慧除一切有。於戒多修、於定慧少修，成須陀洹、斯陀含。於戒定多修、於慧少修，成阿那含。修三種滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫。
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
學是什麼意思
問：學，是什麼意思？
答：學那可學的、學那增上的學、學那無學的，都叫作學。
如此學這三學，就叫作伏解脫道。
這是本段第一次以「是伏解脫道」收句。底下還會收四次，各收不同的一段。
第一說：三清淨
以三種學成就清淨，就是戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨。
在這件事上，戒是戒清淨，定是心清淨，慧是見清淨。
戒是洗去犯戒的垢，定是洗去纏的垢，這叫作心清淨。慧是除去無知的垢，這叫作見清淨。
這裡照原樣記一件事：三目各有所洗之垢，而收句只有兩句——「是謂心清淨」與「此謂見清淨」；戒那一目沒有收句。而兩句收語用的字也不同，一作「是謂」、一作「此謂」。這裡不代為補、不代為齊。
復次，戒除惡業的垢、定除纏的垢、慧除使的垢。
同樣三目，這一遍換了一套所除之垢：前一遍是犯戒垢、纏垢、無知垢，這一遍是惡業垢、纏垢、使垢。只有定那一目前後相同。
如此以三清淨，就是伏解脫道。
第二說：三善
又以三種善伏道，就是初善、中善、後善。以戒為初，以定為中，以慧為後。
什麼是戒為初善？有精進的人成就不退；因為不退所以喜，因為喜所以踊躍，因為踊躍所以身猗，因為身猗所以樂，因為樂所以心定——這叫作初善。
定為中善的，以定如實知見，這叫作中善。
慧為後善的，已經如實知見而生厭患；因為厭患所以離欲，因為離欲所以解脫，因為解脫所以成就自知。
三善的釋文長短差得很多：初善接連六目，中善只有一句，後善四目。而中善那一句的落點是「如實知見」，後善開頭又從「已如實知見」接起——前一目的末尾，就是後一目的開頭。這裡照原樣錄。
還要照原樣記一件：初善有「此謂初善」的收句，中善有「此謂中善」的收句，而後善沒有收句，直接接到下一句去。前面三清淨那一組也是三個目而只有兩句收，缺的是第一個；這一組缺的是最後一個。這裡不代為補。
如此成就三善道，就已是伏解脫道。
第三說：三樂
得三種樂，就是無過樂、寂滅樂、正覺樂。
他以戒得無過樂，以定得寂滅樂，以慧得正覺樂。
如此成就得三種樂，就是伏解脫道，遠離二邊而得中道具足。
第四說：中道具足
以此戒善除去諸欲的執著，於無過樂情生欣樂；以定除去身的羸弱，於寂滅樂而增喜樂；以慧分別四諦、中道具足，於正覺樂深懷愛樂。
三樂在這裡說了第二遍。第一遍只說戒得什麼、定得什麼、慧得什麼；第二遍每一目多了兩件事——所除去的（欲著、身羸、以慧分別四諦）與所生起的情態（情生欣樂、增喜樂、深懷愛樂）。
如此遠離二邊而得中道具足，就是伏解脫道。
「中道」二字，全論只在這一段出現這三次。
末轉：三除與四果
以戒除惡趣，以定除欲界，以慧除一切有。
於戒多修、於定慧少修，成須陀洹、斯陀含。於戒定多修、於慧少修，成阿那含。三種都修滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫。
這最後一轉不再有收句。前面五段各以「是伏解脫道」收，到這裡就沒有了；論文逕以四果收住，〈因緣品〉也就到此為止，也沒有另加一句以品名繫「已竟」的收語——這樣的收語本論他品有，這一品沒有。這裡照原樣錄，不代為補。
What Does “Training” Mean?
Question: what does training mean?
Answer: Training in what can be trained, training in the higher training, and training in what is beyond training are all called training.
To train in these three trainings in this way is called the path of suppressed freedom.
This is the first time in this passage that a sentence closes with “this is the path of suppressed freedom.” Below, it will close four more times, each time closing a different part.
First Account: The Three Purities
Purity is accomplished through the three trainings: purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view.
Here, virtue is purity of virtue, concentration is purity of mind, and wisdom is purity of view.
Virtue washes away the stain of violating the precepts, and concentration washes away the stain of entanglement; this is called purity of mind. Wisdom removes the stain of not knowing; this is called purity of view.
One thing is recorded here exactly as it stands: each of the three items has a stain that it washes away, but there are only two closing formulas—“this is called purity of mind” and “this is called purity of view.” The item on virtue has no closing formula. The two formulas also use different characters: one is “是謂” and the other “此謂”. No closing formula is supplied, and the two are not made uniform.
Again, virtue removes the stain of bad action, concentration removes the stain of entanglement, and wisdom removes the stain of underlying tendencies.
The same three items now have a different set of stains to remove: in the first round they are the stains of violating the precepts, entanglement, and not knowing; in this round they are the stains of bad action, entanglement, and underlying tendencies. Only the item on concentration is the same in both.
Thus, through the three purities, this is the path of suppressed freedom.
Second Account: The Three Goods
Again, the path is subdued through three goods: goodness in the beginning, goodness in the middle, and goodness in the end. Virtue is the beginning, concentration the middle, and wisdom the end.
How is virtue goodness in the beginning? A person with energy accomplishes non-regression; because of non-regression there is joy, because of joy there is exhilaration, because of exhilaration there is bodily repose, because of bodily repose there is pleasure, and because of pleasure the mind becomes concentrated—this is called goodness in the beginning.
For concentration as goodness in the middle, through concentration one has knowledge-and-vision according to reality; this is called goodness in the middle.
For wisdom as goodness in the end, having already gained knowledge-and-vision according to reality, one becomes disenchanted; because of disenchantment there is dispassion, because of dispassion there is liberation, and because of liberation self-knowledge is accomplished.
The explanations of the three goods differ greatly in length: goodness in the beginning has a chain of six items, goodness in the middle only one sentence, and goodness in the end four items. The sentence on goodness in the middle ends at “knowledge-and-vision according to reality,” and goodness in the end begins again from “having already gained knowledge-and-vision according to reality”—the end of the preceding item is the beginning of the one that follows. This is recorded exactly as it stands.
One more thing must be recorded exactly as it stands: goodness in the beginning has the closing formula “this is called goodness in the beginning,” and goodness in the middle has “this is called goodness in the middle,” but goodness in the end has no closing formula and runs directly into the next sentence. The preceding group of three purities likewise has three items but only two closing formulas, missing the first; this group misses the last. No closing formula is supplied.
With the path of the three goods thus accomplished, this is already the path of suppressed freedom.
Third Account: The Three Blisses
Three kinds of bliss are attained: blameless bliss, the bliss of cessation, and the bliss of right awakening.
Through virtue he attains blameless bliss, through concentration the bliss of cessation, and through wisdom the bliss of right awakening.
When the three kinds of bliss are thus attained and accomplished, this is the path of suppressed freedom; leaving the two extremes behind, one attains fulfillment of the middle way.
Fourth Account: Fulfillment of the Middle Way
Through this goodness of virtue, one removes attachment to the various desires and gives rise to gladness in blameless bliss; through concentration, one removes bodily weakness and increases joy in the bliss of cessation; through wisdom, one distinguishes the Four Truths, fulfills the middle way, and deeply delights in the bliss of right awakening.
The three blisses are stated here a second time. The first time says only what virtue, concentration, and wisdom each attain; the second adds two things to each item—what is removed (attachment to desires, bodily weakness, and distinguishing the Four Truths through wisdom) and the attitude that arises (gladness arises, joy increases, and deep delight is felt).
Thus, leaving the two extremes behind and attaining fulfillment of the middle way is the path of suppressed freedom.
The expression “中道”—two characters, rendered “middle way”—occurs only these three times in the entire treatise, all in this passage.
Final Turn: Three Removals and the Four Fruits
Through virtue one removes bad destinations, through concentration the sense realm, and through wisdom all becoming.
By cultivating virtue much and concentration and wisdom little, one becomes a stream-enterer or once-returner. By cultivating virtue and concentration much and wisdom little, one becomes a non-returner. By bringing all three to fulfillment, one becomes an arahant and attains unsurpassed freedom.
This final turn no longer has a closing formula. The preceding five sections each close with “this is the path of suppressed freedom”; here there is none. The treatise stops directly with the four fruits, and the Chapter on Causes and Conditions ends there as well. Nor does it add a separate closing formula attaching “is complete” to the chapter title—other chapters in this treatise have such formulas, but this one does not. This is recorded exactly as it stands; no formula is supplied.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Purity and Accomplishment of the Three Trainings · Vernacular · Summer 2026
先數一數
〈因緣品〉的最後一段，底本不分段，四百多字一口氣寫下來。乍看是一長串名相：三學、三清淨、三善、三樂、中道、三除、四果。
但只要盯住一句話，這一段的骨架就露出來了。那句話是「是伏解脫道」。
它在本段出現五次：
「如是學此三學，謂伏解脫道」〔T32 400b05〕。
「如是以三清淨是伏解脫道」〔T32 400b10〕。
「如是成就三善道已伏解脫道」〔T32 400b17–18〕。
「如是成就得三種樂，是伏解脫道」〔T32 400b20–21〕。
「如是遠離二邊得中道具足，是伏解脫道」〔T32 400b24–25〕。
五次，每次都由「如是」領起，每次都收在同一個詞上。而這一整段之外，「伏解脫道」在全論只再出現兩次，都在上一段——七見之中，本段獨佔五。
同一句話收了五次，而它每一次所收的，是不一樣的東西。 這就是本段的弧。
五次收的，是五樣東西
第一次收的是三學：學可學、學增上學、學無學。
第二次收的是三清淨：戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨——戒洗犯戒垢，定洗纏垢，慧除無知垢；接著又換一套，戒除惡業垢、定除纏垢、慧除使垢。
第三次收的是三善：初善、中善、後善，戒初、定中、慧後。
第四次收的是三樂：無過樂、寂滅樂、正覺樂。
第五次收的是中道具足：遠離二邊。
五樣東西，都是三個一組，都是戒、定、慧的次序，沒有一組換過序。而它們並不互相推出——三清淨不是從三學推出來的，三樂也不是從三善推出來的。論主是把同一件事翻了五個面，每翻一面就把它按回原處。
所以這五段不是五個階段，是五種說法。讀的時候不要排成次第去讀，那會讀出一個論文沒有說的東西。
兩組三目，各少了一個收
翻面的過程裡，有兩處小小的不齊，值得停一下。
三清淨那一組，三個目各說了所洗之垢，但收句只有兩句：「戒者洗犯戒垢、定洗纏垢，是謂心清淨」〔T32 400b07–08〕、「慧除無知垢，此謂見清淨」〔T32 400b08–09〕。戒那一目，沒有收。 而且兩句收語用的字還不一樣，一個「是謂」，一個「此謂」。
三善那一組也是三個目，收句同樣只有兩句：「此謂初善」〔T32 400b14–15〕、「此謂中善」〔T32 400b15〕。後善那一目，沒有收，直接接上了「如是成就三善道已伏解脫道」〔T32 400b17–18〕。
兩組都缺一個收，而缺的位置正好相反：三清淨缺在第一個，三善缺在最後一個。
這種事不必去推論主的用意，也不必補。要緊的是讀的時候認得出來——本論的收語從來不整齊，前一段六個學用了三種收語，這一段兩組三目各缺一收。一個名相沒有帶「此謂」，不等於它不成立，更不等於底本脫了字。
中善那一句，接在後善的開頭
三善的釋文長短差得很遠。初善接連六個目扣下來：不退、喜、踊躍、身猗、樂、心定〔T32 400b12–15〕。後善四個目：厭患、離欲、解脫、成自知〔T32 400b15–17〕。中間那個中善只有一句話：「定為中善者，以定如實知見，此謂中善」〔T32 400b15〕。
一句話，看起來是三個裡最單薄的。但看它的落點——「如實知見」。
再看後善怎麼起手：「慧為後善者，已如實知見厭患」〔T32 400b15–16〕。
中善的終點，就是後善的起點。 那個看起來最短的中善，其實是接榫：初善那條六目的鏈子走到「心定」，中善把「心定」轉成「如實知見」，後善再從「如實知見」往下扣四目到「成自知」。
三善合起來是一條鏈，而中善之所以短，是因為它只負責一個轉折。短不等於略。
這裡也就給出本段可以帶走的讀法：遇到反覆出現的收句，先數它收了幾次，再逐次看它收的是什麼。 收句相同而所收各異，就知道論主在作同一事的多面說；而各段長短懸殊的地方，先看它的頭尾是否與鄰段相扣，再判斷它是不是被略過了。
「中道」為什麼只在這裡
現在停下來問一句。
「中道」這兩個字，全論只出現三次，而三次都在本段之內〔T32 400b20–21·400b23–24·400b24–25〕。
這很奇怪。這部論有一整品講四諦（品十一與品十二），有八正道的展開，卻沒有在那些地方說過「中道」。反倒是在〈因緣品〉的末尾，講三樂的時候，一連說了三次。
論文自己給了答案，就在這三次的上下文裡。
它說的是「遠離二邊得中道具足」〔T32 400b21〕。那麼二邊是什麼？下一句就講：「以此戒善除諸欲著，於無過樂情生欣樂；以定除身羸，於寂滅樂而增喜樂」〔T32 400b21–23〕。
一邊是「欲著」，一邊是「身羸」。以戒除欲著，以定除身羸——這裡的二邊不是常見二邊，是欲的耽著與身的羸弱；而所謂中道，就是這兩樣都除掉之後，三樂具足的那個狀態。
所以本論不是在講一個教理上的中道觀，是在給「中道具足」下一個修行分位上的界說：戒除一邊、定除一邊、慧分別四諦，三樂齊了，就叫中道具足。它把「中道」放在〈因緣品〉的末尾，正因為這一品講的就是整條道的輪廓。
還有一處可以佐證。「二邊」全論出現四次，本段佔兩次；另外兩次在品二與品八〔T32 403c12·428c12〕——而那兩處都作「中具足」，沒有「道」字。 全論唯獨這一段把「中」與「道」連起來說。
最後一轉沒有收，品就完了
五次收句之後，還有最後一轉：「以戒除惡趣，以定除欲界，以慧除一切有」〔T32 400b25–26〕，接著是四果——戒多定慧少成前二果，戒定多慧少成阿那含，三種修滿成阿羅漢無上解脫〔T32 400b26–28〕。
這一轉沒有收句。前面五轉都以「是伏解脫道」按回原處，到這裡就不按了。
也對——前五轉說的是「這條道是什麼」，最後一轉說的是「走到哪裡」。走到了，就不必再說這是哪條道。
而〈因緣品〉也就在這裡完了，沒有另加一句以品名繫「已竟」的收語——這樣的收語本論他品有，這一品沒有。下一行直接就是「分別戒品第二」。這一品的界，只能由下一品的題來認。
值得最後記一筆的是段末那四個字：「無上解脫」〔T32 400b28〕。全品的第一首偈，第二句就是「無上解脫」〔T32 399c15〕。一品之首與一品之末，同一個詞。論文自己沒有把這兩處連起來說——但它擺在那裡。
First, Count Them
The final passage of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions is undivided in the base text, running on for more than four hundred characters in a single breath. At first glance it is a long string of technical terms: the three trainings, three purities, three goods, three blisses, the middle way, three removals, and four fruits.
But keep your eye on a single sentence and the framework of the passage becomes visible. That sentence is “this is the path of suppressed freedom.”
It appears five times in this passage:
“Thus one trains in these three trainings; this is called the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b05〕.
“Thus, through the three purities, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b10〕.
“Thus, having accomplished the path of the three goods, this is already the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b17–18〕.
“Thus, having accomplished and attained the three blisses, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b20–21〕.
“Thus, having left the two extremes far behind and attained completeness in the middle way, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b24–25〕.
Five times: each begins with “thus,” and each closes on the same words. And outside this entire passage, “path of suppressed freedom” appears only twice more in the whole treatise, both in the preceding passage—of its seven occurrences, five belong to this passage alone.
The same sentence closes five times, and each time what it closes is something different. That is the arc of this passage.
Five Closings, Five Different Things
The first closes the three trainings: training in what can be trained, training in the higher training, and training in what is beyond training.
The second closes the three purities: purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view—virtue washes away the stain of broken virtue, concentration washes away the stain of entanglements, and wisdom removes the stain of not knowing; it then changes the set: virtue removes the stain of evil action, concentration removes the stain of entanglements, and wisdom removes the stain of the afflictions.
The third closes the three goods: goodness in the beginning, goodness in the middle, and goodness in the end—virtue at the beginning, concentration in the middle, and wisdom at the end.
The fourth closes the three blisses: faultless bliss, the bliss of cessation, and the bliss of right awakening.
The fifth closes completeness in the middle way: leaving the two extremes far behind.
Five different things. Each comes in a group of three, each follows the order of virtue, concentration, and wisdom, and not one changes that order. Nor do they follow from one another—the three purities are not derived from the three trainings, nor are the three blisses derived from the three goods. The author turns the same thing to show five faces, and each time presses it back into its original place.
So these five passages are not five stages but five formulations. Do not arrange them into a sequence when reading; that would make the text say something it does not say.
Two Triads, Each Missing One Closing Formula
In the process of turning the same thing to different faces, two small irregularities are worth pausing over.
In the group of three purities, each of the three items states the stain it washes away, but there are only two closing sentences: “Virtue washes away the stain of breaches of virtue, and concentration washes away the stain of entanglements; this is called purity of mind” 〔T32 400b07–08〕, and “Wisdom removes the stain of not knowing; this is called purity of view” 〔T32 400b08–09〕. The virtue item has no close. Moreover, the two closing formulas use different words: one has “是謂,” the other “此謂.”
The group of three goods likewise has three items but only two closing sentences: “This is called goodness in the beginning” 〔T32 400b14–15〕 and “This is called goodness in the middle” 〔T32 400b15〕. The item on goodness in the end has no close; it proceeds directly to “Thus, having accomplished the path of the three goods, this is already the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b17–18〕.
Both groups lack one close, but in exactly opposite positions: the group of three purities lacks the first, while the group of three goods lacks the last.
There is no need to infer the author’s intention from this, and no need to supplement anything. What matters is being able to recognize it while reading—this treatise’s closing formulas are never uniform. The preceding passage used three different closing formulas for six trainings; here, two triads each lack one close. That a technical term does not carry “此謂” does not mean that it fails to stand, still less that a character has fallen from the base text.
The Sentence on Goodness in the Middle Joins the Beginning of Goodness in the End
The explanations of the three goods differ greatly in length. Goodness in the beginning links six items in succession: not falling back, joy, elation, bodily ease, bliss, and concentration of mind 〔T32 400b12–15〕. Goodness in the end has four: disenchantment, dispassion, freedom, and the accomplishment of self-knowledge 〔T32 400b15–17〕. The middle one, goodness in the middle, has only a single sentence: “Concentration is goodness in the middle because through concentration one knows and sees things as they really are; this is called goodness in the middle” 〔T32 400b15〕.
One sentence: it looks the slightest of the three. But look where it lands—“knowing and seeing as it really is.”
Then look at how goodness in the end begins: “Wisdom is goodness in the end: having already known and seen as it really is, one becomes disenchanted” 〔T32 400b15–16〕.
The endpoint of goodness in the middle is the starting point of goodness in the end. That middle goodness, which looks shortest, is actually the joint: the six-link chain of goodness in the beginning reaches “concentration of mind”; goodness in the middle turns “concentration of mind” into “knowing and seeing as it really is”; goodness in the end then takes “knowing and seeing as it really is” and links four more items, ending in “the accomplishment of self-knowledge.”
Together, the three goods form a single chain. Goodness in the middle is short because it is responsible for only one transition. Short does not mean abridged.
This also gives us a reading practice to carry away from the passage: when a closing sentence recurs, first count how many times it closes, then look in each case at what it closes. When the close is the same but what it closes differs, you know the author is presenting multiple faces of one thing; and where the lengths of neighboring sections differ sharply, first see whether their beginnings and endings join before deciding that one has been abbreviated.
Why “Middle Way” Appears Only Here
Now stop and ask a question.
The words “middle way” occur only three times in the whole treatise, and all three occurrences are within this passage 〔T32 400b20–21·400b23–24·400b24–25〕.
This is strange. The treatise has whole chapters on the four truths—Chapters Eleven and Twelve—and unfolds the noble eightfold path, yet nowhere in those places does it say “middle way.” Instead, at the end of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions, while speaking of the three blisses, it says it three times in succession.
The text itself gives the answer, in the context surrounding these three occurrences.
It says, “Leaving the two extremes far behind, one attains completeness in the middle way” 〔T32 400b21〕. What, then, are the two extremes? The next sentence tells us: “Through this goodness of virtue one removes every attachment to desire and feels delight in faultless bliss; through concentration one removes bodily weakness and increases one’s joyous delight in the bliss of cessation” 〔T32 400b21–23〕.
One extreme is “attachment to desire,” the other “bodily weakness.” Virtue removes attachment to desire; concentration removes bodily weakness—the two extremes here are not the familiar pair of extremes, but clinging to desire and weakness of the body; the so-called middle way is the state in which, once both have been removed, the three blisses are complete.
Thus the treatise is not presenting a doctrinal view of the middle way. It is giving “completeness in the middle way” a definition in terms of a stage of practice: virtue removes one extreme, concentration removes the other, wisdom distinguishes the four truths; when the three blisses are all present, that is called completeness in the middle way. It places the “middle way” at the close of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions precisely because this chapter sketches the outline of the entire path.
There is another point in support. “Two extremes” occurs four times in the whole treatise, two of them in this passage; the other two are in Chapters Two and Eight 〔T32 403c12·428c12〕—and in both of those places the wording is “complete in the middle,” without the word “way.” Only this passage in the whole treatise joins “middle” and “way” in a single expression.
The Last Turn Has No Closing Formula, and the Chapter Ends
After the five closing sentences comes one final turn: “Virtue removes the bad destinations, concentration removes the desire realm, and wisdom removes all becoming” 〔T32 400b25–26〕. Then come the four fruits: much cultivation of virtue with little of concentration and wisdom brings the first two fruits; much cultivation of virtue and concentration with little of wisdom brings non-returning; fulfilling all three forms of cultivation brings arahantship and unsurpassed freedom 〔T32 400b26–28〕.
This last turn has no closing sentence. Each of the preceding five turns is pressed back into place with “this is the path of suppressed freedom”; here, it is not.
And rightly so: the first five turns say “what this path is”; the last says “where it leads.” Once one has arrived, there is no need to say again which path it was.
The Chapter on Causes and Conditions ends here. It adds no separate closing formula attaching “finished” to the chapter title—other chapters in the treatise have such a formula, but this one does not. The next line is simply “Chapter Two: Distinguishing Virtue.” The boundary of this chapter can be recognized only from the title of the chapter that follows.
One final point is worth recording: the last four characters of the passage are “unsurpassed freedom” 〔T32 400b28〕. The second line of the opening verse of the chapter also says “unsurpassed freedom” 〔T32 399c15〕. At the beginning and end of the chapter, the same phrase. The text itself does not connect the two—but it places them there.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Purity and Accomplishment of the Three Trainings · Exposition · Summer 2026
考據Apparatus
全段定位 本段出自《解脫道論》卷第一〈因緣品〉，為本品之末單元：起於「問：學者何義」〔T32 400b03–04〕，訖於「修三種滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫」〔T32 400b28〕。其下即品二之題〔T32 400b29〕。底本一段〔T32 400b03–28〕。
一、科判定位
底本一段不分，內含七轉；前五轉各以「是伏解脫道」收，末轉不收：
| 節 | 經文起訖逐字（各繫其錨） | 收 |
|---|---|---|
| 學者何義（第一轉） | 「學可學、學增上學、學無學名學」〔T32 400b04〕 | 「如是學此三學，謂伏解脫道」〔T32 400b05〕 |
| 三清淨之標與配（第二轉） | 「所謂戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨」〔T32 400b06〕…「於是戒是戒清淨，定是心清淨，慧是見清淨」〔T32 400b06–07〕 | — |
| 三清淨之二釋（第二轉續） | 「戒者洗犯戒垢、定洗纏垢，是謂心清淨」〔T32 400b07–08〕·「慧除無知垢，此謂見清淨」〔T32 400b08–09〕·「復次戒除惡業垢、定除纏垢、慧除使垢」〔T32 400b09–10〕 | 「如是以三清淨是伏解脫道」〔T32 400b10〕 |
| 三善之標與配（第三轉） | 「又以三種善伏道，謂初、中、後善」〔T32 400b10–11〕·「以戒為初，以定為中，以慧為後」〔T32 400b11–12〕 | — |
| 三善之逐釋（第三轉續） | 「云何戒為初善」〔T32 400b12〕…「慧為後善者，已如實知見厭患，以厭患故離欲，以離欲故解脫，以解脫故成自知」〔T32 400b15–17〕 | 「如是成就三善道已伏解脫道」〔T32 400b17–18〕 |
| 三樂之標與配（第四轉） | 「得三種樂，謂無過樂、寂滅樂、正覺樂」〔T32 400b18–19〕·「彼以戒得無過樂，以定得寂滅樂，以慧得正覺樂」〔T32 400b19–20〕 | 「如是成就得三種樂，是伏解脫道，遠離二邊得中道具足」〔T32 400b20–21〕 |
| 中道具足之釋（第五轉） | 「以此戒善除諸欲著，於無過樂情生欣樂」〔T32 400b21–22〕·「以定除身羸，於寂滅樂而增喜樂」〔T32 400b22–23〕·「以慧分別四諦中道具足，於正覺樂深懷愛樂」〔T32 400b23–24〕 | 「如是遠離二邊得中道具足，是伏解脫道」〔T32 400b24–25〕 |
| 三除與四果（第六·第七轉·段末） | 「以戒除惡趣，以定除欲界，以慧除一切有」〔T32 400b25–26〕…「修三種滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫」〔T32 400b28〕 | 無收 |
單元界與品界之相合：起於「問：學者何義」而訖於品末。前單元止於「為利根人說增上慧學」〔T32 400b03〕；本段之後即「分別戒品第二」之題〔T32 400b29〕。〈因緣品〉之末無「已竟」之收語——「已竟」二字本論他品有之，而本品之末無；論文逕以四果收住，其品界唯由下品之題可辨。段內無自答文中間切斷者。
全段定位錨
〔T32, 400b03–28〕
二、詞義與譯語（逐字各繫其錨）
| 名相 | 本段用法 | 章內接點（可核） |
|---|---|---|
| 學者何義 | 「學可學、學增上學、學無學名學」〔T32 400b04〕 | 三釋並出而不相攝；「增上學」全論唯一見〔400b04〕——前單元屢出「增上戒學」「增上心學」「增上慧學」而不單出「增上學」 |
| 伏解脫道 | 本段五見〔T32 400b05·400b10·400b17–18·400b20–21·400b24–25〕 | 一語全論七見，本段獨佔其五（餘二在前單元）。五見皆為一轉之收，而所收者各異——三學·三清淨·三善·三樂·中道具足 |
| 三清淨 | 「所謂戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨」〔T32 400b06〕 | 「三清淨」全論二見（400b10·406b13）。三名之配：戒→戒清淨·定→心清淨·慧→見清淨〔T32 400b06–07〕 |
| 三清淨之收不齊 | 「戒者洗犯戒垢、定洗纏垢，是謂心清淨」〔T32 400b07–08〕·「慧除無知垢，此謂見清淨」〔T32 400b08–09〕 | 三目而收語止二：戒目無收；且二收語字面不一（是謂／此謂）。照錄不代補、不代齊 |
| 三清淨之二遍所除 | 初遍作犯戒垢·纏垢·無知垢〔T32 400b07–09〕；次遍作「復次戒除惡業垢、定除纏垢、慧除使垢」〔T32 400b09–10〕 | 二遍所除之垢，唯定目前後相同；戒目與慧目各易其所除。照錄不代併 |
| 三善 | 「又以三種善伏道，謂初、中、後善」〔T32 400b10–11〕·「以戒為初，以定為中，以慧為後」〔T32 400b11–12〕 | 「初善」全論三見·「中善」三見·「後善」四見；本段各二見，餘見在品八〔417a06–08〕 |
| 三善之釋長短懸殊 | 初善「有精進人成就不退，以不退故喜，以喜故踊躍，以踊躍故身猗，以身猗故樂，以樂故心定，此謂初善」〔T32 400b12–15〕；中善「定為中善者，以定如實知見，此謂中善」〔T32 400b15〕；後善「慧為後善者，已如實知見厭患，以厭患故離欲，以離欲故解脫，以解脫故成自知」〔T32 400b15–17〕 | 初善六目·中善一句·後善四目；照錄不代齊 |
| 中善與後善之接榫 | 中善之落點作「以定如實知見」〔T32 400b15〕；後善之起手作「已如實知見厭患」〔T32 400b16〕 | 前目之末即後目之首——「如實知見」一語居其接處；照錄不代判其為修辭抑次第 |
| 三善之收不齊 | 初善有「此謂初善」〔T32 400b14–15〕·中善有「此謂中善」〔T32 400b15〕·後善無「此謂」之收，逕接「如是成就三善道已伏解脫道」〔T32 400b17–18〕 | 本段二組三目各缺一收，而所缺之位一首一末——三清淨缺其首（戒目），三善缺其末（後善）。全論亦無以「此謂」繫「後善」者。照錄不代補 |
| 三樂 | 「得三種樂，謂無過樂、寂滅樂、正覺樂」〔T32 400b18–19〕 | 「三種樂」全論二見，皆在本段〔400b18·400b20〕。「無過樂」全論六見·「寂滅樂」三見·「正覺樂」三見 |
| 三樂二遍 | 初遍「彼以戒得無過樂，以定得寂滅樂，以慧得正覺樂」〔T32 400b19–20〕；次遍「以此戒善除諸欲著，於無過樂情生欣樂」〔T32 400b21–22〕以下 | 次遍每目增二事：所除（欲著·身羸·以慧分別四諦）與情態（情生欣樂·增喜樂·深懷愛樂）。照錄不代併 |
| 中道具足 | 「遠離二邊得中道具足」〔T32 400b21〕·「以慧分別四諦中道具足」〔T32 400b23–24〕·「如是遠離二邊得中道具足」〔T32 400b24–25〕 | 「中道」全論三見，三見皆在本段。「二邊」全論四見，本段二見；餘二處作「中具足」而不作「中道具足」〔403c12·428c12〕 |
| 三除 | 「以戒除惡趣，以定除欲界，以慧除一切有」〔T32 400b25–26〕 | 三目一一相對；論文不更釋惡趣·欲界·一切有之相 |
| 四果之配 | 「於戒多修、於定慧少修，成須陀洹、斯陀含」〔T32 400b26–27〕·「於戒定多修、於慧少修，成阿那含」〔T32 400b27–28〕·「修三種滿，成阿羅漢無上解脫」〔T32 400b28〕 | 三句而攝四果——首句一句攝二果；照錄不代分。「無上解脫」與本品首偈之「無上解脫」〔399c15〕字面相同，論文不自繫其應 |
三、校記與異讀
本段範圍內大正藏校記二處，均誌而不改；本文之讀依碑面：
| 錨 | 底本 | 異讀 | 見證 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400b10 | 淨（如是以三清淨） | 清 | 【明】 |
| 400b13 | 喜（以不退故喜） | 意 | 【宋】【元】【明】 |
誌錄不判二事：
- 400b10「淨」明本作「清」——若從明本則此語作「如是以三清清」，與上文「戒清淨、心清淨、見清淨」之名不相應；並錄不判，本文從碑面。
- 400b13「喜」三本作「意」——初善之鏈第二目，底本作「以不退故喜，以喜故踊躍」，三本則作「意」；此目一易則其下「以喜故踊躍」之承接亦異；並錄不判，本文從碑面。
校本零命中三項：本段缺字（造字）零命中；行內夾註零命中；訂正之讀零命中——本段無【CB】／【麗-CB】訂正之條。
四、論主引據
本段引據零命中：全段無「如佛說」「如世尊說」「如阿毘曇說」等引式。前單元段末尚有「如世尊」一引〔T32 400b02〕，本段則一引不出——〈因緣品〉之末段不引。查而無獲，如實記之。
五、譬喻·修辭
- 本段無譬：全段一喻不立。前單元二喻成對（盲人無導／遠行得導），本段則盡以列目與對配行文——如實記之。
- 一段五收〔T32 400b05·400b10·400b17–18·400b20–21·400b24–25〕：同一收句「是伏解脫道」五出，而所收者五樣；每一轉皆以「如是」領其收（首轉作「如是學此三學」，餘四轉作「如是以三清淨」「如是成就三善道」「如是成就得三種樂」「如是遠離二邊得中道具足」）。
- 末轉不收〔T32 400b25–28〕：三除與四果之後不復有收句，論即以此竟品——照錄不代補。
- 三目之對配：三清淨·三善·三樂·三除，四組皆以戒·定·慧為序，一一相對而無一組易其序。
- 鏈式之承接〔T32 400b12–17〕：初善六目逐目相承，各以「故」字承其前目；後善四目同式而目數減；中善獨無此鏈而唯一句，其落點又為後善之起手。
- 收語不一〔T32 400b08·400b09〕：三清淨之二收，一作「是謂」、一作「此謂」；與前單元六學收語三式並用同其參差。
- 二組各缺一收而其位相反：三清淨三目而收止二，所缺者首目（戒）〔T32 400b07–09〕；三善三目而收止二，所缺者末目（後善）〔T32 400b14–17〕。誌其實，不代補、不代判。
六、章內互讀
- 前指：本段之問「學者何義」〔T32 400b04〕直承前單元之「當學三學」〔T32 400a20〕；前單元屢出三增上學而不單出「增上學」，本段「學增上學」〔T32 400b04〕為其全論唯一之單出。
- 前指：「伏解脫道」前單元二見〔T32 400a14·400a19–20〕，本段五見——全論七見盡在本品之後二單元；本品首單元零見。
- 前指：段末「無上解脫」〔T32 400b28〕與本品首偈「無上解脫」〔T32 399c15〕字面相同；論文不自繫其應——誌其實，不代判。
- 後指：「戒清淨」〔T32 400b06〕後見於品二〔T32 400c04·404a10·404a20〕；「心清淨」後見於品八〔T32 417a12–13·417a15·420c03〕；「見清淨」後見於品十二〔T32 454a02–03〕。三清淨之展開不在本品。
- 後指：初·中·後善之目後見於品八〔T32 417a06–08〕；本段為其首出。
- 後指：「二邊」餘二見〔T32 403c12·428c12〕皆作「中具足」；本段之「中道具足」為全論唯一之作「中道」者。
七、傳本
作者、譯者與傳本諸問題，本編不於考據內立說。
品界（底本結構之事實）：本段訖於 400b28，其下 400b29 即「分別戒品第二」之題；〈因緣品〉不設「已竟」之收語；全論無以本品之名繫「已竟」者。誌其實而不代判其故。
Location of the whole passage This passage comes from fascicle one, Chapter on Causes and Conditions, of the Path of Freedom, and is the final unit of this chapter: it begins at “Question: what is meant by training?” 〔T32 400b03–04〕 and ends at “Cultivating the three kinds to fulfilment, one becomes an arahant and attains unsurpassed freedom” 〔T32 400b28〕. Immediately below it is the title of chapter two 〔T32 400b29〕. The base text comprises one paragraph 〔T32 400b03–28〕.
1. Structural Location
The base text is one undivided paragraph, containing seven turns; each of the first five turns closes with “this is the path of suppressed freedom,” while the final turn has no close:
| Section | Textual limits word for word, each with its anchor | Close |
|---|---|---|
| What is meant by training (first turn) | “Training in what can be trained, training in higher training, and training in no-training are called training” 〔T32 400b04〕 | “Thus training in these three trainings is called the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b05〕 |
| Statement and pairing of the three purities (second turn) | “Namely, purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view” 〔T32 400b06〕 … “Here virtue is purity of virtue, concentration is purity of mind, and wisdom is purity of view” 〔T32 400b06–07〕 | — |
| Two explanations of the three purities (second turn continued) | “Virtue washes away the stain of violating virtue; concentration washes away the stain of entanglement: this is termed purity of mind” 〔T32 400b07–08〕 · “Wisdom removes the stain of not knowing: this is termed purity of view” 〔T32 400b08–09〕 · “Again, virtue removes the stain of bad action, concentration removes the stain of entanglement, and wisdom removes the stain of the tendencies” 〔T32 400b09–10〕 | “Thus, through the three purities, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b10〕 |
| Statement and pairing of the three goods (third turn) | “Again, the path is suppressed through three kinds of good, namely good at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end” 〔T32 400b10–11〕 · “Virtue is the beginning, concentration is the middle, and wisdom is the end” 〔T32 400b11–12〕 | — |
| Item-by-item explanation of the three goods (third turn continued) | “How is virtue good at the beginning?” 〔T32 400b12〕 … “As for wisdom being good at the end: having seen and known things as they really are, one becomes disenchanted; because of disenchantment one becomes dispassionate; because of dispassion one is freed; because of freedom one attains self-knowledge” 〔T32 400b15–17〕 | “Thus, having accomplished the path in its three goods, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b17–18〕 |
| Statement and pairing of the three blisses (fourth turn) | “One attains three kinds of bliss: bliss without fault, bliss of peaceful cessation, and bliss of right awakening” 〔T32 400b18–19〕 · “Through virtue one attains bliss without fault, through concentration bliss of peaceful cessation, and through wisdom bliss of right awakening” 〔T32 400b19–20〕 | “Thus, having accomplished and attained the three kinds of bliss, this is the path of suppressed freedom; departing from the two extremes, one gains fulfilment in the middle way” 〔T32 400b20–21〕 |
| Explanation of fulfilment in the middle way (fifth turn) | “Through the good of virtue one removes all attachment to desires, and the heart takes delight in bliss without fault” 〔T32 400b21–22〕 · “Through concentration one removes bodily weakness, and joy in the bliss of peaceful cessation increases” 〔T32 400b22–23〕 · “Through wisdom one discerns the four truths, gains fulfilment in the middle way, and deeply cherishes the bliss of right awakening” 〔T32 400b23–24〕 | “Thus, departing from the two extremes and gaining fulfilment in the middle way, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b24–25〕 |
| Three removals and four fruits (sixth and seventh turns, end of the paragraph) | “Through virtue one removes bad destinations, through concentration the desire realm, and through wisdom all existence” 〔T32 400b25–26〕 … “Cultivating the three kinds to fulfilment, one becomes an arahant and attains unsurpassed freedom” 〔T32 400b28〕 | No close |
The unit boundary coincides with the chapter boundary: it begins at “Question: what is meant by training?” and ends with the chapter. The preceding unit ends at “the higher training in wisdom for those of sharp faculties” 〔T32 400b03〕; immediately after this passage is the title “Chapter Two: Analysis of Virtue” 〔T32 400b29〕. The end of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions has no closing formula “is complete”—the words “is complete” occur in other chapters of the treatise, but not at the end of this chapter; the treatise closes directly with the four fruits, and its chapter boundary can be discerned only from the following chapter title. No answer is cut in the middle.
Anchor for the whole passage
〔T32, 400b03–28〕
2. Terms and Translation (Every Citation Anchored)
| Term | Use in this passage | Checkable connection within the treatise |
|---|---|---|
| What is meant by training | “Training in what can be trained, training in higher training, and training in no-training are called training” 〔T32 400b04〕 | Three explanations appear together without subsuming one another; “higher training” occurs only once in the entire treatise 〔400b04〕—the preceding unit repeatedly has “higher training in virtue,” “higher training in mind,” and “higher training in wisdom,” but never “higher training” alone |
| Path of suppressed freedom | Five occurrences in this passage 〔T32 400b05·400b10·400b17–18·400b20–21·400b24–25〕 | The expression occurs seven times in the whole treatise, and this passage alone contains five (the other two occur in the preceding unit). All five occurrences close one turn, but what each closes differs—the three trainings · the three purities · the three goods · the three blisses · fulfilment in the middle way |
| Three purities | “Namely, purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view” 〔T32 400b06〕 | “Three purities” occurs twice in the whole treatise (400b10·406b13). The three names are paired as virtue → purity of virtue · concentration → purity of mind · wisdom → purity of view 〔T32 400b06–07〕 |
| Uneven closings of the three purities | “Virtue washes away the stain of violating virtue; concentration washes away the stain of entanglement: this is termed purity of mind” 〔T32 400b07–08〕 · “Wisdom removes the stain of not knowing: this is termed purity of view” 〔T32 400b08–09〕 | Three items, but only two closing formulas: the virtue item has no close; moreover, the two closing formulas are not worded alike (是謂, “is termed,” / 此謂, “this is termed”). Recorded as they stand, without supplying the missing close or making the formulas uniform |
| Two rounds of what the three purities remove | The first round gives the stain of violating virtue · the stain of entanglement · the stain of not knowing 〔T32 400b07–09〕; the second gives “Again, virtue removes the stain of bad action, concentration removes the stain of entanglement, and wisdom removes the stain of the tendencies” 〔T32 400b09–10〕 | Of the stains removed in the two rounds, only concentration has the same object before and after; the objects of virtue and wisdom each change. Recorded as they stand, without merging them |
| Three goods | “Again, the path is suppressed through three kinds of good, namely good at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end” 〔T32 400b10–11〕 · “Virtue is the beginning, concentration is the middle, and wisdom is the end” 〔T32 400b11–12〕 | “Good at the beginning” occurs three times in the whole treatise · “good in the middle” three times · “good at the end” four times; this passage has two occurrences of each, and the other occurrences are in chapter eight 〔417a06–08〕 |
| Unequal lengths of the explanations of the three goods | For good at the beginning: “A person with energy accomplishes non-retrogression; because of non-retrogression there is joy; because of joy, elation; because of elation, bodily tranquillity; because of bodily tranquillity, bliss; because of bliss, the mind becomes concentrated. This is called good at the beginning” 〔T32 400b12–15〕; for good in the middle: “As for concentration being good in the middle: through concentration one sees and knows things as they really are. This is called good in the middle” 〔T32 400b15〕; for good at the end: “As for wisdom being good at the end: having seen and known things as they really are, one becomes disenchanted; because of disenchantment one becomes dispassionate; because of dispassion one is freed; because of freedom one attains self-knowledge” 〔T32 400b15–17〕 | Six items for good at the beginning · one sentence for good in the middle · four items for good at the end; recorded as they stand, without making them equal |
| Joint between the middle and final goods | The middle good ends with “through concentration one sees and knows things as they really are” 〔T32 400b15〕; the final good begins with “having seen and known things as they really are, one becomes disenchanted” 〔T32 400b16〕 | The end of the preceding item is the beginning of the following item—“seeing and knowing things as they really are” stands at the joint; recorded without deciding whether it is rhetoric or sequence |
| Uneven closings of the three goods | Good at the beginning has “this is called good at the beginning” 〔T32 400b14–15〕 · good in the middle has “this is called good in the middle” 〔T32 400b15〕 · good at the end has no “this is called” close, but proceeds directly to “Thus, having accomplished the path in its three goods, this is the path of suppressed freedom” 〔T32 400b17–18〕 | In this passage, two sets of three items each lack one close, and the missing positions are at opposite ends—the three purities lack the first close, for virtue, while the three goods lack the last, for good at the end. Nowhere in the whole treatise does “this is called” attach to “good at the end.” Recorded without supplementation |
| Three blisses | “One attains three kinds of bliss: bliss without fault, bliss of peaceful cessation, and bliss of right awakening” 〔T32 400b18–19〕 | “Three kinds of bliss” occurs twice in the whole treatise, both times in this passage 〔400b18·400b20〕. “Bliss without fault” occurs six times in the whole treatise · “bliss of peaceful cessation” three times · “bliss of right awakening” three times |
| Two rounds of the three blisses | The first round reads, “Through virtue one attains bliss without fault, through concentration bliss of peaceful cessation, and through wisdom bliss of right awakening” 〔T32 400b19–20〕; the second begins, “Through the good of virtue one removes all attachment to desires, and the heart takes delight in bliss without fault” 〔T32 400b21–22〕 | In the second round each item adds two things: what is removed (attachment to desires · bodily weakness · discerning the four truths through wisdom) and the affective stance (the heart takes delight · joy increases · one deeply cherishes). Recorded as they stand, without merging them |
| Fulfilment in the middle way | “Departing from the two extremes, one gains fulfilment in the middle way” 〔T32 400b21〕 · “Through wisdom one discerns the four truths and gains fulfilment in the middle way” 〔T32 400b23–24〕 · “Thus, departing from the two extremes and gaining fulfilment in the middle way” 〔T32 400b24–25〕 | “Middle way” occurs three times in the whole treatise, all three in this passage. “Two extremes” occurs four times, twice in this passage; the other two places read “fulfilled in the middle,” not “fulfilled in the middle way” 〔403c12·428c12〕 |
| Three removals | “Through virtue one removes bad destinations, through concentration the desire realm, and through wisdom all existence” 〔T32 400b25–26〕 | The three items correspond one to one; the treatise does not further explain the character of bad destinations, the desire realm, or all existence |
| Pairing of the four fruits | “Cultivating virtue much, and concentration and wisdom little, one becomes a stream-enterer or a once-returner” 〔T32 400b26–27〕 · “Cultivating virtue and concentration much, and wisdom little, one becomes a non-returner” 〔T32 400b27–28〕 · “Cultivating the three kinds to fulfilment, one becomes an arahant and attains unsurpassed freedom” 〔T32 400b28〕 | Three sentences encompass four fruits—the first sentence encompasses two; recorded without dividing it. “Unsurpassed freedom” has the same wording as “unsurpassed freedom” in the opening verse of this chapter 〔399c15〕; the treatise does not itself link them |
3. Textual Notes and Divergent Readings
Two Taishō textual notes fall within the range of this passage. Both are recorded without emendation; the reading of the present text follows the carved text:
| Anchor | Base text | Divergent reading | Witnesses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 400b10 | 淨, “purity,” in “thus through the three purities” | 清, “clear” | 【明】 |
| 400b13 | 喜, “joy,” in “because of non-retrogression there is joy” | “intention” | 【宋】【元】【明】 |
Two matters recorded without adjudication:
- At 400b10 the Ming witness reads 清, “clear,” for 淨, “purity”—if the Ming reading were followed, the phrase would read “thus through the three clear-clear,” which would not correspond to the names above, “purity of virtue, purity of mind, and purity of view”; both readings are recorded without adjudication, and the present text follows the carved reading.
- At 400b13 three witnesses read “intention” for 喜, “joy”—in the second member of the chain for good at the beginning, the base text reads “because of non-retrogression there is joy; because of joy, elation,” while the three witnesses have “intention”; once this member changes, its connection with the following “because of joy, elation” also differs; both readings are recorded without adjudication, and the present text follows the carved reading.
Three categories with no occurrence in the textual apparatus: no missing or constructed character occurs in this passage; no inline annotation occurs; no corrected reading occurs—this passage contains no entry corrected by 【CB】 or 【麗-CB】.
4. Citations by the Author
No citation occurs in this passage: nowhere does it use a formula such as “as the Buddha said,” “as the Blessed One said,” or “as the Abhidhamma said.” The preceding unit still has one citation, “as the Blessed One,” at its end 〔T32 400b02〕, but this passage contains none—the final passage of the Chapter on Causes and Conditions does not cite another text. The check returned no result, and the fact is recorded as such.
5. Simile and Rhetoric
- No simile in this passage: not one simile is set up. The preceding unit has two similes forming a pair—a blind person without a guide and a traveller on a long journey who obtains a guide—while this passage proceeds entirely through lists and pairings. The fact is recorded as such.
- Five closings in one paragraph 〔T32 400b05·400b10·400b17–18·400b20–21·400b24–25〕: the same closing phrase, “this is the path of suppressed freedom,” occurs five times, but it closes five different things; each turn introduces its close with “thus” (the first reads “thus training in these three trainings,” and the other four read “thus through the three purities,” “thus, having accomplished the path in its three goods,” “thus, having accomplished and attained the three kinds of bliss,” and “thus, departing from the two extremes and gaining fulfilment in the middle way”).
- No close in the final turn 〔T32 400b25–28〕: after the three removals and four fruits, no closing phrase recurs; the treatise ends the chapter here. Recorded without supplying one.
- Pairing in threes: the three purities · the three goods · the three blisses · the three removals—all four groups follow the order virtue · concentration · wisdom, corresponding item by item, and not one group changes the order.
- Chain-like linkage 〔T32 400b12–17〕: the six items of good at the beginning each link back to the preceding item with “because”; the four items of good at the end use the same form but are fewer; good in the middle alone has no such chain and consists of one sentence, whose endpoint then becomes the starting point of good at the end.
- Different closing formulas 〔T32 400b08·400b09〕: of the two closings under the three purities, one reads “is termed” and one “this is termed”; like the three forms of closing used for the six trainings in the preceding unit, they remain uneven.
- Two groups each lack one close, in opposite positions: the three purities have three items but only two closes, lacking the first item, virtue 〔T32 400b07–09〕; the three goods have three items but only two closes, lacking the last item, good at the end 〔T32 400b14–17〕. The facts are recorded without supplementation or adjudication.
6. Cross-reading within the Treatise
- Backward: this passage’s question, “what is meant by training?” 〔T32 400b04〕, directly follows “one should train in the three trainings” in the preceding unit 〔T32 400a20〕; that unit repeatedly has the three higher trainings but never “higher training” alone, while “training in higher training” here 〔T32 400b04〕 is its only occurrence in the whole treatise.
- Backward: “path of suppressed freedom” occurs twice in the preceding unit 〔T32 400a14·400a19–20〕 and five times in this passage—all seven occurrences in the whole treatise fall within the last two units of this chapter; the chapter’s first unit has none.
- Backward: the “unsurpassed freedom” at the end of this passage 〔T32 400b28〕 has the same wording as “unsurpassed freedom” in the opening verse of this chapter 〔T32 399c15〕; the treatise does not itself link them—the fact is recorded without adjudication.
- Forward: “purity of virtue” 〔T32 400b06〕 occurs later in chapter two 〔T32 400c04·404a10·404a20〕; “purity of mind” occurs later in chapter eight 〔T32 417a12–13·417a15·420c03〕; “purity of view” occurs later in chapter twelve 〔T32 454a02–03〕. The three purities are not unfolded in this chapter.
- Forward: the items good at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end occur later in chapter eight 〔T32 417a06–08〕; this passage is their first occurrence.
- Forward: the other two occurrences of “two extremes” 〔T32 403c12·428c12〕 both read “fulfilled in the middle”; the phrase “fulfilled in the middle way” in this passage is the only one in the whole treatise that says “middle way.”
7. Transmission
Questions concerning the author, translator, and transmission are not argued in this apparatus.
Chapter boundary (a fact about the structure of the base text): this passage ends at 400b28, and immediately below at 400b29 is the title “Chapter Two: Analysis of Virtue”; the Chapter on Causes and Conditions has no closing formula “is complete”; nowhere in the whole treatise is that chapter’s name attached to “is complete.” The fact is recorded without adjudicating its cause.
Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · The Purity and Accomplishment of the Three Trainings · Apparatus · Summer 2026