解脫道論 四種戒諸門

The Chapter on the Analysis of Virtue has divided its material into three sections: ten twofold groups, eight threefold groups, and four fourfold groups. Twenty-two knives, all cutting the same piece of material.

In the last of the fourfold groups, the author uses the framework of the four truths to arrange the items: virtue itself, arising of virtue, cessation of virtue, and fulfillment of the path to cessation. The first place is filled not by “suffering” but by virtue itself.

Each item is explained. Virtue is wholesome virtue and unwholesome virtue; arising of virtue means that a wholesome mind gathers wholesome virtue and an unwholesome mind gathers unwholesome virtue; cessation of virtue means that by obtaining wholesome virtue, unwholesome virtue ceases, and on attaining arahantship, wholesome virtue ceases—even wholesome virtue must cease; fulfillment of the path to cessation is the four right efforts.

The framework is set out very clearly, yet nowhere from beginning to end does the treatise say that it is established according to the four truths. It displays a structure without naming the structure—an old habit of this treatise.

Then comes the only closing statement in this section: “Having thus distinguished and clearly understood these four dhammas, this is called energy, not true observance of virtue; this is called right effort.”

A section has been explaining the four kinds of virtue, but when it finishes, it says that distinguishing and clearly understanding them is energy, not actual observance of virtue.

This looks like self-negation, but it is not. The preceding item has just said that “the virtue of fulfillment of the path to cessation” is the four right efforts; the “energy” and “right effort” in the closing sentence refer precisely to that item.

The sentence therefore locates the work being done: distinguishing and clearly understanding these four dhammas has the four right efforts as its substance; it belongs to energy, not to the keeping of the precepts.

The Chapter on the Analysis of Virtue has been classifying from its first section onward. Here the author himself says that these classifications are not themselves the keeping of the precepts.

They are energy—they enable you to recognize which kind of virtue is in your hands.

And once you recognize it, you must still keep it.

(This reading is reached by taking the two adjacent sentences together; the treatise itself does not spell out the relationship. A one-character variant also attaches to this sentence, and the present text follows the base reading.)

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Fourfold Classifications of Virtue · Doorway · Summer 2026

First Set: Regression, Stability, Excellence, and Reaching

Further, virtue is of four kinds: the division of regression, the division of stability, the division of excellence, and the division of reaching.

What is the division of regression? A person who does not remove obstacles to the path, who has left energy behind, who knowingly and intentionally commits an offense and then conceals it—this is called the division of regression.

What is the division of stability? One is accomplished in virtue, does not become heedless, and does not give rise to a view of stillness—thus the division of stability is accomplished.

One is fully accomplished in virtue and concentration, does not become heedless, and does not give rise to a view of stillness—thus the division of excellence is accomplished.

One is fully accomplished in virtue and concentration, does not become heedless, and does give rise to a view of stillness—thus the division of reaching is accomplished.

One point is recorded here exactly as the treatise has it: of the four items, only the first two carry a “what is” question; the latter two begin directly with “fully accomplished in virtue and concentration” and are not asked separately. The sentences of the latter three items are almost identical, differing only between “virtue” and “virtue and concentration,” and between “does not give rise to a view of stillness” and “does give rise to a view of stillness.” No questions are supplied and no wording is changed.

Second Set: The Virtue of Monks, the Virtue of Nuns, Incomplete Virtue, and Lay Virtue

Further, virtue is of four kinds: the virtue of monks, the virtue of nuns, incomplete virtue, and lay virtue.

What is the virtue of monks? Pātimokkha deportment is the virtue of monks.

The Pātimokkha deportment of nuns is the virtue of nuns.

The ten precepts of novice monks and novice nuns, and the precepts of a woman in training—this is called incomplete virtue.

The five precepts and the eight precepts of laymen and laywomen are lay virtue.

Third Set: Natural Virtue, Conduct Virtue, Dhamma-Aspiration Virtue, and Initial-Cause Virtue

Further, virtue is of four kinds: natural virtue, conduct virtue, Dhamma-aspiration virtue, and initial-cause virtue.

What is natural virtue? The virtue of Yudan-yue—this is called natural virtue.

What is conduct virtue? Such practices as those of clan, country, and non-Buddhist paths—this is called conduct virtue.

What is Dhamma-aspiration virtue? The virtue of a bodhisattva entering the womb—this is called Dhamma-aspiration virtue.

What is initial-cause virtue? The virtue of a bodhisattva and of Mohe Jiaye—this is called initial-cause virtue.

Each of the four items in this set is identified by a single attribution and nothing more; the treatise gives no further explanation of its content. This is recorded as it stands, without supplementation.

Fourth Set: Virtue Itself, the Gathering of Virtue, the Cessation of Virtue, and Virtue Complete in the Path to Cessation

Further, virtue is of four kinds: virtue itself, the gathering of virtue, the cessation of virtue, and virtue complete in the path to cessation.

What is virtue? Virtue is of two kinds—wholesome virtue and unwholesome virtue. This is called virtue.

What is the gathering of virtue? A wholesome mind gathers wholesome virtue; an unwholesome mind gathers unwholesome virtue.

What is the cessation of virtue? On attaining wholesome virtue, unwholesome virtue ceases; on attaining arahantship, wholesome virtue ceases.

What is virtue complete in the path to cessation? It is the four right efforts—this is called virtue complete in the path to cessation.

Closing Statement

To distinguish and understand these four dhammas in this way is energy, not actual observance of virtue; this is called right effort.

One point is recorded here exactly as it stands: this section is explaining four kinds of virtue, yet its closing sentence says that this is “energy, not actual observance of virtue.” The preceding item had just said that “virtue complete in the path to cessation” is the four right efforts. This is recorded as it stands, without harmonizing the two.

The Count in This Section

By actual count, the fourfold classifications of virtue form four sets in all, and the phrase introducing each of these four sets is “Further, virtue is of four kinds,” with one formula used throughout. The introductory wording in each of the preceding two sections (ten sets of twofold divisions and eight sets of threefold divisions) took three forms; this section has no exception. This is recorded as it stands.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Fourfold Classifications of Virtue · Vernacular · Summer 2026

No Exception in This Section

The preceding section showed that the lists of names in this treatise are never verbally uniform: the introductory formula for the ten twofold groups takes three forms, and that for the eight threefold groups also takes three forms; each has one isolated exception.

In the four groups of this section, all four introductions read “Further, virtue is of four kinds” 〔T32 402a25–26·402b02–03·402b07–08·402b13〕.

One form from beginning to end, without a single exception.

Read the three sections together and their shape emerges: ten groups in three forms, eight groups in three forms, four groups in one form. The fewer the groups, the more uniform the form.

This need not be taken as a profound intention of the author, but it can be taken as a lesson for reading this treatise: the longer a list is, the more internal variation it will contain. One or two irregularities in a long list are usually no more than the natural rise and fall of composition; an irregularity in a short list is what deserves a closer look.

Each of the Four Groups Makes One Cut

The first group is the divisions of regression, stability, excellence, and reaching 〔T32 402a25–26〕—a classification by advance and retreat in practice.

The division of regression is “not removing obstacles to the path”: a person who has departed from energy knowingly transgresses and, after transgressing, conceals it. The three statements on stability, excellence, and reaching are almost identical: all say “does not give rise to heedlessness.” They differ only in whether what is brought to completion is “virtue” or “virtue and concentration,” and whether the wording is “not giving rise to a view of tranquillity” or “with a view of tranquillity arisen” 〔T32 402b01–02〕.

There is one more point worth noting in this group. Of its four items, only the first two carry the question “What is …?” The last two simply continue from the preceding sentence without asking again. This is an economy very common in the treatise—once the sentence-pattern has been established, the question leaves the stage (the five freedoms of the preceding chapter likewise ask once, after which the four items that follow begin directly with “as for”).

The second group is monks’ virtue, nuns’ virtue, the virtue of those not fully ordained, and lay virtue 〔T32 402b02–03〕—a classification by the status of the person. The three communities of male novices, female novices, and women in probationary training are combined into the single item “the virtue of those not fully ordained”; the five precepts and the eight precepts of male and female lay followers are lay virtue 〔T32 402b06–07〕.

The third group is virtue by nature, virtue by conduct, virtue of Dhamma resolve, and virtue of the initial cause 〔T32 402b07–08〕—its manner of answering is the most unusual. Each of the four items merely reports a single bearer and then stops. Virtue by nature is “Yudanyue virtue” 〔T32 402b08〕; virtue by conduct is the customary practices of clan, country, non-Buddhist paths, and the like; virtue of Dhamma resolve is the virtue of a bodhisattva entering the womb; and virtue of the initial cause is “the virtue of a bodhisattva and Mohe Jiaye” 〔T32 402b11〕.

Four items, four names, not one sentence of explanation.

This is the only group in the section to take this form—the first, second, and fourth groups all explain each item. The treatise does not say why the author only gives names without explanations in this group. It is recorded as it stands; no explanation is supplied.

There is one related point. “Virtue by nature” here has the same name as “virtue by nature” in the twofold classification of the preceding section 〔T32 401b14〕. There, virtue by nature refers to “bodily and verbal conduct whose performance the Buddha has prohibited”; here it refers to Yudanyue virtue. The name is the same, but what it denotes is entirely different—another demonstration that a definition given earlier cannot be imposed on a term merely because this treatise gives it the same name.

The Fourth Group: Using the Framework of the Four Truths to Arrange Virtue

The fourth group invites the closest look: virtue-virtue, arising-virtue, cessation-virtue, and fulfillment of the cessation-path 〔T32 402b13〕.

The frame of suffering, arising, cessation, and path becomes virtue, arising, cessation, and cessation-path—and what fills the first position is not “suffering” but “virtue” itself.

The author explains each item. Virtue-virtue is of two kinds, wholesome virtue and unwholesome virtue. Arising-virtue means that a wholesome mind gathers wholesome virtue and an unwholesome mind gathers unwholesome virtue. Cessation-virtue is “by obtaining wholesome virtue, unwholesome virtue ceases; on attaining arahantship, wholesome virtue ceases.” The virtue of fulfillment of the cessation-path is “namely, the four right efforts” 〔T32 402b17〕.

The statement “on attaining arahantship, wholesome virtue ceases” is stark—even wholesome virtue must cease. This follows the same tenor as the sentence in the first section of this chapter, “through the path of arahantship, all defilements are cut off” 〔T32 400c25〕: at the end of the road, even the tool that does the cutting is laid down.

Yet nowhere does the treatise say, “This is established according to the four truths.” It sets out the framework without giving it a name. This is another familiar habit of the treatise: it displays a structure without naming the structure.

Why the Closing Sentence Says This Is Not Truly Keeping the Precepts

Now stop and ask a question.

When the fourth group is finished, the author writes the only closing sentence in this section: “Having thus distinguished and clearly understood the four dhammas, this is called energy, not true keeping of the precepts; this is called right effort” 〔T32 402b18–19〕.

A whole section has spoken of “virtue is of four kinds,” yet when it finishes, it says that distinguishing and clearly understanding these four dhammas is energy, not truly keeping the precepts; this is called right effort.

Does this not negate the entire section?

No. The answer is in the preceding sentence.

The last item in the fourth group is “the virtue of fulfillment of the cessation-path,” and the author's explanation of it consists of only five characters: “namely, the four right efforts” 〔T32 402b17〕. The four right efforts are the substance of energy, not the substance of virtue. Thus the “energy” and “right effort” in the closing sentence refer precisely to this item.

The sentence now becomes clear: the act of “distinguishing and clearly understanding these four dhammas” itself has the four right efforts as its substance; it belongs to the sphere of energy, not the sphere of keeping the precepts. The author is not negating this section. He is locating the work performed by this section—the work of classification, not the work of keeping the precepts.

This judgment matters. From its first section, the Chapter on the Analysis of Virtue has been classifying: ten twofold groups, eight threefold groups, and four fourfold groups—twenty-two cuts. Here the author himself says that these classifications are not themselves the keeping of the precepts.

They are energy: they enable you to recognize which kind of virtue is in your hands; after recognizing it, you must still keep it.

This reading needs one qualification. It is reached by reading the two adjacent sentences together (“namely, the four right efforts” comes first and “this is called right effort” comes after it, the same term echoing before and after); the treatise itself does not spell out this relationship. A variant also attaches to this sentence—the Gong witness here reads “direct” rather than “true” 〔T32 402b18〕, a change of one character that alters the tone. Both readings are recorded without adjudication; the present text follows the base reading.

Three Sections and Twenty-Two Cuts: This Is Where They End

The classificatory portion of the Chapter on the Analysis of Virtue ends with this section.

Ten twofold groups, eight threefold groups, and four fourfold groups. Yet “fourfold” actually has a fifth group—the virtue of Pātimokkha deportment, virtue of purity in livelihood, virtue of faculty deportment, and virtue cultivated in relation to conditions 〔T32 402b19–20〕—and it appears in the next section.

That group is not placed alongside these four because its subsequent unfolding is too long: the first item, the “virtue of Pātimokkha deportment,” alone occupies an entire section, while each of the other three occupies a section of its own.

From the next section onward, then, the Chapter on the Analysis of Virtue changes its form: from “setting out classifications” to “unfolding each item.” And where the form changes, as usual the author gives no notice—he simply begins the fifth group in a new sentence.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Fourfold Classifications of Virtue · Exposition · Summer 2026