解脫道論 三觀各成三解脫

The preceding passage had already named three contemplations and three liberations. This passage does something else: it unfolds each branch and lays the corresponding positions beside one another.

Each branch has ten positions: immediate attention, what is caused to arise, what is accomplished, the faculty gained, knowing that kind as it really is, formations or phenomena, fear and arising, where mind arises from, where mind crosses over, and the close. Three branches across ten positions form a three-column table.

Read downward, the branches sound almost alike. Read across, their differences emerge.

The decisive position lies in the middle. Impermanence corresponds to characteristic, suffering to arising, and not-self to “characteristic and arising.” The third branch combines the objects of the first two.

Because it combines two objects, the third branch repeatedly carries an additional member. The first two say 一切諸行, “all formations,” while the third says 一切諸法, “all phenomena.” The first two say that mind arises from characteristic or arising; the third says that mind becomes detached from characteristic and arising. The first two stop at mind’s crossing over; the third first states the cessation of the signless and the unarisen and only then says that mind crosses over to Nibbāna.

Within the passage, “Nibbāna” appears only in this third branch. The first two stop at the signless and the unarisen; only after the third has brought both to cessation does the text pronounce that name.

The author does not explain the origin of the additional statement or why the three branches differ in length. He simply writes them this way.

The portable method is therefore this: when several branches share a common template, count the positions in one branch and compare all branches horizontally. A sequential reading leaves only a vague resemblance; a horizontal reading shows which positions align and which break the pattern. The break may be where the author places the greatest weight.

Three very small graphic differences all belong to the first branch or its general answer. The first statement says 已觀見無常, “having contemplated and seen impermanence,” where the later two say 以觀見, “by contemplating and seeing.” The first branch writes 如實智相, with 智, where the later branches write 知. Its close says 以觀無常, “by contemplating impermanence,” omitting the 見, “seeing,” present in its own question. None of the three has a critical note. All remain visibly unnormalized.

The final sentence closes only “diverse paths.” “One path” is left for the next passage. The preceding passage had stated both together; this passage discharges only half.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Each of the Three Contemplations Becomes One of the Three Liberations · Doorway · Summer 2026

1. Each Contemplation Is Matched with One Liberation

Question: How does contemplative seeing become diverse paths?

Answer: Having contemplated and seen impermanence (已觀見無常), one accomplishes signless liberation; by contemplating and seeing suffering (以觀見苦), one accomplishes desireless liberation; by contemplating and seeing not-self (以觀見無我), one accomplishes emptiness liberation.

This general answer pairs each of three contemplations with one liberation, omitting none. Its first statement uses 已, “having already,” while the latter two use 以, “by means of.” The one-graph difference is preserved.

2. Contemplating Impermanence Accomplishes Signless Liberation

Question: How does contemplating and seeing impermanence accomplish signless liberation?

Answer: One brings impermanence immediately to mind; by the cessation of all formations, mind arises; one becomes possessed of many liberations; one gains the faculty of faith together with the other four faculties.

Of that kind, one knows the characteristic as it really is—the text here writes 如實智相, using the graph 智 for “knowledge.” Of that kind, all formations arise as impermanent. One causes fear of the characteristic to arise, and knowledge is born from the activity of the characteristic.

Mind arises from the characteristic, crosses over in the signless, and the body is liberated through signless liberation.

Thus, by contemplating impermanence (以觀無常), one accomplishes signless liberation.

(This close lacks the graph 見, “seeing,” that appears in its own question. Both later closes say “by contemplating and seeing.” The absence is preserved.)

3. Contemplating Suffering Accomplishes Desireless Liberation

Question: How does contemplating and seeing suffering accomplish desireless liberation?

Answer: One brings suffering immediately to mind; one causes mind to arise by fearing all formations; mind becomes very tranquil; one gains the faculty of concentration together with the other four faculties.

Of that kind, one knows arising as it really is—the text writes 如實知生, using 知. By means of that kind, all formations are seen as suffering. Through fear of arising, one causes knowledge of arising to arise.

Mind arises from arising, crosses over in the unarisen, and the body is liberated through desireless liberation.

Thus, by contemplating and seeing suffering, one accomplishes desireless liberation.

4. Contemplating Not-Self Accomplishes Emptiness Liberation

Question: How does contemplating and seeing not-self accomplish emptiness liberation?

Answer: One brings not-self immediately to mind; by emptiness, one causes all formations to arise; mind becomes greatly disenchanted; one gains the faculty of wisdom together with the other four faculties.

Of that kind, one knows characteristic and arising as they really are—the text writes 如實知相及生, again using 知. By means of that kind, all phenomena (一切諸法) become visible as not-self; through fear, one causes characteristic and arising to arise; dependent on characteristic and arising, only knowledge arises.

Mind becomes detached from characteristic and arising; in the cessation of the signless and the unarisen, mind crosses over to Nibbāna, and the body is liberated through emptiness liberation.

Thus, by contemplating and seeing not-self, one accomplishes emptiness liberation.

(This branch takes both characteristic and arising as its objects and therefore repeatedly has one more member. Its ending also adds “in the cessation of the signless and the unarisen, mind crosses over to Nibbāna,” which has no counterpart in the first two branches. It is preserved as written.)

Thus these three liberations become diverse paths through contemplation.

The last sentence closes this passage. The next takes up “one path.”

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Each of the Three Contemplations Becomes One of the Three Liberations · Vernacular · Summer 2026

The preceding passage ended with a clasp: “Furthermore, through contemplative seeing these three liberations are accomplished on diverse paths; through attainment they are accomplished on one path” 〔T32 459b27–29〕. This passage takes the first half—diverse paths—and leaves one path to the next.

The finding comes first: the three branches are closely aligned position by position, yet their objects are not the same. Impermanence corresponds to characteristic, suffering to arising, and not-self to characteristic and arising together. Because the third combines two objects, it repeatedly carries an additional member and an additional final statement. “Nibbāna” appears only in that branch.

One General Answer, Three Complete Pairings

The author begins with one encompassing question: “How does contemplative seeing become diverse paths? Answer: Having contemplated and seen impermanence, one accomplishes signless liberation” 〔T32 459b29–459c01〕. Two further statements complete the set: “by contemplating and seeing suffering, one accomplishes desireless liberation; by contemplating and seeing not-self, one accomplishes emptiness liberation” 〔T32 459c01–02〕.

Three contemplations match three liberations with no missing member. The preceding passage had already named them: “There are three liberations: signless liberation, desireless liberation, and emptiness liberation” 〔T32 459b25–26〕. Here the question is why each is paired as it is.

One graphic detail must remain visible. The first answer says 已觀見無常, “having contemplated and seen impermanence,” while the next two say 以觀見苦 and 以觀見無我, “by contemplating and seeing suffering/not-self.” The first uses 已; the others use 以. The first expression occurs only once in the treatise, and no critical note licenses normalization.

Reading Method: Count the Positions, Then Compare Across the Branches

When three or more branches share a template, do not merely read one branch after another. Count the positions within one branch, arrange the branches side by side, and compare each position horizontally.

Here a branch has ten positions: immediate attention, what causes mind to arise, what is accomplished, the faculty gained, knowing that kind as it really is, formations or phenomena, fear and arising, the basis from which mind proceeds, crossing over, and the closing statement. Three branches across ten positions form a three-column, ten-row structure.

Read vertically, the passages sound almost identical. Read horizontally, regular and broken positions become visible. The broken positions bear the passage’s special force.

The First Four Positions: Three-by-Three Pairing

The first four positions are the most regular.

The first branch says: “One brings impermanence immediately to mind; by the cessation of all formations mind arises; one becomes possessed of many liberations; one gains the faculty of faith together with the other four faculties” 〔T32 459c03–04〕.

The second says: “One brings suffering immediately to mind; one causes mind to arise by fearing all formations; mind becomes very tranquil; one gains the faculty of concentration together with the other four faculties” 〔T32 459c09–11〕.

The third says: “One brings not-self immediately to mind; by emptiness one causes all formations to arise; mind becomes greatly disenchanted; one gains the faculty of wisdom together with the other four faculties” 〔T32 459c15–16〕.

The first position gives impermanence, suffering, and not-self. The fourth gives faith, concentration, and wisdom: “the faculty of faith together with the other four” 〔T32 459c04〕, “the faculty of concentration together with the other four” 〔T32 459c10–11〕, and “the faculty of wisdom together with the other four” 〔T32 459c16〕. Each expression occurs only once in the treatise. Each branch singles out one faculty and gathers the remaining four, yet the words “five faculties” never appear in this passage.

The third position likewise gives three results: many liberations, great tranquility of mind, and great disenchantment of mind. The wording places liberation with impermanence, tranquility with suffering, and disenchantment with not-self. Each expression occurs only once.

The second position requires special care. Each branch includes 諸行, “formations,” but formations occupy a different grammatical role: in the first they are what is ceased, in the second what is feared, and in the third what emptiness causes to arise. The same noun stands as object of cessation, fear, and arising. The asymmetry is preserved.

The Middle Three Positions: Characteristic, Arising, Characteristic and Arising

The line running through the unit becomes explicit in the next positions.

The first branch says “of that kind, one knows the characteristic as it really is” 〔T32 459c04–05〕, “of that kind, all formations arise as impermanent” 〔T32 459c05〕, and “one causes fear of the characteristic to arise, and knowledge is born from the activity of the characteristic” 〔T32 459c05–06〕. Its object is characteristic.

The second says “of that kind, one knows arising as it really is” 〔T32 459c11〕, “by means of that kind, all formations are seen as suffering” 〔T32 459c11–12〕, and “through fear of arising, one causes knowledge of arising to arise” 〔T32 459c12〕. Its object is arising.

The third says “of that kind, one knows characteristic and arising as they really are” 〔T32 459c16–17〕, “by means of that kind, all phenomena become visible as not-self” 〔T32 459c17〕, and “through fear, one causes characteristic and arising to arise; dependent on characteristic and arising, only knowledge arises” 〔T32 459c17–18〕. It combines the first two objects.

The expression translated “of that kind” occurs six times in the treatise, all six here.

The third branch also changes a noun: the first two say 一切諸行, “all formations,” but the third says 一切諸法, “all phenomena.” The latter expression occurs only twice in the treatise, once here. There is no critical note, so the distinction remains visible.

An even smaller graphic difference also remains. The first branch writes 如實智相, using 智 for “knowledge,” while the next two write 如實知生 and 如實知相及生, using 知 for “know.” No critical note supports making them uniform.

Pause: Why Does the Third Branch Add a Sentence?

The ending is where the passage asks us to stop.

The first two branches each close in three clauses: “Mind arises from the characteristic, crosses over in the signless, and the body is liberated through signless liberation” 〔T32 459c06–07〕; “Mind arises from arising, crosses over in the unarisen, and the body is liberated through desireless liberation” 〔T32 459c12–13〕.

The third uses four: “Mind becomes detached from characteristic and arising; in the cessation of the signless and the unarisen, mind crosses over to Nibbāna, and the body is liberated through emptiness liberation” 〔T32 459c18–20〕.

Stop and ask: in the same position, the first two branches close in three clauses—why does the third need one more?

Let the text answer for itself. Three things can be checked:

First, the verbs differ. The first two say mind “arises” from characteristic or arising; the third says mind “becomes detached” from both.

Second, the added phrase is “in the cessation of the signless and the unarisen.” Since the third branch takes characteristic and arising together, its crossing likewise joins the signless and unarisen.

Third, “mind crosses over to Nibbāna” occurs only once in the treatise, and “Nibbāna” appears in this passage only here. The first two branches stop after crossing in the signless or unarisen; only after the third has brought both to cessation does the author state that name.

The author does not explain the source of this sentence or the unequal lengths. The edition records their form without supplying a reason.

A note at 459c19 reads “arises” in all four witnesses where the base says “crosses over.” “Crosses over” parallels the first two branches’ crossing, while “arises” parallels their arising. Each has a structural counterpart. Both are recorded; the body follows the base.

Three Closing Statements; the First Lacks One Graph

The branches close: “Thus, by contemplating impermanence, one accomplishes signless liberation” 〔T32 459c07–08〕; “Thus, by contemplating and seeing suffering, one accomplishes desireless liberation” 〔T32 459c13–14〕; and “Thus, by contemplating and seeing not-self, one accomplishes emptiness liberation” 〔T32 459c20〕.

Each expression occurs only once. The first says 以觀無常, “by contemplating impermanence,” lacking the graph 見, “seeing,” that appears in its own question. The next two say 以觀見. There is no critical note, so the missing graph is not supplied.

Together with the general answer’s 已 versus 以 and this branch’s 智 versus 知, all three graphic differences belong to the first branch or its general answer, and none has a critical note. Their distinct forms remain visible.

This Line Has Already Appeared

The assignment of characteristic, arising, and both did not begin here. In 12-07 the same line appeared twice.

“By bringing impermanence immediately to mind, one causes fear of the sign; by security, one causes the signless to arise” 〔T32 456c15–16〕; “by bringing suffering immediately to mind, one produces fear of arising; by security, one causes the unarisen to arise” 〔T32 456c16–17〕; “by bringing not-self immediately to mind, one produces fear of characteristic and arising; by security, one causes the signless and unarisen to arise” 〔T32 456c17–18〕.

Again, more briefly: “bringing impermanence immediately to mind fears the cause; bringing suffering immediately to mind fears arising; bringing not-self immediately to mind fears cause and arising” 〔T32 456c26–28〕.

The objects are the same, but their pairings differ. There they are paired with fear and security; here with the three liberations. The same skeleton returns seven units later.

Closing at Half

The final sentence says, “Thus these three liberations become diverse paths through contemplation” 〔T32 459c20–21〕.

This passage closes only “diverse paths” and does not mention “one path.” The preceding passage had stated both together, but only one half is discharged here. The next passage opens with the other 〔T32 459c21–22〕.

There is a note here as well: at 459c21 the Ming witness reads “accomplish” where the base has “these.” Both are recorded; the body follows the base.

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Carry away three things. One finding: the three branches share a template but not an object. The impermanence branch writes 如實智相 〔T32 459c04–05〕, the suffering branch 如實知生 〔T32 459c11〕, and the not-self branch 如實知相及生 〔T32 459c16–17〕. Because the third combines two objects, it says 一切諸法 rather than 一切諸行, “becomes detached” rather than “arises,” and adds the cessation of the signless and unarisen; “Nibbāna” occurs only there. One method: count the positions in parallel prose, then compare the branches horizontally; the broken position may be the author’s point of greatest force. One question to hold: why do the first two endings take three clauses but the third four 〔T32 459c06–07·459c12–13·459c18–20〕? The text shows a changed verb, a sentence joining the signless and unarisen, and the treatise’s sole “mind crosses over to Nibbāna,” but gives no explanation.

Remember three smaller points. Each branch singles out one faculty without using the phrase “five faculties” 〔T32 459c04·459c10–11·459c16〕. 諸行, “formations,” is respectively what is ceased, feared, and caused to arise 〔T32 459c03–04·459c09–11·459c15–16〕. Finally, the three graphic differences—已/以, 智/知, and the first close’s missing 見—belong to the first branch or its general answer, and none bears a critical note.

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Shi Huijing · Waken · The Path of Freedom · Each of the Three Contemplations Becomes One of the Three Liberations · Exposition · Summer 2026