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阿難，是十八天獨行無交，未盡形累，自此己還名為色界。
「阿難，是十八天」：阿難！這十八天一一初禪三天、二禪三天、三禪三天，這九天加四禪九天，所以有十八天。這十
八天，「獨行無交，未盡形累」，他們每一天都有他自己修行的那個因果，他們還有色相。「自此已還，名為色界」，所以自現在所講這個天已還，就是以前，都叫色界天。這五不還天不包括在這十八天之內，因為五不還天就比方我們世間的深山曠野一樣，雖然有阿羅漢在那兒住著，但是沒有人知道，所以五不還天就沒有包括在十八天之內。
復次阿難，從是有頂色邊際中，其間復有二種歧路。若於捨心發明智慧，慧光圓通
，便出塵界成阿羅漢，入菩薩乘。如是一類名為迴心大阿羅漢。
「復次阿難，從是有頂色邊際中」 這些天都是有頂天。「其間復有二種歧路」：在這個色界的邊際中，又有兩種的歧
路。「若於捨心發明智慧」：若對於這個捨心上面，來發明出一種智慧。「慧光圓通，便出塵界成阿羅漢，入菩薩乘」：這種智慧的光圓通了，無障礙，就可以出去三界，成就阿羅漢果，入到菩薩乘裏邊。
「如是一類名為迴心大阿羅漢」：像這樣子這一類的眾生，就叫迴心的大阿羅漢。什麼叫迴心？就是迴小向大，迴小乘而向大乘，所以這叫迴心大阿羅漢。
若在捨心捨厭成就，覺身為礙，銷礙入空。如是一類名為空處。
前邊講四禪，現在講四空處。「若在捨心捨厭成就」：假設天人對於捨棄苦樂二心
，厭苦捨樂，樂也捨了。「覺身為礙，銷礙入空」：自己知道有色身，就是有障礙的，於是乎不願意有所障礙，想觀自己的身等於虛空一樣，把障礙沒有了。「如是一類名為空處」：這一類的天叫空無邊處天。
諸礙既銷，無礙無滅，其中惟留阿賴耶識，全於末那半分微細。如是一類名為識處。
「諸礙既銷」：前邊在這個四禪天再往上昇，覺得身是一種障礙，所以就銷礙入空了。現在諸礙既銷，這一切的障礙都沒有了
，要歸到無色界上。「無礙無滅」：也沒有障礙，也沒有所滅了。「其中惟留阿賴耶識」：這個時候沒有身了，只有識，就是阿賴
耶識這第八識。第八識阿賴耶是梵語，翻到中文就叫藏識。這個藏識就是如來藏性那個藏，不過現在它沒有完全歸到如來藏性上，所以它就叫一個藏識。無論你一舉一動、一言一行，你一天所遭所遇，所有一切都收到這個藏識裏邊去。「全於末那半分微細」：
這個藏識全於末那；末那是第七識，叫末那識，又叫染污識，由它這個地方就生了變化了。
本來第八識，雖然說是生出一種無明，可是這很接近如來藏性，還沒有什麼染污，到這個第七識上這就染污了。第七識末那識有一點點那麼微細微細的，有這一點點。「
如是一類名為識處」：這一類的眾生，生在這一個天上就叫識無邊處天。這種天人只有識，沒有身體；前邊那個是空無邊處天，現在這個是識無邊處天。
空色既亡，識心都滅。十方寂然，迥無攸往，如是一類名無所有處。
現在到這個地方什麼都沒有了，你說， 這時候就是「家破人亡語難開」，什麼都沒有，這回完了。「空色既亡」：空也沒有了
，色也亡了，所以就家破人亡了；家也沒有了，人也沒有了。「識心都滅」：前邊那還有個識，現在識心都沒有了；語難開，連識都沒有了，你怎麼說話啊？根本沒有可講的
了。
「十方寂然」：這時候十方世界，整個法界，什麼東西都沒有了，都靜寂起來了。「迥無攸往」：迥，就是這個樣子；攸，就是到旁的地方，這個「攸」當一個「所」字講，就是去的地方。那沒有去的地方，有來的地方沒有呢？來的地方也沒有了，這無來無去，迥無攸往。
「如是一類名無所有處」：像這一類的
天上的人，這個地方就叫無所有處。無所有處就是什麼都沒有了，可是他的性還是存在的，因為這性和虛空是一樣的，所以在這無所有處的天人，他還有壽命。有多少壽命呢
？六萬大劫。以前從六欲天以後，人的壽命和身量、高度就都沒有講，因為講起來這數目太大了，我預備到最後講一個大數目就得了，中間那個，你想要知道，自己可以去查去。
所以這是最後的第二個天上，它的壽命是活六萬大劫。在那地方雖然說有壽命，那就是一個定，在定裏頭有六萬大劫。等到六萬大劫滿了的時候，他那個定也破了；破了它又會有了，那時轉哪一道輪迴裏去，就又不一定了。
待續
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Sutra:
"Ananda, in these eighteen heavens are
those who remain solitary and uninvolved but who have not
yet gotten rid of their form. These heavens are called the
Form Realm.
Commentary:
Ananda, in these eighteen heavens are those who
remain solitary and uninvolved but who have not yet gotten
rid of their form. Three of each of the first,
second, and third dhyanas makes nine heavens. The fourth
dhyana also has nine heavens. Thus there are eighteen
heavens in all. The beings in each of these heavens have
their own particular causes and effects regarding
cultivation. They still have their own forms. These
heavens are called the Form Realm. These are the
heavens of the Form Realm. The Five Heavens of No Return are
not included in the eighteen heavens, because the beings in
them are compared to Arhats dwelling deep in the mountains
and wilderness unbeknownst to the rest of humanity.
Sutra:
"Furthermore, Ananda, from this summit of the Form Realm
there are also two roads. If those who are intent upon
renunciation bring forth wisdom, when the light of their
wisdom becomes perfect and penetrating, they can transcend
the defiling realms, accomplish Arhatship, and enter the
Bodhisattva Vehicle. They are called Great Arhats who have
turned their minds around.
Commentary:
Furthermore, Ananda, from this summit of the Form
Realm there are also two roads. At this point there
is another fork in the road. If those who are intent
upon renunciation bring forth wisdom, when the light of
their wisdom becomes perfect and penetrating so
that there are no more obstructions, they can
transcend the defiling three realms,
accomplish Arhatship, and enter the Bodhisattva Vehicle.
They are called Great Arhats who
have turned their minds around. That means they
have turned from the small and come around to the great.
They have turned from the Small Vehicle, and they tend
toward the Great Vehicle.
Sutra:
"Those who dwell in the thought of renunciation and who
succeed in renunciation and rejection, realize that their
bodies are an obstacle. If they thereupon obliterate the
obstacle and enter into emptiness, they are at the Station
of Emptiness.
Commentary:
We have finished the discussion of the four dhyanas and now
begin the explanation of the Four Stations of Emptiness.
Those who dwell in the thought of renunciation and
who succeed in renunciation and rejection, realize that
their bodies are an obstacle. These gods accomplish
renunciation of bliss and rejection of suffering . They know
that physical bodies are an obstruction, too. If
they thereupon obliterate the obstacle and enter into
emptiness, they are at the Station of Emptiness.
They don't want to be hindered by anything and so they
contemplate their bodies as being just like empty space. In
this way they wipe out that obstacle. These beings belong to
the Heaven of the Station of Boundless Emptiness.
Sutra:
"For those who have eradicated all obstacles, there is
neither obstruction nor extinction. Then there remains only
the alaya consciousness and half of the subtle functions of
the manas. These beings are at the Station of Boundless
Consciousness.
Commentary:
For those who have eradicated all obstacles, there
is neither obstruction nor extinction. At the
summit of the Four Dhyana Heavens, those who wished to
progress upward felt that the body was an obstacle. So they
obliterated the obstacle and entered emptiness. Now that all
obstacles are gone, they are in the Formless Realm. Since
there's no obstacle, there's nothing to extinguish either.
Then there remains only the alaya consciousness and
half of the subtle functions of the manas. At this
point there is no body, only a consciousness. That
consciousness is the alaya, or eighth, consciousness, also
known as the storehouse consciousness. The "storehouse" is
actually the Treasury of the Thus Come One, but at this
point it has not yet completely returned to the nature of
the Treasury of the Thus Come One, and so it is still called
a consciousness. Every move you' make, every word you speak,
everything you do and encounter in the course of every day
is stored in this consciousness. For these beings, the alaya
consciousness remains, along with "half the subtle functions
of the manas." The manas is the seventh consciousness, also
known as the defiling consciousness. Transformations take
place in this consciousness.
It is true that we say ignorance arises
in the eighth consciousness, but here it is extremely close
to becoming the nature of the Treasury of the Thus Come One
and to being free of defilement. It is only when the
information stored in the eight consciousness passes to the
seventh consciousness that it becomes defiling. Now,
however, even the manas is functioning only at half its
capacity and so the defilement that remains is extremely
subtle. These beings are at the Station of Boundless
Consciousness. They are born into the Heaven of the
Station of Boundless Consciousness.
Sutra:
"Those who have already done away with emptiness and form
eradicate the conscious mind as well. In the extensive
tranquillity of the ten directions there is nowhere at all
to go. These beings are at the Station of Nothing
Whatsoever.
Commentary:
When they reach this level there is nothing at all. This is
really a case of:
The house is destroyed; people are gone.
It's hard to find words to express it.
Everything is gone. Those who
have already done away with emptiness and form eradicate the
conscious mind as well. The house is destroyed;
people are gone. In the station prior to this there was
still consciousness, but now consciousness is gone as well.
It's I hard to find words to express it. If you don't even
have a consciousness, how are you going to talk? There's
basically nothing that can be said, anyway.
In the extensive tranquillity of
the ten directions there is nowhere at all to go.
All the worlds throughout the ten directions of the entire
Dharma Realm have disappeared. A stillness pervades. There's
nowhere to go, and nowhere to come to. There's no coming and
no going. These beings are at the Station of Nothing
Whatsoever. Although there's nothing whatsoever,
nonetheless the nature of these beings still remains. Their
nature is the same as emptiness. Therefore, the gods at the
Station of Nothing Whatsoever still have a lifespan. How
long is it? Sixty thousand great eons. Since the gods'
lifespan and physical height increases to such vast
proportions in the heavens above the Desire Realm, I haven't
mentioned the figures, they are too huge. I decided to wait
until the end and impress you with' one gigantic number. If
you want to know all the numbers between, you can look them
up.
This, then, is the second-to-last heaven,
and the lifespan of the gods is sixty thousand great eons.
We call it a lifespan, but actually these gods are in
samadhi for that long. At the end of that time their samadhi
is destroyed, and then they once again transmigrate into
other realms of existence. It's not for sure what path of
rebirth they will wind up in.
~ To be continued
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