釋摩訶衍論 1.44

1.44

論曰：馬鳴菩薩總歸依於十四德處，十僧四法各差別故。云何為十僧？十地差別故。云何為四法？教、理、行、果各差別故。法謂教法，所謂隨順機根一切契經之海。性真如謂理法，於一切法體性平等，離虛妄之假、絕執著之實故。海謂果法，於妙覺果萬德圓滿無有窮盡，如大海故。無量功德藏謂行法，六度萬行淨品眷屬不可思議，超過數量故。如謂十種真如。實修行謂十種正智。證真如理，於真實智建立僧名。理智和通能所一味平等，平等無諍論故。何故取命標十方耶？為欲顯示所攝命根廣大圓滿無邊際故。何故取身標其相耶？為欲顯示四相所亂一切眾生皆悉攝取，欲令獲得金剛常住不動身故。何故八聖唯不歸自身命，乃通取一切無量眾生所有身命歸於三寶？由明了知一切眾生平等平等，唯一真如無有別異，眾生身命及我身命一味一相不相離故，是故頌言等，等言極甚深。何故攝取一切眾生無量身命，歸於三寶成和南相？由十方三世一切諸佛皆悉歡喜，十方三世一切諸菩薩皆悉讚歎，十方三世一切諸法藏常恒流布不斷絕故。馬鳴菩薩證不動地，下地功德悉已滿足。何故下位諸僧皆悉和南？由能歸人皆非同於自得位故。若自歸依，唯應和南不動地滿并上二地。若爾，何故不取地前？非無歸人，故不別舉，以上兼下影顯示故。法雲地菩薩能歸人時當依何僧？於妙覺地有真實僧，故無過失。若爾，何故不別舉耶？以下兼上影顯示故。是故頌曰或兼上下，故有多類僧眾。

The commentary says: Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa takes refuge altogether in fourteen seats of virtue, because the ten Saṅghas and four Dharmas are each distinct. What are the ten Saṅghas? They are distinct according to the ten grounds. What are the four Dharmas? They are distinct as teaching, principle, practice, and fruition. 'Dharma' refers to the Dharma of teaching, namely the ocean of all sūtras that accord with capacities and faculties. 'Nature and tathatā' refers to the Dharma of principle, which is equal in the essential nature of all dharmas, because it is free from the falsehood of the provisional and cuts off the reality of attachments. 'Ocean' refers to the Dharma of fruition, which is inexhaustible with the myriad virtues perfected in the fruit of wondrous awakening, like a great ocean. 'Store of measureless virtues' refers to the Dharma of practice, whose pure category of retinues of the six perfections and myriad practices is inconceivable and exceeds count. 'In accordance with' refers to the ten kinds of tathatā. 'Practice in reality' refers to the ten kinds of correct knowledge. Realizing the principle of tathatā, the name 'Saṅgha' is established upon real wisdom. Principle and wisdom blend and communicate, subject and object being of one taste and equal, because equality is without dispute. Why is 'life' taken to mark the ten directions? In order to show that the life-faculty gathered is vast, complete, and boundless. Why is 'body' taken to mark its characteristics? In order to show that all sentient beings disturbed by the four characteristics are entirely gathered, wishing to cause them to attain the vajra-like, permanently abiding, unmoving body. Why do the eight Āryas not take refuge solely with their own lives, but universally take all the bodies and lives of measureless sentient beings to take refuge in the Three Jewels? Because they clearly know that all sentient beings are equal and impartial, being only the one tathatā without difference, and that the bodies and lives of sentient beings and one's own body and life are of one taste and one characteristic, never separated; therefore the verse says 'and so forth,' and the word 'and so forth' is extremely profound. Why gather the measureless bodies and lives of all sentient beings to take refuge in the Three Jewels and form the characteristic of bowing in reverence? Because all buddhas of the ten directions and three periods of time are delighted, all bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three periods of time utter praise, and all Dharma-stores of the ten directions and three periods of time constantly flow and spread without interruption. Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa realized the Immovable Ground, and the virtues of the lower grounds were all already fulfilled. Why does he bow in reverence to all the saṅghas of lower stages? Because those capable of taking refuge are not identical to his own attained stage. If taking refuge by himself, he should only bow in reverence to the fulfillment of the Immovable Ground and the two higher grounds. If so, why does he not include those before the grounds? It is not that there are no persons taking refuge; therefore they are not cited separately, since using the higher to include the lower shows them by implication. When a bodhisattva of the Cloud of Dharma Ground is the person taking refuge, what Saṅgha should he rely upon? In the stage of Wondrous Awakening there is the real Saṅgha, so there is no fault. If so, why is it not cited separately? Because using the lower to include the higher shows it by implication. Therefore the verse says, 'or because of combining the higher and lower, there are many classes of the saṅgha assembly.'