釋摩訶衍論 7.4

7.4

本曰：分別發趣道相者，謂一切諸佛所證之道，一切菩薩發心修行趣向義故。略說發心有三種。云何為三？一者信成就發心、二者解行發心、三者證發心。信成就發心者，依何等人修何等行，得信成就堪能發心。所謂依不定聚眾生，有熏習善根力故，信業果報能起十善，厭生死苦欲求無上菩提，得值諸佛親承供養修行信心，經一萬劫信心成就故。諸佛菩薩教令發心，或以大悲故能自發心、或因正法欲滅以護法因緣故能自發心，如是信心成就得發心者，入正定聚畢竟不退，名住如來種中正因相應。若有眾生善根微少，久遠已來煩惱深厚，雖值於佛亦得供養，然起人天種子、或起二乘種子，設有求大乘者，根則不定，若進若退，或有供養諸佛未經一萬劫，於中遇緣亦有發心，所謂見佛色相而發其心，或因供養眾僧而發其心、或因二乘之人教令發心、或學他發心，如是等發心悉皆不定，遇惡因緣或便退失墮二乘地。復次信成就發心者發何等心？略說有三種。云何為三？一者直心，正念真如法故；二者深心，樂集一切諸善行故；三者大悲心，欲拔一切眾生苦故。問曰：上說法界一相、佛體無二，何故不唯念真如，復假求學諸善之行？答曰：譬如大摩尼寶，體性明淨而有鑛穢之垢。若人雖念寶性，不以方便種種磨鍊，終無得淨。如是眾生真如之法體性空淨，而有無量煩惱垢染。若人雖念真如，不以方便種種修習，亦無得淨。以垢無量遍一切法，故修一切善行以為對治。若人修行一切善法，自然歸順真如法故。略說方便有四種。云何為四？一者行根本方便，謂觀一切法自性無生，離於妄見，不住生死。觀一切法因緣和合、業果不失，起於大悲，修諸福德、攝化眾生，不住涅盤，以隨順法性無住故。二者能止方便，謂慚愧悔過能止一切惡法不令增長，以隨順法性離諸過故。三者發起善根增長方便，謂勤供養禮拜三寶，讚歎隨喜勸請諸佛，以愛敬三寶淳厚心故信得增長，乃能志求無上之道。又因佛法僧力所護故，能消業障善根不退，以隨順法性離癡障故。四者大願平等方便，所謂發願盡於未來化度一切眾生使無有餘，皆令究竟無餘涅盤，以隨順法性無斷絕故。法性廣大遍一切眾生平等無二，不念彼此究竟寂滅故。菩薩發是心故，則得少分見於法身。以見法身故，隨其願力能現八種利益眾生。所謂從兜率天退、入胎、住胎、出胎、出家、成道、轉法輪、入於涅槃。然是菩薩未名法身，以其過去無量世來有漏之業未能決斷，隨其所生與微苦相應。亦非業繫，以有大順自在力故。如修多羅中或說有退墮惡趣者，非其實退，但為初學菩薩未入正位，而懈怠者恐怖，令使勇猛故。又是菩薩一發心後遠離怯弱，畢竟不畏墮二乘地。若聞無量無邊阿僧祇劫勤苦難行乃得涅槃，亦不怯弱，以信知一切法從本已來自涅槃故。解行發心者，當知轉勝。以是菩薩從初正信已來，於第一阿僧祇劫將欲滿故。於真如法中深解現前所修離相，以知法性體無慳貪故，隨順修行檀波羅蜜；以知法性無染離五欲過故，隨願修行尸波羅蜜；以知法性無苦離瞋惱故，隨順修行羼提波羅蜜；以知法性無身心相離慢怠故，隨順修行毘梨耶波羅蜜；以知法性常定體無亂故，隨順修行禪波羅蜜；以知法性體明離無明故，隨順修行般若波羅蜜。證發心者，從淨心地乃至菩薩究竟地，證何境界？所謂真如。以依轉識說為境界，而此證者無有境界，唯真如智名為法身。是菩薩於一念頃，能至十方無餘世界，供養諸佛請轉法輪，唯為開導利益眾生，不依文字。或示超地速成正覺，以為怯弱眾生故。或說我於無量阿僧祇劫當成佛道，以為懈慢眾生故。能示如是無數方便不可思議，而實菩薩種性根等、發心則等、所證亦等，無有超過之法，以一切菩薩皆經三阿僧祇劫故。但隨眾生世界不同，所見所聞、根欲性異，故示所行亦有差別。又是菩薩發心相者，有三種心微細之相。云何為三？一者真心，無分別故；二者方便心，自然遍行利益眾生故；三者業識心，微細起滅故。又是菩薩功德成滿，於色究竟處示一切世間最高大身，謂以一念相應慧無明頓盡，名一切種智，自然而有不思議業，能現十方利益眾生。問曰：虛空無邊故世界無邊，世界無邊故眾生無邊，眾生無邊故心行差別亦復無邊，如是境界不可分齊、難知難解。若無明斷無有心想，云何能了名一切種智？答曰：一切境界本來一心離於想念，以眾生妄見境界故心有分齊，以妄起想念不稱法性故不能了知。諸佛如來離於見想無所不遍，心真實故，即是諸法之性自體顯照一切妄法，有大智用無量方便，隨諸眾生所應得解，皆能開示種種法義，是故得名一切種智。問曰：若諸佛有自然業，能現一切處利益眾生者，一切眾生若見其身、若覩神變、若聞其說，無不得利。云何世間多不能見？答曰：諸佛如來法身平等遍一切處無有作意，故說自然。但依眾生心現。眾生心者猶如於鏡，鏡若有垢色像不現。如是眾生心若有垢，法身不現故。

The basic text says: Regarding "distinguishing the characteristics of setting out on the path," it means the path realized by all Buddhas, in the sense that all bodhisattvas generate the mind, practice, and advance toward it. In brief, the generation of the mind has three kinds. What are the three? The first is the generation of mind through the completion of faith; the second is the generation of mind through understanding and practice; the third is the generation of mind through realization. As for the generation of mind through the completion of faith, relying on what kind of person and practicing what kind of cultivation is faith completed so that one is able to generate the mind? Namely, relying on sentient beings of indeterminate destiny who, because they have the power of perfumed wholesome roots, have faith in karma and its retributions and can initiate the ten good deeds, loathe the suffering of birth and death, desire to seek supreme bodhi, happen to meet Buddhas, personally attend to and make offerings to them, and practice faithful mind, completing their faithful mind after passing through ten thousand kalpas. Buddhas and bodhisattvas instruct them to generate the mind, or because of great compassion they are able to generate the mind by themselves, or because the true Dharma is about to perish, by reason of protecting the Dharma, they are able to generate the mind by themselves. Those who complete their faithful mind and come to generate the mind in this way enter the group of the definitely destined, never backslide, and are called those who abide in the lineage of the Tathāgata, in accord with the correct cause. If there are sentient beings whose wholesome roots are minute and few, and whose defilements have been deep and heavy from long ago, even though they happen to meet a Buddha and also manage to make offerings, they nevertheless generate seeds of humans and gods, or generate seeds of the two vehicles. Even if there are those who seek the Mahāyāna, their faculties are indeterminate, either advancing or retreating. Or there are those who make offerings to Buddhas without having passed through ten thousand kalpas, and in the midst of this, encountering conditions, they also generate the mind; that is to say, seeing the physical form of a Buddha they generate their mind, or by reason of making offerings to the Saṅgha they generate their mind, or because people of the two vehicles instruct them they generate the mind, or imitating others they generate the mind. Such generations of mind as these are all indeterminate; upon encountering evil conditions, they may backslide and fall into the stages of the two vehicles. Furthermore, regarding the generation of mind through the completion of faith, what kind of mind is generated? In brief, there are three kinds. What are the three? The first is the straightforward mind, because of correctly contemplating the dharma of tathatā; the second is the profound mind, because of taking joy in gathering all good deeds; the third is the mind of great compassion, because of wishing to pull out the suffering of all sentient beings. Question: It was stated above that the dharmadhātu has one single mark and the Buddha's essence is non-dual. Why do we not solely contemplate tathatā, but also rely on seeking and learning all good practices? Answer: It is like a great maṇi jewel whose essence is clear and pure, yet it has the impurities of ore and grime. Even if a person contemplates the nature of the jewel, if they do not polish it in various ways through skillful means, it can never be made pure. In the same way, the dharma of tathatā in sentient beings is by nature empty and pure, yet it has immeasurable defilements and impurities. Even if a person contemplates tathatā, if they do not cultivate and practice in various ways through skillful means, it also cannot be made pure. Because the defilements are immeasurable and permeate all dharmas, one cultivates all wholesome deeds as an antidote. If a person cultivates all wholesome dharmas, they naturally conform to the dharma of tathatā. In brief, there are four kinds of skillful means. What are the four? The first is the skillful means of the foundation of practice: namely, contemplating that the self-nature of all dharmas is unborn, being free from false views, and not abiding in birth and death; contemplating that all dharmas are a harmonious conjunction of causes and conditions and that karmic fruits are not lost, giving rise to great compassion, cultivating all merits, gathering and transforming sentient beings, and not abiding in nirvāṇa, because of conforming to the non-abiding nature of dharmas. The second is the skillful means of being able to cease [evil]: namely, being ashamed and repenting errors, being able to stop all evil dharmas and not letting them increase, because of conforming to the nature of dharmas being free from all faults. The third is the skillful means of giving rise to wholesome roots and increasing them: namely, diligently making offerings and paying homage to the Three Jewels, praising, rejoicing in, and entreating all Buddhas; because of a genuine and deep mind of loving and revering the Three Jewels, faith increases, and one is then able to aspire to seek the supreme path; furthermore, because of being protected by the power of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, one is able to extinguish karmic hindrances and wholesome roots do not backslide, conforming to the nature of dharmas being free from the hindrance of delusion. The fourth is the skillful means of the great vow of impartiality: namely, making a vow to transform and liberate all sentient beings to the end of the future without remainder, causing all to reach ultimate nirvāṇa without remainder, because of conforming to the uninterrupted nature of dharmas; for the nature of dharmas is vast, pervasively equal and non-dual for all sentient beings, not considering self and other, and ultimately quiescent. Because the bodhisattva generates this mind, they obtain a partial vision of the dharmakāya. Because of seeing the dharmakāya, according to the power of their vows, they can manifest eight kinds of benefits for sentient beings: namely, descending from Tuṣita Heaven, entering the womb, abiding in the womb, emerging from the womb, leaving home, attaining the path, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and entering into nirvāṇa. Yet this bodhisattva is not yet called the dharmakāya, because their outflow-tainted karma from immeasurable past lifetimes has not yet been severed, and in accordance with where they are born, they are associated with subtle suffering; yet they are not bound by karma, because of possessing great power of sovereign conformity. When sūtras say there are those who backslide and fall into evil destinies, it is not an actual backsliding, but is only to cause beginner bodhisattvas who have not entered the correct stage and are indolent to be frightened, so as to make them vigorous. Furthermore, after this bodhisattva once generates the mind, they are far removed from timidity, and ultimately have no fear of falling into the stages of the two vehicles. Even if they hear that one attains nirvāṇa only through diligent, bitter, and difficult practices for immeasurable, boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas, they are also not timid, because they faithfully know that all dharmas have been naturally in nirvāṇa from the very beginning. Regarding the generation of mind through understanding and practice, one should know that it is progressively superior. Because this bodhisattva, from initial correct faith onward, is about to fulfill the first asaṃkhyeya kalpa. In the dharma of tathatā, profound understanding manifests before them and their cultivation is free of marks: knowing that the essence of the nature of dharmas is free of stinginess and greed, they practice the dāna-pāramitā in accordance with it; knowing that the nature of dharmas is unpolluted and free of the faults of the five desires, they practice the śīla-pāramitā according to their aspiration; knowing that the nature of dharmas is without suffering and free of anger and distress, they practice the kṣānti-pāramitā in accordance with it; knowing that the nature of dharmas is without marks of body and mind and free of conceit and indolence, they practice the vīrya-pāramitā in accordance with it; knowing that the nature of dharmas is constantly in concentration and its essence is without distraction, they practice the dhyāna-pāramitā in accordance with it; knowing that the nature of dharmas is fundamentally luminous and free of ignorance, they practice the prajñā-pāramitā in accordance with it. As for the generation of mind through realization, from the stage of the pure mind up to the ultimate stage of a bodhisattva, what realm do they realize? Namely, tathatā. It is spoken of as a realm relying on the evolving consciousness, but this realizer has no realm; only the wisdom of tathatā is called the dharmakāya. This bodhisattva, in a single thought-moment, can reach all worlds of the ten directions without remainder, make offerings to all Buddhas, and entreat them to turn the wheel of the Dharma, solely to instruct and benefit sentient beings, without relying on words. Or they manifest surpassing stages to quickly attain correct awakening, for the sake of timid sentient beings. Or they say, 'I will attain the Buddha-path after immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas,' for the sake of indolent and conceited sentient beings. They are able to manifest countless such inconceivable skillful means, yet in reality the bodhisattvas' lineage and faculties are equal, their generation of mind is equal, and what they realize is also equal, without any dharma of surpassing, because all bodhisattvas pass through three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. It is only according to the differences among sentient beings and worlds—differences in what they see and hear, their faculties, desires, and natures—that their manifested practices also have distinctions. Furthermore, regarding the characteristics of this bodhisattva's generation of mind, there are subtle characteristics of three kinds of mind. What are the three? The first is the true mind, because of being free from discrimination; the second is the skillful-means mind, because of naturally and pervasively acting to benefit sentient beings; the third is the karma-consciousness mind, because of subtle arising and ceasing. Furthermore, when this bodhisattva's merits are fulfilled, they manifest the highest and largest body in all worlds in the Akaniṣṭha heaven: namely, with wisdom associated with a single thought-moment, ignorance is suddenly exhausted, which is called the wisdom of all modes, and they naturally possess inconceivable karma, being able to manifest in the ten directions to benefit sentient beings. Question: Because space is boundless, worlds are boundless; because worlds are boundless, sentient beings are boundless; because sentient beings are boundless, the distinctions in mental activities are also boundless. Such a realm cannot be delimited and is difficult to know and comprehend. If ignorance is severed and there are no thoughts in the mind, how can one comprehend it and call it the wisdom of all modes? Answer: All realms are originally the one mind, free from conceptions and thoughts. Because sentient beings falsely perceive realms, their minds have limitations; because they falsely give rise to thoughts that do not correspond to the nature of dharmas, they cannot comprehend them. All Buddhas, Tathāgatas, are free from views and thoughts and are all-pervading; because their minds are real, that very nature of all dharmas in its own essence clearly illumines all false dharmas, possessing great cognitive function and immeasurable skillful means, and according to what each sentient being ought to comprehend, they are able to reveal all kinds of Dharma meanings. Therefore it is named the wisdom of all modes. Question: If all Buddhas possess spontaneous karma and can manifest everywhere to benefit sentient beings, then if any sentient being sees their body, or witnesses their spiritual transformations, or hears their preaching, none would fail to be benefited. Why is it that the world mostly cannot see them? Answer: The dharmakāya of the Buddhas, Tathāgatas, is impartial and pervasive everywhere without intention, and so is said to be spontaneous. It merely manifests relying on the minds of sentient beings. The minds of sentient beings are like a mirror; if the mirror has dirt, images do not appear. In the same way, if the minds of sentient beings have dirt, the dharmakāya does not appear.