釋摩訶衍論 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

1.2

Composed by Emperor Yao Xing, Heaven-Mandated and of Phoenix-like Majesty

We have heard that the moon-mirror and the sun-jewel abide in the dhyāna-palace of the king of mountains, tread the twin paths, roam through a hundred lands, mount equal contemplation, and reach realms as numerous as the sands of the Ganges; they raise the jewel-canopy of supreme joy and gaze upon the spiritual palace of quiescence and cessation. Although words were heard in the past, awakening had not yet come; the regions as numerous as a hundred Ganges were vast and bewildered in thought, and only now at this time are they finally clarified. Formerly, hearing reports in the streets and awaiting the appointed season of edification, having seen the empty forms of painted traces and gazed behind the realm scattered by the wind, We indeed came face-to-face with the realm of the cintāmaṇi treasury arriving in the eastern border; when the jewels of Indra's net were obtained in this sandy realm, did joy overflow within the heart that acquired them, just as one awaits the turtle and mirror having cast aside and approached the lotus seat of the Jetavana? Did jubilation fill the eyes that gazed outward, as when one reveres the starry shore without turning back from the rising terrace of Wangshu? We are just now unfolding the luxuriant causal flowers in the jeweled grove of the seven limbs of awakening, and planting lotus seeds in the pearl pond of the eight virtues. Dispelling past longings, We immediately hasten to what comes after. Moreover, the golden wheel came of itself from the east, responding to the realm of majesty's gate; the verse of the King of the Way was recorded first, and the spirits of the mountain of jewels and mirrors have already descended. As for the face of the sandy realm and the texts of Māyā, it was once recorded that after eighty thousand [years] in the future the carriage of the wheel would travel east, and five hundred [years] in the past the jewel of awakening would reach the south. As a teaching, it begs the leisure of Avalokiteśvara's eyes and hands to gaze upon and search out gates of teaching surpassing the sands of the Ganges. As meaning, it borrows the efficacy of Indra's net of jewels to illumine and array principles as numerous as dust motes. Through the luminous virtue of the past sage Aśvaghoṣa, it is now fully made manifest. Through the auspicious omen of the wondrous cloud of the great being Nāgārjuna, it opens in all directions; vast and solemn, were it not for tying the saṃnāha in the mountain forests and planting twin causes in the fragrant pond, who could suspend the jewel canopy of expounding the waters before Maitreya, and spread the secret model to be embraced after Śākyamuni? As for the Shi Moheyan lun, it is indeed the secret treasury that fathoms the source of the ocean of nature, the profound discourse that exhausts the root of practice and cause; with its turning stars surpassing the moon-jewel, noble persons cannot discern its ultimate import; with its brocade blossoms reaching the realm of the sun, those who inquire into it cannot fathom its shores. It may be called two suns and moons within a single mountain realm, two emperors within a single world. We heard that its Sanskrit original was formerly in Central India, and sent swift couriers to welcome it with reverence, so that it recently reached the eastern border. In the ninth month, first decade, in the year Xingji, the third year of Hongshi, at Dazhuangyan Monastery, We personally received the brush to edit, reverently translating this treatise. The primary translator was Tripiṭaka Master Vatimatā, the vernacular interpreters were Liu Liantuo and others, and the scribes were Xie Xianjin and others; only after two years from beginning to end was the copying completed. The faces of the two luminaries shine fully down, the eyes of the host of stars are all unrolled, the waters of the rivers are pure and clear, and the waves of the great sea are tranquil; We have not yet had time to detail it all. Bringing forth the golden wheel above the earth, taking Mount Sumeru into the palm—how subtle! The gate of joy pervades the dharmadhātu; how vast! The quiet room enters the tip of a hair. Principles such as this transcend praise by brush and tablet; they are separate from images rendered in colored paintings. In speech, Vimalakīrti would scold Us; in discussion, Subhūti would cast Us out. Yet the words of the Way rest on ending principles in chanting, and halting incorrect expressions in silence; to destroy its terraces and towers does not magnify the great void, and to extinguish its mirrors and jade does not explain the traces of images; We would have no means [to proceed]. Begging brushwork from the moon and the tortoise and rabbit, We venture to offer this humble composition to set forth this preface.

1.4

Composed by Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva

1.5

Translated by Vatimatā, Tripiṭaka Master of the Yao Qin, by Imperial Order

1.6

I bow my head to the Fully Awakened One, to the Dharma-treasury realised by awakening,
as well as to the great beings who compose treatises, and to the assembly of all noble and holy ones.
Wishing to open the gate of obstructive dāna, provisionally revealing the stages of aspiration,
and to benefit all sentient beings, partly to repay the master's kindness.

1.7

The treatise says: Now, in composing this treatise to re-explain the Mahāyāna, it is because I wish to reveal that the essence of my own teacher is deep and abstruse, and its exhaustiveness is subtle and profound; those who have not attained right realization and have not emerged from wrong practice are in dimness and darkness, utterly beyond the realm of peering, surpassing the sphere of thought. Or it is because I wish to cause sentient beings of sharp and dull faculties to open the gate of sudden entry, to reveal the stages of gradual progress, and to enter into the profound principle that is expounded. Or it is because the teacher's nurturing care is exceedingly deep and heavy, so that I may in small part repay the teacher's great kindness. Or it is because I secretly observe that future sentient beings will give rise to hundreds of thousands of disputes and destroy the tenets of the treatise. Or it is because I personally heard and received his āśaya. For these reasons and conditions, this treatise must be composed.

1.8

The basic purpose having been explained, next the divisions of treatises are explained. How many treatises are there? By how many treatises are they subsumed? By what is the Mahāyāna treatise subsumed? The verse says:

1.9

One hundred and nine thousand works
Are subsumed in total under ten treatises:
The Makara, Bhadra, Uśama, Jātha,
Vanadeśa Treatise, Abhūti, Varma,
Hūha, Mahāsaṃnāha,
And Garbhamakara subsume them.

1.10

The treatise says: Collecting in general the various treatises of an entire generation, there are in total one hundred and nine thousand works. Such treatises are subsumed under ten in total. What are the ten? First, the Makara Treatise; second, the Bhadra Treatise; third, the Uśama Treatise; fourth, the Jātha Treatise; fifth, the Vanadeśa Treatise; sixth, the Abhūti Treatise; seventh, the Varma Treatise; eighth, the Hūha Treatise; ninth, the Mahāsaṃnāha Treatise; tenth, the Garbha Treatise. These are called the ten. The Mahāyāna treatise is subsumed under the Cintāmaṇi Treatise. How many treatises were composed by Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva? How many texts and how many meanings? By what is the Mahāyāna treatise subsumed? The verse says:

1.11

There are one hundred works in total;
Ninety-nine kinds of texts
Are subsumed by ten kinds of meanings;
This treatise is subsumed under the Precious Tome.

1.12

The treatise says: The treatises composed by Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva number one hundred works in total. Among the one hundred works, ninety-nine kinds are subsumed under treatises of ornate text, while the remaining ten kinds of treatises are subsumed under treatises that encapsulate meaning. What are the names of the ten treatises that encapsulate meaning in the Precious Tome of this treatise? Are their expositions identical or different? The verse says:

1.13

Pervading All and Returning to the Real,
The Inner Treasury and the Subtle,
Uniting in One and Samādhi,
The Purity and Original Source Treatises,
The Abstruse Principle and the Awakening of Faith Treatises
Establish the very same characteristic.

1.14

The treatise says: What are the ten? First, the Treatise on the Pervasion of the One Mind; second, the Treatise on Integrating the Conventional and Returning to the Real; third, the Treatise on the Inner Treasury of the Dharmadhātu; fourth, the Treatise on the Secret and Subtle; fifth, the Treatise on the Union of All Destinies; sixth, the Treatise on the Samādhi of Tathatā; seventh, the Treatise on the Purity of the Mind-Nature; eighth, the Treatise on the Immovable Original Source; ninth, the Treatise on the Profound and Abstruse Principle; tenth, the Treatise on Awakening of Faith in the Mahāyāna. These are called the ten. Although the number of these ten treatises is distinct, what they establish has the same single characteristic.

1.15

The divisions of treatises having been explained, next the divisions of the piṭakas are explained. How many piṭakas are there? By how many piṭakas are they subsumed? By what is the Mahāyāna treatise subsumed? The verse says:

1.16

Either fifty-one piṭakas,
Or only ten as in the sūtras;
Subsumed in total under the three piṭakas,
The treatise is either comprehensive or specific.

1.17

The treatise says: 'Fifty-one' is due to distinguishing causes and effects, manifesting merits, and guiding practitioners. In the Vajra Sūtra it is said: The Buddha told the sons of the Buddha: 'With unhindered speech I shall explain and disclose for you fifty causal piṭakas and one fruition piṭaka.' Therefore, there are also ten piṭakas. What are the ten? First, establishing only one piṭaka to subsume all dharmas in general, namely the Dharmadhātu Dharmacakra Piṭaka. In the Paripūrṇa Sūtra it is said: 'Of all sounds spoken by all sentient beings, none are not subsumed under the Tathāgata's sound of the wheel of Dharma.' Second, establishing two piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely the Śrāvakapiṭaka and the Bodhisattvapiṭaka. In the Dhāraṇī Sūtra it is said: 'Although the Dharma-gates are boundless, they do not exceed two kinds of piṭakas.' Third, establishing three piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Tathāgatapiṭaka. In the Prabhā Sūtra it is said: 'All the Buddhas exceeding the sands of the Ganges will preach only the Śrāvaka-dharmapiṭaka, the Bodhisattva-dharmapiṭaka, and the Tathāgata-dharmapiṭaka, and no other path.' Fourth, establishing four piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Pudgalapiṭaka. In the Bodhipakṣa Sūtra it is said: 'Sons of the Buddha, listen attentively, I shall explain for you: the piṭaka of benevolence, the piṭaka of righteousness, the piṭaka of propriety, the piṭaka of wisdom, and the piṭaka of faith, together with the Śrāvakapiṭaka, the Bodhisattvapiṭaka, and the Dharma-piṭaka of Great Awakening. Why is this? Because it is the sequential Dharma of gradual advancement for all practitioners.' Fifth, establishing five piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Devapiṭaka. In the Devaputra Sūtra it is said: The Buddha said to Yelun: 'The empty nature of the ineffably pure recompense—I broadly expound for the great assembly the pure piṭaka, the human piṭaka, together with the two vehicles' piṭaka, and the Dharma-piṭaka of Great Awakening of all Buddhas.' Sixth, establishing six piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Naraka Piṭaka. In the Bhaya Sūtra it is said: 'Without moving from my seat, I analytically explain the eighty-four thousand naraka piṭakas, alongside the five kinds of piṭakas previously explained.' Seventh, establishing seven piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Marakuṭāya Piṭaka. In the Banmu Sūtra it is said: 'I now truthfully explain for the great assembly of one hundred million seventy-three thousand, including Banmu and others, the fifty-one thousand three hundred and two kinds of ghost and spirit destiny piṭakas, alongside the six kinds of piṭakas previously explained.' Eighth, establishing eight piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Gandhādanavat Piṭaka. In the Nāgarāja Sūtra it is said: 'Nanda the Nāgarāja raised eight thousand questions to ask the Tathāgata, and the Buddha unfolded one billion animal destiny piṭakas, alongside the seven kinds of piṭakas previously explained.' Ninth, establishing nine piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Bhājanajagat Piṭaka. In the Lokadhātu Sūtra it is said: 'At that time the World-Honoured One addressed the tree deity, saying: "Excellent, excellent, as you have spoken! If you wish to hear, I shall now explain for you the piṭaka of the basis of support, alongside the eight kinds of piṭakas previously explained."' Tenth, establishing ten piṭakas to subsume all dharmas in general, namely by adding the Saṃkīrṇa Piṭaka. In the Śabda Sūtra it is said: 'I now disclose eight kinds of miscellaneous piṭakas, alongside the nine kinds of piṭakas previously explained.' These are called the ten. Such piṭakas subsume in total one billion and eight thousand Dharma-piṭakas. The fundamental three piṭakas alternatively subsume the ten piṭakas. What are the three? First, the Sūtrapiṭaka; second, the Vinayapiṭaka; third, the Abhidharmapiṭaka. These are called the three. The Mahāyāna treatise is either subsumed under all piṭakas, or subsumed exclusively under the Abhidharmapiṭaka; therefore the verse says: 'either comprehensive or specific.' 'Comprehensive' means universally comprehensive; 'specific' means selective. Holding to the dharmas of practice in accordance with requirements without losing them, it is therefore named 'piṭaka.'

1.18

The divisions of piṭakas having been explained, next the divisions of sūtras are explained. How many sūtras are there? By how many sūtras are they subsumed? On what sūtras does the present Mahāyāna treatise rely? The verse says:

1.19

A total of one hundred lakṣas in number,
Subsumed under the twelve divisions of sūtras:
Sūtra, geya, and vyākaraṇa,
Gāthā, udāna, along with nidāna,
Avadāna sūtras, itivṛttaka,
Jātaka, vaipulya, adbhutadharma,
And upadeśa sūtras;
Its reliance is either comprehensive or specific.

1.20

The commentary states: In general, compiling all the various sūtras of the [Buddha's] entire teaching period, there are one hundred billion divisions; all such sūtras are subsumed under twelve divisions. What are the twelve? The first is sūtra, the second is geya, the third is vyākaraṇa, the fourth is gāthā, the fifth is udāna, the sixth is nidāna, the seventh is avadāna, the eighth is itivṛttaka, the ninth is jātaka, the tenth is vaipulya, the eleventh is adbhutadharma, and the twelfth is upadeśa; these are called the twelve. The fundamental sūtras upon which the Commentary on the Mahāyāna relies are either general or specific. 'General' means universally general; 'specific' means differentiated and distinct. The text of the Commentary on the Mahāyāna is narrow, its lines few, and extremely minute; why then does it universally rely on an ocean of immeasurable and boundless sūtras? Because it is like *vasa-eka-no* and like *tāratat-ti*; therefore there is no fault. As for the sūtras specifically relied upon, what is their number? What are their names? How many retinues does each have? A verse states:

1.21

In total there are one hundred sūtras,
Beginning with the Sūtra of Radiant Great Awakening and so forth;
The first fifty each have one hundred,
The latter fifty each have one thousand.

1.22

The commentary states: The sūtras specifically relied upon by the Commentary on the Mahāyāna are one hundred in total. What are the hundred? The first is the Sūtra of Radiant Great Awakening, the second is the Sūtra of Profound Conformity with the Principle, the third is the Vajrasamādhi Sūtra, the fourth is the Sūtra of the Inaction of All Dharmas, the fifth is the Sūtra of Preaching the Dharma in the Forest, the sixth is the Sūtra of the Inexhaustible One Stage, the seventh is the Sūtra of Pure Suchness, the eighth is the Sūtra of Self-nature and Own-essence, the ninth is the Sūtra of the Mahāyāna's Identical Nature, the tenth is the Ālayavijñāna Sūtra, the eleventh is the Sūtra of the Perfect Fruition, the twelfth is the Sūtra of Being Equal to Space, the thirteenth is the Sūtra of the Three Samādhis, the fourteenth is the Sūtra of the Dharma of One Mind, the fifteenth is the Sūtra of Inherent Cognitive Wisdom, the sixteenth is the Sūtra of the True Dharmadhātu, the seventeenth is the Sūtra of Gathering the Immeasurable, the eighteenth is the Sūtra of the Utmost Culmination, the nineteenth is the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, the twentieth is the Laṅkāvatāra King Sūtra, the twenty-first is the Sūtra of the Middle and Real, the twenty-second is the Sūtra of Beginninglessness, the twenty-third is the Sūtra of Ten Causes, the twenty-fourth is the Sūtra of Transmigration, the twenty-fifth is the Sūtra of the Cloud of Compassion, the twenty-sixth is the Sūtra of the Mind as a Receptacle, the twenty-seventh is the Sūtra of Having No Position, the twenty-eighth is the Sūtra of the Worthies and Sages, the twenty-ninth is the Sūtra of the Hidden and Secret, the thirtieth is the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the thirty-first is the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra, the thirty-second is the Sūtra of Complete Quiescence, the thirty-third is the Sūtra of the Noble Norm, the thirty-fourth is the Sūtra of Universal Conditioning, the thirty-fifth is the Sūtra of Perfuming, the thirty-sixth is the Buddha-Nature Sūtra, the thirty-seventh is the Sūtra of the Profound Principle, the thirty-eighth is the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, the thirty-ninth is the Original Karma Sūtra, the fortieth is the Sūtra of the Lofty Mountain of Skandhas, the forty-first is the Sūtra of Returning to the Origin, the forty-second is the Sūtra of True Cultivation, the forty-third is the Sūtra of Eight Virtues, the forty-fourth is the Sūtra of Buddha Wisdom, the forty-fifth is the Sūtra of Dependent Origination, the forty-sixth is the Sūtra of One Essence, the forty-seventh is the Sūtra of One's Own Buddha Wisdom, the forty-eighth is the Great Ocean Sūtra, the forty-ninth is the Sūtra of Signlessness, the fiftieth is the Sūtra of Pervasive Tathatā, the fifty-first is the Sūtra of the Ten Kinds of Tathāgatagarbha, the fifty-second is the Sūtra of the Innate Existence of the Three Bodies, the fifty-third is the Sūtra of Comprehending Conditions via the Eight Consciousnesses, the fifty-fourth is the Sūtra of the Equal Dharma of the Bodies of Sentient Beings, the fifty-fifth is the Sūtra of the Inexhaustible Treasury of All Buddhas, the fifty-sixth is the Sūtra of Praising the Unwholesome Dharmas, the fifty-seventh is the Sūtra of All Dharmas Having One and the Same Characteristic, the fifty-eighth is the Sūtra of Contemplating the Single Essence of Great Compassion, the fifty-ninth is the Sūtra of the Original Wisdom of Suchness, the sixtieth is the Sūtra of Lands in Every Particle of the Dharmadhātu, the sixty-first is the Sūtra of the Original Limit of Transmigration, the sixty-second is the Sūtra of the Wheel of Dharma of the Dharmadhātu, the sixty-third is the Sūtra of the Inherent Existence of Great Wisdom, the sixty-fourth is the Sūtra of the Equal Dharmadhātu, the sixty-fifth is the Sūtra of the Constant Abiding of the Four Marks, the sixty-sixth is the Sūtra of the Single Characteristic of Tathatā, the sixty-seventh is the Sūtra of Transmigration Being Motionless, the sixty-eighth is the Sūtra of Quiet Nirvāṇa, the sixty-ninth is the Sūtra of Comprehending Sound, the seventieth is the Sūtra of the Tathāgata's Own Characteristics, the seventy-first is the Lady [Śrīmālā] Sūtra, the seventy-second is the Dharma-Gate Sūtra, the seventy-third is the Sūtra of Eight Similes, the seventy-fourth is the Sūtra of Abiding within the Center, the seventy-fifth is the Dhāraṇī Sūtra, the seventy-sixth is the Sūtra of Immovability, the seventy-seventh is the Sūtra of Two Kinds of Wisdom, the seventy-eighth is the Sūtra of the Wisdom of the Way, the seventy-ninth is the Original Awakening Sūtra, the eightieth is the Great Immeasurable Sūtra, the eighty-first is the Sūtra of the Spontaneous Original Fruition, the eighty-second is the Sūtra of the Profound Dharma Treasury, the eighty-third is the Sūtra of the Purity of the Single Path, the eighty-fourth is the Sūtra of the Ten Kinds of Deluded Thoughts, the eighty-fifth is the Sūtra of the Manifest Dharma Gate, the eighty-sixth is the Sūtra of the Perfection of the Realm, the eighty-seventh is the Sūtra of Radiant True Wisdom, the eighty-eighth is the Sūtra of Cause and Effect Having the Same Substance, the eighty-ninth is the Sūtra of the Mind-Spirit Not Being Empty, the ninetieth is the Sūtra of the Practice of the Unborn True Wisdom, the ninety-first is the Sūtra of Unobstructed Liberation, the ninety-second is the Sūtra of Increase in Accord with Conditions, the ninety-third is the Sūtra of the Reality Limit of Dharmatā, the ninety-fourth is the Vast Space Sūtra, the ninety-fifth is the Sūtra of Dependent Origination of the Original Cause, the ninety-sixth is the Sūtra of All Dharmas Being Unconditioned, the ninety-seventh is the Sūtra of Original Purity, the ninety-eighth is the Sūtra of the Stages of Yogic Practice, the ninety-ninth is the Sūtra of Complete Virtues without Cultivation, and the hundredth is the Mahā-sarvajña Sūtra; these are called the hundred. The retinues of these hundred sūtras are, in order, one hundred each for the first half, and one thousand each for the second half. Having presented the titles of these sūtras as belonging to the outline of the treatise, below they will be unfolded and explained following the text.

1.23

Having spoken of the distinctions of the sūtras, next we discuss the author of the treatise. How many different accounts of him are there in the sūtras? Where is Master Aśvaghoṣa subsumed at present? A verse states:

1.24

There are six Aśvaghoṣas in total,
Due to the different accounts in the sūtras;
Yet because they respond according to capacities,
There is no fault of mutual contradiction.

1.25

The commentary states: In general, gathering the various differing passages throughout the sūtras of [the Buddha's] entire teaching period, there are six kinds in all. What are the six? First, it is stated thus in the Mahāyāna Original Dharma Sūtra: When the Unsurpassed Great Awakened Honoured One spoke of the conditions of entering nirvāṇa, Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa immediately rose from his seat, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, joined his palms in reverent devotion, and addressed the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, in verse:

1.26

“The Unsurpassed Honoured One, fulfilled in Great Compassion,
Having completed myriad practices across an ocean of boundless kalpas,
Solely out of compassion for the multitude of living beings,
Has Himself declared, O Buddha, that You will enter nirvāṇa.
I and all the great assembly
Are bewildered in darkness and have lost our senses.
Even the World-Honoured One, fulfilled in Great Compassion,
Abandons His own sons and departs to another realm;
How much more for me, whose compassion is not yet fulfilled:
If I follow the Buddha and depart to another realm, who could blame me?”

1.27

At that time, having spoken this verse, Aśvaghoṣa gazed into the Buddha's eyes and slowly died of his own accord. Second, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Merits of Transformation: At that time, the World-Honoured One told Aśvaghoṣa: “More than three hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, you shall receive my sustaining power, and by various skillful means bring benefit and peace to the sentient beings of the final age. If I did not confer sustaining power, you would not be able to do so on your own.” Third, it is stated thus in the Mahāmāyā Sūtra: Six hundred years after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, the wrong views of the ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists will contend and flourish, destroying the Buddha's Dharma. There will be a monk named Aśvaghoṣa who will skillfully expound the essentials of the Dharma and subdue all the non-Buddhists. Fourth, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Samādhi of Constant Virtue: Within eight hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, there will be a wise person named Aśvaghoṣa, among either the non-Buddhists or the Buddhists, who will refute the non-Buddhists and establish the Buddha's Dharma. Fifth, it is stated thus in the Mani Purity Sūtra: More than one hundred years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa, the Great Being Aśvaghoṣa will appear in the world, guard and protect the true Dharma, and erect the Buddha banner. Sixth, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Supreme Crown King: On the seventeenth day after the Tathāgata attained awakening, there was a non-Buddhist named Kāraṇakusuma who transformed his body into a great dragon king, manifesting eighty-six thousand heads and eighty-six thousand tongues, simultaneously raising eighty-six thousand contradictory and challenging questions to ask the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata then provided a threefold reply to resolve those acute difficulties. Thereupon the dragon king further raised tenfold questions to ask the Tathāgata, and the Tathāgata then provided a hundredfold reply to resolve those acute difficulties. After they had thus questioned and answered, the Buddha said to the dragon king: “Excellent, excellent, Śramaṇa Aśvaghoṣa! To protect the citadel of the Dharma, you establish the Buddha's Dharma through the appearance of destruction. Endure it, endure it! Always cultivate thus, always practice thus; do not wander in a limited way, wander everywhere.” Thereupon the dragon king resumed his original form, relinquishing his animal appearance, bowed his head in veneration before the Unsurpassed Honoured One, and with a joyful countenance addressed the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, in verse:

1.28

“The words ‘Excellent, excellent’
Have passed through and been heard by my ears;
Whether it is provisional or real in itself
Has raised extreme doubt in my mind.
I do not have an animal body,
Nor do I belong to the non-Buddhist groups;
Rather, assisting transformation for the sake of living beings,
I transformed into such a shape.
The World-Honoured One knows, as in a mirror,
That after disappearing from this realm,
I shall appear in other worlds,
Wandering everywhere in accord with the teaching.”

1.29

At that time, having spoken this verse, Aśvaghoṣa entered a quiet chamber as if entering meditative absorption. These are called the six. As such sūtras each give distinct accounts, they manifest in response to different capacities, without the fault of mutual contradiction. At what stage was Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa? In what city was he born? For what reason was he named Aśvaghoṣa? A verse states:

1.30

Originally the Great Radiant Buddha,
In the causal state he was at the Immovable Stage;
Appearing in Western India,
He received his name from the past.

1.31

The commentary states: If we investigate his origin, Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa was the Great Radiant Buddha; if we discuss his causal state, he was a bodhisattva abiding in the eighth bhūmi. He was born in Western India; Loka was his father and Guṇa was his mother, together bringing benefit to beings. In a past age, there was a great king named Ruṇḍa who possessed a thousand white birds, all with sweet voices. If the birds made their sounds, the great king's virtue increased; if they did not make their sounds, the great king's virtue diminished. When these birds saw white horses, they would make their sounds; when they did not see them, they never made any sound. At that time, the great king sought white horses everywhere and could not find any all day long, so he spoke thus: “If the non-Buddhists make these birds sing, I will completely destroy the Buddhist teachings and solely honour and solely believe [in theirs]. If the disciples of the Buddha make these birds sing, I will completely destroy the non-Buddhist teachings and solely honour and solely believe [in the Buddha's].” At that time, using his supernormal powers, the Bodhisattva manifested a thousand white horses to make the thousand white birds sing, thereby continuing and exalting the true Dharma so that it was not cut off. For this reason, the World-Honoured One named him Aśvaghoṣa [Horse-Neigh].

1.32

Having spoken of the distinct characteristics of the person, next the root text is recited to provide the commentary.

1.33

The root text states:

1.34

I take refuge in Him who pervades all the ten directions,
Of supreme deeds and universal knowledge,
Whose forms are unobstructed and unhindered,
The Great Compassionate One who rescues the world.

1.35

The commentary states: In this single verse there are two gates. What are the two? The first is the gate of universally gathering the lives of all beings, and the second is the gate of taking refuge in the Fully Awakened One.

1.36

As for the gate of universally gathering, it is because it comprehensively gathers all the life-roots of sentient beings existing throughout all realms of the ten directions, as in the root text's “the lives [of all beings] throughout the ten directions.”

1.37

As for the gate of taking refuge, it is because one employs these lives of sentient beings to take refuge in and unite with the One fulfilled in Great Compassion, as in the root text's taking refuge in “Him of supreme deeds and universal knowledge, whose forms are unobstructed and unhindered, the Great Compassionate One who rescues the world.” How many virtues does the treatise master cite to praise the Great Awakened Honoured One? What are their respective characteristics? A verse states:

1.38

In total there are eighty-four thousand
And forty-eight kinds of virtues:
‘Supreme’ and so forth each have ten,
‘Wisdom’ and ‘unobstructed’ each have four,
And eighty-four thousand
Due to the distinctions of physical marks;
Though merits are immeasurable,
They ultimately do not exceed this count.

1.39

The commentary says: Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa comprehensively presents eighty-four thousand and forty-eight kinds of virtues to reverently praise the unsurpassed Great Awakening. Although the pure categories of virtues in the state of fruition of buddhahood are measureless and boundless, they never exceed this number; therefore Aśvaghoṣa praises them under their general characteristics. What are the eighty-four thousand virtues? They amount to eighty-four thousand on account of the differences in physical characteristics and marks. What are the forty? The supreme, the activities, and the pervasive each have ten kinds; hence they make up the number of forty. What are the eight? The knowledges and the unobstructed [knowledges] each have four kinds; hence they make up the eight kinds. What are the ten supremes? First is the supreme surpassing, because of being far removed from the stages of the two vehicles; second is the supreme renunciation, because of being eternally free from the realm of the three worlds; third is the supreme antidotal treatment, because of instantly severing the four stages of dwelling; fourth is the supreme disgust, because of having transcended the settlement of the five aggregates; fifth is the supreme freedom from craving, because of eternally departing from the divergent paths of the six destinies; sixth is the supreme majestic power, because of repelling the seven evil armies; seventh is the supreme troop of soldiers, because of completely extinguishing the forest of the eight wrong [views]; eighth is the supreme sword of wisdom, because of cleanly severing the bond of the nine fetters; ninth is the supreme liberation, because of cutting off the cords of the ten entanglements; tenth is the supreme courage, because of subjugating the ninety-six kinds of heterodox paths. These are called the ten supremes, which are ten kinds of foremost qualities in the sūtras. What are the ten superiorities? First is superiority in powers, because of being endowed with the ten powers; second is superiority in fearlessness, because of being endowed with the four fearlessnesses; third is superiority in uniqueness, because of being endowed with the eighteen unshared dharmas; fourth is superiority in the factors of awakening, because of being endowed with the thirty-seven factors of awakening; fifth is superiority in transformations, because of being endowed with hundreds of thousands of kinds of transformations; sixth is superiority in voice, because of being endowed with the eighty-eight Brahmā voices; seventh is superiority in dignifying marks, because of being endowed with the thirty-two marks of a great man; eighth is superiority in auspiciousness, because of generating and increasing virtues and wholesome roots wherever objects of experience are formed; ninth is superiority in rarity, because of being the uniquely honored one in the three worlds; tenth is superiority in dwelling place, because the palace one inhabits is adorned with ninety-eight thousand subtle perfections. These are called the ten superiorities, which are ten kinds of excellence in the sūtras. What are the ten activities? First is the spontaneous activity, because what is done is sovereign; second is the impartial activity, because teaching, transforming, and benefiting are without distinction; third is the responsive activity, because of appearing according to capacity; fourth is the complete activity, because of perfecting the two provisions of merit and wisdom; fifth is the inexhaustible activity, because of having no boundaries; sixth is the co-birth activity, because of taking rebirth in accordance with the destinies; seventh is the unattached activity, because of being far removed from worldly defilements like a lotus flower; eighth is the reliance activity, because of serving as a place of refuge like the great earth; ninth is the tireless activity, because of gathering beings limitlessly like the great ocean; tenth is the penetrating activity, because of being unobstructed like empty space. These are called the ten activities, which are ten kinds of functions in the sūtras. What are the ten pervasions? First is the pervasion of faculties, because each and every one of the Buddha's physical faculties pervades the dharmadhātu; second is the pervasion of consciousness, because there is nowhere the Buddha's mental consciousnesses do not reach; third is the pervasion of objects, because the objective support of the perfect wisdom has no boundaries; fourth is the pervasion of lifespan, because of being inconceivable; fifth is the pervasion of retinue, because of being immeasurable; sixth is the pervasion of virtues, because each virtue is equal to the realm of empty space; seventh is the pervasion of compassion, because of being without discrimination; eighth is the pervasion of speech, because there is nowhere the sound of the Buddha's speech does not reach; ninth is the pervasion of realization, because there is nothing it does not fathom; tenth is the pervasion of matchlessness, because none can equal it. These are called the ten pervasions, which are ten kinds of omnipresence in the sūtras. What are the four knowledges? First is the knowledge that is an inexhaustible store of radiance, because it can produce one billion and one thousand gates of wisdom; second is the knowledge of one taste and one characteristic, because it penetrates all dharmas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges, without distinction; third is the knowledge of boundless great compassion, because whenever a single transformation arises, it completely fills all worlds of the ten directions; fourth is the unconditioned knowledge of quiescent cessation, because it is far removed from all initiating and doing of activities. These are called the four knowledges, which are four kinds of perfect knowledge in the sūtras. What are the four unobstructed [knowledges]? First is unobstructed [knowledge] of dharmas, because of comprehending the true characteristic and true nature of all dharmas; second is unobstructed [knowledge] of meaning, because of comprehending both the common and distinctive characteristics as well as the arising and ceasing characteristics of all dharmas; third is unobstructed [knowledge] of phrasing, because of explaining the true characteristic without destroying provisional designations; fourth is unobstructed [knowledge] of confident speech, because of uttering the ocean of boundless words and sūtras sequentially without interruption. These are called the four unobstructed [knowledges], which are four kinds of liberating knowledge in the sūtras. The word 'sovereignty' applies generally to all of the above, and is therefore not explained separately. The names and meanings of the physical characteristics and marks are extensively revealed as in the Great Dhāraṇī. Having explained the jewel of awakening, next the Dharma and the Saṅgha are explained.

1.40

The root [text] says:

1.41

And the essence and marks of their bodies,
the ocean of tathatā of dharma-nature,
the inexhaustible store of measureless virtues,
those who practice in accordance with reality, and so forth.

1.42

The commentary says: In this single verse there are again two approaches. What are the two? First is the approach of the essence gathering all beings' bodies; second is the approach of comprehensively reaching the Saṅgha of the Dharma-store. The approach of gathering the essence means gathering all the impermanent bodies of measureless sentient beings that undergo arising, ceasing, and transmigration; hence the root [text says], 'the essence and marks of their bodies.' The approach of comprehensively reaching means that with these bodies of beings one comprehensively reaches all those who practice in accordance with reality throughout the profound Dharma-stores; hence the root [text says], 'and the ocean of tathatā of dharma-nature, the store of measureless virtues, those who practice in accordance with reality.' The word 'and so forth' broadly conveys the sense of bowing in reverence. In reliance on how many [aspects of] Dharma and Saṅgha does the treatise master bow in reverence? What are their characteristics? The verse says:

1.43

Altogether taking refuge in fourteen,
because the Saṅgha is ten and the Dharma four;
or because of combining the higher and lower,
there are many classes of the saṅgha assembly.

1.44

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.'

1.45

Having explained the Dharma and the Saṅgha, next the fundamental purpose is explained.

1.46

The root [text] says:

1.47

Wishing to cause sentient beings
to eliminate doubts and abandon wrong attachments,
arouse correct faith in the Mahāyāna,
and keep the lineage of buddhas from being cut off.

1.48

The commentary says: In this single verse there are two approaches. What are the two? First is the approach of severing obstacles and fetters; second is the approach of continuing liberation. Within the approach of severing there are four distinctions. What are the four? First is the approach of decisive faith: to cause all measureless sentient beings to eliminate doubting minds, arouse firm faith, and become resolute in the profound, correct path of the Mahāyāna. Second is the approach of abandoning the mind of renunciation: to cause all measureless sentient beings to be free from weary abandonment, increase their yearning aspirations, and make vigorous progress in the profound, correct path of the Mahāyāna. Third is the approach of counteracting heterodox treatises: to counteract the ninety-six kinds of great heterodox teachers, their ninety-three thousand heterodox retinues, the four kinds of great māras, their thirty-two thousand demonic retinues, and eliminate one hundred million forty-six thousand kinds of worldly treatises, so as to enter into the profound, correct path of the Mahāyāna. Fourth is the approach of dispelling attachments: to cause all measureless ordinary beings, the two vehicles, and all bodhisattvas to cut off the five kinds of views of a person and realize the five kinds of antidotes, and to cut off the two kinds of attachment to dharmas and realize the two kinds of antidotes, dedicating [themselves] toward the profound, correct path of the Mahāyāna. Hence the root [text says], 'Wishing to cause sentient beings to eliminate doubts and abandon wrong attachments, arouse correct faith in the Mahāyāna.' Within the approach of continuation there are three distinctions. What are the three? First is the approach of not cutting off the Great Awakening: to cause the causes of the myriad practices to be accumulated and the fruit of the Great Awakening to be adorned, so that the unsurpassed Dharma King is not cut off. Second is the approach of not cutting off the Dharma-store: to cause the excellent, wondrous Brahmā voice to appear and proclaim the ocean of all sūtras, so that the eighty-four thousand Dharma-stores are not cut off. Third is the approach of not cutting off the Saṅgha: to cause the great path before and on the grounds to be cultivated and the palace of the tathatā dharmadhātu to be established, abiding in the two Saṅghas of correct and posterior without being cut off. Hence the root [text says], 'and keep the lineage of buddhas from being cut off.' What is the scope of the word 'sentient beings' in the verse? In order to counteract what kinds of interruptions is the non-interruption of the Three Jewels established? The verse says:

1.49

Universally gathering the persons of the three groups,
because they have not yet attained perfection;
counteracting the four kinds of interruption,
the three non-interruptions are established.

1.50

The commentary says: Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa comprehensively takes the three groups [of beings] as his realm of focus. Why is this? Because they have not yet realized the fulfilled fruit. However, the gate of the three groups has three kinds. What are the three? First, those prior to the ten faiths are called the group of wrong determination, because they are unable to have faith in karma and retributive fruition. Those of the three stages of worthiness and the ten stages of sageliness are called the group of right determination, because they are decisively established in the stage of non-retrogression. Those with the ten kinds of faithful minds are called the indeterminate group, because they may advance or regress, not yet being decisively settled. Second, those prior to the ten faiths along with those of the ten faithful minds are called the group of wrong determination, because they all lack wholesome roots. The fruit of unexcelled great awakening is called the group of right determination, because it has already reached fulfillment. Those of the three stages of worthiness and the ten stages of sageliness are called the indeterminate group, because none have yet reached the ultimate. Third, those prior to the ten faiths are called the group of wrong determination, because they lack the aspiration to seek [the Dharma]. Those of the ten stages of sageliness are called the group of right determination, because they have already attained true realization. Those of the ten faiths and the three stages of worthiness are called the indeterminate group, because they have not yet attained right realization. These are the three. Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa takes the first of these gates, and in order to counter four kinds of cessation, establishes the meaning of the non-cessation of the Three Jewels. What are the four? First is the cessation caused by doubt: through a wavering mind one cannot be decisive, thereby severing the seed of the Three Jewels. Second is the cessation caused by aversion and renunciation: through a mind that clings to existence one cannot delight in the Dharma, thereby severing the seed of the Three Jewels. Third is the cessation caused by wrong views: through a mind of false conceptualization one cannot attain right view, thereby severing the seed of the Three Jewels. Fourth is the cessation caused by fixed grasping: through a mind grasping at substantial existence one cannot abandon clinging, thereby severing the seed of the Three Jewels. These are named the four cessations. Having explained the primary intent, next the general substance is presented.

1.51

The root [text] says: There is a teaching that can awaken the root of faith in the Mahāyāna; therefore it should be explained.

1.52

The commentary says: In this passage there are two gates. What are the two? The first is the gate of what can enter; the second is the gate of what is entered. As for 'the gate of what can enter,' it is because it skillfully gains entry into the principle to be explained. As for 'the gate of what is entered,' it is because it skillfully serves as the support for that teaching. 'There is a teaching' generally indicates the sixteen dharmas of the gate of what can enter. 'Can awaken the root of faith' generally indicates the characteristics of the operations of the dharmas of the gate. 'Mahāyāna' generally indicates the substance of the sixteen dharmas entered, along with the non-dual substance of the Mahāyāna. Faith is the mind of decisive advancement, and the root is the practice that produces and grows; if one seeks to enter the principle, nothing surpasses these two, hence it is said 'the root of faith.' Furthermore, 'faith' refers to the ten faiths, and 'root' refers to [the stages] from the stage of first arousing the mind up to the stage of the Cloud of Dharma (dharmameghā-bhūmi). Why is this? Because initial faith lacks a root and advances or regresses according to conditions, like the bandhuka-ima flower; whereas later faith becomes increasingly superior, firm and immovable, like the kankuva-amile tree. How many meanings does the root of faith have, and what are their respective characteristics? The verse says:

1.53

Each has ten kinds of meaning, / Such as clarifying and descending, and so forth.

1.54

The commentary says: Faith has ten kinds of meaning. What are the ten? First is the meaning of clarifying, because it can cause the nature of the mind to be pure and clear. Second is the meaning of decisiveness, because it can cause the nature of the mind to be genuine and firm. Third is the meaning of rejoicing, because it can eliminate all sorrows and afflictions. Fourth is the meaning of tirelessness, because it can eliminate the mind of indolence. Fifth is the meaning of sympathetic joy, because it gives rise to a shared aspiration with the superior practices of others. Sixth is the meaning of veneration, because it does not belittle those who possess virtue. Seventh is the meaning of accord, because it does not oppose whatever is seen and heard. Eighth is the meaning of praise, because it wholeheartedly extols those superior practices. Ninth is the meaning of indestructibility, because abiding in single-minded focus, it does not forget or lose [its object]. Tenth is the meaning of love and delight, because it can bring about the fulfillment of the mind of loving-kindness and compassion. These are named the ten. The root has ten kinds of meaning. What are the ten? First is the meaning of descending, because it can eliminate arrogance. Second is the meaning of concealment, because it can express the profound principle. Third is the meaning of giving rise, because it produces and grows all kinds of merits. Fourth is the meaning of firmness, because it upholds everything without deficiency or loss. Fifth is the meaning of continuity, because it increases stage by stage without cessation. Sixth is the meaning of departure, because growing superior from ground to ground, it gradually distances [itself from faults]. Seventh is the meaning of assembly, because it cultivates and gathers the various dharmas of the factors of the path. Eighth is the meaning of flourishing, because being adorned by the virtues of all practices, it is exceedingly lovely and delightful. Ninth is the meaning of full possession, because in the stage of equal awakening, it fulfills causal practices. Tenth is the meaning of exalted superiority, because in the fruit of wondrous awakening, it is most supreme and vast, unable to be surpassed. These are named the ten. The various distinctions between what enters and what is entered will naturally be clearly explained in the chapter on Setting Forth the Meaning.

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釋摩訶衍論 — Classical Chinese