大般若波羅蜜多經般若理趣分述讚 3.113

3.113

The Commentary says: From here below is the direct exposition. Because of practicing correct offerings while in the causal stage, they later become pure causes. Within this there are three: first, the practice of cultivation; next, the practice of observation; and last, the practice of Dharma practice. This is the first [part]. Within it there are again three: first, the practice of generating the mind; next, the practice of gathering and protecting; and last, the practice of cultivation. Among all offerings, the offering of Dharma is the most supreme. The 'Assembly of the Heavenly Kings' says: 'Two persons stay away from king and thief, etc., / The great jewel treasury that cannot be invaded; / For hundreds of thousands of myriads of kalpas the Dharma is hard to hear, / Yet having heard it, they do not uphold it, do not give it, etc. / With the great bodhicitta, protecting the true Dharma, / Practicing according to the teaching, with mind tranquil, / Equal in mind regarding self-benefit and other-benefit, / This indeed is called truly making offerings to the Buddha.' Regarding 'the great bodhicitta', the Buddha himself said: 'As for the initial generation of the mind by bodhisattvas, the karmic reward of merit from a single inferior thought could not be fully described in thousands of myriads of kalpas, much less through many kalpas. Just as when the great ocean first begins to form, you should know that it serves as the dwelling place even for priceless gems, because all gems are born from the ocean. When the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world first begins to form, you should know that it becomes the basis of reliance for all sentient beings of the twenty-five realms of existence. A bodhisattva's generation of the mind is also like this: when it first begins, it generally serves as a basis of reliance for all immeasurable sentient beings. In a bodhisattva's generation of the mind, benevolence and compassion are foremost, just as space universally covers all without exception; because space is immeasurable, sentient beings are immeasurable; because sentient beings are immeasurable, a bodhisattva's generation of the mind is also like this, because it can universally cover all worlds and all rebirths. If a bodhisattva attends upon good spiritual friends, makes offerings to all Buddhas, cultivates and accumulates roots of goodness, aspires to seek the sublime Dharma, is always gentle in mind, can endure when meeting suffering, is rich and deep in benevolence and compassion, is equal in the deep mind, believes and delights in the Mahāyāna, and seeks the wisdom of the Buddha—if one can possess such ten dharmas, one is then able to generate the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi', as extensively explained in the sūtra. Regarding 'gathering and protecting the true Dharma': 'gathering' means receiving and upholding, which is the receiving of the true Dharma in the Śrīmālā[devī-sūtra]. 'Protecting' means guarding and being mindful of, which is guarding and being mindful of the entrusted true Dharma. Receiving and guarding it to serve as a fortress of the Dharma, not sparing bodily life so as to make offerings. From 'pāramitā' on down is the practice of cultivation, within which there are seven: 'dhāraṇī' means dharani; 'samādhi' means samādhi; 'dhyāna' means the four dhyānas; 'liberations' means the eight liberations; 'benevolence, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity' are the four immeasurables. Regarding 'all unshared dharmas of a Buddha', the Bodhisattvabhūmi states: 'The Buddha World-Honoured Ones have one hundred and forty unshared Buddha-dharmas, namely the Tathāgatas' thirty-two marks, eighty secondary signs, four purities of all kinds, ten powers, four fearlessnesses, three applications of mindfulness, three [occasions of] unguarding, great compassion, non-forgetting dharma, perpetual destruction of habitual tendencies, and sublime knowledge of all kinds; these are named all unshared dharmas of a Buddha.' The thirty-two marks, eighty secondary signs, ten powers, four fearlessnesses, great compassion, and non-forgetting dharma have all been explained above. As for the four purities of all kinds: first, the purity of the basis of all kinds, because defilements, coarse heaviness, and habitual tendencies are all eternally exhausted; furthermore, regarding one's own body, as one wishes, one dwells with mastery in adopting, staying, or discarding. Second, the purity of the objective referent of all kinds, meaning that with regard to various transformations, alterations, or manifestations, all objective referents operate with mastery. Third, the purity of mind of all kinds, because all coarse heaviness of mind is eternally separated from, and all roots of goodness are accumulated. Fourth, the purity of knowledge of all kinds, because the coarse heaviness of ignorance is eternally separated from; furthermore, the knowledge that knows all and unhindered knowledge operate with mastery. As for the three applications of mindfulness, it means that throughout the long night the Tathāgatas have such a wish: 'How shall I cause all sentient beings to truly dwell in accordance with the correct practice in my well-expounded Dharma and Vinaya?' When having such a wish-delight throughout the long night, as the Dharma master guiding the assembly, whether what is wished for is accomplished or not accomplished, defilement does not arise; this is briefly revealed by the three applications of mindfulness. These three are again distinguished by three assemblies: first, one that practices purely correctly; second, one that practices purely wrongly; third, one that practices partly correctly and partly wrongly; neither joy nor distress arises, but only great equanimity arises. As for the three [occasions of] unguarding, it refers to the present activities of the Tathāgatas' three actions being completely pure. As for the perpetual destruction of habitual tendencies, it means that whether the Tathāgatas are in motion, gazing, speaking, or dwelling, in which there might appear to be defilement, the operations that are arisen mostly do not become manifest, and all habitual tendencies are severed without remainder. As for the sublime knowledge of all kinds, it is the non-inverted knowledge regarding all dharmas generally. The remaining Buddha-dharmas are as previously explained.