金剛般若疏 2.3

2.3

「爾時世尊」下，第二、別序。就別序中大開為二：第一、明如來塗行乞食；第二、明如來敷座而坐，入于三昧。就此二章，各開兩段。初章二者：一、明往事；二、明還事。後章二者：一、明敷座，即入定前方便；二、而坐一句，第二正入三昧。問：何因緣故，前明乞食，後入三昧？答曰：欲令眾生生福德故，所以前明乞食；欲令眾生生智慧故，入三昧後說法。復次，前利益在家眾生故，後通利益出家、在家諸大眾故。亦云前益白衣則別益，何故唯就白衣乞食，不就比丘、比丘尼乞食，故稱別；後為四眾說法，則通利益。復次，前與眾生世間利，後與眾生出世間利故。復次，前示為福田，顯如來是應供故；後明佛為施主，以般若法施眾生，即是釋迦如來正遍知義。復次，初是中前利益眾生，後是中後利益眾生故。復次，前是身業益物，後入三昧是意業益物，次說般若是口業益物也。復次，前欲令生身久住故，後欲令法身久住故。欲令生身久住，乞食資於生身；後說般若，即是益於法身。以有此兩住，令眾生得二身之益也。又乞食示如來少欲知足之行，說法顯如來微妙之解。又乞食明佛慈悲，說法明佛智慧。又乞食示末世眾生身軌，說法示末世眾生心軌，合令一切眾生心依般若也。又令弟子從俗人乞食以資身，從如來受般若以練神，二事便足。又乞食破憍慢心，說般若破愚癡心。問：《大經》因食開涅槃，與此經何異？答：彼經因食開如來法身，常身非雜食身；此經因乞食，明有上來諸義也。又二經亦同初乞食，明與凡夫二乘同；次說法，明不可以身相得見如來，故如來身非是食身。論云：三相異體故，離彼是如來。要須先同而後異，此即欲令凡夫、二乘皆發心求佛身也。問：今說般若，何因緣故，前明乞食？答云：至人動無非時，諸有所作悉皆益物，故不應責所由。復次，以近顯遠故，將說般若，前明乞食。所以者何？世間飲食，本以資身養命；般若法食，資法身養於慧命。復次，乞食是四聖之種，般若是眾聖之本。復次，道遠乎哉？體之即神，是故飲食不離般若。若能了食清淨，即是般若也。

From "At that time the World-Honoured One" onward is the second [part], the specific preface. Within the specific preface it broadly opens into two: first, clarifying the Tathāgata walking on the road to beg for food; second, clarifying the Tathāgata spreading out his seat and sitting down, entering into samādhi. Within these two sections, each opens into two segments. In the first section, the two are: 1. clarifying the matter of going; 2. clarifying the matter of returning. In the latter section, the two are: 1. clarifying spreading out the seat, which is the preliminary expedient before entering concentration; 2. the phrase "and sat down," which secondly is directly entering samādhi. Question: For what reason does it first clarify begging for food and afterward entering samādhi? Answer: Because he wished to cause sentient beings to generate merit, he therefore first clarified begging for food; because he wished to cause sentient beings to generate wisdom, he entered samādhi and afterward preached the Dharma. Furthermore, it is because he first benefited householder sentient beings, and afterward universally benefited all the monastic and householder assemblies. It is also said that first benefiting the white-robed [laity] is a specific benefit—why did he beg food solely from the white-robed and not from bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs? Hence it is called specific; while afterward preaching the Dharma for the fourfold assembly is a universal benefit. Furthermore, it is because he first gave mundane benefits to sentient beings, and afterward gave supramundane benefits to sentient beings. Furthermore, it is because he first displayed himself as a field of merit to reveal that the Tathāgata is one worthy of offerings (arhat); and afterward clarified that the Buddha is a patron who bestows the dharma of prajñā upon sentient beings, which is the meaning of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni's correct and universal knowledge (samyaksaṃbuddha). Furthermore, the former is benefiting sentient beings before midday, and the latter is benefiting sentient beings after midday. Furthermore, the former is benefiting beings through bodily karma; afterward, entering samādhi is benefiting beings through mental karma; and next, preaching prajñā is benefiting beings through verbal karma. Furthermore, it is because he previously wished to cause the physical body to abide long, and afterward wished to cause the dharmakāya to abide long. Wishing to cause the physical body to abide long, begging food supports the physical body; afterward preaching prajñā benefits the dharmakāya. By having these two abidings, he causes sentient beings to attain the benefit of both bodies. Moreover, begging food shows the Tathāgata's practice of having few desires and knowing contentment; preaching the Dharma reveals the Tathāgata's subtle and wondrous understanding. Moreover, begging food clarifies the Buddha's compassion; preaching the Dharma clarifies the Buddha's wisdom. Moreover, begging food shows the physical standard for sentient beings of the final age; preaching the Dharma shows the mental standard for sentient beings of the final age, uniting to cause the minds of all sentient beings to rely on prajñā. Furthermore, it causes the disciples to beg food from laypersons to support the body, and receive prajñā from the Tathāgata to train the spirit, so that both matters are fulfilled. Moreover, begging food destroys the mind of arrogance; preaching prajñā destroys the mind of delusion. Question: The Great Sūtra reveals nirvāṇa occasioned by food; how does it differ from this sūtra? Answer: That sūtra, occasioned by food, reveals the Tathāgata's dharmakāya—the eternal body that is not a body of mixed food; this sūtra, occasioned by begging for food, clarifies the various meanings stated above. Moreover, both sūtras are also the same in that begging food first clarifies being identical to ordinary beings and the two vehicles; next preaching the Dharma clarifies that the Tathāgata cannot be seen by means of bodily marks, so the Tathāgata's body is not a food-body. The treatise says: "Because the three marks are of different substance, free from them is the Tathāgata." It is necessary to first be identical and afterward different; this is precisely to cause ordinary beings and the two vehicles to all generate the mind to seek the Buddha's body. Question: Now when preaching prajñā, for what reason is begging food clarified first? The answer says: When a consummate person moves, there is nothing unseasonable; whatever he does wholly benefits beings, so one should not seek the reason. Furthermore, it is to reveal the distant by means of the near: about to preach prajñā, he first clarified begging for food. Why is this? Mundane food and drink originally support the body and nourish physical life; the Dharma-food of prajñā supports the dharmakāya and nourishes wisdom-life. Furthermore, begging for food is the seed of the four noble ones (āryavaṃśa); prajñā is the root of all the noble ones. Furthermore, is the Way far off? Embody it and it is spiritual; therefore, food and drink are not separated from prajñā. If one can understand food to be pure, that itself is prajñā.