仁王護國般若經疏 2.45

2.45

Question: In the various sūtras, assemblies are listed with some present and some absent; why is that? Answer: If one speaks of retribution births in the three realms, they are due to the power of good and evil karma. Seeing the Buddha or not seeing the Buddha is due to having conditions or lacking conditions; thus there are those born in heaven experiencing pleasure up to not hearing the sūtras, down to those in burning hells coming to listen to the Dharma. Now, using the meaning of the Great Sūtra, I attempt to decide it. The Great Sūtra says: “One who is lax regarding precepts is not called lax; one who is lax regarding the vehicle is indeed called lax.” Clarified in general terms, the vehicle is just precepts. Now, speaking in terms of distinction, the vehicle and precepts are twofold and different: that is, taking the three refuges, five precepts, ten virtues, eight precepts, two hundred and fifty [precepts], five hundred precepts, and so forth is named “precepts.” Mindfully reciting, cultivating practice, dhyāna, wisdom, giving, vigor, and so forth are named “the vehicle.” However, precepts and the vehicle each have three grades: the vehicle has lesser, medium, and greater; precepts have superior, middling, and inferior. If both the vehicle and precepts are urgent, there are again three grades: such as upholding superior precepts urgently leads to birth in the formless realm heaven; with an inferior-grade vehicle being urgent, in the body of a formless heaven one hears the Buddha expound the śrāvaka Dharma; with a medium-grade vehicle being urgent, one hears the expounding of causes and conditions; with a superior-grade vehicle being urgent, one hears the expounding of the Middle Way, and so forth. If one holds middling-grade precepts urgently, one is born in the form realm heaven; with the lesser vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of the four truths; with the medium vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of causes and conditions; with the superior vehicle urgent, one hears the expounding of the six perfections. If one holds inferior-grade precepts urgently, one is born in the desire realm heaven; with the lesser vehicle urgent, one hears the lesser vehicle; medium vehicle urgent and superior vehicle urgent are understood according to the above. If both precepts and the vehicle are lax: with superior-grade precepts lax, one falls into hell; with middling-grade lax, one falls among beasts; with inferior-grade lax, one falls among hungry ghosts; because the vehicle is lax, one never sees the Buddha, much less hears the Dharma. If precepts are lax and the vehicle is urgent, one attains seeing the Buddha and hearing the Dharma. With superior-grade precepts lax, one is born into hell; with the lesser vehicle urgent, in the body of a hell [being] one hears the expounding of the four truths; with the medium vehicle urgent, one hears causes and conditions; with the superior vehicle urgent, one hears the six perfections, and so forth. If precepts are urgent and the vehicle is lax: with three grades of precepts urgent, one attains bodies in the three realms; as the vehicle is lax, one is attached to the pleasures of humans and gods and cannot see the Buddha, much less attain hearing the Dharma. As for the assembly of formless realm gods now, because their superior-grade precepts were urgent while the Great Vehicle was lax, in this sūtra they lack conditions and therefore do not come. The presence and absence in other sūtras can be understood by analogy to this. Thus far, the preface of authenticating faith is concluded, and so forth.