仁王護國般若經疏 2.50

2.50

“Entering the samādhi of the great silent chamber” is fourth, entering silent concentration. It is because he wished to observe the capacities of beings and bestow the Dharma medicine, also to make them know that wisdom arises on the basis of concentration, and also to serve as the ritual standard for expounding the Dharma. When the Buddha, endowed with wisdom and severance, still personally observes capacities, how much more so should ordinary beings not fail to examine carefully, and so forth. The great silent chamber is none other than great nirvāṇa. The Great Sūtra says “the deep dhyāna cave of nirvāṇa,” where “cave” has the meaning of “chamber.” In the Lotus [Sūtra], Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū Buddha also entered a quiet chamber, which shares this meaning. Moreover, “great silence” means that the active is itself silent. “Chamber” means that being silent, it illuminates. “Great silence” is the phenomenon, and “chamber” is the metaphor: just as a chamber, being empty, can contain myriad things, the empty principle of prajñā can contain many meanings. In terms of contemplation, the chamber is a single phenomenon, and space is also not twofold; light and dark differ on their own, while the chamber and space are not distinct. Light is a metaphor for wisdom, and dark is a metaphor for defilements; the chamber is a metaphor for the human body, and space is a metaphor for the mind-consciousness. When the sun rises, both chamber and space become bright, a metaphor for wisdom arising and both body and mind becoming pure; when the sun sets, both chamber and space become dark, a metaphor for wisdom ceasing and both body and mind becoming defiled. Although defiled and pure differ, their nature is ever pure; thus the Vimalakīrti says: “The nature of ignorance is itself illumination; all sentient beings are themselves the marks of bodhi, not ceasing again.” This is the proof. From “Reflecting on conditions, he emitted a great light illuminating within the three realms” down—one edition has “illuminating the sentient beings of the three realms”—is fifth, reflecting on conditions and manifesting omens. The text has five parts: first, reflecting on conditions and emitting light; second, flowers issuing from the crown of his head; third, the gods raining flowers; fourth, the Buddha himself producing flowers; fifth, the great earth quaking. Now, the first. Reflecting on conditions means reflecting on the signless and conditioning upon the dharmatā, personally experiencing great bliss. The light illuminating within the three realms awakens the realm of transformation.