仁王般若經疏 2.92

2.92

Third, from "The Buddha told the Great King: 'What you said earlier...'" onwards, answers the previous question regarding the sentient beings who are transformed. The text has three parts: first, wishing to answer, it cites his question, hence stating "how the marks of sentient beings can be transformed"; second, from "If with an illusory body..." onwards, it gives the direct answer; third, from "At that time the assembly..." onwards, it clarifies the attainment of benefit. Within the direct answer there are two parts: first, answering in terms of awakening and entry, also called the brief answer, also called answering in terms of non-apprehension (aprāptitva). The text states: "If with an illusory body one sees an illusory [being], this is the bodhisattva's true practice of transforming sentient beings." This means that knowing that the marks of the body are fundamentally unborn, yet transforming sentient beings, it is therefore called an "illusory body." Sentient beings are fundamentally non-existent, yet now transformation is spoken of; because they exist as non-existent, it is therefore said that one "sees an illusory [being]." Knowing that the transformer and the transformed are fundamentally pure, it is therefore said to be the "true practice of transforming sentient beings." From "The first single thought-moment of sentient beings' consciousness..." onwards is the second part, which answers in detail, also called answering in terms of manifestation and function, also called answering in terms of the illusory existence of the conventional truth. The text has five parts: first, determining that this mind of good and evil is different from wood and stone; second, from "form is called the hindrance of form" onwards, presenting the names of the five aggregates; third, from "a hindrance is..." onwards, explaining the names and interpreting them in detail; fourth, from "Great King" onwards, distinguishing the difference between the coarse and subtle forms of ordinary beings and sages; fifth, from "Sentient beings..." onwards, clarifying that all dharmas ultimately belong to the conventional truth. First, it states: "The first single thought-moment of sentient beings' consciousness is different from wood and stone; by nature it attains good and by nature it attains evil; evil is the root of immeasurable evil consciousnesses, and good is the root of immeasurable good consciousnesses, up to the vajra-like bodhisattva." Commentators differ, and their views cannot be fully presented here. For now, I shall explain it according to the sūtras. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: "Just like the medicine of the Snow Mountains: as such it is of one single flavor, but following where it flows there are various flavors." The true flavor of that medicine remains on the mountain, like the full moon. Matching the metaphor: "of one flavor" is a metaphor for the Buddha-nature. Because of afflictions, various flavors are produced, namely the hells, animals, and so forth. What is meant here by "one flavor" is precisely the true nature that is non-apprehensible and non-dual. It also states: "As such it is of one flavor, but following where it flows there are differences of various flavors"—relying on the non-apprehensible true nature, erroneous thoughts of apprehension arise, which immediately become the afflictions of ignorance, generating karma and constituting the retributions of the six destinies. Furthermore, the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā states: "All dharmas are non-existent, and thus they exist; thus they exist, and thus they are non-existent. Not knowing this matter is called ignorance." Dharmatā and the ground of the dwelling of ignorance are fundamentally without prior or posterior; it is merely that sentient beings arbitrarily give rise to conceptualizations and discriminations amidst non-existence, flowing endlessly in the six destinies. Transforming delusion and attaining liberation, one knows that afflictions are fundamentally nirvāṇa—what beginning or end could there be? Therefore this sūtra states that the consciousness-branch of the first single thought-moment, by virtue of the understanding-nature of the fundamental consciousness, is different from wood and stone. The text states: "by nature it attains good and by nature it attains evil"—when, conditioning good objects, it gives rise to good in consciousness, this good consciousness is produced from the correct cause of the intrinsically real good, and furthermore arises conditioning good matters; this consciousness is then good. If, conditioning evil objects, it gives rise to evil in consciousness, this evil consciousness is produced from the generative cause of the perfuming of ignorance, and furthermore arises conditioning evil matters; this consciousness is then called evil. "Evil is the root of immeasurable evil consciousnesses, and good is the root of immeasurable good consciousnesses": by the efficacy of the perfuming of this first single thought-moment of good or evil consciousness, each produces immeasurable fruits of habituation of good and evil.