仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 3.516

3.516

Exposition: 'Because... of Jambudvīpa' states it generally. Regarding the difference of calamities across the four great continents, as the eighteenth fascicle of the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra states: 'In Pūrvavideha, if the people of that continent do not practice dharmic conduct, evil nāgas proliferate and roar with great thunder like the collapse of a great mountain, or flash lightning while nāgas appear in the clouds resembling black clouds with three heads upon their necks, or manifest snake bodies with soft minds; when [the people] see these things, they all contract sickness and suffering, and thus meet with decline and distress. In Aparagodānīya, the beings have soft minds; if they do not practice dharmic conduct, unrighteous, evil nāgas pour down torrential rains in the empty mountains and perilous places, making all water turbid; if they drink it, they incur great decline and distress. In Uttarakuru, which is like a secondary heaven, if that realm is unfilial to parents, evil nāgas act unchecked and raise great black clouds resembling black mountains that veil the sunlight, lotuses immediately close without fragrance and lose their golden radiance, and birds on Mount Saṃkāśya cry harshly; when they see these things, they are distressed, despondent, and timid; winds arise from the clouds blowing away all musical sounds so that they are all dispersed and ceased, no longer delightful. Such are their calamities. In Jambudvīpa there are four conditions: first, famine; second, weapons and warfare; third, venomous wind; fourth, unwholesome rain. Because of these conditions, they lose life and limb.' This explains it generally: across the four great continents of north, west, east, and south, calamities gradually increase. 'The large and small states and cities' states it in detail. Below, it distinguishes six conditions: first, unfilial to parents, because they are the root of generating the physical body; second, not respecting teachers and elders, because they are the root of accomplishing virtue; third, not respecting śramaṇas, because they are an excellent field of merit; fourth, not respecting brāhmaṇas, because they have an aspiration for the Way; fifth, kings not practicing the correct Dharma; sixth, ministers not practicing the correct Dharma. If there is even one among these, a calamity will surely arise. If these six are fully present, disasters and calamities will arise in competition. How is this known? As the nineteenth fascicle of the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna Sūtra states: 'By what causes and conditions do evil nāgas and asuras suffer defeat and destruction, and not cause decline, harm, and ruin to the worlds? It is because in the large and small states and cities of Jambudvīpa, if people practice the correct Dharma, filially support their parents, make offerings to śramaṇas and elders, and if kings and ministers practice the correct Dharma, at that time the earth spirits and various yakṣas immediately go to the great ocean and report these matters to the righteous nāga kings such as Vāsuki. Furthermore, they inform the yakṣas in the sky, who, with swift spiritual power, inform the Four Heavenly Kings; and so it progresses up to the higher dhyānas, all coming to know of it. Up to the point where Vāsuki, having adorned himself, immediately goes to the abode of the unrighteous nāgas and speaks these words: "You act unrighteously and are not good companions. I wish to contest victory and defeat with you." At that time, when the unrighteous, tormenting nāga kings hear these words, they immediately mobilize their adornments, roaring with thunder, flashing lightning, splitting thunderbolts to ignite fire, and pouring down great rain. Due to the aforementioned wholesome deeds and so forth, Vāsuki is victorious and the evil nāgas are broken, causing timely rainfall in Jambudvīpa, so that the people are at peace and forever free from disasters. If in Jambudvīpa they are unfilial to parents, and on up to kings and ministers not practicing the correct Dharma, Vāsuki and the other nāga kings are broken and scattered, while the great evil nāgas increase their power, causing droughts and floods in Jambudvīpa, famine among the people, and the arising of various disasters. Heretical dialecticians in Jambudvīpa, not recognizing cause and effect, falsely make these claims: when the earth shakes, stars shoot across the sky, or great winds and rains occur, they falsely speak of abundance or scarcity, or declare good or ill fortune, without any truth. Neither heavenly Māras, Brahmās, nor asuras can thus know subtle karma, causes, conditions, and retributions, nor can they contemplate this doctrine of Mine and its ten paths of wholesome karma. Only the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, can truly know it.' However, the ten wholesome karmas and ten unwholesome karmas ultimately cause those wholesome and unwholesome earth spirits, the two kinds of yakṣas, the two kinds of nāga kings of dharmic and unrighteous conduct, and devas and asuras to undergo various victories and defeats, while humans secretly bear the blame and reap such retribution. Fascicles eighteen, nineteen, up to the twentieth expound this with great subtlety, which the lecturer should recount. From here on is the third, concluding the arising of the various calamities.