妙法蓮華經玄義 4.57

4.57

The realm of existence in Pūrvavideha is destroyed by using the sunlight samādhi. The sun rises in the east in the morning, so the name is given merely for convenience. The sun is a metaphor for the light of wisdom, which can illuminate and eliminate delusion. The people of the eastern continent have the darkness of evil karma, the darkness of views and thoughts, the darkness of sands of dust, and the darkness of ignorance. To illuminate all these darknesses, the bodhisattva cultivates the aforementioned light of precepts to destroy the darkness of evil karma; cultivates the flowing light of dhyāna concentration to subdue the darkness of views and thoughts; cultivates the light of the wisdom of all modes to destroy the darkness of views and thoughts; cultivates the light of the wisdom of the paths to destroy the darkness of sands of dust; and cultivates the light of the wisdom of all aspects to destroy the darkness of ignorance. Because the darkness of views and thoughts is destroyed, the sunlight samādhi of the wisdom of all modes is consummated; because the darkness of sands of dust is destroyed, the sunlight samādhi of the wisdom of the paths is consummated; and because the darkness of ignorance is destroyed, the sunlight samādhi of the wisdom of all aspects is consummated. Through the compassionate vows of their fundamental practice, they subtly perfume the dharma realm. If in Pūrvavideha there are spiritual capacities and conditions that engage their loving-kindness and compassion, by the power of the king samādhi they go to respond without stirring from the dharma-nature, manifesting bodies and preaching the Dharma. If there is a capacity for phenomenal goodness, they respond through the loving-kindness and compassion of holding the precepts, enabling them to escape the darkness of evil karma; if there is a capacity to enter emptiness, they respond through the loving-kindness and compassion of arising and non-arising, enabling them to escape the darkness of views and thoughts; if there is a capacity to enter the provisional, they respond through immeasurable loving-kindness and compassion, enabling them to escape the darkness of unknowing; and if there is a capacity to enter the middle, they respond through uncreated loving-kindness and compassion, enabling them to escape the darkness of ignorance. Since one has destroyed the darkness oneself and also causes others to destroy the darkness, it is called the 'sunlight samādhi.'