法華玄義釋籤 7.3

7.3

In the third [part], distinguishing their characteristics, if one considers the numbers and categories, they are truly not numerous, but within the categories there are many characteristics, and according to those characteristics there are further fewer or more distinctions; therefore it is simply made like this. In the initial distinguishing of the characteristics of worldly wisdom, the phrase 'From India' down to 'Neither-Conception' speaks of that upon which wisdom relies, up to the first dhyāna; here it simply proceeds according to the highest. 'Loyalty, filial piety', and so forth are briefly as recorded in the Zhiguan. As for being widely knowledgeable about the names of birds, beasts, plants, and trees, nothing surpasses the Erya. Even though pacifying, anointing, and dissecting [are accomplished], what they rely upon is merely worldly dhyāna. As for 'attaining the fundamental concentrations' and so forth, because employing spiritual penetrations necessarily relies upon concentrations of the form realm, arresting rivers and the like must rely upon the fundamental [concentrations]. Regarding 'arresting a river in an ear' and so forth, as stated in fascicle thirty-five of the Great Sūtra: 'The non-Buddhists came and addressed King Prasenajit, saying: “Great King! You should not disparage such great beings. Great King! Who caused this waxing and waning of the moon? Who caused the saltiness of the great sea and Mount Malaya? Was it not we brāhmaṇas? Great King! Have you not heard that the ṛṣi Agastya for twelve years kept the waters of the Ganges River inside his ear? The ṛṣi Gautama performed great supernormal transformations, for twelve years turning into Śakra's body, and causing Śakra's body to turn into a ram's body, and placing a thousand female organs upon Śakra's body. Did not the ṛṣi Jantu in a single day drink the waters of the great sea and cause the great earth to dry up? Did not the ṛṣi Vasu make three eyes for Maheśvara? Did not the ṛṣi Rāvaṇa turn the city of Kapilavastu into saline soil? Among the brāhmaṇas there are such mighty ṛṣis who can now be verified; how can you disparage such great ṛṣis?”' It is also like the ancients of this land: Zhang Kai could make mist, Luan Ba was skilled at exhaling clouds, and Ge Hong, Tao Yuanming, and others all had slight knowledge of the occult arts, but these were merely small matters. If compared to the Western Region, they are as different as heaven and earth. As for 'the dharmas are worldly dharmas' and so forth, because the concentrations are not outflow-free, they cannot sever delusions; hence it says 'unmoving'. Because they perpetually remain in the three realms of existence, it is said 'they do not transcend'. This is because deviant wisdom cannot move delusions to transcend the realms.