妙法蓮華經文句 4.127

4.127

就此為二：前十九行，約天人小善成緣因種子，以明顯實；後一行，約了因種子，以明顯實，尋文可解。前十九行為十：初，三行半，約造塔明天乘，因時至心傾財捨寶，果時任運自然受樂，故是天乘也。「木櫁」者，長安有木名櫁，亦任造像。《金光明》云：「以佛舍利如芥粟許，置小塔中，三十三天已有自然果報。」即其義也。次「乃至童子」下，第二，一行，童子戲砂作塔即是人業，因時汎汎悠然作善，果時作意勤求得樂，故是人業。次「若人為佛故」下，第三，四行，約志心造像明天業。《優婆塞戒經》不許用膠，得失意罪。而此經用者，古師云：「外國用樹膠耳。」光宅言：「或有處必須於像聽許用牛皮膠，若有他物即不得用也。」有言：「大豆汁可代膠清。」然牛皮終是不淨物，後得不淨果報。不淨錢不任造像，可換取如法淨錢造像。《地持》不用雌黃臭物，《戒經》不許造半身像，得失意罪，善相不起墮落生死中。然造像各有所擬，若當堂佛必須坐，消息佛或坐、或臥，行動佛必應立。而弟子於塔殿立像前不得坐，此處定屬佛故；若白衣舍餘處坐像前不能久立，乞坐者得；立像前即不得坐也（云云）。次「乃至童子」下，第四，一行，明人業。次「如是諸人」下，第五，一行半，結成顯實。諸人皆成人一，漸漸積功德具足大悲心，即成行一，佛道即成理一，既已成佛復能四一，但化菩薩，即是教一（云云）。次「若人於塔廟」下，第六，三行半，約諸塵供養明天業。「銅鈸」者，長安人呼露盤為銅鈸，在彼翻經故用彼名之耳。次「若人散亂」下，第七，一行，約散心用塵供養明人業。次「或有人禮」下，第八，一行，約身業供養明天人業。禮拜一句，五體著地是上禮即天業，合掌低頭是中禮是人業。次「以此供養」下，第九，一行半，結成。非但顯實自成佛道，亦能開權薪盡涅槃也（云云）。次「若人散」下，第十，有一行，約口業，例上應具天人業，今但出人業（云云）。「南無」大有義，或言：「度我度我，可施眾生。」若佛答：「諸佛度我。」義不便。《五戒經》稱驚怖，驚怖者正可施佛也。生死險難實可驚怖，以大救之不得，今同諸佛以小濟之，驚怖施佛可也，故文云：「喜稱南無佛」。喜者，喜得救物儀也。《五戒經》又云：「歸命，悉施眾生耳。」調達臨終稱南無，未得稱佛便墮地獄，佛記其從地獄出，當作辟支佛，字曰南無。外國事天像者，以金為像頭，賊來盜之取不能得，即稱：「南無佛！」便得頭。明日眾聚云：「天像失頭便是無天來著耳，著者云何失頭？」天即降一人云：「賊來取頭，即稱：『南無佛！』諸天皆驚動，是故得我便，是故失頭。」眾人云：「天不如佛耶？既不如者，今何不事佛？」賊稱南無佛尚得天頭，況賢者稱南無佛？十方尊神不敢當，但精進勿懈怠。《那先經》云：「人臨死稱南無佛，得免泥梨者。云何？如人持一石置水，石必沒無疑，若能持百石子置船上者必不沒。若直爾死必入泥梨，如石置水；若臨死稱南無佛，佛力故令不入泥梨，船力故使石不沒也（云云）。」《胎經》、《報恩經》云：「華林園第三大會，九十二億人者，是釋尊遺法中，一稱南無佛人得見彌勒也。」

Regarding this, there are two [sections]: the preceding nineteen lines rely on the small goods of humans and devas to form the seed of conditions as cause, in order to reveal the real; the following one line relies on the seed of understanding as cause, in order to reveal the real, which can be understood by examining the text. The preceding nineteen lines make ten [parts]: First, three and a half lines rely on building stūpas to clarify the deva vehicle; at the time of the cause, one with a sincere mind dispenses wealth and gives up treasures, and at the time of the fruit, one spontaneously and naturally receives joy; thus it is the deva vehicle. As for "mici wood," in Chang'an there is a tree named ci, which is also suitable for making images. The Golden Light [Sūtra] says: "If one takes a relic of the Buddha the size of a mustard seed and places it in a small stūpa, in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven there is already a spontaneous retributive fruit." This is its meaning. Next, from "or even children" downward, the second, one line, [where] children playing in the sand make a stūpa, is human karma: at the time of the cause, one casually and leisurely performs good; at the time of the fruit, one deliberately and diligently seeks and obtains joy; thus it is human karma. Next, from "if a person, for the Buddha's sake" downward, the third, four lines, relies on fashioning images with an intent mind to clarify deva karma. The Upāsaka-śīla-sūtra does not permit the use of glue, [the violation of which] incurs the offense of negligent transgression. Yet as for this sūtra's using it, ancient masters said: "In foreign countries, they only use tree gum." Guangzhai said: "In some cases it is permissible to allow the use of oxhide glue for images, but if there are other materials, it must not be used." Some say: "Soybean broth can substitute for clear glue." However, oxhide is ultimately an impure substance, resulting later in an impure retributive effect. Impure money is not suitable for making images; one should exchange it for pure money acquired according to Dharma to make images. The Bodhisattvabhūmi does not use realgar or foul substances; the vinaya sūtras do not permit making half-body images, [which] incurs the offense of negligent transgression, as auspicious signs do not arise and one falls into birth and death. However, when making images, each has its proper purpose: the Buddha presiding in the hall must be seated; a resting Buddha may be seated or reclining; a walking Buddha must be standing. And disciples before a standing image in a stūpa hall must not sit, because this place definitively belongs to the Buddha. In the house of a layperson, before a seated image elsewhere, if one cannot stand for long, asking permission to sit is permissible; but before a standing image, one must not sit (and so on). Next, from "or even children" downward, the fourth, one line, clarifies human karma. Next, from "all such people" downward, the fifth, one and a half lines, concludes by revealing the real. All people achieve the unity of persons; gradually accumulating merit and becoming fully endowed with the mind of great compassion achieves the unity of practice; the Buddha path achieves the unity of principle; having already achieved Buddhahood, one can again perform the four unities, converting only bodhisattvas, which is the unity of teaching (and so on). Next, from "if a person, at a stūpa or temple" downward, the sixth, three and a half lines, relies on offerings of various sensory objects to clarify deva karma. Regarding "bronze cymbals," the people of Chang'an call the dew-catching basins [of stūpas] bronze cymbals; because the sūtra was translated there, they merely used that name for it. Next, from "if a person with a distracted [mind]" downward, the seventh, one line, relies on using sensory objects as offerings with a distracted mind to clarify human karma. Next, from "or someone bows" downward, the eighth, one line, relies on bodily offerings to clarify deva and human karma. The phrase on bowing: casting the five limbs to the ground is the supreme homage, which is deva karma; joining palms and bowing the head is the middling homage, which is human karma. Next, from "by these offerings" downward, the ninth, one and a half lines, concludes: not only is the real revealed to naturally achieve the Buddha path, but one can also open the expedient of fuel-exhausted nirvāṇa (and so on). Next, from "if a person with a distracted [mind]" downward, the tenth, there is one line relying on verbal karma; by analogy with the above, it should include both deva and human karma, but here it only presents human karma (and so on). "Namo" has extensive meanings; some say: "'Deliver me, deliver me' can apply to sentient beings." If the Buddha replied, "The Buddhas deliver me," the meaning would be awkward. The Five Precepts Sūtra refers to fear: fear can properly apply to the Buddha. The perils of birth and death are truly frightening; because they cannot be saved by the great, now, in accordance with the Buddhas, they are rescued by the small; applying fear to the Buddha is appropriate, hence the text says: "Joyfully chanting 'Namo' to the Buddha." "Joyfully" means rejoicing in obtaining the standard for saving beings. The Five Precepts Sūtra also says: "'Taking refuge' applies entirely to sentient beings." When Devadatta was at the brink of death, he chanted "Namo"; before he could chant "Buddha," he fell into hell, yet the Buddha prophesied that when he emerges from hell, he will become a pratyekabuddha named Namo. In foreign countries, those who worshipped an image of a deva made the image's head of gold; a thief came to steal it but could not remove it, whereupon he chanted "Namo Buddhāya!" and immediately obtained the head. The next day the crowd gathered and said: "The deva's image has lost its head, which means no deva was inhabiting it; if one inhabited it, how could it lose its head?" The deva then descended upon a person and said: "When the thief came to take the head, he chanted 'Namo Buddhāya!' All the devas were shaken, and therefore he caught me at an advantage; this is why I lost the head." The crowd said: "Are the devas inferior to the Buddha? Since they are inferior, why do we not now worship the Buddha?" If a thief chanting "Namo Buddhāya" could even take a deva's head, how much more so when worthy persons chant "Namo Buddhāya"? The revered spirits of the ten directions dare not oppose them; only be vigorous and not negligent. The Nāgasena Sūtra says: "If a person at the point of death chants 'Namo Buddhāya', they can avoid Niraya. Why? It is like a person taking a stone and placing it in water: the stone will certainly sink, without doubt; if one can take a hundred stones and place them on a boat, they will certainly not sink. If one dies ordinary, one will surely enter Niraya, like a stone placed in water; if at the point of death one chants 'Namo Buddhāya', by the Buddha's power one is kept from entering Niraya, just as by the boat's power the stones do not sink (and so on)." The Garbhāvakrānti Sūtra and the Sūtra of Repaying Kindness say: "At the third great assembly in the Flower Forest Garden, the ninety-two billion people are those who, during the bequeathed Dharma of the World-Honoured Śākya, once chanted 'Namo Buddhāya' and thus get to see Maitreya."