妙法蓮華經文句 6.3

6.3

From "in every place there are" down is the second [section], consisting of ten lines, explaining the five sharp proclivities. There are two [parts]: first, half a line generally explains the sharp proclivities, as the sharp proclivities universally take the five aggregates and four truths as cognitive objects, so below it says "in every place there are." Now ghosts and spirits possess supernormal powers and intelligence, whereas birds and beasts do not; therefore the sharp proclivities are compared to ghosts and spirits, and the dull proclivities are compared to bugs and beasts. From "yakṣas" down is the second [part], nine and a half lines, explaining the five sharp proclivities individually. There are five [parts]: first, three lines explain yakṣas, which are swift ghosts, comparing them to wrong views that deny cause and effect; human beings are wholesome retribution, comparing them to supramundane cause and effect unmixed with afflictions; denying this principle is like eating human flesh. The genus of poisonous insects is unwholesome retribution, like mundane cause and effect mixed with various afflictions; denying this principle is like eating the genus of poisonous insects. "Brooding and reproducing" means that mundane phenomena produce their own kind of effect from their own kind of cause. "Each guarding and protecting itself" means that the ability of a cause to have an effect is called "guarding," and necessarily obtaining it without loss is called "protecting." Furthermore, human flesh is good, and poisonous insects are bad; the mind of wrong views denies good and bad cause and effect, an act resembling devouring them. "Brooding and reproducing" generally refers to both good and bad having the function of reciprocal production of causes and effects. "Having eaten their fill" means the completion of the mind of views. "Their wicked minds burn fiercely" means the growth and expansion of the mind of views. "The sound of fighting and contention" means that when it is completed within the mind, it is expressed outwardly in verbal teachings, propagating dharmas without cause and without effect, which can cause listeners to fall into the three miserable paths; thus it is called terrifying. From "kumbhāṇḍas" down is the second, two lines and two phrases, comparing them to adherence to precepts and practices (śīlavrata-parāmarśa). Kumbhāṇḍas are superior among ghosts, like contaminated good being able to surpass the various insects. "Squatting on earthen mounds" means that practicing the precepts of the ten good deeds can bring birth in the six [desire] heavens; the six heavens are the high places of the desire realm, like earthen mounds. Moreover, non-Buddhists who keep precepts can cultivate meditative concentration: they first attain desire-realm concentration, or they attain future [intermediate] concentration; since future concentration has not yet escaped the desire realm, the summit of the desire realm is like an earthen mound. "Or one or two feet off the ground" means: attaining form-realm concentration is like one foot; attaining formless-realm concentration is like two feet. Attaining ascent to higher realms is "going," and falling back in regression is "returning"; giving rise to the hindrance of views is like "unrestrained play and amusement." "Grabbing a dog by its two hind legs": one interpretation says that slandering by denying the cause of suffering is like grabbing the dog's legs, and denying the effect of suffering is like putting one's foot upon its neck; origin produces effects like the sound of a dog, but sharp views deny it, saying there is no principle of origin or of obtaining suffering, making it lose its voice. As for the contemplative interpretation: cultivating the six-line contemplation suppresses greed; when greed does not function, it appears as if cut off, which is losing its voice; the dog is the greed of desire; the two hind legs are applied thought and sustained thought; applied and sustained thought go back and forth, constantly dwelling in objects of greed; counting breaths to quiet the mind has the sense of binding, which is grabbing applied and sustained thought. Striking it down: if the thought of greed is strong toward impure objects, one practices the contemplation of impurity to suppress the thought of greed; when the thought of greed is crushed and suppressed, it is like a dog being struck down and thus unable to make a sound. Another says: practicing the contemplation of impurity is like striking down the dog, and being able to generate meditative concentration is like losing one's voice upon being struck down. "Putting a foot upon its neck": just as a dog, though struck down, still thrashes and does not submit, so one additionally puts a foot upon it; though one knows impurity and halts greed, greed is still not deeply quieted, so one further uses the foot of the contemplation of impermanence upon the neck of presuming permanence, generating dread so that the thought of greed does not arise. Another says: temporarily checking the mind is like striking it toward the ground; constantly tethering it to the cognitive object is like putting a foot upon its neck so that it cannot rise; "frightening the dog to amuse oneself": awakening the greedy mind through cultivating impermanence is like frightening the dog, and thereby obtaining the taste of meditation is called amusing oneself. From "their bodies are tall and large" down is the third, a line and a half of verse, comparing them to the view of self (satkāyadr̥ṣṭi). Vertically entering the three times to postulate a self is called "tall"; horizontally pervading the five aggregates to postulate a self is called "large"; postulating an autonomous self and not cultivating wholesome dharmas means having no shame, hence "naked"; being adorned with evil, hence "black"; lacking the nourishment of merit, hence "emaciated." Those who postulate a self do not escape the three realms, hence "constantly dwelling therein." Postulating a self in the mind and uttering words to propagate the marks of a self, hence "emitting great, wicked sounds." Hoping through such speech to obtain the fruits of the Path, hence "crying out, seeking food." From "there are also various ghosts" down is the fourth, half a line, comparing them to the attachment to views (dr̥ṣṭiparāmarśa). Their throats are narrow and their lives precarious, yet they presume upon their longevity; the non-conceptual is impermanent, yet they postulate it as nirvāṇa; thus it says "their throats are like needles." From "their heads like ox heads" down is the fifth, two lines, comparing them to extreme views (antagrāhadr̥ṣṭi). Deducing the self to be annihilated or eternal: the two extremes of annihilation and permanence are like the two horns of an ox's head; whether the body is the self or the self is the body, extreme views arise based on the view of self, like the two horns on the head. The fault of postulating permanence or annihilation can sever supramundane goodness, like eating human flesh; it can sever mundane wholesome roots, like "sometimes devouring dogs." Sometimes postulating permanence and sometimes postulating annihilation, oscillating back and forth, is like "dishevelled hair." Postulating permanence destroys annihilation, and postulating annihilation destroys permanence, like "harmful and dangerous." Having neither wisdom nor concentration as food and drink to nourish themselves is like "pressed by hunger and thirst." From "yakṣas and hungry ghosts" down is the second [section], one and a half lines, generally concluding the characteristics of the afflictions of the desire realm, and also concluding the characteristics of sharp and dull sentient beings; these are all contaminated minds, constantly lacking the taste of the Path, hence called "urgently hungry." "Peering through windows" explains their wrong contemplation of the principle of emptiness and their longing for the taste of the Path; though they observe, they cling and get stuck, and their minds mostly fail to accord with the correct principle, like peeping through a window to see empty space without attaining unhindered [vision]. From "this dilapidated old house belongs to one person" down is the second, consisting of one gāthā, explaining the reason for the fire's outbreak. The three realms are the place where the Buddha manifests transformations; since his initial resolve, he has vowed to liberate [beings], hence it is said to belong to one person. The elder being in the house can make them guard against fire; because after he left, the children were ignorant, they caused the fire to break out. The internal correspondence is precisely that, at the time of the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū, the Tathāgata constantly taught these beings to subdue the sentient beings of the five turbidities; when the capacity [for teaching] was exhausted, the Tathāgata relinquished his responsive manifestation, and these beings subsequently gave rise to the five turbidities. Responding to conditions in other lands is not departing forever, hence it is said that he "recently went out." Another says: from the time he attained the unproduced, he has not been born in the three realms, hence called "going out"; because he will return before long, it says "recently." The "Life Span Chapter" says he "frequently manifests nirvāṇa," which is precisely the meaning of going out of the house. From "subsequently, the house" down is the third, two lines, directly explaining the momentum of the fire's arising. "On all four sides" refers to the locations; the body, feelings, mind, and dharmas equally give rise to the four inversions, the five turbidities, and the eight sufferings, hence "all at once"; continuous gradual increase is "blazing"; the severance of the life faculty is "bursting"; the wind-knives dismembering the body is "splitting." Another says: the sounds of groaning and weeping in suffering are called "bursting"; the destruction of the sense faculties is "splitting"; the severance of breath, separation of bones, and snapping of sinews are "collapsing and falling"; the dissolution of the four great elements is "the walls crumbling." From "the various ghosts and spirits" down is the fourth, one and a half lines, explaining the marks of being burned. Some say: relatives are "ghosts and spirits," weeping is "raising their voices"; now, following the above, the sharp proclivities are compared to spirits and ghosts. People of sharp proclivities postulate either annihilation or permanence: those postulating permanence say dharmas are definitely empty, having existed they return to non-existence, and non-existence is permanence; those postulating annihilation say dharmas are definitely severed, there is only this single death and no further continuation; both cry aloud that it is definitive, the matter having been made evident, hence "raising their voices and crying out loudly." As for the dull proclivities and various adherence to precepts, originally they do not postulate annihilation, but now seeing impermanence they merely give rise to doubt and fear, not knowing the way of escape, hence "terrified and unable to get out on their own." From "vicious beasts and poisonous insects" down is the second [major division], three and a half lines, explaining the matters within the holes, comparing them to the fire breaking out in the form realm; the various schools interpret anger as pervading the three realms, which is precisely this passage. The text has four [parts]: first, one line explains the kinds of things burned. The concentrations of the four dhyānas are compared to the holes; though not as wide and open as outside the gate, one still manages to escape the fierce flames; entering meditative concentration, one still manages to escape the coarse evils of the desire realm. Sentient beings of sharp proclivities also attain meditative concentration, like piśāca ghosts also dwelling within them. The single phrase "because of little merit" is the second, the reason for the fire's outbreak: because of little merit, they approach evil and encounter suffering. The single phrase "pressed by the fire" is the third, explaining the momentum of the fire's arising: though there are no fierce flames within the holes, there is still distress; though the four dhyānas lack the evils of the desire realm, there is still the subtle suffering of attachment to pleasure, hence it says pressed by the fire. From "mutually harming each other" down is the fourth, two lines, explaining the marks of being burned, showing the sharp and the dull competing: the various sentient beings of proclivities are the same in attaining concentration, but their postulations differ; because they differ, they mutually negate each other, like mutually harming each other. Having given rise to various views in concentration, they cannot generate uncontaminated concentration and wisdom; merely clinging to silence is like "drinking blood," and clinging to the five branches is like "eating flesh." The "jackal" is the greed of the desire realm; since it is already severed in future concentration, it is said to have "already died beforehand"; it is also called "eating," for the greed of meditative concentration is like a great vicious beast able to swallow the greed of the desire realm. The four inversions and eight sufferings of the desire realm are like "fierce flames"; the four inversions and subtle sufferings of the form realm are like "smoky stench"; they also pervade body, feelings, mind, dharmas, the four elements, skin, and flesh, hence "filling all four sides." From centipedes down is the third, two and a half lines of verse, explaining matters in the air, comparing them to the fire breaking out in the formless realm. There are two [parts]: first, one line explains the kinds of things burned; next, one and a half lines explain the marks of being burned. Disgusted with form-realm concentration, one goes out toward the formless; disgusted with the coarse objects of form, one contemplates formless dharmas, like poisonous snakes burned by fire emerging from their holes; if so, anger pervades the three realms. If one attains formless concentration, one must extinguish lower conditions, hence "snatching and eating them as they emerge." Even at the supreme summit of non-conceptualization, one still cannot escape the various sufferings of inversion, like "fire blazing upon their heads." Non-conceptualization also has the fire of the eight sufferings: the mind producing different thoughts is the suffering of birth; moment-to-moment instability is the suffering of aging; the mind of volitional formations stirring and obstructing concentration is the suffering of sickness; falling from concentration is the suffering of death; seeking concentration and failing to attain it is the suffering of not getting what one seeks; seeking concentration and failing to get it necessarily entails obstacles, which is the suffering of encountering what one hates; the four aggregate-minds are the suffering of the five grasping aggregates. Being unable to cut off immediately the seeds of the summit of existence, fire blazes upon their heads. Lacking the uncontaminated, they are afflicted by hunger and thirst; still transmigrating, they run about in flustered distress. From "such is this house" down is the fourth, one line, summarizing that the multiple perils of the three realms are not merely one; this concludes the gāthās of the general metaphor.