妙法蓮華經文句 6.63

6.63

From “The elder at that time” downwards, there is one line of verse that versifies the second [aspect], the father seeing his son. In the prose text above, there were four parts: first, the place where he saw him; second, recognizing him as soon as he saw him; third, seeing him and rejoicing; and fourth, obtaining his wish. Here only two are versified: the upper half-line versifies the place where he saw the son; from “saw from afar” downwards, the second half-line versifies recognizing the son as soon as he saw him. / From “He immediately ordered a messenger to pursue and seize him” downwards, there are ten and a half lines of verse that versify the parable above of pursuing and coaxing. Here, first, three lines versify the flank pursuit. In the text of the flank pursuit above, there were three parts: first, calling the son and his not coming; second, calling him again and his not coming; and third, letting him go. Here the first three lines versify the initial call where, lacking capacity, he does not come; next, from “confused and overwhelmed” downwards, the second line of one phrase versifies calling him again and his not coming; next, from “this person” downwards, the third [part of] two lines versifies his lack of capacity, which is the meaning of explaining why he was let go above. / From “He immediately, by expedient means” downwards, the second [part of] seven and a half lines versifies secretly dispatching two men to lure him. The text above had two parts; here the verse also has two. The first three lines versify the parable of hiring him to work; the next four and a half lines versify the parable of instructing him to work. In the text above on hiring him to work, there were four parts: first, devising an expedient means; second, seeking and finding [the men]; third, explaining the hiring to work; and fourth, taking his wages to clear dung. Here only two are versified: the first two lines versify the first, devising an expedient means; from “The poor son heard this” downwards, one line versifies the fourth, taking his wages to clear dung. Now, as for the initial devising of an expedient means: “one-eyed” is one-sided emptiness; “short” is deficient in height, not plumbing the source of true reality; “ugly” is narrow in breadth, lacking the manifold good adornments of the Mahāyāna. Lacking the four fearlessnesses is called “lacking majesty”; differing from permanence, bliss, self, and purity is called “lacking virtue.” Next, from “The poor son heard this” downwards, the second is taking wages, which purifies the rooms of the six sense faculties and the dwelling of the five aggregates. / From “The elder through a window” downwards, the second [part of] four and a half lines versifies the instruction to work above. The text above had four parts, and the verse here also has four. The first half-line versifies being inside the window; from “Thinking of his son's foolishness and baseness” downwards, the second half-line versifies his emaciation; from “Thereupon the elder took off” downwards, the third line of one line versifies taking off the fine and putting on the coarse; from “Expediently approaching him” downwards, the fourth [part of] two and a half lines versifies the actual instruction to work. Above there were seven categories of dharmas: “spoke” corresponds to the four bases of mindfulness; “causing him to work diligently” is the four right exertions; the one line from “having increased your wages” downwards versifies the four bases of supernormal power; “anointing the feet with oil” means being able to tread deep waters, like supernormal powers, and moreover oil removes wind, meaning concentration is free of perturbation; “abundant food and drink” is the rice and flour above; “thick and warm mats” is the samādhi of contemplation, training, scenting, and cultivation, which can remove distraction and agitation. “With such harsh words: 'You must work diligently'”, this half-line collectively versifies the fourth above (comforting) and the fifth (being free of five faults)—once faculties and powers are established, he can then endure harsh words; “furthermore with gentle words”, this half-line collectively versifies the sixth (giving him a name) and the seventh (having him work constantly)—both pertain to the son's status. / From “The elder has wisdom” downwards, the fourth [section of] ten lines versifies the fourth above: taking charge of and entrusting the family estate. The text above had two parts; the verse here also has two. First, three and a half lines versify the cause for entrusting the estate; next, six and a half lines versify the actual entrusting of the estate. Within the first, the cause, there are two parts, and the verse here also has two. First, from “The elder has wisdom” downwards, the half-line collectively versifies the mutual trust of minds, that is, entering and exiting; from “After twenty years” downwards, the second [part of] three lines versifies consigning and taking charge of the family estate. Above, consigning the estate had commanding and receiving, but here it only versifies receiving the command; above, receiving the command had four parts, but here it only versifies three. The first line and a half versifies receiving the command; next, from “still staying at the gate” downwards, the second [part of] one line versifies still abiding in his original position and not yet relinquishing the inferior mind; next, from “The father knew the son's mind” downwards, the third [part of] a half-line versifies the broadening and great aspiration, the stirring of the Mahāyāna capacity. First, “twenty years” cannot be identical to the above: above, removing views and thoughts was called twenty, whereas here it explains managing and working on the family matters. Some say turning the Mahāyāna teaching to teach the bodhisattvas and severing the distinctive delusions of views and thoughts of the Mahāyāna is called twenty years. Others say the time of preaching Prajñā was long, altogether twenty years. Others say abiding in the stage of the two vehicles and turning the Mahāyāna teaching constitutes twenty years. The Renwang bore jing says, “For twenty-eight years he taught the Mahāprajñā.” / From “Wishing to give him wealth and goods” downwards, the second [part of] six and a half lines versifies the second, the actual entrusting of the family estate. The text above had two parts, and the verse here also has two. The first four and a half lines versify the actual entrusting of the estate; the next two lines versify rejoicing at obtaining the entrustment. Above, the actual entrusting of the estate had four parts, but here it only versifies three, lacking the time and season. First, the one line from “Wishing to give” downwards versifies the second above, gathering relatives. From “Before this great assembly” downwards, the second [part] has two and a half lines, versifying the third above, determining the father-son kinship by nature. From “All that I possess” downwards, the third [part of] one line versifies the fourth above, the actual handing over. From “The son thought of his former poverty” downwards, the second [part of] two lines versifies rejoicing at obtaining the entrustment. / From “The Buddha is also like this” downwards, the third [division of] thirty and a half gāthās versifies the application of the parable. “The Buddha is also like this” corresponds to the first, father and son losing each other; the single line “Knowing that we took pleasure in the small” corresponds to the parable of father and son seeing each other; the two lines “Never did he say” versify the correspondence to the third, the parable of pursuit and calling back. The application above had two parts: first, corresponding to calling again and his not coming; second, corresponding to letting him go. Here it only versifies that meaning in summary. / The one line from “Yet he spoke of us” downwards versifies the application above to the parable of secretly dispatching two men to lure him. Above, it applied to the two sections of the matching teaching and the probing teaching; now this single line merely versifies that meaning in summary. / The twenty-eight and a half lines from “The Buddha commanded us” downwards versify the application to the fourth, taking charge of the family estate. Above, the application had two parts: mutual trust and consigning the estate. Now, the first eighteen and a half lines merely versify the application to consigning the estate; the next ten lines versify the application to the actual entrustment. Above, within receiving the command, there were only two: first, receiving the command, and second, having no expectation of taking it; here, the first single line extensively versifies being commanded to manage and know it, which was not present in the taking charge above. “The supreme path” is emptiness and Prajñā, beyond which there is nothing superior. Next, the seventeen and a half lines below properly present receiving the command, having no expectation of taking it, and so forth, lacking the [aspects of] not relinquishing and broadening. “I received the Buddha's teaching,” consisting of five lines, versifies the actual receipt of the command. That the Buddha's sons heard the Dharma and received predictions explains turning the teaching to benefit others. At that time, it was considered turning the teaching to instruct and transform bodhisattvas, not said to be for oneself. / The twelve and a half lines from “Like that poor son” downwards versify the second, having no expectation of taking it; this passage expands on the above. Within it, there are also two parts: first, one line recapitulates the previous parable to match and apply it; next, the second [part of] eleven and a half lines from “Although we spoke” downwards properly applies [the parable to] having no expectation of taking it, which is further divided into three: the first line properly versifies having no expectation of taking it. Next, the nine and a half lines from “We within extinguished” downwards present having no expectation of taking it because of possessing wisdom and severance, which is again threefold: statement, explanation, and conclusion. The first has two: the first line states having no expectation of taking it because the virtue of severance is complete; next, the second line, one line from “If we heard” downwards, states having no expectation of taking it because the virtue of wisdom is complete. The six lines from “Why is this?” downwards explain both sections on wisdom and severance together. Next, the third [part of] one and a half lines from “Although we, for the sake of” downwards concludes the explanation of oneself having no expectation of taking it. Next, the third [part of] one line from “The Guide saw” downwards explains that the Buddha saw and relinquished us, which matches having no expectation of taking it. / The ten lines from “Like a rich elder” downwards versify the actual entrusting of the estate. The application above had two parts: first, the actual entrusting of the estate; second, rejoicing at obtaining the entrustment. The verse here also has two: the first three lines versify the actual entrustment; the next seven lines versify obtaining rejoicing. Within the first three lines, the prose above applied to the actual entrusting of the estate in summary, and here it is also versified in summary, but the first line and a half recapitulates the parable to match and apply it, and the next line and a half properly versifies the application. / The seven lines from “We today” downwards versify the second, rejoicing at obtaining the entrustment. “Obtaining the path” means obtaining the path of true reality. “Obtaining the fruit” means partially obtaining the habituated fruit of the Mahāyāna. These two lines explain the opening of buddha knowledge. “Regarding unconditioned dharmas, obtaining the pure eye”: these two lines explain the opening of buddha vision, seeing the principle of true reality. Formerly, seeing the unconditioned did not fall into [the ways of] ordinary worldlings; today, seeing the unconditioned does not fall into [the ways of] the two vehicles. Formerly, the wisdom eye saw emptiness; now, the pure eye sees the Middle. “The retribution of upholding the precepts”: formerly, upholding precepts and pure conduct together manifested the unconditioned, but by reducing the body to ashes and annihilating consciousness, no one received this fruition-retribution; today, pure conduct is able to obtain the unconditioned, which is the meaning of the revealing cause taking the fruit; upholding the precepts is the meaning of the conditional cause; the principle seen by the pure eye is the meaning of the direct cause. “We are true śrāvakas”: this is the true stage of the Mahāyāna. The ten faiths, pervading three thousand realms with a single voice, are a semblance path and not true; entering the ten abodes is then true. A true arhat has three meanings; here only the single meaning of “worthy of offerings” (arhat) is raised. If one is not subject to change and slays the pervasive and distinctive delusions, this is the meaning of non-arising and slayer of thieves; being worthy to be a field of merit for the ten dharma realms is the meaning of worthy of offerings; “worthy of offerings” and “slayer of thieves” mutually illumine each other. / The thirteen lines below praise the Buddha's profound grace, which is difficult to repay, as in the text. I personally suggest that the “World-Honoured One's great grace” entails: First, the Buddha initially established loving-kindness and compassion, eradicating the suffering of the six destinies and bestowing the bliss of the four sages, universally bringing the ten dharma realms into the four universal vows—this is the grace of the Tathāgata's room. Second, the Tathāgata practiced the bodhisattva path, instructing, benefiting, and delighting, and once taught us the Mahāyāna; although we forgot it midway, the aspiration of wisdom was not lost; this is the coolness and warmth of the Tathāgata's room, the grace of great loving-kindness bestowing bliss. Third, when sentient beings encounter suffering, they look only to their father; the Buddha watches for their suitability like a calf pursuing its mother, fully practicing the six pāramitās to benefit sentient beings; this is the Tathāgata's room sheltering from cold and blocking heat, the grace of great compassion eradicating suffering. Fourth, when the Buddha attained awakening, he ought to have enjoyed the bliss of unconditioned quiescence, yet he concealed his spiritual virtue and used the dharmas delighted in by the poor—the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds—sprinkling cold water on their faces to cause them to awaken; this is the grace of the Buddha's robe sheltering from the heat of craving and desire. Fifth, manifesting the form of an old monk, he expediently approached them and gave them a single day's wages; this is the grace of the Buddha's robe removing the cold of views and the heat of affection. Sixth, after this passed, when minds mutually trusted, he rebuked, reprimanded, and demeaned them, causing them to feel ashamed of the small and yearn for the great; this is the grace of the Buddha's robe concealing their ugliness. Seventh, he commanded them to take charge of the family estate, causing them to know all the gold, silver, and storehouses; this is the grace of the Buddha's robe granting us adornment. Eighth, gathering the relatives, determining father and son, and entrusting the family estate, so that the supreme cluster of jewels was obtained naturally without seeking; this is the grace of the Tathāgata's seat. Ninth and tenth: having sat on the seat, body and mind are broad and at ease, blissfully obtaining peace; causing all to hear with the voice of the Buddha path, so that all devas and humans universally ought to make offerings among them; this is the grace of the Tathāgata's seat enabling me to be complete, both in one's own practice and in converting others. The World-Honoured One's great grace cannot be repaid even by carrying him on both shoulders: this is what it means.