妙法蓮華經文句 7.44

7.44

This section of three chapters of the sūtra text, according to the precedent, should have four [parts]; but the apprehension of understanding and the endorsement both occur within the conferral of prophecy section. Why is this? If they had not apprehended and understood, how could they receive prophecies and endorsements? Thus, it encompasses both senses. Furthermore, apprehension of understanding, endorsement, and receiving prophecies occur in varying sequence, and apprehension of understanding may differ between silent contemplation and spoken words; the text being brief, it is insufficient to form a separate chapter, so it is simply subsumed into the other sections. This chapter directly expounds the causal conditions, while the latter two chapters confer prophecies. The first [part] also has two [subsections]: first, clarifying that the knowledge and vision extend into the remote past; second, clarifying the forming of affinities in past lifetimes. The Tathāgata possesses the three penetrations, clearly seeing into the remote past as though viewing today; the past events he adduces are definitively not false, and only after this does he recount past lives. Each of these two has prose and gāthās. The initial prose has three [parts]: first, presenting the matters seen, namely the well-accomplished, the great marks, and the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū; second, citing a parable to clarify the remote distance; third, concluding that seeing the past is like the present (and so forth). The gāthā has seven lines, versifying the preceding three meanings, as in the text. From 'The lifespan of that Buddha was five hundred and forty [kalpas]' below, it directly clarifies the forming of affinities. This is again divided into two: first, the causes for forming affinities; second, the direct forming of affinities. Within the causes, there are also two: the remote cause and the proximate cause. The remote cause again has two: first, the Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū's attainment of the Way; second, the Brahmā kings of the ten directions requesting the Dharma. The attainment of the Way has five [points]: first, the Buddha's lifespan was long and enduring. From 'That Buddha originally sat' below, second is the events prior to attaining the Way. Yet the Way of all buddhas is identical, while the events undertaken for the sake of conditions differ: Śākyamuni practiced austerities for six years, unaware of grass growing and knotting around his thighs and reaching his elbows, unheard of the heavenly beings' weeping and crying that shook the earth, and attained the Way by shifting his seat; Maitreya will attain the Way on the very day of his renunciation; that Buddha did not have it manifest even after ten kalpas. This was not because their faculties were sharp or dull, or the Way difficult or easy; it was merely that conditions warranted slackness or urgency, responding by displaying length or brevity. Third, from 'Monks, after Mahābhijñā passed ten small kalpas' below, clarifies the actual attainment of the Way. Fourth, from 'Before that Buddha had left home' below, clarifies the offerings of his retinue after his attainment of the Way. Fifth, from 'At that time the sixteen princes praised him in gāthās' below, clarifies the request to turn the wheel of the Dharma. The first text is easy to understand. The second, the events prior to attaining Buddhahood, has two: first, the duration of time that the Buddha sat at the place of the Way; second, the offerings of the devas. From 'The Buddha told' down to 'at the time of attaining samyaksambodhi' below, is the second, the requests by the Brahmā kings. The text has two: first, the awe-inspiring light illuminating and shaking [the worlds]; second, the Brahmā kings of the ten directions requesting. Regarding the first, the awe-inspiring light, the *Sūtra on Past Causes and Effects* states: 'When Sarvārthasiddha was in the womb, the three-thousandfold world realm was brilliantly lit with great illumination; places where the sun and moon do not shine became brightly lit, and the sentient beings therein were each able to see one another.' When he first attained the Way, it was also like this: in the morning he expounded the Dharma for the rupa devas, at midday for the kāma devas, in the afternoon for ghosts and spirits, and likewise at night. As for the contemplative interpretation: 'sentient beings suddenly arising' means that the mind-nature is originally pure, but when obscured by the skandhas, āyatanas, and dhātus, it becomes dark; if one cultivates contemplative wisdom, the principle of the original nature becomes manifest. Furthermore, the two mountains are the two truths; between them is the Middle Way. The light of the sun and moon is the two wisdoms; the light of the Buddha is the Middle Way. The light of non-discriminative wisdom illuminates the originally existent three truths so that they are thoroughly clear. From 'At that time, in the eastern direction' below is the second, the Brahmā kings of the ten directions. The text has two: first, the nine directions; later, the zenith. The nine directions are divided into four: first, the east; second, the southeast; third, the south; fourth, a general treatment of the six directions. For the Brahmā kings of the first three directions, each text has seven [parts]: first, witnessing the auspicious sign; second, being startled; third, inquiring among themselves for resolution; fourth, following the light to see the Buddha; fifth, making offerings with the three karmas; sixth, requesting the Dharma; seventh, silent assent; all are as in the text. The Brahmā kings of the zenith have only six, for the World-Honoured One spoke immediately, so there was no silent assent. Traditionally it was said that the east and southeast requested the small [vehicle], the seven directions requested the great, and the zenith requested both small and great. If following the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa*, it explains that the Brahmā kings originally requested the great; though the Buddha spoke the small, it did not fulfill what was requested, and only when he spoke the Prajñā did it answer the Brahmā kings' request. If relying on the text of the 'Expedient Means Chapter', the Brahmā kings requested the great; yet the path of the Buddha-dharma is identical, so they should not have made a one-sided request. However, sūtras and treatises are concise, and the masters merely relied on them one-sidedly. Furthermore, just as the present Buddha, from beginning to end, fully turned the wheel of the Dharma of the five flavors, each answering a request of the Brahmā kings, so it should be for that [Buddha] as well. Initially, the sixteen sons requested the turning of the complete teaching, just as the present Buddha spoke the *Avataṃsaka*; the two directions of east and southeast requested the turning of the half teaching, just as the present Buddha spoke the Tripiṭaka; the subsequent seven directions requested turning the teaching that contrasts the half to clarify the complete, just as the present Buddha spoke the Vaipulya; the Brahmā kings of the zenith requested carrying the half to clarify the complete, just as the present Buddha spoke the *Prajñā*; subsequently, the sixteen sons requested abolishing the half to clarify the complete, just as the present Buddha spoke the ghee teaching of the *Lotus Sūtra*. The programmatic sequence of past and present corresponds in text and meaning (and so forth). From 'At that time Mahābhijñā-jñānābhibhū, having received [the requests of] the ten directions' below, is the proximate cause for forming affinities. Because the Buddha accepted the request to preach the Dharma, later [the sons] were able to review and re-explain it, directly forming affinities. The text has two [parts]: first, first turning the half-word Dharma wheel; second, the princes requesting the turning of the Dharma wheel that abolishes the half to clarify the complete word. The first has three: first, accepting the request; second, directly turning [the wheel]; third, hearing the Dharma and attaining the Way. Here, he should have expounded the Three Vehicles as in the text of the Introductory Chapter; yet now he does not speak of them because, being directly concerned with lower capacities in discussing the formation of affinities and revealing the real, he omits mention of the six pāramitās. As for the 'three turnings', they are the demonstration, exhortation, and realization (and so forth). The three turnings are also correlated with demonstrating, instructing, benefiting, and gladdening: demonstrating is the turning of demonstration; instructing is the turning of exhortation; benefiting and gladdening are the turning of realization. They are also correlated with seeing the truth (darśana-mārga), cultivation (bhāvanā-mārga), and the non-learner (aśaikṣa). For śrāvakas there are three turnings; for pratyekabuddhas, two turnings; for bodhisattvas, one turning. Why is this? Because of the sharpness or dullness of their faculties. This is spoken from one perspective. Universally, as a rule, all have three turnings. Why three turnings? In the verbal teaching of all buddhas, the dharma reaches completion at three, because sentient beings have three capacities; both the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa* and the *Abhidharma-mahāvibhāṣā* make this statement. Question: Initially it was for five people, so how can there be three capacities? Furthermore, there were eighty thousand devas; why would there be no three capacities? It is in order to produce the three types of wisdom, three faculties, and three paths. As for the 'twelve aspects', first it is explained in terms of the teaching of the Four Truths; second, in terms of the sixteen aspects. The twelve of teaching are precisely demonstration, exhortation, and realization; the twelve of practice are that the three turnings all give rise to vision, knowledge, clarity, and awakening. Furthermore, the twelve of teaching are the active turner, and the twelve of practice are the object turned. The twelve practices are the wheel, while the twelve teachings are not the wheel; if one considers the meaning of two wheels, then vision, knowledge, clarity, and awakening are, in terms of the forty-eight dharmas, the opening of these four minds into sixteen minds: namely, patience regarding the doctrine of suffering is 'vision', knowledge of the doctrine of suffering is 'knowledge', inductive patience is 'clarity', and inductive knowledge is 'awakening'; the other three truths are also like this, thus forming sixteen minds. Persons of the three capacities each attain sixteen minds, thus forming forty-eight practices. The twelve truths are the Dharma wheel of teaching; the twelve practices are the Dharma wheel of practice. As for the wheel of teaching, that which can turn is only a single expedient wisdom, while that which is turned consists of twelve teachings. For the Dharma wheel of practice, the teachings that can turn are twelve, and the practices that are turned are also twelve. This may be applied universally to three persons, or explained in terms of one person. Now, concerning the three persons on the path of seeing the truth, those of sharp faculties, upon hearing the turning of demonstration, immediately give rise to vision, knowledge, clarity, and awakening; mentioning the three persons together is why it says 'twelve aspects'. As for 'that which cannot be turned', since śramaṇas have not heard it, they do not even know it, let alone be able to turn it; though pratyekabuddhas awaken, their mouths cannot preach it; though brahmins have heard its name, they do not understand its principle; Māra and Brahmā are also like this. Now, 'turning' means to turn this Dharma and transmit it into another's mind, causing them to attain awakening and crushing the sixty-two wrong views; only then is it called 'turning the Dharma wheel'. Lacking this meaning, Māra, Brahmā, and the others cannot turn it. There is an explanation that for the Mahāyāna Four Truths, next one turns the two truths, next turns the one truth, next turns the truth of non-truth; all these carry the meaning of rolling up and unfolding. The Hīnayāna Four Truths take arising and ceasing as their essence; the Mahāyāna takes non-arising as its essence (and so forth). As for the 'twelve causal conditions', they are simply the Four Truths observed in distinct, detailed contemplation. In terms of suffering and accumulation, there are ignorance through old age and death; in terms of the path and cessation, there is the cessation of ignorance down to the cessation of old age and death. Furthermore, the three persons all contemplate the twelve conditions: for the two vehicles, the twelve conditions of arising and ceasing; for bodhisattvas, the twelve conditions of non-arising. The twelve conditions of non-arising are originally unarisen and currently unceasing; when marks arise, there are marks; arising successively ceases (and so forth). Furthermore, the Three Vehicles also universally discuss the Four Truths: for the two vehicles, the bounded Four Truths; for bodhisattvas, the boundless Four Truths. Furthermore, the six pāramitās are also common to the three persons: the 'Chapter on Setting Forth' of the *Larger Prajñāpāramitā* says, 'Arhats and pratyekabuddhas reach the other shore by relying on the six pāramitās.' The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* states, 'Worldlings and the two vehicles all have the six pāramitās, but they are different.' If so, they should all be named pāramitās; yet when the practice of the two vehicles reaches the other shore of nirvāṇa, it is also termed pāramitā; it is merely that they cannot reach the other shore of the Buddha Way, differing when compared to bodhisattvas. The *Abhidharma* has the six feet (pāda), and the six feet are the six pāramitās; the *Ratnamegha-sūtra* clarifies the vinaya of the Three Vehicles (and so forth). Third, hearing the Dharma and attaining awakening: few at first, many in the middle. 'Not receiving' means not receiving the four views, awakening to the first fruit. 'Attaining liberation' means being freed from the two bonds of defilement and karmic fruition, attaining the stage of non-learning. 'Profound and wondrous samādhi' refers to liberation in both ways (and so forth).