法華文句記 2.2

2.2

The origins and conditions of Kāśyapa are the most extensive in the biographies; how could they be recorded completely? Kāśyapa is a clan name, hence called "clan." "Bearing the chart" is like the River Chart in this land. The Sūtra of the Twelvefold Journeying states: "In the third year after the Buddha's attainment of awakening, he first delivered the five men; in the fourth year, he transformed Mahākāśyapa and the three brothers; in the fifth year, he transformed Maudgalyāyana and Śāriputra." A "settlement" is an abode of many people, but takes its name only from superior persons. "Fearing the superior king" means that the subjects and possessions should not surpass the king. The "three renunciations" are what follows from renouncing this. As for "later the Buddha told" and so on, the Ekottarikāgama states: "The Buddha was at Kalanda[ka-veṇuvana] with five hundred monks. At that time Kāśyapa went before the Buddha on almsround and sat to one side. The Buddha said: 'You are old in years and advanced in age, your resolve is waning and your faculties are weary; you may give up the almsround and the twelve dhūtas, and you may accept invitations as well as extra robes.' Kāśyapa said: 'I will not follow the Buddha's instruction. If the Tathāgata had not become a buddha, I would have become a pratyekabuddha; the rule of a pratyekabuddha is to practice the āraṇyaka practice for one's whole life.' The Buddha said: 'Excellent! Excellent! It brings much benefit. If Kāśyapa practices the dhūta practices and remains in the world, my Dharma will abide long, increasing gods and humans, extinguishing the three evil destinies, and accomplishing the path of the three vehicles.'" In the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā, the twelve dhūtas each possess ten kinds of merits, detailed in fascicle 14, Chapter on the Twelve Dhūtas. Fascicle 46 of the Ekottarikāgama, in the text of eleven additions, combines dwelling under trees and sitting in the open into one; hence one knows that dharma-characteristics cannot be uniformly standardised. In the Dàzhìdù lùn, fascicle 49, acceptance of non-birth is spoken of as the twelve dhūtas, belonging to the shared and not the Tripiṭaka [teaching]; therefore, judging by the teachings now, it culminates in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]. The presence, absence, similarities, and differences are detailed in the Notes on Great Calming and Contemplation, fascicle 4. "Four spiritual samādhis" means the concentrations of the four bases of spiritual power (ṛddhipāda); from the four bases of spiritual power, there are these four functions. "Formless" means being able to conceal oneself. "Immeasurable intention" means knowing the minds of others. "Accumulation of purity" means being able to transform defilement. "Non-retrogression" means being able to enter evil [realms]. As for the "four concentrations," these are definitely attaining the various dhyānas as well as the uncontaminated [dharma], being skilled in discerning, and being replete with the rules of precepts; because of these matters, one attains non-retrogression. "King Mandhātṛ" is King Uṣṇīṣa-born (Mūrdhaja). "Gods and humans all equal" refers to the Ekottarikāgama stating: "Kāśyapa heard gods and humans calling him the Buddha's teacher, arose, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and said: 'The Buddha is my teacher; I am the disciple.'" Next, from "Again, Kāśyapa" downward, as the Other Translation of the Saṃyuktāgama, fascicle 20, states: "The Buddha was at Kalandaka. Kāśyapa and Ānanda entered the city on almsround. Ānanda said: 'The time has not yet arrived; let us go for now to the nuns' monastery.' Kāśyapa acted according to his words. The nuns saw them coming from afar, rejoiced, and set out sitting mats. Kāśyapa then expounded the Dharma for the nuns. At that time, Thullanandā was displeased in heart, and secretly said: 'Elder Kāśyapa expounding the Dharma before Ānanda is like a needle-seller going to a needle-maker's gate seeking to sell needles—he will never be able to sell them. Kāśyapa is also like this, expounding the Dharma before Ānanda.' Kāśyapa heard this from afar with his divine ear, and said to Ānanda: 'Why is this worth finding strange?' Kāśyapa uttered a lion's roar before the nuns, arose from his seat, and returned to his dwelling." The present text from "Kāśyapa said to the nuns" onward is precisely the text of Kāśyapa's lion's roar. Furthermore, in the Other Translation of the Saṃyuktāgama, the rule of begging is to stop if one does not get enough from house to house; another says: going up to seven houses, if not enough, then stop. The "four great disciples" are Kāśyapa, Piṇḍola, Rāhula, and Kuṇḍadhāna. The text lists seven greats; if combined with the great native clan and the yearning of the gods as great compassion, they make nine greats together. If these are treated as the four siddhāntas: clan name and renouncing/receiving are the worldly [siddhānta]; the three greatnesses of practice are the individual [siddhānta], since hearing his name and beholding his practice all give rise to goodness; the fourth, confirmation, is the antidotal [siddhānta], because the Buddha's confirmation puts doubts and wonder to rest; status and compassion are the supreme meaning [siddhānta], because seeing principle one enters status. Compiling the Dharma and upholding the Dharma are both the merits of entering status. Citing Master Zhao in compiling the Dharma is to clarify that the merits of compiling the Dharma are many. Furthermore, "greatness of status" in the text does not refer solely to the stage of an aśaikṣa; it is because his virtue was elevated, his prestige weighty, and the office he held was great. The phrase "and so on" means that however many causes and conditions there may be, they are all completely subsumed under the four siddhāntas.