法華文句記 2.88

2.88

Regarding the passage beginning with “Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the east” and so forth: their names appear in the second fascicle of the Suvarṇaprabhāsa, in the “Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings.” At that time, Heavenly King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Heavenly King Virūḍhaka, Heavenly King Virūpākṣa, and Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa begin from the east and conclude in the north. The third chapter, “Spirits,” lists twenty-eight classes.
Regarding “not allowing” and so forth: in their traces, they guard the four trees; since the four trees symbolize the four virtues, by means of the traces the origin is symbolized. In the origin, they protect the twin trees of the four virtues. Although there are four that wither and four that flourish, the principle that is neither withering nor flourishing nevertheless does not go beyond permanence, bliss, self, and purity; therefore, protecting the eight trees is protecting the four virtues. Protecting the four virtues has two meanings: first, not allowing one-sided grasping, for one-sided grasping becomes heterodoxy; second, not allowing total grasping, for total grasping becomes an attachment. One must understand their principle to be neither withering nor flourishing. Now, in speaking of “branches and leaves”: because within each single virtue all four virtues are fully contained, if one takes only a single name one-sidedly and fails to know that it is endowed with all virtues, this is called grasping branches and leaves, and so on; thus outside teachings all possess these names. Therefore the text says, “Branches and trunks symbolize permanence,” and so on, which precisely reveals that each single virtue is endowed with the four virtues.
Regarding “guarding against the eight forms of craving and views”: under each individual truth there is one craving and one view. The four kinds of the four truths eliminate craving and views in accordance with each corresponding teaching; hence each of the Four Kings commands [his retinue] so as not to afflict people, just as each guards against views and craving, not allowing people to grasp objects. If explained according to the latter, “king” is the king samādhi. The lords of the respective teachings can also all be called “kings,” each destroying craving and views.
Regarding “and so on” under “five desires of Paranirmitavaśavartin”: one should explain in detail the physical size and lifespans of the gods of the desire realm. The Kośa says:
“The size of people in Jambudvīpa
is three and a half or four cubits;
for those in the eastern, western, and northern continents,
it doubles successively.
For the gods of the desire realm, in krośas,
it increases by one quarter for each.
In the form realm, in yojanas,
for the first four it increases by half each;
above this it doubles successively,
only Cloudless is reduced by three.
Fifty human years
are one day and night in the lower heaven;
their lifespan based on this is five hundred,
and for the upper five it doubles successively.
In the form realm there is no difference of day and night;
the number of kalpas equals their body height.
For the first [heaven] of the formless realm, it is twenty thousand,
and thereafter each increases by two [tens of thousands];
for the heavens above and below Minor Light,
a great kalpa, whole or halved, forms a kalpa.”
If one discusses height and depth for each heaven, the distance above is the same as the distance below. The sixth fascicle of the Bieyi Ahan explains in detail the various Brahmās descending; the eighth and eleventh explain in detail the various devas praising the Buddha. When the devas come, they all take human form. The fourth fascicle states: “When a Brahmā king came to pay homage to the Buddha, the Buddha had entered the fire-light samādhi, so he could not proceed forward. He therefore went to the door of Kokālika and called him. Kokālika asked: ‘Who calls?’ He replied: ‘A Brahmā king.’ He asked again: ‘Did the Buddha predict that you would attain the state of non-returner (anāgāmin)?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ He asked again: ‘Anāgāmin means non-returning; why then have you come?’ The Brahmā king said: ‘One should not converse with such a person.’” Thus we know that they wholly conform to human ways, yet there were still feelings of transgression, and so he admonished Kokālika.
Regarding “by analogy, there are doctrinal gates” and so forth: since they are the supplicants for turning the wheel of the Dharma throughout the Buddha’s lifetime, when they request the great [vehicle], it is great, and when they request the small [vehicle], it is small. As for origin and traces: in the origin, they abide in the pure, single, real, wondrous realm; contemplating and eliminating defilement and pollution can both be named “pure.” Furthermore, in the text, of the explanations of the various devas, only Śakra is fully provided with the four interpretations. For the three luminaries, the Four Kings, Maheśvara, and other heavens of the form realm, although there are conditions, they all lack [an explanation] in terms of the teachings. However, since the devas constantly follow the World-Honoured One, hearing the Dharma everywhere, one should also distinguish the shallow and deep, and open and reveal, according to the flavors of the various teachings, just like the case cited of Śāriputra receiving his prediction. It is only because the enterprise of propagating the teachings is concise that an example was merely raised. Therefore, below the eight dragon kings it is mostly thus; only the kiṃnaras have a doctrinal [explanation], because it suits the meaning. Regarding “and so on” under “immeasurable Dharma gates”: because they follow many heads, provisionally the contemplation of the provisional is taken as foremost—that is, the one provisional is all provisionals. If spoken of generally, the one empty is all empty, and the one middle is all middle; these also have many heads.