妙法蓮華經玄贊 5.27

5.27

Eulogy: Knowing oneself to be a child of the Buddha, the path is accomplished. Fascicle eighty-four of the Yogācārabhūmi has six phrases, namely: 'He is a great lion, born from the belly of the Buddha, born from the mouth of the Buddha, born from the Dharma of the Buddha, transformed by the Dharma of the Buddha, and has obtained an equal share of the Dharma.' The Śrīmālā[devī-sūtra] says 'obtaining the remaining wealth of the Buddha'; this [passage] has four phrases. The Yogācārabhūmi explains: 'The first is a general phrase, and the latter five are specific phrases.' 'Born from the belly' excludes the base and inferior children of ordinary worldlings; having obtained noble wisdom, one is genuinely born from the Buddha's belly, unlike ordinary worldlings who are the Buddha's adopted children. Because all sentient beings are children of the Buddha, yet the Buddha did not genuinely give birth to them, they are not born from the belly; being born from the Buddha's Dharma, that alone is genuine birth. Furthermore, the two vehicles and others are not children born of the principal wife, but like children born of a maidservant; hence the subsequent sūtra text says 'if they are like my sons.' A bodhisattva of the first stage is born into the family of the Tathāgata because of realizing the Dharma realm; hence they are children born of the principal wife, whereas those prior to that are not children born of the principal wife, termed 'not born from the belly.' Now, generating the great aspiration, one will become a bodhisattva born within the Dharma realm, hence it is generally referred to as 'born from the belly.' 'Born from the mouth of the Buddha' means being born from the sound of preaching the Dharma; its essence is wisdom arisen from hearing (śrutamayī-prajñā), because it is produced with teaching as its objective support. 'Born from the Buddha's Dharma' means being produced by proper mental attention (yoniśomanaskāra) and the practice in conformity with the Dharma (dharmānudharmapratipatti); its essence is subsumed under the two wisdoms of reflection (cintāmayī) and cultivation (bhāvanāmayī), being produced accordingly with principle or teaching as its objective support. 'Transformed by the Dharma of the Buddha' means being established from the path of the Dharmakāya, possessing a similar nature. The 'path of the Dharmakāya' refers to the two causes of merit and wisdom of the bodhisattvas; I am also like this, because of being established from within those two causes. The Dharmakāya has two kinds, because the meanings in the Hīnayāna and Mahāyāna differ. 'Obtaining an equal share of the Dharma' means enjoying the treasures of the uncontaminated Dharma, possessing a similar nature. 'Dharma' refers to the treasure of the Dharma, or the seven noble wealths, namely faith, morality, learning, renunciation, wisdom, shame, and conscience, which are similar. 'Share' refers to remaining portion or category; the buddhas and bodhisattvas are able to utilize the Dharma-wealth, and I am now also like this, being similar to them, and also obtaining and enjoying the remaining portion of the treasure of uncontaminated Dharma. Accordingly, while in the stage of the two vehicles, compared with ordinary worldlings, one has already advanced one tier and is truly a child of the Buddha. Now becoming a bodhisattva, compared with the stage of the two vehicles, one has advanced another tier; being a true child of the Buddha and so forth can be explained in accordance with reason. That [treatise] also explains: 'Such phrases demonstrate the perfection of higher rebirth (abhyudaya) and the perfection of birth in conformity with the father's nature. Among the latter five phrases, the first three demonstrate the perfection of higher rebirth, and the latter two demonstrate the perfection of birth in conformity with the father's nature. "Higher rebirth" is a superior birth of own-nature; "birth in conformity with the father's nature" means inheriting the father's bodily lineage and utilizing the father's family wealth, both being similar. Within higher rebirth, the first phrase eliminates the fault of the vessel: being born from the belly of the Buddha's correct wisdom eliminates birth in the world based on the foul vessel of the womb. The second phrase eliminates birth from the impurity of semen and blood: being born from the mouth of the Buddha, it does not take semen and blood as its own-nature. The third phrase eliminates sensual craving that is not birth from the correct Dharma: ordinary beings exist nourished by sensual craving, not born from the correct Dharma; now one is born from the correct Dharma, not produced by sensual craving that is not the correct Dharma. The fourth phrase demonstrates the nature resembling one's own-nature: being established from the path of the Dharmakāya, inheriting the Dharmakāya, one's own-nature is exceptionally superior, just as inheriting the Brahmin caste establishes high nobility. The fifth phrase demonstrates the nature of resembling enjoyment: enjoying the uncontaminated Dharma-wealth of the Buddha, just as in the world one enjoys the property and goods of one's parents.' Here there are four [phrases], lacking the second phrase, and combining 'transformed' and 'born' collectively into one phrase. Formerly abiding in the provisional, one was not a true child of the Buddha; now seeking the real stage, one is only then born from the belly—this is the general idea of this sūtra text. Hence the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'Unlike the two vehicles, the foolish children of a maidservant.' Furthermore, another view says that the above four sections are separately matched to apprehending the four previous meanings of opening, revealing, awakening, and entering in sequence; however, upon detailed examination of the nature of the phenomena, this reasoning is not necessarily so.