妙法蓮華經玄贊 7.43

7.43

The Commentary says: Below is conversing together. The prose has two parts, and this also has two: first, half a verse on generally speaking to encourage him; next, two verses on specifically speaking to instruct him. The latter text has two parts: first, one and a half verses on granting whatever is needed immediately; second, half a verse on provisionally calling him father and son. ‘Oil for anointing the feet’: commoners in the Western regions mostly go barefoot; since the weather is warm and hot, dust and dirt frequently cling to them, so upon arriving they must wash their feet and anoint them with oil. Now, speaking of the ‘feet,’ these are the four bases of psychic power: zeal, vigor, mind, and contemplation. The ‘oil’ refers to the eight factors of abandonment, namely: zeal, effort, faith, pliancy, right mindfulness, right awareness, volition, and equanimity. The first three are preliminary applications; pliancy embraces body and mind; right mindfulness and right awareness are continuous connection, because without forgetting the object of focus, one settles the mind upon a single object; and because when negligence arises, one knows it as it really is, volition and equanimity serve as antidotes, through the two forces of urging the mind and steadying the mind. Being able to leave behind torpor and restlessness that have arisen is called ‘oil for anointing the feet,’ just as removing wind-paralysis cuts off obstructing defilements. Alternatively, ‘feet’ refers to morality (śīla), and ‘oil’ refers to the six branches: receiving and training in the training precepts, being well able to guard the prātimokṣa restraint, being fully endowed in deportment and sphere of activity, giving rise to great dread upon seeing minute faults, and nourishing morality, so that the food of Dharma is abundant; and the mats and cushions of non-greed, non-anger, and non-delusion are also thick. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: ‘The four dhyānas are the bed, and pure livelihood is the mattress.’ Pure livelihood is precisely the two karmas of body and speech arisen from non-greed; hence non-greed is taken as the mat and cushion. This is because it lies beneath the mattress and above the bed. Jian is pronounced with the fanqie zuo-jian; it also means a mat. The Yupian says: ‘Grass eaten by beasts.’ Furthermore, a bed-mat is that which serves as a padding. Xi is pronounced with the fanqie xiang-shi; the Yupian says: ‘Xi is also pronounced with the fanqie qiang-yi, meaning broad and abundant.’ In the Qieyun it is xi. Provisionally calling him father and son, and moreover speaking with gentle words, ‘just as if you were my son’: ‘as if’ (ruo) means like; like a true son of mine who has entered the noble state. This is prior to the path of seeing.