觀音玄義記 3.12

3.12

Third, discerning the distinctions has two parts: first, distinguishing surpassing kalpas, which has two parts: first, the question. Regarding "surpassing nine kalpas in a single bound," the *Vibhāṣā* states: "At that time there was a Buddha named Tiṣya. He had two disciples: one named Śākyamuni, who delighted in cultivating altruistic practice, and the capacities he transformed were ripe first; the second named Maitreya, who delighted in cultivating self-benefiting practice, and the capacities he transformed came later. That Buddha reflected: 'To turn many people toward one person is difficult, but to turn one person toward many people is easy.' Wishing to cause Śākyamuni to realize the Path first, he then left his two disciples and entered into the mountains. At that time, the Bodhisattva Śākyamuni followed behind him into the mountains, searching for his fundamental teacher without finding his traces. While walking along, he suddenly saw that Buddha inside a jeweled niche having entered the fire-element samādhi, his awe-inspiring radiance magnificently ablaze, extraordinarily different from the ordinary. Walking along, he forgot to put down one foot for seven days, and recited a single gāthā praising that World-Honoured One, saying: 'In heaven and earth, within this realm, the chamber of Vaiśravaṇa (that is, the chamber of the Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa of the north), / The heavenly abode of the passing palace, throughout the ten directions are none [like you] (the passing palace is the palace of the Brahmā King; external paths grasp it as permanent, so the Buddha, to refute them, calls it the "passing palace"), / The Great Hero, Bull-King, Great Śramaṇa, / Searching the earth, mountains, and forests everywhere, none is your equal.' Because of this vigorous diligence, he surpassed nine kalpas, realizing Buddhahood before Maitreya." Second, the answer. Puṣya and Tiṣya are merely phonetically divergent transliterations of the Sanskrit. Maitreya, upon meeting a Buddha, must also have surpassed kalpas; it is feared that the Sanskrit text has not arrived. Second, distinguishing the hundred kalpas has two parts: first, the question; second, the answer. For those who abide in this Dharma-door, if they practice the Dharma-door of the six perfections spontaneously and naturally, it then requires a hundred kalpas. This is spoken according to the conventional principles and calculations; if one's vigorous diligence doubles in efficacy, why would it be restricted to a set duration? Second, the Shared Teaching has two parts: first, explaining the characteristics of the teaching, which has two parts: first, indicating its name and teaching. Because the three vehicles at the causal stage are collectively able to forget words and tally with the ultimate truth, and together sever views and love, it receives the name 'Shared.' However, those with sharp faculties share access into the subsequent teachings; here, in dividing into four aspects, we speak for the present according to the dull. The bodhisattvas of the previous teaching sever [defilements] only upon reaching the fruition; the three vehicles do not share [this path]. Second, from "these affairs" down, discerning the characteristics of practice has two parts: first, refuting the Tripiṭaka [Teaching] to clarify stages of practice, which has two parts: first, contrasting phenomenal perfections to reveal empty practice, which has three parts: first, refuting phenomenal [practice] as non-perfection. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* refutes the Tripiṭaka bodhisattva, saying: "Fully endowed with the three poisons, how could you accumulate immeasurable merit? For example, like a poisoned vase: though it stores amṛta, it is altogether unfit to consume. A bodhisattva cultivates pure merits and only then attains Buddhahood; if mingled with the three poisons, how could you possess the pure Dharma-door? The bodhisattva's body is like a poisoned vessel; being fully endowed with afflictions is called having poison. Cultivating the Buddha Dharma is like storing amṛta. Teaching this Dharma to others causes them to lose their permanently abiding life." Giving has three grades, namely life as the highest, body as the middle, and wealth as the lowest. Trading for the dove and slicing one's body are still middle-level renunciations; since one does not realize emptiness, how could one reach the other shore? Second, from "not seeing" down, explaining emptiness accomplishing practice. Giving fundamentally remedies stinginess; stinginess cannot be grasped, and since the three spheres are empty, the characteristic of giving is not established. Subject and object having both vanished, true emptiness manifests before one; this is the true perfection of giving. For the five perfections below, subject and object are both empty; this is called the non-dual characteristic of the Path. Using this wisdom of emptiness to clear away clinging to beings and dharmas, all practices are caused to accord with principle and become perfectly accomplished. Third, from "furthermore" down, refuting the fixed three asaṃkhyeyas. Establishing practice with a mind of emptiness, forgetting weariness through long kalpas, gathering immeasurable beings and traversing immeasurable kalpas—how could it be limited to three asaṃkhyeyas? To accommodate capacities of the Great Vehicle, the Tripiṭaka [Teaching] must be refuted; it is not that that teaching is abolished from receiving beings. Second, from "the *Large Sūtra*" down, clarifying shared stages according to the severing of fetters has two parts: first, stages of practice in the Mahāyāna gate, which has two parts: first, practice severing fetters. In Sanskrit, *sarvajña*; here translated as "all-knowledge." When the mind's resolve corresponds with this wisdom of emptiness, it can sever views and destroy thoughts; this is the non-arising of persons and dharmas. With compassion conditioned by dharmas, personally practicing and transforming others, accumulating practice to fulfill vows, all correspond with the unproduced four noble truths; therefore, during the causal stage, one can sever fetters and realize principle. Second, from "then there are" down, the stages of severing fetters. Second, from "if compared with" down, matching the Hinayāna stages. The stage of the eight persons corresponds to the eight patiences. "Person" (*pudgala*) means patience. After the worldly supreme stage, the sixteen moments up to the path-comparative patience still belong to the worthy; reaching the path-comparative knowledge, one is then named an ārya. The two stages are both within the uninterrupted samādhi; therefore, the sixteen are matched to the views of the eight persons. Bodhisattvas of this teaching, from the stage of what is to be done, retain habits to moisten rebirth, using the path of compassion and the contemplation of true emptiness to practice both concurrently to transform beings; formerly severing principal afflictions, now they erode the two kinds of habits. Reaching the Buddha stage, the habits of views and thoughts are exhausted and the ultimate truth is fully realized; the dust-and-sand habits are exhausted and the conventional truth is fully realized. In the seventh stage, some are severed and some retained; hence, exhausted and not exhausted. Second, from "with vows" down, on upholding remaining habits to benefit others. The principal afflictions having been exhausted, habits do not moisten rebirth; upholding them by vows, one is able to take birth in the three realms. Because both the Tripiṭaka and Shared Teachings do not speak of permanence, bodies of birth and death are entirely caused by delusion and karma. When the afflictions of the two vehicles are exhausted, they do not receive a future body. Bodhisattvas benefiting beings fear being the same as the two vehicles; thus, Tripiṭaka bodhisattvas use compassionate vows to uphold principal afflictions to undergo birth and transform beings. Since the Shared [bodhisattvas] have severed principal afflictions, they uphold habits by vows to serve as the cause of rebirth; their exhaustion being not far off, they are like faint smoke. Having retained form in the three realms for the sake of benefiting others, by chanting their name, beings elicit a response and see them, able to eradicate suffering and grant joy. Second, from "this is" down, concluding contemplation, which is clear to see.