大方廣佛華嚴經疏 5.21

5.21

第二身眾神，文三，同前。初辯類，有二義：一身謂神之自身，眾即同生同名。及所隨者，凡有其一必更有二，共有其三，三故名眾。能所合目，名身眾神。二約所主，謂此類神專以變化多身為佛事故。二名三德，文並可知。第三足行神，亦有二義：一謂依止足行眾生及守護故。如下善見比丘足行之神，持華承足故。下德中戀仰如來二足所行處，即道路神。通表修行，履佛所行故。第四道場神，從所依所守得名。下諸神眾類皆同此。言道場者，非唯護佛道場，但有莊嚴道場之處即於中護故。下德中願供養佛，表護萬行道場及修行者故。第五主城神，表行德防御法城心城故，如摩耶處說。德中以己德行嚴佛宮殿者，一佛殿為所守之最，瑩飾為尊佛故；二主伴善根互融攝故；三瑩飾自心佛安處故。第六主地神，表深重願荷負行德故，亦表心地為依持故。第七主山神，通表萬德高勝，性皆閑寂；別表智德最高故。德中云「得清淨眼」，名中多有光稱。第八主林神，表以無漏智導於眾行，森聳建立故。德中云「皆有可愛光明」。第九主藥神，表行德伏惑，資益法身。若約利他，則三業不空，如藥樹王故。下德中性皆離垢，即伏惑去病也。仁慈祐物，即進善補益也。名中總名主藥，藥既不同，神神各別。吉祥者，主香茅之類也。清淨光明，謂乳石之流。名稱普聞，如藥樹王、雪山忍草等。明見十方，謂眼藥等，約法準之。第十主稼神，稼者樹五穀也，表萬行法味資益自他，他自益稱心故。德中大喜成就。十一主河神，即河伯之流也。表法河流注潤益群品，又於生死瀑流拯彼漂溺，江河淮濟清濁俱河故。生死法流此神皆主。德中勤益生者，謂遇沿流則平波息浪，逢泝泳則微風輕動。水性之屬，深止而住居；陸行之流，富生而應采。導百川而去害、灌萬頃而開利，為勤作意利益眾生，約所表法隨意消息。十二主海神，即海若之輩，表具含萬德一一深廣也。名中三：名遠塵離垢者，《瑜伽》八十六云「現斷煩惱，離故遠塵。彼隨眠離繫故離垢。」今約近事，塵謂塵境、垢即煩惱，六根對境，了彼性空，故曰遠塵。眾惑不行，誠為離垢。心境相藉，離垢由於遠塵。十三主水神者，通上河海等水及雨露霜雪等也，表法水含潤等多義理故。德中，拯溺為救、濟危為護，謂已溺邪見貪愛水者救之，將沈者護之而為利益，即雲雨等潤發生萬物也。法合可知。十四主火神，即宋無忌之流也，以顯智慧火燒煩惱薪，成熟善品、破無明闇耳。德中，夫火有二能：一能為益、二能為損，今用益止損。表法亦爾，示慧光以去闇，用益也；除惑苦之熱惱，止損也。十五主風神，通表方便無住，無所不摧；別表如下十六主空神。表法性空，別即離染周遍等。亦各如名辯。德中，若情塵亂起翳本性空，智日高昇則情雲自卷，空有日而廓爾無際，智合理而杳然無涯，故云爾耳。十七主方神，即東方青帝等類也，表顯邪正方隅，使行無迷倒。德中，身智教光無不引攝，名普放也。無時不放，所以稱恒。如日周天，故相續不絕。十八主夜神，表於無明黑闇生死長夜，導以慧明令知正路。德中，夜分亡寢是曰勤修，翻彼長迷，故以法為樂。十九主晝神，於晝攝化，顯行德恒明也。德中，先修正解、後勤正行。有信無解增長無明、有解無信還生邪見，信因解淨、解藉信深，晝之義也。上來多主器界，故但名神。準梵本，除金剛神，餘皆女神，表慈育故。菩薩同於彼類以攝眾生。自下攝領有情，皆受王稱，並是丈夫。

Second, the bodily assembly spirits: the text has three parts, the same as before. First, distinguishing the category, has two meanings: 1. "Body" refers to the spirit's own body; "assembly" means being born together and named together, as well as those accompanied. Wherever there is one, there must be two more, making three in total; being three, it is called an "assembly." Combining the active and the passive yields the name "bodily assembly spirits." 2. In terms of what they preside over, it means this category of spirits specializes in transforming many bodies to perform the Buddha's work. The second, their names, and the third, their virtues, can both be understood from the text. Third, the foot-traveling spirits also have two meanings: 1. It means they rely upon foot-traveling beings and protect them; as below, the foot-traveling spirit of the monk Sudarśana holds flowers to receive his feet. In the virtues below, longing for and looking up to the places where the Tathāgata walks on two feet, these are path spirits. Universally, they symbolize cultivation, treading where the Buddha walked. Fourth, the bodhimaṇḍa spirits derive their name from what they rely upon and guard. The categories of spirits below are all the same as this. As for "bodhimaṇḍa": they not only protect the Buddha's bodhimaṇḍa, but wherever there is a site adorned as a bodhimaṇḍa, they protect it within. In the virtues below, they vow to make offerings to the Buddha, symbolizing the protection of the bodhimaṇḍas of the ten thousand practices and those who cultivate them. Fifth, the city-presiding spirits symbolize the virtues of practice guarding the Dharma-city and mind-city, as explained in the section on Māyā. In their virtues, adorning the Buddha's palace with their own virtuous practices has three reasons: 1. the Buddha's palace is the supreme among what is guarded, and embellishing it is to honor the Buddha; 2. the roots of goodness of host and retinue mutually interpenetrate and gather; 3. it embellishes the place where the Buddha of one's own mind rests. Sixth, the earth-presiding spirits symbolize carrying the virtues of practice with profound and weighty vows, and also symbolize the ground of the mind serving as a support. Seventh, the mountain-presiding spirits universally symbolize the lofty supremacy of the myriad virtues, their nature all calm and solitary; specifically, they symbolize the supreme height of the virtue of wisdom. In the virtues, it says "attaining the pure eye," and among the names there are many titles with "light." Eighth, the forest-presiding spirits symbolize guiding the myriad practices with untainted wisdom, towering and standing erect. In the virtues, it says "all have lovely radiance." Ninth, the herb-presiding spirits symbolize the virtues of practice subduing delusion and nourishing the dharmakāya. If in terms of benefiting others, then the three karmas are not in vain, like the king of medicinal trees. In the virtues below, their nature being free from defilement means subduing delusion and removing illness; benevolently protecting beings means advancing good and providing replenishment. Among the names, they are collectively called herb-presiding; since herbs are different, each spirit is distinct. The "Auspicious One" presides over things like fragrant grass. "Pure Radiance" refers to things like stalactite. "Widely Renowned" is like the king of medicinal trees, the endurance grass of the snowy mountains, and the like. "Clearly Seeing the Ten Directions" refers to eye medicines and the like; align them accordingly with the Dharma. Tenth, the crop-presiding spirits: "crops" means planting the five grains; they symbolize the Dharma-flavor of the myriad practices nourishing self and others, fulfilling one's heart by benefiting others and self. In the virtues, they accomplish great joy. Eleventh, the river-presiding spirits are the sort of river gods; they symbolize the flowing stream of the Dharma river nourishing and benefiting all kinds, and also rescuing those adrift and drowning in the torrent of saṃsāra, for the Yangtze, the Yellow River, the Huai, and the Ji, whether clear or turbid, are all rivers. The stream of the Dharma and saṃsāra are both presided over by these spirits. In the virtues, "diligently benefiting beings" means that encountering downstream currents, they calm the waves and cease the billows; meeting upstream swimmers, gentle breezes stir lightly. Creatures of a watery nature dwell deeply in their habitat; streams of land-travelers flourish in abundance and should be gathered. Channeling a hundred streams to remove harm, irrigating ten thousand hectares to bring benefit—they diligently direct their minds to benefit sentient beings; interpret the symbolized Dharma according to the intent. Twelfth, the ocean-presiding spirits are the class of ocean gods; they symbolize completely containing the myriad virtues, each one deep and vast. In the names, the third, named "Remote from Dust and Free from Defilement": the eighty-sixth fascicle of the Yogācārabhūmi says: "Presently severing afflictions and being separated from them, hence remote from dust; the dormancy of these being freed from bondage, hence free from defilement." Now, in terms of nearby matters: "dust" means sense objects, and "defilement" is affliction. When the six faculties face objects and realize their nature is empty, it is called "remote from dust." When the various delusions do not operate, this is truly "free from defilement." Mind and objects depend on each other; becoming free from defilement is due to being remote from dust. Thirteenth, the water-presiding spirits: universally encompass the waters of the rivers, oceans, etc., above, as well as rain, dew, frost, snow, and so forth; they symbolize the Dharma water containing moisture and many other principles. In the virtues, pulling out the drowning is "rescue," and aiding those in danger is "protection": it means rescuing those already drowned in the water of wrong views and craving, and protecting those about to sink so as to benefit them—that is, clouds, rain, and so forth moistening and giving birth to all things. The correspondence to the Dharma can be understood. Fourteenth, the fire-presiding spirits are the sort of Song Wuji; they reveal the fire of wisdom burning the firewood of afflictions, ripening pure qualities, and shattering the darkness of ignorance. In the virtues: fire fundamentally has two functions: 1. it can bring benefit; 2. it can cause damage. Here, it uses the benefit and stops the damage. The symbolized Dharma is also like this: showing the light of wisdom to dispel darkness is using the benefit; eliminating the feverish torment of delusion and suffering is stopping the damage. Fifteenth, the wind-presiding spirits universally symbolize skillful means without abiding, destroying everything; specifically, as explained below. Sixteenth, the space-presiding spirits symbolize the emptiness of dharmatā; specifically, freedom from defilement, omnipresence, and so forth. They are also each explained according to their names. In the virtues: if emotional defilements arise chaotically, obscuring the emptiness of fundamental nature, when the sun of wisdom rises high, the clouds of emotion naturally roll away; when space has the sun, it is open and boundless; when wisdom accords with noumenon, it is vast and without limit; hence it is stated thus. Seventeenth, the direction-presiding spirits are the sort such as the Azure Thearch of the East; they symbolize revealing the directions of wrong and right, so that practice is without confusion or inversion. In the virtues, the light of their bodies, wisdom, and teachings guides and gathers all without exception, hence named "universally radiating." There is no time it does not radiate, so it is called "constant"; like the sun encircling the heavens, it continues without interruption. Eighteenth, the night-presiding spirits symbolize guiding with the light of wisdom in the dark night of ignorance and the long night of saṃsāra, causing [beings] to know the right path. In the virtues, foregoing sleep in the night watches is called diligent cultivation; reversing that long confusion, they take joy in the Dharma. Nineteenth, the day-presiding spirits gather and transform during the day, showing that the virtues of practice are constantly bright. In the virtues, first cultivate correct understanding, then diligently practice correct deeds. Having faith without understanding increases ignorance; having understanding without faith gives rise back to wrong views. Faith is purified through understanding; understanding deepens by relying on faith: this is the meaning of the day. The above mostly preside over the receptacle world, hence they are simply named "spirits." According to the Sanskrit text, except for the vajra-holding spirits, the rest are all female spirits, symbolizing compassionate nurturing. Bodhisattvas identify with their kind to gather sentient beings. From here below, those who govern sentient beings all receive the title of "king," and all are male.