大方廣佛華嚴經疏 15.3

15.3

Sixth, the profundity of the correct teaching. In the inquiry, first, the person questioned is indicated: because he dispels indolence, he questions Qianshou (Vīryāgra). Second, in directly setting forth the formulation of the question, there are four parts: First, "the Buddha's teaching is one" raises the doctrine to settle the premise. "One" has two meanings: first, that it cuts off the accumulation of afflictions to realize the cessation of liberation; this meaning does not differ, and is agreed upon by both sides. Second, that many people see it together, and what is seen does not differ. Second, from "sentient beings" onward, the doubt and objection are directly raised. The objection also has two aspects: First, matching the first meaning: after seeing the teaching, why is one not liberated for a long time? Hence it says: why do they not immediately sever delusion and attain liberation? Second, matching the latter meaning: many people see it together, so why are some liberated while others are not? Hence it says: why do they not all sever delusion and attain liberation? Third, from "yet their" onward explains and establishes the preceding objection, directly explaining the latter meaning, because for many people suffering and its accumulation do not differ at all. The five aggregates are the direct [retribution], and the three realms are the common support: these are the result of suffering; ignorance and craving give rise to and moisten it: these are the cause of its accumulation. It simultaneously clarifies the first meaning, because suffering and its accumulation before and after also do not differ. Fourth, from "this then" onward concludes the contradiction. If those who attain liberation obtain benefit, while those who do not attain liberation obtain no benefit, and the Buddha's teaching is one, where then does its meaning lie? The reply's intention says: practice has diligence and laziness, hindrances have depth and shallowness, capacities have raw and mature, conditions have presence and lack, wisdom has brightness and dullness, and merit has thickness and thinness; therefore accomplishment has slow and fast—this answers the first objection. Practice and non-practice account for seeing the same [teaching] yet differing in benefit—this answers the second objection. Because the distinctive meanings above do not go beyond the two approaches of diligence and laziness. The ten verses are divided into two: the first one opens the chapter and promises to speak, meaning the first half promises to speak according with reality, and the second half opens the two chapter headings; the remaining nine explain in detail, the first one explaining swift liberation, and the subsequent eight explaining difficulty in liberation. Now for the first: the first half reiterates the doubt, and the second half provides the explanation. Diligence generally spurs the myriad practices and is free from the marks of body and mind, and so one is able to attain swift liberation. Yet it has five marks: first, possessing power, through vigor of donning armor, which means making great vows within the Buddha's Dharma; second, courageous and dauntless, meaning vigor without timidity or inferiority regarding the vast Dharma; third, firm and fierce, through vigor that cannot be moved by cold, heat, gnats, mosquitoes, and so forth; fourth, constantly not abandoning the yoke of the good, through vigor without inferiority or self-satisfaction; fifth, vigor, through the vigor of applied preparation. Generating diligent vigor from these five marks, one swiftly realizes pervasive knowledge and wisdom, destroying hindrances and attaining liberation. The eight below use analogies to explain the section on difficulty in liberation; their general character reverses the preceding, and all are termed indolence. First, the analogy of faint fire and wet firewood illustrates that roots of goodness are raw and the three hindrances are heavy: having briefly heard the teaching once, one only slightly practices, yet karma and afflictions invade from within, causing what was heard to be quickly lost and what was practiced to be quickly abandoned; hence this becomes indolence, and it is difficult to attain liberation. Second, the analogy of drilling for fire but resting frequently illustrates having laxity and regression in practice. Yet the analogies below mostly apply across the three kinds of wisdom to discern indolence: as applied to hearing, frequent resting in listening and study means clear understanding does not arise; as applied to reflection, frequent resting in discerning means true wisdom does not arise; as applied to cultivation, frequent resting in concentration and wisdom means the noble path does not arise. The noble path is like fire, able to burn the firewood of afflictions; prior to [the stages of] heat and peak, it is all called not yet hot. When it is already hot and one rests, fire still does not arise; if it is not yet hot and one frequently rests, though kalpas and years pass, there is ultimately no principle by which it can be attained. Therefore the *Yijiao jing* (*Sūtra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching*), contrasting with this, explains that a small stream flowing continuously can penetrate rock. The six patriarchs of the Chan school jointly transmitted this analogy; may all students inscribe it on their hearts and write it on their sashes. If explained directly in terms of practice: one should drill with wisdom focused on a single object, skillfully revolving it with the cord of skillful means; when mind and wisdom are non-abiding and the four deportments are uninterrupted, then the noble path can arise. Even a fleeting arising of thought or a temporary loss of illumination is called resting. Third, the analogy of lacking conditions when seeking fire: the material is moxa and the like. The teaching elucidates the noble path, just as that fire pearl must be held toward the sun of wisdom and received with practice, then the fire of the noble path arises. If one merely holds to the text without being able to discern it, with mental practice astray and perverse, how could the path arise? Fourth, the analogy of closing one's eyes and seeking to see: slight wisdom and inferior consciousness are compared to that young child. In terms of the wisdom of hearing, though facing a clear teacher, one is unwilling to consult and resolve [doubts]. In terms of reflection and cultivation, though facing the sun of the teaching, the eye of the mind does not open; to blame the noble path for not arising—how deluded this is! Fifth, the analogy of lacking conditions while the mind is broad illustrates that an ignorant person lacks the hand of pure faith to hold the bow of concentration, and further lacks the feet of precepts to resist the ground of delusion; using the inferior arrow of the wisdom of hearing, one wishes to shoot everywhere and destroy the thick ground of karma and delusion, so vain desires are hard to fulfill. Sixth, the analogy of a drop of hair in the great ocean means that with slight hearing and reflection one wishes to fathom the ocean of the Dharma, falsely giving rise to hopes and desires, wherein indolence is especially deep. Seventh, the analogy of a little water extinguishing fire: the fire of the kalpa blazing everywhere illustrates that afflictions increase upon encountering sense objects; how could a small portion of the three kinds of wisdom extinguish them completely? Eighth, the analogy of not moving while pervading space illustrates that though one knows that the nature is empty, one's wisdom has not traversed and practiced it, yet one claims to have completely realized it; these too are people of excessive pride.