大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 21.4

21.4

疏「慈雲普陰材與不材皆涼」等者，上句依《莊子》，下句依《法華》。材者，可為棟樑成器之木也。不材，無所堪也。莊子行於山中，見木枝葉盛茂，伐木者止其傍而不取也。問其故。曰：「無所可用。」莊子曰：「此木以不材，得終其天年。」莊子出於山，舍於故人之家。故人喜，命豎子殺雁而烹之。豎子請曰：「其一能鳴、其一不能鳴。請奚殺？」主人曰：「殺不能鳴者。」明日弟子問莊子曰：「昨日山中之木，以不材得終其天年。今日主人之雁，以不材致死。先生將何處焉？」莊子笑對曰：「將處夫材與不材之間。」然材不材之言雖在《莊子》，意亦《法華》第三云「我觀一切普皆平等，無有彼此愛憎之心。我無貪著亦無限礙，恒為一切平等說法。」乃至云「貴賤上下持戒毀戒、威儀具足及不具足、正見邪見利根鈍根，等雨法雨而無懈倦。」即材與不材皆涼也。言「三草」者，小草、中草、上草。「二木」者，小樹、大樹。以人天乘為小草，經云「或處人天轉輪聖王、釋梵諸王，是小藥草。」二乘為中草，經云「知無漏法，能得涅槃，起六神通及得三明，獨處山林常行禪定得緣覺證，是中藥草。」菩薩為上草，經云「求世尊處，我當作佛行精進定，是上藥草。」此通說大乘，為上以大乘登地已上慈陰義廣。復加二樹，七地已前為小樹。經云「又諸佛子專心佛道常行慈悲，自知作佛決定無疑，是名小樹。」八地已上為大樹，經云「安住神通轉不退輪，度無量億百千眾生，如是菩薩名為大樹。」而言「咸發」者，經云「佛平等說如一味雨，隨眾生性所受不同，如彼草木所稟各異」等。

Regarding the commentary’s statement, "The cloud of compassion universally shades; both the useful and the useless timber are cooled," and so forth: the first phrase is based on the *Zhuangzi*, and the second phrase is based on the *Lotus Sūtra*. "Useful timber" refers to trees that can serve as beams and pillars or be fashioned into utensils. "Useless timber" is that which is fit for nothing. Zhuangzi was walking in the mountains and saw a tree whose branches and leaves were lush and luxuriant; the woodcutter stood beside it without taking it. When asked the reason, he said: "It has no use." Zhuangzi said: "This tree, by being useless timber, manages to complete its natural lifespan." When Zhuangzi came out of the mountains, he lodged at an old friend's house. The friend was pleased and ordered a servant boy to kill a goose and cook it. The boy asked: "One can honk, and the other cannot honk. Which one do you bid me kill?" The master said: "Kill the one that cannot honk." The next day, a disciple asked Zhuangzi: "Yesterday, the tree in the mountains managed to complete its natural lifespan because of being useless timber. Today, the host’s goose met death because of being useless. Where will you, Master, abide?" Zhuangzi smiled and answered: "I shall abide between being useful timber and useless timber." However, although the words "useful and useless timber" are in the *Zhuangzi*, the intent also follows chapter 3 of the *Lotus Sūtra*, which states: "I regard all equally, without thoughts of love or hate toward this or that. I have no greedy attachments and no limits or hindrances; I constantly preach the Dharma equally for all." It further says down to: "Noble and base, high and low, those keeping the precepts and those breaking the precepts, those fully possessing proper deportment and those not possessing it, those with right views and those with wrong views, those with sharp faculties and those with dull faculties—I equally rain down the Dharma rain without weariness." This is precisely "both the useful and useless timber are cooled." As for "the three grasses," they are the lesser grass, intermediate grass, and superior grass. "The two trees" are the lesser tree and the great tree. The human and deva vehicles are taken as the lesser grass; the sūtra states: "Those abiding among humans and devas, wheel-turning sage kings, and the various Śakra and Brahmā kings are the lesser medicinal grasses." The two vehicles are the intermediate grass; the sūtra states: "Those who know the undefiled dharmas, are able to attain nirvāṇa, develop the six superknowledges, obtain the three clearances, dwell alone in mountains and forests, constantly practice meditation, and attain pratyekabuddha realization are the intermediate medicinal grasses." Bodhisattvas are the superior grass; the sūtra states: "Those who seek the place of the World-Honoured One, [thinking] 'I shall become a Buddha,' and practice vigorous meditation are the superior medicinal grasses." This generally refers to the Mahāyāna; because the shading of compassion is broad for those in the Mahāyāna who have ascended to the stages and above, two trees are additionally added. Those before the seventh stage are lesser trees; the sūtra states: "Furthermore, all sons of the Buddha who focus their minds on the Buddha-way, constantly practice compassion, and know of themselves that they will definitely become Buddhas without doubt are called lesser trees." Those of the eighth stage and above are great trees; the sūtra states: "Those who dwell peacefully in superknowledges, turn the irreversible wheel, and deliver immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of sentient beings—such bodhisattvas are called great trees." As for the statement "all shoot forth," the sūtra states: "The Buddha preaches equally like rain of a single flavor; according to the natures of sentient beings, what they receive differs, just as those grasses and trees each have different endowments," and so on.