大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 90.6

90.6

疏「拘吒聚落此云樓閣」，乃是一義，或云小舍、或曰多家。故上經自譯為「房舍聚落」，今疏取一義耳。疏「如蓮華有三義」者，初一生行解、次一成果、後義見理，皆因聞教，則教理行果四法備矣。然疏但釋蓮華之言，而經云「為欲教化釋迦如來所遣來者」，今當說緣。案《觀彌勒菩薩上生兜率天經》，佛於舍衛國說，優波離問，佛答：「此人從今十二年後二月十五日上生兜率天，歲數五十六億萬歲，爾乃下生於閻浮提。佛滅度後，我諸弟子若有精勤修諸功德、威儀不缺、掃塔塗地、以眾名香妙華供養、行眾三昧深入正受、讀誦經典，如是等人，應當至心，雖不斷結如得六通；應當繫念，念佛形像、稱彌勒名。如是等輩，若一念頃受八戒齋修諸淨業，發弘誓願，命終之後，譬如壯士屈伸臂頃，即得往生兜率陀天，於蓮華上結跏趺坐，百千天子作天伎樂，持天曼陀羅華、摩訶曼陀羅華以散其上，讚言：『善哉善哉。』」又言：「如是等眾生，若淨諸業行六事法，必定無疑，當得生於兜率天上值遇彌勒，亦隨彌勒下閻浮提第一聞法，於未來世值遇賢劫一切諸佛。」又云：「得聞彌勒名者，聞已歡喜恭敬禮拜，此人命終如彈指頃即得往生。」又云：「善男子善女人！犯諸禁戒造諸惡業，聞是菩薩大悲名字，五體投地誠心懺悔，是諸惡業速得清淨。未來世中諸眾生等，聞是菩薩大悲名稱，造立形像，香華衣服繒蓋幢旛禮拜繫念。此人命欲終時，彌勒菩薩放眉間白毫大人相光，與諸天子持天曼陀羅華來迎此人。此人須臾即得往生，值遇彌勒頭面禮敬，未舉頭頃便得聞法，於無上道得不退轉，於未來世得值恒河沙等諸佛如來。」釋曰：此亦釋迦所遣來者，以行釋迦教故。若《彌勒下生經》，羅什法師譯，無「如是我聞」，直云大智舍利弗問佛，佛誡聽為說，云：「舍利弗！四大海水以漸減少三千由旬，是時閻浮提地長十千由旬、廣八千由旬，平坦如鏡，名華軟草遍覆其地。」廣說莊嚴等，〈華藏品〉已引。次云：「城中有大婆羅門主名曰妙梵婆羅門，女名梵摩波提，彌勒託生為父母。身紫金色，三十二相，身長千尺，胸廣三十丈、面長十二丈四尺，肉眼清淨見千由旬，常光四照面百由旬。穰佉王奉七寶臺，彌勒受已施諸婆羅門。彌勒見其毀壞，修無常想出家，學道於龍華菩提樹下，樹莖枝葉高五十里。即以出家日得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，有無量人發心出家學道。爾時彌勒見諸大眾，作是念言：『今諸人等不以生天樂故，亦復不為今世樂故，來至我所，但為得涅槃常樂因緣。是諸人等皆於佛法中種諸善根，釋迦牟尼佛遣來付我，是故今來皆至我所，我今受之。是諸人等，或以讀誦分別決定修妬路、毘奈耶、阿毘達摩，修諸功德來至我所』」，廣敘布施持戒忍辱精進。結云：「善哉釋迦牟尼佛！善教化如是百千萬億眾生，今至我所。彌勒如是三稱讚釋迦如來，然後說法言：『汝等眾生能為難事，於彼惡世貪欲瞋恚愚癡迷惑短命人中，能持戒行作諸功德，甚為希有。善哉釋迦牟尼佛！以大悲心，能於苦惱眾生之中說誠實語，示我當來度脫汝等。如是之師，甚為難遇。深心憐愍惡世眾生，救濟苦惱令得安隱。釋迦牟尼佛如來為汝等故，以頭布施割截耳鼻手足支體受諸苦惱以利汝等。』彌勒如是廣安慰已，然後說法。其龍華樹園，縱廣一百由旬，大眾滿中。初會說法九十六億人得阿羅漢，第二會說法九十四億，第三會九十二億。」更有諸本經大同小異，可以意得。此經正明釋迦遣來。

Regarding the commentary's "A kūṭāgāra-settlement is here translated as multi-storied pavilions": this is one interpretation; others say "small cottages" or "multiple dwellings." Thus the earlier scripture itself translated it as "settlement of houses"; now the commentary merely adopts one interpretation. Regarding the commentary's "Like a lotus blossom having three meanings": the first gives rise to practice and understanding, the second accomplishes the fruit, and the third sees principle; all are due to hearing the teaching, so the four dharmas of teaching, principle, practice, and fruit are fully present. However, the commentary only explains the term "lotus blossom," whereas the scripture says, "in order to instruct and transform those sent by Śākyamuni Tathāgata." Now we must explain the causal conditions. According to the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Ascent to the Tuṣita Heaven, spoken by the Buddha in the kingdom of Śrāvastī in response to Upāli's question, the Buddha answered: "Twelve years from now, on the fifteenth day of the second month, this person will ascend to be born in the Tuṣita Heaven. His lifespan there will be fifty-six hundred million years, and only then will he descend to be born in Jambudvīpa. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if any of my disciples diligently cultivate all merits, keep the deportments without deficiency, sweep the stūpas and plaster the grounds, make offerings with various famous incenses and wondrous flowers, practice all samādhis, deeply enter correct absorption, and read and recite the scriptures—such persons should wholeheartedly, even though they have not severed their fetters, be as if having attained the six superknowledges; they should tie their mindfulness, remembering the Buddha's form and image and reciting Maitreya's name. If such people take the eight precepts for even a single thought-moment, cultivate pure deeds, and give rise to vast vows, then after their lives end, as quickly as a strong person bends and extends his arm, they will immediately attain rebirth in the Tuṣita Heaven, sitting cross-legged upon lotus blossoms, with hundreds of thousands of devaputras playing celestial music and holding celestial māndārava flowers and mahāmāndārava flowers to scatter over them, praising: 'Excellent, excellent!'" It also says: "If such sentient beings purify their deeds and practice the six dharmas, they will definitely and without doubt be born in the Tuṣita Heaven and meet Maitreya; they will also follow Maitreya down to Jambudvīpa to be the first to hear the Dharma, and in future ages meet all the Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa." It also says: "Those who hear Maitreya's name, having heard it, rejoice, revere, and make prostrations, will immediately attain rebirth when their life ends, in the span of a finger-snap." It also says: "Good sons and good daughters! If you have violated the prohibitions and committed evil deeds, yet hear this Bodhisattva's name of great compassion and cast your five limbs to the ground in sincere repentance, those evil deeds will quickly become pure. If in future ages sentient beings hear this Bodhisattva's name of great compassion, erect his images, make offerings of incense, flowers, robes, silk canopies, and banners, make prostrations, and tie mindfulness [to him], then when their lives are about to end, Maitreya Bodhisattva will emit light from the white curl between his eyebrows—a sign of a great man—and, together with devaputras holding celestial māndārava flowers, come to welcome them. Such persons will instantly attain rebirth, meet Maitreya, bow their heads in reverence, and before they even raise their heads, they will hear the Dharma, attain non-retrogression in the unexcelled path, and in future ages meet as many Tathāgata Buddhas as the sands of the Ganges." Explanation: These are also those sent by Śākyamuni, because they practice Śākyamuni's teaching. As for the Sūtra on Maitreya's Descent to Be Born translated by Dharma Master Kumārajīva, it lacks "Thus have I heard" and directly states that Śāriputra of Great Wisdom questioned the Buddha, and the Buddha admonished him to listen and explained for him, saying: "Śāriputra! The waters of the four great oceans will gradually decrease by three thousand yojanas. At that time, the continent of Jambudvīpa will be ten thousand yojanas in length and eight thousand yojanas in breadth, flat as a mirror, covered all over with famous flowers and soft grass." The extensive descriptions of adornments and so forth have already been cited in the "Flower Treasury Chapter." Next it says: "In the city there is a great master of brahmins named Subrahma, and his wife is named Brahmavatī; Maitreya will take birth with them as his parents. His body will be purple-golden, possessing the thirty-two marks; his height will be a thousand cubits, his chest thirty fathoms broad, his face twelve cubits and four inches long; his flesh eye will be pure, seeing a thousand yojanas, and his constant light will shine outward in all directions for a hundred yojanas. King Śaṅkha will offer a seven-jeweled terrace; having received it, Maitreya will donate it to the brahmins. Seeing it demolished, Maitreya will cultivate the contemplation of impermanence, leave the household life, and study the path under the dragon-flower bodhi tree, whose trunk, branches, and leaves will be fifty leagues high. On the very day he leaves the household, he will attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and countless people will generate the aspiration to leave the household and study the path. At that time, Maitreya will behold the great assembly and have this thought: 'These people have not come to my presence for the sake of the bliss of rebirth in heaven, nor for the sake of the bliss of the present life; they have come solely for the causes and conditions of attaining the constant bliss of nirvāṇa. These people have all planted good roots within the Buddha-Dharma; Śākyamuni Buddha sent and entrusted them to me, which is why they have now all come to my presence, and I now accept them. These people have come to my presence either by reading, reciting, analyzing, and determining the sūtras, vinaya, and abhidharma, or by cultivating all merits.'" It then extensively recounts giving, morality, patience, and diligence. It concludes: "'Excellent, Śākyamuni Buddha! Well have you instructed and transformed such hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of sentient beings, who have now come to my presence.' Maitreya will thus praise Śākyamuni Tathāgata three times, and then preach the Dharma, saying: 'Sentient beings, you were able to accomplish difficult deeds: in that evil age, among short-lived people of lust, anger, delusion, and confusion, you were able to uphold moral conduct and perform all merits; this is extremely rare. Excellent, Śākyamuni Buddha! With a mind of great compassion, he was able to speak truthful words among suffering sentient beings, indicating that I would come in the future to liberate you. Such a teacher is extremely difficult to encounter. With deep compassion he pitied the sentient beings of the evil age, rescuing them from suffering and distress so that they might attain peace and security. For your sake, Śākyamuni Buddha Tathāgata gave his head in charity, cut off his ears, nose, hands, feet, and limbs, and endured all suffering to benefit you.' Having extensively comforted them in this way, Maitreya will then preach the Dharma. The park of that dragon-flower tree is one hundred yojanas in length and breadth, filled with the great assembly. At the first assembly's teaching, ninety-six billion people will attain arhatship; at the second assembly's teaching, ninety-four billion; and at the third assembly, ninety-two billion." There are other versions of the sūtra that are largely the same with minor differences, which can be understood in spirit. This sūtra explicitly clarifies that they were sent by Śākyamuni.