大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 21.4

21.4

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.