大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 28.40

28.40

Regarding the Commentary's stating, "Subduing māras and overcoming non-Buddhists, his supernormal powers and eloquence are unfathomable": these two phrases have both a comprehensive and a specific sense. Comprehensively, he generally uses supernormal powers and eloquence to subdue the enemies that are māras and overcome all non-Buddhists. Specifically, frightening them with majesty by means of supernormal powers is called "subduing," and defeating them in debate by means of the four unhindered eloquences is called "overcoming." These events are quite numerous; I will briefly adduce one or two. The ten-fascicle Māyopama-samādhi-sūtra says: "At that time, the deva Subāhu addressed Mañjuśrī: 'I wish to go together with you to see the Buddha.' Mañjuśrī manifested thirty-two divisions of interlaced multi-storied pavilions, and there were bodhisattvas who arrived first at the Buddha's place. Śāriputra beheld the transformation, and fully related it to question the Buddha. The Buddha replied: 'It is Mañjuśrī who has caused the bodhisattvas to assemble.' He further asked: 'Why do we not see Mañjuśrī?' The Buddha replied: 'Mañjuśrī abides in the samādhi and attainment of subduing and destroying all māras; obscuring the māra palaces, he raises a great awe-inspiring transformation to approach the Tathāgata.' Thereupon Mañjuśrī dwelt in the samādhi of subduing and destroying all māras, and instantly the hundred billion māra palaces of the trichiliocosm were simultaneously obscured; not delighting in their dwellings, each felt fear. At that time, Māra Pāpīyān saw himself as decrepit and aged, emaciated and breathless, walking with a staff; all his palace attendants and court ladies were also emaciated and old. Furthermore, he saw the palaces collapsing and ruined, pitch black so that he could not tell east from west. At that time, Māra Pāpīyān was terrified, his body hairs standing on end, and he thought to himself: 'What strange transformation is this that has made my palace so withered and dilapidated? Is my death penalty approaching and my life coming to an end, or has heaven and earth met with disaster and the kalpa is being incinerated?' At that time, Māra Pāpīyān abandoned pride and cast aside evil thoughts. Then, the hundred billion devaputras transformed by Mañjuśrī within the interlaced pavilions stood before the māras and said to Māra Pāpīyān: 'Do not be afraid. No harm shall befall your bodies. There is an irreversible bodhisattva mahāsattva named Mañjuśrī. His awe-inspiring virtue is extraordinary, comprehensively gathering the ten directions; his virtue surpasses Sumeru, his knowledge exceeds rivers and seas, his wisdom transcends empty space. Just now, by this, he entered the samādhi and attainment of subduing and destroying the māra arena; this is his spiritual majesty.'" The following is spoken according to the meaning. At that time, the māras were terrified and the māra palace shook; they begged the transformed bodhisattvas for salvation. The bodhisattvas answered: "Do not fear, do not fear! You may go to Śākyamuni Tathāgata; he has inexhaustible compassion to render you fearless." Having spoken, they vanished. The māras then came together to the Buddha: "Please save us! Hearing Mañjuśrī's name, we felt terror, unable to secure ourselves, fearing loss of life." After the Buddha praised Mañjuśrī, the māras asked to take refuge, wishing to be freed from this suffering. The Buddha bade them: "Wait for a moment; Mañjuśrī will arrive, and you will immediately be freed from this adversity." Later, when Mañjuśrī arrived, the Buddha asked about the samādhi; after Mañjuśrī explained it at length, he bade him release the māras. Mañjuśrī asked: "Do you loathe this body as vile?" Māra answered: "Yes." "Can you thoroughly detest lustful desires, and not abide in the three realms, and so forth?" Māra respectfully complied. He then caused all the māras to regain their original forms, their limbs intact as before, and so forth. This is "subduing māras." "Overcoming non-Buddhists" refers to the Mañjuśrī-parinirvāṇa-sūtra: "The Buddha said: 'When Mañjuśrī first approached the various ṛṣis to seek the method of renunciation, none among the various brāhmaṇas and ninety-five kinds of disputants were able to respond. Only at my place did he go forth to study the path.'" The rest of the literature is vast and cannot be cited in full. As for when [a non-Buddhist of] holy cognition had a terrified mind, hearing his voice resound, he fell prostrate to the ground; when [the king of] tranquil compliance wished to behold him, he entered invisibility and stood in empty space. Thus Indra rejoiced in his mind, raining heavenly flowers knee-deep; the obscured māra was sorrowful, walking with a staff with tears streaming down. When the kalpa fires incinerated lands, he walked upon the waters; when torrential rains cut off offerings, he transformed an inexhaustible bowl of rice. Manifesting multiple bodies to confront Kāśyapa, releasing a single bowl to reveal the original source—all these are supernormal powers and eloquence subduing māras and overcoming non-Buddhists. Furthermore, like transforming twenty billion buddhas who are presently expounding the Dharma, Dharanimdhara still remains. Among those who transformed hundreds of thousands of dragons instantly to attain correct awakening, the daughter of King Sāgara is one. Therefore, paying homage to Wondrous Wisdom without forgetting to respect the root; exhorting Sudhana to increase his resolve; maintaining silence regarding the non-dual Dharma gate; applying full effort in the 'Chapter on Peaceful Practices'; instructing the dragon Auspiciousness in gathering alms, which those of lower stages could not comprehend; answering the illumination of Vaiḍūryaprabhā, praised as wondrous by the Correctly Awakened One; discussing the profound import of prajñā, repeatedly questioning the fundamental teacher; speaking of the dual practice of provisional and real, frequently startling the lesser sages—these are all his eloquence.