大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 50.8

50.8

Regarding the commentary's "The Abhidharmakośabhāṣya states that formerly an emasculated person saved five hundred cattle and suffered bodily disfigurement..." and so forth, it is entirely identical to fascicle 1 of the Record of the Western Regions. It says: This is the kingdom of Quzhi, formerly called Kucha. Outside the west gate of the great city, on the left and right of the road, Buddhas' statues are each erected, more than ninety feet high, where once every five years a great assembly is held. Crossing the river to the northwest, one reaches the Āścarya-saṅghārāma, translated into the language of the Tang as "Extraordinary." Tradition says: Formerly, the previous king of this country revered the Three Jewels. Wishing to travel abroad to pay homage to the sacred traces, he ordered his younger maternal brother to oversee the affairs of state left behind. Having received the order, his brother secretly castrated himself to prevent any suspicion before it sprouted. Sealing it in a golden casket, he presented it to the king. The king asked, "What does this mean?" He replied, "Only on the day your carriage returns may it be opened." It was then entrusted to the officers to be guarded along with the army. When the king returned, indeed someone plotting harm reported to the king, "The one the king ordered to oversee the state has committed debauchery in the inner palace." The king heard this, grew furious, and wished to inflict severe punishment. The brother said, "I dare not flee punishment; I only pray that you open the golden casket." The king then opened and inspected it, and found it to be the severed genitals. He asked, "What extraordinary thing is this? What does it explain?" He replied, "Formerly, when the king traveled abroad and ordered me to oversee the affairs left behind, I feared slanderous disaster, so I castrated myself to vindicate myself. Today the verification has indeed appeared; pray deign to perceive it." The king deeply revered this extraordinary act; his affection grew all the greater, and the brother entered and exited the inner court without hindrance. The king ordered his brother to ride behind him, and he subsequently encountered a man driving five hundred cattle, intending to geld them. Seeing this, he reflected and, sympathizing with their kind, his grief deepened: "That my own body is now impaired—how could it not be past karma?" He immediately used treasures to ransom this herd of cattle. Through the power of his benevolence, his male form gradually became complete. Because his form was restored, he subsequently did not enter the palace. The king thought it strange and questioned him, whereupon he related the story from beginning to end. The king considered it extraordinary and thereupon built a saṅghārāma. He commemorated the noble deed to transmit its renown to future generations, and from this it gained its name. Regarding the commentary's "Four: Practicing in accordance with the teaching," below this other sūtras state: "Good man, if a man or a woman is endowed with four dharmas, they are called a 'real person' (puruṣa); if a man lacks these four dharmas, he cannot be called a 'real person.' Why? Although his body is that of a man, his conduct is like that of a beast. The Tathāgata tames both men and women; therefore the Buddha is named 'Tamer of Men' (puruṣadamya-sārathi)." Regarding the commentary's "Also, the Chapter on the Four Marks," this refers to the Southern text; in the Northern text it is the "Chapter on the Tathāgata-nature," corresponding to fascicle 4. As for the "four marks": first, rectifying oneself; second, rectifying others; third, being able to answer according to questions; fourth, having a good understanding of the meaning of causes and conditions, as cited earlier. The meaning is: "rectifying oneself" means clearly believing that the Three Jewels are permanently abiding and unchanging, preferring to cut off one's own tongue with a sharp knife rather than ever saying that the Tathāgata, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha are impermanent. "Second, rectifying others" means that, adapting to the capacity of the recipient to receive the Dharma, when wisdom is small, one can speak of impermanence and so forth; when wisdom is great and capable of transformation, one can then speak fully of permanence, impermanence, and so forth. "Third, being able to answer according to questions" means having a good understanding of the Tathāgata's intention in prohibiting and permitting, and speaking according to what is asked. For example, if someone asks, "How can one gain the name of a great giver without bestowing a single coin?" the Buddha says, "Not consuming liquor and meat, yet bestowing liquor and meat; not adorning with fragrances and flowers, yet bestowing fragrances and flowers; without spending a single bit, the name of giving spreads far and wide." Kāśyapa thereupon said, "One who eats meat should not accept alms." He then expounded in detail the prohibition against meat, and that formerly permitting three kinds of meat was merely to gradually lessen their greed. "Fourth, having a good understanding of the meaning of causes and conditions" means knowing for what causes and conditions the Buddha initially did not teach the profound Dharma and did not extensively establish precepts, but only taught them later. Knowing they were not yet capable of hearing it, he did not teach it earlier; since there were not yet transgressions, he did not extensively establish rules, amending them only according to the faults committed. However, these four marks take sentient beings' hearing of the Great Nirvāṇa as their virtuous capacity to reveal; generally speaking, they are all for benefiting others. If explained separately, the first is self-benefit, since one's own practice is not deviant, it is named "rectifying"; the latter three benefit others, causing them to leave behind deviant faults, hence they are named "rectifying others." This one is precisely the substance of the practice of benefiting others. The latter two are the virtues of transformation: being able to answer according to questions indicates mastery over the activities of the Dharma, skillfully answering as asked; the fourth penetrates root capacities, possessing good knowledge of the causes and conditions for bestowing teachings in accord with capacity. The above explains them in terms of the capacity to reveal. If explained in terms of the four things revealed, the sūtra states: "Furthermore, rectifying oneself means obtaining this Great Parinirvāṇa. Rectifying others means my explaining to the bhikṣus that the Tathāgata permanently abides and is unchanging. Answering according to questions means that, because of your questions, Kāśyapa, I am able to expound these profound and subtle principles extensively for bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās. The meaning of causes and conditions means that śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not understand such profound meanings, and do not hear that the three dots of the letter 'I' form liberation, nirvāṇa, and mahāprajñā to constitute the secret store. Now, here, I elucidate and differentiate it, opening the wisdom eye for all śrāvakas..." and so forth. The rest is extensive, as in that sūtra. Here, it merely adopts the point that knowing these four matters constitutes a 'real person.'"