大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 63.121

63.121

Regarding the commentary's phrase, "this is the counteragent to the obstacle of lack of joy and delight": lofty halls and carved walls, vermilion balustrades and jade steps naturally delight the heart. How much more so when ponds sprout spring grass, garden willows receive changing songbirds, great waves leap with deep fishes, and clear breezes blow falling blossoms—giving free rein to one's thoughts amidst forests and streams, love and delight filling dawn to dusk! How could there be grief? Fifth, the craft of generation and achievement, because it is capable of making and accomplishing. As for the statement "the counteragent to the obstacle of imprisonment and bondage": "A household possessing a thousand pieces of gold does not die in the market square"—how could they be imprisoned? Sixth, the craft of divination and physiognomy. Regarding "it is the counteragent to the obstacle of faults, evils, and causes in the allotted retributions one obtains": it first cites the treatise; from "meaning that all arise from" onward, it is the commentary explaining the treatise. Not knowing that results are elicited by past karma, one mistakenly takes external signs as the source of good and ill fortune, and thereby creates bad karma to avert misfortune and invite fortune—how could this be acceptable? Now, by showing what is elicited by causes, it leads one to cultivate virtuous karma to avert misfortune and invite fortune; this serves as that which can cure. As for the "five planets": the Year Star of the east governs spring and wood; the Great White of the west governs metal and autumn; the Sparkling Deluder of the south governs fire and summer; the Chronogram Star of the north governs water and winter; the Guarding Star of the center governs earth and generally governs the four seasons. "Stars" (xing) means scattered (san), arranged in seats and scattered about. The Book of Han says: "Stars are the scattered qi of metal, which correspond to humans. The essences of all things ascend to become the arrayed stars." As for the "twenty-eight lunar lodges": they are Jiǎo, Kàng, Dǐ, Fáng, Xīn, Wěi, Jī; Dǒu, Niú, Nǚ, Xū, Wēi, Shì, Bì; Kuí, Lóu, Wèi, Mǎo, Bì, Zī, Shēn; Jǐng, Guǐ, Liǔ, Xīng, Zhāng, Yì, Zhěn, as detailed in fascicle forty of the Mahāsaṃnipāta. The sūtra says: "Great Brahmā the Lord of the Sahā World, Śakra Devānām Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings, and others said to the Buddha: 'In the past, heavenly rṣis distributed and arranged the lunar lodges, chronograms, and luminaries to protect countries and nurture sentient beings, each having its jurisdiction in the four directions. Among the seven lodges of the east: first, the Jiǎo lodge governs birds; second, the Kàng lodge governs renunciants seeking the noble path; third, the Dǐ lodge governs water-born beings; fourth, the Fáng lodge governs those traveling by cart in search of profit; fifth, the Xīn lodge governs beings of islands and shoals; sixth, the Wěi lodge and seventh, the Jī lodge govern state preceptors. Among the seven lodges of the south: first, the Jǐng lodge governs goldsmiths; second, the Guǐ lodge governs all kings and ministers; third, the Liǔ lodge governs the dragons of the snowy mountains; fourth, the Xīng lodge governs the immensely wealthy; fifth, the Zhāng lodge governs bandits; sixth, the Yì lodge governs nobles; seventh, the Zhěn lodge governs the country of Surāṣṭra. Among the seven lodges of the west: first, the Kuí lodge governs boatmen; second, the Lóu lodge governs merchants; third, the Wèi lodge governs the country of Bharuka; fourth, the Mǎo lodge governs water buffaloes; fifth, the Bì lodge governs all sentient beings; sixth, the Zī lodge governs the country of Videha; seventh, the Shēn lodge governs kṣatriyas. Among the seven lodges of the north: first, the Dǒu lodge governs the country of Yaubhaṣa; second, the Niú lodge governs kṣatriyas and the country of Apakara; third, the Nǚ lodge governs the country of Aṅgamadha; fourth, the Xū lodge governs the country of Pañcāla; fifth, the Wēi lodge governs wearers of flower crowns; sixth, the Shì lodge governs the countries of Gandhāra and Śroṇa, as well as dragons, serpents, and crawling creatures; seventh, the Bì lodge governs gandharvas skilled in music. O Virtuous Bhagavān! The heavenly ṛṣis of the past thus arranged the lodges of the four directions to protect countries and nurture sentient beings.'" Commentary: These are all matters of the Western Regions; in this land, their jurisdictions and astrological fields also differ, as is mentioned in sūtra texts. Knowing their general purport without having exhausted the mysterious celestial signs is not our failing; even the sages of the Difficult-to-Conquer Stage master them effortlessly without study. Yet heaven hangs out signs, and sages pattern themselves after them. Therefore the 'Appended Statements' says: "Statements point to where things tend. The Changes accords with heaven and earth, and therefore can encompass the Dao of heaven and earth. Looking up, one observes the astronomical patterns; looking down, one examines the terrestrial contours; thus one knows the causes of the obscure and the bright. Tracing things to their origin and reverting to their end, one knows the explanations of death and life." Commentary: Knowing the obscure and the bright means knowing human sentiments within. As for the remaining six crafts in the Yogācāra[-bhūmi]: first, the craft of reconciliation; second, the craft of incantation; third, the craft of commerce; fourth, the craft of accomplishment; fifth, the craft of preventing evil; sixth, the craft of serving kings, as detailed in that commentary.