大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 87.18

87.18

Regarding the commentary's: “The seventh, the good friend who equally accords with the roots of goodness of all sentient beings”: this means that by means of roots of goodness, one accords with and benefits all sentient beings with an impartial mind. There are four sections in the commentary's text: first, briefly explaining the name; second, from “at the Potalaka” onward, briefly explaining the place; third, from “furthermore, Avalokiteśvara” onward, broadly explaining the good friend's name; fourth, from “within the text” onward, explaining the text. Now for the first: the three karmic actions turning toward and taking refuge, as detailed below in the six superknowledges responding to conditions, means viewing from afar with the divine eye, hearing from afar with the divine ear, knowing from afar with the knowledge of others' minds, swiftly arriving with the base of supernormal power, knowing with the knowledge of past lives that they can be crossed over, and causing them to be liberated through the exhaustion of outflows. “Gathering in” means gathering and accepting; “benefiting” means benefiting and bringing joy; both are as in the sūtra below. From “due to this” onward, it explains the name of the imputed rank. In the commentary, from “furthermore, Avalokiteśvara” onward, the third section broadly explains it, containing three parts: first, setting forth both names; second, from “in Sanskrit” onward, explaining both names; third, separately explaining word by word. Within the second, there are five points: First, dividing into two names based on the slight phonetic difference in the Sanskrit words. Second, from “yet the Lotus” onward, establishing the meaning of Guanyin; this refers to the initial reply to Akṣayamati in that sūtra. The Buddha told Bodhisattva Akṣayamati: “If there are immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings suffering various miseries and afflictions, who hear of this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and invoke the name single-mindedly, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara will immediately perceive their voices, and all will attain liberation.” Commentary: The above presents the general meaning, which also incorporates mind and speech. Third, from “if one is endowed with the three karmic actions” onward, establishing the meaning of sovereign mastery (Iśvara); this is also set forth at the beginning of that sūtra's text. Below that in the sūtra, it presents the characteristics of the three karmic actions. “First, verbal karma: invoking the name removes the seven calamities”: the sūtra states, “If there is anyone who upholds the name of this Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, even if they enter a great fire, the fire cannot burn them. This is due to the majestic spiritual power of this bodhisattva (first). If one is carried away by a great flood, upon invoking their name, one will immediately reach shallow water (second). If there are hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of sentient beings who, seeking gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clam shell, carnelian, coral, amber, pearls, and other treasures, enter the great ocean, and even if a black wind blows their ship off course so that it drifts to the land of rākṣasa demons, if among them even a single person invokes the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, all those people will be liberated from the calamity of the rākṣasas. For this reason, the name is Avalokiteśvara (third). If, moreover, a person is about to be harmed and invokes the name of Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, the knives and staves held by [the attacker] will instantly break into pieces (fourth).” Below, it cites the general idea: the above [includes] 1. fire cannot burn; 2. water cannot carry away; 3. evil wind does not blow; 4. knives and staves break into pieces; 5. evil ghosts do not gaze upon; 6. fetters and chains fall away from the body; 7. liberation from enemies and bandits. “Second, bodily karma: paying homage fulfills two wishes”: that is, if one desires to seek a boy, one gives birth to a boy of merit, virtue, and wisdom; if one desires to seek a girl, one gives birth to an upright and well-featured girl. “Third, mental karma: holding in mindful recollection purifies the three poisons”: if sentient beings have abundant lust, by constantly recollecting and revering Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara, they will be freed from lust. If they have abundant anger or abundant delusion, it follows the pattern of greed above. These are the three karmic actions turning toward and taking refuge. That sūtra mentions them briefly; if one follows the sūtra below and the verses therein, endangered and suffering sentient beings are mostly rescued provisionally in accord with the occasion; this is sovereign mastery. Fourth, from “yet now mostly” onward, concludes the establishment of Guanyin. From “now taking” onward, concludes the establishment of sovereign mastery. The above explains their general characteristics. In the commentary, from “yet ‘observing’ (guan) is” onward, is the third part, explaining word by word. The statement “'observing' is the ability to observe” shows that it belongs to the bodhisattva. “Pervading all observations” represents the meaning given by Zhiyi. Yet his account is extensive, so its essential meaning is adopted here to explain it: namely, when the three karmic actions take refuge, observation pervades the mind and eyes, discerning all marks without attachment, thoroughly seeing that the essential nature is empty and unobstructed, fully and suddenly observing with the knowledge of all aspects. Thus the sūtra says: “True observation, pure observation, / vast and great wisdom observation, / compassionate observation, and benevolent observation, / constantly vowed and constantly looked up to. / Stainless pure light, / the sun of wisdom breaks through all darkness, / able to subdue the calamities of wind and fire, / universally illuminating and shining upon the world.” These are all the meanings of “observation”. The statement “'world' is what is observed, pervading all worlds”: worlds are broadly threefold, referring to the three realms. Mountains, waters, hanging cliffs, and deep valleys—places of dread and difficulty—are the vessel realm. Immeasurable sentient beings are the sentient-being realm. Also observing sentient beings within the Buddha's assembly, constantly dwelling in the presence of all Tathāgatas, is observing the realm of wisdom and true awakening. From “if one speaks of sovereign mastery” onward, investigating the text and approaching the meaning, sovereign mastery is broad and direct. Looking at the word “sovereign mastery” (zizai) alone, it is on the contrary narrow, because it lacks that which is observed. Yet where there is that which can observe, there must be that which is observed; otherwise, in relation to what would one attain sovereign mastery? The observer and the observed are non-dual, yet without destroying the observer and the observed; one observation is all observations, there is no observation and nothing unobserved—this is true observation. Commentary: “Furthermore, it causes one to take refuge in the primary teacher served”: the primary teacher is Amitābha. Practitioners of recitation are caused first to invoke the name of their fundamental master, because the transformed buddha atop the crown of the head is Amitābha. Commentary: “Furthermore, ‘gate’ is the universal gate, because by manifesting through the universal gate, roundabout rescue leaves none out”: this explains the practice gate of the sūtra by means of the words “universal gate”; the name “universal gate” is the title of the Guanyin chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. “Roundabout rescue leaves none out” is Master Sengzhao's (or Daosheng's) explanation, which says in full: “Roundabout rescue leaving none out is called universal; penetrating spirit from awakening is called the gate.” Tiantai Zhiyi spoke of ten universals: 1. universal benevolence and compassion; 2. universal vast vows; 3. universal cultivation of practice; 4. universal severance of delusions; 5. universal entry into Dharma gates; 6. universal supernormal powers; 7. universal skillful means; 8. universal expounding of Dharma; 9. universal ripening of sentient beings; 10. universal making of offerings to the buddhas. These ten each accord with reality and universally pervade. In the subsequent text of this sūtra, eleven gates are briefly listed among the operations of karma, which are precisely the eleven universals. Commentary: “However, the Great Sage long ago realized true awakening”: this is from the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Dhāraṇī Sūtra. According to the Amitāyus Sūtra, succeeding Amitāyus, he will become a buddha named King of the Mountain of Universal Light, Merit, and Virtue; this too is merely the trace gate. Commentary: “In comparison with the thirty-five responses of the Lotus Sūtra”: this refers to Akṣayamati asking: “How does Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara wander this Sahā world? How does he expound the Dharma for sentient beings? What is the matter of his power of skillful means?” The Buddha told Akṣayamati: “If there are sentient beings in a land who should be crossed over through the body of a buddha, he immediately manifests the body of a buddha and expounds the Dharma for them; 2. pratyekabuddha; 3. śrāvaka body; 4. Brahma King; 5. Śakra; 6. Sovereign Heavenly King; 7. Great Sovereign Heavenly King (Maheśvara); 8. Heavenly Great General; 9. Vaiśravaṇa; 10. lesser king; 11. elder; 12. householder; 13. chief minister; 14. brāhmaṇa; 15. bhikṣu; 16. bhikṣuṇī; 17. upāsaka; 18. upāsikā; 19. wife of an elder; 20. wife of a householder; 21. wife of a chief minister; 22. wife of a brāhmaṇa; 23. young boy; 24. young girl; 25. deva; 26. nāga; 27. yakṣa; 28. gandharva; 29. asura; 30. garuḍa; 31. kiṃnara; 32. mahoraga; 33. human; 34. non-human; 35. Vajrapāṇi spirit”—all are sequentially added according to the meaning as in the first phrase. Because the elder, householder, chief minister, and brāhmaṇa are grouped together into one—“immediately manifests the body of a woman and expounds the Dharma”—people call them the thirty-two responses. In reality, the four classes are individually distinct; hence in the Gadgadasvara [chapter] it says: “either manifesting the body of a woman of an elder or householder, or manifesting the body of a woman of a chief minister, or manifesting the body of a woman of a brāhmaṇa.” One clearly knows that the four classes have four women. Furthermore, the Gadgadasvara [chapter] includes the bodies of a wheel-turning king and a bodhisattva, and also adds the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and all places of difficulty, all of which he is able to rescue; how could there not be those bodies? Thus thirty-five is still not exhaustive. If one divides the four women so that each becomes two, because wives and daughters are distinct, then there are already thirty-nine. One clearly knows that Avalokiteśvara and the other great bodhisattvas can each transform into ten thousand types, and these are all only mentioned briefly. Commentary: “It is only that within this, he either manifests a physical body or expounds the Dharma”: because the thirty-five responses all state “he immediately manifests their body and expounds the Dharma for them,” just as in the first one; one clearly knows that both meanings are universally present. Commentary: “These are all matters within the five terrors”: according to the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, the five terrors encompass all terrors. In the case of the new translation of the sūtra, there are verses below that individually versify these eighteen terrors. The Guanyin verses of the Lotus are also not separate from these terrors; fearing verbosity, they are not cited. Now the five encompassments are briefly explained. However, the five are mostly based on fruition, briefly arising from two causes: 1. false wisdom falsely grasping at self-views and affective attachment, which is the cause of the terrors of bad livelihood, bad reputation, and death; 2. slightness and scarcity of roots of goodness, which is the cause of the terrors of the awe-inspiring majesty of assemblies and evil realms. Now among these eighteen, some share causes. Perilous paths are of two kinds: worldly perilous paths are encompassed by [the terrors of] bad livelihood and death; if the cause of evil realms is the peril, it is false wisdom. Distress is of three kinds: 1. distress over the loss of wealth, encompassed by the terror of bad livelihood; 2. distress over being in assemblies, which is encompassed by [the terrors of] assemblies and bad reputation; 3. distress over poisons, which is the cause of terror. Delusion is of two kinds: if it is delusion regarding directions and locations, it is assembly distress, encompassed by the terror of bad livelihood; if it is delusion of mind, being bound by the cause of terror of assemblies, it is also encompassed by the terror of bad livelihood. Slaying is encompassed by death. Darkness and migration have two meanings: present darkness and migration are all encompassed by bad livelihood; the darkness of evil destinies and migration through the three wretched paths are encompassed by the terror of evil realms. The terror of separation from what is loved is strictly the terror of death alone, but also extends to bad livelihood. The terror of association with what is hated is strictly the evil realms, but also extends to bad livelihood. The terror of bodily oppression is death and bad livelihood. The terror of mental oppression is encompassed by the awe-inspiring majesty of assemblies and bad reputation. The terror of grief and lamentation has the characteristics of the two terrors of death and bad livelihood, and also extends to the remaining three. Commentary: “namely, able to separate from the cause”: this means that when the three karmic actions take refuge in my three karmic actions, it can bring about liberation and cause them to dwell in right mindfulness, because there is no self, no what belongs to self, and no false wisdom.