大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 87.2

87.2

Regarding the commentary's: "Third, the upāsikā Prabhūtā entrusts to the Practice of Non-Opposition": tolerating and according with the nature of things is called non-opposition. Regarding the commentary's: "It also signifies that patience must involve humbling oneself": above, the explanation was directly in terms of the circumstantial retribution of the spiritual friend; from here down, it is explained in terms of signifying the stages. Patience must involve humility; being humble yet insurmountable, it is therefore small yet possesses great capacity. The above [explanation] covers the three patiences: the patience regarding phenomena accords with thusness, which is the patience of clearly investigating phenomena. Regarding "internally empty and externally phenomenal": Clay is kneaded to make a vessel; where it is hollowed out, there is the function of the vessel. Thus, the phenomenal can function. Being identical to emptiness, it can be vast, for nothing is accomplished without emptiness. Therefore, due to the external phenomenon, there is internal function. Hence the Laozi says: "Having it provides benefit; lacking it provides function." Without emptiness, phenomena cannot be accomplished; thus emptiness can contain much. These two are non-dual, which is the vessel of the Middle Way. Regarding the commentary's: "Although the two vehicles do not establish the name of patience": the meaning is as explained in the overarching outline. Regarding the commentary's: "In terms of facts, it is like receiving the milk-gruel": this refers to when the World-Honoured One first attained awakening and received the milk-gruel offered by the two cowherdesses, which was also cited previously. Regarding "in terms of Dharma, consuming the highest grade of the patience of cessation": the highest grade belongs to the Buddha, as in the "Chapter on the Ten Patiences". Regarding the commentary's: "The Fragrance Accumulation chapter of the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa is largely identical with this": this means that after receiving the food, one attains the noble fruits and so forth. However, the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa contains two passages of text: First, in the "Chapter on Fragrance Accumulation", after the rice had been brought, Vimalakīrti said to Śāriputra and the other great śrāvakas: "Worthy ones, you may eat. The Tathāgata's rice of amṛta flavour is perfumed by great compassion; do not eat it with a limited mind, lest it fail to digest." Master Dao Sheng explained: "Because of their prior thoughts, he instructed them to eat. He also wished thereby to clarify that eating it is the principle. Nirvāṇa is the Dharma of amṛta, and whoever eats this food will surely attain it; thus the food possesses the flavour of amṛta. That it is perfumed by great compassion means that it causes people to attain awakening, having the meaning of external perfuming; how could one say the food itself possesses the power of great compassion? Thus, the aroma of the rice is perfumed by great compassion. 'Not with a limited mind' means that since the rice emerges from great compassion, it is limitless. But if one limits it by saying it is little, it will not digest." To explain: This considers the food perfumed by compassion to result in the fruit of nirvāṇa, naming the cause after the fruit as 'amṛta flavour'; it does not yet say that the food directly signifies nirvāṇa. If the food is taken directly as the principle of nirvāṇa, the meaning is well established. Second, in the "Chapter on the Practices of the Bodhisattva", when Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī went to pay homage to the World-Honoured One, Ānanda wondered and asked: "The fragrance smelled now was never smelled before; what fragrance is this?" The Buddha said: "It is the fragrance from the pores of those bodhisattvas." Śāriputra also said: "Our pores also emit this fragrance." When asked where it came from, they replied: "From eating this fragrant rice." Ānanda asked Vimalakīrti: "How long will this fragrant aroma endure?" Vimalakīrti said: "Until this rice digests." He asked: "How long before this rice digests?" He said: "The potency of this rice lasts for seven days, and only then does it digest. Furthermore, Ānanda! If a śrāvaka who has not entered the correct determination eats this rice, they will enter the correct determination, and only then will it digest. If they have already entered the correct determination, their mind will attain liberation. If they have not yet generated the aspiration for the Great Vehicle, it will digest only when they generate the aspiration. If they have already generated the aspiration, they will attain anutpattikadharmakṣānti. If they have already attained anutpattikadharmakṣānti, it will digest only when they reach the stage of being bound to one life [before Buddhahood]." All these contain the phrases: "whoever eats this rice" and "only then does it digest." "For example, there is a medicine called Superior Flavour. For whoever takes it, all poisons are eradicated and only then does it digest. This rice is likewise: it eliminates all poisons of afflictions and only then does it digest." After the commentary on that sūtra broadly explained the characteristics, it asked: "The fragrant rice is a material phenomenon; how can it sever delusions?" Master Huiyuan explained: "It is able to sever them due to the inconceivable power of the fragrant rice of great compassion. For instance, a cakravartin has a jewelled couch; when the holy king sits upon it, he is able to abandon desire and attain the four dhyānas; though jade maidens see him, it is like gazing upon an image of the Buddha and no lustful thoughts arise. How much more so the realm experienced by buddhas and bodhisattvas! As the Kuśalamūlasaṃparigraha-sūtra says: 'A bodhisattva has a crown that illumines the dharmatā; when wearing this crown, all dharmas are manifested before his mind, and all matters are likewise.'" Master Daokai said: "Although this explanation exists, the principle is not so. How could a material phenomenon by nature sever delusions? It is merely that the fragrant rice stimulates and prompts contemplative cognition, which can sever afflictions; it is not that the substance of the food itself can sever delusions." To explain: These views of the ancient worthies are also not entirely fitting. They only interpret the fragrant rice in terms of superior conditions. They do not understand that the fragrant rice signifies a Dharma-gate. Hence Master Dao Sheng was somewhat closer to the principle, stating: "Digesting in seven days means no more than seven days; being bound to one life means within seven days one will surely attain something. However, the awakening from a single meal cannot have two successive stages of progress. Now, stopping at being bound to one life shows that a Buddha is not attained through a cause. How could bodhisattvas of non-arising and persons of the correct determination rely on the external to attain progress? That it is stated in this way now is to clarify that this rice represents the culmination of proclaiming the principle, completely possessing these meanings." To explain: This takes it as an intention to signify the principle through phenomenal reality. However, the meaning of food in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa encompasses principle, cognition, and great compassion; the rice of amṛta flavour represents nirvāṇa with its three virtues. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra also compares nirvāṇa to amṛta. The fragrance of that rice signifies great compassion, which arises as function from the essence to perfume sentient beings. Here, it is entrusted to the stage, and so signifies patience. Patience encompasses the five patiences, leaving no dharma unincluded. That which can tolerate is cognition, that which is tolerated is principle; the extensive explanation of benefiting others is the perfuming of great compassion. When Vimalakīrti says "digesting when attaining patience", this also encompasses the meaning of the five patiences. If one does not explain it this way, it is exceedingly shallow.