大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 90.6

90.6

Regarding the commentary's "A kūṭāgāra-settlement is here translated as multi-storied pavilions": this is one interpretation; others say "small cottages" or "multiple dwellings." Thus the earlier scripture itself translated it as "settlement of houses"; now the commentary merely adopts one interpretation. Regarding the commentary's "Like a lotus blossom having three meanings": the first gives rise to practice and understanding, the second accomplishes the fruit, and the third sees principle; all are due to hearing the teaching, so the four dharmas of teaching, principle, practice, and fruit are fully present. However, the commentary only explains the term "lotus blossom," whereas the scripture says, "in order to instruct and transform those sent by Śākyamuni Tathāgata." Now we must explain the causal conditions. According to the Sūtra on the Contemplation of Maitreya Bodhisattva's Ascent to the Tuṣita Heaven, spoken by the Buddha in the kingdom of Śrāvastī in response to Upāli's question, the Buddha answered: "Twelve years from now, on the fifteenth day of the second month, this person will ascend to be born in the Tuṣita Heaven. His lifespan there will be fifty-six hundred million years, and only then will he descend to be born in Jambudvīpa. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, if any of my disciples diligently cultivate all merits, keep the deportments without deficiency, sweep the stūpas and plaster the grounds, make offerings with various famous incenses and wondrous flowers, practice all samādhis, deeply enter correct absorption, and read and recite the scriptures—such persons should wholeheartedly, even though they have not severed their fetters, be as if having attained the six superknowledges; they should tie their mindfulness, remembering the Buddha's form and image and reciting Maitreya's name. If such people take the eight precepts for even a single thought-moment, cultivate pure deeds, and give rise to vast vows, then after their lives end, as quickly as a strong person bends and extends his arm, they will immediately attain rebirth in the Tuṣita Heaven, sitting cross-legged upon lotus blossoms, with hundreds of thousands of devaputras playing celestial music and holding celestial māndārava flowers and mahāmāndārava flowers to scatter over them, praising: 'Excellent, excellent!'" It also says: "If such sentient beings purify their deeds and practice the six dharmas, they will definitely and without doubt be born in the Tuṣita Heaven and meet Maitreya; they will also follow Maitreya down to Jambudvīpa to be the first to hear the Dharma, and in future ages meet all the Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa." It also says: "Those who hear Maitreya's name, having heard it, rejoice, revere, and make prostrations, will immediately attain rebirth when their life ends, in the span of a finger-snap." It also says: "Good sons and good daughters! If you have violated the prohibitions and committed evil deeds, yet hear this Bodhisattva's name of great compassion and cast your five limbs to the ground in sincere repentance, those evil deeds will quickly become pure. If in future ages sentient beings hear this Bodhisattva's name of great compassion, erect his images, make offerings of incense, flowers, robes, silk canopies, and banners, make prostrations, and tie mindfulness [to him], then when their lives are about to end, Maitreya Bodhisattva will emit light from the white curl between his eyebrows—a sign of a great man—and, together with devaputras holding celestial māndārava flowers, come to welcome them. Such persons will instantly attain rebirth, meet Maitreya, bow their heads in reverence, and before they even raise their heads, they will hear the Dharma, attain non-retrogression in the unexcelled path, and in future ages meet as many Tathāgata Buddhas as the sands of the Ganges." Explanation: These are also those sent by Śākyamuni, because they practice Śākyamuni's teaching. As for the Sūtra on Maitreya's Descent to Be Born translated by Dharma Master Kumārajīva, it lacks "Thus have I heard" and directly states that Śāriputra of Great Wisdom questioned the Buddha, and the Buddha admonished him to listen and explained for him, saying: "Śāriputra! The waters of the four great oceans will gradually decrease by three thousand yojanas. At that time, the continent of Jambudvīpa will be ten thousand yojanas in length and eight thousand yojanas in breadth, flat as a mirror, covered all over with famous flowers and soft grass." The extensive descriptions of adornments and so forth have already been cited in the "Flower Treasury Chapter." Next it says: "In the city there is a great master of brahmins named Subrahma, and his wife is named Brahmavatī; Maitreya will take birth with them as his parents. His body will be purple-golden, possessing the thirty-two marks; his height will be a thousand cubits, his chest thirty fathoms broad, his face twelve cubits and four inches long; his flesh eye will be pure, seeing a thousand yojanas, and his constant light will shine outward in all directions for a hundred yojanas. King Śaṅkha will offer a seven-jeweled terrace; having received it, Maitreya will donate it to the brahmins. Seeing it demolished, Maitreya will cultivate the contemplation of impermanence, leave the household life, and study the path under the dragon-flower bodhi tree, whose trunk, branches, and leaves will be fifty leagues high. On the very day he leaves the household, he will attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, and countless people will generate the aspiration to leave the household and study the path. At that time, Maitreya will behold the great assembly and have this thought: 'These people have not come to my presence for the sake of the bliss of rebirth in heaven, nor for the sake of the bliss of the present life; they have come solely for the causes and conditions of attaining the constant bliss of nirvāṇa. These people have all planted good roots within the Buddha-Dharma; Śākyamuni Buddha sent and entrusted them to me, which is why they have now all come to my presence, and I now accept them. These people have come to my presence either by reading, reciting, analyzing, and determining the sūtras, vinaya, and abhidharma, or by cultivating all merits.'" It then extensively recounts giving, morality, patience, and diligence. It concludes: "'Excellent, Śākyamuni Buddha! Well have you instructed and transformed such hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of sentient beings, who have now come to my presence.' Maitreya will thus praise Śākyamuni Tathāgata three times, and then preach the Dharma, saying: 'Sentient beings, you were able to accomplish difficult deeds: in that evil age, among short-lived people of lust, anger, delusion, and confusion, you were able to uphold moral conduct and perform all merits; this is extremely rare. Excellent, Śākyamuni Buddha! With a mind of great compassion, he was able to speak truthful words among suffering sentient beings, indicating that I would come in the future to liberate you. Such a teacher is extremely difficult to encounter. With deep compassion he pitied the sentient beings of the evil age, rescuing them from suffering and distress so that they might attain peace and security. For your sake, Śākyamuni Buddha Tathāgata gave his head in charity, cut off his ears, nose, hands, feet, and limbs, and endured all suffering to benefit you.' Having extensively comforted them in this way, Maitreya will then preach the Dharma. The park of that dragon-flower tree is one hundred yojanas in length and breadth, filled with the great assembly. At the first assembly's teaching, ninety-six billion people will attain arhatship; at the second assembly's teaching, ninety-four billion; and at the third assembly, ninety-two billion." There are other versions of the sūtra that are largely the same with minor differences, which can be understood in spirit. This sūtra explicitly clarifies that they were sent by Śākyamuni.