勝鬘寶窟 1.14

1.14

次論勝鬘住，舊說皆云是法身菩薩，但解法身不同。若依《智度論》，六地為肉身、七地已上為法身。什肇注《淨名》，大意亦爾。有人言：依《地經》及此經義，七地已前為色身、八地已上為法身，則勝鬘應是八地已上法身。又如淨名天女辨屈身子，舊多云是八地法身。今勝鬘盛說，不愧於此，故知是八地法身。依《法華論》解觀世音品云「知法界者，謂知法性。法性者，謂真如法身。」則初地便得法身。又釋六根清淨中，地前菩薩是受於肉身。故經云「雖未得無漏法性之妙體」，則知登地便證法身。《攝論》等意亦爾。若依《涅槃經》，其名曰德鬘優婆夷，位階十地安住不動，為眾生故現受女身。為王后者，欲母儀四海、德範六宮，先導之以俗禮，後引之入佛慧，即五生中謂勝生身也。師子吼者，勝鬘是其舊名，師子吼是其新稱。勝鬘，美其人也；師子吼者，歎其說也。外國云呵梨，此云師子。漢書中說師子作黃色，然實應具五色，但見其黃色者耳。形容亦不過大，但以威猛能伏諸獸，為獸中王。馥法師引《思益經》解師子吼有其多義，略說三種：一如說修行、二無畏說、三決定說。所說如所行、所行如所說，無有虛說，故名師子吼。二無畏說者，世俗云：小聖見大聖，神氣盡矣。而勝鬘親於佛前、對於勝眾，縱任辨才闡揚妙法，無所畏懼。故《淨名》云「演法無畏如師子吼」。又無畏有二：一不畏他、二能令他畏。獸王震吼亦復如是，一不畏於百獸、二令百獸生畏。大士演法，義亦同然。不畏他者，勝人臨座而弘道綽然，謂不畏他也。能令外道驚愧、天魔慴懼，謂令他畏也。師子吼名決定說者，此借師子性情為喻。如師子度河，望直而過；若使邪曲，即是迴還。菩薩演教義亦如是，依究竟理說究竟教；若不究竟，即便不說。故下文云「師子吼者，一向記說。」一向記說，猶是決定說也。又菩薩說法，能上弘大道、下利群生，邪無不摧、正無不顯。故下文云「決定宣唱一乘了義，又能摧伏非法惡人。」是故名為師子吼也。又師子吼者有十一義，後當具說。次明一乘。大方便已下，明所說之法。至道無二，故稱為一；運用自在，目之為乘。依《法華論》，此大乘脩多羅有十七種名，第十四名一乘經，以此法門顯示如來無上菩提究竟之體破二乘非究竟故，此以究竟果德名曰一乘。下一章義亦同爾。故以汎論一義，凡有十種，《法華疏》內以具明之。今略敘宗要，一對昔三是故名一。如《法華》云「為聲聞說四諦、為緣覺說十二因緣、為菩薩說六波羅密。」為對彼三，是故明一。故云「唯有一理，無有三理；唯教一人，無有三人。」又為對二，是故明一。如《法華》云「唯此一事實，餘二則非真。」

Next, discussing the stage of Śrīmālā: the old explanations all say she is a dharmakāya bodhisattva, but their interpretations of the dharmakāya differ. If relying on the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, the sixth stage (bhūmi) is the physical body (māṃsakāya), and from the seventh stage onward is the dharmakāya. The commentaries on the Vimalakīrti by Kumārajīva and Sengzhao generally hold this meaning as well. Someone says: relying on the Daśabhūmika-sūtra and the meaning of this sūtra, before the seventh stage is the form body, and from the eighth stage onward is the dharmakāya; then Śrīmālā should be a dharmakāya of the eighth stage or above. Moreover, like the devatā in the Vimalakīrti whose debate subdued Śāriputra, old [masters] mostly say she is a dharmakāya of the eighth stage. Now Śrīmālā's magnificent discourse is not ashamed before this; hence we know she is a dharmakāya of the eighth stage. Relying on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa explaining the Avalokiteśvara chapter: "Knowing the dharmadhātu means knowing dharmatā. Dharmatā means the tathatā-dharmakāya." Then upon the first stage one immediately attains the dharmakāya. Furthermore, in explaining the purification of the six sense faculties, bodhisattvas before the stages receive a physical body. Hence the sūtra states, "Although they have not yet attained the wondrous essence of the outflow-free dharmatā," then we know that upon ascending the stages, one immediately realises the dharmakāya. The intention of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and other texts is also like this. If relying on the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, her name is the upāsikā Guṇamālā; her rank is settled and immovable in the tenth stage, yet for the sake of sentient beings she manifestedly received a female body. Becoming a queen consort, she wished to be a maternal exemplar to the four seas and a model of virtue to the six palaces, first guiding them with worldly etiquette, and later leading them into the Buddha's wisdom; that is what among the five births is called the body of superior birth. As for "Siṃhanāda" (Lion's Roar): Śrīmālā is her old name; Siṃhanāda is her new title. Śrīmālā praises the person; Siṃhanāda extols her speech. In foreign language it is called hari; here it is called lion. The Book of Han says lions are yellow; yet in reality they should possess five colours, but people only see the yellow ones. Its size is also not exceedingly large, but by its might and ferocity it can subdue all beasts, being the king among beasts. Dharma Master Fu cited the Viśeṣacintibrahma-paripṛcchā-sūtra to explain that the lion's roar has many meanings, briefly explaining three kinds: first, practicing as spoken; second, fearless speech; third, definitive speech. What is spoken is as what is practiced; what is practiced is as what is spoken; there is no empty speech; hence it is called the lion's roar. Second, as for fearless speech: the worldly say that when a lesser sage meets a great sage, his energy and spirit are completely depleted. Yet Śrīmālā, directly before the Buddha and facing the superior assembly, gave free rein to her eloquence to expound the wondrous Dharma without any fear. Hence the Vimalakīrti states, "Expounding the Dharma without fear like a lion's roar." Furthermore, fearlessness has two [aspects]: first, not fearing others; second, being able to cause others to fear. The king of beasts roaring is also like this: first, he does not fear the hundred beasts; second, he causes the hundred beasts to fear. The Great Being expounding the Dharma is also the same in meaning. Not fearing others: superior persons approach the seat, yet her propagation of the Way is vast and untroubled—this means not fearing others. Being able to cause non-Buddhists to be startled and ashamed, and heavenly Māras to be terrified—this means causing others to fear. The lion's roar being called definitive speech: this borrows the nature of the lion as a metaphor. Just as when a lion crosses a river, it looks straight ahead and crosses; if it were crooked, it would turn back. The bodhisattva expounding the teaching is also the same in meaning: relying on the ultimate principle, she speaks the ultimate teaching; if it were not ultimate, she would not speak it. Hence the text below states, "The lion's roar is an exclusively definitive declaration." An exclusively definitive declaration is still definitive speech. Moreover, when a bodhisattva preaches the Dharma, she can propagate the Great Way above and benefit sentient beings below; there is no falsehood that is not crushed, and no correctness that is not made manifest. Hence the text below states, "Definitively proclaiming the definitive meaning of the ekayāna, and able to crush and subdue evil persons of unrighteous dharma." For this reason it is called the lion's roar. Furthermore, the lion's roar has eleven meanings, which will be fully explained later. Next, clarifying the ekayāna. From "Mahopāya" onward clarifies the Dharma that is spoken. The ultimate Way is non-dual, hence called "one" (eka); its application is unimpeded, designated as the "vehicle" (yāna). Relying on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa, this Mahāyāna sūtra has seventeen kinds of names; the fourteenth is named the Ekayāna-sūtra, because this dharma gate reveals the ultimate essence of the Tathāgata's anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi and refutes the non-ultimateness of the two vehicles; here, based on the ultimate fruit and virtue, it is called the ekayāna. The meaning of the next chapter is also the same. Thus, generally discussing the meaning of "one", there are altogether ten kinds, which have been fully explained in the Commentary on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka. Now we briefly state the essential tenets: first, it is named "one" in contrast to the former three. As the Lotus Sūtra states: "For the śrāvakas, he preached the four truths; for the pratyekabuddhas, he preached the twelve links of dependent origination; for the bodhisattvas, he preached the six pāramitās." In contrast to those three, "one" is clarified. Hence it is said, "There is only one principle, there are not three principles; he teaches only one person, he does not teach three persons." Furthermore, it is clarified as "one" in contrast to two. As the Lotus Sūtra states: "Only this one matter is true; the other two are not real."