勝鬘寶窟 1.37.1

1.37.1

二釋名門者，體如而來，故名如來。 又如諸佛，故名如來。 問：體如而來，故名如來。 此是應身，可有來義。 真如法身，云何有來？ 答：如本隱今顯，亦得稱來。 德不虛稱，故云真實。 古注云：聖應除惑，功德之實也。 理極莫過，名為第一。 深有所以，目之為義。 修功所得，故名功德。 又即功為德，如燈有破暗顯物之功，即以此功為燈家之德，故名功德。 美其實德，故名為歎。 次分齊門者，就此一章大開為二：第一歎佛功德、第二請護。 所以有此二者，佛有勝德，是故揄揚； 欲發心願求，是以請護。 就初歎佛又開為二：一者別歎、二者總歎。 如來廣德，非別不彰，故前別歎； 非別能盡，故須總歎。 又前正明歎、後辨歎所不能歎，乃窮稱歎之美。 就別歎中，有四義、三義、二義、一義、無義。 所言四義者，一歎應身、二歎法身、三歎解脫、四歎波若。 面覩金容，故前歎應身。 本故，次歎法身。 法身清淨，無諸非法，故次歎解脫。 解脫得成，功由波若，故次歎波若。 所言三義者，應身真身並屬法身，次歎解脫，後歎波若。 此三次第者，生死有三，謂報及業與煩惱，以為次第； 法身對報、解脫對業、般若對於煩惱，亦成次第。 所言二義者，雖有三德，不出二義：解脫一德，累無不盡； 法身波若，德無不圓。 所言一義者，累無不盡不可為有、德無不圓不可為無，名為中道。 是故經云「佛性名為中道種子，中道之法名之為佛，說中道故名大法師。 」此三種中道必有次第，由佛性本是中道，中道未現名種子、中道顯現目之為佛、還為眾生說中道法名大法師。 次言無義者，經云「遠離二邊，不著中道。 」如後文說「敬禮難思議」，心行滅故不可思、言語斷故不可議。 故如來之德，舒之則遍乎法界、卷之則慮絕言亡。 若體斯意者，方可識此中文也。 今且就三德釋之，初兩偈歎法身、次一偈歎解脫、後一偈歎般若。 《涅槃經》三法，以解脫為初、法身為次、般若為後。 今法身為端者，正以仰對金容，就迹尋本也。 但解三德不同，江南有其三釋。 第一雲法師云：舉法身對生死色、舉般若對生死中心。 生死色心被縛，佛地法身般若無累，故舉解脫對彼有縛。 第二藏法師云：法身當體，舉解脫對昔有餘涅槃、舉般若對昔無餘涅槃。 第三旻法師云：法身當體與第二不異，但萬德不出智斷，舉解脫明斷、舉般若明智。 北土諸師云：夫涅槃以對生死。 生死有三：一果報身、二業、三煩惱。 對生死報身故說法身、對生死故說解脫、對生死煩惱故說般若。 今明可具此諸義也。 初歎法身二偈，四門釋之：一卷舒門、二出正解門、三同異門、四詳得失門。 卷舒門者，有四義、三義、二義、一義、無義、有義。 所言四義者，初偈歎應身； 「如來色無盡」一句，歎色報身； 「智慧亦復然」，歎智慧身； 「一切法常住」，歎如如身。 《楞伽經》中有此四身。 言三義者，初有五句，歎佛色身； 「智慧亦復然」，歎佛智慧； 「一切法常住」，歎餘戒定等諸功德法。 言二義者，前別歎色智、後總美眾德，謂總別一雙也。 言一義者，雖有總別不同，望後解脫波若皆屬歎法身，故是一義。 又一義者，如肇公云：「本迹雖殊，不思議一」，故一義也。 又一義者，即寂而動，故真即是應； 即動而寂，故應即是真。 故肇師云：「豈近捨丈六，遠求法身者哉？ 」言無義者，即寂而動、雖真而應，即動而寂、雖應而真。 雖真而應，故真非定真； 雖應而真，故應非定應。 非真非應，慮絕言亡，稱為無義。 雖非真應，而真應宛然，故是無義而有義，故稱有義也。 第二正釋門者，古舊釋次第相生。 「如來妙色身」者，既面覩金容，故前歎妙色。 一從妙因所生、二由妙本所垂，是故稱妙也。 「世間無與等」者，無物與之齊，故言無等。

Second, the section explaining the names: embodying Thusness (tathatā) and coming (āgata), he is therefore called Tathāgata. Furthermore, he is just as (tathā) all the buddhas are, hence called Tathāgata. Question: Embodying Thusness and coming, he is therefore called Tathāgata. This applies to the responsive body (nirmāṇakāya), which can possess the meaning of 'coming'. How can the dharmakāya of true Thusness have any 'coming'? Answer: When what was originally hidden now becomes manifest, it may also be termed 'coming'. Virtues are not falsely proclaimed, hence called 'real'. An ancient commentary says: 'The holy response eliminates delusion; this is the reality of merit.' The ultimate principle that cannot be surpassed is called 'foremost'. That which possesses profound reason is termed 'significance' (artha). What is obtained through cultivating merit is therefore called 'virtuous merit' (guṇa). Furthermore, merit itself is virtue: just as a lamp has the meritorious function of destroying darkness and revealing objects, and this very function is the virtue of the lamp, it is therefore called 'virtuous merit'. Praising his actual virtues is called 'praise'. Next, the section on the structural divisions: this chapter is broadly divided into two parts: first, praising the Buddha's virtues; second, requesting protection. Why are there these two? Because the Buddha possesses supreme virtues, he is extolled; because she wishes to generate the aspiration and vow to seek [them], she requests protection. Under the first, praising the Buddha, there are again two parts: first, specific praises; second, general praises. The Tathāgata's vast virtues cannot be made manifest without being specific, hence specific praises come first; yet they cannot be exhausted by specific [praises], hence general praises are necessary. Moreover, the former directly clarifies the praise, while the latter explains that which praise cannot praise, thereby exhausting the beauty of praise. Within the specific praises, there are four meanings, three meanings, two meanings, one meaning, and no meaning. The so-called four meanings are: 1. praising the responsive body; 2. praising the dharmakāya; 3. praising liberation; 4. praising prajñā. Seeing the golden countenance face to face, she therefore first praises the responsive body. Because it is the root, next she praises the dharmakāya. The dharmakāya is pure and free of all unwholesome phenomena, hence next she praises liberation. Liberation being accomplished is due to the efficacy of prajñā, hence next she praises prajñā. The so-called three meanings are: the responsive body and the true body both belong to the dharmakāya; next she praises liberation, and afterwards she praises prajñā. As for the sequence of these three: saṃsāra has three aspects, namely retribution, karma, and afflictions, which form a sequence; dharmakāya corresponds to retribution, liberation corresponds to karma, and prajñā corresponds to afflictions, which likewise forms a sequence. The so-called two meanings are: although there are three virtues, they do not exceed two meanings: the single virtue of liberation completely exhausts all encumbrances; dharmakāya and prajñā lack nothing in the perfection of virtue. The so-called one meaning is: completely exhausting all encumbrances cannot be called existence; lacking nothing in the perfection of virtue cannot be called non-existence; this is called the Middle Way. Therefore the sūtra says: 'Buddhadhātu is called the seed of the Middle Way; the Dharma of the Middle Way is called the Buddha; preaching the Middle Way is called a great Dharma master.' These three kinds of Middle Way must have a sequence: because buddhadhātu is fundamentally the Middle Way, when the Middle Way is not yet manifest it is called the seed; when the Middle Way becomes manifest it is termed the Buddha; and when in turn preaching the Dharma of the Middle Way for the sake of living beings, he is called a great Dharma master. Next, the statement of no meaning: the sūtra says, 'Apart from the two extremes, one does not cling to the Middle Way.' As the text later says, 'I pay homage to the Inconceivable'; because the activities of the mind are extinguished, it cannot be thought, and because language is cut off, it cannot be discussed. Therefore the virtues of the Tathāgata, when expanded, pervade the dharmadhātu; when contracted, thought is extinguished and words perish. Only when one embodies this intention can one recognise the text here. Now, explaining it in terms of the three virtues for the moment: the first two verses praise the dharmakāya; the next single verse praises liberation; the last single verse praises prajñā. The three dharmas in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra take liberation as the first, dharmakāya as the second, and prajñā as the last. Here taking dharmakāya as the beginning is precisely because, looking up directly at the golden countenance, one traces back to the source from the traces. But interpretations of the three virtues differ; south of the Yangzi there are three explanations. The first, Master Yun, says: dharmakāya is adduced to correspond to the form of saṃsāra; prajñā is adduced to correspond to the mind within saṃsāra. The form and mind of saṃsāra are bound; the dharmakāya and prajñā of the buddha-ground have no encumbrances; hence liberation is adduced to correspond to that bondage. The second, Master Zang, says: dharmakāya is the essence itself; liberation is adduced to correspond to the former nirvāṇa with remainder; prajñā is adduced to correspond to the former nirvāṇa without remainder. The third, Master Min, says: dharmakāya as the essence itself does not differ from the second; however, the myriad virtues do not exceed wisdom and eradication; liberation is adduced to explain eradication, and prajñā is adduced to explain wisdom. The various masters of the northern land say: nirvāṇa corresponds to saṃsāra. Saṃsāra has three aspects: 1. the body of retribution; 2. karma; 3. afflictions. In correspondence to the body of retribution of saṃsāra, dharmakāya is taught; in correspondence to saṃsāra, liberation is taught; in correspondence to the afflictions of saṃsāra, prajñā is taught. Now we clarify that it can contain all these meanings. The first two verses praising the dharmakāya are explained through four gates: 1. the gate of contracting and expanding; 2. the gate of providing the correct explanation; 3. the gate of similarities and differences; 4. the gate of examining strengths and weaknesses. As for the gate of contracting and expanding, there are four meanings, three meanings, two meanings, one meaning, no meaning, and having meaning. The so-called four meanings are: the first verse praises the responsive body; the single line 'The Tathāgata's form is inexhaustible' praises the form body of retribution (saṃbhogakāya); 'Wisdom is likewise so' praises the wisdom body; 'All dharmas are eternally abiding' praises the tathatā body. These four bodies are present in the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra. As for the three meanings: the first five lines praise the Buddha's form body; 'Wisdom is likewise so' praises the Buddha's wisdom; 'All dharmas are eternally abiding' praises the remaining dharmas of virtuous merit such as morality and concentration. As for the two meanings: the former specifically praises form and wisdom, and the latter generally extols the myriad virtues, which is a single pair of general and specific. As for the one meaning: although there is the distinction of general and specific, in looking toward the subsequent liberation and prajñā, they all belong to praising the dharmakāya, hence it is one meaning. Another 'one meaning': as Lord Zhao said, 'Though source and traces differ, they are inconceivably one'; hence it is one meaning. Still another 'one meaning': stillness itself is movement, so the true is precisely the responsive; movement itself is stillness, so the responsive is precisely the true. Therefore Master Zhao said: 'How could one discard the sixteen-foot [manifestation] near at hand to seek the dharmakāya afar?' As for 'no meaning': stillness itself is movement—though true, it is responsive; movement itself is stillness—though responsive, it is true. Because though true it is responsive, the true is not definitively true; because though responsive it is true, the responsive is not definitively responsive. Neither true nor responsive, thought is extinguished and words perish; this is termed 'no meaning'. Although neither true nor responsive, true and responsive are distinctly manifest; hence it is having meaning within no meaning, and is thus called 'having meaning'. Second, the gate of the correct explanation: the ancient explanations follow a sequential generation. 'The Tathāgata's wonderful physical body': since she sees the golden countenance face to face, she therefore first praises the wonderful physical form. First, it is born from wonderful causes; second, it is manifested from the wonderful source; hence it is called 'wonderful'. 'Unrivalled in the world': nothing is equal to it, hence called 'unrivalled'.