勝鬘寶窟 1.38

1.38

「哀愍覆護我」下，第二明請護。上歎如來累無不盡、德無不圓，有堪護之德，是故今請佛覆護。又上來歎佛德，今發菩提心。佛既有勝德，故發心求佛也。又上通歎佛德，今欲請佛為師、己為弟子，結師徒也。又勝鬘將欲請佛為師、就佛受戒，故請護也。建此四意，使萬類學之。就文開為四段：初請護、二許護、三明請護事、四與護事。此四即次第宜生起之。請護有四：初句正請護、次明所護事、三明護時節、四請攝受。哀者悲也，愍者慈也。願佛內運慈悲之心，外以事來覆護於我，慈陰令我善增為覆，大悲使我離惡為護。「令法種增長」者，出覆護之事。勝鬘上來歎佛之善，能為未來法身種子，名為法種。願佛覆護，令得增長。增長者，橫闊為增、豎進為長也。問：但法身因增長真如，法身亦增長耶？答：本有漸顯，亦有增長之義。種子二義：一廣大、二甚深，令種子廣大為增、令種子甚深為長。法身亦二義：令廣大漸顯為增、甚深漸顯為長。「此世及後」下，出請護之時節也。此即現世，後謂來生。不但請如來慈陰現在，亦願後生覆護。非止此世後生暫請如來，於一切處一切時願佛常攝受。問：攝受與請護何異？答：覆護語通攝受，明別常攝受，所以為異。又請護明生善滅惡，攝受辨於人法，謂以法攝我為攝，我為弟子為受。問：何故不言過去攝受？答：過去事竟，不須請也。

From "Out of sorrow and pity, protect me" onwards, the second [part] clarifies requesting protection. Above, she praised the Tathāgata as having no burden not exhausted and no virtue not complete, possessing the virtue capable of offering protection; therefore she now requests the Buddha to protect [her]. Furthermore, previously she praised the Buddha's virtues, and now she generates the bodhicitta. Since the Buddha possesses supreme virtues, she generates the intention to seek the Buddha. Furthermore, previously she generally praised the Buddha's virtues, and now she wishes to request the Buddha as master and herself as disciple, establishing [the relation of] master and disciple. Furthermore, because Śrīmālā is about to request the Buddha as master and receive the precepts from the Buddha, she requests protection. These four intentions are set forth so that the ten thousand kinds [of beings] may learn from them. In terms of the text, it is divided into four sections: first, requesting protection; second, consenting to protection; third, clarifying the matter of requesting protection; fourth, granting the matter of protection. These four sequentially and suitably give rise to one another. Requesting protection has four [parts]: the first line directly requests protection; next clarifies the matter to be protected; third clarifies the time period of protection; fourth requests gathering and receiving (saṃgraha). "Sorrow" (āi) means compassion (karuṇā); "pity" (mǐn) means loving-kindness (maitrī). She vows that the Buddha inwardly set in motion the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and outwardly come with [his] deeds to cover and protect me: loving-kindness shading me so that my wholesome [qualities] increase is "covering"; great compassion causing me to be free from evil is "protecting". "Causing the seed of Dharma to grow and develop": this brings out the matter of covering and protecting. Śrīmālā's goodness in praising the Buddha above can become the seed of the future dharmakāya; it is called the seed of Dharma. She vows that the Buddha cover and protect [it], causing it to attain growth and development. Regarding "growth and development", expanding horizontally is "growth", and progressing vertically is "development". Question: Does only the cause of the dharmakāya grow and develop, or does tathatā, the dharmakāya, also grow and develop? Answer: The fundamentally existing being gradually revealed also has the sense of growth and development. The seed has two meanings: first, vastness; second, profound depth. Causing the seed to be vast is "growth"; causing the seed to be profoundly deep is "development". The dharmakāya also has two meanings: causing its vastness to be gradually revealed is "growth"; causing its profound depth to be gradually revealed is "development". From "in this life and the next" onwards, this brings out the time period of requesting protection. "This" is the present life; "the next" refers to future rebirth. She not only requests the shade of the Tathāgata's loving-kindness in the present, but also vows to be covered and protected in future rebirths. Not only does she temporarily request the Tathāgata in this life and the next, but in all places and at all times she vows that the Buddha always gather and receive [her]. Question: How does gathering and receiving (saṃgraha) differ from requesting protection? Answer: Covering and protecting is general in expression, whereas gathering and receiving is specific: "always gathering and receiving" is the reason for the distinction. Furthermore, requesting protection clarifies producing good and extinguishing evil; gathering and receiving distinguishes between person and Dharma, meaning that gathering me with the Dharma is "gathering" (saṃ-), and taking me as a disciple is "receiving" (-graha). Question: Why does she not speak of past gathering and receiving? Answer: Past matters are already finished, so there is no need to request it.