勝鬘寶窟 1.42

1.42

「汝歎如來」下，第二別明授記。就文為二：一明現因記得近果、二明當因記得遠果；亦是當因當果、亦是菩薩因菩薩果、亦是佛因佛果。就初又二：初明因、次明得果。「汝歎如來真實功德」者，牒前善因也。「以此善根」下，第二明得果。得果中，前明時節、次明得果。今前釋阿僧祇劫義。依《法華論》，但明二種僧祇：一明日月歲數不可數，謂小僧祇；二劫不可數，為大僧祇。有人言：三種僧祇，二種同上、三大劫僧祇。《雜心》說六十四劫名一大劫。所言六十四劫者，始從初火劫、終訖風劫有六十四。六十四者，七火一水，過七水已更經七火方有一風，故合成六十四。合此六十四為一大劫，此大劫不可數，名一大僧祇。《善生經》云「刀兵飢饉為一小劫，十九小劫為一中劫。」《俱舍》云「八十小劫為一大劫。」依《瓔珞經》下卷亦明三劫，一里、二里、三里乃至四十里石，方廣亦然，以天衣重三銖，人中日月歲數三年一拂，此石乃盡，名一小劫。就小劫中，自有一里二里乃至四十里也。六十里石，方廣亦然，以梵天衣重三銖，梵天中百寶光明珠為日月歲數，三年一拂，此石乃盡，名為中劫。有八百里石，方廣亦然，以淨居天衣重三銖，即淨居天百寶光明鏡為日月歲數，三年一拂，此石乃盡，名一大僧祇劫。問：今經中明三阿僧祇劫行行成佛，定用何等劫耶？答：《智度論》、《攝論》等云：或四十里石，天衣三年一下，拂之使盡。又四十里城，滿中芥子不槩令平，有百歲人取一芥子，取芥子盡，名一大劫。取此劫不可數為一大僧祇劫，望《瓔珞經》即是彼小劫。多作此說。或可依《瓔珞經》中大劫不可數名一僧祇。問：為直取三阿僧祇時節滿即得佛不？答：不爾。若直數時節者，於時節中有或當空過。今取三僧祇念念善相次，取三阿僧祇劫善滿方乃得佛。問：三僧祇劫善滿者，亦取人天及二乘及佛因不？答：《法華論》云「凡夫善及決定聲聞善非佛因，不得成佛；要取發菩提心行菩薩行善滿三僧祇，方得作佛。」《雜心》中二種僧祇：善行僧祇與劫僧祇。善行僧祇，即前善是；劫僧祇，謂時節也。問：三僧祇約位云何？答：初一僧祇行行到初地，二從初地行行經一僧祇到八地，三從八地一僧祇行行到佛地。問：何故爾？答：初從凡至聖，次從功用到無功用，後從因到果。問：約值佛云何？答：《智度論》述小乘云：釋迦過去為凡之師，值過去釋迦佛初發心，至賴耶尸棄佛為一僧祇，從賴耶尸棄至燃燈為二僧祇，從燃燈至毘婆尸佛為三僧祇，從毘婆尸至今釋迦成佛復經九十一劫。小乘又云：前三僧祇行有漏六波羅蜜，後九十一劫種相好業。龍樹但破其行有漏六度及百劫種相好業，不破其三僧祇。當知三僧祇，此通大小乘為定數。通名劫者，梵云劫波，此云分別時節。梵云迦羅波，此云時也。問：何故火劫起燒世界耶？如《第一義法勝經》說「佛欲示眾生令知時節；又示眾生業果成壞；又示眾生有劫火起，令其畏劫火故預修善法。」今謂或佛示現劫火，或眾生報盡一期，是故劫火等起。問：既但三僧祇行行成佛，今經文何故言無量阿僧祇耶？答：有人言此云無量者，依《華嚴經》是百二十數中一數之名也，非是汎爾言無量也。僧祇是外國語，此云無數，亦是一百二十數中一數之名。若爾，則無量無邊及阿僧祇。經是僧祇劫，故下文作自在王則是初地，以一僧祇劫行行至初地故。亦可依經無量無邊僧祇，即是僧祇無量、僧祇無邊也。問：但三僧祇行行，云何言無量僧祇？答：此或可是時節僧祇，非善行僧祇。或可是小僧祇也。

From "You have praised the Tathāgata" onward is the second part, which specifically explains the conferral of the prophecy. In terms of the text, there are two parts: first, it explains that through present causes she receives the prophecy of a proximate fruit; second, it explains that through future causes she receives the prophecy of a distant fruit. These are also future causes and future fruits; they are also bodhisattva causes and bodhisattva fruits; and they are also Buddha causes and Buddha fruits. In the first part there are also two sections: first, it explains the cause; next, it explains the attainment of the fruit. "You have praised the real virtues of the Tathāgata" recapitulates the previous wholesome cause. From "By means of this root of goodness" onward is the second section, explaining the attainment of the fruit. Within explaining the attainment of the fruit, it first explains the span of time, and next explains the attainment of the fruit. Now, we first explain the meaning of asaṃkhyeya-kalpa. According to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa, it explains only two kinds of asaṃkhyeya: first, when the number of days, months, and years cannot be counted, it is called a minor asaṃkhyeya; second, when kalpas cannot be counted, it is a major asaṃkhyeya. Some say there are three kinds of asaṃkhyeya: two are the same as above, and the third is a mahākalpa-asaṃkhyeya. The Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya states that sixty-four kalpas are called one mahākalpa. What is meant by sixty-four kalpas is that, beginning from the initial fire-kalpa and ending with the wind-kalpa, there are sixty-four. The sixty-four are: seven of fire and one of water; when seven waters have passed, it goes through seven more fires before there is one of wind, so together they make sixty-four. Combining these sixty-four makes one mahākalpa; when such mahākalpas cannot be counted, it is called one mahā-asaṃkhyeya. The Sujāta-sūtra says: "The kalpa of weapons and famine is one minor kalpa; nineteen minor kalpas make one medium kalpa." The Kośa says: "Eighty minor kalpas make one mahākalpa." According to the second fascicle of the Yingluo jing, it also explains three kalpas: a stone of one li, two li, three li, up to forty li, square and wide likewise, brushed once every three years according to the days, months, and years of the human world with a celestial garment weighing three zhu; when this stone is worn away completely, it is called one minor kalpa. Within minor kalpas, there are naturally those of one li, two li, up to forty li. A stone of sixty li, square and wide likewise, brushed once every three years according to the days, months, and years of the hundred-jeweled radiant pearls in the Brahmā heaven with a Brahmā heaven garment weighing three zhu; when this stone is worn away completely, it is called a medium kalpa. There is a stone of eight hundred li, square and wide likewise, brushed once every three years according to the days, months, and years of the hundred-jeweled radiant mirrors in the Śuddhāvāsa heaven with a Śuddhāvāsa heaven garment weighing three zhu; when this stone is worn away completely, it is called one mahā-asaṃkhyeya-kalpa. Question: In the present sūtra, it is explained that one accomplishes buddhahood by practicing through three asaṃkhyeya-kalpas. Which kalpa is definitively used? Answer: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, and so forth say: or [it is] a forty-li stone brushed away completely by a celestial garment descending once every three years. Furthermore, [it is like] a forty-li city filled with mustard seeds not leveled flat; a person living a hundred years takes away one mustard seed; when the mustard seeds are exhausted, it is called one mahākalpa. Taking such kalpas as uncountable is called one mahā-asaṃkhyeya-kalpa; in comparison with the Yingluo jing, this is its minor kalpa. Most adopt this explanation. Or one may rely on the uncountable mahākalpas in the Yingluo jing being called one asaṃkhyeya. Question: Does one attain buddhahood simply when the time span of three asaṃkhyeyas is complete? Answer: It is not so. If one simply counted the time span, within that time span some might pass in vain. Here, we take the continuous succession of wholesome thoughts moment to moment through three asaṃkhyeyas; only when the wholesome deeds of three asaṃkhyeya-kalpas are complete does one attain buddhahood. Question: When the wholesome deeds of three asaṃkhyeya-kalpas are complete, does this also include [those of] humans, devas, the two vehicles, and the causes of buddhahood? Answer: The Saddharmapuṇḍarīkopadeśa says: "The wholesome deeds of ordinary beings and the wholesome deeds of definitive śrāvakas are not causes of buddhahood and cannot achieve buddhahood; it must be that one generates the bodhicitta, practices bodhisattva deeds, and completes wholesome deeds for three asaṃkhyeyas—only then can one become a Buddha." In the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya there are two kinds of asaṃkhyeya: an asaṃkhyeya of wholesome practice and an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas. The asaṃkhyeya of wholesome practice is the aforementioned wholesome deeds; the asaṃkhyeya of kalpas refers to the time span. Question: What are the three asaṃkhyeyas in terms of stages? Answer: In the first asaṃkhyeya, one practices and reaches the first bhūmi; second, from the first bhūmi one practices through one asaṃkhyeya and reaches the eighth bhūmi; third, from the eighth bhūmi one practices through one asaṃkhyeya and reaches the Buddha-bhūmi. Question: Why is this? Answer: First, from ordinary being to noble one; next, from effort to effortless; finally, from cause to fruit. Question: In terms of meeting buddhas, how is it? Answer: The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states regarding the Hīnayāna: When Śākyamuni was an ordinary teacher in the past, he encountered the past Śākyamuni Buddha and first generated the thought [of awakening]; up to Ālayasikhin Buddha was one asaṃkhyeya; from Ālayasikhin to Dīpaṃkara was the second asaṃkhyeya; from Dīpaṃkara to Vipaśyin Buddha was the third asaṃkhyeya; from Vipaśyin until the present Śākyamuni achieved buddhahood, another ninety-one kalpas elapsed. The Hīnayāna also says: During the first three asaṃkhyeyas, one practices the six tainted pāramitās; during the subsequent ninety-one kalpas, one plants the karma for the marks and signs. Nāgārjuna only refuted their practicing the tainted six pāramitās and planting the karma for the marks and signs for a hundred kalpas; he did not refute their three asaṃkhyeyas. One should know that these three asaṃkhyeyas are a fixed number common to both the Mahāyāna and the Hīnayāna. The general term "kalpa" in Sanskrit is kalpa, translated here as "differentiating time spans." In Sanskrit it is kālapa, translated here as "time." Question: Why does the kalpa of fire arise to burn the world? As the Paramārthadharmavijaya-sūtra says: "The Buddha wishes to show sentient beings so that they know the time spans; furthermore, he shows sentient beings the formation and disintegration of karmic fruits; furthermore, he shows sentient beings that the fire of the kalpa arises, causing them to fear the kalpa-fire and thus cultivate wholesome dharmas in advance." We say now: either the Buddha manifests the kalpa-fire, or sentient beings' retribution for a single period is exhausted, and for these reasons the kalpa-fire and so forth arise. Question: Since one accomplishes buddhahood through practicing for only three asaṃkhyeyas, why does the present sūtra text speak of "immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas"? Answer: Some say that what is called "immeasurable" here is, according to the Avataṃsaka-sūtra, the name of one number among the one hundred and twenty numbers; it is not casually saying "without measure." Asaṃkhyeya is a foreign word, translated here as "innumerable," and it is also the name of one number among the one hundred and twenty numbers. If so, then "immeasurable, boundless, and asaṃkhyeya." The sūtra speaks of asaṃkhyeya-kalpas; therefore, [the mention] below of becoming an independent king refers to the first bhūmi, because one practices through one asaṃkhyeya-kalpa to reach the first bhūmi. Alternatively, relying on the sūtra's "immeasurable and boundless asaṃkhyeyas," it means that the asaṃkhyeyas are immeasurable and the asaṃkhyeyas are boundless. Question: If practice is only for three asaṃkhyeyas, why does it say immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas? Answer: This could perhaps be an asaṃkhyeya of time spans, not an asaṃkhyeya of wholesome practice. Or it could be a minor asaṃkhyeya.