[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [勝鬘寶窟](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744) › 2.17 # 勝鬘寶窟 2.17 勝鬘寶窟 2.17 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2.17) 「世尊又如劫初成時」下，第二，有三：一譬、二合、三結。劫初成時，不異向解。「有大水聚」者，劫初成時有持水風令水不散，有消水風令水漸盡以成世界。世界壞，從下以向上；世界成，從上以成下。故論云「初壞處最後成，最後壞最初成，故用水聚出生三千大千世界。水之輕妙者，成上諸天宮殿。水之滓濁者，成下山河大地。是水聚能出生大千世界藏。」問：欲界身不能觸得上界物，云何得以欲界火燒上界禪？答：《俱舍論》云「從欲界火別出火燒初禪，不用欲界火燒初禪。」問：云何為三千大千世界？答：如龍樹說，一四天下合以為一，數之至千名為小千。小千為一，數復至千，名為中千。中千為一，數復至千，名為三千大千世界。此大千界成壞同時，故合為一。三千隔別，故稱為界。三千苞含人物，目之為藏也。「四百億類洲」者，三千界中有其百億四天下，別名四百億。地形各異，名種種。東方有洲，名弗婆提，形如滿月，人面像之。南方有洲，名閻浮提，其形上方下尖，人面像之。西方有洲，名瞿耶尼，形如半月，人面像之。北方有洲，名欝單越，其形正方，人面像之。洲謂洲渚，此等皆是水中高原，故名為洲也。釋合譬文，凡有四家，今具敘之。第一家云：出生大乘無量界藏者，菩薩地中，要說有十、廣則無邊，故名大乘無量界藏。此正取菩薩十地諸位為無量界大乘界藏。一切菩薩神通之力者，合上四百億類洲，菩薩神通之力是其行用。一切世間已下，明其行體。行有世間、出世間別，三地已還名為世間，四地已上名出世間。是二之中各有證行，阿含行異，故有四句。一切世間安隱快樂，是三地證行體也。證行寂滅名為安隱，證法適神名為快樂。一切世間如意自在，釋三地已還阿含行，謂八禪等也。及出世間安樂劫成，是四地已上證行體也。法從喻稱，故言劫成也。乃至天人本所未得者，是四地已上阿含行，謂道品等也。三地已還阿含之行，是凡夫法，人天共得；四地已上阿含之行，是賢聖之法，人天不得，故名天人本所未得。此等皆從攝受中出也。第二家：餘義並同，但取證道即是無分別正體智，阿含行即是後得智。用《攝論》意也。有人言：初譬明正出人天乘，今譬明正法出生三乘，謂菩薩及三乘也。從菩薩神通下，合四百億類洲。於中有二：一以大乘行相合也；乃至人天未得者，以二乘行合也。菩薩行相中有四：菩薩神通力者，出世作用殊能行也。一切世間安穩快樂者，世間福報行，謂因為安穩、果為快樂。世間如意自在，世間作用殊能行也。出世安樂劫成者，出世方便福報行。以喻為法，故言安樂劫成。世出世各具二種行，但文中說之非次第耳。人天本所未得者，聲聞緣覺善法，人天本所不得也。皆於中出者，皆於攝受中出。問：此師既云此譬出生三乘，云何合四百億類洲？答：彼不分明，相當以菩薩世間出世間及二乘為四也。今謂此三家釋，乃取十地，位義有餘，而於文凡有二失：一者義局、二者破句。言義局者，大水聚譬，明世出世一切，云何但出生十地義耶？破句至後當顯也。今所明者凡有二義：一者總別、二者因果。言總別者，大千為總、四百億類洲為別，則以大乘為總、於大乘中離出四乘為別。又總別者，大乘為總；菩薩神通之力，於大乘中別明菩薩神通之用。二者以大乘為果乘、四乘為因乘。所以知然者，下明四乘中但辨菩薩神通、不明佛乘，故知大千喻果乘、四百喻因乘。一切菩薩神通之力下，合上四百億類洲。菩薩神通果報，喻如一百億類洲也。菩薩神通者，總舉大乘因行化導之要。如《法華．信解》云「於菩薩法，遊戲神通」也。一切世間安穩快樂者，人中果報。一切世間如意自在者，是諸天果報，合此人天為二百。人報劣，直云安穩快樂；天報勝，故云如意自在。所以知是人天者，並稱世間故也。及出世間安樂者，二乘人即成二百，合前為四也。此是古舊所說，於文相顯。然四乘各有因果，夫因樂義不顯，果報則歡樂義顯。今欲歎正法能生四乘樂果，使物行正法，是故偏明果也。問：四種云何並稱為樂？答：菩薩運五通、度六道，適大士之懷，所以稱樂。如世間之戲樂也。又作事若難，則名為苦。菩薩運用自在，如戲不難，故名為樂。餘三樂，在文顯然。「劫成乃至天人本所未得皆於中出」者，前二家牽劫成屬上出世間，古舊牽劫成向下也。上有三，謂譬、合、結，今是第三結也。就結中，初結能生、次結所生。劫成者，牒上劫成也，即是明攝受正法義成，即是能生也。「乃至天人」者下，結所生也，明天人乘從攝受正法出也。本所未得者，大乘及二乘非是世間所得，亦從正法中出也。此文非但偏結水聚譬，亦通結雲雨譬。此二通舉劫成之事，是故通結也。 > From "World-Honoured One, it is just like when an eon first forms" downward is the second \[section\], which has three parts: first, the simile; second, the application; and third, the conclusion. "When an eon first forms" does not differ from the preceding explanation. Regarding "there is a great mass of water": when an eon first forms, there is a water-supporting wind that prevents the water from dispersing, and a water-depleting wind that gradually consumes the water so as to form the world. When the world is destroyed, it proceeds from below upward; when the world is formed, it proceeds from above to form downward. Hence the treatises say: "The place destroyed first is formed last; the place destroyed last is formed first." Therefore, the mass of water is used to produce the trisahasramahāsahasra-world. The light and subtle parts of the water form the palace-mansions of the heavens above; the gross and turbid parts of the water form the mountains, rivers, and great earth below. This mass of water can produce the store of the great trichiliocosm. Question: A body of the desire realm cannot touch objects of the higher realms; how then can the fire of the desire realm burn the dhyānas of the higher realms? Answer: The \*Kośa-śāstra\* says: "From the fire of the desire realm a separate fire emerges to burn the first dhyāna; the fire of the desire realm itself is not used to burn the first dhyāna." Question: What is meant by a trisahasramahāsahasra-world? Answer: As Nāgārjuna explained: taking one \[system of\] four continents as a single unit, counting them up to a thousand is called a minor chiliocosm. Taking a minor chiliocosm as a unit and counting them up to a thousand is called a medium chiliocosm. Taking a medium chiliocosm as a unit and counting them up to a thousand is called a trisahasramahāsahasra-world. The formation and destruction of this great chiliocosm occur simultaneously, so they are grouped as one. Because the three thousand are distinguished from one another, they are called "realms" (dhātu). Because the three thousand encompass sentient beings and material things, they are designated a "store" (garbha). Regarding "forty billion varieties of continents": within a trichiliocosm there are ten billion systems of four continents, which are separately termed forty billion. Their topographies vary, hence they are called "varieties." In the east there is a continent named Pūrvavideha; its shape is like a full moon, and human faces resemble it. In the south there is a continent named Jambudvīpa; its shape is broad above and pointed below, and human faces resemble it. In the west there is a continent named Aparagodānīya; its shape is like a half-moon, and human faces resemble it. In the north there is a continent named Uttarakuru; its shape is a square, and human faces resemble it. "Continent" (dvīpa) means an islet or continent; these are all high lands within the water, hence they are called continents. As for the text explaining the application of the simile, there are four schools altogether, which will now be fully recounted. The first school says: regarding "producing the immeasurable store of realms of the Great Vehicle," within the stages of the bodhisattva, if stated essentially there are ten, and if elaborated they are boundless; therefore they are called "the immeasurable store of realms of the Great Vehicle." This directly takes the stages and positions of the bodhisattva's ten stages to be the immeasurable realms, the store of realms of the Great Vehicle. "The supernormal powers of all bodhisattvas" corresponds above to the forty billion varieties of continents; the supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas are their practical application of practice. From "all worldly" downward clarifies the essence of their practice. Practice is divided into worldly and supramundane: from the third stage downward is called worldly, and from the fourth stage upward is called supramundane. Within these two there are differences between realized practice and textual practice (āgama practice), hence there are four clauses. "All worldly peace and bliss" is the essence of realized practice of the third stage. When realized practice is quietude, it is called "peace"; when the realized Dharma pleases the spirit, it is called "bliss." "All worldly mastery as one wishes" explains the textual practice from the third stage downward, referring to the eight dhyānas and so forth. "And the supramundane peace and joy formed in an eon" is the essence of realized practice from the fourth stage upward. The phenomenon is designated after the simile, hence it says "formed in an eon." "Up to what devas and humans have never before attained" is the textual practice from the fourth stage upward, referring to the factors of awakening and so forth. The textual practice from the third stage downward is the Dharma of ordinary beings, attained in common by humans and devas; the textual practice from the fourth stage upward is the Dharma of the worthy and the noble, which humans and devas cannot attain; hence it is called "what devas and humans have never before attained." All these emerge from the acceptance \[of the true Dharma\]. The second school: the rest of the meaning is identical, but it takes the path of realization to be the non-conceptual fundamental wisdom, and the textual practice to be the subsequently attained wisdom. This adopts the intent of the \*Mahāyānasaṃgraha\*. Someone says: The first simile clarifies the direct emergence of the human and deva vehicles, while the present simile clarifies that the true Dharma produces the three vehicles—meaning the bodhisattva and the \[other\] two vehicles. From "the supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas" downward matches the forty billion varieties of continents. In this there are two parts: first, matching them with the marks of the practice of the Great Vehicle; second, from "up to what devas and humans have not attained," matching them with the practice of the two vehicles. Within the marks of the practice of the bodhisattva there are four: "the supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas" is the extraordinary capacity and functioning of supramundane activity. "All worldly peace and bliss" is the practice yielding worldly karmic retribution, where the cause is "peace" and the fruit is "bliss." "Worldly mastery as one wishes" is the extraordinary capacity and functioning of worldly activity. "The supramundane peace and joy formed in an eon" is the expedient practice yielding supramundane karmic retribution; taking the simile for the phenomenon, it therefore says "peace and joy formed in an eon." The worldly and supramundane each possess both kinds of practice, though they are not stated in sequence in the text. "What devas and humans have never before attained" refers to the wholesome dharmas of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, which devas and humans have never originally attained. "All emerge from it" means they all emerge from the acceptance \[of the true Dharma\]. Question: Since this master says that this simile produces the three vehicles, how does it match the forty billion varieties of continents? Answer: He is not clear, but roughly matches them by taking the bodhisattva's worldly and supramundane, together with the two vehicles, as the four. We now hold that the explanations of these three schools, while adopting the ten stages, are over-elaborate in doctrinal stages but commit two errors with respect to the text: first, the meaning is too restricted; second, they break up the sentences. As for the meaning being too restricted: the simile of the great mass of water clarifies everything worldly and supramundane; how could it produce only the meaning of the ten stages? The breaking up of sentences will be demonstrated below. What is explained now has two meanings: first, general and particular; second, cause and fruit. Regarding general and particular: the great chiliocosm is general, and the forty billion varieties of continents are particular; thus the Great Vehicle is taken as general, and the differentiation of the four vehicles from within the Great Vehicle is taken as particular. Furthermore, in terms of general and particular: the Great Vehicle is general, and "the supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas" specifically clarifies the function of the bodhisattva's supernormal powers within the Great Vehicle. Second, taking the Great Vehicle as the fruit-vehicle, and the four vehicles as the causal vehicles. The reason we know this to be so is that, in explaining the four vehicles below, it only distinguishes the supernormal powers of the bodhisattva and does not clarify the Buddha Vehicle; hence we know that the great chiliocosm illustrates the fruit-vehicle, and the four hundred \[continents\] illustrate the causal vehicles. From "the supernormal powers of all bodhisattvas" downward matches the forty billion varieties of continents above. The fruitional retribution of the bodhisattva's supernormal powers is illustrated like one hundred billion varieties of continents. "The supernormal powers of the bodhisattvas" generally adduces the essentials of the Great Vehicle's causal practice in converting and guiding others. As the "Faith and Understanding" \[chapter\] of the \*Lotus Sūtra\* says: "In the dharmas of the bodhisattva, sporting with supernormal powers." "All worldly peace and bliss" is the fruitional retribution among humans. "All worldly mastery as one wishes" is the fruitional retribution of the devas; combining these humans and devas makes two hundred \[billion\]. The retribution of humans is inferior, so it directly says "peace and bliss"; the retribution of devas is superior, hence it says "mastery as one wishes." The reason we know these to be humans and devas is that both are termed "worldly." "And the supramundane peace and joy" refers to the persons of the two vehicles, which completes two hundred \[billion\], and combined with the preceding makes four. This is what was taught by the ancient teachers, and it is obvious in the phrasing of the text. However, the four vehicles each possess cause and fruit; the meaning of joy in the cause is not conspicuous, whereas in fruitional retribution the meaning of rejoice and bliss is conspicuous. Now, wishing to praise the true Dharma's ability to produce the blissful fruits of the four vehicles so that beings will practice the true Dharma, it specifically clarifies the fruit. Question: Why are all four called "bliss" (or joy)? Answer: The bodhisattva wields the five supernormal knowledges to liberate \[beings in\] the six destinies, fulfilling the aspiration of the great being; therefore it is called bliss, like worldly playful enjoyment. Moreover, if an action is difficult, it is called suffering; since the bodhisattva's functioning is unhindered, like play and not difficult, it is called bliss. The remaining three joys are obvious in the text. Regarding "formed in an eon, up to what devas and humans have never before attained, all emerge from it": the previous two schools attached "formed in an eon" upward to the supramundane, whereas the ancient teachers attached "formed in an eon" downward. Above there were three parts: the simile, the application, and the conclusion; now this is the third, the conclusion. Within the conclusion, it first concludes what is able to produce, and next concludes what is produced. "Formed in an eon" recaps "formed in an eon" above; that is, it clarifies that the meaning of the acceptance of the true Dharma is established, which is what is able to produce. From "up to devas and humans" downward concludes what is produced, clarifying that the vehicles of devas and humans emerge from the acceptance of the true Dharma. "What has never before been attained": the Great Vehicle and the two vehicles are not what the worldly can attain, and they also emerge from the true Dharma. This text not only concludes the simile of the water mass in particular, but also universally concludes the simile of clouds and rain. Because these two both universally cite the matter of the eon's formation, it universally concludes them. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2.16) - [Next: 2.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2.18) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744~en-mt.2.17) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [勝鬘師子吼一乘大方便方廣經](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.mahayanasutra.srimaladevi*zh-gunabhadra.1.33) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1744.2.17) · Pramāṇa