勝鬘寶窟 2.41

2.41

「世尊如阿耨大池」下，第二就譬廣釋。大乘凡有二譬：初池譬，明大乘出生多乘，故名為大；二種子譬，明其多乘同依一乘，故得稱大。又池譬明其始出生、種子譬辨其終，謂小乘依大乘得增長。又初譬本生於末，第二譬末依於本。又從池出河，河在池外。從大乘出小乘，小乘應在大乘外。為釋此疑；故說種子依地，而種子不離地。一一中皆前譬次合。阿耨大池，此云清涼，亦名無熱惱，清涼據其水稱，無熱惱從主得名。阿耨大龍居此池中，無熱之苦。林公云：「具外國語，應云阿那婆達多。池出八大河，喻大乘能出諸乘。」有人言：此中但明出生二乘，而譬中言出八河者，但取出生為喻，不論多少也。有人言。就二乘中亦有八。二乘即二。及下六處。故成八也。有人言：上大地出四檐，檐既別喻四乘，今言出八亦喻出生八乘。言八乘者，謂四乘因、四乘果也。問：如《地經》明大池出生四河，此經及《涅槃》云出八池河，《阿含》及《婆沙》云出二十河，復有餘經云出八千二十河。云何通會？答：舊相承直云：閻浮中近北邊有山名香山，縱廣五百由旬，阿耨達池在香山頂。若依《立世毘曇》，從此北度九黑山，香山北有雪山，此山有池縱廣五十由旬，名阿耨大池。於四面有四獸頭，東有金象頭，口中流出恒伽大河，即有四眷屬小河；南有銀牛頭，口中出辛頭大河，亦有四眷屬小河；西有琉璃馬頭，口中流出悉陀大河，亦有四眷屬小河；北有頗梨師子頭，口中流出博叉大河，亦有四眷屬小河。此四大河去池四十里外，各分為五，隨方赴海。四五即成二十，故《阿含》及《婆沙》說二十河。問：各流出四，云何言五？答。四本河即四，復有十六眷屬，故成二十也。而言八者，佛出香山之東，今就東方一本大河及四眷屬合成五河。人皆同見，共取為喻。餘方三大河，有大名聲，人皆聞之，故取為喻。合前為八。餘方小河，無大名聲，人多不聞，故隱而不取。然諸四眷屬河，一一各有五百眷屬小河，隨方入海，是故經中說八千二十河。合譬可知。種子喻中，前喻後合。種子譬諸乘差別，依地生是喻諸乘同依一乘。諸乘依一乘始起名生，依一乘增乃至成就名長。合譬易知。「是故世尊」下，第三總結。「住於大乘」者，明大乘人住大乘之法。「攝受大乘」者，智了悟大乘也。又依法起行名之為住，行成證法名為攝受。「即是住於二乘攝受二乘」者，大外無別小，小乘即是大乘麁近之法，故云即是住於二乘攝受二乘。又昔教說大為小，故云大即是小。又如池出大河，雖復池河名異，而同是一水。雖有大小名異，同是一乘。

From "World-Honored One, like the great Anavatapta lake" onward is the second [part], an extensive explanation through similes. For the Mahāyāna, there are generally two similes: first, the lake simile, which explains that the Mahāyāna gives birth to the many vehicles, and is therefore called "Great"; second, the seed simile, which explains that its many vehicles together rely upon the One Vehicle, and therefore it may be termed "Great." Moreover, the lake simile explains their initial birth, while the seed simile distinguishes their ultimate [growth]—meaning that the Hīnayāna relies upon the Mahāyāna to attain growth. Furthermore, the first simile shows the root giving birth to the branches, while the second simile shows the branches relying upon the root. Again, rivers flow forth from the lake, and the rivers are outside the lake; if the Hīnayāna flows forth from the Mahāyāna, the Hīnayāna ought to be outside the Mahāyāna. To resolve this doubt, it is therefore said that seeds rely upon the earth, yet seeds are not separate from the earth. In each case, there is first the simile and next its application.

"The great lake Anavatapta": here [in Chinese] it is called "Clear and Cool" (Qingliang), and also named "Free from the Torment of Heat" (Wurenao); "Clear and Cool" is named in terms of its water, while "Free from the Torment of Heat" derives its name from its master. The great dragon Anavatapta resides in this lake, free from the suffering of heat. Master Lin said: "Rendered completely in the foreign language, it should be called Anavatapta. From the lake flow eight great rivers, which analogizes that the Mahāyāna can produce the various vehicles."

Some say: "Here it only explains the birth of the two vehicles, yet the simile speaks of the eight rivers flowing forth merely by taking 'giving birth' as the simile, without discussing quantity."

Some say: "Within the two vehicles there are also eight: the two vehicles make two, and adding the subsequent six loci, they thus make eight."

Some say: "Above, the great earth bore four burdens, and since the burdens specifically analogized the four vehicles, now stating that eight flow forth also analogizes the birth of eight vehicles. What are called the 'eight vehicles' refers to the causes of the four vehicles and the fruits of the four vehicles."

Question: The Earth Sūtra (*Bhūmi-sūtra*) explains that four rivers flow forth from the great lake; this sūtra and the *Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]* say that eight rivers flow from the lake; the *Āgamas* and the *Vibhāṣā* say that twenty rivers flow forth; and yet other sūtras say that eight thousand and twenty rivers flow forth. How are these reconciled?

Answer: The old transmission simply said: Near the northern border within Jambudvīpa, there is a mountain named Gandhamādana, five hundred yojanas in length and breadth, and Lake Anavatapta is on the summit of Mount Gandhamādana. If we follow the *Lokasthiti-abhidharma* (*Lishi pidan*), crossing nine black mountains north from here, north of Gandhamādana there are the Snow Mountains (Himālaya); this mountain has a lake fifty yojanas in length and breadth, named the Great Lake Anavatapta. On its four sides are the heads of four beasts: on the east is a golden elephant head, from whose mouth flows the great Gaṅgā River, with four attendant small rivers; on the south is a silver ox head, from whose mouth flows the great Sindhu River, likewise with four attendant small rivers; on the west is a lapis lazuli horse head, from whose mouth flows the great Sītā River, likewise with four attendant small rivers; on the north is a crystal lion head, from whose mouth flows the great Vakṣu River, likewise with four attendant small rivers. Forty li away from the lake, these four great rivers each divide into five, heading toward the ocean according to their directions. Four times five makes twenty, which is why the *Āgamas* and the *Vibhāṣā* speak of twenty rivers.

Question: Each flows forth into four, so how can one say five?

Answer: The four original rivers are four, and there are further sixteen attendants, thus making twenty. As for speaking of eight: the Buddha appeared to the east of Gandhamādana; taking the one original great river of the eastern direction and its four attendants together forms five rivers. Because all people alike saw them, they were collectively taken as the simile. The three great rivers of the other directions possessed great renown and all people had heard of them, so they were taken as the simile. Combining them with the previous ones makes eight. The small rivers of the other directions had no great renown and most people had not heard of them, so they were concealed and not taken. However, each of the four attendant rivers has five hundred attendant small rivers flowing into the sea according to their directions; therefore, the sūtras speak of eight thousand and twenty rivers. The application of the simile is understandable.

In the seed simile, the simile comes first and its application follows. The seeds analogize the distinctions among the various vehicles; their growing in reliance upon the earth analogizes that the various vehicles together rely upon the One Vehicle. That the various vehicles initially arise relying on the One Vehicle is called "birth"; that they increase and culminate in fulfillment relying on the One Vehicle is called "growth." The application of the simile is easy to understand.

From "Therefore, World-Honored One" onward is the third [part], the general conclusion. "Abiding in the Mahāyāna" explains that a person of the Mahāyāna abides in the Dharma of the Mahāyāna. "Embracing the Mahāyāna" means understanding and awakening to the Mahāyāna with wisdom. Moreover, giving rise to practice in reliance upon the Dharma is called "abiding"; when practice is accomplished and realizes the Dharma, it is called "embracing." "That is, abiding in the two vehicles and embracing the two vehicles": outside the Great there is no separate Small; the Hīnayāna is simply the coarse and proximate Dharma of the Mahāyāna, which is why it says "that is, abiding in the two vehicles and embracing the two vehicles." Furthermore, in the past teachings, the Great was explained as the Small, which is why it says that the Great is itself the Small. Again, it is like the great rivers flowing from the lake: although the names of the lake and the rivers differ, they are identical in being water. Although there are different names of Great and Small, they are identical in being the One Vehicle.