勝鬘寶窟 2.8

2.8

「佛歎」下，第四如來讚述。就文為二：一總歎、二別歎。總歎中言「善哉」者，良由勝鬘所說，一合理、二稱機，故重言善哉也。依外國有三善哉，此間嫌多，所以存二。又一善，善實慧；一善，善方便慧。善是好之別稱，哉是助語之辭。「智慧方便」下，第二別歎。又上是歎辭，今是所歎事。就文為二：第一歎其能說之功、第二歎所說正法功德無邊。就初文又二：第一歎其所說會理稱機；第二歎其所說同三世佛，引己為證。初文又二：第一歎教主、第二歎聽眾。初又二：第一歎其說功、第二釋歎。「智慧」者，實智也。「方便」者，權智也。此二智，經論中辨異有四：一約境分異，所謂照真諦名實智、照俗諦名方便智；二約行分異，照二諦名實智、隨機宜利益他者名方便智；三體名實智、用名方便智；四約修辨異，修未成就名方便、修成滿足名實智。「甚深微妙」者，實智證理，名為甚深；方便巧說，稱為微妙。又二智並有甚深、微妙二義。微曰玄微，微中之精為妙。「汝以長夜」下，第二釋歎。何由有此？二智能證能說，良由過去行因來久，故能爾也。生死淵曠名長，無解自照稱夜。又生死難脫故稱長夜。而汝能於長夜之中修於萬行，故言「殖諸善本」。「來世眾生」下，前歎教主，此歎聽眾。說既深，而非淺識所解，故云久種善根乃能解汝所說。如《中論》引《四百觀論》云「真法及說者，聽者難得故。如是則生死，非有邊無邊。」攝受正法，名為真法。勝鬘為說者，久種善根眾生則是聽眾。得此三事，生死有邊；不得此三，生死無邊。又舉其解者尚難，顯成勝鬘說是勝說也。

"The Buddha praised" onwards is, fourth, the Tathāgata's praise and confirmation. In the text there are two parts: first, general praise; second, specific praise. Within the general praise, saying "Excellent!" is truly because what Śrīmālā expounded, first, conforms to principle, and second, accords with capacities; hence he says "Excellent!" twice. According to foreign lands there are three "Excellents!"; here this was considered too many, so two were preserved. Moreover, one "excellent" is good for real wisdom; one "excellent" is good for upāya-wisdom. "Good" (shan) is an alternative name for fine, and "哉" (zai) is an auxiliary particle. "Wisdom and upāya" onwards is, second, the specific praise. Moreover, the above were words of praise, while this is the matter praised. In the text there are two parts: first, praising her capability to expound; second, praising the boundless virtues of the saddharma expounded. Within the first text there are again two parts: first, praising what she expounded as conforming to principle and according with capacities; second, praising what she expounded as identical with [that of] the Buddhas of the three times, citing himself as proof. Within the first text there are again two parts: first, praising the teacher of the doctrine; second, praising the listening assembly. Within the first there are again two parts: first, praising the merit of her expounding; second, explaining the praise. "Wisdom" is real wisdom. "Upāya" is provisional wisdom. As for these two wisdoms, their differences are distinguished in four ways in the sūtras and treatises: first, distinguishing their difference based on the realm—namely, illuminating the ultimate truth is called real wisdom, and illuminating the conventional truth is called upāya-wisdom; second, distinguishing their difference based on practice—illuminating the two truths is called real wisdom, and benefiting others according with their capacities is called upāya-wisdom; third, the essence is called real wisdom, and the function is called upāya-wisdom; fourth, distinguishing their difference based on cultivation—when cultivation is not yet accomplished, it is called upāya, and when cultivation is accomplished and fulfilled, it is called real wisdom. "Extremely profound and subtle": real wisdom realizing the principle is called "extremely profound"; upāya skillfully expounding it is called "subtle." Moreover, both wisdoms possess both meanings of extremely profound and subtle. "Subtle" (wei) means dark and subtle; the quintessential within the subtle is "marvelous" (miao). "You, throughout the long night" onwards is, second, explaining the praise. Where does this come from? That these two wisdoms can realize and expound is truly because her cultivation of causes in the past has been of long duration; hence she can be like this. The vast abyss of saṃsāra is called "long"; having no understanding to illuminate oneself is called "night." Moreover, saṃsāra is difficult to escape, and is hence called the "long night." And that you have been able to cultivate the myriad practices within the long night is why it says "planted all roots of goodness." "Sentient beings of future ages" onwards: previously praised was the teacher of the doctrine, and here praised is the listening assembly. Since what was expounded is profound, it is not something understood by those of shallow knowledge; hence it says that only those who have long planted roots of goodness are able to understand what you have expounded. As the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā quotes the Catuḥśataka: "Because the true Dharma, its expounder, / And its hearers are difficult to find, / Therefore saṃsāra / Is neither with end nor without end." Embracing the saddharma is called the true Dharma. Śrīmālā is the expounder; sentient beings who have long planted roots of goodness are the hearers. If one attains these three things, saṃsāra has an end; if one does not attain these three, saṃsāra has no end. Moreover, bringing up that those who understand it are still rare shows and confirms that Śrīmālā's expounding is a superior expounding.