勝鬘寶窟 3.18

3.18

「世尊聖義」下，自上已來第一明有聖法無聖法，此下第二明有聖人無聖人。上二乘無聖法，佛有聖法。今亦應明二乘非聖人，佛是聖人。而文但明二乘無，即顯佛是有，故不別明佛是聖人。就文有二：一明實無、二辨權有。初言「聖義」者，總以標舉窮極大聖義也，即是明佛有聖義也。聖者，正也。以理正物，名為聖義。如《涅槃》云「二乘之人名邪曲見」，故非正義。又《法華》云「二乘之人眇目矬陋」，亦非正也。二者法性為正。窮體法性，故名為聖。三者聖以對凡為義。二乘苦法忍時以斷凡法，凡法未盡則聖義不顯。佛則五住頓盡、二死皆亡，始絕凡夫法，聖義方滿，故稱為聖。大聖不在二乘，是故言非也。「聲聞緣覺成就有量少分功德名為聖」者，第二明權有。此文釋疑故來。二乘若非是正，昔何故說名為聖耶？是故釋云：二乘但有少分功德，故昔說為聖耳。「有量功德」者，有三界內治道斷四住煩惱盡所得無為，名有量功德。有量以對聖無量，少分以對多分。若望《法華》五百由旬，但度三百、未度二百，故言有量。有量正約無為功德，少分約有為功德也。「聖諦者」，自上來明聖義竟，此第二次論於諦。就文為二：第一明二乘無諦、第二明佛有諦。言「聖諦者」，謂無作諦也。言「非聲聞緣覺諦」者，境非彼法也。「亦非聲聞緣覺功德」者，能觀之智非彼德也。又解：諦者，通四諦也。亦非聲聞緣覺功德者，偏奪其道滅二諦，謂聖道不足，無為不滿也。有人言：聖諦者，非聲聞緣覺諦，偏奪苦集也。諦名雖通四，下次明功德，別其滅道，故此偏其集苦。苦集相生，起因緣之原。此理幽玄，非二乘所了。諦名雖同前，理亦從智為體稱。二乘智淺不能窮理，故云非其諦也。第二句云亦非聲聞緣覺功德者，是奪其滅道。四卷《毘曇》云「建立功德惡，次第見真諦。」長行釋云「惡是苦集，功德是滅道。」今言非其功德，是奪滅道。夫修道證滅，是修功所得；二乘不盡其理，故復奪之。「世尊此諦」下，上奪二乘諦，今明諦唯屬佛。經文應具明二句：一者對前二乘非聖，唯佛是聖；二者對前二乘非諦，唯佛是諦。今以文中略無初句，但明諦是如來。就文有三：一明如來有諦、二歎諦甚深、三出諦名義。初文又三：「此諦」，謂無作四諦也。第二「如來初覺智」者，明此諦是如來聖諦，所以如來所知、如來所說故。又此文來者，即是解聖。以如來知此諦、說此諦，是故佛名為大聖。即顯二乘不能知此諦、不能說此諦，故不名聖諦，亦不名大聖。「初覺」者，依《法華經》有二種初：若據化身，伽耶初覺；若就報身，久久初覺。《涅槃．師子吼》偈云「世間皆處無明㲉，無有智慧能得破。如來唯乃能初破，是故名為最大覺。」「然後為無明㲉藏」下，前是自覺，今是覺他。㲉藏有二：一是四住、二是無明。四住煩惱，覆障眾生，名四住㲉藏。無明覆障，謂無明㲉藏。所覆眾生，名為世間。佛為四住㲉藏眾生說有作諦，為無明㲉藏眾生說無作諦。通名㲉者，所化人為於無明纏覆，如鳥在㲉。為㲉所藏，故名為藏。問：何故偏言無明㲉藏？答：正明二乘人猶在㲉內。又簡異為四住㲉藏，說有量諦。「是故」下，第三結也。「是故」者，是無量諦，佛聖所知，故名聖諦。良以此諦是佛大聖所覺所說，故名聖諦也。

From "World-Honoured One, the meaning of 'noble'" onwards: heretofore, the first [part] explained the existence and non-existence of the noble Dharma; from here below, the second [part] explains the existence and non-existence of noble persons. Above, the two vehicles lacked the noble Dharma, while the Buddha possessed the noble Dharma. Here, it should likewise be explained that the two vehicles are not noble persons, while the Buddha is a noble person. However, the text merely explains that the two vehicles lack [it], which thereby reveals that the Buddha possesses [it]; thus it does not separately explain that the Buddha is a noble person. The text has two [parts]: first, explaining actual non-existence; second, distinguishing provisional existence. First, "the meaning of 'noble'" generally sets forth the meaning of the ultimate, great noble [one]—that is, it explains that the Buddha possesses the meaning of "noble". "Noble" (ārya) means "correct". Rectifying beings by means of principle is called the meaning of "noble". As the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "Persons of the two vehicles are called those of crooked, deviant views"; hence it is not the correct meaning. Also, the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka says: "Persons of the two vehicles are one-eyed and dwarfishly deformed"; they are also not correct. Second, the nature of dharmas is what is correct. Penetrating to the essence of the nature of dharmas is therefore called "noble". Third, "noble" takes being contrasted with the ordinary as its meaning. At the time of the tolerance of the Dharma regarding suffering, the two vehicles cut off ordinary dharmas; but because ordinary dharmas are not exhausted, the meaning of "noble" is not yet manifest. The Buddha, however, completely exhausts the five abodes [of affliction] at once, and both types of death are abolished; only then are the dharmas of ordinary beings severed and the meaning of "noble" fulfilled; thus he is called "noble". Because the great noble [status] does not reside in the two vehicles, it is said that they are not. "Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas achieve limited and partial merits, and are [only provisionally] called noble": second, explaining provisional existence. This passage comes to resolve doubt: If the two vehicles are not correct, why did [the Buddha] previously call them "noble"? Therefore it explains: Because the two vehicles have only partial merits, they were previously called noble. "Limited merits": having the path of remedy within the three realms that cuts off the afflictions of the four abodes completely and attains unconditionedness is called limited merits. "Limited" stands in contrast to the noble's unlimitedness; "partial" stands in contrast to the extensive share. If viewed in terms of the five hundred yojanas in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka, they have crossed only three hundred and have not yet crossed the two hundred; thus it says "limited". "Limited" properly refers to unconditioned merits, while "partial" refers to conditioned merits. "Noble truths": having completed the explanation of the meaning of "noble" above, this second [part] discusses the truths. The text has two [parts]: first, explaining that the two vehicles lack the truths; second, explaining that the Buddha possesses the truths. The words "noble truths" refer to the non-contrived truths. The words "they are not the truths of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" mean that the objective sphere is not their dharma. "Nor are they the merits of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" means that the subjective observing wisdom is not their virtue. Another interpretation: "Truths" generally covers the four truths; "nor are they the merits of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" specifically strips away their two truths of the path and cessation, meaning that their noble path is insufficient and their unconditionedness is unfulfilled. Some say: "Noble truths are not the truths of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" specifically strips away suffering and origination. Although the term "truths" generally applies to all four, since it subsequently explains merits to distinguish cessation and the path, here it specifically refers to origination and suffering. The mutual generation of suffering and origination is the source whence causes and conditions arise. This principle is profound and dark, not what can be comprehended by the two vehicles. Although the term "truth" is identical to what came before, the principle also takes wisdom as its substantive designation. Because the wisdom of the two vehicles is shallow and cannot penetrate the principle, it is said that they are not their truths. The second line saying "nor are they the merits of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" strips away their cessation and path. The four-fascicle Abhidharma says: "Establishing merits and evils, one successively perceives the true truths." The prose commentary explains: "Evil is suffering and origination; merits are cessation and the path." Now, stating that they are not their merits strips away cessation and the path. Cultivating the path and realizing cessation are attained through cultivation and effort; because the two vehicles do not exhaust their principle, these are again stripped away from them. From "World-Honoured One, these truths" onwards: above, the truths of the two vehicles were stripped away; now it is explained that the truths belong solely to the Buddha. The sūtra text ought to state two sentences fully: first, contrasting with the previous [statement that] the two vehicles are not noble, only the Buddha is noble; second, contrasting with the previous [statement that] the two vehicles do not possess the truths, only the Buddha possesses the truths. Now, because the text abbreviates and omits the first sentence, it merely explains that the truths are the Tathāgata's. The text has three [parts]: first, explaining that the Tathāgata possesses the truths; second, praising the truths as extremely profound; third, setting forth the name and meaning of the truths. The first passage again has three [parts]: "These truths" refers to the non-contrived four truths. Second, "the Tathāgata's wisdom of initial awakening" explains that these truths are the Tathāgata's noble truths because they are known by the Tathāgata and spoken by the Tathāgata. Moreover, this passage appears precisely to explain "noble": because the Tathāgata knows these truths and speaks these truths, the Buddha is therefore named the Great Noble One. This reveals that the two vehicles are unable to know these truths and unable to speak these truths; hence they are not called the noble truths, nor are [the two vehicles] named great nobles. "Initial awakening": according to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, there are two kinds of "initial": in terms of the transformation body, the initial awakening occurred at Gayā; in terms of the reward body, the initial awakening occurred in the remote past. A verse in the "Siṃhanāda" [chapter] of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: "The worldly are all situated within the eggshell of ignorance; / there is no wisdom able to crack it. / Only the Tathāgata could initially crack it; / therefore he is named the Great Awakening." From "and then for those concealed in the eggshell of ignorance" onwards: the former was self-awakening; this is awakening others. Concealment in the eggshell has two kinds: first, the four abodes; second, ignorance. The afflictions of the four abodes, which cover and obstruct sentient beings, are called concealment in the eggshell of the four abodes. Ignorance covering and obstructing is called concealment in the eggshell of ignorance. Sentient beings who are covered are called the worldly. For sentient beings concealed in the eggshell of the four abodes, the Buddha taught the contrived truths; for sentient beings concealed in the eggshell of ignorance, he taught the non-contrived truths. Both are generally called "eggshell" because the people being converted are entangled and covered by ignorance, like a bird in an eggshell. Being concealed by the eggshell, it is called "concealed". Question: Why does it speak solely of concealment in the eggshell of ignorance? Answer: It specifically clarifies that the persons of the two vehicles are still inside the eggshell. Furthermore, it differentiates them from [those] concealed in the eggshell of the four abodes, for whom the limited truths were taught. From "Therefore" onwards: third, the conclusion. "Therefore" means that these are the unlimited truths, known by the Buddha, the Noble One; hence they are called noble truths. Truly because these truths are awakened to and spoken by the Buddha, the Great Noble One, they are named noble truths.