勝鬘寶窟 1.38

1.38

From "Out of sorrow and pity, protect me" onwards, the second [part] clarifies requesting protection. Above, she praised the Tathāgata as having no burden not exhausted and no virtue not complete, possessing the virtue capable of offering protection; therefore she now requests the Buddha to protect [her]. Furthermore, previously she praised the Buddha's virtues, and now she generates the bodhicitta. Since the Buddha possesses supreme virtues, she generates the intention to seek the Buddha. Furthermore, previously she generally praised the Buddha's virtues, and now she wishes to request the Buddha as master and herself as disciple, establishing [the relation of] master and disciple. Furthermore, because Śrīmālā is about to request the Buddha as master and receive the precepts from the Buddha, she requests protection. These four intentions are set forth so that the ten thousand kinds [of beings] may learn from them. In terms of the text, it is divided into four sections: first, requesting protection; second, consenting to protection; third, clarifying the matter of requesting protection; fourth, granting the matter of protection. These four sequentially and suitably give rise to one another. Requesting protection has four [parts]: the first line directly requests protection; next clarifies the matter to be protected; third clarifies the time period of protection; fourth requests gathering and receiving (saṃgraha). "Sorrow" (āi) means compassion (karuṇā); "pity" (mǐn) means loving-kindness (maitrī). She vows that the Buddha inwardly set in motion the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and outwardly come with [his] deeds to cover and protect me: loving-kindness shading me so that my wholesome [qualities] increase is "covering"; great compassion causing me to be free from evil is "protecting". "Causing the seed of Dharma to grow and develop": this brings out the matter of covering and protecting. Śrīmālā's goodness in praising the Buddha above can become the seed of the future dharmakāya; it is called the seed of Dharma. She vows that the Buddha cover and protect [it], causing it to attain growth and development. Regarding "growth and development", expanding horizontally is "growth", and progressing vertically is "development". Question: Does only the cause of the dharmakāya grow and develop, or does tathatā, the dharmakāya, also grow and develop? Answer: The fundamentally existing being gradually revealed also has the sense of growth and development. The seed has two meanings: first, vastness; second, profound depth. Causing the seed to be vast is "growth"; causing the seed to be profoundly deep is "development". The dharmakāya also has two meanings: causing its vastness to be gradually revealed is "growth"; causing its profound depth to be gradually revealed is "development". From "in this life and the next" onwards, this brings out the time period of requesting protection. "This" is the present life; "the next" refers to future rebirth. She not only requests the shade of the Tathāgata's loving-kindness in the present, but also vows to be covered and protected in future rebirths. Not only does she temporarily request the Tathāgata in this life and the next, but in all places and at all times she vows that the Buddha always gather and receive [her]. Question: How does gathering and receiving (saṃgraha) differ from requesting protection? Answer: Covering and protecting is general in expression, whereas gathering and receiving is specific: "always gathering and receiving" is the reason for the distinction. Furthermore, requesting protection clarifies producing good and extinguishing evil; gathering and receiving distinguishes between person and Dharma, meaning that gathering me with the Dharma is "gathering" (saṃ-), and taking me as a disciple is "receiving" (-graha). Question: Why does she not speak of past gathering and receiving? Answer: Past matters are already finished, so there is no need to request it.