勝鬘寶窟 1.46

1.46

From 'At that time Śrīmālā' onward: everything above concluded the gate of praising the Tathāgata's real, ultimate merit. Now the undertaking of the ten great vows is explained, which can be interpreted through ten gates: First, the gate of the purpose of coming. The preceding chapter praised the Buddha and explained the generation of the bodhicitta; now, next, the cultivation of bodhisattva practice is explained. Bodhisattva practice takes the cessation of evil as its basis; therefore, receiving the precepts is explained first. This is the pair of bodhicitta and bodhisattva practice. Second, the above praised the Buddha's real merit and requested protection; this explains taking the three refuges before the Buddha. Having taken refuge, receiving the precepts is explained next. This is the pair of refuge and precepts. Third, the above praised the Buddha's real merit; once this merit is established, it will inevitably incur a future fruit, so the Buddha immediately bestowed the prophecy of attaining buddhahood. Since the Buddha prophesied that the fruit lies in the future, this future fruit cannot be attained without practice. In practice, there is no evil not stopped, no good not practiced, and no person not delivered. The above explained the future fruit; now the cultivation of causes is distinguished: this is the pair of cause and fruit. Fourth, the above explained that the pure land has three aspects: 1. the absence of defilement; 2. the presence of purity; 3. purely good sentient beings coming to be born in that country. Putting an end to all evil attains the land's fruit of being free from defilement; cultivating all good attains the land's fruit of possessing purity; delivering all persons causes purely good sentient beings to come and be born in that country. To fulfill these three meanings of the aforementioned pure land, the receiving of the three [types of] precepts is explained. Fifth, according to the Yingluo jing, there are two foundations: when all sentient beings first enter the ocean of the Three Jewels, they take faith as the foundation; dwelling in the Buddha's house, they take the precepts as the foundation. The above praise of the Buddha and taking refuge is the foundation of faith; now, wishing to be born into the Buddha's house, one takes the precepts as the foundation, and therefore receives the precepts. Sixth, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'All sentient beings have the buddhadhātu and shall all attain buddhahood.' They must be made to uphold the precepts, and only then will they see the nature. The precepts are what bring forth the buddhadhātu; therefore, the precepts are received. Seventh, in the above request for protection, it says 'causing the seed of the Dharma to increase and grow'; now, receiving the ten great vows and so forth is precisely the meaning of the seed of the Dharma increasing and growing, and hence this chapter has this meaning.