勝鬘寶窟 1.60

1.60

"World-Honoured One, from this day forth..."—this is the fourth [vow], eradicating the causes of suffering. Or alternatively, the previous one was eradicating present suffering, and this one is eradicating future suffering. Now to explain the four vows in general: Although there are four vows, they do not go beyond loving-kindness (maitrī) and compassion (karuṇā). The first two vows are great loving-kindness bestowing happiness, and the latter two vows are great compassion eradicating suffering. Within bestowing happiness, the first bestows present happiness, and the second bestows future happiness. Furthermore, the first bestows mundane happiness, and the second bestows supramundane happiness. Again, the first bestows the fruit of happiness, and the latter bestows the cause of happiness. Within the vows of great compassion, there are also two: the first eradicates present suffering, and the latter eradicates future suffering. Furthermore, the first eradicates the fruit of suffering, and the latter eradicates the cause of suffering. Again, the first distinctively eradicates human suffering, while the latter generally eradicates the suffering of all sentient beings. Therefore, below it mentions subduing and gathering in, explaining mundane and supramundane benefits; hence we know it comprehensively eradicates all suffering. Furthermore, the first eradicates slight suffering, and the latter eradicates severe suffering. Again, the first eradicates temporary suffering, and the latter eradicates prolonged suffering. Dividing the text, there are three parts: first, briefly presenting sentient beings with evil causes and clarifying not abandoning them; second, broadly clarifying not abandoning them; third, explaining the intention behind not abandoning them. Snaring birds is termed "snaring." Raising pigs, sheep, chickens, and cattle is called "raising." Other activities such as butchering are distinct and manifold, impossible to enumerate completely, so they are generally called "various evil codes of conduct" (aśīla). Because sinful sentient beings each have their own codes of conduct and precepts, differing in category, it says "various evil codes of conduct." Another explanation is that evil dharmas are called codes (lù), and unmanifested sins correspond to these rules and ceremonies, hence termed conduct (yí). As to the number of codes of conduct, sūtras and treatises differ. According to the Nirvāṇa-sūtra, there are sixteen: raising cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens for profit, and reselling them once fattened, makes four; buying them for profit and butchering them after purchase makes another four—these, combined with the previous, make eight; catching fish is the ninth, catching birds is the tenth, hunters are the eleventh, robbers are the twelfth, executioners are the thirteenth, divisive speech is the fourteenth, jailers are the fifteenth, and charming dragons is the sixteenth. According to the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya-śāstra (Zaxin lun), there are twelve: slaughtering sheep is the first, raising pigs is the second, raising chickens is the third, catching fish is the fourth, catching birds is the fifth, hunters are the sixth, being thieves is the seventh, executioners are the eighth, guarding prisoners is the ninth, charming dragons is the tenth—these ten are the same as in the Nirvāṇa-sūtra above; slaughtering dogs is the eleventh, and hunting by stalking is the twelfth—these differ from the former. Among these twelve, where they agree and disagree with what is stated in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra], six are identical in substance with slight differences in name: first, catching birds; second, catching fish; third, being thieves; fourth, butchering; fifth, guarding prisoners; sixth, charming dragons. Slaughtering sheep, raising chickens, pigs, and so on are combined into three in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, but stated as eight in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra]. Hunters and hunting by stalking are stated as two in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya, but combined into one in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra]. These are the mutual differences in combining and separating between them. Slaughtering dogs in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya is omitted in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra]. Raising cattle and sheep, as well as divisive speech, found in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra], are omitted in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya; these are the mutual differences in presence and absence between them. As for the sixteen in the Nirvāṇa[-sūtra], they are subsumed under four unwholesome codes of conduct: robbery alone is robbery; divisive speech is divisive speech, which includes frivolous talk; the remainder are the karma of killing. If taking charming dragons broadly, it may also be called frivolous talk, but it is mostly taken as an expedient means for killing. The twelve in the Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya are subsumed under two unwholesome codes of conduct: being a thief is the unwholesome act of stealing, and all the rest are the unwholesome act of killing. These are still narrower than the seven unwholesome codes of conduct of body and speech in the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra (Chengshi lun). Question: How many are snaring, how many are raising, and how many are neither snaring nor raising? Answer: Catching birds, catching fish, and hunting are subsumed under snaring; raising pigs, sheep, cattle, and chickens are raising; the rest are neither snaring nor raising. When they are directly creating evil causes and are not yet willing to accept transformation, from beginning to end one must pull them out; therefore it says "I will never abandon them." From "when I attain power" onward is the second part, broadly clarifying not abandoning them, which is precisely severing the causes of evil. There are two kinds of power: the first is power of influence (śakti), and the second is power of the Path (mārgabala). Power of influence means that the bodhisattva sometimes assumes a royal throne and can prohibit and stop them, or appears as a god, dragon, spirit, or ghost to make them abandon evil karma. Power of the Path means that the bodhisattva uses the power of virtue and morality to manifest supernatural penetrations and transformations to sever their evil karma. Question: Why was this not said in the previous relief of suffering? Answer: Pulling out suffering also in principle requires power; but here, as for pulling out suffering and bestowing happiness, people all delight in following, so strong power is not needed. Subduing evil to turn toward good runs counter to their sentiments and is hard to transform, and many people do not comply; hence strong power is sought. "In that place and this place" means that the evil deeds done are not one, so it is called "that place and this place." The obstinate should be subdued, subduing them so that they abandon evil; the pliable should be gathered in, gathering them in so that they abide in good; hence it is called "subduing and gathering in." From "Why is this?" onward is the third part, explaining the intention behind subduing and gathering in. "Why is this?" is precisely the question. The intention of the question is: A bodhisattva should only gather in; why also carry out subduing? Another intention of the question is: Why does a bodhisattva perform the two matters of subduing and gathering in? "By subduing and gathering in, causing the Dharma to abide long"—this below is precisely the answer. There are two benefits in all: first, causing sentient beings to attain mundane benefits; second, causing sentient beings to attain supramundane benefits. In each of these there are two clauses. In the first two clauses, the first causes the Dharma to abide long, which is promoting the great Dharma above. "Gods and humans will be replete, and the evil destinies will diminish" benefits sentient beings below, causing them to reform evil and cultivate good; by cultivating good, gods and humans are replete, and by reforming evil, the evil destinies diminish. "In that which is turned by the Tathāgata, the wheel of the Dharma..." is the second, attaining supramundane benefits. This also has two: first, clarifying that the Buddha turns the wheel of the Dharma, which is promoting the great Dharma above. The reason the Tathāgata does not appear in the world and does not turn the wheel of the Dharma is truly because sentient beings lack the goodness to evoke the Buddha; if sentient beings reform evil and cultivate good, they evoke the Buddha's appearing in the world and turning the wheel of the Dharma. Turning the wheel of the Dharma means knowing suffering, abandoning its accumulation, realizing its cessation, and cultivating the path. "Can follow and turn it" means that the Buddha has already explained and transformed the former person; when that former person cultivates according to the Buddha's teaching, they also come to see suffering, abandon its accumulation, realize its cessation, and cultivate the path; therefore it says "follow and turn." Next, combining the four clauses into three: first, directly clarifying that the Dharma abides long; second, directly benefiting humans and gods; third, ultimately arriving at the supramundane. Because committing evil and violating precepts destroys the true Dharma, increases the evil destinies, and obstructs the arising of the uncontaminated (anāsrava), causing them to sever evil enables the Dharma to abide long, increases gods and humans, and ultimately establishes the noble fruit. "Seeing these benefits" means seeing that sentient beings attain mundane and supramundane benefits; therefore one performs the matters of subduing and gathering in.