勝鬘寶窟 2.31

2.31

Second, the section on similarities and differences. There are altogether ten points of similarity and difference between embracing the saddharma and the ekayāna. Broadly speaking, the Buddha-Dharma has two approaches: first, the approach of gathering the heterodox to return to the correct; second, the approach of gathering differences to return to identity. As for the approach of gathering the heterodox to return to the correct: sentient beings, having lost the one saddharma, give rise to two kinds of heterodoxy: first, giving rise to craving; second, giving rise to views. Craving refers to the cohorts of Māra; views refer to the ninety-six heterodox systems. In the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, the cohorts of heavenly māras giving rise to craving are likened to venomous insects, and the non-Buddhists and others are likened to malevolent spirits. These two deviate from the saddharma, and are therefore called heterodox. The buddhas appear in the world to gather these two heterodoxies and bring them back to the correctness of the five vehicles; this is called the approach of gathering the heterodox to return to the correct. Although the stream of those receiving the teachings renounces these two heterodoxies, they cling stubbornly to the five differences; now, gathering those five differences to return identically to the ekayāna is called gathering differences to return to identity. Prior to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra, the former approach was mostly distinguished; from the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra onward, the latter approach was mostly clarified. Previously in the Śrīmālā, in clarifying embracing the saddharma, it briefly explained the buddhas' approach of gathering the heterodox to return to the correct; now, in this chapter on the ekayāna, it briefly explains the buddhas' approach of gathering differences to return to identity. Second is the section on the explainer and what is explained, which clarifies using what comes after to complete what came before. In embracing the saddharma, there is no dharma that is not embraced, as with the principle, practice, fruit, and teaching above; however, it had not yet contrasted the inferior to reveal the superior. Now, this chapter on the ekayāna reveals that the virtues and practices of embracing the saddharma surpass the two vehicles; therefore it is called using what comes after to explain what came before, and thus the meaning of embracing the saddharma becomes fully complete. Third is the difference between cause and fruit. Although embracing the saddharma clarifies principle, practice, fruit, and teaching, it mostly clarifies causal practice; although the ekayāna fully clarifies all dharmas, it mostly clarifies the fruit. Why is this so? In embracing, it properly clarifies the sequence of cultivation, arising as described above, and therefore mostly speaks of the cause; in the ekayāna, it next contrasts the inferior to manifest the superior, and distinguishing the superior in terms of the fruit's virtues makes the meaning clear, so it mostly speaks of the fruit. Fourth, in embracing, it reveals giving birth to the practice and virtues of the four vehicles; in this ekayāna, it only reveals giving birth to the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas. Why is this so? In embracing, wishing to clarify vastness, it was necessary to distinguish giving birth to the four vehicles; the ekayāna wishes to clarify destroying the two to return to the one, and since those of the two vehicles mostly consider themselves ultimate, it is necessary to destroy this [view]. Humans, devas, and bodhisattvas do not cling to [their state] as ultimate, and so there is no need to destroy it. Therefore, having given birth to the practices and virtues of the two vehicles, it proceeds to destroy them in order to clarify integration. Fifth, the cause and fruit that are produced differ in breadth and narrowness. In embracing, what is produced extends to both cause and fruit; in the ekayāna, it only produces the virtues of the fruit of the two vehicles. Why is this so? In embracing, wishing to reveal vastness, it was necessary to clarify producing both cause and fruit; in the ekayāna, it clarifies that practitioners of the two vehicles cling to the fruit as ultimate, not to the cause as ultimate; therefore it only clarifies producing the virtues of the fruit, and proceeds to destroy them in order to clarify integration. Sixth is the difference in extensive or brief production. Embracing takes production as its tenet, wishing to reveal the meaning of vastness, so it extensively distinguishes emergence and briefly clarifies entering, precisely wishing to use entering to reveal emergence; the ekayāna takes integration as its tenet, wishing to reveal gathering the provisional to enter the real, so it extensively manifests entering and briefly distinguishes emergence, precisely wishing to use emergence to reveal entering. Seventh is the difference between aspiration and practice. Embracing clarifies gathering in, gathering all aspirations together into one great aspiration. Why is this so? It wishes to gather the previous three aspirations together into one aspiration. Furthermore, having not yet attained realization of the saddharma, one first gives rise to aspirations; therefore it clarifies gathering all aspirations to return to one aspiration. In the ekayāna, it clarifies gathering in the two vehicles; whether practices, aspirations, causes, or fruits, all are gathered into the ekayāna, as when speaking of the six sense-bases and so forth returning to the one—that is, gathering the causal and fruitional virtues of the two vehicles to return to the one. In embracing, four dharmas are produced, namely the causes and fruits of the four vehicles; in the ekayāna, four dharmas are also produced, namely the fruits of the two vehicles and the mundane and supramundane, which will be explained when we reach the text. Eighth is the difference between great and small. In embracing the saddharma, when clarifying gathering in, it gathers all aspirations to return to one aspiration; this is using the great to gather the great. In the ekayāna, when clarifying gathering in, it gathers the small to return to the great. In embracing, production fully produces both great and small; in the ekayāna, production uses the great to produce the small. Ninth is clarifying that extensive explanation of meaning seeks further extensive explanation. Embracing the saddharma's producing and gathering in did not yet clarify that embracing the saddharma is itself the ekayāna; now it wishes to clarify that embracing the saddharma is itself the ekayāna, clarifying that the ekayāna produces the various vehicles and gathers the various vehicles to return to the ekayāna, which is precisely that the saddharma produces the various vehicles and gathers the various vehicles to return to the saddharma. Tenth is the difference between names and meanings. Although embracing the saddharma is the ekayāna, in accordance with persons and meanings, there are three distinct names. As the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: "Prajñā is a single dharma, but the Buddha speaks of it under various names; in accordance with the kinds of sentient beings, different designations are established for it." The Renwang jing says: "The eighty thousand treasuries of the Dharma: when conveying [beings], it is called Mahāyāna; when extinguishing [afflictions], it is the adamantine."