無量壽經義疏 1.6.6

1.6.6

Second, from "Immeasurable Buddhas all together protect" onward, it explains the cultivation of superior advancing practice based on the Buddha-Dharma. Third, from "making offerings to Buddhas" onward, it explains the extensive cultivation of consummate virtues based on the preceding self-share. Fourth, from "receiving and upholding the profound Dharma of the Tathāgata" onward, it distinguishes the consummate virtues cultivated based on the preceding superior advancement. In the first section, there is first the cultivation of benefit for oneself, followed by the arising of benefit for others. "Thoroughly penetrating the essential mysteries of the bodhisattva scriptures" is benefit for oneself. Exhaustively investigating and penetrating the bodhisattva Dharma, obtaining its fundamental essentials and knowing its profound purport, it is therefore called "thoroughly penetrating the essential mysteries." "Their fame universally reaches, guiding and directing the ten directions" is benefit for others. In the second section, there is also benefit for oneself first. From "each able to proclaim the transforming guidance of the Tathāgata" onward, that is benefit for others. In benefit for oneself, immeasurable Buddhas protect [them]. The superior virtues gather the inferior, and their practice enters the Buddha-realm; thus they are jointly protected and held in mindful regard by all Buddhas. They protect them, causing them to be free from evil thoughts, and causing their wholesome thoughts to increase. "Where the Buddhas abide" and so forth means that the lower cultivates in accordance with the higher. Herein, first it is said, "Those [places] where the Buddhas abide, they have all already come to abide in"—their practice of realization is identical with the Buddhas'; the dharmic abidings of the Buddhas, the bodhisattvas abide in alike. Alternatively, the Buddhas abide in suchness-practice, and the bodhisattvas abide in it alike. "What the Great Sage has established, they have all already established"—their teaching-practice is identical with the Buddhas'. The Great Sage is the Buddha; the various perfections of the dharmadhātu are what the Buddha has established, and the bodhisattvas establish them alike. Next, in benefit for others, first are the characteristics of benefit for others. From "penetrating the nature of all dharmas" onward, it clarifies the virtues of benefit for others. Among the characteristics of benefit for others, "each able to proclaim the transforming guidance of the Tathāgata" means being teachers to bodhisattvas, expounding the Dharma to benefit people. "Each able to proclaim the transforming guidance of the Tathāgata" means their preaching of the Dharma is identical with the Buddhas'. "Becoming great teachers to all bodhisattvas" means their benefiting of people is identical with the Buddhas'. Manifestly practicing the Buddha's transforming guidance, they thus become great teachers to bodhisattvas, guiding the multitude with profound dhyāna and wisdom. Benefiting beings through the realized Dharma, their transformative practice through profound dhyāna and wisdom is identical with the Buddhas'. Dhyāna is calm, and wisdom is contemplation; although the practices of realization are numerous, in essence they do not exceed these. Guiding the multitude, their benefiting of people is identical with the Buddhas'. Next, in the virtues toward others, it clarifies that they possess three kinds of sovereign practice and are thus able to transform beings. Penetrating the nature of all dharmas is the sovereign practice of the wisdom-correctly-awakened-one. It means being able to penetrate the dharma-nature of the two truths. Comprehending the characteristics of sentient beings is the sovereign practice in the world of sentient beings. Sentient beings (zhongsheng) undergo many deaths (sheng), hence they are called "sentient beings" (zhongsheng). Many dharmas constitute their arising (sheng), hence they are also called "sentient beings" (zhongsheng). Whether physical forms or essential natures, all their various characteristics, they know them all. Fully understanding all lands is the sovereign practice in the container world. The first clause says "penetrate", the second says "comprehend", and the third explains "understand"—these are merely stylistic variations in language. These three are explained extensively as in other sūtras. Next, third, based on the preceding self-share, they extensively cultivate consummate virtues. Herein there are four [points]: first, gathering the upāyas of cultivation; second, from "and also non-action" onward, consummating virtues through causal practice; third, from "abiding in deep samādhi" onward, next explaining the initiating of cultivation; fourth, from "surpassing all that exists in the world" onward, consummating virtues through cultivation. In the first there are again four: first, cultivating benefit for oneself; second, from "tearing apart" onward, clarifying their benefit for others; third, from "transcending" onward, again clarifying benefit for oneself; fourth, from "well establishing" onward, reiterating benefit for others. The first section on benefit for oneself clarifies the cultivation of doctrinal practice. The second on benefit for others teaches people to leave faults behind. The third on benefit for oneself clarifies the cultivation of practice of realization. The fourth on benefit for others teaches [them] to cultivate wholesomeness. Thus there are four distinctions. In the first, benefit for oneself: "making offerings to all Buddhas, transforming and manifesting their bodies like flashes of lightning" clarifies the cultivation of the practice of merit. Making offerings to all Buddhas means generating merit broadly. Manifesting bodies like lightning means initiating practice swiftly: in a single instant, their manifested bodies reach everywhere to make offerings to all Buddhas. From "skilfully learning" onward, it clarifies cultivating the practice of wisdom. "Skilfully learning fearlessness" is cultivating and practicing the upāyas of wisdom. "Clearly understanding illusory transformations" is the consummation of the practice of wisdom. Furthermore, learning fearlessness means having no timidity before people; clearly understanding illusory transformations means being able to know phenomena. Selecting out the erroneous and grasping the correct is called "skilfully learning." Comprehending the correct and surpassing the erroneous is the reason for "fearlessness." Comprehensively subsuming all dharmas with fearless wisdom is therefore called a "net." Alternatively, learning this with the intent to gather people, it is therefore called a "net." Clearly seeing that all dharmas are free from the nature of existence and non-existence, just like illusions and transformations being neither existent nor non-existent, is called "clearly understanding illusory dharmas." If a dharma were definitively existent, it could not be called illusory existence; if a dharma were definitively non-existent, it could not be called illusory non-existence. Where there is no dharma yet it appears existent, only then is it called illusory existence; where there is a dharma yet it is non-existent, only then is it called illusory non-existence. Where there is no dharma yet it appears existent, existence is then non-existence; where there is a dharma yet it appears non-existent, non-existence is then not non-existence. Illusory dharmas are like this, hence they are taken as a metaphor; transformations are also like this. The sūtra speaks of ten metaphors, fully citing these. The preceding is benefit for oneself, concluding the first section. Next, in terms of benefit for others: "tearing apart the net of Māra" causes them to leave behind erroneous karmas. "Untying all bondages and fetters" causes them to leave behind afflictions. Bondages (paryavasthāna) refers to the ten bondages: lack of shame, lack of conscience, torpor, remorse, stinginess, jealousy, restlessness, resentment, anger, and concealing—these are the ten. Because they entangle sentient beings and entangle the mind, they are called "bondages." Fetters (bandhana) refers to the four fetters: the fetter of desire, the fetter of existence, the fetter of ignorance, and the fetter of views—these are the four. The knots of the desire realm, excluding ignorance and views, are called the fetter of desire. All afflictions in the two higher realms, excluding ignorance and views, are called the fetter of existence. Ignorance of the three realms is called the fetter of ignorance. The various views of the three realms are called the fetter of views. Because they bind sentient beings and tie the mind, they are called "fetters." Alternatively, all affliction-knots are collectively called bondages and fetters; the bodhisattva teaches people to sever and leave them behind, which is called "untying." These two sections are finished. Next, third, reiterating benefit for oneself: "transcending the stage of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" shows the superiority of what is cultivated. This clarifies the meaning of the name of śrāvaka from which they depart. Generally explained, there are three: first, the verbal teachings expounded by the Tathāgata are called "sound" (śrava); consuming the sound and awakening to comprehension, they are thus called "śrāvakas" (voice-hearers). Second, the self, sentient beings, and so forth are merely names without reality, and thus are spoken of as "sound"; as the *Daśabhūmika-śāstra* says, the understanding of contemplating this is conceptually explained as "hearing." Third, the Mahāyāna Dharma sound expounded by the Buddha is called "sound"; causing all to hear the sound of the Buddha's path, they are thus called "śrāvakas," as interpreted in the *Lotus Sūtra*. The first two are Hīnayāna, and the latter one is Mahāyāna; here it concerns the small. The name and meaning being such, what is its essential characteristic? Differentiated, there are two: first, śrāvaka-śrāvakas; second, pratyekabuddha-śrāvakas; the meaning is as explained above.