無量壽經連義述文贊 1.28

1.28

經曰「端坐樹下」至「行如所應」者，述云：此後、行從邪也。菩薩受王請，欲往尼連河。王舍城邊有一仙人摩羅羅子名烏特迦，與七百弟子常說無想定。至仙人所，受彼說已，於一靜處專精修學，即得世間百千三昧，隨彼諸定種種行相皆現在前。起定問仙，更無餘法，亦非沙門之法，五跋陀羅便捨仙人還從菩薩。菩薩出王舍城與五跋陀羅向尼連河，至伽耶山，思惟離貪，身心寂靜勤修苦行，即能證得出世勝智。出彼山已，行至優樓頻螺池側東西而視見尼連河，其水清冷涯岸平正。河邊村邑棟宇相接、人民殷盛。漸至一處寂靜間曠，即作是念：「往古已來修聖行者之所多住。」見諸外道著我見者修習苦行，為欲摧伏故極苦行，經於六年曾不失壞，入第四禪名為阿婆婆定，常為天龍鬼神之所供養，能令十二洛叉天人住三乘路。波旬常隨伺求其過而不能得，生厭倦心，怡然而退。行如所應者，有說：反邪學正道，即其所應修學慎而行故。若爾，此文應屬成道，如何自許是出家相？有說：行應前聖之所行，故云如所應。此亦不然，前聖未必修苦行故。今即行如所應者，簡虛設劬勞減劣漂溺非方便行。即《瑜伽論》引頌而言「如如我劬勞，如是如是劣；如如我劣已，如是如是住；如如我住已，如是如是漂。」此中修苦行時非方便攝。勇猛精進，名曰劬勞。行邪方便，善法退失，名為減劣。既知退失諸善法，已息邪方便，說名正住。捨諸苦行，更求餘師，遂於嗢達洛迦阿荼等邪所執處，隨順觀察，故名漂溺。由此言之，菩薩雖復修諸苦行，即趣正行之方便，故云如所應。而修苦行已，於餘師隨順觀察者，却觀前已所修二定，故不違經義。

The sūtra says: "Sitting upright under a tree" up to "acting as was fitting." The Commentary states: This later [part] is practicing in accordance with heterodox teachings. The Bodhisattva accepted the king's invitation and wished to proceed to the Nairañjanā River. Beside Rājagṛha there was a ṛṣi, Udraka Rāmaputra, who with seven hundred disciples constantly taught the concentration of neither perception nor non-perception. Coming to the ṛṣi's place, having received his teaching, the Bodhisattva practiced with concentrated devotion in a quiet place, immediately attaining hundreds of thousands of worldly samādhis; the various aspects of those concentrations all manifested before him. Rising from concentration, he asked the ṛṣi, but there was no further teaching, nor was it the teaching of a śramaṇa; the five Bhadras then abandoned the ṛṣi and followed the Bodhisattva again. The Bodhisattva departed Rājagṛha with the five Bhadras toward the Nairañjanā River, reached Mount Gayā, and contemplated detachment from greed; in quietude of body and mind, he diligently practiced austerities, whereby he could realize the supreme transcendent wisdom. Leaving that mountain, he traveled to the side of the Uruvilvā pool, looked east and west, and saw the Nairañjanā River, its waters clear and cool, its banks level and even. The villages along the river had houses adjoining one another, and the populace was flourishing. Gradually arriving at a quiet and open place, he reflected: "This is where those who cultivate holy practices have often dwelt since antiquity." Seeing various non-Buddhists clinging to the view of self and practicing austerities, in order to subdue them he engaged in extreme austerities for six years without failing, entering the fourth dhyāna named the Avabha concentration, constantly receiving offerings from devas, nāgas, and spirits, and enabling twelve hundred thousand devas and humans to abide in the path of the three vehicles. Pāpīyas constantly followed, seeking to find fault with him but unable to do so; weary and discouraged, he placidly withdrew. "Acting as was fitting": some say turning away from the heterodox and learning the right path is that which he ought to cultivate, practicing with caution. If so, this passage should belong to the attainment of the path; why would one consider it a mark of going forth? Others say acting in conformity with what prior sages practiced is why it says "as was fitting." This too is incorrect, because prior sages did not necessarily cultivate austerities. Here, "acting as was fitting" excludes ineffectual toil, decline, and drifting away through improper means. As the Yogācārabhūmi quotes in verse: "Just as I toil, / so do I decline; / just as I decline, / so do I abide; / just as I abide, / so do I drift." Cultivating austerities here is not subsumed under proper means. Courageous vigor is called "toil." Practicing heterodox means causes wholesome dharmas to be lost; this is called "decline." Once one knows that wholesome dharmas are lost, having ceased heterodox means, this is called "rightly abiding." Abandoning austerities to seek other teachers, and then going to the heterodox tenets of Udraka, Ārāḍa, and the like to observe them conformingly, is called "drifting." From this perspective, although the Bodhisattva cultivated austerities, they served as the means to approach the right practice; hence it says "as was fitting." As for observing other teachers after cultivating austerities, he was reviewing the two concentrations he had already cultivated previously; thus it does not contradict the sūtra's meaning.