無量壽經連義述文贊 1.22

1.22

Regarding the passage in the sūtra from "Manifested walking seven steps" to "became the unsurpassed honored one": The commentary states: Next is the demonstration of extraordinary marks. Once the bodhisattva was born, without relying on support, he walked seven steps in each of the ten directions; beneath his feet lotus flowers sprang forth, and he had no fear. Desiring to demonstrate a great man's vigorous power that transcends the six paths, he therefore walked seven steps. As for "Illuminating the ten directions with light": this was for the sake of benefiting beings through his bodily radiance. In that sūtra, the bodhisattva emitted light of immeasurable diverse colors that filled the trichiliocosm; sentient beings who encountered it experienced peace and joy in their minds, kept distant from greed, anger, and delusion, and were freed from all sinful obstacles. As for the six kinds of quakings: it was to cause the maras to surrender in fear. "Quaking" (*zhen*) means moving. According to the *Longer Āgama*, the six quakings are threefold: First, quakings of the six times, namely entering the womb, emerging from the womb, leaving home, attaining awakening, turning the Dharma wheel, and entering nirvāṇa. The present quaking is the time of emerging from the womb. Second, quakings of the six directions, namely welling up in the east and sinking in the west, welling up in the west and sinking in the east, welling up in the south and sinking in the north, welling up in the north and sinking in the south, welling up in the center and sinking at the edges, welling up at the edges and sinking in the center. Third, quakings of the six marks, namely shaking, welling, quaking, striking, roaring, and bursting. Swaying and becoming unsteady is "shaking"; undulating into mounds and hollows is "welling"; producing a low, muffled sound is "quaking"; knocking and striking together is "striking"; shattering with a crashing noise is "roaring"; and emitting an astonishing, startling noise is "bursting". Each of these has three degrees, termed the eighteen marks: namely shaking, greatly shaking, and extremely shaking; the remaining five are also like this. The six quakings here are precisely the quakings of the six marks; hence the *Zhuangyan jing* says that the six quakings comprise eighteen marks. As for proclaiming himself the unsurpassed honored one: this is his personal proclamation of his honorable title, causing beings to take refuge in him. To speak of it fully: walking toward the east, he said, "I have attained all good dharmas, and shall preach them for sentient beings." In the south, he said, "I am worthy of receiving offerings among gods and humans." In the west, he said, "I am the most honored and most supreme in the world." In the north, he said, "I shall be without superior among all sentient beings." In the nadir, he said, "I shall subdue all the armies of Mara." In the zenith, he said, "I shall be that which all sentient beings look up to with reverence." When the bodhisattva uttered these words, his voice was heard universally throughout the entire trichiliocosm. Although there are these distinctions, because none of them are not the acts of the World-Honoured One, the text collectively says "the unsurpassed honored one." As that sūtra says: "Because the bodhisattva practiced the power of vigor for asaṃkhyeya hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas, at the very moment of his birth he was able to walk seven steps in each of the ten directions. The majestic power of all Buddhas supported this earth, transforming it into vajra, so that the places the bodhisattva traversed did not sink or crack."