觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 6.9

6.9

大段第三、流通分。《金光明疏》云「流名下澍，通名不壅。」欲使正法之水從今以澍當，聖教筌罤不壅於來世，是故此下舉名舉益勸人修習。若不爾者，安令法水下澍不壅？疏二：初、總別分科。二、隨科解釋。今經兩處流通觀道：初於王宮，佛自囑勸；次迴靈鷲，阿難備述。初文自四：初、列名教持，二：初、阿難問，二：初、「當何」下，問經名。疏云「言義非一」等者，經文別示三種淨業、十六妙觀，未審以何而為總目？二、「此法」下，問持法。二、如來答，二：初、佛答前問。觀之一字，心觀妙宗也。極樂三聖，實相圓體也，此從宗體而立此名。淨除業障極至五逆，生諸佛前該於九品，此名從用。總此三義，即是釋名。此四既圓，即當教相。故示二名，五章意足，信今釋題冥符佛旨。二、「汝當」下，答後問。「無令忘失」即是念心，念心能成欲等四法。良以欲進巧慧一心，若其忘失，皆不成就。佛令不忘，則具五法，受持之功於茲盡矣。二、舉益勸修，三：初、明生善滅惡，二：初、「次明」下，直明生見佛善。能見彌陀及二菩薩真法之身，生善極也。以深比淺，何善不生。二、「善男」下，況顯滅生死罪。聞名是聞慧，憶念是修慧，舉聞之劣況其修勝。行者應知，前無忘失亦是憶念，然屬方便，今之憶念乃是正修。名同義異，善須分別。二、明身勝友勝，二：初、「念佛」下，喻白蓮明身勝。「分陀利」者，此云白蓮華。《涅槃》云「水生華中，分陀利最為第一。」顯修圓觀超餘一切修道之人，即七方便也。二、「觀音」下，類補處明友勝。二聖本修圓念佛定，今為補處；行者今修亦是此定，位雖高下、所修法同，故可為友。其猶世人道術之交，豈分貴賤？三、「當坐」下，明得果起行。事相解釋：菩提樹下坐金剛臺，此處成佛名為道場。事本表理：今觀本性彌陀覺體，此體即是所坐道場、所生佛家。理一義異，名場名家。此理為場，坐必得果；此理為家，生必起行。果即分果，行即真修。此觀本期分證之果、無功用行，欲以病行及嬰兒行度眾生故。修念佛觀求生淨土，生彼速獲，故云「當坐」。三、「結名」下，結名付囑。經「好持」者，好即妙也，以不縱橫絕思議心，方能受持此經章句。別文既妙，是故能持經之總名。上以三一融妙釋者，意在於此。此寄阿難，囑今人也。四、「歡喜」下，眾聞歡喜。言「三義」者，一遇人、二聞法、三得果。文出《大論》，義歸此經。人既是佛，佛必具足四無礙智，謂法義詞及以樂說。說觀佛法離於錯謬，故名清淨。今遇此人寧不歡喜？法是觀法，一十六門曲盡其妙，能令凡心入深三昧，離虛設故名為清淨。聞如是法豈不歡喜？果即修觀剋獲之果。韋提希等聞法即修登分真果，侍女諸天得相似果，目連、阿難同佛化機，或能增道莫測淺深，各以離惑名為清淨。得如是果豈不歡喜？此三相由，得果由法、法由人說，彼眾歡喜具茲三義。我於今日雖面不覩金容，而為妙智所被，又得聞此微妙觀法，但未獲果，是故闕於第三喜耳。二、崛山流通，二：初、「耆山」下，佛步空還。前赴請時從崛山沒、於王宮出，今步虛空還於崛山。二俱神通，前隱後顯者，前欲施化，化法未成，故但密往。今宣妙觀，當機已益，欲使同遵此法，是故現變，彰灼而還。二、「次阿」下，阿難重述。王宮機悟，崛山未知。故遣重宣，普令信受。阿難所述即是佛言，是以文云「聞佛所說皆大歡喜」，理合同前三義故喜。

The third major section is the transmission section. The Commentary on the Suvarṇaprabhāsa states: "'Transmitting' means flowing down; 'disseminating' means unobstructed." Desiring that the water of the true Dharma flow down from the present to the future, and that the fish trap of the sacred teaching remain unobstructed in ages to come, this [section] hereafter presents the titles and presents the benefits to exhort people to practice. If it were not so, how could the Dharma-water be made to flow down without obstruction? The Commentary has two parts: first, a general and specific division of headings; second, an explanation following the headings. In the present sūtra, the transmission of the way of contemplation occurs in two places: first, in the royal palace, the Buddha personally entrusts and exhorts; second, having returned to Gṛdhrakūṭa, Ānanda recounts it in full. The first text itself has four parts: first, listing the titles and instructing to uphold them, which has two parts: first, Ānanda's question, which has two parts: first, from "What should [this sūtra] be called" downward, he asks for the sūtra's title. When the Commentary states that "the words and meanings are not one," and so forth, it means that the text of the sūtra has specifically shown the three kinds of pure karma and the sixteen wondrous contemplations, but it is not yet known what serves as the overarching title. Second, from "How should this Dharma [be upheld]" downward, he asks about the method of upholding. Second, the Tathāgata replies, which has two parts: first, the Buddha answers the former question. The single word "contemplation" is the mind-contemplation's wondrous doctrine. The three holy ones of Sukhāvatī are the perfect substance of the true mark; this establishes the title based on the doctrine and the substance. Cleansing and eliminating karmic hindrances, reaching even to the five heinous sins, and taking birth before the buddhas, covering the nine grades—this name is based on function. Combining these three meanings constitutes the explanation of the title. These four being complete, they correspond to the characteristics of the teaching. Therefore, showing the two titles fully expresses the meaning of the five profound chapters; believe that the present explanation of the title covertly tallies with the Buddha's intent. Second, from "You should [uphold it]" downward, he answers the latter question. "Do not let it be forgotten or lost" is precisely the mind of mindfulness; the mind of mindfulness is able to accomplish the four dharmas such as zeal. For indeed, if zeal, exertion, skillful wisdom, and single-mindedness are forgotten and lost, none of them will be accomplished. When the Buddha enjoins not forgetting, the five dharmas are complete, and the merit of receiving and upholding is exhausted herein. Second, presenting the benefits to exhort practice has three parts: first, explaining the arising of good and eradication of evil, which has two parts: first, from "Next explaining" downward, directly explaining the arising of the good of seeing the Buddha. Being able to see the true dharmakāyas of Amida and the two bodhisattvas is the culmination of arising good. Comparing the shallow by the profound, what good would not arise? Second, from "Good son" downward, showing by comparison the eradication of the sins of birth and death. Hearing the name is wisdom derived from hearing; recollecting and contemplating is wisdom derived from cultivation. By raising the inferiority of hearing, it illustrates by comparison the superiority of cultivation. The practitioner should know that the former "not forgetting or losing" is also recollection, yet it belongs to expedients; the present recollection and contemplation is direct practice. Though the names are identical, their meanings differ, and they must be carefully distinguished. Second, explaining the excellence of the body and the excellence of friends has two parts: first, from "Mindful of the Buddha" downward, using the white lotus as a metaphor to explain the excellence of the body. "Puṇḍarīka" means white lotus flower. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: "Among water-born flowers, the puṇḍarīka is foremost." This shows that cultivating the perfect contemplation surpasses all other persons who cultivate the way, namely the seven expedients. Second, from "Avalokiteśvara" downward, drawing a comparison to those in the stage of succession to explain the excellence of friends. The two holy ones originally cultivated the samādhi of the perfect buddhamanasikāra and are now in the stage of succession; the practitioner who now cultivates also practices this samādhi. Although their positions are higher and lower, the Dharma they cultivate is the same; thus they may be companions. It is just like ordinary people making friends based on shared arts and skills—how could it be distinguished by high or low birth? Third, from "Shall sit" downward, explaining attaining the fruit and initiating practice. In terms of phenomenal marks: sitting on the diamond throne beneath the bodhi tree, the place of attaining buddhahood is called the bodhimaṇḍa. Phenomena inherently express noumenon: now contemplating the awakened body of Amida of one's fundamental nature, this body is precisely the bodhimaṇḍa one sits upon and the buddha-family into which one is born. Noumenon is one but the meanings differ: it is called the seat and called the family. With this noumenon as the seat, sitting must yield the fruit; with this noumenon as the family, being born must initiate practice. The fruit is the partial fruit, and the practice is true cultivation. This contemplation originally anticipates the fruit of partial realization and effortless practice, desiring to save sentient beings through the practice of illness and the practice of infants. Cultivating the contemplation of buddhamanasikāra to seek birth in the pure land, being born there one quickly obtains it; hence it says "shall sit." Third, from "Concluding the titles" downward, concluding the titles and entrusting them. When the sūtra says "uphold it well," "well" means wondrous; only with a mind that is neither vertical nor horizontal and transcends thought and deliberation can one receive and uphold the phrases and sentences of this sūtra. Since the specific text is already wondrous, one is able to uphold the general title of the sūtra. The above explanation through the wondrous integration of the three and one had its intention here. This addresses Ānanda to entrust it to people of the present. Fourth, from "Rejoiced" downward, the assembly hears and rejoices. As for the "three meanings": first, encountering the person; second, hearing the Dharma; third, attaining the fruit. The text comes from the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, and its meaning applies to this sūtra. Since the person is a buddha, the buddha must be fully endowed with the four unhindered knowledges, namely of Dharma, meaning, phrasing, and delight in speech. Preaching the Dharma of contemplating the Buddha free from error is called purity. Now encountering this person, how could they not rejoice? The Dharma is the contemplation method; the sixteen gates exhaust its wonder in detail, enabling ordinary minds to enter deep samādhi; being free from empty contrivance, it is called purity. Hearing such a Dharma, how could they not rejoice? The fruit is the fruit obtained by cultivating the contemplation. Vaidehī and others, hearing the Dharma, practiced immediately and ascended to the fruit of partial reality; the court ladies and various devas attained the fruit of resemblance; Maudgalyāyana and Ānanda, who shared the Buddha's role of transforming beings, perhaps had their advancement in the path enhanced beyond fathomable depth or shallowness—each being free from delusion is called purity. Attaining such a fruit, how could they not rejoice? These three depend on one another: attaining the fruit depends on the Dharma, and the Dharma depends on the person who preaches it; the assembly's rejoicing is fully endowed with these three meanings. Although today we do not look upon the golden countenance in person, we are enveloped by his wondrous wisdom, and we are also able to hear this wondrous contemplation method; we have merely not yet attained the fruit, and therefore lack only the third joy. Second, transmission on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa has two parts: first, from "Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa" downward, the Buddha steps through the air to return. Previously, when answering the request, he vanished from Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa and appeared in the royal palace; now he steps through empty space to return to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Both are supernormal powers: the former was concealed and the latter revealed because previously he wished to bestow transformation and the teaching had not yet been accomplished, so he went secretly. Now, having proclaimed the wondrous contemplation, those receptive have already been benefited; desiring to cause all to follow this Dharma together, he therefore manifested a transformation and returned visibly and brightly. Second, from "Next Ānanda" downward, Ānanda recounts it. The receptive awakening in the royal palace was not known on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Therefore he was sent to proclaim it again, universally causing all to believe and accept it. What Ānanda recounted was precisely the Buddha's words; hence the text says, "Hearing what the Buddha said, all rejoiced greatly." In principle, it accords with the previous three meanings and thus they rejoiced.