觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 2.2.4

2.2.4

The Buddha responds across the three lands; here we discuss only the [land of] common residence. Since transformation has a beginning and an end, it must manifest the eight aspects [of the Buddha's life]. What is seen by those of great capacity—the eight aspects—is inconceivable. If responding to the Hīnayāna, all eight aspects are inferior. The Great [Vehicle] manifests appearing and disappearing like waves upon water; in the full dharmadhātu-body, all eight are supreme and wondrous. In the Hīnayāna, arising and perishing is impermanent in substance, like fire burning firewood, ultimately reducing to ashes and extinction. Therefore, although the two sets of eight aspects are undivided, they are distinguished, their superiority and inferiority appearing vividly. All these are the models of those who have attained the fruit, called the Buddha's deportment. That the first abodement can enact them is termed 'possessing': deportment belongs to body, voice belongs to speech, and expedients belong to mind. For those who should be saved by a buddha-realm, he immediately manifests the marks of these three wheels. The mark of a buddha is exceedingly high, yet he can still trace-manifest it; taking buddhahood as the standard for the [other] nine [realms], manifesting them is not difficult. Having manifested the nine realms, each possessing the three karmas, it is not merely manifesting the ten realms directly: in each single body he further manifests the ten realms layers upon layers without end, because he has attained the samādhi of universally manifesting all bodies. Second, from 'the first abodement' downward, he analogizes the subsequent stages. The first abodement begins by breaking one grade of fundamental ignorance, partially realizes the three bodies, and manifests forms across the ten realms; its marks are already like this. How much more so the second and third abodements, how much more so the tenth abodement, the [ten] practices, the [ten] dedications, the accession to the [ten] bhūmis, up to equal awakening! As their breaking of delusion grows deeper and their virtuous functions grow vaster, could mind or mouth ever conceive or express it? It is precisely because in stage after stage initial awakening and original awakening are united as one and both forgotten that the substance and function become so lofty and vast like this. Six: ultimate identity. None among all dharmas is not a buddha; one is ignorant only because of delusion. Therefore, the perfect and real teaching does not accord with deluded feelings, but directly reveals that all are buddhadharmas, worldly characteristics are eternal, and sentient beings are buddhas. Those who do not receive the teaching possess it only in principle, being entirely unaware that they are [buddhas]. If one hears this teaching, one knows it in name. If one enters the five grades, one knows it in contemplation. Those who enter the ten faiths know it in resemblance. The forty-one stages know it in partial reality. Now, ascending to the ultimate fruit, one ultimately realizes and knows that all dharmas are buddhadharmas. This naturally divides into two: first, straightforwardly explaining according to stage. Equal awakening is already called the Bodhisattva of the Stage of Fulfilling Expedients. In the ultimate stage, the path of initial awakening is exhausted, and the principle of original awakening reaches its peak; since original and initial are both obliterated, there is nothing by which to name it, and it is forcefully termed wondrous awakening. The forty-two letters of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra: each letter mutually possesses the merits of all letters. Mount Nanyue used them to correspond to the forty-two stages in the perfect and sudden teaching: the letter *a* for the first abodement, the middle forty letters corresponding through to equal awakening, and the final letter *ṭha* corresponding to wondrous awakening. Although each and every stage can universally possess the merits of all stages, it is a partial possession. Now, this ultimate stage ultimately possesses the merits of all stages. Therefore, he cites the Lotus Sūtra: 'Only I, Śākya, together with all buddhas, can exhaustively penetrate the provisional of all dharmas and the real of the real mark.' Reaching the bottom of fundamental ignorance and arriving at the limit of all dharmas is called 'limit wisdom'—the inconceivable provisional wisdom. Now it has reached the ultimate, and is thus called 'fulfilled.' In all kinds of dharmas, realizing the original perfect awakening is the inconceivable real wisdom. This awakening being supremely fulfilled is called 'sudden and perfect.' Further, using the seventh epithet, 'Unsurpassed Knight,' he reveals the culmination of wisdom and severance. One who has delusions to sever is called a 'surpassed knight,' which is the stage of equal awakening. One who has no delusions to sever is called the 'Unsurpassed Knight,' which is wondrous awakening. When the virtue of severance is ultimate, it is called Great Nirvāṇa. If there is one who surpasses him, he is called a 'surpassed knight,' which is also equal awakening. If none surpasses him, he is called the 'Unsurpassed Knight,' which is wondrous awakening. When the virtue of wisdom is ultimate, it is called Great Bodhi. Second, praising through metaphor. He uses the metaphor of the beloved moon from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra: the moon of the fifteen days corresponds to the forty-two stages of perfect cause and fruit, in all of which the light of wisdom increases and the darkness of delusion diminishes and ceases. Thus, the first three days correspond to the thirty stages of the abodements, practices, and dedications; from the fourth day to the thirteenth day corresponds to the stages of the ten bhūmis; the fourteenth day corresponds to equal awakening; and the fifteenth day corresponds to the stage of wondrous awakening. This combines the preceding thirty and expands the subsequent ten bhūmis. Like the thirty-three heavens partaking together of amṛta corresponding to the forty-two stages all realizing the eternal principle: expanding the preceding thirty stages to correspond to thirty heavens, and combining the subsequent ten bhūmis to correspond to one heaven, equal awakening corresponding to one, and the ultimate stage of wondrous awakening next corresponding to Śakra's heaven. If the forty-two letters, each letter mutually possessing forty-one letters, correspond to the forty-two stages of perfect realization, stage by stage mutually subsuming, then both the preceding and the subsequent are expanded. If opening, displaying, awakening to, and entering the Buddha's vision and knowledge correspond to the forty stages of the perfect true cause, both the preceding and the subsequent are combined. Now, as the moonlight of the fifteenth day is already full, the virtue of wisdom is complete; as no darkness is not exhausted, the virtue of severance is supreme. Thus the Great Master said: 'This increase and decrease occurs day by day; this wisdom and severance occurs stage by stage.' Therefore, he does not additionally use the decreasing defiled light of the latter fifteen days. Furthermore, the host of stars corresponds to the various causal practitioners, while the moon analogizes the fruit Buddha. The words 'most supreme' and so on are all praises of the ultimate Buddha. Second, from 'the Buddha has' downward, he clarifies that it is difficult to express by drawing an analogy with the various epithets. All the names of the perfectly ultimate fruit are, each and every one, not in vain, but ultimately accomplished, because what they designate is entirely the true ultimate. Looking back at the true cause, it still carries provisional designations, because falsity is not yet exhausted. For the seven kinds of expedients and all ordinary worldlings, all are empty names, possessing not a single real meaning. Thus the Great Sūtra says: 'Conventional truth has only names without real meaning; ultimate truth has names and has real meaning,' because the Buddha is the ultimate supreme truth. Moreover, one should also know that there is no separate dharma called the ultimate supreme truth. Vairocana pervades all places; all dharmas are buddhadharmas. Thus, worldly and transworldly, the two kinds of death and the five entrenchments, down to pretas, wriggling worms and tiny flying insects, the five deeds of immediate retribution, whether cause or fruit, are none other than the perfectly ultimate supreme truth. Therefore, these various names are all real and not in vain, all being alternative names for the ultimate Buddha. Hence it is said that 'the Buddha has immeasurable virtues and should have immeasurable names.' Here, he raises only the single name 'Buddha' to represent them. Therefore, when the Mahāyāna scriptures explain the Buddha's epithets, whether adding or subtracting, all are the four siddhāntas responding to the capacities of beings. Now, among the ten general epithets, he raises the ninth, 'Buddha.' The Vimalakīrti-nirdeśa-sūtra says: 'The meanings of these three phrases—Samyaksaṃbuddha, Tathāgata, and Buddha—even if sentient beings of the great chiliocosm were all like Ānanda, foremost in hearing much, could not be exhaustively received in the lifespan of a kalpa; according to what is appropriate and joyous, these three names are raised to illustrate the many by means of the few, their virtues being infinite.'