大般涅槃經集解 34
English (machine translation) 34
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34.1
Refuting the Doctrines Grasped by Non-Buddhists / Explaining the Meaning of Turning the Dharma Wheel Anew
34.2
Eighth Section of the Chapter on Noble Conduct
34.3
"Furthermore, good son, all formations are without self […] for this reason one definitively knows there is no self."
34.4
Sengzong comments: Focused mindfulness and recollection are the third and fourth points of the proponents of permanence. Permanence is sovereignty, which is why it is concurrently refuted.
34.5
"Furthermore, good son, if non-Buddhists […] the Tathāgata thus truly has a self."
34.6
Sengliang comments: These are the six points of reckoning a self. The aggregation of the sense faculties is a nominal self. 'Nominal' means that the name belongs only to the namer.
34.7
"Furthermore, good son, if non-Buddhists […] for this reason one definitively knows there is no self."
34.8
Sengliang comments: This refutes the first and second points comprehensively. First, he refutes the fourth point by using saliva.
34.9
"Good son, these non-Buddhists are foolish like small children […] there is the true and real truth, not among non-Buddhists."
34.10
Sengliang comments: The name 'self' originally resides in the Buddha-ground. Because non-Buddhists do not know it, upon grasping a tiny fraction they falsely reckon all formations to be a self. It is like a person blind from birth who does not see colors: when one speaks to him of color, he takes only his own understanding to be color, never grasping the true characteristic of color.
34.11
Mañjuśrī said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One […] that you make such distinctions regarding the true truth?"
34.12
Sengliang comments: In the past, all extensive explanations of the four truths and two truths were to display the traces of response, appearing to diverge; he is now about to harmonize them, hence this [question].
Fayao says: Having heard the above extensive explanation of the true meaning of the four truths, he praises the present explanation of the true truth as a turning anew compared to that at Mṛgadāva in the past.
Sengzong says: In three tiers, he clarifies wisdom, fully investigating the principle and exhausting the nature; the noble conduct is now concluded. Kāśyapa takes up the mind of the assembly and feigns incomprehension, so as to exhaust doubts through this.
Baoliang says: Within this single chapter, this is the fourth [section], dispelling attachments to clarify wisdom. If one empties the mind to belong to the Dharma amid conditions, this then constitutes the functioning of wisdom. Mañjuśrī's single question contains three errors: first, saying that the Tathāgata truly enters nirvāṇa; second, saying that the Buddha intentionally turns the Dharma wheel; and third, calling it a turning anew.
34.13
The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī: "Why do you now […] permanently abides without changing and does not enter parinirvāṇa."
34.14
Sengliang comments: 'Turning the Dharma wheel' means that the Dharma taught causes listeners to awaken and understand, which is 'turning'; understanding shatters delusion, which is the 'wheel.' If the Buddha had speech, it would be saṃskṛta and exhaustible—how could it be called nirvāṇa? Now, without speech, beings hear; without extinguishing, people extinguish by themselves; therefore it is said that he does not enter nirvāṇa.
Sengzong says: The doubt had three points; this explains the first point.
34.15
"Good son! If someone reckons, 'I am the Buddha […] the Tathāgata turns the Dharma wheel through upāya.'"
34.16
Sengliang comments: Below, explaining non-turning has two meanings: first, explaining turning by means of non-turning; second, that there is turning in terms of traces and response. This is the first meaning: explaining turning through non-turning.
Sengzong says: Explaining non-turning has three tiers: first, at the ultimate state there is no turning; second, because of response there is turning; third, revealing the characteristics of the ultimate state to be like space.
34.17
"Good son! For example, conditioned by the eye, grasping form and grasping light […] is not what can be known by śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas."
34.18
Sengzong says: The second clarifies the meaning of there being turning, wherein conditions provide the cause for responsive engagement.
34.19
"Good son, space is neither born nor emerged […] is neither made nor fabricated, and is not a saṃskṛta dharma."
34.20
Sengzong says: The third clarifies that the ultimate state has no intention of turning, like that space.
34.21
"Good son! The words of the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, are of two kinds […] speaks supramundane words for bodhisattvas."
34.22
Sengliang comments: The fourth clarifies that the past was small while the present is great, and one should not speak of 'anew.' If benefiting beings is considered 'anew,' then throughout the forty-nine years there has never been a time he was not benefiting them; one should not say only today is 'anew.'
Sengzong says: From here on down, he explains the meaning of there being no 'anew' in nine tiers. This is the first, clarifying the difference in teaching: namely, that the past was shallow and the present is profound.
34.23
"Good son! These great assemblies are also of two kinds […] turns the great Dharma wheel for bodhisattvas."
34.24
Sengzong says: The second clarifies the difference in vehicles: in the past he taught for those seeking the small; now he teaches for those seeking the great.
34.25
"Furthermore, good son! There are also two kinds of persons […] those of the lowest faculties are the icchantikas."
34.26
Sengzong says: The third clarifies the difference in faculties: in the past he taught for those of middling faculties; now he teaches for those of superior faculties.
34.27
"Furthermore, good son! Those seeking the Buddha path […] turns the great Dharma wheel for those of superior vigor."
34.28
Sengzong says: The fourth clarifies the difference in vigor: in the past it was for middling vigor; now it is taught for superior vigor.
34.29
"Furthermore, good son! In the past, in that place […] anuttarā samyaksambodhi."
34.30
Sengzong says: The fifth clarifies the difference in attaining the path: in the past, eighty thousand devas and humans realized the fruit of srotāpanna; now, eight hundred billion people do not retrogress from sambodhi.
34.31
"Furthermore, good son! In the city of Vārāṇasī […] bowed their heads and requested me to turn the great Dharma wheel."
34.32
Sengzong says: The sixth clarifies the difference in the requester: in the past it was the Brahmā King; today it is Kāśyapa.
34.33
"Furthermore, good son! In the past, in that place […] truly expounded permanence, bliss, self, and purity."
34.34
Sengzong says: The seventh clarifies the difference in the principle explained: in the past he taught impermanence; now he teaches permanence.
34.35
"Furthermore, good son! In the past, in that place […] the four intermediate directions, above, and below, were also likewise."
34.36
Sengzong says: The eighth clarifies the difference in the distance the sound was heard: in the past it stopped at the Brahmā heaven; now it reaches twenty Ganges-sands of worlds in the ten directions.
34.37
"Furthermore, good son! The Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones […] are all called 'turning the Dharma wheel.'"
34.38
Sengzong says: The ninth clarifies that ever since he appeared in the world, there has never been a time he was not turning the Dharma wheel; now how could there be anything 'anew'?
34.39
"Good son! For example, the wheel jewel possessed by a wheel-turning sage king […] the noble conduct practiced in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra."
34.40
Sengzong says: He praises the Dharma wheel.
34.41
Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One […] then they are able to practice it, and so it is called 'noble conduct.'"
34.42
Sengliang comments: Above, it was already explained that morality, concentration, and wisdom apply to bodhisattvas who attain the title of 'noble conduct'; not knowing whether the ultimate true truth applies to the stage of learning or not, he therefore asks. 'Noble is the name for the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones' means that as for the ultimate true truth attaining the title of 'noble conduct,' it is only the Buddha, the World-Honoured One.
Fayao says: From here on down is to clarify 'noble,' not to clarify 'conduct.' Above, he clarified that morality, concentration, and wisdom are what noble persons practice, not clarifying the 'noble' [person]. 'Noble' means correct; the Tathāgata first occupies that position, hence the Buddha's explanation of the meaning of 'noble'; now it is merely spoken in conjunction with conduct, the import does not lie in conduct.
Sengzong says: Above, within morality, he already concluded the name 'noble'; now, having finished distinguishing the three dharmas, he again comprehensively concludes 'noble conduct.'
Baoliang says: The fifth section is the resulting fruit.
34.43
"Good son! This bodhisattva-mahāsattva […] therefore this stage is called 'fearlessness.'"
34.44
Sengliang comments: The first three are causes, and the later four are fruits. Since wisdom is able to eradicate cause and fruit, he comprehensively explains the virtues of the stage. As for 'nor does he fear the three evil destinies': evil has already been gradually eliminated, so he explains it next. These three are coarse, hence they are eliminated first. As for 'evil being of two kinds': this refers to evil within the wholesome destinies. As for 'not fearing receiving the twenty-five states of existence': having no such evils as above, he is able to sever the twenty-five states of existence.
Fayao says: Attaining the aforementioned practices of morality, concentration, and wisdom, one enters this stage of the first abiding. Being free from the five terrors, it is therefore called the Stage of Fearlessness. 'Fearing greed, anger, sickness, death, and the like' is the fear of neither dying nor living. 'Icchantikas and the like' is the fear of ill repute. 'Not fearing the three evil destinies' is having no fear of evil destinies. 'Not fearing śramaṇas up to Māra Pāpīyas' is having no fear of assemblies. The preceding Immovable Stage is the beginning of entering the first stage; the Endurance Stage is the middle of the first stage; this Stage of Fearlessness is the end of the first stage. Alternatively, it may be the seventh abiding: in the seventh abiding, the fetters of the three realms are exhausted, and only then is there no fear of the three fears.
Sengzong says: The Stage of Fearlessness is the seventh stage. Previously, concluding the fruit of morality, he spoke of the initial Immovable Stage; next, concluding the fruit of concentration, he spoke of the third Endurance Stage; now, concluding the fruit of wisdom, he points to the seventh stage. The reason for this is to show that practice has shallow and deep levels, and the concluding fruits are also different. Calling fearlessness the seventh stage relies on the common explanation of the seventh stage as the Stage of Far-Reaching Practice (Dūraṅgamā). Here it is called fearlessness because one does not fear the retributions of the three realms; hence it is particularly named so.
Baoliang says: The fruit of fearlessness is likewise in the first stage. This clarifies that wisdom is of an understanding nature, illuminating without clinging to conditions. Since it fully possesses non-conceptual knowledge, he concludes it with fearlessness. First, there is no fear of inability to live: because the bodhisattva thoroughly realizes that the marks of all phenomena are empty and does not rely on material requisites for living, how could he fear inability to live? Because he does not fear, the three poisons do not arise; hence there is no fear of inability to live. Second is the lack of fear of the three evil destinies; third is the lack of fear of ill repute; fourth is the lack of fear of the majesty of assemblies; fifth is the lack of fear of saṃsāra: the great being does not fear undergoing the saṃsāra of the twenty-five states of existence.
34.45
[The Buddha said:] 'Good son! A bodhisattva-mahāsattva [...] all the merits that can be spoken of.'
34.46
Sengliang comments: Wisdom is able to eradicate fetters, but without concentration it cannot be achieved; therefore, wisdom is explained on the basis of concentration. As for 'wishing to blow away and destroy the king of Mount Sumerus down to the suffering of crushing the body': the stage has two fruits—first, the extinction of evil; second, spiritual powers—and both are stated by name. The reason for this is that the preceding text spoke of severing existence, and someone might mistakenly think that one cannot enter conditioned existence to transform beings. He further shows matters of sovereign mastery to express the name of the stage and resolve their doubt.
Sengzong says: These words describe advancing gradually toward the eighth stage. Having approached the seventh stage, one does not fear the retributions of the evil destinies, yet has not escaped the twenty-five states of existence; this concerns the fact that the seventh stage still has a remnant body of retribution. Now, from the eighth stage onward, it is exclusively the dharmakāya; hence he mentions the twenty-five states of existence. Samādhi is not wisdom, but wisdom arises on the basis of concentration, and they mutually support each other. The reason we know this refers to the eighth stage is that he says one possesses the twenty-five samādhis and is able to perform various spiritual powers; examining the functions of these spiritual powers, they are not within the scope of lower practices.
Baoliang says: This is the sixth section. If taken comprehensively as the section concluding the fruits, it still belongs to the preceding text, where the fifth section directly concluded the fruits. Having arisen in the first stage and attained uncontaminated right understanding in the first abiding, one subsequently progresses in cultivating the myriad practices, attains the twenty-five samādhis, severs the twenty-five states of existence, and concludes by attaining the fruit of sovereign mastery of the eighth stage and above. If distinguished according to this meaning, it becomes the sixth section. These twenty-five samādhis receive their names based on their superior states, and each one encompasses the multitude; hence they are called kings among samādhis.
34.47
Collected Commentaries on the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Fascicle 34
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- 大般涅槃經集解 — Classical Chinese