大般涅槃經集解 62

English (machine translation) 62

Language: English

62.1

Raising the metaphor of the blind men describing the elephant; clarifying the meaning of buddhadhātu being neither identical to the six phenomena nor separate from the six phenomena; clarifying buddhadhātu, the twelve links of dependent origination, faith, and so forth; discerning the marks of a bodhisattva's non-retrogression, such matters as eating one hemp seed and one bean a day; setting forth the matter of a bodhisattva giving their body to sentient beings and making vows; setting forth the matter of a bodhisattva enduring suffering for sentient beings without retrogressing; setting forth the metaphor of the eight kinds of inconceivable qualities of the celestial ocean.

62.2

Chapter on the Lion's Roar, Part 9

62.3

"Good son! Suppose, for example, a king commanded a minister... (up to) ...for this reason, rūpa is spoken of as buddhadhātu."

62.4

Sengliang comments: "Each touching with their hands is a metaphor for hearing and seeing. Together they do not speak of the elephant's body, for partial seeing is not the elephant. Nor is it that they do not speak of it, for each grasps their part, so it is not that they do not speak. That rūpa is buddhadhātu: the direct causes differ, and the realized fruits also differ; grasping partially constitutes error, just as the golden color is one, yet the coiling of the serpent is different." Sengzong says: "This is the second round. It clarifies that the Tathāgata's explanation of the nature is not like ordinary people's: since it is true and without error, one should cultivate it. The king is a metaphor for the Buddha; the minister is a metaphor for the constantly abiding scriptural teaching; the elephant is a metaphor for the principle beneath the teaching. The blind men speak of the elephant according to what they touch; sentient beings lack wisdom, and so positing the aggregates, they speak of a self. Those who say that apart from the aggregates there is a self take this conceptualization too far, which will be refuted below. That it is neither identical to the six phenomena nor separate from the six phenomena: the provisional person is formed from the five aggregates. Buddhadhātu resides in the fruit; how could it be identical to the six phenomena? Yet without the cause there is no means to elicit the fruit; hence it is said to be not separate." Baoliang says: "When the blind men touch the elephant, if viewed one by one, they do not grasp the elephant's body; yet, again, one cannot be apart from these and have an elephant. Non-Buddhists and ordinary people, seizing upon the five aggregates and separation from the aggregates, individually conceptualize them as not being buddhadhātu; yet from beginning to end it is not separate from these six phenomena. That 'there are non-Buddhists who, although speaking of a self, in reality have no self' refutes the sixth distinct conceptualization that outside the five aggregates there is a self, asserting that the provisional combination of the five aggregates is named 'sentient being,' and there is no separate self outside the five aggregates."

62.5

"Or there are those who say that sensation (vedanā) is buddhadhātu... (up to) ...and so on, neither being self nor separate from self."

62.6

Sengliang comments: "Above he raised form (rūpa); now he raises mind, examining mind by enumerating the four aggregates."

62.7

"Good son! There are non-Buddhists who, although speaking of a self... (up to) ...the supreme-meaning emptiness is therefore called buddhadhātu."

62.8

Sengliang comments: "Regarding the deluded mind, it is taken as separate. Therefore it is merely that the self identical to the aggregates continues without interruption. Later he corrects this again, referring to a separate self apart from the aggregates."

62.9

"Good son! Great kindness and great compassion are called buddhadhātu... (up to) ...buddhadhātu is none other than the Tathāgata."

62.10

Sengliang comments: "Speaking of the nature of conditioning causes: sentient beings will definitely attain it, and therefore it is called existent. Continuing without difference, it is none other than the Tathāgata." Sengzong says: "Third, this brings out the substance of buddhadhātu." Baoliang says: "Fourth, this examines conditioning causes. The practices of the four immeasurables are precisely the conditioning causes; a good bodhisattva constantly practices them, like a shadow following a form. That buddhadhātu is called the Tathāgata: by practicing the four immeasurables, closely one attains the stage of viewing sentient beings as an only child at the first dwelling, and distantly one attains the full perfection of buddhahood; therefore it is called the Tathāgata."

62.11

"Buddhadhātu is called great faith... (up to) ...all sentient beings possess buddhadhātu."

62.12

Sengliang comments: "He raises the six Dharma-gates to help clarify this purport."

62.13

"Good son! The various phenomena described above... (up to) ...all sentient beings possess buddhadhātu."

62.14

Sengliang comments: "This summarizes the above purport."

62.15

"Good son! If it is said that rūpa is buddhadhātu... (up to) ...and the same applies up to speaking of consciousness (vijñāna)."

62.16

Sengliang comments: "If one says that rūpa is buddhadhātu and the rest are not, sentient beings with wrong views will certainly give rise to inversion upon hearing it."

62.17

"Good son! If sentient beings clearly understand buddhadhātu... (up to) ...and moreover praise, bow down, and pay respects to them."

62.18

Sengliang comments: "Having encouraged the cultivation of the name of this sūtra, he therefore speaks of the merit of those who cultivate it." Sengzong says: "Fourth, this directly encourages cultivation." Baoliang says: "Fifth, this concludes by encouraging, clarifying the meaning that one ought to cultivate the path."

62.19

"Good son! If there are those who have already, under immeasurable [buddhas] in the past... (up to) ...only then can they hear the name of this sūtra."

62.20

Sengliang comments: "This praises the causes of those who cultivate."

62.21

"Good son! Buddhadhātu is inconceivable... (up to) ...the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is also inconceivable."

62.22

Sengliang comments: "This praises the Three Jewels, buddhadhātu, and the scriptural Dharma as inconceivable. It makes clear that the purport of encouraging cultivation is not in vain."

62.23

Bodhisattva Lion's Roar said: 'World-Honoured One!... (up to) ...attain anuttarā samyaksambodhi.'"

62.24

Sengliang comments: "Lion's Roar comprehends and also relates that the assembly at that time received benefit, and the Buddha thereupon confirms and validates it."

62.25

Lion's Roar said: 'World-Honoured One! What is non-retrogression... (up to) ...anuttarā samyaksambodhi?'"

62.26

Sengzong comments: "Below this is the seventh [section] on cultivating the path. Previously, because [sentient beings] possess the nature, he encouraged cultivation. This says that as the practitioner's karma of practice becomes progressively deeper, they no longer retrogress; if one cannot deeply understand the sūtra's purport, there is retrogression. Such ascetic practices mostly occur prior to the dwellings. If one even does unprofitable things on account of practicing according to the sūtra, how much more so for what is beneficial—would one not do it? This makes clear that when people cultivate practice in accordance with the sūtra and attain its flavor of principle, they never retrogress." Baoliang says: "Below this is the seventh [section] on cultivating the path, directly setting forth the marks of a person cultivating the path. Although he encouraged them to cultivate the path above, all the people were completely unaware of the method of cultivating the path; the Buddha now briefly reveals its marks: if one can perform such austerities, that is it."

62.27

"Good son! A bodhisattva-mahāsattva... (up to) ...this is called the mark of non-retrogression from bodhi."

62.28

Sengliang notes: This is the seventh section, the section on the characteristics of non-retrogression. Cultivating the path necessarily takes place within birth and death, but birth and death are full of difficulties, and one cannot know by oneself whether one has retrogressed or not; hence the characteristics of non-retrogression are discerned next.

62.29

"Furthermore, good son! A bodhisattva-mahāsattva [...] (down to) [...] For this reason it is also called inconceivable."

62.30

Sengliang notes: The eighth section praises the inconceivable virtues of a non-retrogressing bodhisattva. Regarding 'receiving one's final body', above it explained possessing the stage of afflictive nature and the stage of understanding, while here it explains the meaning of the final body, thereby merely citing both ends from beginning to end. Sengzong says: The eighth section explains that bodhisattvas on the higher stages are endowed with all superior virtues. Baoliang says: This praises the virtues of the practitioner of the path. People say that suffering is unbearable; here it says that if one can resolve one's mind to cultivate the path, even though one endures suffering for the sake of sentient beings, it is like the joy of the third dhyāna.

62.31

"Good son! The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra is also like this [...] (down to) [...] that great ocean has eight inconceivable qualities."

62.32

Sengliang notes: The ninth section praises the sūtra. The merits and wisdom of the buddhas and bodhisattvas truly have their root in the sūtra; therefore it is praised. Sengzong says: Above it said that persons are benefited through the sūtra, which means that the sūtra possesses the quality of assisting and bringing people to completion; hence it is praised next. Baoliang says: The ocean has eight virtues to serve as a metaphor for the sūtra. First, due to the merits of sentient beings, the ocean gradually deepens. Sentient beings have resonance [with the teaching]; therefore the instructions of the sūtra proceed in order from shallow to deep. Second, it moves according to the wind: the buddhas and bodhisattvas transform [sentient beings] according to conditions. Third, rivers entering it: this explains that nirvāṇa is a vessel that takes in all lives. From here downward, the rest are analogous.

62.33

Siṃhanāda said: "World-Honoured One! If it is said that the Tathāgata [...] (down to) [...] why do you cause me alone to receive a transformation-born body?"

62.34

Sengliang notes: The tenth section praises the Buddha. Because the scriptures are spoken by the Buddha, in principle he should be praised. But because speech arises from compassion, he first asks. Baoliang says: Among the four kinds of birth, birth by transformation is the most superior, yet the Buddha took birth from a womb for the sake of sentient beings. The weight of his grace and virtue is such that it evokes praise.

Linked texts (1)

大般涅槃經集解 — Classical Chinese