涅槃玄義發源機要 3.2.3

3.2.3

"Attaining the twenty-five samādhis" refers to the fruit of wisdom-practice, which is perfected through wisdom-practice. That is to say, on the ground of fearlessness one attains the twenty-five samādhis to benefit sentient beings according to their capacities. "Fractionally realizing the three virtues is called abiding in nirvāṇa; how much more so..." and so forth presents the fractional fruit to illustrate by comparison the ultimate fruit. "From the shallow to the deep" means that the causes are shallow and the fruits are deep. From "revealing the neither..." downward, the principle of the double negation is revealed by means of the phenomenal affairs of cause and effect. From "Virtue King" downward, the five practices are explained in terms of cultivating the ten virtues and clarifying realization; thus that chapter states: "When a bodhisattva cultivates the Great Parinirvāṇa, they realize ten merits." However, the five practices pertain generally to realization, and the ten virtues pertain generally to cultivation; setting aside the secondary and taking the primary is how the two are distinguished, as discussed in detail in the Shu ji (Commentary Notes). "The four elements are like a chest": the great [elements] are like venomous snakes, and the body is like a hamper or chest; the four great [elements] form the body, like snakes inside a chest. "The five aggregates are like murderers": this is what the sūtra calls "five caṇḍālas following behind with drawn swords"; the text of the sūtra is very extensive. "Cutting off the flow": "flow" is a metaphor for the afflictions and saṃsāra; from the cause it is called the river of afflictions, and from the fruit it is called the river of saṃsāra. In the sūtra there are altogether six rivers, namely, afflictions, saṃsāra, seeking the good, unwholesome karma, Buddha-nature, and nirvāṇa. From "initially from..." downward, in the twenty-fifth fascicle there are ten items: first, having few desires; second, contentment; third, solitude; fourth, energetic striving; fifth, right mindfulness; sixth, right concentration; seventh, right wisdom; eighth, liberation; ninth, praising liberation; and tenth, transforming sentient beings through nirvāṇa. Here the first two and the tenth are cited, while the intermediate ones are omitted, which is why it says "and so forth." From "Further, good..." downward, the passage is found in the twenty-ninth [fascicle]. There it states: "If one sees precepts, the marks of precepts, the causes of precepts, the fruits of precepts, the superiority of precepts, the inferiority of precepts, the accumulation of precepts, the oneness of precepts, the duality of precepts, these precepts, those precepts, the cessation of precepts, the equality of precepts, the cultivation of precepts, the cultivator, and the pāramitā of precepts—if anyone holds such views, this is called not cultivating precepts." Explanation: Seeing the essence of precepts preventing wrongdoing is the mark of precepts; at the time of cultivation it is called the cause, and at the time of completion it is called the fruit; the noble is superior and the ordinary is inferior; multiple precepts are called an accumulation; general is oneness and specific is duality; self is "this" and other is "that"; quenching faults is cessation; and the remaining good qualities are equality. Cultivating the above seven approaches is called the cultivation of precepts. The one who cultivates is the person; when precepts can reach the fruit, they are called pāramitā. Viewing such marks is called not cultivating precepts. The present text directly reveals the marks of cultivation, which is why it speaks of "not seeing" and so forth. "Concentration and wisdom are also like this" means that concentration, the marks of concentration, the causes of concentration, the fruits of concentration, and so on, are explained by analogy with the precepts. "Examining the beginning and concluding with the end": the beginning is the cause, and the end is the fruit. "What is not carried along, and what is not overcome?": the great cause and great fruit encompass everything; hence the cause carries along the myriad good deeds, and the fruit overcomes with myriad virtues, cause and effect fusing completely so that the phenomenal is precisely the principle. From "all..." downward, the perfect cause and perfect fruit universally fusing with everything is called the unobstructed person, and the nondifference of sentient beings and Buddhas is called the single path; cultivating and realizing in this way can bring one out of the two kinds of death. "Either cultivating the ten perceptions up to knowing desire": all of these are found in the thirty-fourth fascicle. The sūtra states: "If a bodhisattva or the four assemblies can cultivate the ten perceptions, one should know that this person will attain nirvāṇa. The first is the perception of impermanence, up to the tenth, the perception of non-attachment." Regarding "knowing roots and knowing desire," the sūtra states: "When a bodhisattva, concerning the thirty-seven factors, knows their roots, knows their causes, knows their inclusion, knows their increase, knows their master, knows their guidance, knows their superiority, knows their reality, and knows their culmination, they are entitled to be called one of pure celibate conduct (brahmacarya)." It also states: "The root of the thirty-seven factors is the cause of desire, called contact with clarity, and so forth." Therefore it now says "knowing roots and knowing desire." "Receiving the small and receiving the shared": "small" refers to the Tripiṭaka [teaching]; through the perfect and eternal Dharma, it receives and guides the three vehicles of the two teachings. This speaks of the common path of reception and guidance, which is why it says "receiving the small." If one clarifies the three receptions, it does not apply to the six-perfection bodhisattvas or to the two vehicles of the two teachings, as explained in detail in the Shu ji. "Entering the sudden from the gradual": because the stages before the bhūmis are gradual, and ascending to the bhūmis is sudden. From "The text states..." downward, the chapter of Kāśyapa is cited to prove the separate meaning. "When the foundation is established, the Way arises": when the foundation of nirvāṇa is established, the Way of the various practices arises. As for nirvāṇa, is it not truly the foundation of practice? From "like without..." downward: like lacking the main cord, the meshes of the net will not be properly aligned. The cord and the hide are metaphors for nirvāṇa; the fur and meshes are metaphors for the various practices. Mi means "none." "The essential lies in the eternal": although the three practices—destroying the partial, the gradual, and the perfectly fused—are different, there is no difference in the eternal fruit; hence the preceding text stated: "Although the three are different, all take the eternal as the source." "Practice coalesces in the eternal": practice is the cause, and the eternal is the fruit. From "able to reveal..." downward is the principle revealed upon the fruit. This is the previous meaning of the primary source. Hence one knows that the primary source pertains to principle, the essential source pertains to wisdom, and the auxiliary source pertains to practice; by examining the text with this in mind, there is no meaning that will not be understood. The "seven luminaries" refer to the sun, moon, and five planets. As for the "Northern Pole Star," the Jingzhou xingzhan states: "The Northern Pole Star is also named Heavenly Gate and also named North Pole. The North Pole is the celestial throne of the Purple Palace." The Analects says: "One who governs by virtue is like the Northern Pole Star, which remains in its place while all the stars salute it." From "like the myriad..." downward, the Shangshu says: "The Yangzi and Han rivers pay homage to the sea." The seven luminaries and myriad rivers are metaphors for practice; the Northern Pole Star and the eastern sea are metaphors for wisdom. From "or a person..." downward: person, principle, teaching, and practice can all provide auxiliary support, causing the fractional-true and ultimate fruits of eternal wisdom to unfold. That is, relying on a person one hears the teaching; relying on the teaching one cultivates practice; through practice one accords with principle; and due to these four dharmas one attains entry into the fractional-true up to the ultimate fruit; hence it says "obtaining power through auxiliary support." Or "the Way provides auxiliary support": the Way is principle; it also means using partial persons and partial teachings as auxiliary support, as explained in the section on therapeutic auxiliary opening in the Zhiguan (Calming and Contemplation). From "like the ragged..." downward is a metaphor from the Tathāgatagarbha-sūtra. That sūtra states: "Suppose someone takes a golden statue / and travels to another land; / wrapping it in foul, ragged cloths, / he abandons it in the wilderness. / One with the divine eye sees it / and immediately tells the people. / Removing the filth, the true statue appears, / and all rejoice greatly. / My divine eye is also like this: / observing those classes of sentient beings, / bound by evil karma and afflictions, / enduring all the sufferings of saṃsāra, / I also see those sentient beings: / amid the dust and defilements of ignorance, / the Tathāgata-nature remains unmoving, / and none can destroy it." From "the strongman..." downward is a metaphor from the present sūtra. The jewel on the forehead is as cited above. For the hidden treasure in the sūtra, the chapter on the Tathāgata-nature says: "All sentient beings have the Buddha-nature; from the beginningless past it has always been covered by immeasurable afflictions, which is why sentient beings cannot see it. Just as in a poor woman's house there is a treasure of pure gold, but neither the elders nor the youth in the family know of it."