大般涅槃經疏 10.22

10.22

「迦葉復白佛」下，是第四植種深淺以顯四依。夫深經妙義不易可聞，況復當徒開演分擘玄毫，指南宣揚卷舒宇宙，非輕悰者所能為之。就文為兩：一問、二答。初問為三：初舉惡時、次索好人、三請答。惡時有四句：正戒、正教雙滅，惡人、惡法俱興。此四句應是五濁亂時。何者？正法滅是見濁，正戒毀是命濁，非法增是煩惱濁，無如法眾生是眾生濁，時是劫濁。索好人有六句：信曰受、不忘曰持、臨文曰讀、背文曰誦、傳文曰寫、傳義曰說，即五種法師。又是三業，受持是意、讀誦說是口、供養書寫是身。於五濁亂時能三業如法者，請答此事。今答，為三：初歎問、次正答、三勸。初如文。次正答中舉九河者，舊解云：值一佛發一願下一沙，雖值多佛不發願不下沙，雖發心不見佛亦不下沙，雖見一佛多發心只下一沙，雖一發心見多佛亦只下一沙。以如此數令滿一恒，是為一恒。熙連與恒河異者，熙連在拘尸城北尚小跋提。恒河入東海，四河中大，故異熙連。若就行者，熙連但聞而不謗，一恒加有信樂，二恒加讀誦，三恒說淺義，四恒加一分，五恒加八分，六恒加十二分，七恒加十四分，八恒具足一十六分。四恒從惑，取解則難。五恒從解，取解則易。六恒去更深細為難，如仕至太尉則易，至丞相則難。此猶難解。十六分者，譬如世間一十六兩以為一斤。仙慧師云：熙連是弟子位，八恒是師位，兩兩配四依（云云）。開善、冶城云：九恒皆初依位。熙連至二恒是初心習種性，三恒至五恒是中心性種性，六恒至八恒是後心道種性。亦極難解。若全稱佛法以為一斤，則初依人窮佛法盡，至三四依復何所為？若稱初依以為一斤，此乃自是初依之法，何關佛法？今明熙連至三恒為初依一分，八分為二依，十二十四為三依，十六為四依。文云「具足解，盡其味（云云）。」三從「若有始發心」去，是勸也。上說九恒值佛窈窈至深，恐時情抑絕，更接引勸之。但令發心，未來必能護持建立。

From "Kāśyapa further said to the Buddha" down is the fourth [section], revealing the four reliances through the depth of planting roots. Indeed, the profound sūtra's subtle meanings are not easily heard, still less directly expounding and distinguishing the mysterious subtleties for the assembly, pointing the way and broadcasting them, expanding and contracting the cosmos—this is not something that those of light purpose can accomplish. Approaching the text, there are two parts: first, the question; second, the answer. The initial question has three parts: first, citing the evil time; second, seeking good persons; third, requesting an answer. The evil time has four phrases: proper precepts and proper teachings both perish, while evil people and evil dharmas both flourish. These four phrases correspond to the time of chaos in the five turbidities. How so? The perishing of the true Dharma is the turbidity of views; the breaking of proper precepts is the turbidity of lifespan; the increase of non-Dharma is the turbidity of afflictions; the absence of sentient beings who conform to the Dharma is the turbidity of sentient beings; the time itself is the turbidity of the kalpa. Seeking good persons has six phrases: believing is called receiving; not forgetting is called upholding; facing the text is called reading; reciting from memory is called chanting; transmitting the text is called copying; transmitting the meaning is called expounding. These are the five kinds of Dharma masters. They are also the three karmas: receiving and upholding are mental; reading, chanting, and expounding are vocal; making offerings and copying are physical. One who can practice the three karmas in conformity with the Dharma during the chaos of the five turbidities—he requests an answer regarding this matter. Now the answer has three parts: first, praising the question; second, directly answering; third, encouraging. The first is as in the text. Second, in directly answering, citing the nine rivers, an old explanation says: encountering one Buddha and making one vow causes one grain of sand to drop; though one encounters many Buddhas, if one does not make a vow, no sand drops; though one arouses the aspiration, if one does not see a Buddha, no sand drops either; though one sees one Buddha and arouses the aspiration many times, only one grain of sand drops; though one arouses the aspiration once and sees many Buddhas, still only one grain of sand drops. With such a count bringing it to the full measure of one Gaṅgā, this constitutes one Gaṅgā. The difference between the Hiraṇyavatī and the Gaṅgā is that the Hiraṇyavatī is north of Kuśinagara and is smaller even than the Bhadrā. The Gaṅgā flows into the Eastern Sea and is the greatest among the four rivers; hence it differs from the Hiraṇyavatī. If considered in terms of practitioners: with the Hiraṇyavatī, one merely hears without slandering; with one Gaṅgā, there is the addition of faithful joy; with two Gaṅgās, there is the addition of reading and reciting; with three Gaṅgās, one expounds the shallow meaning; with four Gaṅgās, one part is added; with five Gaṅgās, eight parts are added; with six Gaṅgās, twelve parts are added; with seven Gaṅgās, fourteen parts are added; with eight Gaṅgās, all sixteen parts are fully complete. At four Gaṅgās, progressing from delusion to attain understanding is difficult. At five Gaṅgās, progressing from understanding to attain further understanding is easy. From six Gaṅgās onward, it becomes increasingly deep and subtle and therefore difficult, just as advancing in officialdom to Grand Commandant is easy, but reaching Chancellor is difficult. This is still difficult to understand. As for the sixteen parts: it is like sixteen ounces making one pound in the mundane world. Master Xiānhuì says: the Hiraṇyavatī is the stage of the disciple, the eight Gaṅgās are the stage of the teacher, pairing two by two with the four reliances (and so forth). Kāishàn and Yěchéng say: all nine Gaṅgās belong to the stage of the first reliance. From the Hiraṇyavatī to two Gaṅgās is the initial mind of the lineage of practice-nature; from three Gaṅgās to five Gaṅgās is the intermediate mind of the lineage of nature-endowment; from six Gaṅgās to eight Gaṅgās is the latter mind of the lineage of path-nature. This too is extremely difficult to understand. If the Buddha Dharma in its entirety is weighed as one pound, then a person of the first reliance would have exhausted the Buddha Dharma completely—what would there be left to do upon reaching the third and fourth reliances? If the first reliance is weighed as one pound, then this is merely the dharma of the first reliance itself, so what does it have to do with the Buddha Dharma? Now we explain: from the Hiraṇyavatī to three Gaṅgās constitutes one part of the first reliance; eight parts constitute the second reliance; twelve and fourteen constitute the third reliance; sixteen constitutes the fourth reliance. The text says: "Fully understanding, exhausting its flavor (and so forth)." Third, from "If there is one who initially generates the aspiration" onward is the encouragement. The above explanation of encountering Buddhas through nine Gaṅgās is profoundly deep and remote; fearing that contemporary sentiments might be depressed and discouraged, it further guides and encourages them. As long as one generates the aspiration, in the future one will surely be able to protect, uphold, and establish [the Dharma].