大般涅槃經疏 19.7

19.7

Second, the king replies in verse. The verse consists of seventeen and a half lines together with a brief prose passage, divided into three parts: first, eleven and a half lines of verse generally explaining those who sleep peacefully; next, six lines generally explaining those who do not sleep peacefully; third, a brief prose passage properly explaining that the king cannot sleep peacefully. The first text also has four parts: first, four lines explaining that the Buddha obtains peaceful sleep; next, five and a half lines explaining that the bodhisattvas obtain peaceful sleep; third, one verse concluding on the Buddha; fourth, one verse concluding on the bodhisattvas. In the first part regarding the Buddha, there are two: the first two verses explain leaving behind saṃsāra to attain nirvāṇa; the next two verses explain leaving behind evil faults to attain the permanent abode. Yet the Buddha in reality has no sleep; because he is free from afflictions and abides in the nature of peace and bliss, it is figuratively said that he sleeps peacefully. From "The mind has no grasping" onwards, five and a half lines explain that the bodhisattvas obtain peaceful sleep. The third and fourth are as in the text. From "Sentient beings are blinded by the darkness of ignorance" onwards is the second, discerning the failure to obtain peaceful sleep, which also has two parts: first, three lines of doctrinal exposition; next, three lines of metaphorical exposition. The crown prince not yet succeeding to the throne means that the previous emperor has already passed away and the successor has not yet been established; with the four quarters not yet peaceful, he cannot sleep peacefully—it does not mean that the heir apparent in the Eastern Palace cannot sleep peacefully. From "Jīvaka, I now" onwards is the third, a brief prose passage properly explaining his own inability to sleep, which also has two parts: first, indicating; next, explaining. The initial indication also has two parts: first, indicating that the illness is severe; next, stating that there is no physician. From "Why is that?" onwards explains these two matters, also in two parts: first, explaining the severity of the illness; next, explaining the absence of a physician. From "Jīvaka replied, saying" onwards is the third, Jīvaka consoling him and exhorting him to go to the Buddha's place. The text has two parts: first, responding to the two preceding points; next, exhorting him to go to the Buddha's place. The initial response to the king's points also has two parts: first, explaining that the king's sin is light; next, showing the king the medicine. The first text also has four parts: first, because the king possesses the five virtues, [his sin] is light; second, because others lack the five virtues, [theirs] is heavy; third, concluding that lacking the five virtues constitutes an icchantika; fourth, concluding that the king, possessing the five virtues, is not an icchantika. In the initial part on possessing the five virtues, there are only four, omitting the matter of associating with a good spiritual friend because, looking from below up to above, in principle it should be present above. Furthermore, Jīvaka precisely fulfills the function of a good spiritual friend, and therefore modestly does not mention it. As for the four virtues: first, the king has shame and remorse; second, the king is able to repent; third, the king is able to disclose his faults. Disclosing and repenting are broadly similar, though not without slight difference: repentance is seeking forgiveness and regretting transgressions; disclosure is speaking of one's faults to others. Fourth, explaining that the king possesses faith. Yet while the four matters are already settled, he does not yet believe Jīvaka's words; if he definitively believed them, that would be the good spiritual friend, but because it is not yet settled, he only speaks of the four. From "If there are sentient beings" onwards is the second, explaining that because others lack the five virtues, their sin is heavy. Committing sin lacks the virtue of disclosure; concealing without repenting lacks the virtue of repentance; being rude and defiant lacks the virtue of shame; not seeing cause and effect lacks the virtue of faith; being unable to inquire lacks the virtue of a spiritual friend. From "How can a sinful person" onwards is the third, concluding on being an icchantika based on lacking the five virtues. From "Great King, you now" onwards is the fourth, concluding on not being an icchantika based on the king's possessing the five virtues. From "As the king said" onwards is the second, showing the king the medicine; the text has two parts: first, showing the good physician; next, showing the wonderful medicine. In first showing the good physician, the name Siddhārtha is translated here as "Accomplishing Benefit". From "Skillfully knowing the diverse faculties of sentient beings" onwards is the second, showing the wonderful medicine; the medicine is the superior Dharma and wonderful medicine. The good physician is clearly right nearby; how could one say there is no medicine? The text has two parts: first, explaining the knowledge of faculties; next, from "Twelve yojanas from here" onwards explains the expounding of the Dharma. This also has two parts: first, general; next, specific. The first text is expounding the Dharma in general; next, "whether existent or nonexistent" is expounding the Dharma specifically. The specific exposition also has two parts: first, based on two dharmas; next, based on three dharmas. In the initial two dharmas: nonexistent and existent are the two truths; conditioned and unconditioned are afflictions and nirvāṇa. Defiled and undefiled are the four truths; the fruition of afflictions is also suffering and origination, and the fruition of good dharmas is also the path and cessation. From "Whether material dharmas or non-material dharmas" onwards next explains the three kinds of dharmas: material, non-material, and neither material nor non-material. The Abhidharma masters say: form is the eleven kinds of form; non-form is the mind and mental factors; neither form nor non-form is the fourteen conditioning forces not associated with mind. The treatise masters say: form is the fourteen kinds of form; non-form is simply mental dharmas; neither form nor non-form is non-informative matter (avijñapti-rūpa). Master Guan says: form is material dharmas; non-form is mind; neither form nor non-form is the middle-way Dharma of the paramārthasatya that discards both. But this discarding of both is merely conventional truth—how could it constitute the middle way? Now we explain that this is not so. Previously the two truths were explained, and next the three truths are explained: form is the conventional truth; non-form is the ultimate truth; neither form nor non-form is the middle way paramārthasatya. Creating it oneself and experiencing it oneself is easily understood. Creating it oneself while another experiences it—a later text states: "There is no such thing as myself creating it and another person experiencing the retribution." The two texts seem to conflict, but each has its textual basis. Now let us provisionally explain creating it oneself while another experiences it. Others say: for example, because various people generate the mind, the king's sin is eliminated; furthermore, the merits created by the bodhisattvas are all dedicated to sentient beings so that sentient beings obtain bliss—this is also another experiencing it. Now we explain that this is not so. Creating it oneself and experiencing it oneself is entering emptiness from the provisional. Creating it oneself while another experiences it is emerging from emptiness into the provisional. Neither creating nor experiencing is precisely the middle way. The various texts are analogous to this. A later text says: "If at the Buddha's place one hears of neither creating nor experiencing, sins are immediately extinguished"; hence it is the middle way.