大般涅槃經疏 2.16

2.16

From the passage on the "Four Heavenly Kings" onward is the summoning of those from afar. If dividing the text according to the preceding [outline], this is the third: summoning the assemblies of the upper realms. There are five sections in total: First, the heavens of the desire realm. First the Four Heavenly Kings are explained, which is the category. "Each said to one another" represents receiving the summons. Truly, because they heard and saw the sound and light, they immediately used their divine vision to observe others offering worship, and so prepared their own. Coming to the Buddha's place is complying with the summons. For Śakra-devendra, there is only that which is summoned and the compliance with the summons, and so forth. Up to the sixth heaven, the three intermediate heavens are omitted and not mentioned. "Reaching up to the Akaniṣṭha (Summit of Existence)"—this should be the summit of the form realm. The Great Brahmā King is additionally listed, as in the text. Assessing the three summits, and so forth. Earlier it was argued that the Buddha's power must penetrate the three kinds of summits; here, regarding the offerings, only the summit of the form realm is clarified, and so forth. Next, the asura kings are listed. The father of Śacī: his direct retribution is inferior to the gods, but his dependent retribution is nearly equal. When it says their light was superior, this was the light of great bodhisattvas, and thus it may be called superior. Next, Māra's hosts. "Māra" means "the killer." Pāpīyas is called "the evil of evil"; dwelling at the summit of the six heavens, he is the lord of the desire realm. The text has three parts: first, categories and numbers; second, extending mercy and granting amnesties below; third, preparing offerings and presenting them. The presentation has two aspects: first, offering spells (dhāraṇī); second, offering material goods. The Buddha accepted the spells but did not accept the goods. Question: Since Māra is wicked and evil, how could he possess good spells? Answer: This spell was a teaching of a previous Buddha, which he happened to acquire. It is like someone in a kingdom coming upon a treasure and presenting it back to the king. Another interpretation states: Spells are the names of ghosts and spirits; upon hearing their names, they cannot cause harm. Just as a thief watches for wealth, but if the owner knows his name and calls it out upon awakening, the theft will not occur. Secondly, it is said: Spells are the names of the ghost and spirit kings; if one calls the king's name, the king restrains his party, and they will not cause harm either. Thirdly, it is said: Spells are like thunderbolts; ghosts and spirits fear their majesty and dare not cause harm. Fourthly, it is said: Spells are secret passwords, like military signals; if one responds correctly, they are released, but if not, they are punished. Ghosts and spirits are also like this: if one accords with the situation, they protect; if not, their heads split. Fifthly, it is said: Spells are the Buddha's commands, which none dare violate. Someone objected: Spells are bright spells, great bright spells, and peerless spells. If they are merely the five things such as the names of ghosts, how could they cause people to awaken to the fruits of the Path? The current interpretation is not so. If interpreted in an exclusive, one-sided way, one cannot accord with the Path; it should be understood as a Dharma gateway. The afflictions are the names of ghosts; fundamental ignorance is the ghost king; being able to destroy evil is like a thunderbolt; phenomena themselves being true is the secret password; the paramārthasatya is what the Buddha commands. Relying on this Dharma gateway, one will certainly attain the Path. Moreover, this accords with the meaning of the general and specific four siddhāntas: the first four are specific and the last one is general. There is no problem with this explanation. Next, Maheśvara (the Great Sovereign God) resides at the summit of the form realm and governs the trichiliocosm; bodhisattvas of the tenth ground manifest traces therein. If the Lotus Sūtra lists the Brahmā King as the lord of the world, what is the meaning of this? If speaking of the lord of the Sahā world, it is precisely Maheśvara. If speaking of Śikhin the Great Brahmā and others, this is further raising the second dhyāna to comprehensively encompass the Brahmā kings of the third and fourth dhyānas. It is also said: if he is called the lord of the world, he actually rules only a small chiliocosm, and the compiler of the sūtra praises him by calling him the lord of the world. My personal opinion is: within the trichiliocosm he can be the lord of the trichiliocosm; below this, he cannot be. The text has two parts: first, together with his peers, he is that which is summoned; second, presenting offerings is complying with the summons, as in the text. Next, from "At that time, in the eastern direction" onward, is summoning the assemblies of other lands. Some say the sound and light did not reach there, but that Buddha sent them of his own accord to this land. Yet according to the previous text, the light illuminated this trichiliocosm, and so forth up to the ten directions as well—how could this not be a summons by light? Furthermore, the passage on that Buddha dispatching them adequately contains the three summons: offering fragrant food to the Buddha is the summons by light; going there to pay homage is the summons by movement; asking for the resolution of doubts is the intention of the summons by sound. The text has two parts: first, explaining one direction; next, applying the same to the other three directions. The eastern direction has three pairs: first, that Buddha speaks of this Buddha, and this assembly sees that assembly; second, the great assembly here, through the inconceivable, sees without seeing the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body, and the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body, through the inconceivable, comes without coming; third, using that food to offer to this Buddha, and this Buddha does not accept that Buddha's offering. These three marks are again the three kinds of auspicious omens from the beginning of the sūtra. That Buddha speaking of this Buddha and this assembly seeing that assembly is the sound omen. This assembly seeing that assembly and that assembly coming here is the earth-shaking omen. That offering presented here and this Buddha not accepting it is the light omen. In the first pair, that Buddha speaking of this Buddha has four parts: first, clarifying distance; second, that Buddha speaks of this; third, setting out; fourth, manifesting omens, as in the text. Next, this assembly seeing that assembly also has four parts: first, fright; second, comforting; third, seeing that assembly; fourth, crying out in anguish. Now, when the great assembly sees the Buddha, they should give rise to joy; why do they cry out in anguish? Hearing that Buddha say that this Buddha is about to enter nirvāṇa is again the previous sound omen. Feeling the earth shake and tremble is again the previous earth-shaking omen. Seeing the light like a mirror is again the previous light omen. Having heard and seen these things, because that Buddha made the manifestation of nirvāṇa on behalf of this one, they cry out in anguish. Question: This assembly consists entirely of those who practice alongside the Buddha; for what reason are they frightened? Answer: Now, when discussing the real, the focus is not on the provisional. Furthermore, the stages of the ten grounds have superior and inferior grades; what is done by the superior grade is not known by the inferior grade. As for what is accomplished by the Buddha's power, if the Buddha lends divine power, even insects can know it; if he does not lend divine power, they cannot know it. This Bodhisattva of Boundless Body relied on the Buddha's divine power to manifest this omen; what doubt is there that Maheśvara would be frightened? Next, the second pair. First, from the great assembly seeing each single pore of the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body, it explains this bodhisattva displaying the inconceivable seeing without seeing. Clarifying a single pore is seeing the small; accommodating seventy-eight thousand cities with magnificent adornments is seeing the large. Yet the measure of his body is equal to empty space; since empty space is neither large nor small, how could it be fully described? And yet it does not prevent him from coming from there. The immense and the minute accommodate each other: the pore does not widen, nor do the cities shrink. Furthermore, hearing the sounds of joy and pleasure, hearing the sound of crying out in anguish, and hearing the sound of purely expounding the Great Vehicle—this means that non-suffering and non-pleasure do not obstruct each other. The reason the bodhisattva manifested these events was to signify that the present Buddha's entering into parinirvāṇa is also inconceivable. Next, from "At that time, the Bodhisattva of Boundless Body, together with immeasurable bodhisattvas," this is that bodhisattva coming without coming through the inconceivable. Next, in the third pair: first, offering to the Buddha; next, not accepting, as in the text. Next, applying this to the other three directions, all as in the text. Question: Since his body is boundless, and both this land and other lands are upon the tip of a single hair, how could he suddenly come from there to here? This would mean coming from that boundary to this boundary; the great assembly here seeing him come from there means this boundary sees that boundary. An old explanation says: It is a partial boundlessness, and therefore there is coming and going. This should not be so. Since it is said that his measure is equal to empty space, how could empty space have a partial or a full portion? Since you speak of a partial portion, it is not identical to space. Now it is explained that the bodhisattva's inconceivable form is precisely the bounded as the boundless, the boundless as the bounded, and neither bounded nor boundless. The bounded being the boundless: its measure is equal to empty space. The boundless being the bounded: from there to here, this [assembly] sees that one come. Although it is bounded and boundless, neither bounded nor boundless, it can be both bounded and boundless; therefore it is called inconceivable. If it were fixed, it would not be inconceivable. For example, regarding the sixteen-foot body, Brahmā cannot see the top of his head; it is neither seen nor not seen, yet capable of being seen and capable of not being seen. It is like wearing a mirror beside one's body: the body is inside the mirror, yet inside is not inside, and what is not inside is inside. Furthermore, it is like the sun not descending into the pond and the water not ascending, yet the reflection appears in the water. Even stubborn, obstructive matter is already hard to conceive, how much more so the inconceivable—how could it be grasped by ordinary sentiment?