大般涅槃經疏 2.5

2.5

Third, from "two Gaṅgā sands" onward, the miscellaneous assembly is listed. This has three parts: first, twenty-one assemblies of increasing numbers; next, eight assemblies of equal numbers; third, one assembly of uncounted number. For the first [assembly of] two Gaṅgās, the text has three parts (and so forth). Within the initial summons, there are also the number, category, names, praises, and conclusion. First, the two Gaṅgās are the number; being beyond what the worldly can comprehend, they are therefore measured by the Gaṅgā. From "upāsakas" onward is, second, the category. The *Śāriputrābhidharma* calls them "men and women who have left desire"; the *Zheng fahua* calls them "pure, faithful gentlemen and ladies"; the *Mahākāruṇika Sūtra* calls them "meritorious gentlemen and meritorious ladies"; or they are called "men and women of good lodging." Although there are multiple terms, they are generically called the two lay assemblies. If explained distinctively: their appearance is worldly, but originally they have never married, constantly attending upon the Tathāgata. As these two assemblies, they are the two assemblies that have left desire. If they have previously married, but now uphold the five precepts and permanently cut off worldly ways, they then have merit in the Buddhadharma, and are called "meritorious gentlemen." If their worldly practices are not neglected, yet they uphold the five precepts and additionally observe the eight fasts, they are called "men and women of good lodging." Furthermore, those who only take the three refuges are called "non-portion upāsakas." If [they uphold] one or two [precepts], they are called "minor-portion"; if three or four, they are called "major-portion"; if they completely uphold all five, they are called "full-portion." When the sūtra says "replete," this is the full portion. Moreover, completely upholding the five precepts but seeking only human and heavenly states is the non-portion; combining this with the dread of saṃsāra and aspiring to nirvāṇa is the minor-portion; doing so for the sake of sentient beings is the major-portion; and knowing that precepts are the dharmadhātu, encompassing all phenomena solely for the sake of the Buddha path, is the full-portion. As for "replete with deportment": having deportment is to be constantly accompanied by propriety, constantly accompanied by precepts, constantly accompanied by impermanence, constantly accompanied by compassion, constantly accompanied by dharmatā, constantly dwelling in the śūraṅgama-samādhi, able to manifest in diverse forms throughout the images of the ten realms, every lifting and lowering of the foot being complete with the Buddhadharma, brothels and taverns being nothing other than the correct path—dwelling in the Buddha's deportment is alone called replete. One should know that the five precepts and deportment have both the fundamental and the trace; being able to remain unmoved in the fundamental while universally manifesting all traces is called being replete with precepts and deportment. Question: If this is the meaning for upāsakas, how is it for śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas? Answer: The principle must necessarily be so, but without seeing nominal teaching to that effect, the deluded do not believe it. Let us now tentatively state it: the four roots of goodness are the non-portion; the śrāvaka's first fruit is the minor-portion; the second and third fruits are the major-portion; the non-learner is the full-portion. Furthermore, these four portions, in relation to the Great Vehicle, are all non-portions; severing [delusions of] dust and sand is the minor-portion; severing one or two grades of ignorance is the major-portion; exhausting ignorance is the full-portion. Thus the *Lotus Sūtra* says, "We today are truly śrāvakas," for making all hear the voice of the Buddha path is the major-portion śrāvaka. The stages of dry wisdom and nature are non-portion bodhisattvas; from the eight [patient] persons to the sixth stage, where their severing of afflictions equals that of arhats, is the minor-portion; the seventh stage cultivating the path of expedient means is the major-portion; the eighth stage where the path and contemplation flow together is the full-portion. Furthermore, the thirty minds are the non-portion; the first and second bhūmis are the minor-portion; the third through ninth bhūmis are the major-portion; the tenth bhūmi is the full-portion. Furthermore, the ten faiths are the non-portion; the ten abodes are the minor-portion; the [ten] practices and [ten] dedications are the major-portion; the tenth bhūmi is the full-portion. Furthermore, the shared teaching's ten bhūmis and distinct teaching's thirty minds are the non-portion; the distinct teaching's ten bhūmis and perfect teaching's ten abodes are the minor-portion; the perfect teaching's ten practices and ten dedications are the major-portion; the perfect teaching's ten bhūmis are the full-portion. That all sentient beings have buddhadhātu but lack vision and function is the non-portion buddha; at the initial abode and initial bhūmi, being able to manifest buddhahood in a hundred worlds is the minor-portion buddha; from the second abode and second bhūmi upward is the major-portion buddha; wondrous awakening is the full-portion buddha. For this reason, each and every Dharma gate has the provisional and real, fundamental and trace; such is this meaning. Question: What is the meaning regarding dung beetles, vipers, and scorpions? Answer: A single wholesome phenomenon possesses four portions; by analogy, an unwholesome phenomenon should also be like this, but lacking nominal teaching, we leave it undiscussed. Yet speaking in terms of provisional manifestations: what is done by minor bodhisattvas is the non-portion; what is done as vipers and scorpions by the initial bhūmi and initial abode is the minor-portion; up to what is done by the tenth bhūmi, tenth abode, etc., is the major-portion; what is done by the Tathāgata is the full-portion. Therefore, there can be provisional and real assemblies; the real are summoned and the provisional are invited, hence it is called "summoning and inviting." From "their names were" onward, third, listing names lists only two persons. The Stainless Repute King is perhaps Vimalakīrti, who reproached the eight thousand and rebuked the five hundred; he is that person. Good Virtue is perhaps the one who set up the feast at his father's house; he is that person. They are the foremost of the two Gaṅgās. From "deeply delighting in observing" onward, fourth, praising virtues. First praise, then conclusion. The praise has seeking above and transforming below; from "thirteen remedies" onward, it praises seeking above. The old commentaries say: using suffering as medicine remedies the sickness of pleasure; permanence, impermanence, and the rest are also like this. We clarify now that this pertains to the initial teaching, not the intent of the present sūtra. The old commentaries also say: these remedies are the contemplation of the six practices, citing the text below: "Impermanence is saṃsāra, permanence is great nirvāṇa; non-self is śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, self is the Tathāgata's dharmakāya; suffering is all outsiders, bliss is great nirvāṇa; impurity is all conditioned phenomena, purity is the correct Dharma possessed by buddhas and bodhisattvas." Yet it was further examined that this contemplation of the six practices was not explained earlier, but is only explained in the second fascicle, where roaming in pairs is first clarified in the bird parable; one should not use this to praise the virtues of the upāsakas, but rather the compiler of the sūtra took the later overarching meaning and praised it in advance. Xinghuang similarly said: when the monks first arrived, none were arhats; the compiler of the sūtra took their later awakening to non-learning and praised it in advance. If this is not so for the monks, how could it be so for the lay assembly? One should know that those who practice alongside the Buddha have long since mastered this contemplation; hence they are praised. Furthermore, it is examined: first, where medicine and sickness correspond to each other, this may indeed be a remedy; but how can the roaming in pairs of the six practices be a remedy? The explanation is: when medicine and sickness correspond, sickness is removed while medicine remains, which is a one-sided remedy; when the six practices roam in pairs, each serves as medicine and sickness for the other, and when sickness is removed medicine is forgotten, which is the perfect remedy. If so, those practicing alongside the Buddha have long penetrated the six contemplations, so there is no doubt about praising them; but what about the other real practitioners? The provisional leading the real is also possible, as the text below says: "Those who received the previous teaching used the medicine of impermanence to remedy the sickness of permanence, yet though the sickness of permanence was removed, they again grasped at impermanence." Hearing the medicine of permanence to destroy the sickness of impermanence is what the present teaching uses; the three cultivations below using the superior to destroy the inferior is this very meaning. Second, originally not receiving the previous teaching, they cultivate sequentially through the great nirvāṇa: first cultivating impermanence to remedy permanence, next cultivating permanence to remedy impermanence, destroying the twenty-five realms of existence to attain the twenty-five samādhis and dwell in great nirvāṇa; this is the ocean of great nirvāṇa gradually deepening. Thus it completely possesses both kinds of remedies; why relegate one to the previous teaching and one to the later teaching? Third, there is further one practice that is the Tathāgata's practice, complete with permanence, impermanence, both permanence and impermanence, and neither permanence nor impermanence. Cultivating the six contemplations perfectly, it doubly remedies permanence and impermanence, mutually serving as medicine and sickness; sickness removed and medicine forgotten, both sickness and remedy are abandoned, which is why this is called the gate of remedies. If speaking of one practice being all practices, it is as clarified in the holy practice; if speaking of roaming in pairs, it is as explained in the bird parable. The upāsakas are complete with this virtuous practice; the previous two are still shallow, while the latter one is profound. The text says "deeply delighting in observing all gates of remedies," which praises the third meaning. The dispositions of the fifty-two assemblies are different, but do not exceed three types; the provisional accord with the real to lead toward nirvāṇa. When entering nirvāṇa, not even one type exists, how much less three? This is the true meaning of the gate of remedies, and also expresses the intent of the Tathāgata's secret teaching of expedient means. The text directly praises the provisional leading the real; if there were no real practice, what would the provisional lead? If there were no provisional, the real would have no guide. Since it praises the provisional, it also tangentially praises the real; why judge them as belonging to earlier and later teachings? If distinguishing by traversing the propositions, one should say: relishing the worldly is suffering, sinking into the real is bliss; sinking into the real is suffering, discriminating is bliss; permanence, self, purity, and the rest are also like this. Furthermore, sinking into emptiness is suffering, great nirvāṇa is bliss; sinking into emptiness is bliss, great nirvāṇa is suffering; up to the superior and non-superior being likewise. Question: What is the difference between constant (*heng*) and permanent (*chang*)? Answer: Not arising from causes and conditions is permanent; not varying from beginning to end is constant. All of these are sicknesses of the two extremes; mutually serving as medicine and sickness, they are called gates, opening into the middle way which is neither medicine nor sickness, forgetting both extremes and middle. Delighting in hearing is the aforementioned intent of revering the Great Vehicle, like the ocean receiving streams, like space containing forms. Being able to explain for others means knowing wisdom lies in explaining; skillful wisdom understands deeply and also combines transforming below. Up to this point is the meaning of taking principle as the Great Vehicle. Thirsting for the Great Vehicle is the aforementioned dwelling stably and being satisfied. Others thirsting combines the intent of transforming below. Skillfully gathering and receiving is the aforementioned deep understanding. Loving delight is as above in terms of phenomenal practice; protecting and guarding is as above in terms of teaching; skillfully according with is praising transforming below. The general and specific praises of the four universal vows are fully as explained above. Being adorned with great adornment concludes the praise text, as explained above. From "all able to" onward, fifth, conclusion, as in the text.