大般涅槃經疏 3.10

3.10

From "At that time the World-Honoured One" onwards is the second [section]: accepting the offering. The text has three parts: first, granting acceptance of the almsgiving; second, the actual acceptance; and third, explaining the almsgiving. Granting acceptance also has two parts: first, narrating the consent; and second, the Buddha vocally proclaiming his consent. First, the compiler of the sūtra raises three epithets. Because the Buddha assented to his request, he granted it in response through these three epithets: raising "World-Honoured One" grants being his lord; raising "All-Modes-Knowledge" (sarvākārajñatā) grants being his master; and raising "Tamer" grants being his kin. Since he grants being his lord, he cuts off his poverty; since he grants being his kin, he dispels his destitution; since he grants being his master, he removes his distress. The three losses are regained, and the three quests are fulfilled. "World-Honoured One" means that he is looked up to by all, just as in the world a filial child serves their parents, a brahmin serves fire, and the devas venerate Śakra. Serving parents conveys the meaning of kin; serving fire conveys the meaning of master; and venerating Śakra conveys the meaning of lord, and so forth. Furthermore, "World-Honoured One" means that just as the stars of those in training and beyond training look up to the moon of the Buddha, and just as the waters of the four kinds of bodhisattvas encircle the Buddha as Mount Sumeru, the precious mountain. The similes of the sandalwood forest, the lion, and so forth are metaphors for morality, concentration, and wisdom. Being revered and looked up to by the world, he is called "World-Honoured One". As for "All-Modes-Knowledge": he may universally confront all beings with his physical body endowed with marks and signs, and each being understands in their own way; hence it is named "All-Modes-Knowledge". Why? In the world there are sentient beings who worship eighty gods, and each god has a feature; according to what they behold, they see what they worship. The Tathāgata's single body causes all of them to understand universally; hence it is called All-Modes-Knowledge. Furthermore, one does not take the physical body to be the Buddha; one takes All-Modes-Knowledge to be the Buddha. All-Modes-Knowledge relies upon this physical body to manifest its ornamentation of marks; one should know that because wisdom is fully complete, it is called All-Modes-Knowledge. As for "Tamer": adapting to capacities and conditions, responding with appearance or extinction, accepting or not accepting—all are done to tame all sentient beings. Other sūtras treat "Tamer" and "Leader" (puruṣadamya-sārathi) as two titles; the present sūtra combines them into one title. The text states: "Being a hero himself, he further tames heroes." "Well said, well said!" endorses his two requests, in doctrine and in simile. Next, from "I shall now eliminate your poverty" onwards, is the Buddha's vocal proclamation of consent: cutting off poverty grants [being his] lord; the rain of Dharma grants [being his] master; causing the sprout of Dharma to grow grants [being his] kin. From "You now [desire to seek from me]" onwards is the actual acceptance. "You now desire to seek from me permanent life, physical strength..." recounts his request for a father; "peace" recounts his request for a lord; "unimpeded eloquence" recounts his request for a master. "I shall bestow them upon you" is precisely granting the three, and so forth. The old [commentators] explained that the real essence of nirvāṇa is permanence, which cures impermanence. Therefore, in setting forth the five periods, they said: Although the Prajñā sūtras explain the dignified and special Buddha in order to accomplish non-arising, and although the Śūraṅgama-sūtra speaks of seven hundred asaṃkhyeyas, how could they equal the immeasurable lifespan of the Lotus Sūtra? Yet the immeasurable lifespan of the Lotus Sūtra is still impermanence; only when reaching the teaching of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra are permanence and bliss first made clear. Remotely rejecting the Deer Park and closely refuting the Lotus Sūtra, they make all converge in the perfect permanence of the Nirvāṇa, as the discourse that fathoms the source and exhausts the nature. Those who speak in this way selectively pluck a single phrase spoken in response to conditions from the various sūtras and interpret it as impermanence, and selectively seize upon the permanence that cures illness in the Nirvāṇa as the real essence; both approaches are mistaken. Why? Prajñā is the mother of the Buddhas, and Nirvāṇa is the master of the Buddhas; the Śūraṅgama has the three Buddhas, and Nirvāṇa has the three dots [of the letter 'i']; the Lotus has the One Vehicle, and Nirvāṇa has the buddhadhātu. The One Vehicle is itself the buddhadhātu, because all sentient beings are entirely of the One Vehicle. How could the One Vehicle in turn refute the One Vehicle? How could the dharmakāya refute the Dharma-Buddha? How could the master of the Buddhas refute the mother of the Buddhas? Therefore, one should know that being confused about their expedient means and bewildered by the divisions of the teachings, they mutually affirm and deny, losing the correct purport. We do not accept this now. Although the Dilun masters do not hold to the five periods, by using future and present permanence to refute the meaning of impermanence, the force of their doctrine is similar and already shares the same flaw as the old [masters]. Master Xīnghuáng explained: Permanence and impermanence are medicine and illness curing one another: impermanence cures permanence. If one recognizes that impermanence is an expedient to cure permanence, when the illness is gone, the medicine is exhausted. If one does not recognize this, one clings to the medicine as the illness; the illness is the view of annihilation, hence it is said, "The king's illness is now severe." Permanence curing impermanence is also an expedient; when the illness is gone, the medicine is exhausted. If one does not recognize this, it turns into the view of permanence. If one recognizes both expedients, one can cut off both annihilation and permanence, and then it is neither annihilation nor permanence. Therefore, when the wise see dharmas arise, they extinguish the view of annihilation; when they see dharmas cease, they extinguish the view of permanence. If one does not recognize this, they remain the two views. Now we clarify that this interpretation is different from the old ones. If one grasps the meaning, there is nothing to find fault with; but if one pursues the words and generates conceptualizations, it shares the same illness as before. Why? Criticizing permanence and impermanence is a mutual discussion of expedients, pointing to neither-permanence-nor-impermanence as the real essence; this is like fleeing emptiness to seek emptiness, which takes one farther away from emptiness. Why? The Buddha stated that the karmic retributions of the two givings are equal and without distinction. If what was preached formerly was that the five fruits are impermanent, and what is preached now is that they are permanent, then there could indeed be a distinction. Only if both permanence and impermanence are neither-permanence-nor-impermanence are they equal and without distinction, which also reveals and manifests the esoteric teaching of expedient means. If one grasps this intention, nothing in the Prajñā or Śūraṅgama is not esoteric. However, this meaning of permanence is the throat and collar of this teaching, the heart and head of all sūtras, the dwelling place of the multitude of sages, and the dharmadhātu of all Buddhas; it is inconceivable, and the Tathāgata's wisdom cannot exhaust its exposition. Whether it be rigid permanence, future/present permanence, or the permanence that cures illness—how could these accord with the perfect principle? Let us now try to speak of it: The Buddha's appearance in the world is fundamentally for the sake of the one great cause and condition. The great cause and condition is itself permanent abiding. Because the permanent Dharma encompasses all, it is called "great"; because it permanently establishes all dharmas, it is called "cause"; because permanent capacities evoke permanent responses, it is called "condition". Permanence has no distinction, yet through distinction one speaks of permanence. Later the text states: "That which all Buddhas take as their master is the Dharma. Because the Dharma is permanent, all Buddhas are also permanent; all Buddhas of the three periods of time take this permanence as their master. In permanence there is neither master nor disciple, yet both master and disciple are permanent." Such distinctions are named the "worldly permanence". "I shall now eliminate your poverty and pour down the supreme rain of Dharma upon the field of your body, causing the sprout of Dharma to grow. You now desire to seek from me lifespan, physical strength, peace, and unimpeded eloquence; I shall bestow upon you permanent life, physical strength, peace, and unimpeded eloquence." It also states: "I now take pity on you and all beings; therefore I wish to enter nirvāṇa today. If devas and humans make this final offering to me, all shall attain the unshakeable karmic retribution." Such passages all illuminate that the permanent Dharma gives rise to permanent goodness; this is named the "permanence for persons". If one wishes to depart far from the four inversions, one should know permanence, bliss, self, and purity: "self" is the meaning of the Buddha; "permanence" is the dharmakāya; "bliss" is nirvāṇa; "purity" is the correct Dharma. By means of these four, one shatters the four inversions. It also states: "The marks of the four dharmas cultivated previously were all inversions. If one wishes to attain truth and cultivate various conceptions, one should be like that wise person who skillfully cultivates the conception of self, permanence, bliss, and purity. For example, a skilled physician first cures the original illness with salty and bitter [medicines]; although the original illness is gone, the patient suffers again from the salty and bitter, so later he cures the salty and bitter with pure milk. The Buddha is also like this: he first cures the illness of permanence with impermanence; once the illness of permanence is gone, they fall ill with impermanence; now he shatters the former impermanence with true permanence. Therefore he says: 'I am the king of physicians, wishing to subdue the non-Buddhists; therefore I proclaim no-self and no-person. For this reason and condition, I preach that there is a self.' Permanence shattering impermanence is also like this. Furthermore, the eastern pair signifies using permanence to shatter impermanence. Moreover, the two birds flying together illustrates the non-dual two functions of the Tathāgata. Such passages all illuminate the permanent Dharma as counteracting and shattering impermanence." The Treatise [on the Great Prajñāpāramitā] also states: "Permanence and impermanence are antidotal dharmas, not the ultimate truth (paramārthasatya)." This is named the "antidotal permanence". The ultimate truth is neither permanent nor impermanent. The present sūtra also states: "The karmic retributions of the two givings are equal and without distinction." If permanence shatters impermanence, and impermanence is different from permanence, then there is distinction, which is not the ultimate truth. The ultimate truth is neither permanent nor impermanent, and therefore has no distinction. If the two birds flying together illuminates their two functions, the two birds resting together illuminates their dual quiescence; quiescence within function, and cessation as bliss—this is the great nirvāṇa. Such passages are all the "permanence of the ultimate truth". One should know that this permanence is unimpeded across the four siddhāntas: permanence also demarcates the great matter of causes and conditions; permanence also enters the quiescent, ultimate, wondrous principle; permanence also gives birth to and establishes all dharmas; permanence also counteracts and shatters inversions and delusions. Its freedom is like this. How could one grasp it one-sidedly, treating it merely as the mutual play of medicine and illness in an antidote, thereby burying the perfect power and harming the various sūtras and treatises? Furthermore, the great nirvāṇa is inherently possessed from the beginning; it is not something that just began now. Moreover, all the twenty-five states of existence possess the self; the self is the buddhadhātu, and the buddhadhātu is permanent. The buddhadhātu is heroic and fierce, difficult to destroy. These many texts and meanings are precisely "present permanence". It also states: "All who have minds shall become Buddhas; in the future they shall attain permanence, bliss, self, and purity." Such passages are precisely "future permanence". Furthermore, that there are dharmas in the three periods of time is impossible. Since there are no three periods of time, how could there still be present permanence and future permanence? The Vimalakīrti Sūtra states: "It is only through worldly words and letters that the three periods of time are spoken of; it does not mean that bodhi has past, future, or present." If one stubbornly clings to future and present, each relying on the three periods of time, failing to understand my meaning, how could one accord with the purport of the verse? Moreover, this permanence reveals and manifests the Tathāgata's esoteric teaching of expedient means. Formerly, permanence was concealed; now it is disclosed and explained that permanence is not distinct: present permanence is different from former impermanence, yet opening the former impermanence is itself present permanence. Next, as for "I shall now eliminate your poverty": if one eliminates the poverty of the four destinies, one opens up the impermanence of all evils to reveal permanence. The text below says: "Confessing the four grave prohibitions, eliminating the mind that slanders the Dharma, exhausting the five heinous sins, and extinguishing the icchantika." This is its meaning. If one cuts off the poverty of humans and devas, one opens up the impermanence of all goods to reveal permanence. The text says: "I now do not seek the body of a deva or human in this place; even if I were to obtain it, my mind would not relish it." It also states: "By destroying this physical form, one obtains permanent form, and so forth." This is its meaning. If one cuts off the poverty of the two vehicles, one opens up the impermanence of the undefiled to reveal permanence. The text says: "Opening the wisdom eye for all śrāvakas, and so forth." If one cuts off the poverty of expedient bodhisattvas, one opens up the impermanence of the common and distinct six perfections to reveal permanence. The text says: "Causing all bodhisattvas to clearly see the buddhadhātu." It also says: "Prior to this, all of us were called people of wrong views." In general summary, opening all that has remainder to be without remainder, and opening all that is non-definitive to be definitive meaning—this is named revealing and manifesting the Tathāgata's esoteric teaching of expedient means, completely placing them within the secret treasury of the three dots and the four virtues. Furthermore, this permanence is itself the buddhadhātu, and the buddhadhātu is permanent. Having opened permanence, one thereby opens the buddhadhātu. Since he acts as kin for them to open the direct cause, acts as lord to open the conditional cause, acts as master to open the revealing cause, eliminating poverty opens the nature of the objective realm, and all attaining the unshakeable karmic retribution opens the nature of the fruit. If we analogize according to this meaning, what person, what dharma, what teaching, what practice, what stage, or what function is not permanent? What dharma is not neither-permanent-nor-impermanent? How could there still be differentiated natures such as good, evil, or the three vehicles? Ultimately, all are the great parinirvāṇa, where the path of words is cut off and the realm of mental activity ceases, inconceivable, vertically deep and horizontally vast, boundless and bottomless, able to establish the great meaning and pervade the dharmadhātu without exhaustion. How could one judge it to be rigid permanence, permanence that cures illness, or future and present permanence? Such meaning of permanence is like empty space; we have briefly outlined it against the four schools. Next, the names of the five fruits in the actual acceptance are not explained in the text. In private reflection: since the five are all fruits, they fully encompass all the myriad virtues of cause and effect. First, we explain the names; next, we match them with dharmas. The five dharmas are all permanent; hence it first says "permanent". Continuing and sustaining is called "life". Permanent life is without beginning and without end, without discontinuation, taking non-form as form. My present body is itself the dharmakāya; its operation is power, pervading all places, with endless function. Non-motion is called "peace". Although possessing power and function, it is stable and unmoved. Responding to capacities, it has eloquence, universally bestowing the Dharma medicine with unconditioned compassion. Next, matching them with dharmas: these are the three secrets. Life is the mental secret; form, power, and peace are the physical secret; unimpeded eloquence is the vocal secret. They are also called the four virtues: mind is the virtue of permanence; body is bliss and self; speech is the virtue of purity. If one grasps this meaning, throughout all dharmas there is nothing that is not these five. The Buddha is endowed with these five, and therefore bestows them upon others; because the five are permanent, the giving is also inexhaustible; that which is called inexhaustible is precisely the five fruits.