大般涅槃經疏 4.20

4.20

First, the exhortation to teach. The parable consists of the presentation and the application. Here it opens into six kinds of friendliness, namely from the principle up to the ultimate. From the "poor woman" down to "further suffered from illnesses" illustrates friendliness in principle. Poverty illustrates absence of wisdom; illness illustrates absence of eradication [of defilements]; having no home illustrates lacking the five fruits of permanence; having no savior illustrates having neither master nor kin. Although the woman is poor and ill, she has the capacity to bear a child; although the principle lacks wisdom and eradication, it has the capacity for understanding and explanation. Below it says, "Friendliness is the root of all goodness," and so forth. Being "driven by hunger and thirst to wander about begging" corresponds to friendliness in name and words. Lack of wisdom is hunger; lack of concentration is thirst. Driven by delusion and distraction, one seeks quietude and wisdom, just as white silk is easily dyed. Having a slight knowledge of terms and numbers and a slight attainment of the general direction is friendliness in name and words. "Lodging in an inn of others" is friendliness in contemplative practice. One contemplates the five aggregates as an inn, gathering at dusk and dispersing at dawn; one contemplates the six sense-bases as an empty village where greedy people seek possessions; one contemplates the six sense-objects as fierce bandits whom the foolish do not know to evade, burning with passion, so that one feels pity for them—how could this not be friendliness in contemplative practice? Up to this friendliness, all are collectively called understanding and explanation; the understanding and explanation have not yet become manifest, just as a woman, though able to give birth, has not yet manifested the child, which can be compared to being pregnant with an only child—this is similarity friendliness. Contemplating the lodging of the aggregates just now gives rise to pure understanding, like giving birth to a child. In this friendliness, teaching is already manifest, like the child being born. Throughout the preceding stages of friendliness and teaching, there are obstructions and difficulties; when reaching the stage of similarity, the friendliness wholly subdues them with alternating strength and weakness, and therefore at this position the various obstructions and difficulties are spoken of, which in fact apply to what precedes. The "innkeeper driving her out" illustrates the retribution obstruction obstructing the understanding of wisdom. In meaning it is described as driving her out; friendliness and understanding share the same essence, hence it says "holding the child in her arms." Facing the city of nirvāṇa, she thus "reaches another land." It is after friendliness in name and words and before friendliness in partial realization; being between the two posts, it is called "midway." Encountering "foul wind and rain" is internal karmic obstruction; "mosquitoes and gadflies biting and stinging" are external karmic obstructions; "passing by the Ganges" is the defilement obstruction. "Crossing while holding the child in her arms" means that amidst the three obstructions she does not abandon the correct teaching, teaching that the aggregates, realms, and sense-bases are neither permanent nor impermanent, teaching that all bad karma is neither bound nor unbound, and teaching that all defilements are neither bright nor dark. Through similarity friendliness and similarity understanding, the obstructions cannot obstruct her, hence it says "and crossed." The "waters drifting swiftly" means the power of the three obstructions is strong, surging to seize the teaching of friendliness; yet the essence of the teaching of friendliness is sublime and does not succumb to the three obstructions, hence it says "and did not let go." "Thereupon mother and son sank together": both friendliness and contemplative understanding advance from similarity into partial realization, hence it says "sank together." "This woman, through the merit of her thoughts of friendliness, was born in the Brahmā heaven": the "heaven" generally refers to the two contemplative friendlinesses of partial realization and the ultimate. Below, in the application of the parable, its meaning becomes clear naturally, and so forth. From "Mañjuśrī, if there is a good man" onward is the application of the parable. It first applies to the four friendlinesses jointly, and then applies to the two friendlinesses jointly. To explain them in a general manner: from the preceding friendliness in principle onward, one should not be one-sidedly conflated, one-sidedly understanding, or one-sidedly teaching. The initial text has three parts: first, correctly protecting without one-sided teaching; second, adducing faults [showing] one must not teach one-sidedly; third, contradicting principle [showing] one must not teach one-sidedly. One-sided teaching is not correct protection, and correct protection is not one-sided teaching; one-sided teaching lacks the eye of wisdom, and the eye of wisdom does not teach one-sidedly; one-sided teaching contradicts the correct principle, and how could the correct principle be taught one-sidedly? In these three textual passages, much is refuted, and so forth. From "if with right view" onward applies to the latter two friendlinesses: applying to the former, it permits the circular teaching and does not permit the one-sided teaching; applying to the latter, it opens the one-sided teaching and does not speak of the circular teaching. If discussed comprehensively, both earlier and later contain both the one-sided and the circular, manifesting mutually: earlier, not yet having seen the capacity and principle, it was appropriate only to permit the circular and halt the one-sided, which is why the text says "reproaching oneself as foolish." Later, seeing the capacity and principle, it even permits the one-sided teaching, how much more so the circular? Therefore the text speaks of "those with right view." Furthermore, "right view" is itself circular view; if one sees existence or non-existence, it is not called unconditioned; only when possessing both existence and non-existence is it called circular. In the text there are four parts: first, opening the one-sided teaching; second, explaining the seeing of capacities; third, repeating the parable to match the initial sinking; fourth, repeating the parable to match the subsequent realization. The initial opening of the one-sided is as in the text. Second, explaining the seeing of capacities: being able to act for sentient beings is seeing the worldly capacity; because it produces wholesome dharmas, it is seeing the capacity for the individual as well as seeing the capacity for the paramārthasatya; producing a mind of pity is the antidotal capacity. The third and fourth are as in the text. Next, from "Like a person traveling far" is the exhortation to contemplate, which has a parable and an application. The parable also has two parts: first, the direct exhortation; second, the repeated exhortation. As for the first text, the six-fascicle [version] calls it the parable of the man. This opens six kinds of meanings of contemplation, from contemplation in principle up to ultimate contemplation. Traveling far illustrates contemplation in principle: being distant from subsequent stages is called "far"; the principle being tranquil yet illuminating is called "traveling." "Midway" illustrates contemplation in name and words; between the beginning and the end is generally called "midway." "Exhaustion" means the weariness of defilements and the constraint of saṃsāra; inquiring with modesty and seeking benefit are all exhaustion. "Lodging in the house of another" illustrates contemplation in contemplative practice: living in the illusion of the triple world is like lodging; the five desires do not belong to oneself but are provisionally entrusted to another; the aggregates and sense-bases are like a house; being oppressed by ignorance is like lying down; sinking into stupor without awakening is like sleeping. "Suddenly a fire broke out": fire is impermanence, coming without a set route, hence it says "abruptly broke out." Abruptly breaking out as impermanence is the retribution obstruction. Above, the three obstructions were complete; here, one is briefly adduced. "Immediately awakened in alarm" illustrates similarity contemplation: what was not attained in the past being attained now is "alarm"; similarity understanding bordering on the real is "awakening." Saying "certain to die": understanding and delusion repel each other, and though delusion is intense, it will perish before long, like entering the sea and seeing it level, hence it says "certain to die." Although knowing he is certain to die, he has not yet died. Unable to enter sagehood and remaining only in white dharmas, he therefore feels "shame and conscience." "Clothes wrapped around his body": clothes illustrate contemplation; the body illustrates the object. If one engages in one-sided contemplation, illumination of the object is incomplete, which is shameful. In circular contemplation of the circular object, there is nothing to be ashamed of, hence it says "wrapped around his body." "Then he died": others interpret this as being questioned, dying of exhaustion through defeat. However, if one died from defeat, the countless who die should be born in the Brahmā heaven; since they are not so born, one should know this is incorrect. Here, "died" means the similarity contemplation passes away. "Born in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven" means the contemplation of partial realization arises. This illustrates two completions: the thirty-two ministers are the meaning of partial realization; regarding the single master, it is the meaning of the ultimate. Speaking of the Brahmā king and the wheel-turning king further illustrates the ultimate contemplation; "unborn" and so forth reveal that which is transcended. From "Good man" onward is the repeated exhortation not to contemplate [improperly]. From "Mañjuśrī, the Tathāgata's true..." onward is the application of the parable, which only applies to the contemplation of partial realization from "then he died" onward. From "If one is able in this way" onward applies to "born in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven" above. Others match this text's thirty-two marks to the master, not to the ministers. If so, the eighty minor marks should match the eighty kinds of excellence. The wheel-turning king being peerless should match the eighteen unique qualities, should it not? Here we say the eighty kinds of excellence are also not shared with others, so they all apply to the ultimate.