本願藥師經古迹 1.3

1.3

此經略以三門分別：一者題名、二者教攝、三者本文。一題名者，經有三名：一、說藥師琉璃光如來本願功德經；二、說十二神將饒益有情結願神呪；三、說拔除一切業障。此中宋孝武世大明元年譯出之本，取第三名拔除過罪生死得度；隋大業十一年東都洛水南上林薗翻經館譯，略取初名藥師如來本願經；今大唐貞觀年中玄奘三藏所譯之本，具取初名題一部也。文義廣略，後二相似。言藥師瑠璃光如來，所歸人也。本願功德者，所感德也。能拔眾苦喻名藥師，無緣不徹稱琉璃光，所修妙行名為本願，所證勝果名為功德；即以如來因果為宗，勸物歸依出苦為趣。是以初名題宗為稱，後二之名以趣為號。經謂契經，能詮名也。與義相應，貫持法器令不散失，故言契經。藥師如來之本願功德，本願功德之契經，故六合釋中依主釋也。二教攝者，南地師云：佛教有三，一頓、二漸、三偏方不定教。初二如常，今藥師經第三教攝，隨緣局說異頓漸故。此不應理，以頓漸外無別悟故、勿離大小有別教故、既對曼殊直說大乘因果德故，所說頓教。又說淨土無覆相故，第三了義大乘教攝。三本文者，經。

This sūtra is briefly distinguished through three gates: first, its title; second, its doctrinal classification; and third, the main text. Regarding the first, its title: the sūtra has three titles: 1. Sūtra Expounding the Merits of the Original Vows of Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabha Tathāgata; 2. Expounding the Divine Dhāraṇī of the Twelve Divine Generals for Benefiting Sentient Beings and Binding Vows; 3. Expounding the Eradication of All Karmic Obscurations. Among these, the version translated in the first year of the Daming era during the reign of Emperor Xiaowu of the Liu Song took the third title, Eradicating Transgressions and Faults to Attain Deliverance from Birth and Death; the version translated at the Scripture Translation Hall of the Shanglin Garden south of the Luo River in the Eastern Capital in the eleventh year of the Daye era of the Sui briefly took the first title, Sūtra on the Original Vows of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata; the version now translated by the Tripiṭaka Master Xuanzang during the Zhenguan era of the Great Tang fully adopted the first title to name the entire work. In the breadth and brevity of their text and meaning, the latter two are similar. The words "Bhaiṣajyaguru-vaiḍūryaprabha Tathāgata" indicate the person to whom refuge is taken. "Merits of the original vows" refers to the virtues thus realized. Because he can uproot manifold sufferings, by analogy he is called Bhaiṣajyaguru (Medicine Master); because there is no condition he does not penetrate, he is named Vaiḍūryaprabha (Lapis Lazuli Light); the wondrous practices he cultivated are called the "original vows"; and the supreme fruit he realized is called the "merits." Thus it takes the Tathāgata's causes and fruits as its principal theme, and encouraging beings to take refuge and escape suffering as its ultimate purpose. Therefore, the first title is named according to its principal theme, while the latter two titles are named according to their purpose. "Sūtra" means "discourses in thread" (sūtra), which is the naming term capable of explaining. It accords with the meaning and strings together and maintains the vessels of the Dharma so that they are not scattered and lost; hence it is called a sūtra. It is the merits of the original vows of Bhaiṣajyaguru Tathāgata, and the sūtra of the merits of the original vows; therefore, among the six types of compound analysis, it is a tatpuruṣa compound (dependent genitive). Second, regarding its doctrinal classification: Masters of the Southern region say: The Buddha's teachings are threefold: 1. sudden; 2. gradual; 3. indeterminate teachings for particular localities. The first two are as usual; now the Medicine Buddha Sūtra is subsumed under the third teaching, because it is an expedient discourse adapted to particular conditions, distinct from sudden and gradual. This is unreasonable, because outside of sudden and gradual there is no separate awakening; because one must not posit a distinct teaching apart from the Great and Lesser [Vehicles]; and because since it directly explains the virtues of causes and fruits of the Great Vehicle to Mañjuśrī, what is expounded is the sudden teaching. Furthermore, because it explains the Pure Land without concealed characteristics, it is subsumed under the third category, the Great Vehicle teaching of definitive meaning. Third, regarding the main text: the sūtra states: