本願藥師經古迹 1.3

1.3

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: