觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 2.11

2.11

The Commentary says: Below, the Buddha answers at length. There are two parts: first, commanding him to listen and consenting to speak; second, setting forth [the answer] in full according to the inquiry. This is the first. 'Attentively' means carefully and scrutinisingly. Listening to sounds and discerning the principle depends upon careful reflection; fearing that their hearing would not be clear, he commands them again to listen attentively. Utterly wondrous mental application is called 'reflecting on it well'. 'Tathāgata' is the first epithet. The *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: 'Just as the past Buddhas practiced the wondrous practices—the thirty-seven factors, the eleven emptinesses, and so forth—and arrived at nirvāṇa, hence he is called Tathāgata.' 'Worthy' [Arhat] is the second epithet; it means he should seek to destroy the thieves of affliction, should no longer receive delimited rebirth, and should receive the wondrous offerings of the world. 'Samyaksambuddha' is the third epithet; one who knows correctly and knows completely is called a Samyaksambuddha. It is not an erroneous or limited knowledge, because it is correct and complete knowledge; possessing the two kinds of wisdom, he knows both emptiness and existence. The above three epithets correspond respectively to the virtue of eradication, the virtue of benevolence, and the virtue of wisdom. As for 'anuttarā', and so forth: *a* means 'without', *uttara* means 'above', *sam* means 'correct', *yak* means 'equal'. Furthermore, *sam* means 'correct', and *bodhi* means 'awakening'; that is to say, unexcelled, correct, and equal awakening. Since nothing precedes all dharmas, it is called 'unexcelled'; since principle and phenomena are completely known, it is called 'correct and equal'; since it is free of delusion and truly illuminates, it is called 'correct awakening'. Or, when wisdom and eradication are complete, it is called unexcelled awakening. It is called correct awakening to distinguish it from the erroneous wisdom of ordinary beings; it is called equal awakening to distinguish it from the partial wisdom of the Lesser Vehicle; it is again called correct awakening to distinguish it from the deficient wisdom of bodhisattvas. The final word 'awakening' runs through the preceding text. Maitreya will completely realise this, so he alone receives the full title. A 'prophecy' is to recognise and verify. The Buddha refers to himself with the three virtues, and now for your sake verifies, recognises, and distinguishes the matter of the Bodhisattva Maitreya's future attainment of Buddhahood.