維摩義記 4.86

4.86

From here below is the third part, which adduces events to provide verification, in which there are three sections: First, directly citing past events to explain that material offerings do not equal Dharma offerings. Second, from "Was King Precious Parasol at that time someone else?" downward, harmonizing past and present. Third, from "Thus, Heavenly Sovereign, you should know this" downward, concluding with praise and encouraging practice. The first section has two parts: 1. Adducing material offerings. 2. From "At that time, one son of the king named Lunar Parasol" downward, contrasting them with Dharma offerings to reveal their inferiority. In the former part on material offerings, it first explains and lists the Buddha who was offered to. From "At that time there was a wheel-turning king named Precious Parasol" downward, it reveals the person capable of making offerings. From "At that time Precious Parasol and his retinue" downward, it explains the acts of making offerings. Regarding the Buddha who was offered to, "incalculable asaṃkhyeya kalpas in the past" explains the length of time. "At that time there was a Buddha in the world named King of Medicine," etc., directly lists the one offered to. "King of Medicine" is his distinct epithet; the ten [epithets] such as "Tathāgata" are common designations of buddhas. "The world was Great Adornment, and the kalpa was called Adorned" distinguishes his kalpa and land. "His lifespan was twenty kalpas" explains the length of his lifespan. Kalpas are distinguished into internal and external, major and minor; the characteristics of internal and external have already been distinguished above. Famine, pestilence, and warfare, which harm sentient beings, are called internal kalpas. Water, fire, and wind, which destroy worlds, are called external kalpas. Between these two, each has major and minor. Among the internal ones, minor ones refer simply to kalpas of famine, pestilence, and warfare, which are called minor according to their respective portions. Speaking of the major ones: from the initial kalpa of famine to the final one of warfare, within this there are sixty-four kalpas combined into one kalpa, which is called a major [kalpa]. Why is it definitely said to be sixty-four? The kalpa of warfare is the smallest; pestilence is seven times more frequent than warfare, and famine is seven times more frequent than pestilence. Therefore, for every seven famines there is one pestilence, and only after seven times seven famine-kalpas are there seven pestilences. From the initial famine-kalpa to the final pestilence-kalpa is fifty-six kalpas; after that final pestilence-kalpa, another seven famines elapse before there is a kalpa of warfare; adding this to what came before, they are combined and stated to be sixty-four. Among external kalpas there are also major and minor: simply a fire-kalpa, wind-kalpa, or water-kalpa is called minor. From the initial fire-kalpa to the final wind-kalpa, within this there are also sixty-four kalpas combined into one kalpa, which is called major. Why is it definitely said to be sixty-four? The meaning is similar to the preceding: the wind-kalpa is the rarest; water-kalpas are seven times more frequent than wind-kalpas, and [fire] kalpas are seven times more frequent than water-kalpas; therefore, for every seven fires there is one water-kalpa, and another seven fires must elapse before one wind-kalpa; for this reason it is definitely said to be sixty-four. Now, stating that the Buddha's lifespan was twenty small kalpas should be spoken with respect to the minor kalpas among those internal kalpas. "His community of śrāvakas numbered thirty-six billion nayutas," etc., explains the size of the assembly. Among the people capable of making offerings: "at that time there was a wheel-turning king" brings up the person. "Named Precious Parasol" lists his name. "Endowed with the seven treasures" reveals what he possessed. Regarding the seven treasures: the first is the wheel treasure and the second is the jewel treasure; these two are insentient. The third is the elephant treasure and the fourth is the horse treasure; these two are animals. The fifth is the treasury minister; Nāgārjuna says he is a yakṣa spirit who interacts with humans. The sixth is the military general treasure and the seventh is the jade maiden treasure; these three are human. The characteristics, functions, and powers of these are all as explained in the sūtras and cannot be fully differentiated here. "Ruling over the four continents" explains his domain of sovereignty. Within the great ocean on the four sides of Sumeru, there are four continents (dvīpa), called the four continents. In the east there is a continent named Pūrvavideha, shaped like a full moon, and human faces resemble it. In the south there is a continent named Jambudvīpa, whose shape is pointed and angled, and human faces resemble it. In the west there is a continent named Godānīya, shaped like a half moon, and human faces resemble it. In the north there is a continent named Uttarakuru, whose shape is a square, and human faces resemble it. As for these four continents: a gold-wheel-turning sacred king presides over all of them; a silver-wheel-turning king rules over three continents; a copper-wheel-turning king rules over two continents, excluding the east and the north; an iron-wheel-turning king rules over only Jambudvīpa. In order to distinguish him from the latter three, it is said that Precious Parasol ruled over the four continents. "The king had a thousand sons, upright and brave," etc., reveals his offspring. Below, it explains the acts of making offerings, within which it first explains the king's own offerings. From "offering to the King of Medicine Buddha until five kalpas were completed" downward, he instructs his thousand sons to make offerings. The king first gives the command, and afterwards it explains that the sons obeyed the command and made offerings. The above is the first part, explaining material offerings. From here below is the second part, which contrasts them with Dharma offerings to reveal their inferiority, in which there are four points: 1. Prince Lunar Parasol reflected on whether his own material offerings were supreme, and a deity in the sky told him they did not equal Dharma offerings. 2. Having heard this, Lunar Parasol respectfully inquired about Dharma offerings, and the deity in the sky instructed him to ask King of Medicine Tathāgata. 3. Lunar Parasol received the instruction and questioned King of Medicine Buddha, and the Tathāgata explained it for him. 4. From "Prince Lunar Parasol, having heard this from King of Medicine Buddha" downward, he gained benefit from hearing the Dharma and practiced the Dharma offering. In the first part there are two sentences: First, Prince Lunar Parasol sat alone and reflected whether there could be an offering superior to this. Second, from "Through supernatural power" downward, it explains that through the Buddha's power, a deity in the sky told him that Dharma offerings were supreme. In the second section there are also two sentences: First, Prince Lunar Parasol, hearing of its supremacy, inquired: What is meant by Dharma offering? Second, the deity in the sky instructed him to ask King of Medicine Buddha, who would explain it to him. In the third section the text also has two parts: 1. Prince Lunar Parasol went to King of Medicine to inquire about Dharma offerings. 2. Within the Tathāgata's explanation for him, the opening words "Dharma offering" restate his inquiry. Below, the analysis has two parts: 1. Disclosing the essential nature of the Dharma; 2. From "If one hears such sūtras as these" downward, explaining offerings in relation to the preceding Dharma. In explaining the essential nature of the Dharma, the text distinctly has two parts: 1. Distinguishing the characteristics of the essential nature of the Dharma; 2. From "capable of causing sentient beings to sit at the bodhimaṇḍa" downward, revealing the potency of the Dharma. Within the former there are four points: 1. Explaining the depth of the Dharma. 2. "Included in the bodhisattva piṭaka," revealing the greatness of the Dharma. 3. "Sealed with the dhāraṇī seal, leading to non-retrogression," explaining the certainty of the Dharma. 4. From "accomplishing the six perfections" downward, revealing the supremacy of the Dharma, also called the completeness of its meaning. In the first point, "the profound sūtras spoken by all buddhas" marks and raises [the topic] generally. Because they display profound meaning, they are called profound sūtras. Below, it distinguishes them in detail. Depth is of three kinds: 1. depth that is difficult to believe, in which it is difficult to give rise to certainty; 2. depth that is difficult to accept, which is difficult to assimilate into the mind; 3. depth that is difficult to understand, which is difficult to awaken to and enter. The opening words "difficult to believe for all the world" are the first depth. The words "difficult to accept" are the second depth. From "subtle" downward is the third depth. It explains that the foremost ultimate meaning spoken in the sūtras surpasses the domain of ordinary people's four minds, and therefore is difficult to understand and enter. The word "subtle" explains that it surpasses the realm of wisdom derived from hearing. Wisdom derived from hearing can attain coarse matters of verbal instruction; the foremost ultimate meaning revealed by the profound sūtras is not like the coarse matters that follow, hence it is called subtle, and because it is subtle, wisdom derived from hearing cannot attain it. The words "difficult to see" explain that it surpasses the realm of wisdom derived from thinking. What is easily seen can be attained by thinking; the real meaning of dharma-nature is difficult to see, hence thinking cannot attain it. "Pure and undefiled" explains that it surpasses the realm of wisdom derived from cultivation. The nature of the tathāgatagarbha subtly transcends emotional delusion, hence it is called pure and undefiled. The conditions of emotional attachment cannot reach it; therefore, it is also not something wisdom derived from cultivation can attain. "Not attainable merely through differentiation and conceptual thought" explains that it surpasses the realm of retributive consciousness and cognition. The preceding [wisdoms of] hearing, thinking, and cultivation are the causes of transformation, while retributive consciousness and cognition are the results of transformation. Because of the causal power of cultivating uncontaminated karma, one knows the Dharma upon birth, and therefore it is called retributive consciousness and cognition. This cognition also takes the deluded mind as its substance, and its nature is a dharma of object-directed differentiation; therefore, it is described as differentiation and conceptual thought. Because it differentiates, it points toward the equal and non-differentiating Dharma. Yet that equal and non-differentiating Dharma can only be realized through the contemplation of cessation; it cannot be attained merely through differentiation and conceptual thought. The above is the first point, explaining the depth of the Dharma. From here below is the second point, explaining the greatness of the Dharma. It explains that the preceding profound Dharma is subsumed within the bodhisattva dharma piṭaka, differing from the Hīnayāna. From here below is the third point, explaining the certainty of the Dharma, revealing it in terms of practice. "Dhāraṇī" directly adduces that practice. This is a foreign word, translated here as "retention" (chi), because it retains all dharmas. In discussing its essential substance, it is only mindfulness and wisdom. Remembering dharmas without forgetting is mindfulness; knowing dharmas without losing them is wisdom. Although retentions differ according to their aspects and are immeasurably extensive, in summary there are only two: first, retention of dharmas, also called retention of hearing, which retains the teachings without forgetting; second, retention of meaning, which retains the meanings without losing them. In accordance with what is remembered and retained, it does not alter from the Dharma, and is therefore described as a seal. Below, it reveals the Dharma with reference to this. Bodhisattvas certify all dharmas with this dhāraṇī seal, hence it is said to "seal them." Because the Dharma is fixed, once attained it is never abandoned, hence it "leads to non-retrogression." Adducing that it leads to non-retrogression reveals the certainty of the Dharma. This concludes the third point. From here below is the fourth point, explaining the supremacy of the Dharma, also called the completeness of its meaning. Therein, it first explains the dharmas of cultivating goodness; from "leaving behind all māra deeds" downward, it explains the dharmas of remedying faults. In the former cultivation of goodness, it first explains self-benefit; "entering great loving-kindness and compassion" reveals benefiting others. Within the former self-benefit, "accomplishing the six perfections" explains the ability to give rise to causes. "Skillfully differentiating the meanings" praises the supremacy of the teaching. Because it can skillfully differentiate the meanings of practice and cultivation, it accomplishes the six perfections. "In accord with the dharmas of bodhi" explains the ability to advance toward the fruit. Distinguishing the fruit to cause one to seek it is called being in accord with bodhi. "Foremost among all sūtras" praises the supremacy of the teaching. Because it skillfully accords with bodhi, it is called foremost. This gives rise to self-benefit. "Entering great loving-kindness and compassion" explains giving rise to benefiting others. "Entering" is like according with. Skillfully teaching bodhisattvas to transform and benefit sentient beings is called entering loving-kindness and compassion. The above concerns cultivating goodness; below concerns remedying faults. Therein, the opening words "leaving behind all māra deeds and all heterodox views" explain leaving behind obstacles. "Leaving behind all māra deeds" eliminates heterodox karma. "And all heterodox views" extinguishes heterodox understanding. Below, it explains subsumption and remedy. "In accord with the dharma of causes and conditions" explains that teaching conventional truth causes people to understand. Because the words do not contradict the Dharma, it is said to accord. Teaching that the dharmas of birth and death are falsely gathered together by causes and conditions is called according with causes and conditions. "No self, no arising," etc., explains that teaching ultimate truth causes people to realize it. "No self, no arising, and no lifespan" explains that it teaches the emptiness of persons. "Emptiness, signlessness," etc., explains that it teaches the emptiness of dharmas. Dharmas lacking intrinsic nature is called emptiness; the signs of conditions also being absent is called signlessness; having no fruit to create is called uncreated (apraṇihita); having no causes that can be acted upon is called unoriginated. Whenever one wishes to eliminate heterodoxies, one must observe the twelve links of dependent origination; this is generally the case from top to bottom, so subsumption and remedy are explained with reference to causes and conditions. This fourth section explains the completeness of its meaning. The above is the first part, distinguishing the characteristics of the essential nature of the Dharma.