淨名玄論 7.15

7.15

Next, regarding the small faculty already being matured: on the day at the place of enlightenment, they were not yet capable of the great conversion; at the time in the Deer Park, they only then received the small Dharma; hence he secretly dispatched two men to lure him, only then obtaining him. Third, as for the small attachment being about to shift and the great capacity being stirred from afar: this means using the various vaipulya teachings such as Prajñā and Vimalakīrti to explicitly instruct bodhisattvas and secretly convert the two vehicles, causing them to temper and train their small minds and yearn for the Great Path. Because the small attachment was about to shift and the great capacity was stirred from afar, while in the assembly of Prajñā and Vimalakīrti, they were therefore able to see and hear, but had not yet comprehended. Fourth, as for the small attachment being directly overturned and the great capacity being directly ripe: this is the Lotus opening the door of upāya and revealing the real meaning. Because the small attachment was already overturned, the door of upāya was suitable to be opened; the great capacity having matured, the real meaning was then made manifest. Therefore, in the Lotus assembly, they were also able to see and hear, and moreover had faith and understanding. Question: The great capacity was not yet ripe, so in the Avataṃsaka assembly there was no small congregation. Why does the eighth assembly list five hundred śrāvakas? Answer: The first seven assemblies were mostly spoken by the Buddha when he first attained the Way beneath the Bodhi tree; at this time there was not yet a small congregation, so the seven assemblies do not list them. The eighth assembly was spoken at a later time; later, the Jeta Grove monastery had already been established, and at this time there could be śrāvakas, which is why they are listed. Lecturers who claim that the seven locations and eight assemblies were all spoken upon first attaining the Way miss this meaning. Question: The Avataṃsaka purely converts bodhisattvas and does not teach śrāvakas, and the great capacity was not yet matured; why were they listed as present in the assembly? Answer: The Avataṃsaka demonstrates that the bodhisattva Dharma is different from the two-vehicle Dharma; therefore, with regard to the Jeta Grove, it clarifies that the two conditions are different: the bodhisattvas see the great Dharma being expounded in a pure land, while the śrāvakas themselves see a defiled place where they hear and receive the Hīnayāna, just as humans see water while hungry ghosts see fire. It was not that he wished to convert the two vehicles that they were listed in the assembly. Furthermore, the two vehicles seeing defilement and the bodhisattvas beholding purity causes the bodhisattvas to deeply despise the Hīnayāna and advance their great practice; this is merely converting the bodhisattvas. Question: Why were the śrāvakas unable to see and hear the bodhisattva Dharma? Answer: The Dazhidulun says: "Just as a person having the five sense faculties is therefore able to see and hear, if one lacks the five sense faculties one cannot see and hear." Possessing the bodhisattva's five faculties, one is therefore able to see and hear the bodhisattva's realm. The two vehicles lack the bodhisattva's five faculties, so they are unable to see and hear the bodhisattva's realm. Question: If so, why does the "Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu" clarify that Śāriputra and his six thousand attendants were able to see Mañjuśrī? Answer: Speaking in terms of the event, relying on the Buddha's power, they saw; relying on their own power, they did not see. Furthermore, the earlier part clarifies that being initially deluded, they did not see; the later part shows that being ultimately enlightened, they were able to see. As with the impoverished son in the Lotus, there are three times in all: first, seeing the father from afar; next, avoiding the father and leaving; later, returning to his father's place. The first signifies that he will realize the One Vehicle; the next, turning his back on the great and grasping the small; the later, returning to realize the One Vehicle and jointly entering the Dharmadhātu. Question: Among the seven locations and eight assemblies, why is it only with regard to the "Dharmadhātu Chapter" that it clarifies that the two vehicles initially did not see or hear, and in the end saw and heard? Answer: According to the events: the seven assemblies were spoken at the time of first attaining the Way; the great capacity of the two vehicles was not yet mature, so there were not yet śrāvakas. Since the "Dharmadhātu" was spoken at a later time, the small attachment had gradually shifted and the great capacity was stirred from afar; therefore, being in the assembly, they were moreover able to see and hear. Furthermore, raising the two vehicles brings out the Dharmadhātu and demonstrates the bodhisattvas' entering the Dharmadhātu. Moreover, it is to clarify that the Dharmadhātu is neither great nor small, yet both great and small are complete; it is neither seen and heard nor unseen and unheard, yet seeing and hearing, and not seeing and hearing, are both complete. Question: The two sūtras, Prajñā and Vimalakīrti, both belong to the phase where the small attachment is about to shift and the great capacity is stirred from afar, explicitly teaching bodhisattvas and secretly converting the two vehicles; what difference is there? Answer: In Prajñā, the Buddha himself explicitly teaches and secretly converts; in Vimalakīrti, a bodhisattva explicitly teaches and secretly converts. Teaching the great and converting the small does not go beyond the Buddha and bodhisattvas. Furthermore, in Prajñā, small persons are made to speak the great, explicitly teaching bodhisattvas and secretly converting the two vehicles; in Vimalakīrti, a great person speaks the great, explicitly teaching bodhisattvas and secretly converting the two vehicles. Therefore there is a difference. The above has provided this explanation with regard to actual-practice śrāvakas.