金光明經文句 2.4

2.4

三、破業障者、從「惡星災異」下是也。業將感報故其相前現，相名表發，意在此也。惡星者，別有客星也。亦是五星二十八宿，一方有七，四七二十八也。違其度數、失其分野。若熒惑亂行、麻彗暴出。是客星也。災異者，風雨雪霜乖候等是也。眾邪者有三：人邪、鬼邪、法邪是也。蟲道者，毒鬼也。又言三毒是蟲也。變怪者，詭怪也，謂禽獸醜惡形聲等是也。惡夢者，心靈潛密，業現其中，夢見不適意事是也。夫諸業表報不出五罪，若惡星表亡身失命者，殺生業相也；惡星表神棄困窮者，竊盜業相也：惡星表親離幽厄者，淫罪業相也；惡星表誣枉讒謗者，妄語業相也；惡星表喪失財產者，飲酒業相也。其餘災異怪禽惡夢等，隨其時節各有所表，細心推詳，不出五罪之報。行者知解推之，何須折篾鑽龜問管公明邪？從「當淨洗浴」下，二、舉方法能空於惡也。前業相外彰，報對不久；內無方法，何以禳之？約其三業作三德之方，以事表理也。洗浴臭體，擬作法身；緘脣攝耳，擬聽般若；至心清淨，擬作解脫。前令洗浴內身，後更勸淨外服，內外相成爾。前但令聽，後誡令專聽，鄭重緘口爾。前令至心，後示至心之境，成其方法爾。夫人身本於不淨，蓮華本於淤泥，譬如栴檀生于伊蘭，世間現見也。今近因三業規矩、遠成三德妙義，可不信哉？洗浴法身能禳報障，攝耳緘口能禳煩惱障，至心能禳業障（云云）。從「是經威德」下，四、結成也。能悉消除者，明三障轉也。今其寂滅者，三德成也。寂滅秖是涅槃，涅槃秖是三德。前三業方法既成，三障理數應轉。三障既其已轉，理數成於三德，報障轉成法身德、煩惱障轉成般若德、業障轉成解脫德。前寄事相，將淺以表深；後明寂滅，將深以結淺。經文繡密，見之者寡（云云）。「護世四王」下，敘流通中品，皆如上說。

Third, breaking the karma obstacle: this begins from 'evil stars and ominous calamities' downward. Because karma is about to incur its retribution, its signs manifest beforehand; the signs indicate what is arising—the intention lies in this. 'Evil stars' refers to other guest stars. They are also the five planets and the twenty-eight lunar mansions, seven in each quarter, four times seven making twenty-eight. They deviate from their proper degrees and lose their assigned astrological realms. If Mars moves erratically or comets suddenly appear, these are guest stars. 'Ominous calamities' refers to winds, rains, snow, and frost out of their proper seasons, and the like. 'Various evils' are threefold: human evils, ghostly evils, and doctrinal evils. 'Insect witchcraft' refers to venomous spirits; it is also said that the three poisons are insects. 'Monstrous anomalies' refers to strange portents, meaning ugly shapes and sounds of birds and beasts, and the like. 'Bad dreams' refers to when the mental spirit is quiet and karma manifests within it, dreaming of disagreeable things. Indeed, all karmas that portend retributions do not exceed the five transgressions: if an evil star portends loss of body and life, it is a karmic sign of taking life; if an evil star portends being abandoned by spirits and reduced to distress, it is a karmic sign of theft; if an evil star portends separation from relatives and confinement, it is a karmic sign of sexual misconduct; if an evil star portends false accusations and slanders, it is a karmic sign of false speech; if an evil star portends loss of wealth and property, it is a karmic sign of drinking liquor. The other calamities, strange birds, bad dreams, and so forth, each portend something according to their time and season; if examined carefully and thoroughly, they do not exceed the retributions of the five transgressions. If a practitioner understands and deduces this, what need is there to split bamboo or bore tortoise shells to consult Guan Gongming? From 'should bathe and cleanse oneself' downward: second, presenting the method capable of rendering evil empty. Previously, the karmic signs were manifested outwardly, and the retribution was near at hand; if there were no internal method, how could one ward it off? Setting forth the method of the three virtues in relation to the three modes of action, physical matters are used to express the principle. Bathing the foul body is intended to correspond to the Dharma-body; sealing the lips and restraining the ears is intended to correspond to listening to prajñā; making the mind utmost in purity is intended to correspond to liberation. First one is told to bathe the internal body, and then further exhorted to purify the external garments—internal and external complete each other. First one is merely told to listen, and then admonished to listen single-mindedly, carefully sealing the mouth. First one is told to maintain the utmost mind, and then shown the realm of the utmost mind, completing the method. Indeed, the human body originates in impurity, and the lotus flower originates in mud; just as candana grows among eraṇḍa, this is seen directly in the world. Now, if the proximate cause is the rules of the three modes of action and the distant result is the wondrous meaning of the three virtues, how could one not have faith? Bathing the Dharma-body can ward off the retribution obstacle; restraining the ears and sealing the mouth can ward off the affliction obstacle; the utmost mind can ward off the karma obstacle (and so forth). From 'the awe-inspiring power of this sūtra' downward: fourth, conclusion. 'Capable of entirely eliminating' clarifies the transformation of the three obstacles. 'Causing them to be tranquil and extinguished' means the three virtues are accomplished. Tranquil extinction is simply nirvāṇa; nirvāṇa is simply the three virtues. Since the previous methods of the three modes of action have been accomplished, the three obstacles should logically be transformed. Once the three obstacles have been transformed, they logically accomplish the three virtues: the retribution obstacle transforms into the virtue of the Dharma-body, the affliction obstacle transforms into the virtue of prajñā, and the karma obstacle transforms into the virtue of liberation. Previously, concrete phenomena were relied upon, using the shallow to express the profound; later, tranquil extinction is clarified, using the profound to conclude the shallow. The sūtra's text is intricately embroidered, yet few perceive it (and so forth). From 'the four kings who protect the world' downward: narrating the chapters in the transmission section, all are as explained above.