金光明經文句 3.14

3.14

讚歎，凡有四意：一從能讚人、二從生善、三從滅惡、四從所讚人、一從能讚人者。前品明信相思疑佛壽，四尊盡降其室。一心信解，夜夢金鼓出聲，旦向耆山說夢。今品佛述其昔為龍尊，面讚法王，願我當來夜夢晝說。說斯人之本事，故言〈讚歎品〉。二從生善得名者，夫善不孤運，生必託緣。緣中勝者無過於佛，龍尊讚佛能生妙善，從生善緣得名，故言〈讚歎品〉。三從滅惡得名者，罪之尤者無過毀佛，若翻滅斯罪應須讚歎。讚歎治於毀訾，從能治得名，故言〈讚歎品〉。四從所讚人得名者，即是去來現在三世諸佛，諸佛極尊甚深，無量稱揚顯說，故名〈讚歎品〉。若欲分別，述得名為讚、褒喻名為歎，亦更互分別爾。《釋論》第三十云「美其功德名為讚，讚之不足又稱揚之名為歎也。」此品有恭敬是身業，尊重是意業，讚歎是口業。口業不發，身意不暢。為暢身意，音聲為佛事，故稱揚顯說，褒美如來真實功德，故言〈讚歎品〉也。結此四義，都是四悉檀因緣，立此品名，故言〈讚歎品〉也。此品雖從四悉檀立名，正是生善之用。文為二：一長行、二偈頌。而對告地神者，主此大地，菩薩行行皆寄其上，壽命長久見去來今事，證義事強。如《瑞應》云「積功累德誰為證？佛時指地，是知我。」今說往昔金龍尊事，所以對告地神也。又對善女天者，男天陽表權、女天陰表實。實智能生眾善，善生故宜對善女，證往故宜對堅牢（云云）。今論生善之用，故對告善女。金龍尊者，此王往昔修金光明法門，依法性理，故言金；能以智慧讚三世佛，辯如雲雨，故言龍；能為眾生作大利益，為物所仰，故言尊。從行得名，故言金龍尊也。總有六十二行半偈，文為三：一三十五行讚三世佛、二二十五行半發來世願、三二行結會二世事。就讚佛，文為五：初一行半總讚、次二十三行別讚、次三行遍類讚、次五行半絕言讚、次二行迴向。總讚者，竪總三世、橫總十方。世方是總事、微妙寂滅是總理。總理是總法身、總事是總報應二身。總讚三身，亦是總讚三德、三寶等種種三法門。如是諸佛總皆清淨。清淨者，即是總讚之辭也。非但清淨，亦常樂我（云云）。

Praise has four meanings in all: first, from the person who praises; second, from generating the good; third, from extinguishing evil; fourth, from the person who is praised. First, regarding "from the person who praises": the previous chapter explained that Ruciraketu, doubting the Buddha's lifespan, [caused] the four World-Honoured Ones all to descend to his room. With one mind he had faith and understanding; at night he dreamed of the golden drum emitting a sound, and at dawn he went to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa to recount the dream. In the present chapter, the Buddha narrates his past life as King Dragon-Lord, where he praised the Dharma King face-to-face and made the vow: "May I in the future dream at night and speak by day." Because it speaks of this person's past event, it is called the "Chapter on Praise." Second, regarding getting the name from "generating the good": goodness never moves alone; its generation must depend on conditions. Among conditions, the most supreme does not surpass the Buddha. King Dragon-Lord's praising the Buddha can generate wonderful goodness; deriving its name from the condition that generates goodness, it is called the "Chapter on Praise." Third, regarding getting the name from "extinguishing evil": among the worst of offenses, none surpasses slandering the Buddha. If one is to overturn and extinguish this sin, one should praise. Praise counteracts slander; deriving its name from that which counteracts, it is called the "Chapter on Praise." Fourth, regarding deriving its name from "the person who is praised": this refers to the buddhas of the three times—past, future, and present. The buddhas are supremely honorable and extremely profound; they are lauded and openly proclaimed without measure, hence it is called the "Chapter on Praise." If one wishes to distinguish them: recounting accomplishments is called "praise" (zàn); extolling and praising with metaphors is called "laudation" (tàn); they are also distinguished interchangeably. Fascicle thirty of the Da zhidu lun states: "Extolling their merits is called 'praise' (zàn); when praising is not enough, further lauding them is called 'laudation' (tàn)." This chapter has reverence, which is the karma of body; respect, which is the karma of intention; and praise, which is the karma of speech. If the karma of speech is not expressed, the body and intention are not fully communicated. In order to communicate body and intention, sounds are made into Buddha-work; therefore, openly lauding and expounding, extolling the Tathāgata's true and real merits, it is called the "Chapter on Praise." To conclude these four meanings: all are causes and conditions of the four siddhāntas establishing this chapter's name, hence it is called the "Chapter on Praise." Although this chapter establishes its name from the four siddhāntas, it is precisely the function of generating the good. The text has two [parts]: first, prose; second, verses. As for addressing the Earth Deity: she presides over this great earth; all the practices of the bodhisattvas rely upon it; having a long lifespan, she sees past, future, and present events, so her testimony to the matter is strong. As the Ruiying [benqi jing] says: "Who will testify to my accumulation of merit? The Buddha then pointed to the earth, saying, 'This [one] knows me.'" Now, in recounting the past event of King Golden Dragon-Lord, he therefore addresses the Earth Deity. Furthermore, regarding addressing the goddess Puṇyavardhanā (Shannü Tian): the male deity represents yang and provisional [truth]; the female deity represents yin and real [truth]. Real wisdom can produce all goods; because good is produced, it is appropriate to address the goddess; because the past is verified, it is appropriate to address Dṛḍhā [the Earth Deity] (and so on). Now, discussing the function of producing good, he therefore addresses the goddess. As for King Golden Dragon-Lord: in the past this king cultivated the Suvarṇaprabhāsa dharma-gate, relying on the principle of dharmatā, hence "golden"; he was able to praise the buddhas of the three times with wisdom, his eloquence like clouds and rain, hence "dragon"; he could bring great benefit to sentient beings and was revered by beings, hence "lord." Getting the name from practice, he is therefore called King Golden Dragon-Lord. In total there are sixty-two and a half stanzas, divided into three parts: first, thirty-five stanzas praising the buddhas of the three times; second, twenty-five and a half stanzas making vows for future ages; third, two stanzas concluding and joining the events of the two lifetimes. Regarding praising the buddhas, the text has five [parts]: first, one and a half stanzas of general praise; next, twenty-three stanzas of specific praise; next, three stanzas of comprehensive analogous praise; next, five and a half stanzas of praise transcending words; next, two stanzas of dedication. As for general praise: vertically it sums up the three times, and horizontally it sums up the ten directions. The times and directions are the totality of phenomena; subtle and quiescent extinction is the totality of principle. The total principle is the total Dharmakāya; the total phenomena are the two bodies of reward and response taken together. Generally praising the three bodies is also generally praising the three virtues, the Three Jewels, and other various threefold Dharma-gates. Such buddhas are all entirely pure. "Purity" is the phrase of general praise. Not only pure, but also permanent, joyful, self (and so on).