金光明經文句 5.10

5.10

第二番白佛述護國之事。文為二：一白佛、二佛述成。白佛又二：一是經流布之處，其王自能頂受，又供給四眾者，我及眷屬誓當隱形令其顯益。二者惡隣興兵侵斥善國，我當隱形起諸怖懅、種種難起，令其軍兵顯然退散。尚不擾邊，況能壞中（云云）？次佛述成，文以為二：從「爾時佛讚下至無鬪訟之事」，是述成初意。其上隱形護國欲使經弘，佛述隱形是護三寶，我是佛寶、修習菩提是法寶、諸王無鬪訟是僧寶，述其護一而能成三也。從「四王當知此閻浮提」下，是述成後意。上以天威懅之、天力退之，似若憎惡愛善。佛勸慈心平等向之，為惡者自懅、為善者自豫，非薄惡而厚善，成其懅退之意也。又勸諸國各守本業，住境自樂，勿起貪企，諸王和則民無夭，法興盛則熏諸天。佛告帝釋，鬪諍因緣人天損減，善能慈和天下，非止供養於我，則是供養三世如來；非止安於一王，遍安諸王；非止安於一國，遍安一切。故以慈和述成第二意也（云云）。

The second exchange of addressing the Buddha recounts the matters of protecting the state. The text has two [parts]: first, addressing the Buddha; second, the Buddha confirms and approves. Addressing the Buddha also has two [parts]: first, where this sūtra is circulated, if the king can personally receive it upon the crown of his head and provide for the fourfold assembly, I and my retinue vow to conceal our forms to bring about apparent benefits. Second, if an evil neighbor raises troops to invade and pillage a virtuous state, I will conceal my form to cause various terrors and various hardships to arise, causing his troops to visibly retreat and disperse. If they cannot even disturb the borders, how much less could they destroy the interior (and so on)? Next, the Buddha confirms and approves; the text is divided into two: from "at that time the Buddha praised..." down to "the matter of having no fighting or litigation" is confirming the first meaning. Above, their concealing their forms to protect the state was to propagate the sūtra; the Buddha confirms that concealing their forms protects the Three Jewels: I am the Buddha Jewel, practicing bodhi is the Dharma Jewel, and the kings having no fighting or litigation is the Saṅgha Jewel, confirming that protecting the one can accomplish the three. From "the four kings should know that this Jambudvīpa..." onward confirms the latter meaning. Above, using divine majesty to terrify them and divine power to repulse them appeared as though hating the evil and cherishing the good. The Buddha urges turning toward them with an impartial mind of loving-kindness: those who do evil will naturally be terrified, and those who do good will naturally rejoice; it is not holding evil in contempt and exalting good, thus completing the intention behind terrifying and repelling them. Furthermore, he urges the various states to each keep to their own original vocations, remain peacefully in their own realms and rejoice, not giving rise to greed or ambition. When the kings are harmonious, the people will not die prematurely; when the Dharma flourishes, it perfumes the heavens. The Buddha said to Śakra: "Through the conditions of contention, humans and devas diminish; if one is well able to harmonize the world with loving-kindness, not only is it making offerings to me, it is making offerings to the Tathāgatas of the three periods; not only does it bring peace to one king, it brings peace universally to all kings; not only does it bring peace to one state, it brings peace universally to all." Therefore, by means of loving-kindness and harmony, he confirms the second meaning (and so on).