金光明經文句 6.13

6.13

從「爾時道場」下，是第二疑記。又二：一疑問、二佛答。疑者，夫移山填海非一日之功，菩提極果積行方剋。忉利暫下，無久聽之勞，不聞往昔有難思之行，行淺記深，是故疑惑。如餘菩薩者，六度菩薩引錐指地無非捨身命處，戒忍禪智滿三僧祇。若通教菩薩從假入空非止一世修行，從空入假動逾塵劫。若別教菩薩直行一行，動經無量阿僧祇劫，況復遍行眾行。量不可數尚不獲記，少時聞經而得斯決。時眾咸疑，故樹神發問也。佛答為二：一舉現行、二舉遠緣。現行者，捨天宮樂故來聽經，聞三大士獲菩提記，我昔本誓與其法食，三事和合故與其記也。此意證成〈鬼神品〉初以妙供養供養三世諸佛，及欲得知諸佛行處，決定至心聽此妙典。雖有此旨未見其人，今此十千即其人也。聞記當果，果必有因，因金光明生殷重心起功德身，心無垢累起般若身，猶如虛空起於法身，一心中聽三德圓成。復有無量功德說不可盡，此不得記，記與誰乎？證聽功德意在於此。以隨相修指今現行，行隨實相而修也。有妙善根，指於遠緣也。遠緣實相而種善根也。從「亦以過去」下，是舉遠緣答也。文為二：一略、二廣。此中少文是略，〈除病〉、〈流水〉兩品是廣答也。

From 'At that time, in the place of enlightenment' downward is the second part, doubt regarding the prophecy. This is again divided into two: first, questioning in doubt; second, the Buddha's answer. As for the doubt: moving mountains and filling oceans is not the work of a single day, and the consummate fruit of bodhi can only be attained through accumulating practices. Having descended only briefly from Trāyastriṃśa, without the toil of prolonged listening, nor having heard that they possessed unfathomable practices in the past—their practice being shallow yet their prophecy profound—therefore they were doubtful. As for other bodhisattvas: the bodhisattvas of the six perfections, where a needle might be pointed at the ground, there is nowhere that was not a place of relinquishing their bodies and lives, fulfilling three asaṃkhyeyas of precepts, patience, meditation, and wisdom. If they are bodhisattvas of the common teaching, entering emptiness from the conventional is not the cultivation of a single life, and entering the conventional from emptiness easily surpasses dust-mote kalpas. If they are bodhisattvas of the distinctive teaching, even directly practicing a single practice easily takes immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, not to mention practicing all the myriad practices. Even with an unreckonable measure [of practice], they still do not obtain a prophecy, yet [here] hearing the sūtra for a short time they receive such determination. The assembly at that time all doubted, and therefore the tree spirit posed the question. The Buddha's answer is divided into two: first, citing present practice; second, citing distant conditions. As for present practice: they relinquished the pleasures of the heavenly palace to come and listen to the sūtra; hearing the three Great Beings receive the prophecy of bodhi; and my own past original vow to give them the food of the Dharma—because these three matters conjoined, the prophecy was given to them. The intent here is to verify that at the beginning of the Chapter on Ghosts and Spirits, making the sublime offering to the Buddhas of the three periods of time, and desiring to know the sphere of activity of all Buddhas, they resolutely and with utmost sincerity listened to this sublime scripture. Although such intent existed, the persons had not yet been seen; now these ten thousand are those very persons. Hearing the prophecy of their future fruit: the fruit must have a cause; because of the Suvarṇaprabhāsa they produced a profound mind and gave rise to the body of merit; their minds being without defilements or entanglements, they gave rise to the body of wisdom (prajñā); and like empty space, they gave rise to the Dharmakāya—listening within a single mind, the three virtues were perfectly consummated. There are further immeasurable merits that cannot be fully spoken; if these [devas] did not obtain a prophecy, to whom would the prophecy be given? The intention to verify the merit of listening lies here. 'Cultivating in accord with marks' refers to the present practice: practice is cultivated in accord with the true mark. 'Possessing sublime good roots' refers to the distant conditions: planting good roots by taking the distant true mark as condition. From 'also by virtue of the past' downward is the answer citing distant conditions. The text is divided into two: first, brief; second, extensive. The short text here is the brief; the two chapters, 'Curing Illness' and 'Jalavāhana', are the extensive answer.