金光明經文句 6.25

6.25

捨義甚多，財位、壽命，獨以身當名耶？此從正要得名。受者須身，餘則非要。施者正捨身，餘旁捨爾，故言〈捨身品〉。文為四：一問、二答、三眾得益、四結成。問者，上聞大士治病救魚，實為曠濟小人小蟲，得二世益。時眾願聞，亡身殞命感深契極之事。行苦而果樂，可得聞耶？是故請問。佛答為二：一敘緣起、二正明捨身。緣起為十：一地塔涌、二大眾生疑、三佛起禮、四樹神問禮、五佛答禮、六命阿難取、七阿難述骨狀、八命示大眾、九奉命取示、十佛勸眾禮，皆如文。從「過去有王」下，是正捨身。文為二：一長行、二偈頌。長行為四：一明本眷屬、二捨身方便、三正捨身、四捨後悲戀。就本眷屬為五：一明本眷屬。摩訶羅陀，此翻大無罪。《文殊問經》云「羅陀翻為中」。摩訶波那羅，或云此翻大度（未詳）。摩訶提婆，此言大天。摩訶薩埵，此翻大心。二游行。三各述相。四見產虎。五各陳觀見。從「作是念言我今捨身時已到矣」下，是捨身方便。方便為二：初述觀解、二起誓願，願行相扶。適產七日者，見虎子頭上有七點，知已七日，出《山海經》也。又云：七日眼開。又七日不食必死，虎兒垂死，知是七日。或云：鬼神示悟，如樹神數魚。正捨身為二：一捨身、二感動天地。捨身後眷屬愁苦，先兩兄愁惱各說偈共向捨所、次父母愁苦。偈九十三行，為三：初二行通明昔行、次別頌長行、三結會。初如文。「我念宿命」下別頌長行，四行頌上本眷屬。上有述相陳觀，今不頌，餘皆頌。從「時勝大士」下二行，頌上捨身方便，不頌發誓。從「即上高山」下，頌上正捨身感動也。從「是時二兄」下，頌上捨身後，眷屬愁苦。從「是時王子」下，頌上父母愁苦。從「佛告樹神」下，第三結會。結會為三：一結會人、二結會塔、三結會誓願。「說是經時」下，大眾所益也。「樹神是名禮塔」下，第四是結問意。

The meanings of relinquishing are very many—wealth, status, life-span; why is it titled solely after the body? This takes its title from what is primary and essential. The recipient required the body; the rest was not essential. The giver primarily relinquished his body; the rest was merely incidental relinquishment; hence it is called the "Chapter on the Relinquishing of the Body". The text has four parts: first, the question; second, the answer; third, the assembly obtaining benefits; fourth, the conclusion. As for the question: having heard above of the Great Being curing diseases and saving fish, which indeed extensively succoured lowly persons and lowly creatures so that they obtained benefits across two lifetimes, the assembly at that time wished to hear of the deed of abandoning the body and perishing that moved beings deeply and tallied with the ultimate. With the practice being bitter and the fruit being joyous, may we hear of it? Therefore they requested and asked. The Buddha's answer has two parts: first, recounting the origins; second, directly explaining the relinquishing of the body. The origins have ten parts: first, the stūpa welling up from the earth; second, the great assembly giving rise to doubt; third, the Buddha rising to pay reverence; fourth, the tree deity asking about the reverence; fifth, the Buddha answering about the reverence; sixth, commanding Ānanda to fetch [the relics]; seventh, Ānanda describing the appearance of the bones; eighth, commanding them to be shown to the great assembly; ninth, obeying the command to fetch and show them; tenth, the Buddha exhorting the assembly to pay reverence—all as in the text. From "In the past, there was a king" downwards is the actual relinquishing of the body. The text has two parts: first, the prose; second, the verse. The prose has four parts: first, explaining the original retinue; second, the expedients of relinquishing the body; third, the actual relinquishing of the body; fourth, the sorrow and longing after the relinquishing. Regarding the original retinue, there are five parts: first, explaining the original retinue. Mahāratha: this translates as "Great Without Fault"; the Sūtra of Mañjuśrī's Questions says, "Ratha is translated as 'middle'". Mahāpraṇāda: some say this translates as "Great Traversing" (not fully clear). Mahādeva: this means "Great Deity". Mahāsattva: this translates as "Great Mind". Second, roaming about. Third, each describing the omens. Fourth, seeing the tigress that had newly given birth. Fifth, each setting forth what they observed. From "He had this thought: 'The time has now arrived for me to relinquish my body'" downwards are the expedients of relinquishing the body. The expedients are two: first, setting forth the contemplative understanding; second, giving rise to vows—vow and practice supporting each other. "Having just given birth seven days prior": seeing seven spots on the cubs' heads, he knew it was already seven days, which comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing). It is also said: in seven days their eyes open. Furthermore, if they do not eat for seven days they must die; the tiger cubs being on the verge of death, he knew it was seven days. Or it is said: ghosts and deities revealed the understanding, like the tree deity counting the fish. The actual relinquishing of the body has two parts: first, relinquishing the body; second, moving heaven and earth. As for the retinue's sorrow after the relinquishing of the body: first the two elder brothers were sorrowful and distressed, each speaking verses and together proceeding to the place of relinquishment; next the parents were sorrowful and distressed. The ninety-three lines of verse comprise three parts: the first two lines generally explain the past practices; next, specific verses reprise the prose; third, the concluding synthesis. The first is as in the text. From "I recall past lives" downwards specifically reprises the prose: four lines reprise the original retinue above. Above, there was the description of omens and setting forth of observations, which are not versified here; the rest are all versified. From "Then the supreme Great Being" downwards, two lines reprise the expedients of relinquishing the body above, without versifying the making of vows. From "He then climbed the high mountain" downwards reprises the actual relinquishing of the body and the moving [of heaven and earth] above. From "At that time the two elder brothers" downwards reprises the retinue's sorrow and distress after the relinquishing of the body above. From "At that time the prince" downwards reprises the parents' sorrow and distress above. From "The Buddha told the tree deity" downwards is the third, the concluding synthesis. The concluding synthesis has three parts: first, synthesizing the persons; second, synthesizing the stūpa; third, synthesizing the vows. From "When this sūtra was expounded" downwards is the assembly's benefits. From "Tree deity, this is called paying reverence to the stūpa" downwards is the fourth, concluding the meaning of the question.