金光明經文句 6.27

6.27

此品從能所得名，能讚是三番菩薩、所讚是一佛世尊，能所合標，故言〈讚佛品〉。私謂三番菩薩是能讚、一佛是所讚，一佛是能讚、三番是所讚，三番是當佛、一佛是現佛。通而為言，皆是能讚皆是佛，故言〈讚佛品〉。次第者，因前十七品故有今品。何者？〈序品〉敘大體，如來遊於無量甚深法性，窮源極邊。〈壽量品〉極果冥深，合廣能起大用。〈懺品〉勸菩薩若欲修學，當如〈懺品〉滅惡。〈讚品〉生善，〈空品〉導成。〈四王〉至〈散脂〉誓願流通，說請者之功德。〈正論〉至〈善集〉明說者之功德。〈鬼神〉至〈流水〉說聽者之功德。〈捨身〉明行者之功德。如是等利益出現世者，皆是如來大體大智大用金光明力。既善始令終，初中後竟，故諸菩薩等以讚讚佛，稱揚教及教主，故言〈讚佛品〉。此文為二：一經家敘陳列讚眾。從此至彼金寶蓋剎施三業供養，投地是身、同聲是口，口身共暢意業也。二正說偈，合六十五行半。文為三：一二十行諸菩薩說、二十七行信相說、三二十八行半樹神說（云云）。私謂其文有四：前三是能讚、後一是所讚。所讚又是能讚，能讚又是所讚，故文云「佛從三昧起，以微妙音而讚歎言：『善哉善哉，樹神善女！汝於今日快說是言。』」豈非所讚讚能讚？其文既明，不須惑也。又是印成三番菩薩讚教，從〈序品〉已來快說如來果地大體大智大用，菩薩修因也。上文有佛禮舍利，即果身禮因身也。今文有佛讚大懺大讚、能請能說、能聽能行，皆是快說也，當知快說是果讚因菩薩也。即果口讚因口，其義孱然；果意讚因意，任運例成也（云云）。問：佛何處入定，此云從三昧起？答：初將說經，佛遊甚深法性。今說將竟，故從三昧起。此經首尾皆在法性中說，其文甚明。若作入法性者，法性自在，四佛五佛同處各處、共見異見、四來四去，一住一在隨人所覩皆無障礙也。

This chapter takes its title from that which [praises] and that which [is praised]: that which praises are the bodhisattvas of the three turns, and that which is praised is the one Buddha, the World-Honoured One. Combining that which and that which are indicated, it is therefore called the "Chapter on Praising the Buddha". In my personal view, the bodhisattvas of the three turns are that which praises and the one Buddha is that which is praised; the one Buddha is that which praises and the three turns are that which is praised; the three turns are future Buddhas and the one Buddha is the present Buddha. Speaking comprehensively, all are that which praises and all are Buddhas; hence it is called the "Chapter on Praising the Buddha". As for the sequence: it is because of the preceding seventeen chapters that there is the present chapter. How so? The "Introductory Chapter" recounts the great substance: the Tathāgata roams in the immeasurable, profound dharmatā, exhausting the source and reaching the utmost bounds. The Chapter on the Span of Life presents the ultimate fruit as dark and profound, which comprehensively and broadly can give rise to great function. The Chapter on Confession exhorts that if bodhisattvas wish to cultivate and train, they should extinguish evil as in the Chapter on Confession. The Chapter on Praise generates good, and the Chapter on Emptiness guides to completion. From the Four Heavenly Kings to Saṃjñāya, they vow to transmit [the teaching], speaking of the merit of those who request it. From Proper Treatises to Good Assemblage, the merit of those who expound is made clear. From Ghosts and Deities to Jalavāhana, the merit of those who listen is expounded. Relinquishing the Body clarifies the merit of practitioners. That such benefits appear in the world is entirely due to the golden radiance power of the Tathāgata's great substance, great wisdom, and great function. Since it makes a good beginning and a fine ending, having completed the beginning, middle, and end, all the bodhisattvas and others praise the Buddha with praises, extolling the teaching and the lord of the teaching; hence it is called the "Chapter on Praising the Buddha". This text has two parts: first, the compiler of the sūtra sets forth and arrays the praising assembly. From this realm to that realm of golden jewelled canopies, they bestow offerings of the three modes of action: throwing themselves to the ground is bodily, speaking in unison is vocal, and speech and body together express the mental mode of action. Second, the actual expounding of the verses, totaling sixty-five and a half lines. The text has three parts: first, twenty lines spoken by the bodhisattvas; second, twenty-seven lines spoken by Ruciraketu; third, twenty-eight and a half lines spoken by the tree deity, and so forth. In my personal view, its text has four parts: the first three are that which praises, and the last one is that which is praised. That which is praised is also that which praises, and that which praises is also that which is praised. Hence the text states: "The Buddha arose from samādhi and praised her with a subtle and wondrous voice, saying: 'Excellent, excellent, good woman, tree deity! Today you have spoken these words delightfully.'" Is this not that which is praised praising that which praises? Since its text is clear, there is no need to be confused. Furthermore, this confirms the teachings praised by the bodhisattvas of the three turns: from the "Introductory Chapter" onward, they have delightfully spoken of the great substance, great wisdom, and great function of the Tathāgata's stage of fruit, and the bodhisattvas' cultivation of causes. Above, the text has the Buddha paying reverence to the relics, which is the fruit body paying reverence to the causal body. Now, the text has the Buddha praising great confession, great praise, the ability to request, the ability to expound, the ability to listen, and the ability to practice, all of which are delightful speech; one should know that delightful speech is the fruit praising the causal bodhisattvas. That the fruit mouth praises the causal mouth is completely clear; that the fruit mind praises the causal mind is naturally established by analogy, and so on. Question: Where did the Buddha enter concentration, such that it says here he "arose from samādhi"? Answer: When about to expound the sūtra initially, the Buddha roamed in the profound dharmatā. Now that the exposition is about to conclude, he arose from samādhi. This sūtra from beginning to end is expounded within dharmatā, its text being extremely clear. If one takes it as entering dharmatā: dharmatā is sovereign; four Buddhas or five Buddhas in the same place or different places, seen together or seen differently, four coming and four going, one abiding and one present, following whatever people behold, are all completely unhindered.