金光明經文句 2.12

2.12

From "his room spontaneously" onward is the fourth [section], the prologue on the manifestation of portents. "Portent" (rui) means a secret announcement; "sign" (xiang) means outward revelation. The secret announcement is that four Buddhas are about to approach this room to resolve doubts on his behalf; the outward revelation is the progress [in practice] whereby an eternal cause induces an eternal fruition. Question: Did the Buddha produce these portents, or did Ruciraketu's merit produce them? Answer: If Ruciraketu had no responsive capacity (ji), the Buddha would not respond; if there were no Buddhas, the capacity would have nothing to knock upon. Capacity and response rely upon each other, and thereby portents arise. Question: Did the manifold conditions induce the portents, or did Ruciraketu alone induce them? Answer: Generally, they arose from manifold conditions; specifically, they resided in Ruciraketu. Had the portents appeared on Vulture Peak, they might not have been his doing; yet being seen within his room, how could they not be due to him? For instance, when a portent descends upon the house of Zhang, how could the house of Wang receive the blessing? Even so, Ruciraketu is the initiator, and he cannot monopolize the good alone. The Lotus Sūtra says: "As it is for one person, so it is for the multitude." As for the text, there are two parts: first, the cause of the manifestation of the signs; second, the actual manifestation of the signs. Taking the text that concludes the preceding and opens the succeeding as the cause of the manifestation of portents, from "his room spontaneously" onward is the actual manifestation of the signs. The actual manifestation of the signs also has two parts: first, the specific manifestation of signs; second, the general manifestation of signs. From "his room spontaneously" onward is the specific manifestation of signs; from "to state the essentials" onward is the general manifestation of signs. The specific signs are ten, signifying that the causes of the ten stages are accomplished. The general sign is one, signifying that the causes accomplish the single fruition. Furthermore, the specific signs signify that stage by stage each augments [virtue], while the general sign signifies that a single stage is endowed with the merits of all stages. Question: Since this sūtra takes the eternal fruition as its principle, how can it display signs that signify causes? Answer: This cause is the cause of the fruition. The cause inevitably results in the fruition, so it does not contradict the principle. Question: Earlier it was judged that Ruciraketu is at the stage of semblance; thus the subsequent signs would not be his verification. If his semblance is like that of Samantabhadra, then the earlier signs would also not be his portent. Answer: Broadly speaking, it refers to the ten stages; within a single stage there are the merits of all stages signifying retribution and benefit, so both the earlier and the later partake of them. The sūtra masters do not fix definitive judgments of stages; one can only be flexible and must not make rigid determinations. The ten specific signs are: 1. his room became vast and spacious; 2. its ground was adorned with jewels; 3. wondrous incense was fragrant; 4. lofty seats welled up; 5. the Buddha seats were flower-adorned seats; 6. great radiance was emitted; 7. heavenly flowers rained down; 8. heavenly music was played; 9. all experienced heavenly bliss; 10. those with deficient faculties became whole. These ten signs signify the retribution and merits of the ten stages; one can only sketch and infer them in rough outlines, and cannot demand exhaustive detail. The room spontaneously becoming vast and spacious signifies the first stage of Joy: this stage first unfolds beyond both ordinary beings and saints, hence it is signified by vastness and spaciousness. Its clean and pure lapis lazuli interspersed [with gems] signifies the stage of Freedom from Defilement: this stage corresponds to morality, and morality is the foundation of all practices; as all practices adorn morality, it is signified by being interspersed. The fragrance signifies the stage of Luminosity: this stage corresponds to patience; patience increases only amidst insult, just as when smoke is abundant the fragrance is profuse, hence it is signified by fragrance. The lofty seats signify the stage of Radiance: this stage corresponds to vigor; vigor commands and brings forth all practices, hence it is signified by lofty seats. The Buddhas seated upon them signify the stage Difficult to Conquer: this stage corresponds to meditation (dhyāna); meditation possesses great power of spiritual penetrations and transformations, hence it is signified by the Buddhas. The radiance signifies the stage of Presence: this stage corresponds to wisdom (prajñā); prajñā illuminates thoroughly, hence it is signified by radiance. The heavenly flowers signify the stage of Going Far: this stage corresponds to skillful means (upāya); skillful means are clever and wherever they touch becomes adorned and pure, hence it is signified by heavenly flowers. The playing of music signifies the stage of Immovability: this stage corresponds to power (bala); power can benefit and pacify all, just as entertainers delight beings, hence it is signified by playing music. Experiencing bliss signifies the stage of Good Intelligence: this stage corresponds to vows (praṇidhāna); when vows are fulfilled, the mind rejoices, hence it is signified by experiencing bliss. The faculties becoming whole signifies the stage of the Cloud of Dharma: this stage corresponds to knowledge (jñāna); among the manifold practices in the causal stage, wisdom is paramount; knowledge guides all practices, perfecting them in accordance with each rank, hence it is signified by the faculties becoming whole (and so forth). Furthermore, the ten signs signify that each and every stage is endowed with all merits; we shall explain this provisionally with respect to the first stage. His room spontaneously becoming vast, spacious, and adorned signifies the wisdom of the first stage. "Room" means taking the five aggregates as a room. These aggregates are neither the aggregates nor not the aggregates; they are not made by the aggregates or non-aggregates, nor do they make the aggregates or non-aggregates, hence it is said to be "spontaneous." Neither grasping the aggregates nor grasping the non-aggregates, both extremes are empty and open, hence it is said to be "vast and spacious." Not only is it empty of the twenty-five states of existence and the two kinds of nirvāṇa, it also has the causal ten powers, fearlessnesses, and manifold merits to adorn it, hence it is said to be "adorned." Adornment is conventional wisdom, vast and spacious is empty wisdom, and spontaneity is middle wisdom: the three wisdoms are complete within a single mind, which is why there is joy. The heavenly dark-blue lapis lazuli intermingled and interspersed to form the ground signifies the objective realm illuminated by the first stage. The heavenly dark-blue lapis lazuli being lustrous, pure, clear, and transparent signifies the realm of the absolute truth; being intermingled and interspersed with manifold adornments signifies the realm of the conventional truth; being like the pure land where the Tathāgatas dwell, the supreme and most venerable ground where the utmost saints dwell, signifies the realm of the ultimate truth of the Middle Way. A single ground with three signs, and three signs in a single ground, signifies that a single truth is three truths, and the three truths are a single truth. Having wondrous fragrance exceeding all heavenly incense signifies the merit of benevolence and compassion of the first stage. Benevolence can bestow happiness, like the fragrant perfume; compassion can eradicate suffering, like fragrance dispelling foul odors. This benevolence and compassion is vertically elevated, hence it is said to "exceed all heavenly incense"; this benevolence and compassion is horizontally expansive, hence it is said to "fill everywhere." It fills all aggregates, realms, and entrances, without exception covering all. His room having four lofty seats on its four sides signifies the four virtues of the first stage. The four virtues are the secret treasury; the Buddhas abide within it as on lofty seats that may be sat upon, because they seat the Buddhas. Having four Tathāgatas signifies the wisdom of the first stage that awakens to the four virtues; wisdom unites imperceptibly with virtue, just as the Buddhas sit upon the seats. Emitting great radiance signifies the first stage's self-cultivation and transforming of others: illuminating this land signifies self-cultivation; illuminating other lands signifies transforming others. Raining down heavenly flowers signifies the first stage's four unhindered eloquence: flowers raining down from space is like eloquence expressing principle. Playing heavenly music signifies the first stage's four means of embrace: the four means of embrace gather beings, just as music delights others. Experiencing heavenly happiness signifies the first stage's joy in the Dharma: joy in the Dharma clarifies the spirit, just like experiencing heavenly bliss. The deficient faculties becoming whole signifies the first stage's mutual functioning of the faculties: ears seeing and eyes hearing, within a single faculty the functions of all faculties are fully complete. The merits of the first stage cannot be fully proclaimed even by the Buddha's eloquence; these ten signs are merely raised in brief to outline them. As it is for the first stage, so it is for each and every stage. Furthermore, the ten signs signify the first stage's merits of self-cultivation and transforming others: the first five signs signify the merits of self-cultivation, and the latter five signs signify the merits of transforming others. The vast and spacious room signifies the prajñā of self-cultivation; the heavenly dark-blue lapis lazuli signifies the Dharma-body of self-cultivation; having wondrous fragrance signifies the liberation of self-cultivation; the lofty seats and flower garments signify the accomplishment of causes in self-cultivation; the Buddhas sitting on the seats signify receiving the prediction and attaining buddhahood. As for the latter five signs signifying the merits of transforming others: emitting radiance signifies benefiting beings through the wheel of mind; raining flowers signifies benefiting beings through the wheel of speech; playing music signifies benefiting beings through the wheel of body, and also signifies enabling sentient beings to transform the afflictive obstacles and experience the bliss of joy in the Dharma; the faculties becoming whole signifies enabling sentient beings to transform the karmic retribution obstacles. As it is for the first stage, so it is for each of the subsequent stages. From "all the worldly realms" onward is the general manifestation of signs. In the specific signs the text is broad and the meaning concise; in the general signs the text is concise and the meaning broad. This signifies that the causes of the ten stages are accomplished, and the single fruition is completely fulfilled. "All" encompasses the ten dharma-realms. "Worldly realms" embraces the three worldly realms. "Unprecedented" means that which does not exist in the causal stage. "Completely manifested" means that the causes are perfected and the principle is revealed. When the worldly realm of lands is unprecedented, the true mark is fulfilled; when the worldly realm of sentient beings is unprecedented, prajñā is fulfilled; when the worldly realm of the five aggregates is unprecedented, liberation is fulfilled. To state the essentials: the true mark is the essential. Once the true mark is perfected, what dharma is not fulfilled?