金光明經文句 3.10

3.10

From 'The Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, are my refuge' downward, twenty-one stanzas constitute the third part: praise. If we discuss the sequence, the preceding material and Dharma offerings pertained to body and mind; since body and mind had not yet fully expressed or completed it, here oral praise is added. If taken as Dharma-doors, the preceding was the Dharma-door of offering, while this is the Dharma-door of the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi (buddhānusmṛti-samādhi). The text has three parts: first, one stanza states the theme in praise; next, nineteen stanzas provide the praise proper; third, one stanza concludes the praise. Stating 'the Buddhas': horizontally, across the ten directions; vertically, through the three periods of time; phenomenally, the reward and response bodies; noumenally, the Dharma body. The words are brief yet the meaning is vast—this is the skillfulness of stating the theme. 'Are my refuge' means taking refuge in the one substance of the three Buddha-bodies of the dharmatā. 'The Buddha ocean': when the four eyes enter the Buddha-eye, and the ten wisdoms enter the wisdom of suchness, they all lose their original names and are simply called the Buddha-eye and Buddha-wisdom, just as when substances are thrown into rock sugar or streams join the ocean, none fail to become sweet or salty. The three Buddha-bodies of the dharmatā encompass all phenomena, hence it is called the Buddha ocean. The praise proper has two parts: first, sixteen stanzas praise through words; later, three stanzas praise beyond words. Praising through words also has two parts: first, one stanza briefly praises and briefly illustrates; next, fifteen stanzas extensively praise and extensively illustrate. Brief praise: among all the marks and signs, it briefly praises the golden color. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa compares common iron to common gold, common gold to ocean gold, ocean gold to nāga gold, nāga gold to Jambūdvīpa gold, Jambūdvīpa gold to the gold of the Four Heavenly Kings, and so on progressively comparing up to the gold of the sixth heaven; comparing the gold of the sixth heaven to the golden color of the Buddha's body, the gold of the sixth heaven is like iron. Furthermore, the Buddha's golden light shines through, so that walls and barriers cast no shadow. When the Buddha entered the city, emitting light that illuminated the ground, a woman bowed her head in worship and her gold hairpin fell to the ground; seeing only bright radiance, she did not know which was the ground and which was the hairpin. Only after the Buddha passed and the light ceased did she see the gold hairpin. Now, the golden-colored body is the locus upon which all marks rely; by mentioning only the golden color, one knows this is a general praise of all marks and signs. Gold has four meanings: firm and indestructible symbolizes permanence; whoever obtains it is wealthy, symbolizing bliss; its substance is free from blemish, symbolizing purity; its color is wondrous and brightly shining, symbolizing the self. Among all virtues, the four virtues are the overarching ones. 'Like Mount Sumeru': Sumeru is formed of the four jewels, illustrating that the Buddha's body is endowed with the four virtues; thus we know it is a general illustration. The extensive praise and extensive illustration has two parts: first, twelve and a half stanzas extensively praise; next, two and a half stanzas extensively illustrate. The extensive praise further has four parts: from 'Its color is unsurpassed' downward, two stanzas extensively praise the unsurpassed golden color—'unsurpassed' is the virtue of the self; from 'Wondrously pure and free from defilement' downward, three stanzas extensively praise the Buddha's form as undefiled—'undefiled' is the virtue of purity; from 'Virtues towering and lofty' downward, three and a half stanzas extensively praise the Buddha's form as abiding—'abiding' is the virtue of permanence; from 'Within the three realms of existence' downward, four stanzas extensively praise the Buddha's form as able to eradicate suffering and poison, which is the virtue of bliss. From 'Like the water of the great ocean' downward, two and a half stanzas provide the extensive illustration. The text has two parts: first, two stanzas provide the extensive illustration; second, half a stanza combines the metaphor. The ocean of the Buddha's virtues cannot be known by thought nor exhausted by speech; 'the path of mental activity is extinguished, and the way of words is cut off'—this is that meaning. Ocean water is hard to fathom, illustrating the virtue of permanence; the dust of the earth is hard to fathom, illustrating the virtue of purity; the weight of mountains is hard to fathom, illustrating the virtue of the self; the boundary of space is hard to fathom, illustrating the virtue of bliss. 'The Buddhas are also thus' downward combines the metaphor. From 'All those endowed with mind' downward, three stanzas are praise beyond words. The text has two parts: first, one and a half stanzas are the praise beyond words proper; second, one and a half stanzas reiterate the metaphor and correlate it. That all who possess mind cannot know it is the transcendence of thought. Since thought is already transcended, what could the mouth proclaim? This is the transcendence of words. Reiterating the metaphor and correlating it can be seen in the text. From 'Adorned with the marks and signs' downward, one stanza concludes generally. 'Marks' concludes all major marks; 'signs' concludes all minor signs; 'adorned' means that within each mark and each sign, all virtues are fully present as adornment.