金光明經文句 5.15

5.15

Fifth, the address to the Buddha, adducing both prosperity and decline. The text has two parts: first, the address to the Buddha; second, the Buddha's endorsement. The address to the Buddha also has three parts: first, from "addressing the Buddha" to "all evil calamities and disasters will be completely extinguished" is the first, adducing prosperity as an exhortation. From "If there is a human king whose mind gives rise to abandonment" to "the good deities abandon them and depart, producing such immeasurable evils" is the second, adducing decline as an exhortation. From "World-Honoured One, if a human king wishes to protect himself and the territory of his kingdom" is the third, the proper exhortation. Adducing prosperity as an exhortation has four points: first, when the human king propagates the sūtra, the Four Deva-Kings conceal their forms to listen and receive it; second, not only do the Four Deva-Kings listen and receive it, Śakra, Brahmā, and the eight classes [of beings] all assemble to listen and receive it; third, they regard this human king as a spiritual friend of the good Dharma; fourth, having obtained the benefit of the Dharma, they protect the state all the more diligently. All are as in the text. Next, adducing decline as an exhortation also has four points: first, if the king does not propagate the sūtra, the devas lose the ambrosia and their power and majesty decrease; second, Śakra, Brahmā, and the old deities all abandon him and depart far away; third, evil spirits run riot, and calamities and pestilences arise in rivalry; fourth, these consecutively result in disasters. Why do disasters arise? Evil spirits run riot. Why do spirits run riot? The heavenly deities have abandoned them and departed. Why do the devas abandon them? They do not hear the food of the Dharma. Why is there no food of the Dharma? The king does not propagate the sūtra. As in the text. Third, the proper exhortation has six points: first, because he wishes to obtain present benefits, he must certainly listen; second, because the devas delight in the food of the Dharma, he must certainly listen; third, because it surpasses the three treatises, he must certainly listen. As for the three treatises: the *Four Vedas* speak of Brahmā matters; the *Vyākaraṇa* speaks of the ten good deeds; the *Sāṃkhya*, *Vaiśeṣika*, and *Rṣabha* speak of matters of mastering learning (and so forth). Fourth, because one obtains benefits from beginning to end and accomplishes bodhi, he must certainly listen; fifth, because the master of the teaching is superior to Śakra and Brahmā, he must certainly listen; sixth, because it is the root of all phenomena, he must certainly listen. All are as in the text.