金光明經文句 5.19

5.19

Eloquence has four kinds: minor eloquence, immeasurable eloquence, dual eloquence, and great eloquence. The undefiled dharma is called minor eloquence; dharmas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges are called immeasurable eloquence; possessing both kinds is called dual eloquence; both negating and illuminating both is called great eloquence. This deva dwells in the dharma-gate of the adornment of wisdom and personally abides in great eloquence. By her sovereign power, to delight sentient beings, she speaks one eloquence, two, three, or four in accordance [with their needs]; hence it is called great eloquence. To suit sentient beings, she confers one eloquence, two, three, or four, establishing them suitably; hence it is called great eloquence. To counteract sentient beings, she counteracts with one eloquence, two, three, or four, counteracting and curing them; hence it is called great eloquence. To awaken sentient beings, when they awaken to one eloquence, two, three, or four, through one awakening all are awakened and opened up; hence it is called great eloquence. Making vows before the Buddha, she empowers the preacher with great eloquence; hence it is titled the "Chapter on Great Eloquence". The text has three parts: first, from "addressing the Buddha" downward, she empowers and benefits the Dharma master with the power of great eloquence; second, from "if there are sentient beings who in hundreds of thousands" downward, she empowers the path of transformation through the power of resonance; third, from "further causing immeasurable" downward, she empowers the listeners with the power of practice. First, empowering the Dharma master with delight-in-preaching eloquence: the orderly arrangement of adornment is eloquence of expression; great wisdom is eloquence of meaning; dhāraṇī is eloquence of phenomena. From "if there are sentient beings" downward, she empowers the path of transformation to circulate without end. Empowering the path of that which can transform: there is no person who is not transformed, and there is no path that cannot transform; causes and conditions harmonise, and the path of transformation never ends. From "further causing immeasurable" downward, this empowers the assembly of listeners with two benefits. Hearing the sūtra up to non-retrogression is empowering the causal benefit; certainly attaining bodhi is empowering the fruitional benefit. Although the words of the text are brief, the vows are extremely deep, and the benefit is vast indeed.