金光明經文句 5.4

5.4

The Four Heavenly Kings are the leaders of the ascending realms and the first heaven of the lower realm, dwelling halfway up Mount Sumeru. On the eastern golden terrace, the king's name is Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which is translated here as 'Upholder of the Country', ruling over gandharvas and pūtanas; on the southern lapis lazuli terrace, the king's name is Virūḍhaka, which is translated here as 'Increasing', ruling over kumbhāṇḍas and pretas; on the western silver terrace, the king's name is Virūpākṣa, which is translated here as 'Diverse Speech', ruling over piśācas and venomous nāgas; on the northern crystal terrace, the king's name is Vaiśravaṇa, which is translated here as 'Much Hearing', ruling over yakṣas and rākṣasas. These four kings, hearing the sūtra, rejoiced, and each leading a retinue of five hundred, made vows to protect the sūtra; taking its title from this, it is called the 'Chapter on the Four Heavenly Kings'.

In terms of contemplation of the mind: the east is accumulation, the south is suffering, the west is the path, and the north is cessation. The principle of the four noble truths is the four heavens; the wisdom contemplating the four noble truths is the four kings; protecting the realm of the four noble truths is called protecting the country; protecting mental factors is protecting sentient beings. 'World' means others: explaining the mental factors for others is called protecting other sentient beings. The 'eight classes of beings' are the sharp and dull views and thoughts under the truth of suffering—the Lotus Sūtra refers to these as ghosts and spirits—up to the views and thoughts under the truth of cessation; these are the eight classes. If one does not illuminate the principle of the four noble truths, the two delusions of views and thoughts will harm the king of the mind and impair its realm; the king of the mind perishes, the state of the realm is ruined, the people of the mental factors scatter, and both realm and wisdom are afflicted by ghosts and spirits. If one can contemplate suffering and accumulation, subjugating views and thoughts, the country will be at peace and the people tranquil. Being able to explain the four noble truths to others is protecting other realms, warding off their views and thoughts and bringing them peace and bliss. This is the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the world according to the contemplation of the mind.