金光明經文句 6.17

6.17

The father physician in turn answers the four questions: first, six lines answer regarding the increase and decrease of the four great elements; second, one and a half lines answer regarding transgressions and adverse contacts in eating and drinking; third, two lines answer regarding the seasons when illnesses arise; fourth, eight and a half lines answer regarding medical formulas for treating illness. Within the six lines, there are two parts: first, one line in which the Buddha recounts that the father physician wished to answer; second, five lines that directly answer regarding the seasons. Seasons are of two kinds: first, worldly convention's four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with winter as the end of the year and spring as the beginning of the year. That it speaks first of summer is perhaps just said casually, or perhaps the answering of the questions took place precisely in the summer. Speaking in terms of 'three by three' means each season has three months, namely the first, middle, and last months. The four seasons are simply twelve months. If one relies on the Buddha's preaching of the Dharma, a year has three seasons, namely winter, spring, and summer, with summer as the end of the year and winter as the beginning of the year. Why is it so? In order to break the disciples' clinging to permanence, and to open the retreat and the Kārttika month, autumn was omitted. The three seasons of the Buddhadharma are also spoken of as three by three. If it says 'spoken of as two by two, completing six seasons,' according to worldly convention's four seasons, each season originally has two months, and the earth [element] resides in each of the four seasons for eighteen days; the original two months are simply the yin and yang months. Each season has only the yin and yang months, combining to make six seasons. The first and second months are the time when wood is predominant; the fourth and fifth months are the time when fire is predominant; the seventh and eighth months are the time when metal is predominant; the tenth and eleventh months are the time when water is predominant; the twelfth and third months are when yang earth resides and is predominant; the sixth and ninth months are when yin earth resides and is predominant. If one wishes to discuss the original months, they are also spoken of as two by two; if one discusses the residence and predominance of earth, they are also spoken of as two by two; hence it says 'completing six seasons.' If one explains the 'spoken of as two by two' according to the Buddhadharma, the Buddhadharma has three seasons, and each season has four months, each having an earlier portion and a later portion. From the sixteenth day of the latter twelfth month to the fifteenth day of the second month is the earlier portion of spring; from the sixteenth day of the second month to the fifteenth day of the [fourth] month is the latter portion of spring, these two months. From the sixteenth day of the fourth month to the fifteenth day of the sixth month, these two months are the earlier portion of summer; from the sixteenth day of the sixth month to the fifteenth day of the eighth month, this is the latter portion of summer. From the sixteenth day of the eighth month to the fifteenth day of the tenth month, these two months are the earlier portion of winter; from the sixteenth day of the tenth month to the fifteenth day of the twelfth month, these two months are the latter portion of winter; hence it says 'if spoken of as two by two, completing six seasons.' It is also said: the first and third months are yang months, the second and fourth months are yin months, the fifth and seventh months are yang months, the sixth and eighth months are yin months, the ninth and eleventh months are yang months, and the tenth and twelfth months are yin months; hence it says 'if spoken of as two by two, completing six seasons.' 'Three by three originally subsuming' according to worldly convention: the first month is the original month of the spring equinox, subsuming the latter two months as belonging entirely to spring; the fourth month is the original month of summer, subsuming the latter two months as belonging entirely to summer; the seventh month is the original month of autumn, subsuming the latter two months as belonging entirely to autumn; the tenth month is the original month of winter, subsuming the latter two months as belonging entirely to winter; this is 'three by three originally subsuming.' It is also said: the first and second months are precisely spring, wood being predominant within it, and earth residing in the third month, subsumed under spring; the fourth and fifth months are precisely summer, fire being predominant within it, and earth residing in the sixth month, subsumed under summer; the seventh and eighth months are precisely autumn, metal being predominant within it, and earth residing in the ninth month, subsumed under autumn; the tenth and eleventh months are precisely winter, water being predominant within it, and earth residing in the twelfth month, subsumed under winter. With the residence of earth in the proper times of the four seasons as primary, the three months of each all subsume earth; hence it says 'three by three originally subsuming,' the host subsuming the guest, the guest being earth. Explaining 'three by three originally subsuming' according to the Buddhadharma: each original season had three months, but since autumn was eliminated, the three months of autumn are allocated among the three seasons, so that each season has four months. Discussing the root, there are three; discussing what is subsumed, there is one; hence it says 'three by three originally subsuming.' Question: The four seasons each have three months, which is four by three originally subsuming; why say 'three by three originally subsuming'? Answer: Three is counted as one unit; counting by threes, it is therefore said that three by three is the basis. 'Adjusting according to the seasons': the seasons are as explained above, whether four, three, two, or subsuming, variously differing; according to the season, one deliberates in mind, weighing what to discard and what to adopt. If according to the Buddhadharma there is no autumn season, yet it speaks of illness arising in the autumn season, how is this explained? From the first half of the eighth month backwards, according with worldly convention it is named autumn, but it is subsumed under summer. From the latter half of the eighth month onwards, according with worldly convention it is named autumn, but it is subsumed under winter. 'Adjusting according to the seasons' means weighing between the two systems. As for 'alternating increases and decreases': if in spring liver illness arises, this can be treated; if in spring spleen illness arises, this is difficult to treat. If in summer heart illness arises, this can be treated; if in summer lung illness arises, this is difficult to treat. At the end of summer and the beginning of winter, during the autumn equinox, if lung illness arises, this can be treated; if liver illness arises, this is difficult to treat. If in winter kidney illness arises, this can be treated; if heart illness arises, this is difficult to treat. Discussions of the increases and decreases across the four seasons are generally like this. Question: Illnesses arise in all four seasons; why eliminate the autumn season? The explanation for this has two points: first, to break the attachment to permanence. In autumn all things bear fruit, and people consider this permanent and pleasurable. To break this clinging, autumn was therefore eliminated, because the disciples had much clinging to permanence. Second, to establish the latter retreat and institute the Kārttika month. The retreat was originally named 'dwelling in summer' (varṣā); if from the first half of the eighth month backwards were autumn, it would be 'dwelling in autumn.' For this reason, autumn was eliminated. From 'There is a good physician' downwards, one and a half lines answer regarding transgressions and adverse contacts. Transgressions and adverse contacts are of six kinds: first, excessive sitting; second, excessive sleeping. These two mostly cause phlegm, and one should walk and recline more to disperse it. Third, excessive walking; fourth, excessive reclining; fifth, excessive talking; these produce wind illnesses, and one should sleep more to treat them. Sixth, excessive lust; this produces all illnesses, namely balanced-humor illness (sannipāta). If fire is deficient, phlegm is excessive. If fire is excessive, then heat blazes. If wind is excessive, it fans the fire and produces heat illnesses. If wind is excessive, it chills the phlegm and produces cold illnesses. If these three matters are balanced, there is no illness. As for contracting illness from eating and drinking, there are also six kinds: first, eating excessively; second, eating too little, stopping without enough; third, eating when overly famished; fourth, eating contrary to the proper time, forcing oneself to eat when not yet hungry; fifth, obstructive eating, such as eating meat and drinking raw milk causing leprosy; sixth, forcing oneself to eat what one has never eaten, such as a southerner drinking sour gruel or a northerner drinking honey; if vegetables are mixed with honey it prevents the conception of male children, and frying egret meat in pig lard causes leprosy. If suffering from heat, drinking alcohol, eating wheat, and eating raw beef will cause blindness, vomiting blood, and dysenteric bloody stool. If suffering from phlegm, eating sweet, rich, salty, and sour things will cause a congested nose with much discharge, as well as dysentery. The 'six greats' are the six viscera: large intestine, small intestine, gallbladder, stomach, triple burner, and the two bladders. From 'Those who have much wind illness' downwards, two lines answer regarding the seasons when illnesses arise. The fourth and fifth months are when wind is generated; the sixth and seventh months are when wind arises; the eighth and ninth months are when wind ceases. The sixth and seventh months are when heat is generated; the eighth and ninth months are when heat arises; from the tenth to the first month is when heat ceases. The eighth and ninth months are when the balanced humors are generated; the tenth and eleventh months are when the balanced humors arise; the twelfth and first months are when the balanced humors cease. From the tenth to the first month is when phlegm is generated; the second and third months are when phlegm arises; from the fourth to the seventh month is when phlegm ceases. Phlegm is water, which afflicts the lungs. As for wind arising in summer: in summer the pores are open, so external wind can enter and internal wind is stirred. As for heat illness arising in autumn: the pores are closed, so heat is concealed internally and cannot circulate, thereby becoming illness. As for the balanced humors arising in winter: in spring water stirs and lung illness is not cured; coming to summer wind stirs again and wind illness is not cured; coming to autumn heat stirs again and heat illness is not cured; coming to winter all illnesses stir simultaneously. In the second and third months phlegm arises and damages the lungs, and lung illness is stirred. From 'Those who have wind illness' downwards, eight and a half lines answer regarding medical formulas for treating illness. The text has three parts: first, two and a half lines on preventing with medicine before illness occurs; second, two lines on directly treating with medicine; third, four lines on supplementing with medicine after illness recedes. For wind illness in summer taking rich, greasy, salty, sour, and hot food: in the summer months the pores are open, so one uses rich and greasy foods to moisten and plug them, preventing wind from entering. Salty and sour foods are hot by nature and can disperse water, making the body firm and solid, treating wind-deficiency. Hot food causes sweating, drawing the wind out, and also treats cold deficiency so wind cannot advance. Cold and sweet things are ghee, milk, and so forth, which can treat heat. For balanced humors in winter, taking sweet and sour things removes wind. For lung illness, taking rich and greasy foods plugs the pores so water cannot enter. Heat can scorch and water disperses, hence it can treat lung illness. Eating to full satiety generates lung illness: when food is excessive, the intestines and stomach are overly filled, hence it triggers the lungs. When digested food generates heat: just as when food lubricates, heat illness is subdued; when the food is digested and lubrication is gone, heat illness arises. When digestion leaves one deficient and slack, wind vapor enters the body, hence generating wind. For wind looseness, replenish with ghee and rich foods; salt removes wind, sweet removes heat; when the lungs carry wind and water, emesis is appropriate. The textual explanation here comes from the commentary of Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha.