金光明經文句 6.22

6.22

From "In future ages, I shall bestow the food of the Dharma" downwards is the fourth [section], the actual forming of affinities. This is further divided into four: first, making the vows; second, contemplating the expounding of the Dharma; third, the actual expounding of the Dharma; fourth, the fish changing their retribution, being reborn in heaven, and making offerings to repay kindness. Regarding the fish repaying kindness, the text has four parts: first, the fish changing their retribution and being reborn in heaven; second, the deities descending to earth to repay kindness; third, the king seeing the light and asking about the auspicious omen; fourth, the elder investigating the teaching and giving the definitive answer, as in the text. Repaying kindness has two meanings: first, phenomenal; second, noumenal. As for the phenomenal, the pearls on four sides repay the four kinds of grace: water, food and drink, dependent origination, and the ten epithets. As for the noumenal, based on the text of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, which says: "Bestowing food enables others to gain life, which represents permanence; enables others to gain joy, and thus they attain nirvāṇa; enables others to gain awakening, and thus they accomplish sovereign selfhood; seeking wealth in accord with the Dharma, and thus they attain purity." The forty thousand [pearls] are used to repay the kindness of permanence, joy, self, and purity.