金光明經文句 6.25

6.25

The meanings of relinquishing are very many—wealth, status, life-span; why is it titled solely after the body? This takes its title from what is primary and essential. The recipient required the body; the rest was not essential. The giver primarily relinquished his body; the rest was merely incidental relinquishment; hence it is called the "Chapter on the Relinquishing of the Body". The text has four parts: first, the question; second, the answer; third, the assembly obtaining benefits; fourth, the conclusion. As for the question: having heard above of the Great Being curing diseases and saving fish, which indeed extensively succoured lowly persons and lowly creatures so that they obtained benefits across two lifetimes, the assembly at that time wished to hear of the deed of abandoning the body and perishing that moved beings deeply and tallied with the ultimate. With the practice being bitter and the fruit being joyous, may we hear of it? Therefore they requested and asked. The Buddha's answer has two parts: first, recounting the origins; second, directly explaining the relinquishing of the body. The origins have ten parts: first, the stūpa welling up from the earth; second, the great assembly giving rise to doubt; third, the Buddha rising to pay reverence; fourth, the tree deity asking about the reverence; fifth, the Buddha answering about the reverence; sixth, commanding Ānanda to fetch [the relics]; seventh, Ānanda describing the appearance of the bones; eighth, commanding them to be shown to the great assembly; ninth, obeying the command to fetch and show them; tenth, the Buddha exhorting the assembly to pay reverence—all as in the text. From "In the past, there was a king" downwards is the actual relinquishing of the body. The text has two parts: first, the prose; second, the verse. The prose has four parts: first, explaining the original retinue; second, the expedients of relinquishing the body; third, the actual relinquishing of the body; fourth, the sorrow and longing after the relinquishing. Regarding the original retinue, there are five parts: first, explaining the original retinue. Mahāratha: this translates as "Great Without Fault"; the Sūtra of Mañjuśrī's Questions says, "Ratha is translated as 'middle'". Mahāpraṇāda: some say this translates as "Great Traversing" (not fully clear). Mahādeva: this means "Great Deity". Mahāsattva: this translates as "Great Mind". Second, roaming about. Third, each describing the omens. Fourth, seeing the tigress that had newly given birth. Fifth, each setting forth what they observed. From "He had this thought: 'The time has now arrived for me to relinquish my body'" downwards are the expedients of relinquishing the body. The expedients are two: first, setting forth the contemplative understanding; second, giving rise to vows—vow and practice supporting each other. "Having just given birth seven days prior": seeing seven spots on the cubs' heads, he knew it was already seven days, which comes from the Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shanhaijing). It is also said: in seven days their eyes open. Furthermore, if they do not eat for seven days they must die; the tiger cubs being on the verge of death, he knew it was seven days. Or it is said: ghosts and deities revealed the understanding, like the tree deity counting the fish. The actual relinquishing of the body has two parts: first, relinquishing the body; second, moving heaven and earth. As for the retinue's sorrow after the relinquishing of the body: first the two elder brothers were sorrowful and distressed, each speaking verses and together proceeding to the place of relinquishment; next the parents were sorrowful and distressed. The ninety-three lines of verse comprise three parts: the first two lines generally explain the past practices; next, specific verses reprise the prose; third, the concluding synthesis. The first is as in the text. From "I recall past lives" downwards specifically reprises the prose: four lines reprise the original retinue above. Above, there was the description of omens and setting forth of observations, which are not versified here; the rest are all versified. From "Then the supreme Great Being" downwards, two lines reprise the expedients of relinquishing the body above, without versifying the making of vows. From "He then climbed the high mountain" downwards reprises the actual relinquishing of the body and the moving [of heaven and earth] above. From "At that time the two elder brothers" downwards reprises the retinue's sorrow and distress after the relinquishing of the body above. From "At that time the prince" downwards reprises the parents' sorrow and distress above. From "The Buddha told the tree deity" downwards is the third, the concluding synthesis. The concluding synthesis has three parts: first, synthesizing the persons; second, synthesizing the stūpa; third, synthesizing the vows. From "When this sūtra was expounded" downwards is the assembly's benefits. From "Tree deity, this is called paying reverence to the stūpa" downwards is the fourth, concluding the meaning of the question.