金光明最勝王經疏 1.207

1.207

贊曰：下二十行半，別標也。於中分四：初三行半標。〈壽命〉下盡〈滿願品〉，經之正宗。正所明法，謂二因二果。二、「眾生身不具」下有六行頌，標正宗之中舉能勸學。三、「護世四王眾」下有五行頌，標〈觀察品〉已下乃至付囑流通分中正所修行。四、「若有聞是經」下六頌，標諸品中讚勸持讀。初三行半中復分為七：一、一行半標〈壽量品〉；二、「我復演妙法」一句，標〈三身品〉；三、「吉祥懺中勝」等二句，標〈懺悔品〉；四、「淨除諸惡業」等二句，標〈滅業障品〉；五、「常與無量樂」，標〈淨地品〉、〈蓮華喻讚品〉、〈金勝陀羅尼品〉；六、「一切智根本」，標〈重顯空性品〉；七、「諸功德莊嚴」，標〈依空滿願品〉。此即初也。釋迦四佛同說此經，故云并四方四佛。四佛因緣，如《觀佛三昧海經》第七說。阿閦佛等四佛言：「我念曾昔空王佛所出家學道，時四比丘共為同學。佛涅槃後，入塔觀像，見眉間相如佛無異，願除我罪，如大山崩五體投地懺悔諸罪。依此因緣，後八十億阿僧祇劫不墮惡道，常見諸佛，於諸佛所受持甚深念佛三昧。得三昧已，諸佛現前授我記別。東方有國名妙喜，彼佛名阿閦，即第一比丘是。南方有國名歡喜，佛名寶相，即第二比丘是。西方有國名極樂，佛名無量壽，即第三比丘是。北方有國名蓮華莊嚴，佛名微妙音，即第四比丘是。」問：何故四佛同說此經？答：為彰四德并釋迦，即顯佛果所有五法，謂四智真如攝得菩提涅槃皆盡。

Commentary: The following twenty and a half stanzas specifically indicate [the contents]. Within them, there are four divisions: First, the initial three and a half stanzas mark [the teaching]. From the chapter 'Span of Life' down to the end of the chapter 'Fulfillment of Vows', this is the main body of the sūtra. The Dharma directly elucidated refers to the two causes and two fruits. Second, from the six stanzas beginning with 'Sentient beings whose bodies are incomplete', it indicates those who can exhort study within the main body. Third, the five stanzas beginning with 'The Four World-Protecting Heavenly Kings' indicate the actual practices to be cultivated from the chapter 'Contemplation' onward down to the entrustment and dissemination section. Fourth, the six stanzas beginning with 'If there are those who hear this sūtra' indicate the praise and exhortation to uphold and read found throughout the chapters.
The first three and a half stanzas are further divided into seven: 1. A stanza and a half indicates the chapter 'Span of Life'; 2. The single line 'I shall further expound the sublime Dharma' indicates the chapter 'Three Bodies'; 3. The two lines 'Superior among auspicious repentances' etc. indicate the chapter 'Confession'; 4. The two lines 'Purely eradicating all evil karmas' etc. indicate the chapter 'Eradicating Karmic Obstacles'; 5. 'Constantly bestowing immeasurable joy' indicates the three chapters 'Purifying the Grounds', 'Praise with the Lotus Analogy', and 'Supreme Golden Dhāraṇī'; 6. 'Root of all-knowledge' indicates the chapter 'Further Elucidating Emptiness'; 7. 'Adorned with all merits' indicates the chapter 'Fulfilling Vows Relying on Emptiness'. This is the first of these.
Because Śākyamuni and the four buddhas jointly preach this sūtra, it says 'together with the four buddhas of the four directions'. The background causes of the four buddhas are as taught in the seventh fascicle of the Guanfo sanmei hai jing. Akṣobhya Buddha and the other four buddhas said: 'I recall that long ago, at the place of the buddha Śūnyarāja, I left home to study the Way. At that time, four monks were fellow students. After the Buddha entered nirvāṇa, we entered the stūpa to view the image, and seeing the mark between the brows was no different from a buddha, we vowed to remove our sins, throwing our five limbs to the ground like a great mountain collapsing to repent all sins. Relying on these causes and conditions, for eighty billion asaṃkhyeya kalpas afterwards we did not fall into the evil destinies, constantly saw buddhas, and received and upheld the profound buddha-mindfulness samādhi before the buddhas. Having attained the samādhi, the buddhas appeared before us and bestowed our prophecies: in the east is a land named Abhirati, and that buddha is named Akṣobhya—this was the first monk; in the south is a land named Praharṣā, and the buddha is named Ratnaketu—this was the second monk; in the west is a land named Sukhāvatī, and the buddha is named Amitāyus—this was the third monk; in the north is a land named Padmālaṃkṛtā, and the buddha is named Dundubhisvara—this was the fourth monk.'
Question: Why do the four buddhas jointly preach this sūtra? Answer: To manifest the four virtues together with Śākyamuni, which reveals all five dharmas of the fruit of buddhahood; that is, the four knowledges and tathatā exhaustively subsume bodhi and nirvāṇa.