金光明最勝王經疏 1.48

1.48

五、依文科釋者，經有三十一品，依真諦判分為三分：初之一品是序分，十九品為正說，後兩品屬流通。〈嘆佛品〉中明他方大士還他土而歎彼佛，次文方明此土大士嘆此方佛。說法既了，他土菩薩還他方，方說此品，故非正說。故此品是大眾領解，歎能說人耳，非經正意。後之一品，如來付囑所弘之法，正是流通。問：他方歸讚合在囑累後明，何故囑累居嘆佛品後？解云：應爾。但出結集者合此兩品共一處故，囑累奉行在最後也。今準新翻，初他方菩薩讚此如來，非是往彼而讚彼佛。今為二解。一云：初之一品同於今古，從〈壽量品〉盡〈依空滿願品〉，此之九品明經正宗，餘二十一品竝是流通。何以故？妙幢等情欲聞菩提涅槃果及於因，世尊為說壽量無盡，是明菩提。陳如疑情壽命無窮，如何復說入般涅槃，請說涅槃真實之義。不爾，四佛已為妙幢說示涅槃之所以訖，何故陳如復請舍利？故是為明涅槃之義發斯請問。故舊本云「如如來說如是之義，我已聞知。為請如來廣開分別真實之義，故求舍利開方便門。」今本下文廣說涅槃真實之義，舊本闕無。既聞佛說壽量無邊，佛有三身未知差別，復欲修學，請佛為陳。若不明其差別，不知證之果因，故佛先陳三身差別、次教修學。修學正則斷惡修善，斷惡即懺悔滅障，修善即依五位三祇修十勝行。行依境起，須知俗真，後更重明二空之性。空有雙習，依空滿願，所以行備果圓。故經正宗意在於此。〈四天王觀察人天品〉等下，即但觀彼持讀流通，所有處方加其守護，增財益辯、助智除災、說自勸他，意令行學菩薩聞讚如來付之，故竝流通。雖下方有授妙幢等菩提之記，意明經益。得記當成，勸發時眾依言修學。不爾，應前說〈壽量品〉乃至〈蓮華喻讚品〉訖即與授記，何故待說〈諸天藥叉護持品〉後？由此故知屬流通分。然傳真諦法師云：「若〈四天王〉已下判是流通者，此過謬也。何也？〈壽量〉明釋迦果，何故但是正說？〈授記〉明弟子果，何故屬流通？〈善集〉、〈捨身〉明釋迦了因，何忽但是流通？〈懺悔〉、〈空〉等明弟子了因，何故是正說？又〈三身品〉通明兩家正因，何故但在正說？故從〈壽量〉乃至〈捨身〉總是正宗。」今者釋云：〈壽量〉雖明釋迦之果，正是所求。〈授記〉雖明弟子之果，意為傳經，說益勸眾，故在流通。〈懺悔〉等品雖正是因，為弟子說，說果正擬令使行因。〈淨地〉等品通諸佛因，不唯今日弟子，故〈懺悔〉等得在正說。〈捨身〉等品說過去事，舉自勸他，非是今會始自行學，故囑流通。不爾，〈蓮華喻讚〉讚佛功德即是正宗，菩薩讚佛何故即屬流通？又若〈四天王〉等品，世尊命護，彼等依命護持，即是正宗。付囑亦是令行，何乃屬流通？由此〈授記〉雖明來果，〈捨身〉明其往因，為勸而來，故流通攝。

Fifth, division and explanation according to the text: The sūtra consists of thirty-one chapters. Paramārtha divides it into three sections: the first chapter is the introductory section, nineteen chapters are the central teaching, and the final two chapters belong to the transmission section. In the chapter “Praising the Buddha”, it explains that great beings from other realms return to those lands and praise the buddhas there, and only in the subsequent text does it explain that great beings of this realm praise the Buddha of this realm. Once the exposition of the Dharma was completed, only when the bodhisattvas from other lands returned to other regions was this chapter spoken; therefore, it is not the central teaching. Hence, this chapter represents the assembly’s appreciative understanding and mere praise of the teacher, not the main purport of the sūtra. In the final chapter, the Tathāgata entrusts the Dharma that has been propagated, which is truly the transmission. Question: The return and praise from other realms ought to be explained after the entrustment; why does the entrustment follow the chapter “Praising the Buddha”? Explanation: It should indeed be so. It is merely because the compilers placed these two chapters together in one place that the entrustment and practice are at the very end. Now, according to the new translation, bodhisattvas from other realms first praise this Tathāgata, rather than going elsewhere and praising the buddhas there. Now two explanations are given: One says: The first chapter is the same in both the old and new translations. From the “Span of Life Chapter” down through the “Fulfilling Vows by Relying on Emptiness Chapter”, these nine chapters constitute the central teaching of the sūtra; the remaining twenty-one chapters are all the transmission. Why is this? Ruciraketu and the others wished to hear about the causes and fruits of bodhi and nirvāṇa. The World-Honoured One explained for them that the lifespan is inexhaustible, which clarifies bodhi. Kauṇḍinya was perplexed about how, if the lifespan is limitless, he could speak of entering parinirvāṇa, and requested an explanation of the true meaning of nirvāṇa. Were it not so, since the four buddhas had already explained the reason for nirvāṇa to Ruciraketu, why would Kauṇḍinya again request relics? Therefore, this question was raised precisely to elucidate the meaning of nirvāṇa. Hence, the old version says: “The meaning spoken by the Tathāgata, as such, I have already heard and understood. In order to request the Tathāgata to broadly explain and distinguish the true meaning, I therefore seek relics to open the gate of expedient means.” The present text subsequently explains the true meaning of nirvāṇa at length, which was lacking in the old version. Having heard the Buddha speak of the boundless lifespan, yet not knowing the distinctions among the Buddha’s three bodies and wishing to practice and learn them, they requested the Buddha to explain them. If their distinctions are not made clear, one cannot know the fruit and cause to be realized; therefore, the Buddha first explained the distinctions among the three bodies and then taught how to practice and learn them. In correct practice and learning, one cuts off evil and cultivates good. Cutting off evil is confession and the elimination of hindrances; cultivating good is cultivating the ten supreme practices across the five stages and three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. Since practice arises on the basis of its cognitive object, one must know both conventional and ultimate truth, after which the nature of the two kinds of emptiness is further explained. Cultivating both emptiness and existence together, one fulfills vows by relying on emptiness, so that practices are complete and the fruit is perfected. Therefore, the core intention of the sūtra lies in this. From the “Four Heavenly Kings’ Chapter on Observing Humans and Devas” downward, it merely observes those who uphold, recite, and transmit it, bestowing protection upon all such places, increasing wealth and eloquence, aiding wisdom, averting disasters, and speaking of oneself to exhort others, with the intention that practicing bodhisattvas hear praise of the Tathāgata and be entrusted with it; therefore, they are all transmission. Although prophecies of bodhi for Ruciraketu and others are granted later, the intention is to elucidate the benefit of the sūtra. Receiving the prophecy of future attainment exhorts the audience of that time to practice and study according to the teachings. Were it not so, once the “Span of Life Chapter” through the “Praising by Metaphor of the Lotus Chapter” were finished, the prophecies should have been bestowed immediately; why wait until after the “Chapter on the Protection by Devas and Yakṣas”? From this, one knows that it belongs to the transmission section. However, tradition reports that Dharma Master Paramārtha said: “To judge everything from the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ onward as the transmission is an error. Why? If ‘Span of Life’ clarifies Śākyamuni’s fruit, why is it solely the central teaching? If the ‘Prophecy’ clarifies the disciples’ fruit, why does it belong to the transmission? If ‘Suvarṇasamuccaya’ and ‘Abandoning the Body’ clarify Śākyamuni’s revealing causes, why are they suddenly only transmission? If ‘Confession’, ‘Emptiness’, and so on clarify the disciples’ revealing causes, why are they the central teaching? Furthermore, the ‘Three Bodies Chapter’ clarifies the primary causes of both; why is it only in the central teaching? Therefore, from ‘Span of Life’ down through ‘Abandoning the Body’, all of it constitutes the central teaching.” Now it is explained: Although ‘Span of Life’ clarifies Śākyamuni’s fruit, it is precisely what was sought. Although ‘Prophecy’ clarifies the fruit of the disciples, its intention is to hand down the sūtra, explaining benefits to encourage the assembly; therefore, it belongs to the transmission. Although chapters such as ‘Confession’ are precisely causes, they are taught for the disciples; explaining the fruit is meant specifically to cause them to practice the causes. The ‘Pure Stages’ and subsequent chapters apply to the causes of all buddhas, not merely today’s disciples; therefore, ‘Confession’ and the like may be within the central teaching. The chapters ‘Abandoning the Body’ and so on recount past events, adducing oneself to exhort others; this is not the commencement of one’s own practice and study within the present assembly, so they belong to the transmission. Were it not so, since ‘Praising by Metaphor of the Lotus’ praises the Buddha’s merits and is therefore the central teaching, why should the bodhisattvas’ praise of the Buddha belong to the transmission? Moreover, if chapters such as ‘The Four Heavenly Kings’ are the central teaching because the World-Honoured One commands protection and they protect in accordance with that command, then entrustment is also a command to practice—why should it belong to the transmission? Because of this, although ‘Prophecy’ clarifies future fruit and ‘Abandoning the Body’ clarifies past causes, both occur in order to exhort, and are therefore subsumed under the transmission.