金光明最勝王經疏 2.229

2.229

Commentary: The assembly at that time understood and obtained benefit. The text is divided into two parts: first, the prose on hearing the Dharma and obtaining benefit; second, the verses stating their understanding. The first text has four [points]: first, it brings forth the number of those who obtained benefit, thirty-two thousand devaputras; second, it states what was heard, hearing the explanation of the Tathāgata's lifespan; third, they obtained an excellent benefit, namely giving rise to the bodhicitta; fourth, their minds rejoiced. What is explained in the sūtras and treatises on giving rise to the bodhicitta differs in detail and brevity; now it is distinguished briefly under seven headings: 1. the causes and conditions for giving rise to the aspiration; 2. the stages of giving rise to the aspiration; 3. the ritual for giving rise to the aspiration; 4. the superiority and inferiority of giving rise to the aspiration; 5. the distinctions of giving rise to the aspiration; 6. the excellent benefits of giving rise to the aspiration; 7. similes for giving rise to the aspiration.

As for the causes and conditions, there are three types: first, due to four causes; second, due to four conditions; third, due to four powers, as fully explained in the thirty-fifth [fascicle] of the Yogācārabhūmi.

As for the stages of giving rise to the aspiration, both the second [fascicle] of the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra and the second [fascicle] of the Prakaraṇāryavācā state: first, the conventional aspiration; second, the ultimate aspiration. According to the seventy-second [fascicle] of the Yogācārabhūmi, there are ten aspirations: namely, conventional adopted aspiration, aspiration having attained the nature of phenomena, indeterminate aspiration, determinate aspiration, impure aspiration, pure aspiration, weak and feeble aspiration, strong and vigorous aspiration, aspiration not yet having realized the fruit, and aspiration having already realized the fruit. Among these are five pairs: 1. the pair of before the bhūmis and on the bhūmis; 2. the pair of retrogressing and non-retrogressing; 3. the pair of defiled and undefiled; 4. the pair of shrouded and unshrouded; 5. the pair of differing cause and fruit stages. Retrogressing and non-retrogressing are explained in terms of four stages, namely faith non-retrogression and so forth. The pair of defiled and undefiled is explained in terms of the stage before the abiding non-retrogression: before the abiding non-retrogression, to generate the aspiration for the sake of following others, or being coerced by others, or out of fear or deception, or seeking worldly profit, is called defiled; contrary to this is called undefiled. Before the stages of heat and summit, being suppressed and obscured by greed and so forth is called inferior; in the stages of acceptance and worldly supreme dharma, not being obscured by them is called superior. The ten bhūmis are called not yet having realized the fruit; the Buddha stage is called having already realized the fruit.

As for the ritual, the Yogācārabhūmi merely says: "One gives rise to such a mind and speaks such words: 'May I determinately realize unexcelled, perfect awakening.'" It does not speak of a ritual, because it merely distinguishes the mental aspect. According to the second [fascicle] of the Prakaraṇāryavācā-śāstra, it says: "One should stand respectfully before a wise person, give rise to a superior intention, and make this vow: 'Elder, be mindful [of me]—or say Noble One, be mindful [of me], or say Upādhyāya. I, so-and-so, from this day forward give rise to the mind of anuttarabodhi for the sake of benefiting all sentient beings. From this day forward, may all the myriad practices of the six pāramitās that I cultivate be entirely for the realization of unexcelled bodhi. I now join in harmony with all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas to go forth; may the World-Honoured One bear witness and know that I am a bodhisattva.' The second and third [repetitions] are also like this." This speaks of the ritual for the conventional aspiration; the ritual for the supramundane aspiration is not found.

Fourth, as for the superiority and inferiority of giving rise to the aspiration, the Sūtrālaṃkāra says: "The ultimate aspiration has three kinds of superiority: 1. superiority of instruction, because one is close to the Sambuddha; 2. superiority of subsequent cultivation, because one skillfully accumulates merit and wisdom; 3. superiority of obtaining the fruit, because one gives rise to non-conceptual wisdom. Furthermore, there are six superiorities: 1. birth stage, 2. vow, 3. vigour, 4. pure support, 5. other skillfulness, 6. other emergence. Superiority of birth has four [aspects]: 1. superiority of the seed, because faith in the Great Dharma is the seed; 2. superiority of the birth-mother, because prajñā is the birth-mother; 3. superiority of the womb, because the bliss of great meditative absorption is the womb; 4. superiority of the wet-nurse, because the nurturing of great compassion is the wet-nurse." The vows are the ten great vows and so forth, all fully clarified there.

Fifth, as for the distinctions of giving rise to the aspiration, based on the Diamond Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, there are three kinds, namely: how to abide (i.e. desire and vow), how to practice (i.e. cultivating practice for the sake of the vow), and how to subdue one's mind (i.e. severing obstacles for the sake of practice). Hence that sūtra says: "One should give rise to such a mind." The thirty-fifth [fascicle] of the Yogācārabhūmi says there are five kinds: 1. essential nature, 2. mental aspect, 3. cognitive object, 4. virtues, 5. supremacy. That is, taking the correct vow as its essential nature; because one determinately aspires to bodhi and nirvāṇa for oneself, and seeks to be able to accomplish the benefit and welfare of sentient beings, aspiration is its mental aspect; taking great bodhi and all sentient beings as its cognitive objects; the initial generation of the mind is able to gather all the superior wholesome roots of the factors of bodhi, being the foremost correct vow endowed with foremost virtues; among all other aspirations, mundane and supramundane wondrously wholesome correct vows, it is supreme.

The second [fascicle] of the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra says: "What does the bodhisattva's generating of the aspiration take as its foundation, ... up to, what does it take as its consummation? There are eleven in total: taking great compassion as its foundation; taking benefiting beings as its support; taking the Mahāyāna Dharma as its object of faith; taking the knowledge of all aspects as its cognitive object; for the sake of seeking that, taking superior desire as its vehicle; desiring the unexcelled vehicle, hence taking great protection as its dwelling; dwelling in the bodhisattva precepts, hence taking reception [of them] as the obstacle; giving rise to minds of other vehicles, hence taking the increase of goodness as its virtue; taking merit and wisdom as its essential nature; taking the practice of the pāramitās as its departure; taking the fulfillment of the bhūmis as its consummation, because of diligent upāya on bhūmi after bhūmi corresponding to each of them."

Based on the Sūtra of Mañjuśrī's Inquiries on the Bodhicitta, there are ten kinds of generation: 1. bodily generation; 2. vocal generation; 3. mental generation, to cause the three actions to be purified; 4. internal generation, because of not falsely discriminating any sentient beings; 5. external generation, because of practicing equanimity toward all beings; 6. wisdom generation, because of being endowed with the purity of the Buddha's wisdom; 7. pure land generation, because of displaying the adornments of all buddha lands; 8. educating sentient beings generation, because of knowing the medicine for the sickness of all defilements (this recognizes the antidotes); 9. real generation, because of accomplishing the determinate group (this teaches the Dharma according to faculties); 10. unconditioned wisdom-fulfilled-mind generation, because of not being attached to the three realms.

According to the Bodhicittotpāda-śāstra, there are four [reasons for] giving rise to the aspiration: 1. contemplating the buddhas and giving rise to the bodhicitta; 2. contemplating the faults of the body; 3. having compassion for sentient beings; 4. seeking the most supreme fruit. Each of the four has five [aspects], all fully explained in those two treatises. The two headings of excellent benefits and similes are fully explained in the Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra and the Bodhicittotpāda-śāstra.

Now, this giving rise to the aspiration is the first condition among the four conditions, because of seeing and hearing the supernatural powers and virtues of the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Among the four causes, it is the first two causes, because of being endowed with the lineage and being gathered in by good friends who are buddhas and bodhisattvas. Among the four powers, it can possess all four powers: through the power of the functional efficacy of one's own seeds, through past habituation to the Mahāyāna, through the power of hearing others speak, and through drawing near to good friends.

As for "rejoiced and leaped with joy", based on the Treatise on the Inquiries of Mañjuśrī, it says: "They rejoice and practice for three reasons: 1. purity of the speaker, because of having mastery over all phenomena; 2. purity of what is spoken, because of knowing the pure entity of Dharma as it truly is, and also because of corresponding to the ten kinds of pure supremacy in the beginning, middle, and end; 3. purity of the fruit obtained by relying on the spoken Dharma, because of attaining the wondrous sphere." This means that relying on the teaching, one realizes the truth and obtains the fruit.