金光明最勝王經疏 3.69

3.69

The commentary says: The third major section answers regarding the cause. That is, it reveals the attainment of the fruit in reliance upon the cause, answering the question about cultivation. Here it temporarily discerns the sequence of attaining the fruits, not yet speaking of the sequence of cultivation; the intention is to let those who cultivate the cause know the sequence. The sequence of causes is based on the sequence of fruits. The Madhyāntavibhāga, chapter three, says: 'The vessel is explained as maturation; power is its predominance; delight, increase, and purity are in turn the five fruits.' The commentary explains: 'Vessel refers to conformity with wholesome phenomena. Maturation refers to obtaining a superior body, taking it as a vessel for the path. Power refers to the predominant power of that vessel, causing all wholesome phenomena to become of the highest grade.' The meaning is that by relying on the superior body along with the power of past wholesome deeds, combined with present wholesome phenomena, they become increasingly superior. 'Delight' means that by the power of repeatedly cultivating wholesomeness in past lives, in the present life one generates deep delight in wholesome phenomena. 'Increase' means that by the power of repeatedly cultivating wholesomeness in the present life, one causes the roots of wholesomeness cultivated to reach speedy completion. 'Purity' means severing obstacles and attaining permanent release from bondage. These five are in turn the five fruits: First, the maturation fruit (the aforementioned vessel). Second, the sovereign fruit (adhipatiphala), namely wholesome phenomena becoming of the highest grade; because of the predominant power of the wholesome maturation, wholesome phenomena become of the highest grade, which is the sovereign fruit. Third, the causally concordant fruit (niṣyandaphala), namely that by the power of repeatedly cultivating wholesomeness in past lives, one is caused to generate deep delight in wholesome phenomena in the present life, which is the causally concordant fruit of the former. Fourth, the fruit of human effort (puruṣakāraphala): through repeated cultivation in the present, one is able to bring roots of wholesomeness to speedy completion, which is the fruit of human effort; this is explained in terms of the human effort of the Dharma. Fifth, the fruit of separation (visaṃyogaphala): through the previous severing of obstacles one attains permanent release from bondage, which is the fruit of separation. Now, this passage intends to clarify this meaning. The subsequent text of that treatise distinguishes the differences of the fruits, of which there are ten kinds: First, the subsequent fruit, meaning that due to the lineage one attains the fruit of generating the aspiration for awakening, and so on, which should be known successively. This means that the former serves as the cause and the subsequent as the fruit; because the subsequent stage is attained on account of the former, the subsequent stage is the fruit of the former. This is a general statement. Second, the initial fruit, meaning the first realization of the supramundane Dharma, namely the first bhūmi. Third, the fruit of repeated practice, meaning the stages of those in training from this point onward (namely the ten bhūmis). Fourth, the ultimate fruit, meaning the phenomena of non-training (namely the Buddha stage). Fifth, the conforming fruit, meaning the gradual sequence of causes, which should be known as subsumed under the subsequent fruit. Sixth, the obstacle-extinguishing fruit, meaning the path capable of severing, because the initial fruit is capable of extinguishing obstacles, it is called obstacle-extinguishing (the intent is to cite the initial to illustrate it; subsequent wisdom is also like this). Seventh, the fruit of separation, meaning the fruit of repeated practice and the ultimate fruit, because the stages of training and non-training are successively free from the bondage of afflictions. Eighth, the exquisite fruit, meaning exquisite virtues such as supernormal powers. Ninth, the unsurpassed-with-superior fruit (sa-uttaraphala), meaning the bodhisattva bhūmis, because they transcend the other vehicles but have not yet achieved Buddhahood. Tenth, the unsurpassable fruit (anuttaraphala), meaning the Tathāgata stage, because there is no other superior phenomenon above this. Here, the latter six are explained as distinct meanings of the former four fruits. The major text is divided into three: first, a general statement; second, specific explanations; third, an exhortation to cultivate. This is the initial statement. It has five meanings: First, 'body' is the vessel, the maturation fruit. Second, 'causes and conditions': relying on that vessel, the wholesomeness previously cultivated is its causes and conditions, which is the sovereign fruit, because the wholesome body-vessel serves as a predominant power causing wholesomeness to increase. Third, 'objective spheres': citing the object observed by the causally concordant fruit; all those wholesome phenomena, bodhi, and nirvāṇa are its objects, because taking these superior phenomena as objects gives rise to delight. Fourth, 'loci' is the fruit of human effort: through repeatedly cultivating wholesomeness, bodhi is swiftly perfected, which is the sought-after locus, because the aspiration of the Great Vehicle is directed toward mahābodhi. Fifth, 'the fruit relying on the root' is the fruit of separation. As for the fruit relying on the root: this fruit of separation is not separated from the tathatā of phenomena. 'Because they are difficult to fathom' is a general praise of being difficult to conceive, not being the domain of the two vehicles and the like.