金光明最勝王經疏 5.47

5.47

Commentary: Second, the four kings receive the instruction and vow to protect. There are two parts: first, vowing to protect the Dharma with their bodies; second, from "at that time the World-Honoured One further said to the Four Heavenly Kings" onward, vowing to protect it with dhāraṇī. Within vowing to protect with their bodies, there are two parts: first, vowing to protect persons with their bodies; second, from "at that time the Four Heavenly Kings" onward, vowing to protect the Dharma with their bodies. The Dharma relies on persons to be propagated, so they first protect persons. Persons complete their virtue by means of the Dharma, so next they must protect the Dharma. Although protecting persons also involves protecting the Dharma, the intention is to elucidate protecting persons, and therefore they praise protecting the Dharma. Alternatively, it may be that they first vow to protect both persons and the Dharma, and later re-evaluate and repeatedly encourage protecting the Dharma. The Dharma is the teacher of buddhas, so he encourages it even more repeatedly. For now we follow the first explanation. Protecting persons divides into four: 1. the four kings vow to protect; 2. from "at that time the Buddha told" onward, the World-Honoured One praises and approves; 3. from "at that time the Four Heavenly Kings" onward, instructing human kings in the ritual of propagating the Dharma; 4. from "at that time the Four Heavenly Kings" onward, explaining that human kings obtain protection by practicing in accordance with the Dharma. The first part, vowing to protect, has two: first, setting forth the vow to protect; second, from "World-Honoured One, if that king" onward, the actual vow to protect. Within setting forth, there are: 1. the ritual of vowing to protect; 2. explaining the Dharma that is protected; 3. explaining the time when the Dharma is protected; 4. explaining the place where the Dharma is protected; 5. explaining the persons who are protected; 6. explaining the marks of protection. These are the first four.