佛說盂蘭盆經疏 1

English (machine translation) 1

Language: English

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Exposited by the monk Zongmi of Chongguo.

Beginning in primordial chaos and filling heaven and earth, communicating between humans and spirits, and threading through both the noble and the lowly, revered by both Confucianism and Buddhism—it is nothing other than filial piety. Responding to the earnest sincerity of a filial child, rescuing the suffering and distress of the two parents, and repaying the grace and virtue of vast heaven—it is nothing other than the teaching of the Ullambana. Because of my own transgressions, I, Zongmi, lost my parents in my early years; I always tread upon the sorrow of frost and snow, and forever harbor the grief of the wind among the trees. I reflected that sweeping the graves for the rest of my life and offering seasonal sacrifices to the end of my days, though expressing filial thoughts, would not benefit their souls in the realm of spirits. Thereupon I searched through the teachings of the sages and worthies, and reverently sought a method for the posthumous transfer of merit. I obtained this dharma gate, which is truly a marvelous practice. Every year on the day of the saṅgha's pravāraṇā, making the four requisites of offering to the Three Honored Ones, I have observed and revered it following this practice for many years, while also lecturing upon its teachings. Because this had not been heard of [here], now, having returned to my home village, I established it on that day. The monastic and lay elders, full of sorrow and joy, complied with and practiced it; with one voice they requested that I compose a new commentary. My heart being fixed upon the pines and cypresses [of my parents' graves], how could I be negligent toward my home village? Complying with their sentiments, I elucidate the essential path.

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I bow my head to the Lord of the Triple World, / The Greatly Filial Śākya Honored One. / Repaying his parents' grace through repeated kalpas, / Accumulating causes to accomplish perfect enlightenment. / About to bestow this forever upon the multitude of beings, / In response to a request he expounded this sūtra. / Wishing to cause those who turn their backs on grace / All to be able to repay that which has no limit. / For that which I now praise and expound, / I pray for the dark assistance of the assembly of sages. / May the parents, living and deceased, of myself and others, / Be free from suffering and ever at ease and happy.

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Intending to explain this sūtra, I first open four sections: first, the causes for which the teaching arose; second, the pitakas and vehicles by which it is subsumed; third, determining the central tenets; fourth, correctly explaining the sūtra text. In the first there are again four: first, to repay past causes; second, to respond to the present request; third, to demonstrate filial piety; fourth, to reveal the superior field.

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First, the causes for which the teaching arose (four):

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First, as for repaying past causes: Prince Siddhārtha did not succeed to the royal throne, but renounced his family and departed his country; fundamentally it was in order to practice the path and attain enlightenment so as to repay the grace of his parents. However, a bodhisattva in setting his mind does not strive exclusively for himself; therefore he inaugurated the Ullambana Dharma assembly in order to bring blessings to his own and others' two parents. That this sūtra arose, its original intent was like this.

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Second, as for responding to the present request: it refers to Mahāmaudgalyāyana, who, out of the filial devotion of his original mind, wished to deliver his parents and repay the grace of nursing and nourishment. Therefore he left home and cultivated the practice, becoming foremost in supernatural powers, and observed that his deceased mother had fallen among the hungry ghosts. Unable to save her himself, he addressed the Buddha to seek the Dharma. The Buddha revealed the offering of the basin to rescue his mother from hanging upside down. Because he loved his parents, he extended this to all beings. For the sake of the monastic and lay disciples, he requested the Buddha to leave behind this dharma gate; responding to Maudgalyāyana's request is the reason for preaching the sūtra.

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Third, as for demonstrating filial piety: this again has two parts: first, explaining generally that filial piety is the fundamental source of both teachings; second, explaining specifically the similarities and differences in how the two teachings practice filial piety. First, within the general explanation, to first explain that the Confucian teaching takes filial piety as its root: from the Son of Heaven down to the common scholars, in passing it down within families and states, ancestral temples are all established. Although the applications of the five filial pieties differ, their source of practice is not distinct. In the chapter on 'Opening the Tenet and Elucidating the Meaning,' it is marked as the ultimate virtue and the essential path; morality takes it as its substance, and the teaching and methods arise from it. How could there be an exemplary person who does not attend to the root? Since it is the warp of heaven and the guideline of earth, one must cause people to aspire to it and humbly comply with it. Although it speaks of the decay of rites and the ruin of music, in the end it admonishes against wearing brocade and eating fine rice. How great indeed is filial piety! What virtue of the sages could surpass filial piety? Next, as for the Buddhist teaching taking filial piety as its root: all Buddhas have two bodies, true and transformation. Śākya as the transformation body expounds the expedient teaching according with capacities; Rocana as the true body expounds the ultimate real teaching. 'Teaching' means the sūtras and vinaya. The sūtras explain principle and wisdom; the vinaya explains moral conduct. Although the precepts have ten thousand practices, they take filial piety as their tenet. Therefore, when our Rocana Buddha first achieved perfect enlightenment, he immediately spoke the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and the great bodhisattva precepts. Furthermore, the sūtra declares: 'At that time Śākyamuni Buddha, when he first sat under the bodhi tree and attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment, first formulated the bodhisattva prātimokṣa: filial obedience toward parents, teachers, the saṅgha, and the Three Jewels.' Filial obedience is the dharma of the ultimate path; filial piety is called the precepts, and is also called restraint. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra also says: 'How marvelous are parents! They bear and raise us, undergoing great suffering and affliction. Fulfilling ten months, they carry our bodies in their wombs. After we are born, they move us to the dry and lie in the wet, clean away our defilements and urine and feces, nurse and nourish us, and protect our bodies. For this reason, one should repay their grace and respectfully make offerings to them.' The above general explanation of both teachings taking filial piety as their root is concluded. Next, as for explaining specifically the similarities and differences in how the two teachings practice filial piety: herein, first the differences are explained, and afterwards the similarities are revealed. First refers to the difference in attending and caring during life; second refers to the difference in posthumous remembrance after death. As for the difference in attending and caring: the Confucian tradition carefully preserves the hair and skin and spreads fame to later generations; thus Lechun did not venture out, and Zengzi uncovered his feet. The Buddhist teaching shaves the hair and dyes the robes, and uses the Dharma to assist the present lifetime; thus Udāyana sent a message, and Śubhagarbha converted the errant. This is called 'differing in doing good, but converging in filial piety.' As for the differences after death, there are again three differences: 1. Differences in mourning. The Confucians use inner and outer coffins, burial grounds, and set up tombs to preserve the bodily form; the Buddhists use chanting, posthumous vegetarian feasts, and transfer merit to the departed consciousness. 2. Differences on anniversaries of death. The Confucians internally fast and externally compose themselves, visualizing their voice and countenance; the Buddhists set out offerings and explain sūtras to assist their karmic retribution. 3. Differences throughout life. The Confucians kill living beings in the four seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter; the Buddhists release life at the three festival periods, and hold assemblies for giving precepts and the basin. This was truly because the true school had not yet reached the Duke of Zhou and Confucius, so they merely caused minds to be tied to it; now that we know where ritual finds its true refuge, we should no longer cling to expedient teachings. Furthermore, of the greatest blessings, none is greater than bestowing life; this is the primary cause of Śakra and Brahmā, and resembles the great virtue of heaven and earth. Now, to kill that creature to sacrifice to this one—how could that come close to a benevolent mind? If this can be tolerated, what cannot be tolerated? Although they speak of praying for blessings, it truly establishes enmity; indulging empty reputation for oneself, it brings calamity to the souls in the realm of spirits. Question: If parents are born in other destinies, one may change sacrifice into a vegetarian feast; but if they have fallen among ghosts, should they have no sacrificial offerings? Answer: It is not the millet that is fragrant; marsh grass and pondweed can be offered. One should know that the summer sacrifice of fresh food is superior to slaughtering an ox; moreover, among the hierarchies of ghosts and spirits, how could all receive offerings? The above explanation of differences is concluded. Next, to reveal their similarities, there are again two: first, explaining the similarity in life and death; second, explaining the similarity in offenses and blessings. As for the first, examining the text of the five phrases in the chapter 'Recording Filial Conduct' to discern their similarities, this subsumes both during life and after death: 1. In dwelling, to extend one's reverence: the Confucians distinguish this from dogs and horses; the Buddhists prostrate the whole body with the seven postures. 2. In nourishing, to extend one's joy: the Confucians speak with a pleasant voice and humble breath, inquiring after warmth and coolness, hence there are stories like fanning the bed and warming the mat; the Buddhists moderate offerings, accept insults, and share their robes and bowls, hence there are cases like slicing flesh to satisfy hunger. 3. In sickness, to extend one's anxiety: among the Confucians, Emperor Wen first tasted the medicine, and King Wu did not remove his cap and belt; among the Buddhists, the Prince used his flesh as medicine, and eminent monks carried [the sick] on their bodies. 4. In mourning, to extend one's sorrow: among the Confucians, there were Wuding not speaking, and Zigao weeping blood; among the Buddhists, Maudgalyāyana cried out loudly, and the Trainer carried the coffin. 5. In sacrifice, to extend one's solemnity: among the Confucians, there are stories like offering bamboo shoots; among the Buddhists, there are cases like presenting cooked rice. However, because the ultimate teaching had not yet arrived, it was difficult to propagate retribution; therefore they first established the methods of sacrifice to make people reverently serve the spiritual souls. The spiritual souls are the conscious nature of the parents, sufficient to manifest that the ancestors continually endure. Since the form perishes but the spirit does not perish, how could one treat the form generously and the spirit meagerly? The rest is as analyzed before. The above similarity in life and death is concluded; next is to discern the similarity in offenses and blessings. As for the similarity in offenses: for the Confucians, one exceeds the five punishments and commits offenses deserving the five executions, which acts of grace and pardon do not encompass; for the Buddhists, one is marked with the seven heinous transgressions and expelled by the precepts under the seven impediments, and will definitely enter Avīci. As for the similarity in blessings: for the Confucians, one's gate and village are honored, which is the recompense of High Heaven; for the Buddhists, one is purified by the virtue of precepts, which is the cause for the Pure Land. The above comprehensive demonstration of filial piety is concluded.

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Fourth, as for revealing the superior field: by way of analogy, just as worldly people, wishing for the five grains in their granaries to be abundant and without lack year after year, must take seeds of grain and wheat, and use oxen and plows to plow the ground and sow them—if they do not sow, they will be exhausted. In the Dharma it is also like this: taking the mind of compassion, the mind of reverence, and the mind of filial piety as seeds, taking food, clothing, wealth, silk, body, and life as oxen and plows, and taking the poor and sick, the Three Jewels, and parents as the fields. If there are Buddhist disciples who wish to obtain within the storehouse consciousness the adornment of a hundred blessings, endless life after life, they must generate minds of compassion, reverence, and filial piety, and take food, clothing, wealth, silk, body, and life to supply, relieve, respect, and support the poor and sick, the Three Jewels, and parents; this is called sowing blessings. If they do not sow, they will be impoverished, devoid of blessings and wisdom, and enter the dangerous paths of birth and death. The field where blessings are sown is called the field of merit, just as the field where grain is sown is called a grain field. However, seeds may be fine and fresh or dry and scorched, and fields may be rich and fertile or rocky and barren. Just as the minds of compassion, reverence, and filial piety may be earnest or casual, poverty may be shallow or deep, and sickness may be light or heavy. The Buddha has true and transformation [bodies], and the transformation has staying in the world or entering extinction; the Dharma has great and small, and the teachings have expedient and real; the saṅgha has those who uphold and those who break [precepts]; parents have those of the present life and of seven lifetimes—each of these corresponds to a fertile or barren field, as is clearly evident. Now, the Ullambana offering assembly is endowed with three kinds of fertile fields, and therefore it is called superior: on the Buddha's day of joy, making offerings to the bhadantas of pure precepts who perform pravāraṇā—the field of reverence is superior; repaying the parents' grace—the field of gratitude is superior; parents being in distress and difficulty—the field of compassion is superior. It is in order to reveal this superior field that this sūtra was spoken.

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Second, the piṭakas and vehicles by which it is subsumed. As for the second, 'the piṭakas and vehicles by which it is subsumed': 'piṭakas' refers to the three piṭakas; 'vehicles' refers to the five vehicles. As for the three piṭakas: 1. Sūtra, which is translated here as 'tallying classic.' 'Tallying' means tallying with principle and tallying with capacity. As for 'classic,' the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra states: 'Pervading and subsuming is its meaning,' which means pervading the meanings that should be known and subsuming the sentient beings to be transformed. Among the three trainings, this teaching explains the training in samādhi. 2. Vinaya, which is translated here as 'taming and subduing.' 'Taming' means taming and refining the three karmas; 'subduing' means subduing faults and transgressions. This teaching explains the training in morality. 3. Abhidharma, which is translated here as 'facing the dharma.' 'Dharma' refers to nirvāṇa and the four noble truths; 'facing' means facing toward and facing to contemplate; that which is capable of facing is marvelous wisdom. This teaching explains the training in wisdom. Furthermore, sūtras are the teaching of transformation, opening up, inducing, and guiding. Vinaya is the teaching of regulation, regulating and restraining actions. Śāstras investigate and infer, explaining the meanings of sūtras and vinaya. Now, based on its title, this Ullambana is subsumed under the teaching of transformation and belongs to the sūtra-piṭaka; based on its meaning, it is also subsumed under the teaching of regulation and belongs to the vinaya-piṭaka. As for the five vehicles: 'vehicle' takes carrying and conveying as its name. 'Five' refers to humans, devas, śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and bodhisattvas. The power of these five is large or small, and their conveying is far or near. 1. The human vehicle refers to the three refuges and five precepts, which convey sentient beings across the three destinies to be born in the human path, like a small skiff barely crossing a stream. 2. The deva vehicle refers to the superior ten virtuous actions, the four dhyānas, and the eight attainments, which convey sentient beings across the four continents to reach the upper realms, like a small boat crossing a small river. 3. The śrāvaka vehicle refers to the dharma gate of the four noble truths; 4. The pratyekabuddha vehicle refers to the dharma gate of the twelve links of dependent origination. Both can convey sentient beings across the Triple World to reach nirvāṇa with remainder and without remainder, becoming arhats and pratyekabuddhas, both like large boats crossing a great river. 5. The bodhisattva vehicle refers to the dharma gate of compassion, wisdom, and the six perfections, which conveys sentient beings comprehensively beyond the realms of the Triple World and the three vehicles to reach the other shore of unsurpassed bodhi and great parinirvāṇa, like boarding a ship to cross the ocean. As for this sūtra now, it is subsumed under the human and deva vehicles, within the Hīnayāna piṭaka.

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Third, determining the central doctrine. As for 'determining the central doctrine,' this sūtra takes filial compliance in setting out offerings, and the relief of suffering to repay kindness, as its central doctrine. Now it is analyzed through two approaches: first, explaining the active aspects; second, matching them to tetralemmas.

First, because Maudgalyāyana was originally devoted to filial sincerity and wished to repay kindness and virtue, but his powers were not yet sufficient, he first left the household. Thus, when he had just attained the six spiritual penetrations, he immediately observed the three realms and saw that his deceased mother had been born among the hungry ghosts. Although he offered fragrant rice, it quickly turned into blazing fire, and he wept aloud and turned to the Buddha. The Buddha instructed the setting out of the basin offering, which extracted her body from the dark paths and freed her from the suffering of a kalpa, not disappointing her giving birth and rearing, and vastly repaying her toil. Examining the purport of the sūtra closely, it is complete with these four meanings.

Second, as for matching them to tetralemmas, there are four sets of four phrases:

1. The two characters 'filial' and 'compliant' naturally have four phrases:
(1) Filial but not compliant: such as nourishing with the three sacrificial beasts, and so forth.
(2) Compliant but not filial: such as immediately serving prohibited foods demanded during illness, or failing to remonstrate when improper deeds are about to be done, and so forth.
(3) Both filial and compliant: namely, concealing faults and never offending, remonstrating three times while complying with [the parent's] countenance, and observing the parent's will without change for three years.
(4) Neither filial nor compliant: of the sort such as burying a father in water.

2. Juxtaposing filial compliance with setting out offerings likewise makes four phrases:
(1) Filial and compliant, but not setting out offerings: such as Dong An, Wang Xiang, and the like.
(2) Setting out offerings, but not filial and compliant: such as cultivating vegetarian feasts to seek blessings for oneself, and so forth.
(3) Both: namely, the Ullambana assembly.
(4) Neither: namely, being disobedient and stingy.

3. Juxtaposing filial compliance with relieving suffering likewise makes four phrases:
(1) Filial and compliant, but not relieving suffering: namely, Dong Yong and the like.
(2) Relieving suffering, but not filial and compliant: namely, rescuing the distress and hardship of others.
(3) Both: namely, the Ullambana assembly.
(4) Neither: namely, people who are rebellious and petty.

4. Juxtaposing filial compliance with repaying kindness likewise makes four phrases:
(1) Filial and compliant, but not repaying kindness: guarding one's hair and skin, not being arrogant or reckless, not speaking what is contrary to propriety, and so forth.
(2) Repaying kindness, but not filial and compliant: bracing a carriage wheel to repay a single meal, cultivating practice to repay donors, and so forth.
(3) Both: the Ullambana assembly.
(4) Neither: namely, those who disappoint kindness and are rebellious.

Now, cultivating this single approach fulfills all four practices. How could the merit attained be measured? It is truly because the field is superior and the mind is strong, penetrating to the spiritual principle.

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Commentary on the Ullambana Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha, Fascicle One, End.

Linked texts (1)

佛說盂蘭盆經疏 — Classical Chinese