大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 18.8

18.8

Next is the precept against frivolous speech. It says: 'Secret Lord! The bodhisattva upholds the precept against frivolous speech. Speaking in accordance with their category, at the proper time and place, and in harmony, one should uphold the precept against frivolous speech.' Speaking in accordance with their physical category brings benefit according to time and place. If that place has speech of this sort, it should be spoken; what contravenes the vinaya should not be spoken; it is in harmony and accord with that place. 'Producing their benefit' means causing them to have benefit. 'Producing' means acting. It means practicing this benefit, acting according to place and according to time. 'Causing all sentient beings to attain a joyful mind and purifying the path of their ears' means purifying the ear faculty. Why is this? 'Because the bodhisattva possesses distinctive speech'—meaning varied, multiple modes of speech that accord with the minds of others. 'There are bodhisattvas of uncommon upāya who take jesting and laughing as primary, wishing to cause sentient beings to rejoice and abide in the Buddhadharma; for the sake of sentient beings, although uttering unbeneficial speech, they abide in the midst of birth-and-death to benefit sentient beings'—this means they are fully endowed with all kinds [of means], dwelling in the transmigration of birth-and-death without attachment. 'Concordantly producing benefit, they cause the minds of all sentient beings to be delighted and the path of their ears to be purified. Why is this? Because of distinctive speech. There are bodhisattvas who, through this laughter, first cause sentient beings to rejoice and securely abide in the Buddhadharma; desiring that unbeneficial speech and discarded speech not issue forth. In this way the bodhisattva transmigrates in birth-and-death.' This is the seventh precept. Frivolous speech refers to worldly talk about unbeneficial matters, such as the various discussions of kings and thieves, commerce and seafaring, women's bodily adornments, and so forth, as explained in the vinaya; or the right and wrong of cities and kingdoms, and critiquing worldly affairs. In brief, all that accords with worldly phenomena and lacks any causal condition for renunciation falls under this. However, a bodhisattva should speak words that harmonize with time, place, and benefit. As for the 'time': though one wishes to instruct and guide them, they have as yet no readiness to enter through faith. If their sincere aspiration has not arisen and one speaks to them heedlessly, causing them to lack faith, to be arrogant, and to slander, so that no conversion takes place, then this is an improper time. The opposite of this is called 'timely speech'. Or if an assembly is boisterous and crowded so that their minds are not quiet, and one expounds in detail, it will not enter their minds, thereby forfeiting the conditions for the Way; this too is an improper time. 'Place' means a suitable location. Suppose they are in the very act of creating evil, and one preaches the Dharma for them right at the place of their doing: because they are attached to what they are doing, they will instead generate a contrary, rebellious mind, and evil thoughts will thereby arise. The opposite of this is called 'speech according to place'. 'Benefit' means speech wholly free from all harm, causing them to cultivate good, and uttering words that accord with their disposition and readiness. If a bodhisattva acts in this way, they can cause sentient beings to rejoice and submit in faith, benefiting both oneself and others. For when they hear it and attain benefit, one's own efforts are likewise not expended in vain. However, the bodhisattva possesses what is distinctive (meaning an uncommon upāya, meaning different from the preceding): namely, taking laughter as the outset. Such jesting and laughing extends to song, dance, musical performance, arts, crafts, and worldly talk—that is, the various worldly phenomena spoken of before. In order to cause them to rejoice, once they have attained joy, they will be compliant and delighted; taking advantage of their inclinations, the bodhisattva guides them by upāya and causes them to securely abide in the Buddha's wisdom. Although fully knowing it to be of no ultimate benefit, the bodhisattva's mind generates no attachment; yet, discerning time, place, and benefit, they engage in it. Although doing what is unbeneficial, through this unbeneficial [means] they eliminate unbeneficial matters. Because those people had previously created evil, and evil is contrary to the Way, if one were directly to cast aside upāya and strictly restrain them, they would instead be frightened off and resist; therefore, through the upāya of collegial actions, one later leads them to enter the Buddha's Way. Hence, this lack of benefit is itself the cause of benefit, just as an excellent physician turns poison into medicine. Acting in this way is the bodhisattva's cause for emerging from the transmigration of birth-and-death; one should not be like those śrāvakas who lack the wisdom of upāya, who are solely restrictive, merely blocking faults, and lack practices of adaptability, so that their wisdom is not perfected. Emerging from transmigration oneself and causing others to emerge is therefore called 'departing from transmigration'. This is like the woman Sudarśanā spoken of in the Avataṃsaka. In order to attract and guide sentient beings, she was born into a house of courtesans and became the leader among five hundred courtesans; exquisitely beautiful beyond compare and endowed with all feminine virtues, she fully possessed the sixty-four arts and all subtle, skillful upāya. By nature, women are adept at captivating human minds, and this woman was lacking in no quality; for this reason, those who flocked to her were numerous. First, through the power of upāya, the bodhisattva shared the conditions of their sensual conduct, causing them to feel intense love and affection, so that no one disobeyed whatever words she spoke. Discerning their inclinations and capacities, she guided them according to conditions, causing them to see the true nature of desire; and through this gateway they entered the Buddha's wisdom. Because those people had faith in and love for her, they were able to receive her words with sincere attention; through these conditions, the benefit brought was boundless. Although situated amid what is not beneficial, to be able to accomplish this great benefit is the bodhisattva's upholding of the precepts endowed with wisdom and upāya. Instances of this sort in the sūtras are exceedingly extensive. (Tripiṭaka Master Bodhi says: 'Mantra is secret speech. In the West, if two persons are speaking privately, and another person approaches, they separate themselves. Or if someone sees them speaking privately, they say: "Do not go to another's secret speech." This is called mantra.') 'Furthermore, Secret Lord! The bodhisattva should uphold the precept against greed. Among the things used by others, one does not give rise to defiled thoughts. Why is this? The bodhisattva should always maintain a mind of non-attachment. If a bodhisattva has such a mind, they are powerless with respect to sarvajñajñāna.' 'Powerless' means retreating and desisting. Due to this dharmic state, they are powerless regarding sarvajñajñāna and dwell on one side; that is, it is not complete. 'Again, Secret Lord! The bodhisattva should give rise to joy, generating such a thought'—this is likewise the same—'"What I ought to do has now arisen spontaneously! Excellent, most excellent!" Repeatedly cultivating uncommon upāya, not causing those sentient beings to lose their material resources, they uphold the precept against greed. Furthermore, Secret Lord! Upholding the precept against greed: among what is used by another, among the goods of another, one does not give rise to defiled thoughts. Why is this? There is no receptive mind of a bodhisattva. If there is a bodhisattva with a defiled mind, they are powerless, on one side of the gateway of sarvajñajñāna. Also, Secret Lord! The bodhisattva joyfully gives rise to such, and generates this thought: "If what I would do arises of itself for them, that is good, most excellent!" Repeatedly rejoicing, they do not cause those sentient beings to lose their requisites for life.' This is the eighth precept. The former passages having already clarified the precepts of body and speech, next is clarified the precept of pure mind. This is greed that arises from the mind. If a bodhisattva sees that another possesses all manner of superior things—such as physical strength, wealth, and so forth, through boundless avenues—the bodhisattva does not generate the thought: 'That person has such things while I lack them'; and through these conditions generate envy, desires, greed, and frantic striving—all of which are subsumed under this precept. Because of thinking in this way, causes for experiencing vexation would further arise, and therefore one does not do it. A bodhisattva should not be like this. As for being 'powerless': for example, a person may be endowed with boundless upāya, arts, and abilities, but when stricken with illness they can do nothing. It is the same with the bodhisattva: if their mind is sickened by greed and craving, the boundless strength and power of the bodhicitta can all be rendered powerless. 'Sarvajñajñāna' refers to the state where the myriad virtues are all complete without any deficiency. By giving rise to this [greedy] mind, the limbs and parts of this body of myriad virtues without deficiency become incomplete; therefore, one is powerless with respect to the gateway of sarvajñajñāna. However, when a bodhisattva sees that another possesses all manner of things superior to their own, they should personally rejoice and think: 'I originally made a great vow to practice the bodhisattva path for the sake of all sentient beings, causing them all to be fully endowed with the myriad virtues. If they were lacking in these things, I would even be willing, not begrudging body and life, to undergo difficult and bitter practices to benefit and gladden them. Now that they are able to accomplish this on their own, this is indeed a great benefit to me, and truly worthy of joy!' The bodhisattva consoles their own mind with this: 'What I ought to do has arrived spontaneously,' and therefore they rejoice. 'For the sake of sentient beings, I would even desire, through countless exertions, to seek the natural utility of the precious vase and the wish-fulfilling tree to destroy their karmic conditions of destitution; how much more so when they can attain it on their own! Would I then diminish it to benefit myself?' Awakening the mind in this way, one no longer gives rise to attachment; this is the characteristic of upholding the precept. As told in the Dīrgha-āgama: In the past, during the time of Krakucchanda Buddha, there was a king of Vārāṇasī named Śrī (also called Siyi, 'Thinking of Benefit'); he was so named because he constantly thought of benefiting all beings. At that time, five hundred ministers addressed the king, saying: 'At present our kingdom is exceedingly abundant and joyful, and the minds of the people are content, without thoughts of adversity; we fear they cannot withstand enemies. The king should assign them tasks to accustom them to hardship, so that they will be able to face adversity and defend the royal realm.' King Siyi, of utmost benevolence, compassion, and forbearance, thought: 'How could I impose untimely tasks upon the people? It goes against my fundamental intention; there is no reason for this.' The ministers, knowing the king's righteous intention, said no more. Śakra Devendra learned of this and thought: 'What this king practices is the bodhisattva path; I wonder whether it is steadfast or not. I should test him.' Thereupon he told King Dīrghabāhu ('Long Arm') of a neighboring realm to attack him. The territory ruled by King Dīrghabāhu was also called Pañcāṅganagara, because the territory he governed had only five cities; it was a small kingdom. Hearing Śakra's words, he thought: 'I have heard that the benevolence of women lacks foresight. Now, what this king does exceeds benevolence and love, just like a woman. Now I shall take it for myself.' He immediately raised the fourfold army to attack that kingdom. The ministers addressed King Siyi: 'Previously our loyal admonitions were not accepted. Now the people are untrained in warfare and have no preparations; adversity has arisen unexpectedly, what shall we do?' The king reflected and answered: 'What he desires to have is only the land, the people, and the treasuries. If I do not fight with him, no harm will come to the people; do not worry.' He immediately set forth alone, going into the deep mountains to cultivate pure conduct. King Dīrghabāhu gained that kingdom without bloodying his blades; after a long time, he placed a bounty seeking King Siyi, but could not find him. At that time in the south there was a brāhmaṇa of pure conduct who, due to past karma, was utterly destitute and had no means to support his parents and teachers. Hearing that King Siyi was fond of giving, he went to seek refuge with him and obtain sustenance. Traveling to that kingdom and reaching the mountain forest, he encountered the former king's hermitage. King Siyi proactively greeted and inquired after him, inviting him to settle, giving him food, and warmly asking of his hardships: 'Where are you going now?' The brāhmaṇa recounted his reasons in full. Hearing this, the former king felt pity and sorrow: 'When I ruled the kingdom, my power was sovereign, and I could give to people as they wished. Now, stripped of all and having lost my realm, how can I satisfy him?' Having reflected thus, he told the brāhmaṇa: 'King Siyi is none other than myself. Having lost my kingdom, I am now here.' The brāhmaṇa fainted for a long time, and then lamented: 'Because of my meager merit, I sought from afar hoping to gain something, yet meet with such a misfortune—is this not destiny?' The king consoled him: 'Do not grieve greatly. I have an upāya by which it may be obtained. Because that king regards me as an enemy, he constantly offers a bounty for me; if someone obtains my head, he will bestow great rewards. If you take my head and go, you will surely receive a great recompense.' The brāhmaṇa replied: 'I am a man of pure conduct; how could I kill a person? That is entirely out of the question.' The king said: 'If so, merely bind me with ropes and take me; in principle nothing is violated.' The brāhmaṇa then bound him and led him to the palace gate. When the former ministers saw this, they all reproached the brāhmaṇa: 'You are a man of pure conduct, yet you answer a bounty to harm this worthy king to seek your own gain; this is profoundly contrary to the Way! You destroy the pure Dharma; what Way can there be in you?' The brāhmaṇa explained in full: 'This is not my fault. It is this great king who practices the bodhisattva path and instructed me to do so.' The ministers immediately entered to inform the king. Hearing it suddenly, the king was greatly alarmed, thinking he had come to seize his kingdom. But when he heard the story from beginning to end, his mind felt shame and submission: 'Toward one who practices the bodhisattva path like this, I have seized his kingdom; how can I govern people and rule the realm?' He thereupon told King Siyi: 'You may return to your original throne and give freely to benefit and pacify the myriad people. I shall return to my former kingdom, each of us restoring our places, without harming one another.' At that time the two kingdoms formed friendly relations, without further troubles from enemies. Such accounts are extensively explained in the Jātaka sūtras. This is the condition of non-greed.