首楞嚴義疏注經 1.9

1.9

初中二：一總、二別。總者，謂詶因酬請，顯理度生。一代教興皆由此矣。若原佛本意，唯為一大事因緣，欲令眾生開示悟入佛之知見。雖三車通許，唯賜白牛，但為一乘，無三及二也。別者有十，故說此經：一、為克示真三昧故。謂阿難遭難，蓋無真定，故請諸佛得成菩提妙奢摩他、三摩、禪那最初方便，及佛告許，云有三摩提，名大佛頂首楞嚴王，具足萬行，十方如來一門超出妙莊嚴路。至於再請責己，將謂惠我，偈讚希有等，乃至如來諷歎，名金剛王如幻三昧。勅說圓通，文殊揀顯，指三世佛同此一門。道場加行，成就聖位，立此經名，破滅七趣、辨識諸魔，皆為此也。二、為廣破諸妄執故。謂阿難執妄迷真，匿王執常為斷。七處徵詰，三疑拒諍。佛再語云：若汝執悋分別覺觀為汝心等。故約心見二門隨執廣破，此之執相不離人法也。三、為開顯妙明心故。謂阿難初請三昧，佛先審問發心，既陳愛見之源，全迷真實之體。遂云：眾生無始生死相續，皆由不知常住真心。此真妙明，即是菩提涅槃元清淨體。故阿難自責不知寂常，如來許可發妙明性，先就心見二門乍徵乍顯，後約三科七大分明顯會，令於法法咸見性常，俱遍俱融，含攝無礙。眾皆領悟，自知心遍十方，諸所有物皆即菩提妙體，元明心遍含裹十虛，身土虛空了無所得，唯一本妙常住不滅。洎滿慈疑於有相，慶喜再責因緣，佛隨開示，令得知見矣。四、為決斷眾疑網故。謂佛顯示真見，阿難隨見疑生，或縮斷、離身、因緣、自爾、和合、非合，執相疑性，諸大遍圓，滅妄生妄，成真不真，修無常因，獲常住果。疑網既眾，佛隨斷之矣。五、為辨析修行門故。謂佛廣示藏體，慶喜深解，現前舉喻，天王賜與華屋，雖知所賜，將入無門，已悉多聞，不逮修習。故請問云：從何攝伏疇昔攀緣，入佛知見？佛舉二義決定，以為發覺初心，謂止及觀，斯為要也。初令以湛旋妄成不生滅，次令審詳煩惱知根降伏。一根既反，餘根自旋，諸妄銷亡，不真何待？六、為分別邪正行故。謂阿難已悟修行，後代罔知邪正，雖期正道，多陷邪宗，水灌漏巵，若為取滿？慶喜請云：眾生去佛漸遠，邪師說法至多，欲令心入佛乘，遠魔無退。佛舉四種明誨，諸聖同途，戒根不虧，定慧可據。如其不切清禁、禪慧洪深，鬼屬魔民斯難逭免，祈進却步，誠可悲夫。七、為顯呪功能勝故。謂慶喜難在登伽，如來遣呪往救。承力雖至，密言闕聞。況能潛護根門、防閑宿習，齋戒不稟而自備、果證不遠而可得。消難獲利，自行化他，因人果人靡不由此而辨其事也。八、為證入有階降故。謂理絕修證、事存階漸，偏一則病空有、圓通則融真俗，故不損寂滅而建立諸位。阿難知機為請，如來就行開示，始從漸次、終乎極果，於無生忍中立五十七位，不斷而斷，惑障必亡；非證而證，神用斯備。豈同魔外都無位次耶？文云：是種種地，皆以金剛觀察如幻十種深喻，奢摩他中用諸如來毘婆舍那清淨修證，漸次深入耳。九、為廣示諸魔境故。謂修禪觀人靡不有初，而鮮克有終者，蓋不諳其魔境，妄生取著，不了唯心，遂派諸道。佛慈無緣，不問自說。觀中破陰，每陰十種，五十境界分析邪源，末代修禪免為所惑。十、為究盡妄想源故。謂五陰諸經皆說，未聞五妄想成。今明破一陰時出一妄想，破則從麁至細、起則自細現麁，其之根源唯一識陰，識陰無體，但是圓常。文云：湛入合湛，歸識邊際。既知五陰咸是妄想，五陰攝法何所不該？論云：一切諸法唯依妄念而有差別，若離心念，則無一切境界之相也。由斯十意而說此經。

In the first [gate], there are two parts: first, general; second, specific. Regarding the general: it refers to responding to causes and answering requests, revealing principle and delivering sentient beings. The arising of the teachings of the [Buddha's] entire generation all stems from this. If we trace the original intent of the Buddha, it was solely for the one great causal condition, desiring to cause sentient beings to open, reveal, awaken to, and enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision. Although the three carts were all promised, he only bestowed the white bullock cart; it was solely for the one vehicle, with neither three nor two. Regarding the specific, there are ten reasons for speaking this sūtra: First, in order to clearly reveal the true samādhi. This means that Ānanda encountered disaster precisely because he lacked true meditative stability; therefore, he requested the initial expedient means of the wondrous śamatha, samādhi, and dhyāna through which all buddhas achieve bodhi. And the Buddha agreed, saying there is a samādhi called the King of the Great Buddha-Crest Śūraṅgama, fully endowed with the ten thousand practices, the wondrously adorned path by which the tathāgatas of the ten directions transcend through a single gate. As for his repeated request and self-reproach, expecting [the Buddha] to bestow it upon him, his verse praising it as rare, and so forth, down to the Tathāgata reciting and praising it by the name vajra-king illusion-like samādhi; commanding the exposition of perfect penetration, Mañjuśrī's selecting and displaying it, pointing out that the buddhas of the three periods share this same gate; the preparatory practices in the sanctuary, accomplishing the holy stages, establishing the title of this sūtra, destroying the seven destinies, and identifying various demons—all were for this purpose. Second, in order to broadly refute various false attachments. This means Ānanda attached to falsehood and was deluded about the real, and King Prasenajit attached to permanence as annihilation. There was the sevenfold interrogation on the mind and the three doubts raised in contention. The Buddha spoke again: 'If you cling to the discriminating consciousness as your mind,' and so forth. Therefore, based on the two approaches of mind and seeing, he broadly refuted according to their attachments; the characteristics of these attachments are not apart from person and dharmas. Third, in order to disclose the wondrously bright mind. This means when Ānanda initially requested samādhi, the Buddha first examined his initial aspiration; since he displayed the source of love and views, he was completely deluded about the real essence. He then said: 'Sentient beings' continuous cycle of birth and death from beginningless time is entirely due to not knowing the permanently abiding true mind.' This true wondrous brightness is itself the fundamentally pure essence of bodhi and nirvāṇa. Therefore, Ānanda reproached himself for not knowing the quiescent and eternal, and the Tathāgata granted permission to reveal the wondrously bright nature. First, with respect to the two approaches of mind and seeing, he alternately interrogated and revealed; later, through the three categories and seven great elements, he distinctly and clearly converged them, causing them to see in each and every dharma that the nature is eternal, completely pervasive and harmonious, containing and subsuming without obstruction. The assembly all understood, knowing of themselves that the mind pervades the ten directions, all existing things are themselves the wondrous essence of bodhi, and the fundamentally bright mind completely contains the ten directions of space; body, realm, and space are entirely ungraspable, and there is only the single, fundamentally wondrous, permanently abiding and unperishing [nature]. When Pūrṇa doubted phenomenal characteristics and Ānanda questioned causes and conditions again, the Buddha gave instructions accordingly, causing them to attain knowledge and vision. Fourth, in order to cut through the net of doubts of the assembly. This means when the Buddha revealed true seeing, Ānanda gave rise to doubts with each seeing: shrinking or cutting off, separation from the body, causes and conditions, spontaneity, combination, non-combination, clinging to characteristics and doubting the nature, the great elements being pervasive and perfect, the extinction of falsehood giving rise to falsehood, becoming real or unreal, cultivating an impermanent cause to obtain a permanently abiding fruit. Since the net of doubts was manifold, the Buddha severed them accordingly. Fifth, in order to analyze the gate of practice. This means when the Buddha broadly demonstrated the essence of the tathāgatagarbha, Ānanda understood it deeply; he presented an analogy of a heavenly king bestowing an ornate mansion: although knowing of what was bestowed, he had no doorway to enter, having realized that extensive learning does not match actual cultivation. Thus he asked: 'From where does one subdue past conditioned clinging to enter the Buddha's knowledge and vision?' The Buddha presented two decisive meanings as the initial mind of generating awakening; that is, śamatha and vipaśyanā are the essentials. First, he commanded him to reverse falsehood with clarity to achieve non-arising and non-ceasing; next, he commanded him to examine afflictions closely to know the faculties and subdue them. Once one faculty is reversed, the remaining faculties naturally revert; all delusions dissolve away, so what need to wait for the real? Sixth, in order to distinguish between correct and deviant practice. This means Ānanda had already awakened to cultivation, but future generations would not know the correct and the deviant; although aspiring to the correct path, many fall into deviant traditions, like pouring water into a leaky vessel—how could it ever be filled? Ānanda requested: 'Sentient beings are gradually further removed from the Buddha, and deviant teachers preaching the Dharma are extremely numerous; we wish to cause their minds to enter the Buddha-vehicle and stay far from demons without retrogressing.' The Buddha presented the four clear instructions on purity, the common path of all the sages; if the root of the precepts is uncompromised, meditative stability and wisdom can be relied upon. If one is not strict regarding pure prohibitions, even if dhyāna and wisdom are vast and deep, one can hardly escape becoming kin of ghosts and demons; seeking to advance but stepping backward, how truly lamentable! Seventh, in order to reveal the supreme efficacy of the mantra. This means Ānanda's peril lay with Mātaṅgī, and the Tathāgata sent the mantra to rescue him. Although the power arrived, the secret words had not been heard. How much more can it covertly protect the gates of the faculties and guard against past habits; the purification precepts are naturally fulfilled without being formally received, and the realization of fruits is obtainable without being far off. Dispelling difficulties and gaining benefits, practicing for oneself and transforming others, both causal persons and fruition persons accomplish their tasks by this. Eighth, in order that realization of entry has stages. This means principle transcends cultivation and realization, while phenomena retain stages and gradual progress; leaning to one side leads to the sickness of emptiness or existence, while perfect penetration harmonizes the real and the conventional; therefore, without damaging quiescence, the various stages are established. Ānanda, knowing the capacities, made the request, and the Tathāgata gave instruction according to practice: beginning with gradual steps and ending in the ultimate fruit, establishing fifty-seven stages within the forbearance of non-arising dharmas; severing without severing, the obstacles of delusion are necessarily destroyed; realizing without realizing, the spiritual functions are fully prepared. How could it be like demons and outsiders having no stages whatsoever? The text says: 'These various grounds all employ the ten profound analogies of vajra contemplation of the illusion-like; within śamatha, one employs the pure cultivation and realization of all the tathāgatas' vipaśyanā, gradually entering deeply.' Ninth, in order to broadly demonstrate the various demonic realms. This means among those who cultivate dhyāna contemplation, none fail to have a beginning, but few are able to carry it to the end; this is because they do not understand the demonic realms, falsely give rise to graspings, fail to comprehend that it is mind-only, and consequently branch off into various paths. The Buddha's compassion is unconditional; he preached without being asked. In contemplation breaking the aggregates, with ten kinds for each aggregate, the fifty realms analyze the sources of deviance, so that in the final age those cultivating dhyāna may avoid being deluded by them. Tenth, in order to exhaustively investigate the source of false thinking. This means all sūtras speak of the five aggregates, but none have heard of them being formed of five false thinkings. Now it is clarified that when breaking one aggregate, one false thinking emerges; breaking them proceeds from coarse to subtle, while their arising manifests from subtle to coarse; their root source is solely the single aggregate of consciousness; the aggregate of consciousness has no substance, being merely the perfect and eternal. The text says: 'Subtly entering and uniting with clarity, returning to the boundary of consciousness.' Having known that the five aggregates are all false thinking, what is there that the dharmas subsumed by the five aggregates do not encompass? The treatise says: 'All dharmas have distinctions solely reliant on delusional thoughts; if one is free from thoughts of the mind, there are no characteristics of any realms.' For these ten purposes, this sūtra was spoken.