請觀音經疏 1.27

1.27

Fifth, from "Avalokiteśvara of Great Compassion then spoke the dhāraṇī, saying:" onward comprises three parts: First, from here onward down through "restored to their original state," it clarifies dispelling and subduing poisonous harms, which is destroying the obstruction of afflictions. Second, from "The World-Honoured One again invited Avalokiteśvara" onward to "like a falcon flying," it clarifies destroying the obstruction of evil karma. Third, from "tied up in prison" onward down through "seeing the Buddha face to face," after the preaching of the six-syllable phrases, it destroys the six destinies and cures the six sense faculties, both of which are destroying the retributive obstruction. Discussed generally, the three obstructions are all poisonous harms, all afflictions, all evil karmas, and all retributive phenomena. If discussed specifically, they do not lack distinctions of light and heavy and are divided into three obstructions; the text of the sūtra across the three locations fully contains the words for the three obstructions. Now, explaining the meaning according to specific distinction: the three dhāraṇīs are determined as destroying the three obstructions. Here there are two meanings: in some persons, all three obstructions require the three dhāraṇīs to destroy them. In other persons, although they possess the three obstructions, afflictions are the heaviest; if afflictions are destroyed, the remaining, weaker obstructions naturally dissipate. Or karma may be heavy, or retribution may be heavy; therefore, depending on whichever is strongest, it is destroyed, and the weaker follows along and departs. Or in some persons, although afflictions are destroyed, karma and retribution still remain; just as an arhat, though having severed the bonds of afflictive remnants, still undergoes repayment for dog bites. Those removed are analogous to this. Or when one obstruction is removed, the remaining ones are all removed, as a sūtra says: "If one thing is severed, I witness that you attain the fruit of an anāgāmin, namely greed." It is not that severing one [alone] can attain this fruit; rather, it is by severing what is heavy that the light naturally perishes alongside it. Furthermore, the three dhāraṇīs treating the three obstructions correspond to people of three faculties: the first dhāraṇī corresponds to the poisonous harm of afflictions in the ten types of persons of superior faculties; the next dhāraṇī destroys the poisonous harm of evil karma in the ten types of persons of medium faculties; the final dhāraṇī destroys the poisonous harm of karmic retribution in the ten types of persons of inferior faculties. The name "poisonous harm" applies generally to these three faculties, because it harms the dharmakāya and the life of wisdom. Now, following the specific meaning, the names "destroying afflictions," "destroying evil karma," and "destroying retribution" are further established. In terms of principle, there is no superiority or inferiority; superiority and inferiority are made based on what is expedient for the practitioner's practice and progress. This is like the three cycles of teaching in the Lotus Sūtra, which are all generally termed "opening the three and revealing the one": the first teaching receives the name of opening the provisional and revealing the real, and the second and third are also like this. But when discussed specifically, they additionally comprise teaching, parables, and causal conditions; this is precisely the general and specific meaning of these three turns of dhāraṇī. There are those who take the final turn of the dhāraṇī as the principal discourse, which then combines the general and the specific to treat the three obstructions. If one does not take the final dhāraṇī as the principal discourse, one simply distinguishes principal and secondary within each of the preceding three dhāraṇīs, thereby also encompassing both the general and the specific meanings. Now, the first dhāraṇī comprises five parts: first, encouraging the three karmas to serve as the capacity; second, praising the dhāraṇī's essence and function; third, the actual preaching of the dhāraṇī; fourth, explaining the benefits attained by the practitioner; fifth, the people of Vaiśālī being restored to health. Regarding encouraging the capacity, there are two parts: first, the compiler's narrative; second, genuinely making the invitation through the three karmas. Invoking the Three Jewels three times generally serves as the place of dispelling and subduing for sentient beings; Avalokiteśvara is a specific condition; therefore, invoking the Three Jewels also has general and specific aspects, which is why there are three invocations. Or perhaps it is because of wishing to eliminate the three obstructions, or perhaps to symbolize the three cycles of preaching the dhāraṇī, or perhaps to symbolize the three explanations, that three invocations are required. The three karmas are as in the text (and so forth). The four lines of verse comprise two parts: the first two lines are the formal invitation, and the latter two lines conclude the invitation. The first comprises two parts: the first line is the general invitation, and the next line is the specific invitation. The first phrase marks one's own invocation; the next three phrases are invocation for oneself and others. Regarding "bitter distress": with reference to the ten types of practitioners, all are said to have bitter distress (and so forth). It is not solely the distress of bodily suffering, red eyes, and purulent ears. "Great compassion covers all": it does not merely cover the suffering within the city of Vaiśālī; it also covers the people of the ten dharma realms; hence it says "all." "Universally emitting light": this is requesting the light of great wisdom to act as taming, subduing, and gentle goodness; extinguishing and eliminating the dark ignorance of delusion is dispelling and removing. As in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra, light is emitted to eliminate stinginess, eliminate anger, and so forth, as diverse remedies. Now this light of wisdom also treats the poisonous harms of the ten types of practitioners. Once ignorance is exhausted, like covering the great earth, it suddenly eliminates delusion; eliminating the delusions of the ten types of persons in succession is gradually eliminating delusion. Next, the specific invitation specifically marks the three obstructions. "The suffering of killing and harming" is the evil karma of poisonous harm. Due to poisonous harm, one incurs painful retributions; hence it says "harming," explaining the poisonous harm of evil karma through the ten types of practitioners. For instance, Māra delights in coming to disturb practitioners: he may bring emptiness to shatter their practice in the realm of existence, causing them to fall into the two vehicles and harming their goodness of bodhi. Or he may bring the scattered goodness of generosity to shatter their uncontaminated goodness of emptiness and signlessness, causing them to fall among humans and devas. These are all the meaning of "harm." The other two obstructions are as in the text. "Surely come to bestow great joy": this is requesting great benevolence, because great benevolence tames, subdues, and brings gentle goodness and great joy. The preceding was great compassion extracting suffering, which is the meaning of dispelling and eliminating; if worldly painful retributions are eliminated, this is also called joy; if human and celestial goodness is accomplished, this is also called joy. Partial joy like this has the meaning of joy, but is not called "great"; only upon reaching the principle of eternal bliss in the round teaching is it called great joy. The words of the invoker are far-reaching; therefore, we know that the invitation is not merely for the single retributive suffering of the city of Vaiśālī. Next, regarding the two verses speaking of the "compassionate father": the ten types of practitioners are all named the sentient being world. That they have the relationship of father and son is because they equally possess the Buddha-nature. The principle of the tathāgatagarbha is the nature as direct cause. In the past, through lifetime after lifetime, they followed along, or performed various meritorious deeds, bowing their heads and raising their hands to follow along in the path of transformation, which is the nature as conditioning cause. But they did not yet have the nature as revealing cause. Now their fetters and bonds are extinguished, and it is preached that poisonous harms are dispelled and removed and they are restored to their original state—is this not the nature as revealing cause? When the three kinds of natural dispositions are interrelated, they become father and son. Therefore, the invocation says: "Compassionate father of the world, / Deliver me from the sufferings of the three poisons." One should know that the invitation to the father is extremely broad; how could it be limited to retributive obstructions in phenomenal affairs? The removal of illness is the joy of the present life; attaining the path in the future is the joy of nirvāṇa. In the future, nirvāṇa with remainder is the joy of the present life; nirvāṇa without remainder is the joy of future lives. For the ten types of persons, their respective attainment of the path is the present life; ultimate nirvāṇa is the future life. The other joys are not great joy; only the ultimate is great joy.