菩薩戒義疏 1.24

1.24

此經題名「梵網」，上卷文言：佛觀大梵天王因陀羅網，千重文綵不相障閡，為說無量世界猶如網目，一一世界各各不同，諸佛教門亦復如是，莊嚴梵身無所障閡。從譬立名，總喻一部所證參差不同，如梵王網也。品名「菩薩心地」者，亦是譬名，品內所明大士要用，如人身之有心，能總萬事，能生勝果，為大士所依，義言如地也。「盧舍那」者，《寶梁經》翻為「淨滿」，以諸患都盡故稱為「淨」，滿德悉圓名為「滿」也。釋迦牟尼者，《瑞應經》譯為「能儒」，亦云「能仁」，又「能忍」，亦「直林」。牟尼者，身口意，或云「度沃焦」，此是異說。《華嚴．名號品》，或名盧舍，或名釋迦，今明不一不異，機緣宜聞耳。釋迦在第四禪摩醯首羅宮說此心地品。尋文始末，有千釋迦與千百億釋迦各接有緣，皆至舍那所，受菩薩戒藏，然後各坐道場，示成正覺，覆述說法，凡有十處：一、在妙光堂說十世界海，二、在帝釋宮說十住，三、在夜摩宮說十行，四、在兜率陀天說十迴向，五、在化樂天說十禪定，六、在他化天說十地，七、在初禪說十金剛，八、在二禪說十忍，九、在三禪說十願，十、在四禪說心地品。第七會總更說前三十心、十地，皆約無相義為解。後又云：釋迦從初蓮華藏世界入天宮，下閻浮提成道，號釋迦。始於道場說法，乃至十處。復從天宮下，至菩提樹下，為此眾生說盧舍那初發心所誦戒，即是十重四十八輕。《華嚴》所說，文來未盡，止有七處八會，多道不起本座，不道在化樂天說法。而此經多道坐起，復至餘處，在化樂天說十禪定。又諸地多不相應，前後席或復同異，良由聖迹難思，隨機異說耳。於三教中即是頓教，明佛性常住一乘妙旨。所被之人唯為大士，不為二乘。《華嚴》云：二乘在座，不知不覺。以大士階位，非二乘所行；制戒輕重，非小乘所學。大小乘戒，制法不同。菩薩一時頓制五十八事，聲聞持犯隨犯隨結。理論關機宜，事論凡有三義：一、大士深信，頓聞不逆；聲聞淺信，頓聞則不受。二者大士不恒侍左右，無有隨事隨白，故一時頓制；聲聞恒得隨侍，可有小欲白佛，故待犯方制。三者《梵網》所制，起盧舍那為妙海王子受菩薩戒，爾時諸大士法須說此五十八種，故一時頓制也。

This sūtra is titled *Brahmajāla* (Brahma Net). The text of the upper fascicle states: The Buddha observed the Great Brahma Heavenly King's Indra-net, whose thousandfold patterns and colors do not obstruct one another. For [Brahma], he explained that immeasurable worlds are like the meshes of a net, each and every world distinct from the others; the teaching methods of the Buddhas are also like this, adorning the Brahma-body without any obstruction. Establishing the title from a metaphor, it is an overarching metaphor for the varied and manifold attainments verified throughout the entire work, just like the net of the Brahma King. The chapter title *Bodhisattva Mind-Ground* is also a metaphorical name: that which is explained in this chapter is essential for mahāsattvas, just as a human body has a mind that can oversee the myriad affairs and can generate superior fruits; because it is that upon which mahāsattvas rely, it is metaphorically called 'ground'. As for 'Locana', the *Bao liang jing* translates it as 'Pure and Complete': because all afflictions are completely exhausted, it is called 'Pure'; because all virtues are fully perfected, it is called 'Complete'. As for 'Śākyamuni', the *Ruiying jing* translates it as 'Able Scholar', also as 'Able and Benevolent', again as 'Able to Forbear', and also as 'Upright Grove'. 'Muni' means body, speech, and mind, or is said to mean 'crossing over Wo Jiao'—these are variant explanations. In the 'Names Chapter' of the *Avataṃsaka*, he is sometimes called Locana and sometimes called Śākyamuni; here it is clarified that they are neither one nor different, but depend on what suits the capacities of listeners. Śākyamuni expounded this Cittabhūmi Chapter in the palace of Maheśvara in the Fourth Dhyāna. Investigating the text from beginning to end, there are a thousand Śākyamunis and a hundred thousand myriad Śākyamunis, each gathering those with affinity, all proceeding to the place of Locana to receive the Bodhisattva Vinayapiṭaka. Afterwards, each sat at their respective bodhimaṇḍa, manifested the attainment of correct awakening, and reiterated the expounding of the Dharma in ten places in all: first, in the Hall of Wonderful Light, expounding the Ten Seas of Worlds; second, in the Palace of Śakra, expounding the Ten Abodes; third, in the Yāma Palace, expounding the Ten Practices; fourth, in the Tuṣita Heaven, expounding the Ten Dedications; fifth, in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, expounding the Ten Dhyāna Meditations; sixth, in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, expounding the Ten Grounds; seventh, in the First Dhyāna, expounding the Ten Vajras; eighth, in the Second Dhyāna, expounding the Ten Forbearances; ninth, in the Third Dhyāna, expounding the Ten Vows; tenth, in the Fourth Dhyāna, expounding the Cittabhūmi Chapter. In the seventh assembly, he comprehensively re-expounded the former thirty minds and the ten grounds, all explained in terms of the meaning of signlessness. Later it is also said: Śākyamuni, from the initial Lotus Treasury World, entered the heavenly palace and descended to Jambudvīpa to attain awakening, bearing the name Śākyamuni. He began preaching the Dharma at the bodhimaṇḍa, proceeding through the ten places. Then descending again from the heavenly palace to beneath the Bodhi tree, for the sake of these sentient beings he expounded the precepts that Locana recited at his initial arousal of the aspiration, namely the ten major and forty-eight minor precepts. As for what the *Avataṃsaka* expounds, the text that arrived was incomplete, having only seven locations and eight assemblies; it mostly speaks of not rising from the original seat, and does not mention preaching the Dharma in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven. But this sūtra mostly speaks of sitting and rising, proceeding again to other places, and preaching the Ten Dhyāna Meditations in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven. Furthermore, the various grounds are mostly not corresponding, and the earlier and later assemblies are sometimes identical and sometimes different; this is truly because the traces of the sages are inconceivable, expounded differently in accordance with capacities. Among the three teachings, this is the sudden teaching, clarifying the marvelous purport of the permanence of Buddha-nature and the One Vehicle. Those covered by it are solely mahāsattvas, not the two vehicles. The *Avataṃsaka* says: the two vehicles were in the assembly, without knowing or perceiving. This is because the stages of mahāsattvas are not what the two vehicles practice, and the gravity and lightness of the instituted precepts are not what the Hinayana studies. The methods of instituting precepts in the Mahayana and Hinayana are different: for bodhisattvas, all fifty-eight items were instituted all at once in a sudden manner; for śrāvakas, observing and transgressing were formulated according to each transgression as it occurred. When discussed in principle, it concerns suitability to capacities; when discussed in terms of events, there are three reasons in all: First, mahāsattvas have deep faith and upon hearing all at once do not resist; śrāvakas have shallow faith and upon hearing all at once would not accept them. Second, mahāsattvas do not constantly attend upon the Buddha's presence and cannot report events as they happen, so they were instituted all at once; śrāvakas constantly attend upon him and when having slight desires can report to the Buddha, so he waited for a transgression before instituting a rule. Third, the instituting in the *Brahmajāla* originated when Locana conferred the bodhisattva precepts on Prince Wonderful Sea; at that time, the dharma for the mahāsattvas required expounding these fifty-eight kinds, so they were instituted all at once.