菩薩戒義疏 2.69

2.69

「諸佛子聽」下，第三、大段流通。就此中大分為兩：一、流通此戒制輕重，二、流通此一品。就第一流通此戒輕重，復有四意：一、明誦，二、正流通，三、流通得益，四、大眾奉持。就此四更各有三別：第一、誦中三者：一、標名，二、三世諸佛誦，三、我釋迦亦誦。第一、標名，數十重四十八輕事也。第二、三世佛尊重此戒，誦持勸也。「我今亦誦」，第三、我釋迦亦誦，為流通勸物。「汝等一切大眾」，此四階中第二正流通，亦有三：一、勸流通人，二、流通相，三、流通事。流通人者，即時座大眾也。流通相，五種法師也。流通事者，以此戒法流通三世，化化不絕。「得見千佛」下，此是四重中第三階流通得益，得見千佛是益事也。就此文為三：一、值聖，二、離苦，三、得樂。值聖者，見千佛也。三世千佛悉見，今舉千佛一世耳。「佛佛授手」者，非即舉手更授也，明秉戒如與佛相隣次不遠，故義言授手也。「世世不墮」，離苦也，常生得樂也。所離所得豈止於此，且舉凡情所欣厭以之為勸耳。「我今在此樹下」，付囑奉行，此下不更開也。

From "Listen, children of the Buddha" below, the third major section is transmission. Within this, it is broadly divided into two: 1. transmission of the light and heavy penalties of these precepts; 2. transmission of this chapter as a whole. Regarding the first, transmission of the light and heavy penalties of these precepts, there are four points: 1. clarifying recitation, 2. the transmission proper, 3. the benefit gained from transmission, 4. the great assembly's faithful observance. Regarding these four, each further has three divisions: In the first, recitation, the three are: 1. stating the name, 2. recitation by all Buddhas of the three times, 3. I, Śākyamuni, also recite. First, stating the name, counts the ten major and forty-eight minor matters. Second, all Buddhas of the three times revere these precepts, reciting and upholding them as encouragement. "I now also recite": third, I, Śākyamuni, also recite, to encourage beings through transmission. "All of you in the great assembly": in these four stages, the second is the transmission proper, which also has three: 1. the persons encouraged to transmit, 2. the characteristics of transmission, 3. the matter of transmission. The persons transmitting are the great assembly currently seated. The characteristics of transmission are the five kinds of Dharma masters. The matter of transmission is transmitting this precept Dharma through the three times, transforming and guiding without interruption. From "Able to see a thousand Buddhas" below, this is the third stage among the four, the benefit gained from transmission: being able to see a thousand Buddhas is the beneficial matter. In this text there are three: 1. meeting the sages, 2. parting from suffering, 3. attaining joy. Meeting the sages means seeing the thousand Buddhas. One sees all the thousand Buddhas of the three times; here it merely mentions the thousand Buddhas of a single age. "Buddha after Buddha extends a hand": this does not mean physically raising a hand to confer again; it clarifies that upholding the precepts makes one close to the Buddhas, not distant, hence figuratively expressed as extending a hand. "Age after age never falling [into evil realms]" is parting from suffering; constant rebirth [in good realms] is attaining joy. What is parted from and what is attained—how could it stop at this? It merely raises what worldly sentiment desires and detests to serve as encouragement. "I am now under this tree": entrusting [the teaching] for practice; below this there are no further divisions.