金剛般若論會釋 2.51

2.51

In explaining the embracing of merit, the treatise text is only one, but the sūtra text has two: first, clarifying the merit embraced by the previous practice; second, establishing the previously stated meaning that merit is vast. Vasubandhu says: ''Obtaining what kind of merit' demonstrates the merit of superior comparison.' Here, the merit of renouncing one's body is superior to the previous renunciation of bodies because the act is superior and because the time is greater, that is, in the time of a single day renouncing many bodies, and moreover for a long time. For each and every one of the ten dharma-practices, four practices further arise: first, performing it oneself; second, exhorting others; third, praising and encouraging; fourth, congratulating and rejoicing. 'Congratulating and rejoicing' refers to rejoicing in accordance (anumodanā), which is the 'having faith in mind without slandering' here, merely general rejoicing. Even minor merit is boundless, how much more so for practicing the dharma-practices? How could that merit be measured? This treatise does not make it explicit; Bodhiruci and Kumārajīva both say 'having faith in mind without opposing'; the Vajracchedikā and Paramārtha both merely say 'not giving rise to slander' as the comparison, without the words 'faith in mind' or 'rejoicing'. Even merely not reciting already surpasses the previous, how much more so generating a faithful mind? Even if one does not believe and study, as long as one does not give rise to slander—if another does not give rise to slander, they will produce merit that surpasses the previous renunciation of life. From above up to this point, there have already been four comparisons. In the first comparison, within the dharmakāya possessing marks of merit that the Buddha wished to attain, giving seven jewels filling a trichiliocosm is not as good as retaining or expounding a single verse from the sūtra, being immeasurable and innumerable, using the 106th number 'immeasurable' (amita) and the 112th number 'innumerable' (asaṃkhyeya). That text was spoken for the bodhisattvas at the stage of the ten practices; their understanding and practice were still slight, their retaining and expounding were not yet superior, and what they expounded encompassed what was shallow, so a small gift was compared to retaining and expounding. In the second comparison, within the [section on] keeping distant from the distraction of complying with external treatises, using a sand of a single Ganges River as a single Ganges River, and further using a sand of that many rivers as a great trichiliocosm, and giving seven jewels filling that many realms is not as good as retaining or expounding a single phrase from the sūtra, being immeasurable and asaṃkhyeya, using the 106th number 'immeasurable' and the 104th number 'asaṃkhyeya'. That text was spoken for the bodhisattvas at the fifth dedication stage among the ten dedications; although their understanding and practice had increased, their retaining and expounding were next in superiority, and what they expounded was subtle, so a vast gift was compared to retaining and expounding. In the third comparison, within the [section on] keeping distant from gain, fatigue, feverish torment, and so forth, giving bodies equal to the sands of the Ganges is not as good as retaining or expounding a single verse from the sūtra, being immeasurable and asaṃkhyeya. That text was spoken for the bodhisattvas at the ninth dedication; their understanding and practice were gradually higher, their retaining and expounding were increasingly superior—though superior to the former, they were still inferior to the later—and what they expounded was deeper, so renouncing bodies and life equal to a trichiliocosm was compared. Now, this fourth comparison is within the [section on] leaving attachment to meditative absorption: renouncing bodies equal to the sands of the Ganges in each of the three divisions of the day, passing through hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas—a hundred thousand being a kalpa, hence a hundred and one koṭis; nayuta is the fourth number, namely, a koṭi of myriad koṭis of nayutas of kalpas—is not as good as having faith in the sūtra without slandering it. This text was spoken for the bodhisattvas who, having transitioned through the ten dedications, are about to enter the stage of the four roots of goodness; their stage of practice is gradually higher, their faith is increasingly superior, and what is spoken is deeper, so renouncing many bodies oneself through that many kalpas is compared to faith. Hitherto, retaining and expounding have only been compared with external wealth and internal bodies; having reached this stage, the merit obtained by being able to retain and expound cannot be compared by renouncing bodies or renouncing wealth, but only by practice to compare with retaining and expounding; therefore the text immediately following compares it to personally attending and making offerings to Dīpaṃkara. This is the merit generated by worldlings regarding the dharma-practices of the sūtra, which equals that comparison. When one hears the dharmas of the ten bhūmis and is at the stage of the ten bhūmis, being able to retain and able to expound, this will be known below.