無量壽經優婆提舍願生偈註 1.24

1.24

These four lines are called the accomplishment of the adornment of touch merits. Why did the Buddha originally give rise to this adornment? He saw that there are lands where, though gold and jade are treasured and prized, they cannot be used as clothing; though bright mirrors are valued and enjoyed, there can be no discussion of using them as bedding. These things bring delight to the eye, but are not suitable for the body. Would not the two senses of body and eye be in conflict? For this reason he made this vow: 'May the six sense faculties of the humans and devas in my land blend together like water and milk, entirely putting away the strain of Chu and Yue being far apart.' Thus the seven jewels are soft and pliable, delighting the eye and suiting the body. 'Kācalindika' is the name of a soft grass in India; one who touches it gives rise to a pleasant sensation, hence it is used as a metaphor. The commentator says: Here [in our world], earth, stone, grass, and wood each have their fixed nature; on what grounds did the translator designate those jewels as 'grass'? It must be because of their appearance of swaying gently in the wind and their coiled, fine-leafed form; thus he simply designated them as 'grass'. If I were to take part in the translation, there would surely be another way. 'Producing supreme joy': touching the kācalindika produces the joy of attachment, while touching those soft jewels produces the joy of the Dharma. The two are worlds apart; how could it not be supreme? Therefore it is said: 'Merit grass of jewel nature, / Soft, coiling left and right; / Those who touch it produce supreme joy, / Surpassing that of the kācalindika.'