俱舍論疏 18.86

18.86

The treatise says: "From 'When the bodhisattva...' up to '...the cultivation is brought to completion'"—this is the third section. Fascicle 177 of the Vibhāṣā says: "Question: For how long is the ripening karma of these marks cultivated until it is brought to completion? Answer: For the most part it takes one hundred great kalpas, with the sole exception of the bodhisattva Śākya; because the bodhisattva Śākya was extremely energetic, he surpassed nine great kalpas, cultivating it to completion in only ninety-one kalpas, whereupon he attained unexcelled, correct, and complete bodhi. What is the account of this? As the sūtras say: In the past there was a Buddha named Tiṣya—or named Puṣya. That Buddha had two bodhisattva disciples who assiduously cultivated the pure conduct (brahmacarya): the first was named Śākyamuni, and the second was named Maitreya. At that time, that Buddha observed which of the two disciples' faculties would ripen first, and he knew in accordance with reality that Maitreya would ripen first, while Śākya would ripen later. He further observed the sentient beings to be converted by the two persons to see whose faculties would ripen first, and he also knew in accordance with reality that those to be converted by Śākya should ripen first. Having known this, he then thought: 'How can I now cause their capacities and their responsive encounters to meet? Yet it is easy to cause one person to ripen quickly, but not so to cause many people.' Having had this thought, he then told Śākya: 'I wish to roam the mountains; you may follow along.' At that time, that Buddha took his niṣīdāna and went ahead along the road. Having arrived at the mountaintop, he entered a beryl niche, spread out his niṣīdāna, sat cross-legged, and entered the fire-element samādhi for seven days and seven nights, experiencing exquisite joy and bliss, his majestic light blazing. A moment later, Śākya also went up the mountain, searching everywhere for the Buddha like a calf seeking its mother. Wandering along, he came before that niche, and suddenly saw the Buddha's deportment upright and solemn, his radiance shining brilliantly. With devoted sincerity and earnest zeal, joyful praise arose in him, and he was incapable of walking. Without interruption, he forgot to lower one foot, gazing up at the venerable countenance without looking away for an instant, for seven days and seven nights. With a single gāthā he praised that Buddha, saying: / 'Heaven, earth, this realm, and the chamber of the Much-Heard, / The departing palace, the divine abodes—in the ten directions there is none [like you]. / Hero, bull-king, great śramaṇa, / Searching the earth, mountains, and forests, everywhere none is your equal.' / Having praised him in this way, he surpassed nine kalpas, attaining unexcelled awakening before Maitreya." Question: A bodhisattva nearing the Buddha-ground must have attained an unprecedented, skillful mastery over collections of names, phrases, and phonemes; he should have praised the Buddha with distinct verses and diverse approaches. Why did he praise the Buddha for seven days and seven nights using only a single verse? Answer: Because the bodhisattva's thoughts and aspirations were superior at that time, he did not value literary verses; if he had changed the literary verse, his thoughts and aspirations would not have been pure. Furthermore, the bodhisattva at that time feared distraction: if the verses varied, his mind would also differ, so how could he have attained a single-minded flowing stream? Furthermore, the bodhisattva showed that his mind was free of weariness, being able to generate ever-fresh superior thoughts and aspirations from a single verse. Question: Why is it that the bodhisattva Maitreya's own faculties ripened first while those he was to convert ripened later, whereas with the bodhisattva Śākya it was the opposite? Answer: The bodhisattva Maitreya benefited himself more and benefited others less, while the bodhisattva Śākya benefited others more and benefited himself less; therefore, neither was in step with those they were to convert. Explaining the hymn of praise: "Heaven and earth" is a general mention, referring to heaven above and the earth below. "This realm" refers to this trisahasramahāsahasralokadhātu. "Much-Heard" refers to the palace of the deva Vaiśravaṇa; because he has respectful faith and his fame spreads throughout the ten directions, he is called "Much-Heard." "Departing palace" refers to the palace of the Brahmā King; because that Brahmā King conceptualizes it as permanent, the Buddha called it the "departing palace" to counteract his concept of permanence. "Departing palace" means impermanence. Another explanation: "Departing palace" refers to human palaces; human palaces quickly return to destruction, hence they are called "departing palaces." "Divine abodes" refers to the remaining heavenly places besides the chamber of the Much-Heard and the departing palace. "In the ten directions there is none" means that not only is there none in this trisahasramahāsahasralokadhātu, but there is also none in the ten directions. Down to "hero, bull-king, great śramaṇa, I also search the earth, mountains, and forests, and everywhere there is none equal to my World-Honoured One." Another explanation says: "Chamber of the Much-Heard"—among the devas of the desire realm, this names one of the first heaven to reveal the remaining three heavens and the five upper heavens, namely the six desire heavens. "Palace"—among the devas of the form realm, this names the first one to reveal the remaining two heavens and the heavens above them. "Divine abodes" refers to the abodes of the formless realm. The rest is the same as the previous explanation. (This should be checked. The above is Puguang's explanation.)