俱舍論頌疏論本 12.22

12.22

Question: "What is the nature of a kalpa?" Answer: "It is only the five aggregates; time has no separate real entity, but is established depending upon phenomena." Question: "The sūtra speaks of three incalculable kalpas (asaṃkhyeya, which is rendered here as 'incalculable'). By accumulating which kalpas are the three incalculable kalpas formed?" Answer: "By accumulating the aforementioned great kalpas into tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on up to accumulating them into three incalculable kalpas." Question: "Since they are called incalculable, why does one further speak of 'three' kalpas?" Answer: "The word 'incalculable' does not denote that they cannot be counted. In the *Vimukti-sūtra*, among sixty numbers, an asaṃkhyeya is the fifty-second number." Question: "What are the sixty?" Answer: "As that sūtra states: 'There is one and no remainder: the numbers begin with one; ten ones are ten; ten tens are a hundred; ten hundreds are a thousand; ten thousands are a myriad; ten myriads are a lakṣa; ten lakṣas are an atilakṣa; ten atilakṣas are a koṭi; ten koṭis are a madhya; ten madhyas are an ayuta; ten ayutas are a mahāyuta; ten mahāyutas are a nayuta; ten nayutas are a mahānayuta; ten mahānayutas are a prayuta; ten prayutas are a mahāprayuta; ten mahāprayutas are a kaṅkara; ten kaṅkaras are a mahākaṅkara; ten mahākaṅkaras are a bimba; ten bimbas are a mahābimba; ten mahābimbas are an akṣobhya; ten akṣobhyas are a mahākṣobhya; ten mahākṣobhyas are a vivāha; ten vivāhas are a mahāvivāha; ten mahāvivāhas are an utsaṅga; ten utsaṅgas are a mahotsaṅga; ten mahotsaṅgas are a vahana; ten vahanas are a mahāvahana; ten mahāvahanas are a tiṭibha; ten tiṭibhas are a mahātiṭibha; ten mahātiṭibhas are a hetu; ten hetus are a mahāhetu; ten mahāhetus are a karabha; ten karabhas are a mahākarabha; ten mahākarabhas are an indra; ten indras are a mahendra; ten mahendras are a samāpatana; ten samāpatanas are a mahāsamāpatana; ten mahāsamāpatanas are a gati; ten gatis are a mahāgati; ten mahāgatis are a nimbaraja; ten nimbarajas are a mahānimbaraja; ten mahānimbarajas are a mudrā; ten mudrās are a mahāmudrā; ten mahāmudrās are a bala; ten balas are a mahābala; ten mahābalas are a saṃjñā; ten saṃjñās are a mahāsaṃjñā; ten mahāsaṃjñās are a vibhūta; ten vibhūtas are a mahāvibhūta; ten mahāvibhūtas are a balākṣa; ten balākṣas are a mahābalākṣa; ten mahābalākṣas are an asaṃkhyeya.' In this count, the remaining eight have been forgotten. If one counts great kalpas up to this number, an asaṃkhyeya is called a kalpa-incalculable. When such kalpa-incalculables are accumulated up to three, they are described in the sūtra as 'three incalculable kalpas'. It is not that no calculation can count and know them, and therefore one can speak of 'three incalculable kalpas'." Question: "For what reason does a bodhisattva make vows and cultivate vigorous practice for a long time before aspiring to the fruit of Buddhahood?" Answer: "Unsurpassed awakening is extremely difficult to attain. Without extensive vows and practices, it is impossible to attain awakening. A bodhisattva must pass through three incalculable kalpas, cultivating the provisions of great merit and wisdom, the six perfections, and many hundreds of thousands of austerities, before realizing unsurpassed complete awakening. Therefore, one must definitively make a long-term vow." Question: "If nirvāṇa can also be attained through other means, why should a bodhisattva cultivate austerities for so long?" Answer: "Because they wish to benefit and bring joy to all sentient beings, they seek awakening and make a long-term vow: 'How may I possess great capability to rescue all living beings in the torrent of the ocean of suffering?' Therefore, they abandon the path to nirvāṇa and seek unsurpassed awakening." Question: "What benefit to oneself is there in rescuing other sentient beings?" Answer: "A bodhisattva rescues beings to fulfill their own compassionate mind; therefore, rescuing others is itself their own benefit." Question: "Who would believe that a bodhisattva has such a character?" Answer: "For those sentient beings who cherish enriching themselves and lack great compassion, this matter is indeed difficult to believe. For those sentient beings who have no mind to enrich themselves and possess great compassion, this matter is not difficult to believe. Just as there are those who have long practiced cruelty, who, although it brings no benefit to themselves, take delight in harming others, as is known to all the world—likewise, a bodhisattva has long practiced loving-kindness and compassion, and though it brings no self-benefit, takes delight in benefiting others; how could one not believe it? Furthermore, due to the distinction of their lineage, this bodhisattva gives rise to such an aspiration: taking others' suffering as their own suffering, and using others' joy as their own joy. They do not regard their own suffering and joy as matters of their personal suffering and joy, and see no other personal benefit apart from benefiting others. Relying on such a meaning, there is a verse: 'The inferior person exerts effort in methods, / Constantly seeking pleasure for their own body. / The middling person seeks the cessation of suffering, / For [they know] it is not pleasure, being based on suffering. / The superior person constantly and diligently seeks / Suffering for oneself and peace and joy for others, / As well as the permanent cessation of others' suffering, / Because they take others as themselves.' Here, 'superior person' refers to a bodhisattva. The meaning is that the bodhisattva views others as themselves, and therefore seeing others' joy is itself their own joy."