起信論疏 1.13

1.13

From here down is the second part: correctly establishing the substance of the treatise. In the text there are three parts: first, generally stating the commitment to speak; second, giving the number to introduce the chapters; third, explaining each section in detail according to the chapters, as can be seen in the text. In the first part, stating 'there is a teaching' refers to the teaching of the One Mind. If someone can understand this teaching, they will certainly give rise to a vast root of faith; hence it says 'capable of giving rise to the Mahāyāna root of faith.' The characteristics of the root of faith are as stated in the title. Once the root of faith is established, one immediately enters the Buddha-path; having entered the Buddha-path, one obtains inexhaustible treasures. Such great benefit is obtained through the treatise; therefore it should be spoken. Generally stating the commitment to speak has been completed above.

From 'it is spoken having five sections' onward is the second part: giving the number to introduce the chapters. 'Having five sections' gives the number of chapters. From 'what are they' onward, it lists the names of the chapters: The 'Reasons and Conditions Section' means that beginning the composition of a treatise is not without cause; what a wise person undertakes must first be known. The 'Establishing the Meaning Section' means that once the reasons and conditions have been set forth, the correct meaning should be established; if it were not briefly established, the essential doctrine would not be known. The 'Explanation Section' means that since establishing the essential doctrine was brief, it should next be extensively discriminated; if it were not expounded and explained, the principles and meaning would be difficult to understand. The 'Practicing Faith Section' means that having aroused faith based on the explanation, one must advance in practice; having understanding without practice does not accord with the intent of the treatise. The 'Exhortation to Practice and Its Benefits Section' means that although the dharma-gate of practicing faith has been shown, those with shallow roots of goodness are unwilling to engage in practice; hence benefits are raised to exhort that one must certainly practice; thus it is called the 'Exhortation to Practice and Its Benefits Section.'

From here down is the third part: explaining each section in detail according to the chapters, which makes five sections. In the first part there are two: first, citing the chapter name; next, revealing the reasons and conditions. In revealing the reasons and conditions, there are two questions and answers: first, directly revealing them; second, dispelling doubts. The first question can be seen [in the text]. In the answer there are three parts: generally stating, explaining in detail, and finally concluding in summary.

In the second part, explaining the eight reasons and conditions in detail, the first is the general condition, and the latter seven are particular conditions. Stating that the first is the general has two senses: first, whenever bodhisattvas undertake anything, it is always to cause sentient beings to leave suffering and attain bliss, not solely for the condition of composing this treatise; hence it is called general; second, although this condition acts as a condition looking forward to the text of the Establishing the Meaning Section, yet that Establishing the Meaning Section generally acts as the basis for the Explanation Section and the rest, so this condition also generally acts as a condition for them; relying on this meaning it is also explained as general. 'To leave all suffering' refers to all the suffering of fragmentary [samsāra] and transformation [samsāra]. 'Ultimate bliss' refers to the bliss of unexcelled bodhi and great nirvāṇa. 'Not seeking the worldly' means not expecting future worldly wealth and happiness among humans and gods. 'Fame, gain, and respect' means not seeking present illusory matters.

From here down, the seven kinds are the particular causes, because they act as causes solely for this treatise, and because they act as particular conditions looking forward to the seven places below. The second cause acts as the reason and condition for two of the three passages within the Explanation Section: namely, demonstrating the correct meaning and countering erroneous attachments. In demonstrating the correct meaning, it says: 'Relying on the teaching of the One Mind, there are two gates; these two gates each universally subsume all phenomena.' One should know that this is the fundamental meaning of all dharma-gates spoken by the Tathāgata. Because within this One Mind and two gates, there is not a single dharma or meaning that is not subsumed; hence it says: 'Desiring to explain the Tathāgata's fundamental meaning.' The second passage, countering erroneous attachments, causes sentient beings to abandon the two kinds of erroneous attachments to self and dharmas; hence it says: 'In order that sentient beings may have correct understanding without error.'

The third cause acts as the reason and condition for the third passage within the Explanation Section, which distinguishes the aspects of setting out on the path, causing those of sharp faculties to resolve with certainty to arouse the mind, advance toward the great path, and be capable of abiding in the stage of non-retrogression; hence it says: 'In order that [those with] roots of goodness […] to the faith of non-retrogression.'

The fourth cause acts as the reason and condition for the text below at the beginning of the Practicing Faith Section on the four kinds of faith and the four practices; hence it says: 'In order that they may cultivate faith.'

The fifth cause acts as the reason and condition for the text below of about five lines at the end of the fourth practice that says 'Furthermore, if someone, although cultivating faith, has many heavy and evil karmic hindrances from prior lives' onward, which teaches the method for eliminating hindrances; hence it says: 'In order to show upāya to eliminate evil karmic hindrances […] to escape the net of delusion.'

The sixth cause acts as the reason and condition for the text of about three pages from 'How to practice śamatha and vipaśyanā' onward down to 'if śamatha and vipaśyanā are not complete, one cannot enter the path of bodhi'; hence it says: 'Cultivating śamatha and vipaśyanā […] faults of the mind.'

The seventh cause acts as the reason and condition for the text of about eight lines at the end of the Practicing Faith Section that says 'Furthermore, when sentient beings first study this teaching' onward, which exhorts rebirth in the Pure Land; hence it says: 'In order to show the upāya of single-minded mindfulness to be born before the Buddha,' and so forth.

The eighth cause acts as the reason and condition for the text of the fifth Exhortation to Practice and Its Benefits Section; hence it says: 'In order to show the benefits and exhort to practice.'

Next, stating 'there are such reasons and conditions, therefore the treatise is composed' is the third part: concluding in summary. Directly revealing the reasons and conditions has been completed above.

From here down is dispelling doubts, which has a question and an answer. In the question, stating 'the sūtras already contain this teaching' refers to the teachings spoken according to the preceding eight causes, such as the dharma-meaning established in the Establishing the Meaning Section, down to the benefits shown in the Exhortation to Practice Section. All such teachings are fully spoken in the sūtras, all to cause sentient beings to leave suffering and attain bliss. Yet now composing this treatise again to repeat those teachings—is this not done for the sake of seeking fame and gain? Therefore it says: 'Why is it necessary to speak it again?' This raises the doubtful thought to pose the question.

In the answer there are three parts: a brief answer, an extensive explanation, and third, a brief concluding answer. In the answer, stating 'although this teaching exists in the sūtras' grants the questioner's premise. 'Faculties and practices are not equal, and the conditions for receiving understanding are distinct' refutes their doubt. Although what is spoken in sūtras and treatises contains no separate teaching, the faculties and practices of those who receive understanding differ: some rely on sūtras and do not need treatises, while others rely on treatises and do not need sūtras; therefore, for those persons, one must compose the treatise. Such is the intent of the answer.

Next it reveals it extensively, in which there are two parts: first, explaining that when the Buddha was in the world, both speaking and hearing were superior; later, revealing that after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, faculties and conditions became uneven. In the first part, stating 'when the Tathāgata was in the world, sentient beings had sharp faculties' explains the superiority of the listeners; 'the one capable of speaking had superior physical, mental, and karmic activities' reveals the superiority of the speaker; 'with a single delivery of the perfect voice' establishes the superiority of the speaker; 'different kinds equally understood' establishes the superiority of the listeners; 'then treatises were not needed' concludes the meaning of mutual superiority.

Here, the 'perfect voice' is just the 'single voice.' What is the meaning of the single voice and the perfect voice? Teachers in the past have spoken differently. Some masters said: 'The Buddhas are solely the body of ultimate reality, forever severed from the myriad forms, without shape and without sound; they directly manifest immeasurable forms and sounds in accordance with faculties, just as an empty valley has no sound, yet produces an echo according to a call.' If so, then speaking in terms of the Buddha, no voice is single; discussing in terms of the faculties, the multitude of voices is not single. Why is it called the single voice and the perfect voice? Because at one time and in one assembly, different kinds equally understood: each according to their capacity received one voice, not hearing other sounds; without confusion or error, demonstrating that this voice is extraordinary, hence it is called the single voice. The voice pervades the ten directions, and wherever faculties have matured, there is nothing not heard; hence it is called the perfect voice. It does not mean that like empty space it pervades everywhere without distinct melodies, as the sūtra says: 'Broadly announcing to sentient beings according to their types of voices'—this is what it means.

Or some say: In terms of the Buddha, there truly are form and sound; his voice is complete and perfect, with nowhere it does not pervade; it has none of the distinctions of musical tones, so how could it have level and deflected tones? Because it has no different melodies, it is called the single voice; because there is nowhere it does not pervade, it is called the perfect voice. Simply with this perfect voice acting as the sovereign condition, multiple sounds manifest in accordance with differences in faculties, just as the full moon has only a single round shape, yet manifests many reflections according to differences in vessels. One should know that the principle here is also like this. As the sūtra says: 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single voice, and sentient beings each attain understanding according to their kind.'

Or some say: The Tathāgata truly has multiple voices; of all the speech and sounds of all sentient beings, none is not subsumed within the sound of the Tathāgata's wheel of Dharma. But this Buddha-voice is unhindered and unobstructed: the one is the all, and the all is the one. The all is the one, hence it is called the single voice; the one is the all, hence it is called the perfect voice. As the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'The linguistic dharmas of all sentient beings / Are expounded completely and without remainder in a single word; / All desiring to understand the pure, secret sound, / The bodhisattva because of this first resolves the mind.'

Furthermore, this Buddha-voice is inconceivable: not only is a single spoken voice identical to all voices, it also equally pervades all phenomena. Now we briefly cite six pairs to reveal the characteristics of its equal pervasion: first, equal to all sentient beings and all dharmas; second, equal to the lands of the ten directions and the kalpas of the three times; third, equal to all nirmāṇakāya Tathāgatas and all transformation Buddhas; fourth, equal to all dharmadhātus and the realm of empty space; fifth, equal to the realm of unhindered mutual interpenetration and the realm of immeasurable arising; sixth, equal to the realm of all practices and the quiescent nirvāṇa-realm. This meaning is as spoken in the three kinds of unhinderedness in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. In accordance with every single sound, it equals these six pairs, yet its tones and melodies are eternally unconfused. If the voice failed to pervade any of these six pairs, the voice would not be perfect; if due to equal pervasion it lost its melody, then perfection would not be a voice. Yet now, without destroying melody it equally pervades, and without altering pervasion it differentiates tunes; through this principle, it truly forms the perfect voice. This cannot be measured by the thinking of mind-consciousness, because it is the sovereign meaning of the dharmakāya. The meaning of the single voice has been briefly stated like this; let us set aside other discussions and return to explaining the root text.

From here down is the second part, explaining that after the Buddha's passing, faculties and practices were uneven; within this, it distinguishes four kinds of faculties: the first two attain understanding relying on sūtras; the latter two only grasp understanding relying on treatises. In the first, stating 'those who can grasp understanding by listening broadly through their own power' means that relying on hearing broad sūtras they understand the Buddha's intent and do not need treatises; hence it says 'their own power.' In the second, stating 'also those who by their own power understand much from hearing little' means that without necessarily hearing the words of various sūtras broadly, they can deeply understand the import of the sūtras, and also do not need treatises; hence it says 'their own power.' In the third, stating 'without their own mental power' means that directly relying on the Buddha's sūtras they cannot understand; hence it says 'without power.' Only through treatises like the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and the Yogācārabhūmi do they understand the purport spoken in the Buddha's sūtras; hence it says 'those who attain understanding through broad treatises.' In the fourth, stating 'moreover, taking the voluminous text of broad treatises to be cumbersome' means that although they have sharp faculties, they cannot bear prolixity; these persons only rely on treatises whose text is concise and meaning rich to deeply understand the purport spoken in the Buddha's sūtras; hence it says 'whose minds delight in dhāraṇī, grasping understanding through concise text that subsumes many meanings.' Among these four, the first three are not what is intended here; what is intended here lies with the fourth kind of person.

From 'in this way' onward is the third part, the concluding answer. Stating 'in this way' refers generally to the previous four kinds of persons. From 'this treatise' onward, it specifically addresses the fourth person to conclude and clarify the intent that composing the treatise is certainly necessary. Now this treatise consists of only one fascicle, yet it universally subsumes the meaning of all sūtras; hence it says 'because it completely subsumes the boundless meanings of the vast and profound Dharma of the Tathāgata.' That fourth class who delights in dhāraṇī must rely on this treatise to realize the path; for this reason it says 'this treatise should be spoken.'