大乘起信論裂網疏 1.13

1.13

造論弘法必先歸憑三寶者，略有四義：一、順古先聖賢儀式故；二、令眾生增長福德善根故；三、不同外道議論無宗本故；四、顯示能歸所歸性空寂，感應道交難思議故。文中歸命二字，即攝能歸之三業。盡十方以下，即示所歸之三寶也。歸命，猶言身命歸依。歸者，投向義、返還義。生死海中，唯三寶功德可作恃怙，故應投向。三寶體性，即眾生現前介爾心性，由無始來背覺合塵，甘自逃背；今背塵合覺，復本心源，故名返還也。命者，依於色心連持不斷之所假立，即是本識種上功能，名為不相應行，非有實法，但為一切眾生迷情之所寶重，故隨順世間語言，舉此總攝三業也。將此最重之命，投向住持三寶，則為增上勝緣。研此假立之命，返還一體三寶，則顯大乘正體，故首稱歸命也。盡十方者，總顯無窮無盡三寶境也。以眾生現前介爾心性，本自竪無初後、橫絕邊涯，十方虛空並不出於介爾心之分際。究竟證此心性者，名之為佛；秖此心性即名為法，詮此心性者亦名為法；信解修證此心性者，名之為僧。所以三寶同於心性，盡十方也。又復現前介爾之心，體大即法寶，相大即佛寶，用大即僧寶。又介爾心圓具三大理性，總名法寶；覺此三大之智，名佛寶；理智不二，名僧寶，是為一體三寶。證此一體三寶，名十方佛；說此一體三寶，能詮所詮，皆名為十方法；修此一體三寶，名十方僧，是為大乘住持三寶。若無一體三寶，則無以建立住持三寶；若非住持三寶，則無以顯發一體三寶。如無一心真如，則無以為生滅所依，如無生滅門中熏習淨法，則無以顯一心真如。當知一體三寶，即真如門大乘體也；住持三寶，即生滅門大乘體相用也。二門不相離故，不得偏論歸也。普作大饒益三句，是別示佛寶。及彼體相海二句，是別示法寶。無邊德藏僧二句，是別示僧寶。皆約住持三寶示者，一體之外無住持故；不歸住持三寶，相非歸一體故。普作大饒益者，徹證平等體性，能以同體法力熏眾生也。智無限自在者，圓滿四智菩提，照理量境悉無餘也。救護世間尊者，究竟大慈大悲，救惡護善無與等也。法身冥益十界眾生，報身顯益地上菩薩，化身顯益三乘六凡，故云普作大饒益。而三身益物，並依平等法性之力，束之以為法身佛寶。圓鏡智品能顯法身，平等智品能示報身，成事智品能現化身，觀察智品應機說法，故云智無限自在。而四智心品，並是曠劫真修之所剋證，束之以為自受用身佛寶。法身平等救護一切世間，報身救護菩薩世間，化身救護三乘六凡世間，故云救護世間尊。而慈悲與拔，並是果上任運不思議用，束之以為勝劣隨類三種化身佛寶。此三佛寶，即是一切眾生現前介爾心性本具之體相用。但迷情日用不知，名理即佛。諸佛圓滿證得，名究竟眾生。眾生無上者佛是，故名為世尊也。及彼體相海者，彼即指上佛寶。體相謂真如之體、性德之相，既言體相即攝於用，以是三法不相離故。此體相用，深廣莫測，名之為海。雖體相海，即是眾生現前心性，不單屬佛，而唯佛究竟證得，故舉此以顯所詮法寶也。及者，顯佛、法本不二義。蓋佛是假名、法是實法，攬法成人、因人辨法，是故佛性、法性唯是一性，所謂智外無如、如外無智。雖辨住持三寶，亦非條然各別，不同愚法聲聞，偏指黃卷赤牘以為法寶。然黃卷赤牘，亦是如來藏舉體所成，亦即體相海矣。無我句義法者，指能詮法寶也。無我，即二無我。句，謂名句文身，舉句即兼得名，名句所依即是文身故也。義，謂句之所示，即指二無我觀。法，謂義之所顯，即指一心真如。佛所說法，句義乃多，今獨舉無我句義者，唯有此二空觀，能從心生滅門即入真如門故。無我句，即教經。義，即行經。法，即理經。三經不即不離，以為能詮，並不出體相海，還即詮顯體相海也。無邊德藏僧者，稱性起修，性海無邊，故所修功德亦復無邊。一一功德並能含攝無邊功德，故名為藏。具如後文所明。隨順法性修行施等，一一皆成波羅蜜也。言勤求正覺者，顯菩薩僧所修功德，不向三有、不向二乘，唯正趣向無上菩提故也。

Composing a treatise to propagate the Dharma necessarily begins with taking refuge in and relying on the Three Jewels for four brief reasons: first, to accord with the protocol of ancient sages and worthies; second, to cause sentient beings to increase their merit and roots of goodness; third, to be unlike the arguments of outsiders, which lack any foundational lineage; and fourth, to show that both the refuge-taker and the object of refuge are fundamentally empty and quiescent, and that the sympathetic resonance and mutual response between them is difficult to conceive. In the text, the two words "take refuge" subsume the three karmic activities of the refuge-taker. From "throughout the ten directions" downward, the text shows the Three Jewels as the object of refuge. "Taking refuge" (guiming) is like saying taking refuge with body and life. "To take refuge" (gui) means turning towards and returning back. In the sea of birth and death, only the virtues of the Three Jewels can serve as reliance and protector; thus one should turn towards them. The essential nature of the Three Jewels is simply the momentary mind-nature present before sentient beings. Because since beginningless time they have turned their backs on enlightenment to conform with dust, willingly fleeing and turning away, now they turn their backs on dust to conform with enlightenment, returning back to their original mind-source; hence it is called "returning back." "Life" (ming) is provisionally established based on the unbroken continuity of physical form and mind; it is simply the function on the seeds of the basic consciousness, termed an "unassociated conditioning factor" (cittaviprayukta-saṃskāra). It is not an actual real entity, but is solely cherished and valued by the deluded attachments of all sentient beings. Therefore, according with worldly language, one cites this to subsume the three karmic activities in general. Taking this most treasured life and turning towards the preserved Three Jewels serves as an augmenting, supreme condition. Investigating this provisionally established life and returning back to the unified-essence Three Jewels reveals the correct essence of the Mahāyāna; therefore one first says "I take refuge." "Throughout the ten directions" generally reveals the inexhaustible and limitless realm of the Three Jewels. Because the momentary mind-nature present before sentient beings is originally vertically devoid of beginning and end, and horizontally devoid of borders and bounds, empty space throughout the ten directions does not exceed the boundaries of this momentary mind. Those who definitively realize this mind-nature are named "Buddha"; this very mind-nature is itself named "Dharma," and that which explicates this mind-nature is also named "Dharma"; those who believe in, understand, cultivate, and realize this mind-nature are named "Saṅgha." Therefore the Three Jewels are identical with the mind-nature, extending throughout the ten directions. Furthermore, as for the momentary mind present before us: its greatness of essence is the Jewel of the Dharma; its greatness of attributes is the Jewel of the Buddha; its greatness of function is the Jewel of the Saṅgha. Moreover, the momentary mind fully possesses the principles of the three greatnesses, collectively named the Jewel of the Dharma; the wisdom that awakens to these three greatnesses is named the Jewel of the Buddha; and the non-duality of principle and wisdom is named the Jewel of the Saṅgha. This is the unified-essence Three Jewels. Realizing this unified-essence Three Jewels is named the Buddhas of the ten directions; explaining this unified-essence Three Jewels—both the explicating and the explicated—is wholly named the Dharma of the ten directions; cultivating this unified-essence Three Jewels is named the Saṅgha of the ten directions. This is the preserved Three Jewels of the Mahāyāna. If there were no unified-essence Three Jewels, there would be no means to establish the preserved Three Jewels; if not for the preserved Three Jewels, there would be no means to reveal and develop the unified-essence Three Jewels. Just as without the tathatā of the one mind there would be no basis for arising and ceasing, so too without the perfuming of pure dharmas within the aspect of arising and ceasing, there would be no means to reveal the tathatā of the one mind. One should know that the unified-essence Three Jewels is the Mahāyāna essence of the aspect of tathatā; the preserved Three Jewels is the Mahāyāna essence, attributes, and function of the aspect of arising and ceasing. Because the two aspects are not separate, one must not speak of taking refuge in a one-sided manner. The three lines "acting universally to bring great benefit..." specifically indicate the Jewel of the Buddha. The two lines "and to the sea of its essence and attributes..." specifically indicate the Jewel of the Dharma. The two lines "the Saṅgha, an ocean of boundless virtue..." specifically indicate the Jewel of the Saṅgha. All are shown in terms of the preserved Three Jewels, because outside the unified essence there is no preservation, and not taking refuge in the preserved Three Jewels means in appearance not taking refuge in the unified essence. "Acting universally to bring great benefit" means thoroughly realizing the equal essential nature, able to perfume sentient beings with the power of the Dharma of the identical essence. "Wisdom infinite and sovereign" means fulfilling the bodhi of the four wisdoms, illuminating both the realm of principle and the realm of measurable objects without remainder. "Honoured One who rescues and protects the world" means definitive great compassion and great benevolence, rescuing from evil and protecting the good, unequaled by anyone. The dharmakāya secretly benefits sentient beings of the ten realms; the sambhogakāya overtly benefits bodhisattvas on the stages; and the nirmāṇakāya overtly benefits the three vehicles and the six ordinary realms; hence it says "acting universally to bring great benefit." Yet the three bodies benefiting beings all rely on the power of the equal dharmatā; gathering them together, they constitute the Jewel of the Buddha as dharmakāya. The category of the mirror-like wisdom is able to reveal the dharmakāya; the category of the wisdom of equality is able to display the sambhogakāya; the category of the wisdom that accomplishes actions is able to manifest the nirmāṇakāya; and the category of the wisdom of wondrous observation preaches the Dharma according with faculties; hence it says "wisdom infinite and sovereign." These four categories of mental qualities of wisdom are all definitively realized through true cultivation over vast kalpas; gathering them together, they constitute the Jewel of the Buddha as the self-enjoyment body. The dharmakāya equally rescues and protects all worlds; the sambhogakāya rescues and protects the world of bodhisattvas; and the nirmāṇakāya rescues and protects the worlds of the three vehicles and six ordinary realms; hence it says "Honoured One who rescues and protects the world." Furthermore, giving joy and removing suffering through benevolence and compassion are all effortless, inconceivable functions on the stage of the fruition; gathering them together, they constitute the Jewel of the Buddha as the three kinds of nirmāṇakāyas—superior, inferior, and adapting to kind. These three Buddha Jewels are simply the essence, attributes, and function originally possessed by the momentary mind-nature present before all sentient beings. But deluded consciousness employs it daily without knowing it, which is called "Buddha at the level of principle." The Buddhas fully realize it, which is called "definitive sentient beings." The supreme among sentient beings is the Buddha; therefore he is named the World-Honoured One. "And to the sea of its essence and attributes": "its" refers to the Buddha Jewel above. "Essence and attributes" refers to the essence of tathatā and the attributes of inherent virtues; having spoken of essence and attributes, function is subsumed within them, because these three dharmas are not separate. This essence, attributes, and function are profound and vast beyond measure, named an "ocean." Although the sea of essence and attributes is simply the mind-nature present before sentient beings and does not belong solely to the Buddha, only the Buddha definitively realizes it; hence this is cited to show the Jewel of the Dharma as what is explicated. "And" reveals the meaning that Buddha and Dharma are fundamentally not two. For Buddha is a provisional designation and Dharma is real dharma; gathering dharmas forms the person, and dependent on the person one discerns the dharma. Therefore, Buddha-nature and dharmatā are only one nature; as it is said, "outside wisdom there is no suchness, and outside suchness there is no wisdom." Although the preserved Three Jewels are distinguished, they are not completely separate and distinct, unlike the Śrāvakas who are blind to the Dharma and one-sidedly point to yellow scrolls and red tablets as the Jewel of the Dharma. Yet yellow scrolls and red tablets are also wholly formed by the tathāgatagarbha; they too are the sea of essence and attributes. "The Dharma of the sentences and meanings of selflessness" refers to the Jewel of the Dharma as that which explicates. "Selflessness" refers to the two kinds of selflessness. "Sentences" refers to the collections of names, sentences, and phonemes (nāma-, pada-, vyañjana-kāya); citing "sentences" encompasses "names" as well, because that on which names and sentences rely is the collection of phonemes. "Meanings" refers to what is indicated by the sentences, pointing to the contemplation of the two kinds of selflessness. "Dharma" refers to what is revealed by the meanings, pointing to the tathatā of the one mind. The dharmas spoken by the Buddha have many sentences and meanings; here he specifically cites the sentences and meanings of selflessness because only this contemplation of the two kinds of emptiness can enter the aspect of tathatā directly from the aspect of arising and ceasing of the mind. The sentences of selflessness are the scriptures of teaching; the meanings are the scriptures of practice; the Dharma is the scripture of principle. These three scriptures are neither identical nor separate, serving as that which explicates; they do not go beyond the sea of essence and attributes, and in turn they explicate and reveal the sea of essence and attributes. "The Saṅgha, an ocean of boundless virtue": cultivating according to nature, the sea of nature is boundless; hence the cultivated virtues are likewise boundless. Each and every virtue can contain and subsume boundless virtues; hence it is named a "treasure-house." This is fully explained in the text below: cultivating giving and the rest in accordance with dharmatā, each and every one becomes a pāramitā. Saying "those who diligently seek right awakening" shows that the virtues cultivated by the bodhisattva-saṅgha do not aim towards the three realms of existence nor towards the two vehicles, but only proceed correctly towards unsurpassed bodhi.