大乘起信論裂網疏 1.13

1.13

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.