大乘義章 11.101

11.101

次明因起次第之義。德實同時，隨人別化亦無次第，今且約就修入起用化益一人以論次第。於中略以三門分別：一修入次第。施除外慳，其行易為，故先行施。愛語攝者，離口四過，戒分所攝行，故次難作，故布施後明修愛語。利行攝者，是集善行，離惡易成、集善難就，故愛語後明修利行。因前利行成就功德，與他上地諸菩薩同，故利行後明其同利。故《地持》云「有菩薩同利，如是同利不示他。」己所成德與他上地諸菩薩同，名有同利。不須顯示己德化彼，名不示他。二起用次第。先明同事。菩薩尊高、眾生卑下，彼我殊淳，無由攝化。菩薩為化，迀德從彼，現與彼同，名為同事，故先明之。故《地持》言「有菩薩不同利示同利。」菩薩實德不與彼同，名不同利。現化同彼，名示同利。於此門中先後不定。何故如是？所化之人有貧有惡，若對貧人，先行布施濟其貧苦，次行愛語授之以法，後明利行勸物起修。若對惡人，先行愛語化令捨惡，次行布施隨順資養，後以利行勸令起修。《地持論》中多從後義以論次第。三攝益次第。此就一人以論攝受益。其中次第與初門同，先以布施攝取其身，次以愛語攝取其心令生信解，次以利行化之起行，因其利行化彼成德與菩薩同，故次第四明其同利。故《地持》言「有菩薩同利示同利。」菩薩為他，先與彼人同修所行，名有同利。彼所化者同修成德，示同菩薩，名示同利。四攝之義，辨之麁爾。

Next, clarifying the meaning of the sequential order of their arising. In reality, the virtues are simultaneous, and when transforming different people individually there is also no fixed sequence; now, we shall discuss the sequence provisionally in terms of cultivating entry, initiating application, and transforming and benefiting a single person. Within this, there are briefly three sections of differentiation: First, the sequence of cultivating entry. Giving removes external stinginess, and its practice is easy to do; therefore, one first practices giving. Gathering through loving speech is free from the four verbal faults and is subsumed under the category of moral discipline, so it is comparatively difficult to perform; therefore, after giving, one explains cultivating loving speech. Gathering through beneficial action is the practice of accumulating good; departing from evil is easy to accomplish, while accumulating good is difficult to achieve; therefore, after loving speech, one explains cultivating beneficial action. Because of the previous beneficial action, merit is accomplished, sharing in common with other bodhisattvas of the higher stages; therefore, after beneficial action, one explains its shared benefit. Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi says: "There is a bodhisattva possessing shared benefit; such shared benefit is not shown to others." One's own accomplished virtue being equal with other bodhisattvas of the higher stages is called having shared benefit. Not having to manifest one's own virtue to transform them is called not showing it to others. Second, the sequence of initiating application. First, explaining sharing the same activities. The bodhisattva is exalted, while sentient beings are lowly; the difference between them and oneself is vast, so there would be no way to gather and transform them. For the sake of transformation, the bodhisattva bends his virtue to accord with them, manifesting equality with them, which is called sharing the same activities; therefore, this is explained first. Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi says: "There is a bodhisattva not possessing shared benefit who shows shared benefit." The bodhisattva's real virtue not being equal to theirs is called not possessing shared benefit; manifesting transformation equal to them is called showing shared benefit. In this section, precedence is not fixed. Why is it so? The persons to be transformed include the poor and the evil; if dealing with a poor person, one first practices giving to relieve his poverty and suffering, next practices loving speech to bestow the Dharma upon him, and afterwards explains beneficial action to urge the person to undertake cultivation. If dealing with an evil person, one first practices loving speech to transform him into abandoning evil, next practices giving to sustain and nourish him in compliance, and afterwards urges him to undertake cultivation by means of beneficial action. The Bodhisattvabhūmi Treatise mostly follows this latter meaning in discussing the sequence. Third, the sequence of gathering and benefiting. This discusses the gathering and benefiting with respect to a single person. The sequence therein is the same as in the first section: first, one gathers his body through giving; next, one gathers his mind through loving speech to give rise to faith and understanding; next, one transforms him into initiating practice through beneficial action; and because of that beneficial action, one transforms him to accomplish virtue equal to that of the bodhisattva; therefore, fourth in sequence, one explains its shared benefit. Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi says: "There is a bodhisattva who possesses shared benefit and shows shared benefit." For the sake of the other, the bodhisattva first cultivates the practices in common with that person, which is called possessing shared benefit. When the person being transformed practices in common and accomplishes virtue, manifesting equality with the bodhisattva, this is called showing shared benefit. The meaning of the four means of gathering has been roughly distinguished thus.