肇論疏 2.53

2.53

This refers to the extensive letter. One is a cleric and the other a layperson; hence it says "Although our garb and appearance differ." Although their bodies differ, their mental aspirations are not distinct. Some editions simply have the single character qi 其. As for "Though rivers and mountains are distant, our accord with principle makes us neighbors," one is in the south and one is in the north; hence it says "rivers and mountains are distant." Mian 緬 means distant. Although their places are far and distant, their accord with principle brings them close together. Accord (qi 契) refers to a wooden tally, metaphorically indicating that principle accords. As for "Therefore, gazing down the road, I send my thoughts, and my open breast has someone to rely upon," because their mental aspirations are not two and their accord with principle makes them neighbors, Sengzhao therefore gazes down the road and constantly relies with his feelings upon Master Liu. As for "You have already fulfilled your aspiration for praiseworthy reclusion and marked the excellence of surpassing worldly convention," in the Yijing there is the Dun hexagram, and dun has "praiseworthy reclusion" (jiadun) and "fat reclusion" (feidun); here it says "praiseworthy reclusion." Jia 嘉 means good; dun 遯 means to hide in reclusion. The Zilin says: "Dun means to move away and flee." Master Liu originally had a mind for reclusion, and now, having fulfilled his aspiration, he surpasses worldly people; hence this is called "excellence." As for "Alone and tranquil beyond affairs, delight fills your square-inch [heart]," tian 恬 means quiet. It means that truly dwelling in the mountains, he is beyond human affairs, and his mind is full of joy. The "square-inch" is the heart-mind. As for "Whenever a word was gathered, how was it ever not far-reaching?", whenever they gathered to discourse, it was always profound and far-reaching. The Letter of Admonition to My Son by an ancient worthy says: "Formerly, when I attended the late Emperor, three chief clerks came together to the audience. The Emperor said to them: 'Those who serve as senior officials should be pure, cautious, and diligent. With these three things, how could there be worry that things will not be governed?' When they left, the Emperor said to me: 'If one absolutely had to abandon [some], which among these three should be proclaimed the primary root?' I replied: 'Caution is the root. One who is pure is not necessarily cautious, but one who is cautious is never impure—just as one who is benevolent must have courage, but one who is courage does not necessarily have benevolence.' The Emperor said: 'Whom do you recommend among those who have recently been cautious?' I then recommended several people. The Emperor said: 'The people you recommend each have their caution. Yet in all the world, the most cautious is solely Ruan Sizong. Whenever one spoke with him, his words reached to what was lofty and distant, and he never praised or censured human character.'" Sengzhao here uses this event. As for "Metaphorically, your elegant recitation beneath the forest has a lofty tenor that is leisurely and detached," in the Jin dynasty, the seven men—Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Ruan Xian, Shan Tao, Wang Rong, Xiang Xiu, and Liu Ling—all went into reclusion together in the bamboo grove of Shanyang, did not serve kings or marquises, and held their aspirations in high esteem. Here it says that Master Liu is like this. As for "With pure leisure and no set term, may you amply protect and cherish yourself," with pure leisure and relaxed ease without any deadline, Sengzhao hopes he will preserve, nourish, cherish, and protect himself. As for "May the monks of that mountain be without trouble and both clerics and laypeople thoroughly well," at that time Dharma Master Huiyuan was on the mountain with seven hundred disciples; here it speaks of this assembly. The Erya says: "Yang 恙 means anxiety." The Fengsu tong says: "Yang means illness." The Yizhuan says: "In high antiquity, people suffered from the yang-insect eating their hearts; whenever they greeted one another, they asked: 'Are you without yang?'" The clerics are the assembly of monks; the laypeople refer to worldly people. At that time, Zhou Xuzhi of Yanmen, Lei Cizong of Yuzhang, Zong Bing of Nanyang, and Master Liu were all in reclusion together on the mountain; here it refers to these various laymen. As for "Learning that Dharma Master Huiyuan is better than usual, I take it as a joy and comfort," Dharma Master Sengzhao was young, while Dharma Master Huiyuan was an elder senior; north and south were separated in two different states, and they had never met face to face, yet from afar they admired and respected each other; hence, learning that he was better than usual, Sengzhao rejoiced and took comfort. As for "Although I have not received [teachings] directly from his pure presence, I hold his lofty standard close to my breast," Dharma Master Huiyuan was a disciple of Dharma Master Dao'an, and his fame was lofty for an entire generation. The Gaoseng zhuan says: "Shi Huiyuan of Mount Lu inherited and practiced the Sarvāstivāda school, and scholars throughout the realm all took him as the arbiter." Here, Dharma Master Sengzhao also looked up to him from afar. Although he had never heard and received teachings with his own pure ears, he nevertheless held Dharma Master Huiyuan's lofty standard close to his breast. "Holding close to one's breast" (fuying) means bowing deeply to the ground to receive it with one's chest. "Lofty standard" means lofty conduct. As for "The diligence of my tiptoeing and waiting has lasted for a long time," gazing on tiptoe and waiting had already lasted a long time. The passage from "You, Sir, are beyond the compliant years" on praises Dharma Master Huiyuan's virtue. Being an old man over sixty, his spiritual demeanor was calm and all the more dignified. As for "Nourishing disciples in secluded crags, embracing the One in an empty valley," he nourished an assembly of disciples in the secluded mountains. "Embracing the One" means harboring the Dao. Laozi says: "Carrying your mortal soul and embracing the One, can you avoid separating from it?" He also says: "Few, and one attains; many, and one is deluded. Therefore the sage embraces the One as the model for the world." Sengzhao here borrows these words for his use. As for "Those near and far look up and sing your praises," xia means far, and er means near. As for "What beauty could compare to this?", there is no beauty that could equal it. As for "I also frequently gaze with yearning toward that corner, leaning on the shade of your heavenly heights," it says that Sengzhao frequently turned his mind toward the southeastern corner to gaze upon Dharma Master Huiyuan. Dharma Master Huiyuan's moral power was lofty and distant, as if reaching the shores of the clouds and heavens. It is also like the clouds and heavens, like shores and banks; it can also directly refer to the horizon of the clouds and heavens in the southeast. And as for saying "shade" (bi 庇), the Erya says: "Bi means shade." As for "Having no way to convey my respect, my sighs of yearning are truly deep," having no cause or means to reach that place to convey his respect and admiration, his sighs of yearning were truly deep. Liang 良 means truly. The passage from "You, Sir, converse in purity all day long" on means that Master Liu frequently sat facing Dharma Master Huiyuan, with much joy and appreciation. As for "this great assembly," it was the disciples of Master Kumārajīva in the capital; at that time the translation assembly numbered three thousand in all. "As is fitting" means that they were at ease and well as usual. As for "The Lord of Qin's nature accords with the Dao naturally," this was Yao Xing, the ruler of the Later Qin; here he praises Yao Xing's Dao and virtue. However, regarding the two words "Dao" and "virtue": Daoist scriptures say that it is essential for people to pattern themselves on them extensively, without always making fine distinctions. The Shiming says: "Dao means to lead (dao 導), that by which all things are penetrated and guided." The Shuowen says: "Virtue (de 德) means attainment (de 得): externally attaining it from others, internally attaining it in oneself." Here, the natural state of principle is taken as the Dao, and man's ability to practice it is taken as virtue. How is this explained? Laozi says: "There was something formlessly fashioned, born before Heaven and Earth. Silent and empty, it stands alone and does not alter; it moves everywhere and is never in peril. It can be considered the mother of the world. I do not know its name; I designate it 'the Dao.'" He also says: "The Dao that can be spoken of is not the constant Dao; the name that can be named is not the constant name." This is called the Dao. He also says: "To give birth and not possess, to act and not rely upon, to rear and not control: this is called profound virtue." He also says: "Highest virtue does not act as virtue, and therefore possesses virtue; lowest virtue never loses virtue, and therefore lacks virtue." This is called virtue. Here Sengzhao first praises the Qin king's nature in the Dao, and afterward praises his possession of virtue. Sima Biao says: "Nature is the root of man." Cai Yong's Quanxue says: "Nature is the root of the heart-mind." "Heavenly mechanism" means the working of the mind. Zhuangzi says: "Those whose desires are deep have a shallow heavenly mechanism." Here it says that the Qin king's heavenly mechanism was deep, and so he surpassed the common and worldly. The passage from "acting as a moat and citadel for the Three Jewels" on praises his virtue. He acted as a moat and citadel for the Three Jewels, taking the propagation of the Dao as his duty. As for "Thereby causing superior monks from foreign lands to arrive from afar," because the Qin king possessed virtue, superior monks and others from foreign lands then came from distant kingdoms. As for "The spirit of Vulture Peak has gathered in this land," the Buddha preached the Dharma on Vulture Peak; here it means that this spirit gathered here. The passage from "Master Fajing went on a distant expedition" on refers to a monk at that time surnamed Zhi, whose name was Faling, who went to the Western Regions and returned with the Avataṃsaka and other Mahāyāna sūtras. Here it says that he went far to foreign lands, obtained vaipulya sūtras, and became a bridge for a thousand generations. Liang means a bridge. As for "requesting one Mahāyāna meditation master," this was Buddhabhadra. This person was widely learned, excelled in understanding the Avataṃsaka, and took meditation and contemplation as his practice. At that time, Huiguan, Huiyan, and others went to the Western Regions to invite a venerable master there to return to the east. The venerable masters of that land consulted together and deemed that none other than Buddhabhadra would do; so they came here together. Right when Master Kumārajīva had arrived, he also reached Chang'an. However, his spirit was lofty and bold, and his meditation and contemplation were profound and distant. He said to Master Kumārajīva: "Viewing what you have translated, it does not surpass ordinary human thought; why then do you enjoy such high renown?" Master Kumārajīva said: "It is because I am old and decrepit and recommended by the assembly; why must my virtue be equal to such fine praise?" Furthermore, because he told his disciples: "I saw five ships depart from my native country," someone leaked these words. Sengqi and others considered this a display of the extraordinary that deluded the multitude, so they assembled the monks and expelled him. The meditation master said: "My body is like duckweed; coming and staying are very easy. I only regret that my inner aspirations have not been expressed." Thereupon he went out through Lantian Pass and traveled south to Jingzhou. Dharma Master Huiyuan of Mount Lu sent someone to welcome him and invited him to enter the mountain to translate meditation sūtras, receiving the meditation methods from him. Huiyuan then wrote a letter releasing him from expulsion and sent it to Chang'an, resolving the matter of his expulsion, considering that his words were spoken among like-minded people and that he was not an aberrant person, nor was he displaying the extraordinary to delude the multitude. He subsequently went down to the Song capital and translated the Avataṃsaka-sūtra; the present Avataṃsaka is this one. Here it speaks of the events before he was expelled. As for "one tripiṭaka master," this was Puṇyatāra. The Gaoseng zhuan says: "Puṇyatāra brought out the Sarvāstivāda-vinaya; when two of the three parts were completed, Puṇyatāra died. Dharmaruci continued the translation." Calling him "tripiṭaka [master]" refers to the time before Puṇyatāra died. Also, this may be Dharmaruci. How is this known? Because the text says "the fundamentals and details were precise and complete," meaning the translation of the vinaya was already finished; thus one knows it is so. Also, this may refer to Buddhayaśas translating the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya. How is this known? When Buddhayaśas arrived in Chang'an, the Qin king requested him to translate the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya. But Yaśas said: "I have no manuscript; I merely recite the text." Just as they were about to send someone to write it down, the Qin king suspected he might have forgotten parts, so he sent Yaśas to recite several tens of thousands of words of household registers and medical recipes. The next day they checked it, and he had not missed a single word. Thereupon he requested him to recite the vinaya text and ordered people to write it down, after which it was translated. As for "one vibhāṣā master," this was Dharmagupta. Master Daobiao's Preface to the Śāriputrābhidharma-śāstra says: "In the ninth year of the Hongshi era, Dharmagupta, Dharmayaśas, and others were ordered to write out the Sanskrit text, and by the tenth year it should have been produced. But because the two sides did not mutually understand each other, they feared it would not be fully perfected; in the sixteenth year, having gradually become proficient in the Qin language, he was ordered to expound and translate it himself, after which it was transcribed." Master Kumārajīva died in the eleventh year of the Hongshi era; this reply was written during Master Kumārajīva's lifetime. Since it precisely says "produced" and does not yet say "translated," one clearly knows this was an affair of the ninth year of Hongshi. The passage from "Master Kumārajīva at the Dashi Monastery" on means that the aforementioned people together with Master Kumārajīva brought out new scriptures. The passage from "The Dharma treasury is deep and vast" on: deep and vast means that sūtras and treatises grew more numerous day by day, hence called "rare teachings." As for "never slackening day and night," the Mao Poetry says: "Never slackening day and night, to serve the one man." "The one man" refers to the Son of Heaven. Fei 匪 means not. Xie 懈 means indolent. As for "harmonious and reverent," yongyong 邕邕 means harmonious. Yet the character yong 邕 and the character yong 壅 have the same meaning of harmony. The Shangshu says: "Bringing it to harmonious brightness." This is also the meaning of harmony. The Erya writes the character as yong 邕. Su 肅 means orderly and aligned. As for "The fundamentals and details are precise and complete, as though beholding the original regulations," the vinaya text is complete, seeming as though the Buddha had just laid down the rules. As for "Occasionally inquiring into matters therein, the words spoken were wondrously new," from time to time they inquired into these matters, and the expressions were rare and novel. As for "humbly participating in this auspicious opportunity," wei 猥 means numerous, very many. It means frequently participating in good affairs. The passage from "Apart from not beholding the gathering at the Jetavana of Śākya" on: zi 自 means by oneself. Sengzhao merely regretted not seeing the grand gathering at the Jetavana, and had no other regrets. The Zilin says: "Zi means from." As for "and sighing that I cannot share this Dharma assembly with gentlemen of pure excellence," it means he only regretted that he could not share this assembly with Master Liu. The passage from "Venerable Dao[sheng] was recently here" on refers to Zhu Daosheng. "Several years" means more than three years. As for yanhua 言話, hua is pronounced yu mai fan; the Mao Poetry says: "It is only the wise man who speaks good words." An ancient commentary says: "Hua words are the good words of the ancients." The Shuowen says: "Bringing together good words." It means that in his speech and conversation, Dharma Master Daosheng constantly praised Master Liu. As for "having returned to the south midway, you, Sir, were able to meet him," because he returned to the south midway, you were able to meet him. As for "not receiving recent news, I was despondent," not receiving a letter or inquiry recently, he was despondent and dejected. The passage from "When Monk Wei arrived, I received your Chant on the Recollection of the Buddha Samādhi" on seems to refer to what Master Liu sent along. Dharma Master Huiyuan composed the Chant on the Recollection of the Buddha Samādhi and its preface, and Master Liu and others all harmonized with it; here he speaks of this matter. Examining the Collected Works of Dharma Master Huiyuan, it only contains the Preface to the Chant on the Samādhi, but lacks the Chant on the Samādhi and the harmonizing poems; the collection was not carefully made. The preface says: "Now what is meant by samādhi? It refers to exclusive concentration of thought and the quieting of conceptualization. When thought is concentrated, the will is unified and not deflected; when conceptualization is quieted, the vital breath is empty and the spirit is luminous. When the vital breath is empty, wisdom rests calmly in its illumination; when the spirit is luminous, there is nothing subtle that is not penetrated. These two are the profound talismans of nature, uniting as one to achieve function." As for "This composition's evocative resonance is already lofty," xing 興 refers to giving metaphors, and ji 寄 refers to conveying intent. Zixia's Preface to the Poetry says: "The Poetry has six principles: first, feng; second, fu; third, bi; fourth, xing; fifth, ya; and sixth, song." Here xing is xing (evocation), and ji is bi (comparison). Some editions have aoqi 奧奇 ("profoundly marvelous"), which is incorrect. As for "The phrasing and style are pure and graceful," the phrasing and literary style are emotionally refined, and the inner sense is graceful and charming. As for "Gentlemen capable in literature all praise its beauty," all people who understand literature praise it as good. As for "It can be called a chant that wanders through the portals of the sages and strikes the profound note," this Chant on the Recollection of the Buddha Samādhi can be called a wondrous chant that wanders through the gateways of the sages and strikes upon the profound purport. As for "Why have so few arrived along the way?", Sengzhao wondered why so few [poems] had been sent along with travelers. As for "Master Kumārajīva brought out the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa in the wunian year," the eighth year of Hongshi corresponds to the wunian year. As for "itemizing and recording trustworthy words," it means recording truthful and trustworthy words. As for "The teachings inherited have a foundation," it means they were received from Master Kumārajīva. As for "Your inquiry was graceful and penetrating, difficult for a man of Ying [to answer]," it was graceful, subtle, and crucial, difficult to answer. Regarding the man of Ying, the "Xu Wugui" chapter of Zhuangzi's Miscellaneous Chapters says: "Zhuangzi was attending a funeral and passed by Huizi's grave. Turning to his followers, he said: 'A man of Ying had a smear of chalk on the tip of his nose, as thin as a fly's wing, and sent Carpenter Shi to chop it off. Carpenter Shi swung his axe like the wind and chopped it away, removing all the chalk without harming the nose, while the man of Ying stood without losing his composure. Lord Wu of Song heard of this and summoned Carpenter Shi, saying: "Try doing it for me." Carpenter Shi said: "I could indeed chop it once. But my material has been dead a long time. Since the master died, I have had no material to work with. I have had no one to talk to."'" Guo Xiang's commentary says: "If not for that unmoving material and word-forgetting counterpart, then even if one has utmost words and wondrous chopping, there is nowhere to apply them." Here it means that Master Liu's inquiry is like Carpenter Shi, and Master Sengzhao's reply is like the man of Ying. Asking was easy, but answering was difficult. As for "This poor monk's thoughts do not reach the subtle, and I am also clumsy in written words," his thoughts did not penetrate subtle depths, and his written words were not skillful. The Xiaoya says: "Guan 關 means to reach (da 達)." Wei 微 means subtle and formless. As for the passage from "Moreover, the ultimate purport is beyond words" on, the ultimate principle cannot be spoken; this is the Dharma door of non-duality. For instance, when Master Kumārajīva and Buddhayaśas were seated before the Qin king, the Qin king asked about the meaning of dharmatā, and the two looked at each other without offering any reply. As for "incessantly chattering," yun 云 means speaking, and yi 已 means stopping. Even though one speaks much, nothing is settled or distinguished. As for "provisionally offering wild words," they are rash and ungrounded words.