大乘法苑義林章 4.20

4.20

First, regarding clarifying the causes, there are, in brief, two causes: the first is the cause for which the Buddha spoke [of them], and the second is the cause from which the views arise. As for the cause for which the Buddha spoke [of them], according to the fourteenth fascicle of the Āgama, the "Chapter on the Net of Brahmā" (Brahmajāla-sūtra): When the Buddha was wandering through the country of Magadha, walking among humanity, he arrived at the Bamboo Grove monastery and stayed in the lecture hall. At that time, there was a brahmacārin named Suppiya, who had a disciple named Brahmadatta; master and disciple constantly followed behind the Buddha. The brahmacārin Suppiya disparaged the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha in countless ways, while his [disciple] Brahmadatta praised the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha in immeasurable ways. Master and disciple harboured different thoughts, mutually contradicting each other, because of habitual practice of differing views and close association with different [companions]. At that time, after their meal, the monks assembled together in the lecture hall and discussed this, saying: "How extraordinary! The World-Honoured One possesses great supernormal powers and is fully endowed with majesty and virtue; he completely knows the inclinations of sentient beings' intentions. The brahmacārin Suppiya disparaged the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, while his disciple Brahmadatta praised the Tathāgata, the Dharma, and the monks in immeasurable ways—each harbouring a different mind." The Buddha, in his quiet chamber, heard this discussion of the monks with his pure divine ear. He went to the lecture hall, knowing [what had happened] yet deliberately asking: "What were you discussing just now?" The monks replied: "Just now we were discussing together: 'How extraordinary! The World-Honoured One,' and so forth at length, [saying] that master and disciple each harbour different views." They reported that matter in full. The World-Honoured One declared: "If there are those who slander the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, you must not harbour resentment or wrath in your minds, intending to harm them. If you harbour such thoughts, you will immediately sink and drown yourselves. If there are those who praise the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, you should not be overjoyed at it; if you give rise to a joyful mind, you will also sink and drown yourselves. These are weak ordinary persons of little learning, who do not comprehend the deep meaning, merely praising the treasures of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha straightforwardly according to what they have seen. There are other phenomena—the exceedingly profound, subtle, great illumination of the Dharma—with which only noble and sage disciples can praise the Tathāgata. All those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who, concerning the primordial kalpas and primordial views, or the subsequent kalpas and subsequent views, produce countless varieties according to whatever their minds enter upon—all of them enter entirely within the sixty-two views, with none exceeding them. Only the Tathāgata knows that these points of view turn in this way and are grasped in this way; moreover, he surpasses them, and though he knows them, he is not attached to them. Because he is unattached, he immediately attains the tranquil remainderless liberation. Therefore it is called the Tathāgata's exceedingly profound, subtle, great illumination of the Dharma, with which noble and sage disciples truly and equanimously praise the Tathāgata." The Yogācārabhūmi also states: "It is said that relying upon those incorrect repositories of doctrine that reveal viewpoints, using the oral tradition handed down from master to disciple as an expedient means, the World-Honoured One therefore spoke of these views." As for the cause from which the views arise, the Yogācārabhūmi states: "It is said that all of them take satkāyadṛṣṭi as their cause and condition. Although causes and conditions may be either direct or indirect, it is by directly relying on the view of self that the various views begin to arise. If it were not so, they would not be subsumed under extreme views. Because they directly rely [on it], they are spoken of as extreme views; those that indirectly rely [on it] are spoken of as false views, because taking Brahmā's eternity and so forth as objects constitutes false view." This concludes the first [section], clarifying the causes.