大乘法苑義林章 4.5

4.5

Second, explaining the various names: Explaining according to worldly convention: ji means reaching; shou means head; bringing the head to the ground is therefore called jishou (kowtow). This means kneeling and bowing with the head reaching the ground; hence the Abhidharmakośa states: 'Kowtowing and touching the feet, hence it is called paying homage.' Bending one's own honored head to touch the other's lowly feet is called jishou. The Kośa's intention is to take jishou, which is a specific name for bodily action, as homage (lǐ), which is the general name for homage in the three karmas. The Saṃyuktābhidharmahṛdaya is also like this: paying homage with the whole body is also jishou. As for koutou, bringing the hands to the head is therefore called koutou. As for jingli (paying homage): reverence is called jing; ritual decorum is called li. Truly giving rise to earnest sincerity and bending in deportment with praise, one expresses the way of reverence and marks the name of paying homage. Moreover, arousing an earnest and pure mind and spurring superior karma, one expresses sincerity and reverent refuge; hence it is called paying homage, which pervades the three karmas. When various teachings say jishou, by means of the bodily action of jishou they express the paying of homage across the three karmas. Its essence is just one thing; one should not merely rely on worldly convention. The ancients said nanmu, which is precisely paying homage. It should be pronounced nāmò or nàmò, so it is not separately explained. As for guīyī (taking refuge), it means turning to in reverence and relying on for refuge, which is not what is being clarified here. If one says bàntán or bàntí, here it means jishou (kowtowing), and also means lǐbài (prostrating); it is also not jingli; it is erroneously named hénán (vandanā).