大乘法苑義林章 6.10

6.10

Second, expounding their essential nature: The Three Jewels of identical essence are the pure dharmadhātu, tathatā, the dharmakāya. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'The Buddha is the Dharma; the Dharma is the Saṅgha; the Saṅgha is the permanent; the permanent is space; space is the Buddha-nature; the Buddha-nature is the dharmakāya.' In the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, 'Chapter on Entering the Dharma Gate of Non-Duality', Śāntendriya says: 'The jewels of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha are differentiated into two. If one understands that Buddha-nature is dharmatā, and that the Dharma is the nature of the Saṅgha, such Three Jewels all have the mark of the unconditioned, equal to space. All phenomena are also like this. Comprehending this is called awakening to the Dharma gate of non-duality.' As for the Three Jewels of differentiated essence, the Buddha has the three bodies of the Buddha as his self-nature, as expounded in the 'Chapter on the Meaning of the Three Bodies'. The Dharma takes the four dharmas—teaching, principle, practice, and fruit—subsumed under the untainted of the three vehicles as its nature. Teaching refers to sounds, names, phrases, and syllables, as expounded in the 'Chapter on General Meanings'. Principle refers to principles such as the two truths and the four truths; of this there are two kinds: first, the objective domain of fundamental wisdom, because it is the true nature of all phenomena, namely the principle of the two emptinesses; second, the objective domain of subsequent wisdom, because it transforms into a resemblance of that, namely the sixteen truths and so forth. Practice refers to the various practices of mutual benefit that arise from the noble ones in the causal stage of the three vehicles. Fruit refers to the fruits of the two transformations of the basis attained by the non-learners of the three vehicles. In the preface to the Abhidharmasamuccayavyākhyā, it is only stated that tathatā, the objective domain of fundamental wisdom, is called the principle Dharma-jewel, omitting the principle that is the transformed domain of subsequent wisdom. It only speaks of the causal practices of the ten grounds of the Mahāyāna, not mentioning the causal practices cultivated by the two vehicles. It only speaks of the conditioned fruitional dharmas of the Mahāyāna, not mentioning that the remaining transformation bodies and so forth are also subsumed under fruitional dharmas. Such is the essence of the Dharma. If expounded separately: the principle realized in the causal stage is the principle Dharma-jewel; the practices cultivated by the noble ones in the causal stage are the practice Dharma-jewel; the fruits of the two transformations of the basis in the stage of non-learning are the fruit Dharma-jewel; all spoken teachings are the teaching Dharma-jewel. The differentiated essences of dharma are called the Dharma-jewel, extending across the five categories of dharmas. The virtuous meanings that depend on them, as well as designated persons, are called the Buddha- and Saṅgha-jewels as appropriate. The designated person of the five aggregates and the meaning of the dharmakāya are the Buddha-jewel; only the designated person is taken as the Saṅgha-jewel. These are the three distinctions. The noble assemblies of the three vehicles, possessing harmony in both principle and matter, are called the Saṅgha-jewel; because they possess untainted precepts, views, and so forth, only the designated persons that depend on them are called the Saṅgha-jewel. Since bodhisattvas of the ten grounds are all in the noble stage, many emerge of the same kind. The rhinoceros-horn pratyekabuddha and the heavenly destinies are also like this: they form solitary-superior and flock-traveling groups, because they belong to the category of the Saṅgha. In the Bao'en jing, Lady Mṛgāra's five hundred prince sons went forth to cultivate the path, and attained the fruit of a pratyekabuddha at the same time; not receiving [instruction] from a master, they were called pratyekabuddhas. Many emerging together are called flock-traveling, like the upper two realms, the six desire heavens, and so forth. Those of the second and fourth fruits who lack the appearance of renunciants do not have harmony in matter, but because they have no dispute in principle, they belong to the category of the Saṅgha and are all called the Saṅgha-jewel. Unlike other schools, where the tainted bodily vessel is the support of the untainted, and making offerings to it or harming it produces merit or sin. The Yogācārabhūmi, fascicle sixty-four, states: 'Those who first received refuge in the three vehicles are all taken from the path of seeing and above. Śrāvakas have five: first, grounds; second, wisdoms; third, purifications; fourth, fruits; fifth, attainment of virtues. Grounds refers to the grounds of seeing, cultivation, and the ultimate. Pratyekabuddhas have three, and so forth up to the eight kinds of the Mahāyāna, which are also like this; they take only the noble, not the ordinary.' The Yijiao lun says: 'Those whose cultivation increases, mundane and supramundane, to them we all pay homage'—this is because the noble ones of the two vehicles are called mundane cultivators. Regarding the single vehicle: all Three Jewels belonging to the fundamental single vehicle, and whatever Dharma or Saṅgha is cultivated as an expedient means by those of indeterminate lineage, are also subsumed under the essence of the Three Jewels of the single vehicle. The Lotus Sūtra speaks of the goat and deer carts as the cause of the ox cart, and the conjured city is also an expedient means for the jewel place. Therefore the Śrīmālādevī-sūtra says: 'The abiding of the correct Dharma, the cessation of the correct Dharma, the prātimokṣa, the vinaya, renunciation, and receiving full ordination—these six points are taught for the sake of the Mahāyāna. The first four are the Dharma, the latter two are the Saṅgha; therefore they are expedients of the single vehicle. The two jewels are also subsumed under the single vehicle.' This meaning is expounded in detail in the 'Chapter on the Meaning of the Single Vehicle'. Even though the Dharma- and Saṅgha-jewels of those of determinate lineage ultimately do not return to the Great [Vehicle], due to the equality of dharmas and so forth they are also called the single vehicle, as expounded among the ten meanings in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and other texts. Regarding the three vehicles: the Buddha-jewel of the three bodies is called the Buddha of the three vehicles. Although the teachings set forth differences, this is not what is clarified by our school and does not require a different explanation. His other-enjoyment body, svābhāvikakāya, and so forth are the Mahāyāna Buddha-jewel; the transformation body is solely the Buddha-jewel of the two vehicles, which, although assembly members prior to the grounds and bodhisattvas of the ten grounds can also see, is not the Mahāyāna Buddha. Because those assembly members prior to the grounds are not subsumed under the Mahāyāna Saṅgha-jewel, and it is manifested for that saṅgha, it is their Buddha. If one allows that ordinary persons are also subsumed under the Saṅgha-jewel, this meaning would not hold. The teaching, principle, practice, and fruit of the fundamental Mahāyāna and expedient cultivation are the Mahāyāna Dharma-jewel. The four dharmas cultivated by rhinoceros-horn pratyekabuddhas and others of determinate nature are, as appropriate, the Dharma-jewel of the two vehicles. The designated persons capable of cultivating these untainted four dharmas that they cultivate are respectively the Saṅgha-jewels of those three vehicles. Regarding the real [Three Jewels]: they are as expounded previously. Of all Three Jewels—identical in essence or differentiated in essence, of the single vehicle or the three vehicles—in the real sense, only the noble stage is taken as the Saṅgha-jewel; above harmony in principle, their defilements are severed and destroyed, and having attained the path and attained the fruit, they are estimable and precious, rightly called the Saṅgha-jewel. Among the four śramaṇas, the first, who excels on the path, is taken completely; those who indicate the path and who live by the path are each taken in small part; those belonging to the category of noble ones are subsumed under the Saṅgha-jewel. The ordinary śramaṇas who indicate the path and who live by the path, although possessing precepts and views and able to bring benefit to beings, being true fields of merit, are not subsumed under the Saṅgha-jewel, because they lack the noble path. The meaning of a field of merit is broad, whereas the meaning of a jewel is narrow. The Three Jewels of identical essence, setting aside verbal explanations to discern reality, are not included in the four truths; relying on verbal explanations to reveal their import, they are subsumed under the truth of cessation. Those of differentiated essence, of the single vehicle, of the three vehicles, and the real, all extend across cessation and path. In accordance with the maintained below, they are also subsumed under suffering and origination. Regarding the maintained [Three Jewels]: the Buddha-jewel has solely four āyatanas as its nature, because relics and images take visible form, smell, taste, and tangibles as their self-nature. The Dharma-jewel broadly takes the five aggregates as its nature. Teaching refers to the sound and dharma āyatanas; written characters on leaves refer to four āyatanas; practice refers to the three karmas or has the five aggregates as its nature. Therefore this Dharma-jewel takes the five aggregates and seven āyatanas as its self-nature, being solely tainted. Among the maintained Saṅgha, images of elders and the like take four āyatanas as their nature. Among the two śramaṇas who indicate the path and who live by the path, the various ordinary persons, as well as the fourth śramaṇa who corrupts the path, who breaks the precepts but has [right] view and does not sever the roots of goodness, belonging to the category of those who repent their offences, being designated persons of the five aggregates, broadly take the twelve āyatanas as their self-nature.