止觀輔行傳弘決 2.18

2.18

勸修中三分寶者，實相之理必無階降，心行優劣故使差分，修望中下雖名全分，須分六即以判淺深。故彼經廣說功能文竟，次文結云「若能修行受持讀誦，當知是人全用寶者。若復有人但能讀誦，當知是人得中分寶。種種供養，得下分寶。」故知全分與須修行及讀誦等，據理亦應須兼供養，經中文殊廣說下分（云云）。「若從地」等者，經云「佛告舍利弗：『有人捨頭目身體、妻子七珍供養於我，不如有人禮拜此經。若人積寶滿四天下上至梵天供養於我，不如與持經者一食充軀。若復有人積寶至到住界供養於我，不如持此章句一日一夜（云云）。』」但供養於中分寶人功德尚爾，況復供養得上分者。又如昔有長者名曰鳩留，不信因果，與五百俱行，遠見叢樹想是居家。到彼，唯見樹神，作禮已說己饑渴。神即舉手，五指自然出於飲食，甘美難言。食訖大哭，神問其故。答曰：「有五百伴，亦大飢渴。」神令呼來，如前與食眾人皆飽。長者問曰：「何福所致？」答：「我本迦葉佛時極貧，於城門磨鏡。每有沙門乞食，常以此指示分衛處及佛精舍，如是非一。壽終生此。」長者大悟，日飯八千僧，洮米汁流出城外可乘船。指示常人乞食之處其福尚爾，況親施食與持經者。次釋法華者，部屬醍醐不通餘教。初開章中言「兼說默」者，亦可言兼意止觀也。彼別行文但推四句，故今文中廣修象觀以廣於彼。初引《觀經》以證有相，次引〈安樂行〉以證無相。《觀經》云「若有四眾八部誦大乘者、修大乘者、發大乘意者、樂見普賢色身者、樂見多寶釋迦及分身者、樂六根清淨者，當學是觀。」此觀功德，除諸障礙、見上妙色，不入三昧但誦持故，故名有相。此經者具如〈安樂行〉一十八句，故知相與無相俱成方便，但隨宜樂為初入門。「二經」下，釋相違意。「安樂行」下，引兼具文。〈安樂行〉文，四行之中，第一雖令觀一切空如實相等，文初又云「於後惡世護持讀說」。第三文中云「於十方諸大菩薩常應深心恭敬禮拜」。所言「等」者，等取答問離惱亂等。《觀經》文中雖云讀誦，亦兼無相。「南岳」下，重引南岳理須具二。彼別出四安樂行偈文云「修習諸禪定，得諸佛三昧，六根性清淨。菩薩學法華，具足二種行：一者有相行、二者無相行。無相安樂行，甚深妙禪定，觀察六情根，有相安樂行。」此〈依勸發品〉。「散心誦法華，不入禪三昧。坐立行一心，念法華文字，行若成就者，即見普賢身。」此亦一往分於二人，究竟而論二行互顯。「特是」下，明此二人並是證前，約方便說。引字，胤音。人見文中借音作胤，便作子胤釋，甚為可笑。引是發曲之端，亦可作吲，今之二行亦復如是。有相為序者，如南岳誦經感普賢等，智者道場見宿世等。無相為序者，亦如南岳一夏策觀具發諸禪等，智者一夏降魔進行等。「妙證」下，判文元意，意在證法。證於真似，似即近入，相似位也；真即遠入，初住位也。以初品中權實理即，第五中事理不二。「今歷文」下，歷事修觀者，例如《大論》二十八師子吼法門，《大經》二十七波利樹法門等。象身法門義甚委悉，但須尋文意趣次第。「六通」，如下助道中明。「八解」，如下禪境中說。「四攝」者，謂布施、愛語、利行、同事。布施者，如法求財，常思行施。愛語者，施已安處，令住安樂。利行者，自利利他，平等攝取。同事者，為利益故，同其事業。又如行而說為布施，無染心說名愛語，授他無疲名利行，離過安他名同事。前是約財，後是約法，故云財法二施。應具四教開顯等意，故云「引物多端」（云云）。「皆法華」下，結，如文。

Regarding the "three portions of treasure" in [the section on] encouraging practice: the principle of the true mark has in itself no gradations, yet because mental practice is superior or inferior, distinctions are made. Although compared to the middling and lower, practice is termed the "full portion," it must be distinguished by the six identities to judge shallowness and depth. Thus, after the text of that sutra finishes expounding functions in full, the subsequent text concludes: "If one can cultivate, uphold, read, and recite it, one should know that this person fully uses the treasure. If there is a person who can only read and recite it, one should know that this person obtains the middling portion of the treasure. By making various offerings, one obtains the lower portion of the treasure." Hence we know that the full portion requires cultivation as well as reading, recitation, and so forth; in terms of principle, it should also include making offerings. In the sutra, Mañjuśrī expounds the lower portion in detail, and so on. Regarding "If from the ground..." and so forth: the sutra states, "The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'If someone abandons head, eyes, body, wife, children, and the seven precious things to make offerings to me, it is not as good as someone bowing in worship to this sutra. If someone amasses treasures filling the four continents up to the Brahmā heaven to make offerings to me, it is not as good as giving one meal to satisfy the body of one who upholds this sutra. If someone amasses treasures reaching up to the realm of non-return to make offerings to me, it is not as good as upholding these verses and sentences for one day and one night,'" and so forth. If the merit of merely making offerings to a person of the middling portion of treasure is already like this, how much more so for making offerings to one who has attained the upper portion? Furthermore, in the past there was an elder named Jiuliu who did not believe in cause and effect. Traveling with five hundred companions, from afar he saw a clump of trees and thought it was a dwelling. Reaching it, he saw only a tree spirit. Having bowed, he spoke of his hunger and thirst. The spirit then raised his hand, and from his five fingers food and drink naturally emerged, of an unspeakable sweetness and deliciousness. Having eaten, [the elder] wept loudly. The spirit asked the reason. He answered, "I have five hundred companions who are also extremely hungry and thirsty." The spirit told him to call them over, and provided food as before so that everyone was sated. The elder asked, "What merit brought this about?" He answered, "Originally, in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, I was destitute and polished mirrors at the city gate. Whenever a monk came begging for food, I would constantly use this finger to point out the places for receiving almsfood and the Buddha's vihāra; this happened not once. When my life ended, I was born here." The elder had a great awakening, and fed eight thousand monks daily; the rice-washing water flowed outside the city so abundantly that one could ride a boat upon it. If the blessing of pointing out places for ordinary people to beg for food is already like this, how much more so directly giving food to one who upholds the sutra! Next, in explaining the Lotus: as a division it belongs to clarified butter and does not share in the other teachings. In the initial opening of the chapter, the statement "in conjunction expounds silence" can also be said to connote calming and contemplation in the mind. That separate text merely deduces the four phrases; therefore, the present text extensively cultivates the contemplation of the elephant to expand upon that. First, the Contemplation Sutra is cited to verify having marks; next, the "Comfortable Practices" [chapter] is cited to verify signlessness. The Contemplation Sutra says: "If there are members of the four assemblies or eight classes who recite the Mahāyāna, cultivate the Mahāyāna, arouse the resolve for Mahāyāna, take joy in seeing the physical form of Samantabhadra, take joy in seeing Prabhūtaratna, Śākyamuni, and their emanation bodies, or take joy in purifying the six sense faculties, they should learn this contemplation." The merit of this contemplation dispels all obstacles and allows one to see the supreme, wondrous physical form; because one does not enter samādhi but merely chants and upholds it, it is called "having marks." "This sutra" refers fully to the eighteen phrases of the "Comfortable Practices" chapter. Therefore, one should know that both having marks and signlessness constitute skillful means; one simply takes what is suitable and delightful as the initial gate of entry. From "The two sutras..." onward, the meaning of their apparent contradiction is explained. From "Comfortable Practices" onward, the text showing that both are possessed together is cited. In the text of the "Comfortable Practices," among the four practices, although the first enjoins contemplating that all is empty and like the true mark and so forth, the beginning of the text also states, "in the subsequent evil age, protect, uphold, read, and expound it." In the third text, it states, "Toward the great bodhisattvas in the ten directions, one should constantly bow and pay homage with a deep mind." The word "etc." encompasses answering questions, being free from distress and confusion, and so forth. Although the text of the Contemplation Sutra mentions reading and reciting, it also includes signlessness. From "Nanyue..." onward, Nanyue is cited again to show that in principle one must possess both. In his separate gāthās on the four comfortable practices, it states: "Cultivating various concentrations and dhyānas, / one attains the samādhis of all buddhas, / and the nature of the six sense faculties becomes pure. / When bodhisattvas study the Lotus, / they are fully endowed with two kinds of practice: / the first is practice with marks, / the second is signless practice. / The signless comfortable practice / is profound and wondrous concentration and dhyāna, / observing the six emotional faculties; / the comfortable practice with marks..." this relies on the "Encouragement [of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra]" chapter: "Reciting the Lotus with a scattered mind, / without entering dhyāna and samādhi; / whether sitting, standing, or walking with single mind, / being mindful of the words of the Lotus— / if one's practice is accomplished, / one immediately sees Samantabhadra's body." This also provisionally divides into two persons; when discussed definitively, the two practices mutually reveal each other. From "Especially..." onward, it clarifies that these two persons both verify the former, spoken in terms of skillful means. The character yin (引) is pronounced like yin (胤). Seeing that the text borrows the phonetic yin (胤), people explain it as "descendant" (ziyin), which is quite laughable. Yin (引) is the prelude that introduces a musical tune; it can also be written as yin (吲). The present two practices are also like this. As for having marks serving as the prelude: it is like Nanyue reciting the sutra and moving Samantabhadra, or Zhizhe in the bodhimaṇḍa seeing past lifetimes, and so on. As for signlessness serving as the prelude: it is also like Nanyue spending a summer spurring contemplation and fully manifesting various dhyānas, or Zhizhe spending a summer subduing Māra and advancing in practice, and so forth. From "Wondrous verification..." onward, the original intent of the text is determined: the intent lies in realizing the Dharma. Realization pertains to the real and the resemblance: resemblance means proximate entry, which is the stage of resemblance; real means distant entry, which is the stage of the first abode. This is because in the first roll, provisional and real are identical in principle, while in the fifth roll, phenomena and principle are non-dual. From "Now traversing the text..." onward: cultivating contemplation through phenomenal matters is exemplified by the Lion's Roar dharma-gate in fascicle twenty-eight of the Dazhidulun, the Pārijāta tree dharma-gate in fascicle twenty-seven of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, and so forth. The elephant-body dharma-gate is extremely detailed in meaning; one need only trace the textual sequence of meaning and intent. The "six superknowledges" are clarified below under the auxiliary paths. The "eight liberations" are explained below under the sphere of dhyāna. The "four means of embrace" are giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and common cause. Giving means seeking wealth in accordance with the Dharma and constantly thinking of practicing generosity. Kind speech means, having given, settling others so that they abide in peace and joy. Beneficial action means benefiting oneself and others, embracing them impartially. Common cause means, for the sake of benefiting others, sharing in their endeavors. Furthermore, speaking according to practice is giving; speaking without a defiled mind is called kind speech; instructing others untiringly is beneficial action; being free from faults and settling others is common cause. The former is in terms of material wealth, the latter in terms of the Dharma; hence they are called the two gifts of material wealth and Dharma. They should fully contain the intentions of opening and revealing in the four teachings; hence it says "guiding beings through many avenues," and so forth. From "All are the Lotus..." onward is the conclusion, as in the text.