[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [止觀輔行傳弘決](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912) › 3.31 # 止觀輔行傳弘決 3.31 止觀輔行傳弘決 3.31 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [3.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3.31) 二明境智離合者，初釋諦中，先總、次別。先總序諸經者，諸經論諦離合不同，今以不同通約四教。「三藏」下。即別約四教。於中初明二三離合者，初明但二無三、次「菩薩」下寄人判諦。初文是俗，從「後心」下即是真也，是故始終但有二諦。言「令煩惱脂銷」等者，《大論》云「此菩薩雖有上妙五欲不生貪著，以有無常等觀故。譬如有王，有一大臣自覆藏罪。王欲罰罪，語言：『若得無脂肥羊，當赦汝罪。』大臣有智，繫一羊養以水草，日日三時以狼怖之。羊雖得養，肥而無脂。王問：『云何得爾？』答以上事。菩薩亦爾，見無常空狼，令結使脂銷而功德身肥。」又此菩薩未斷結使者，如有賊未得殺之，堅閉一處，自修事業。菩薩修無常觀，亦如閉賊，猶是有漏而自作務。又離於五事，一離惡道、二離貧窮、三離女身、四離形殘、五離喜忘。得五功德，一生貴家、二生人天、三得男身、四諸根滿、五識宿命。「三阿僧祇修六度行」者，阿僧祇，此云無數。劫者，時也，如前所釋。《俱舍》云「八十中大劫，大劫三無數。」謂六十數中，第五十二數名阿僧祇。謂積此大劫成無數，故云三阿僧祇。六度行者，菩薩修此六度各有滿時。初言檀滿者，如釋迦菩薩本作王，名毘尸，得歸命救護陀羅尼，視諸眾生如母愛子。是時天帝知命將終，求佛問疑遍求不得，却還天宮愁憂苦惱。時天巧師名毘首羯磨，問天主言：「何以愁惱？」答言：「我求一切智人而不能得。」毘首言：「有大菩薩滿足六度不久成佛。」天主偈答：「菩薩發大心，魚子菴羅華，三事因時多，成果時甚少。」毘首答言：「優尸那種六度滿足，不久成佛。」帝釋言：「當往試之是菩薩不？汝作鴿，我作鷹，汝便詐怖人王腋下。」毘首言：「是大菩薩，云何以是事惱之？」釋云：「我亦無惡心，如真金須試。」即如所說變入王腋，舉身戰懼動自作聲。眾人皆言：「是王大仁慈，一切宜救護。如是鴿小鳥，歸之如入舍。菩薩相如是，作佛必不久。」是時鷹在近樹，而語王言：「還我鴿來。」王言：「我前受此鴿，非是汝前受。我先發願度一切眾生。」鷹言：「欲度一切眾生，我非一切眾生耶？而何奪我食？」王言：「汝須何食？我先作誓。若有眾生未歸我者，必救護之。」鷹言：「我須新肉熱血。」王云：「無不由殺得之。云何殺一與一？」思惟心定而說偈言：「是我此肉身，恒受老病死，不久當臭爛，彼須我當與。」持刀自割股肉而授與之。鷹言：「須逐道理令輕重等，勿見欺也。」王言：「持秤來稱鴿。」如言稱之，鴿身轉重、王肉轉輕，乃至身盡。諸臣親戚却諸看人：「王今如此，無可看也。」王言：「任看。若有成佛道，當忍此大事。」王以血塗手攀秤欲上盡對於鴿。鷹言：「何用如此？以鴿還我。」王言：「喪身無量，今是求易佛道之時。」肉盡筋斷欲上而墮，乃自責言：「汝須堅固，勿得迷悶。眾生墮憂海，應須救護之。何為懈怠？尚不及地獄之苦十六分一，我特精進猶患此苦，何況地獄中無有智慧者。」時諸天讚言：「為小鳥能爾。」時天地六動、海水揚波，枯木生華、天雨香水，諸佛來讚必成佛也。鷹語鴿言：「是真菩薩。」毘首言：「天主！汝有神力可令彼平復。」釋言：「不須我也。王自作誓，感發一切。」帝釋語王言：「心不惱耶？」王言：「我心歡喜，不惱不沒。」釋云：「唯當信汝？」菩薩言：「若一心不惱以求佛道者，使平復如故。」語已平復。人天見之皆大悲喜，歎未曾有，必當作佛，我當供養。 > Second, concerning the explanation of the separation and combination of object and wisdom: first, in explaining the truths, the general comes first and the specific next. First, giving a general overview of the various sūtras means that the various sūtras and treatises differ in their separation and combination of the truths; here these differences are comprehensively treated according to the four teachings. From "The Tripiṭaka \[teaching\]" downward refers specifically to the four teachings. In this, first explaining the separation and combination of the two and the three means: first explaining that there are only two and no three, and next, from "bodhisattva" downward, assigning the truths according to persons. The initial text pertains to the conventional, and from "subsequent thought-moment" downward pertains to the true; therefore from beginning to end there are only the two truths. As for saying "causing the fat of afflictions to melt away," etc., the Dazhidulun says: "Although this bodhisattva possesses the supremely wondrous five desires, greed and attachment do not arise in him, because of his contemplation of impermanence and so forth. For example, a king had a minister who concealed a crime he had committed. The king, wishing to punish the crime, said to him: 'If you can obtain a fat sheep without fat, I shall pardon your crime.' The minister was wise: he tied up a sheep and fed it with water and grass, but three times each day he frightened it with a wolf. Although the sheep received nourishment and grew plump, it had no fat. The king asked, 'How could this be?' He answered with the matter above. The bodhisattva is also like this: seeing the wolf of impermanence and emptiness, he causes the fat of the fetters to melt away while his body of merit grows plump." Furthermore, that this bodhisattva has not yet severed the fetters is like having a thief whom one has not yet been able to kill: one locks him securely in one place and cultivates one's own tasks. When the bodhisattva cultivates the contemplation of impermanence, it is also like locking up a thief: he is still subject to outflows while attending to his own tasks. Furthermore, he leaves behind five matters: first, he leaves behind the evil destinies; second, he leaves behind poverty; third, he leaves behind a female body; fourth, he leaves behind physical deformity; fifth, he leaves behind forgetfulness. He obtains five merits: first, he is born into a noble family; second, he is born among humans and devas; third, he obtains a male body; fourth, his faculties are complete; fifth, he knows past lives. As for "cultivating the practice of the six perfections for three asaṃkhyeya \[kalpas\]": asaṃkhyeya is translated here as "countless." "Kalpa" means a period of time, as explained before. The Abhidharmakośa says: "Eighty medium \[kalpas make\] a great kalpa; there are three countless great kalpas." That is to say, among the sixty \[grades of\] numbers, the fifty-second number is called asaṃkhyeya. It refers to accumulating these great kalpas into countlessness; hence it says "three asaṃkhyeyas." As for the practice of the six perfections, the bodhisattva cultivating these six perfections has a time of fulfillment for each. First, regarding the fulfillment of giving: formerly the bodhisattva Śākya was a king named Viśvantara, who had attained the dhāraṇī of seeking refuge and rescue, and looked upon all sentient beings as a mother loves her child. At that time the lord of devas knew his life was about to end; he sought a Buddha to ask away his doubts, but though he sought everywhere he could not find one, and he returned to the celestial palace sorrowful, distressed, and afflicted. At that time a divine artisan named Viśvakarman asked the lord of devas: "Why are you sorrowful and afflicted?" He answered: "I seek an omniscient person but cannot find one." Viśvakarman said: "There is a great bodhisattva who is fulfilling the six perfections and will not long before attain Buddhahood." The lord of devas answered in verse: / "When bodhisattvas arouse the great aspiration, / Like fish spawn and mango blossoms, / These three matters have many causes, / But when bearing fruit they are exceedingly few." / Viśvakarman answered: "The offspring of Uśīnara has fulfilled the six perfections and will not long before attain Buddhahood." Śakra, lord of devas, said: "We should go and test him to see whether he is a bodhisattva or not. You become a dove, and I will become a hawk; you then feign fear and enter beneath the king's armpit." Viśvakarman said: "He is a great bodhisattva; how can we distress him with such a matter?" Śakra said: "I too have no malice; just as true gold must be tested." Then, as spoken, he transformed and entered under the king's armpit, trembling all over and uttering cries. The people all said: "This king is greatly benevolent and compassionate, and all should be rescued. When a small bird like this dove takes refuge with him, it is like entering its home. Such are the marks of a bodhisattva; his becoming a Buddha will certainly not be long." At that time the hawk, on a nearby tree, said to the king: "Give me back my dove!" The king said: "I received this dove first; it was not you who received it first. I previously made a vow to save all sentient beings." The hawk said: "You wish to save all sentient beings—am I not a sentient being? Why do you rob me of my food?" The king said: "What food do you require? I previously made a pledge: if there is a sentient being who has not yet taken refuge with me, I will surely rescue and protect it." The hawk said: "I require fresh meat and warm blood." The king said: "None of that can be obtained except through killing. How could I kill one to give to another?" Reflecting with his mind resolved, he spoke a verse: / "This flesh body of mine / Is constantly subject to old age, sickness, and death; / Before long it must rot and decay. / Since he needs it, I shall give it to him." / Holding a knife, he cut the flesh of his own thigh and gave it to him. The hawk said: "It must follow the principle of making them equal in weight; do not deceive me." The king said: "Bring a scale to weigh the dove." Weighing it as told, the body of the dove grew heavier and the king's flesh grew lighter, until his whole body was exhausted. The ministers and relatives drove away the onlookers: "The king is now like this; there is nothing to watch." The king said: "Let them look. If there is one who would achieve the Buddha Path, he must endure such a great matter." The king, his hands smeared with blood, climbed upon the scale, wishing to balance it fully against the dove. The hawk said: "What need is there for this? Give me back the dove." The king said: "I have lost my body countless times; now is the time to seek the exchange for the Buddha Path." His flesh exhausted and sinews severed, as he tried to climb up he fell down; he then reproached himself: "You must be firm; do not become bewildered and faint. Sentient beings have fallen into the sea of sorrow; you ought to rescue them. Why be indolent? This does not yet equal one-sixteenth of the suffering of hell; when I with extraordinary vigor still suffer this pain, how much more those in hell who have no wisdom!" At that time the devas praised him: "For a small bird he is able to do this!" Then the earth shook in six ways, the ocean waves surged, withered trees put forth flowers, heaven rained fragrant water, and all the Buddhas came to praise him, saying he would certainly become a Buddha. The hawk said to the dove: "He is a true bodhisattva." Viśvakarman said: "Lord of devas! You have spiritual power; you can cause him to be restored." Śakra said: "There is no need for me. The king made a vow himself, which inspires all." Śakra, lord of devas, said to the king: "Is your mind not afflicted?" The king said: "My mind is joyful, neither afflicted nor sinking." Śakra said: "On what grounds should I believe you?" The bodhisattva said: "If with a single mind I have not been afflicted in seeking the Buddha Path, let it be restored as before." Having spoken, he was restored. When humans and devas saw this, they all wept and rejoiced greatly, praising it as unprecedented: "He will certainly become a Buddha; I shall make offerings to him." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 3.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3.30) - [Next: 3.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3.32) - [Up: 3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912~en-mt.3.31) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [觀音玄義記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1727.3.9) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1912.3.31) · Pramāṇa