止觀輔行傳弘決 2.18

2.18

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.