止觀輔行傳弘決 2.25

2.25

From "Contemplating the aggregates having been done thus" onward, next the contemplation method of the pratyekabuddhas is explained. From ignorance at the beginning to old age and death at the end, all are like valley echoes, their nature and marks completely refuted. Why? If there are four propositions, that constitutes ignorance up to old age and death; if one enters the limit of reality, it is called the completion of the contemplation of emptiness. Regarding "the root of contemplative wisdom" and so on, if there were no contemplative wisdom, it would merely result in useless ascetic practices; therefore, one must use the contemplation of [things being] like illusions and so forth, attaining emptiness of nature and marks to enter the limit of reality. There are two kinds of limits of reality: the two vehicles rely on the shared [teaching], and the shared is precisely the truth of emptiness; the distinctive and the perfect rely on the middle, which is not shared with the small [vehicle]. Here, it temporarily follows the shared [teaching]. Only when reaching the six-character, three dhāraṇīs below does it follow the middle path. How much more so does the contemplation of evil in the subsequent text purely employ the perfect contemplation! One should know that the original intent of the present text lies in the perfect. From "Melting and quelling" onward, the three dhāraṇīs are correlated with refuting the three obstacles. As for "melting and quelling": "melting" means melting away and removing; "quelling" is named taming. The poison of retributive obstacles stings and harms practitioners, and by means of this dhāraṇī one is able to melt and quell it. From "The people of Vaiśālī" onward, the efficacy in refuting obstacles is clarified. The sūtra says: "At that time all the people of the country of Vaiśālī met with a great evil illness: first, their eyes were red like blood; second, both ears discharged pus; third, blood flowed from their noses; fourth, their tongues were muted and voiceless; fifth, the things they ate turned coarse and astringent; sixth, their consciousnesses were obstructed as if they were drunkards." The commentary says: "Because the five sense faculties were diseased, the mental consciousness was confused; hence it says 'the six consciousnesses were obstructed […] as if they were drunkards.'" The sūtra says: "There were five yakṣas who sucked people's vital energy." The commentary says: "Such disease demons entered through the five sense faculties and harmed and broke the sick; they are named five yakṣas." The sūtra says: "At that time an elder named Candracchatra, together with five hundred elders of his kind, all went to the Buddha's place and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'The people of this country have met with a great evil illness. The skilled physician Jīvaka has exhausted his arts of the path and cannot save them. We only pray that the World-Honoured One will save these sick ones.' The Buddha told the elder: 'Not far to the west of here there is a Buddha named Amitāyus. There he has bodhisattvas named Avalokiteśvara and Mahāsthāmaprāpta, who constantly rescue from afflictions and hardships with great compassion. You should now invite them.' When he spoke these words, they immediately saw Amitāyus Buddha and the two bodhisattvas in the light. By the power of the Tathāgata, the Buddha and the bodhisattvas together arrived at this city, stopped at the threshold of the city gate, and emitted light illuminating it. Thereupon the elder spoke four-line gāthās, recited the names of the Three Jewels, and chanted the dhāraṇī, and they recovered as before." The commentary says: "The western direction is extremely distant; how can it say 'not far'? Some say: to worldlings it is distant, to noble ones it is not distant. Now I say: if the capacity is aligned with the moment, though distant it is near; if the capacity is not yet ripe, though near it is distant." Question: Why invite only from the west? Answer: If considered in terms of the five phases, the western direction governs metal, which has the meaning of decisiveness. If considered in terms of the four truths, the east is accumulation, the south is suffering, the west is the path, and the north is cessation; the western direction belongs to the path, which has the meaning of being able to penetrate. If so, does this not contradict the Lotus Commentary's running back and forth east and west to illustrate suffering and accumulation? Answer: Each accords with what is fitting to the meaning, and so they do not contradict each other. That text matches cause and effect as opposing pairs, thus east is accumulation, west is suffering, south is the path, and north is cessation; this text is based on the sequential mutual production of cause and effect; each has its reason to establish what it represents. If considered in terms of spatial orientation, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, representing that Śākyamuni of the eastern land can engender wholesome qualities in sentient beings, while Amitābha of the western land removes delusions of sentient beings. Regarding "Amitāyus": some say that the Buddha has two bodies, the physical and the Dharma body, and the two Buddhas of the two lands both possess physical and Dharma bodies; within the physical body, according to the conditions of transformation, this life span has a measure, while that life span is immeasurable. Some interpret it in terms of the original and the trace; some interpret it in terms of the true and the response. Seeing the response and the trace cannot eliminate obstacles, whereas seeing the true and the original can eliminate obstacles. None of these is correct; it merely accords with what is suitable for the capacity, taking this as the cause and that as the condition, without requiring another explanation. Question: Why invite three? Answer: The capacity and conditions pertain to the three. If considered in terms of what is represented: the Buddha represents the Dharma body, Avalokiteśvara represents wisdom, and Mahāsthāmaprāpta represents merit. In general terms, both possess all of them; here we temporarily follow the distinct explanation. Question: Why invite three, yet the sūtra title follows only one? Answer: Wisdom can melt poison, which is the meaning of refuting delusions; following what is fitting to the meaning, it therefore temporarily names only one. After the Buddha taught the melting and quelling dhāraṇī, he said: "If there are [members of] the four assemblies who uphold this bodhisattva's name and chant the incantation, all unwholesome things will be like fire burning firewood."