止觀輔行傳弘決 2.59.3

2.59.3

"Now, the Buddha takes great compassion as his root, and would never bitterly enslave the common people to bow in reverence before mud and wood. I request that an encompassing, broad monastery be built to accommodate the myriad people of the four seas. I do not advise erecting monasteries of narrow views, merely to house the two vehicles and the five classics. As for an encompassing, broad monastery: making no distinction between clergy and laity, showing no preference for nobility or kinsmen, let the city walls and moats serve as the stūpas and temples. Thus Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou is the Tathāgata, the towns and settlements serve as the monks' quarters, married couples serve as the holy assembly, those of esteemed virtue are advanced to serve as the three directors, the aged of respected years are honoured as seniors, the benevolent and wise are chosen to serve as administrators, and those of brave strategy are sought out to serve as Dharma masters. In this way, across the six directions there will be no voices resentful of a king like Zhou of Shang, and in all eight quarters there will be songs praising the king of Zhou; flying and diving creatures will rest secure in their nests and dens, while creatures of water and land will be left to their long lives." In all, he presented fifteen points; after submitting this memorial, malicious sores broke out on his body and he died. Wei Yuansong was a demonic prodigy of the Dharma's destruction; what did he have to do with the meaning of [practising samādhi] according to one's own inclination? Yuansong is like the bad teacher, and Emperor Wu of Zhou is like the disciple. From "For what reason" downward, the error of mistaken trust is explained. Those who practise samādhi are also like this: first, internally they have no understanding through wisdom; second, they place trust in their root teacher; third, they greedily admire earlier masters. Therefore one must know that one must first regulate oneself by the teachings, and only then trust one's teacher; otherwise, one will entirely consider the practice of evil to be the right path. Once one has awakened and abandoned it, reaching the principle is not far off. As the Avadāna-sūtra says: "There was a donkey pulling a cart that travelled several hundred li a day. At a resting place, he met his elder brother. The elder brother said to the younger brother: 'Do not let this donkey meet other donkeys.' The younger brother said: 'When the good meet one another, they converse with flattery and sweet words; when creatures of the same kind encounter each other, none fails to rejoice.' The younger brother nevertheless let him meet another donkey; having met, they did not bray, nor did they eat, but merely sniffed each other. Afterwards, when the elder brother harnessed him, he simply lay down and would not go. The elder brother then became greatly enraged, cut off his tail, clipped his ears, and only when subjected to such suffering would he move. The donkey said to the master: 'You allowed me to meet an evil friend. I asked him: "Why are you so plump and well-fed?" He replied: "I carry earth for Lord Tao; whenever I reach a bad road, I just lie down and do not move. The master then shoulders the burden himself and leaves me by the roadside to eat. Eating fine grass, and returning to scattered fodder, that is why I am so fat." He asked me why I was thin, and I replied: "Pulling a cart, I travel several hundred li a day, and food and drink are hard to come by." Now, imitating him, I thought I would be let off, but instead I have been shorn and docked; I dare no longer lie down.' Pleading for his life, the owner took pity on him and let him go." People are also like this: trusting their evil teachers, they inevitably bring upon themselves evil retributions. In "For example, like Xishi" and so forth: "frown and groan" means groaning from the pain of sickness. "To bar" (du) means not going out the door, and also means to obstruct. "To dive deep" means to hide in the water. "To depart" means to go away. Zhuangzi says: "Xishi suffered from chest pain and frowned in her village. An ugly woman of her village saw her and found her beautiful, so she too returned home, clutching her chest, and frowned in her village. When the wealthy of her village saw her, they firmly shut their doors and would not go out. When the poor saw her, they took their wives and children and ran away." She knew the beauty of the frown, but did not know the reason why the frown was beautiful. "Those who dwell in burrows dive deep, while those that fly depart on high": these two phrases appear in the passage on Mao Qiang and Lady Li in Zhuangzi, which says: "Take a woman: men look upon her and fall in love, yet birds see her and fly high away, and fish see her and dive deep." The present text combines these two phrases with the passage on Xishi. His commentary on the Xishi passage says: "As for ritual propriety and righteousness, when applied in their appropriate time, they are Xishi. When their time has passed and they are not discarded, they become the neighbouring ugly woman. The ritual propriety, righteousness, and laws of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are like the crab apple, pear, orange, and pomelo: their flavours are opposites, yet all are palatable to the mouth. Therefore, ritual propriety, righteousness, and laws must be applied in response to the times. If one now takes a monkey and clothes it in the robes of the Duke of Zhou, it will surely gnaw, bite, pull, and tear them until they are completely cast off." Viewing the ancients and modern people is just like the difference between a monkey and the Duke of Zhou. Practitioners of [samādhi] according to one's own inclination are also like this: they must adapt in response to the times and know what is suitable and what is unsuitable; how could one merely imitate entering evil without knowing the reason for entering evil? Here, Xishi is used as a metaphor for a person for whom it is suitable to enter evil to cultivate contemplation. Having sharp faculties and seizing the right time is like Xishi; having a nature with much greed and desire is like the heart ailment; cultivating skilfully amid desires is like the beautiful frown; becoming ever more clear and serene is like becoming even more beautiful. Having dull faculties and missing the right time is like the neighbouring woman; wisdom that is unskilful is like her original ugliness; mistakenly practising the entry into evil is like imitating the frown; only increasing evil and perversity is like her ugliness becoming ever more severe. Someone has matched the kings, great ministers, and so forth to the text's "the poor moving far away" and the like. The wording does not correspond, nor is it the order of the text. If we now attempt to match them, it will accord with the text's intention: practitioners of the Hinayana are like the poor; practitioners of the Mahayana are like the rich; people who cultivate phenomenal goods are like those who burrow; people who practise phenomenal concentration are like those who fly. These four kinds of people do not delight in evil views; having seen such evil, they urge themselves on all the more: Hinayana nirvāṇa is like moving far away; the secret treasury of the Mahayana is like barring the door; maintaining phenomenal precepts firmly is like diving deep; aspiring to the higher realms is like departing on high. The preceding text used an analogy for the faults of the root teacher; this text uses an analogy for the errors of the disciples. Interpreted in this way, it harmonises with the text. From "Those people" downward, it is a severe rebuke. Crazed with greed and desire, they chase after the thunder of evil. Ordinary worldlings lacking contemplation are like bluebottle flies; by exclusively entering into evil, they are stuck fast by the saliva of desire. "Lust" (shi) also means greedy desire. From "The fault of their teacher" downward, it explains the fault of the teacher who errs regarding capacities and is confused about the essential intent. This teacher does not understand the words on entering evil. Next, the Buddha's intent is cited to rebuke him, consisting of the doctrine, the metaphor, and the application. First, the doctrine is as in the text. From "For example" downward, a metaphor is given. When fever is extreme and the mouth is locked shut, it should be treated with rhubarb decoction; one must not begrudge the teeth and thereby cause loss of life. Arousing intense greed and desire is like the extreme fever; refusing to accept antidotes is like the mouth being locked shut; the method of [samādhi] according to one's own inclination is like the rhubarb decoction; cultivating contemplation amid evil is like chiselling open the teeth. Although entering into evil is base, it is done to preserve the wisdom-life; indulging in evil without contemplation is like the medicine failing to enter. From "The Buddha is also like" downward, this is the application, which generally matches the bestowal [of teaching] according to capacity. First, in explaining the capacity for evil, it says "like a swift horse" and so forth: having sharp faculties is like a swift horse; arousing evil is like an errant path; hearing the teaching is like the shadow of the whip; the cessation of desire is like the right path. The Saṃyuktāgama says: "The Buddha addressed the monks: 'There are four kinds of horses. The first is one that, upon merely seeing the shadow of the whip, becomes frightened and follows the driver's will. The second is one that, upon having its hair touched, can do the same as above. The third is one that is startled only after its flesh is touched. The fourth is one that awakens only after [the whip] pierces to the bone.'" The sūtra applies the metaphor by saying: "The first horse is like one who, upon hearing of the impermanence of another village, is immediately able to arouse revulsion. The next horse is like one who, upon hearing of the impermanence of his own village, is immediately able to arouse revulsion.