止觀輔行傳弘決 4.22

4.22

Regarding the fifth [condition], good spiritual friends, as for the phrase "great causes and conditions" and so forth: The end of the *Fufazang* text states: "Approaching and practicing the noble Dharma to attain nirvāṇa relies upon good spiritual friends." It also says: "One who constitutes the entire cause and condition for attaining the path is a true good spiritual friend." Furthermore, Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: "A good spiritual friend is half of the causes and conditions for attaining the path." The Buddha replied: "Not so. A good spiritual friend is the entire cause and condition for attaining the path. Ānanda, you should know that in this Jambudvīpa, with the exception of Mahākāśyapa and Śāriputra, if all other sentient beings do not meet me, they will have no time of liberation. For this reason, I say that a good spiritual friend can bring great benefit." The *Ekottarika-āgama* says: "Do not associate with bad spiritual friends, nor engage in affairs together with fools; one should associate with good spiritual friends and interact with the wise. If a person originally has no evil, yet associates with evil people, later they will certainly become an evil person, and an evil reputation will pervade the world. Good spiritual friends are the opposite of this; therefore, one should draw close to them." The *Dazhidulun* states that there are two causes and conditions for attaining the unsurpassable path: first, inner reflection; second, obtaining a good spiritual friend. In chapter eighteen of the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*, when King Ajātaśatru arrived before the Buddha, the Buddha told the great assembly: "Among proximate causes of bodhi, none surpasses a good friend. Had King Ajātaśatru not met Jīvaka, he would have fallen into the Avīci [hell]." This introduces in a general manner the intention behind the necessity of a good spiritual friend. In the explanation, first [he treats] phenomena, and next [he treats] principle. First, regarding phenomenal good spiritual friends, where it initially speaks of "external protectors": One's own body and mind are the interior; with respect to another's body and mind, that is the exterior. Because one is protected by what is external, it is called an external protector. As for the term "fellow practitioners": Self and other are mutually the same, spurring and inspiring each other. Though the persons differ, their practice is the same; hence they are called fellow practitioners. As for the term "instructors": Proclaiming and transmitting the noble words is called "instruction"; admonishing and guiding me is called "imparting." Furthermore, words from a superior bestowed upon an inferior are called "instruction"; instructing in what is received is called "imparting." To speak generally of "friends" (knowledgeable ones): The *Lotus Commentary* says: "To hear the name is 'knowing' (zhi); to see the form is 'recognizing' (shi). A person who benefits my path to bodhi is called a good spiritual friend." From "if deep..." onward is the main explanation. Setting aside the [samādhi of] following one's own mind: because its methods are few, one can manage and arrange matters for oneself without abandoning one's progress in cultivation; hence [an external protector] is not strictly necessary. Both monastics and laity may serve; hence monastics and householders are not distinguished. As for "only capable of..." and so forth: Being meager in virtue, one relies upon others; therefore they manage matters for oneself. Who can be purely good? One is exhorted not to see faults. Not yet able to bear defiance and compliance, one is exhorted not to provoke vexation and not to offer praise. Regarding "hoisting the sails": Just as a boat that catches the sail advances beyond the ordinary, relying on minor vigor to praise beyond reality is called hoisting the sails. If one suddenly gives rise to attachment, it will on the contrary bring loss. Even if one originally had no intention, an unbaked vessel is easily broken. Preventing demonic affairs within and halting pride and haughtiness without, the Dharma boat of samādhi can then reach the other shore. Now, those who praise minor good deeds are ordinary people in general, not those who exclusively serve as external protectors for someone else's samādhi; [in the latter case, the protectors] then eliminate their own jealousy and arouse that other person's good roots. As for "like a mother raising a child" and so forth: Though a mother is compassionate, in raising a child she must use discipline; though a tigress is fierce, in carrying her cub in her mouth she must be gentle. An external protector as a spiritual friend is like a mother and like a tigress, looking after the practitioner as in not excessively praising and not causing vexation. As for "practitioners of long standing" and so forth: If one has not personally practiced, one is ignorant of what is permissible and what is not, completely mingling with the worldly and not understanding opening and prohibiting; moreover, why should one merely demand that the external protector protect oneself? One should also properly take care of the external protector. As in the third [fascicle of] the *Ekottarika-āgama*: "When the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's park, he told the monks: 'You should revere dānapatis and benefactors, caring for and attending to them as filial children treat their parents. Benefactors are able to accomplish [your] precepts, concentration, and wisdom, bringing much benefit. Unhindered within the Three Jewels, they can bestow the four requisites; therefore, all monks should hold loving-kindness toward benefactors. Small kindness is not forgotten, how much more so great kindness! You should be diligent in the three karmas, so that the benefactor's merit is not in vain, and they ultimately attain great fruits and their reputation spreads far and wide. It is also like the lost being shown the road, the fearful being granted freedom from anxiety and fear, the homeless being given shelter, the destitute being given provisions, the blind gaining eyes, and so forth.'" Second, regarding fellow practitioners: For the practice of ease and bliss [and the samādhi of] following one's own mind, where it says "not strictly necessary": as in following one's own mind, cultivating according to the sūtras, having [a companion] is also no obstacle. Since a companion is not prescribed, it is not strictly necessary. For the remaining [modes involving] good, evil, and so forth, whether having one or not is no obstacle. If it is the practice of ease and bliss, practicing for three times seven days, it is completely unused. If practicing ordinary rituals, it may also be commonly used, as in saying that one obtains a good fellow student to read and recite sūtras together. Among the other three [samādhis], there are those that definitely require a companion, as in saying "not sleeping and not scattering," and so forth. In the ordinary rituals of the Vinaya, one still requires fellow practitioners to mutually spur each other on and not vex each other; hence it is said that the Vinaya goes with the Vinaya, and down to the twelve dhūtas, one must seek to practice together. The *Ekottarika-āgama* says: "Kāśyapa and others were famous leaders who guided the monks in practice. The Buddha told the monks: 'People's faculties are not the same; the good go together with the good, and the evil go together with the evil, just as milk goes with milk, down to clarified butter going with clarified butter, and dung going with dung. Therefore Śāriputra goes with the wise, down to Rāhula going with those of secret practice, and Devadatta going with those of evil conduct.'" If over two days their accomplishments are merely equal, then one morning has been spent in vain. Therefore, now cultivating yesterday's practice is called the old; additional practice surpassing yesterday is called making it new day by day. As for "cutting and polishing, carving and grinding": The *Erya* states: "Metal is called chased, wood is called engraved, bone is called cut, ivory is called carved, jade is called carved, and stone is called ground. These six are all names for working vessels." Here it means mutually cutting and polishing to make them into Dharma vessels. Furthermore, in the *Shi Xun* it says: "'Like cutting, like polishing' refers to scholarly learning; a person must learn in order to achieve virtue. 'Like carving, like grinding' refers to self-cultivation; a person must cultivate in order to establish conduct." Self-learning and self-cultivation lack the sense of encouraging others; the former explanation directly corresponds to the meaning of the present text; therefore, mutually cutting and polishing, one is made whole day by day. As for "with a common mind and equal resolve" and so forth: This means two people rely on each other; if one fails, both are ruined, just as in crossing the great sea, sail and rudder are mutually required. As for "mutually respecting each other as if seeing the World-Honoured One" and so forth: If they respect each other, the path and Dharma will mutually increase. Therefore, fascicle eighty-one of the *Dazhidulun* says: "The Buddha told Ānanda: 'When bodhisattva-mahāsattvas dwell together and regard each other, they should do so as if seeing the World-Honoured One. Why? They are my true companions, like riding together in one boat; what they learn, I learn.'" Third, regarding instructors: Among the three spiritual friends, this is the most difficult. One who acts as a guide must possess both eyes and feet; if practice and understanding are not balanced, how can one benefit others? Therefore, from the opening text onward, it directly shows the characteristics of an instructing good spiritual friend. From "regarding all..." onward, it sets aside and demonstrates those persons who do not require an instructor; such a person can even instruct others, and therefore their own practice faces no hindrances or difficulties. Furthermore, with practice and understanding complete, the virtue lies with the other person; as for what benefits me, it lies solely in understanding. Therefore, the text for now cites one who can speak so as to transform people's minds. Within the ten objects, all are non-paths; only the ten-vehicle contemplation methods are called the path. The preliminary expedients before the path also have inner and outer; therefore, only by being skilled in the inner and outer should one be a good spiritual friend. According to the *Chanmen*, the twenty-five methods serve as outer expedients. There are also five methods serving as inner expedients: first, the gate of stopping; second, examining good and evil root-natures; third, the method of calming the mind; fourth, the method of curing illness; fifth, discerning demonic affairs. That the present text does not establish these is because the two objects of demons and illness are precisely the fourth and fifth [objects], the object of karma is precisely the second, and the first and third are in terms of contemplation of principle. As in calming the mind, that text treats phenomenal stopping and phenomenal calming; hence it is not used here. Moreover, that the present text does not establish the inner five expedients is because the ten kinds of objects serve as the inner expedients. Therefore, the previous text states: "The twenty-five methods serve as outer expedients and are also called distant." Hence we know that in relation to the ten objects, they are inner and proximate. Furthermore, among the outer ones, only the twenty-five are divided into inner and outer: fulfilling the conditions is exclusively outer; reproving desires and abandoning the hindrances in meaning combines both inner and outer; among harmonizing the five matters, it is both inner and outer—sleeping and eating are outer, while the remaining three are inner; practicing the five methods is exclusively inner. As for "pass and blockage" and so forth: When expedients find their proper place, it is a pass; when expedients go contrary to practice, it is a blockage. The ten objects mutually manifest, and the ten vehicles increase and decrease; within each and every phenomenon, there is pass and blockage. If one can be skilled in these passes, blockages, and hindrances, and is also skilled in expounding the Dharma to guide and open people's minds, only then may one be called an instructing spiritual friend. As for "showing, teaching, benefiting, and rejoicing": Pointing out and imparting is "showing"; instructing and commanding is "teaching"; causing them to obtain benefit is "benefiting"; seeing others obtain benefit and giving rise to joy in one's mind is "rejoicing." Alternatively, the first two may pertain to oneself and the latter two to others; taking both together, one is called a good spiritual friend. Next, regarding the spiritual friends of contemplating the mind, first sūtras are cited to show their characteristics. The sūtra asks: "'What is a good spiritual friend?' The Buddha said: 'Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats are good spiritual friends. The six pāramitās and all dharmas, dharma-nature, and the limit of reality are all said to be good spiritual friends. Because dharma-nature can cause people to reach bodhi, because the six pāramitās can bring about dharma-nature, and because the noble ones of the three vehicles can use the six pāramitās to cause the bodhisattva practice to attain buddhahood, therefore they are all called good spiritual friends.'" The treatise asks: "'The path of the Small Vehicle is different; how can they be good spiritual friends?' The answer says: 'There are Small Vehicle practitioners who previously sought the Great; observing and knowing that they should accomplish the Great, they also expound the Great for them.'" This means that among actual practitioners, there are also those able to expound the Great who serve as good spiritual friends. If based on the text below, only when secretly possessing it within and manifesting it without can they be universally applied; what is to prevent this also being a matter of secret possession within? Aside from this, if based on the text below, they are merely good spiritual friends of the true truth.