止觀輔行傳弘決 4.23

4.23

From "Now each [is opened]" downward, they are opened and paired. First, under "such as the Buddha," three are opened within the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. First, as for the external protector: the awe-inspiring spiritual power of the Buddhas is external with respect to ourselves. Next, in the companion of practice: the inconceivable merits of the reward body are the "jeweled necklace"; the sixteen-foot physical marks are the "soiled clothes"; the aids to awakening of arising and perishing are the "dung-vessel"; manifesting identity with [the defilements of] views and thoughts is called "softening the glare"; having the original aim of benefiting them is called "benefiting living beings." Why is this? Having guided them out of the [burning] house, displaying the body of supreme distinction, preaching the hard-to-conceive Dharma, admonishing, rebuking, rinsing, and winnowing them, [the Buddha] enables them to receive the prediction [of Buddhahood]. Sharing in common from beginning to end—how could any benefit surpass this? Third, as for the instructor: it directly corresponds to the principle itself, and therefore it is not necessary to use phenomenal matters to make the meaning apparent. Next, opening two within the six perfections: the auxiliary path is in contrast to the primary [path], and therefore the auxiliary is termed "external." The auxiliary can protect the primary, preventing it from retrogressing or sinking; this is the meaning of external protector. The auxiliary and the primary combined in meaning is like combining the auxiliary path and the primary path in practice below. Being combined means being identical, and so it is called a "companion of practice." Regarding "not losing the compass and square": with respect to changing, combining, possessing all, and the supreme truth, additions and subtractions are appropriately placed, and all hit the mark of the compass and square. The compass is round and the square is angular; this means aiding the round (perfect) by means of the square. Next, in opening three in dharma-nature: dharma-nature is originally pure, while our ignorance is without beginning; thus delusion forms the self, and in relation to purity it is the other. If not for internal permeation, how could awakening arise? Therefore, we know the power to give rise to awakening lies in suchness; hence covert permeation is taken as the external protector. From beginning to end, the dark identity of wisdom and the object is termed the companion of practice. Moreover, because wisdom is identical with the object, it is called the companion of practice. Not having seen [the truth] is like being blind because of the lack of instruction; the eye of wisdom being free from bias is identical in meaning to instruction. The absence of discrepancy between object and wisdom is called "free from bias." From "These then" downward is the concluding presentation: first concluding the count, and next indicating the locus of the Dharma-gates. First, indicating the count: since each of the three passages of the sutra is opened into three, together with the earlier primary three they make twelve. As for "the earlier three and the next three," etc.: the initial explanation of the three was precisely in terms of phenomena. Since the first three of the nine consist of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas acting as the three, they are also phenomenal. Since the latter six of the nine establish the three names in terms of the six perfections and dharma-nature, they are called the principle. The initial citation of the Dapin had already been opened to form nine; therefore, the original three do not need to be counted again. Their pairing with the truths and the siddhāntas can also be understood in meaning. Next, regarding the indication of their locus: now that they are opened according to their meaning to match the three truths, like Samantabhadra, Mañjuśrī, Maitreya, and others in the Avataṃsaka, they are all spiritual friends of the Middle Way; they can also be spiritual friends of the perfect three truths. The others are mostly subsumed under the conventional truth. However, among those spiritual friends there are no people of the two vehicles, so the meaning of the ultimate truth is lacking. If the sequential practice belongs to the ten abodes, because they are denounced as Māra in that sudden division [of the teachings], that sutra lacks lesser spiritual friends. If one relies on Bodhiruci's *Dharmadhātu-prakṛti-śāstra*, Sudhana first, in the Land of Delight, heard from the monk Guṇamegha the samādhi of mindfully contemplating all Buddhas with luminous inspection to match the first abode, up to the forty-second, where he heard from Maitreya the gate of entering the wisdom of the three times with mindful contemplation and adornment to match subtle awakening. If one must definitively rely on Bodhiruci: the sutra states that "Sudhana drew near to spiritual friends as numerous as dust motes in a trichiliocosm"; how then could they be matched to stages to tally with the number of dust motes? For now, we rely on our own school, as explained earlier. From "These" downward is the sorting and evaluation: the three truths are all said to be spiritual friends; since the text cites the entry of Sudhana into the verification of the dharma-dhātu, they can only be of the two meanings of the distinctive and the perfect teachings—how could an arhat be a spiritual friend? Therefore it is sorted out: although they share the name of spiritual friends, based on the Avataṃsaka Sutra they are still denounced as Māra; hence among the ten Māras, they are listed as three Māras. Although they are generally named Māra, the provisional and the real are difficult to fathom; therefore, we further distinguish the real and preserve the provisional. The provisional can still be called true spiritual friends; as for the real, they retain both designations in advancement and retreat; therefore, the text further illustrates this by analogy with the distinctive teaching. If one who loses the true sense in the distinctive teaching is still called Māra, how much more so people of the two vehicles—how could they not be Māra? How much more so the two types of bodhisattvas of the Tripiṭaka and shared teachings: if examined by granting half and withholding half, they are both categorized with the two vehicles. Just as in the secular world, those who are skilled in scriptures and treatises can still show people the correct path to awakening, how much more so: how could an arhat be totally identified with Māra? The depreciations and praises of the holy teachings cannot be taken in a single direction. As the second chapter of the *Avadāna-sūtra* states: "Formerly, there was a wealthy householder who in winter stored away a thousand bushels [of grain] buried in the earth; when he opened it in spring for seed, there was no grain at all. He saw only a bug as large as an ox, without hands, feet, head, or eyes, like a lump of inert meat. None among the master's household, young or old, failed to be astonished. They brought it out onto flat ground and asked what it was, but it said nothing to the end. Thereupon they pricked it in one place with an iron spike, and it said: 'If you wish to know who I am, place me by the side of the great road.' They followed its words. Later, there were five hundred horsemen whose clothing and adornments were entirely yellow; stopping their horses, they asked: 'Grain-thief! Why are you here?' It replied: 'Having eaten another's grain, it brought me here.' They said: 'Leave after a very long time.' The master asked: 'Who are they?' It replied: 'They are the essence of gold. Going three hundred paces to the west, beneath a tree there is a stone jar filled with yellow gold.' The master went and dug, and indeed obtained the yellow gold. Overjoyed beyond measure, he took the grain-thief home. Since obtaining the gold was due to this divine grace, the master wished to provide further offerings for it. The grain-thief said: 'The reason I did not speak my name before was that I wished to show the location of the yellow gold. I must move on to bestow blessings throughout the world and cannot stay long.' Having spoken, it disappeared." The sutra does not match the allegory, but the meaning can be seen. Now, briefly matching it: the grain-thief is the Dharma-master who seeks fame and gain. Having a mouth but no hands or feet represents having understanding without practice. The grain in the earth represents the wealth and goods in the storehouse. The food and wealth in the storehouse were originally meant to be offered to the field of purity; hence they are called "seed." Opening it in spring for seed represents wishing to make offerings to the field of purity. Eating up the grain represents receiving constant offerings. The young and old not knowing it represents the donor not distinguishing the [proper] field. The flat ground represents the place where one constantly walks and stands. Being questioned and not speaking represents constantly remaining in seclusion without preaching or explaining. Speaking when pricked with an iron spike represents agreeing to lecture upon hearing of profit. The roadside represents the lecture hall. The five hundred horsemen represent the five limbs of the chief reciter. Being dressed purely in yellow represents the reciter purely chanting the Buddha's sutras. Speaking with it represents chanting the sutras. In the sutra they also rebuke the person seeking profit, saying that one should not occupy the seat and preach the wonderful Dharma; hence they say: 'Grain-thief, why do you dwell here?' Replying that it ate grain represents explaining for oneself that offerings of gain are difficult to digest. The master asking represents the donor resolving doubts. Replying that they are the essence of gold means that what the chief reciter preaches is able to express the true mark. Beneath the western tree: the west governs autumn storage, representing the secret treasury. Three hundred paces represents the three poisons. The tree represents birth and death; this is because the principle resides within afflictions, birth, and death. Digging and indeed obtaining gold represents the master practicing according to the teaching and being able to see the principle. Taking it home and detaining it represents the donor, although knowing that the Dharma-master has violated the teaching, wishing to make further offerings in order to repay the kindness of the Dharma. The grain-thief declining represents the Dharma-master, who initially did not state that he had no practice, only wishing to seek a lecturing venue. Being unwilling to stay represents feeling ashamed. Bestowing blessings upon the world represents seeking further lecturing venues. If even one seeking profit is like this, how much more so the distinctive teaching and others being disparaged and equated with Māra? It is because they are evaluated against the perfect [teaching] that it is so. Furthermore, those of the actual practice of the two vehicles can also be called spiritual friends; as the *Dazhidulun* states: "Among the bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas, those who have faith in the Vaipulya and preach in accordance with the Dharma are also called spiritual friends." Furthermore, as in the Dapin where they are tasked with teaching, although they are empowered to benefit others, they can also be named true spiritual friends. Regarding "merely half," etc.: broadly speaking, if considered in terms of the three delusions, having severed only [the delusions of] views and thoughts, it is still not yet half. Considered in terms of the analogy of yōjanas, it is already past half. The analogy in terms of delusions is fully explained as in the seventh [fascicle]. Here, we merely speak for the moment based on what is expressed by the half-written teaching; why must it definitely require the half in delusions and so forth? Regarding the three kinds of the perfect teaching: the perfect external protector and the other two are the true spiritual friends. Regarding "samādhi, bodhicitta," etc.: having already sorted out the spiritual friend as Māra, the remaining two Māras are sorted out by analogy with this. Thus, only the samādhi and bodhi of the perfect teaching are called the real samādhi and bodhi. The samādhis and bodhi of the preceding three teachings are either real or demonic, as stated above.