止觀輔行傳弘決 5.3

5.3

In "their dull-wittedness," and so forth, it next explains the errors of oneself and others, all due to lacking the aforementioned wonderful understanding and wonderful practice. First, explaining the error in one's own practice, it explains this is due to lacking faith. It is also as the *Lotus Sūtra* says: "The children later drank others' poisons, losing their original minds." Drinking the poisons of others' [delusions of] views and thoughts, the hindrances of the five turbidities are heavy, hence called "deeply entered"; because the poison is deep, they lose the bodhimind. Because of lacking faith, they are like an elephant without a hook; since they lack the hook of faith, upon hearing they cannot understand. Therefore, the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*, fascicle twenty-three, says: "For instance, like a drunken elephant that is frenzied and wildly violent, desiring much to kill. There is an elephant-trainer who catches its trunk with a large iron hook; immediately it is tamed and compliant, and its evil mind completely ceases. Sentient beings are likewise: due to afflictions, they commit many evils. The great bodhisattvas catch them with the hook of the Buddhadharma, causing those who hear the Dharma to abide by means of it. By this meaning, the causes and conditions of hearing the Dharma approach great nirvāṇa." One should know that having the hook of hearing the Dharma in past lives enables one to understand upon hearing in this life. In "lacking the eye of wisdom," and so forth, it further explains lacking understanding. Therefore the *Dapin* says: "One must use the eye of wisdom to contemplate and know the true reality of all dharmas." Thus we know that ordinary persons are blind from birth, those of the two vehicles are one-eyed, and those who hear externally do not understand; this is because inwardly they lack the eye of wisdom, and lacking the eye of wisdom, they do not discern even upon hearing. In "the entire body," and so forth, these are all analogies for lacking practice. Lacking practice, they cannot sever delusion, hence called "not advancing." *Bi* is an illness of dampness; this and leprosy both compare to not awakening and not understanding, and thus not knowing. Having slandered the Mahāyāna in past lives, practice and understanding are entirely absent, and residual retributions still accumulate, so they are named "great sinners." Expounding for such people merely increases the sin of slander, which causes harm and brings no benefit. The sūtra says: "If one only praises the Buddha vehicle, sentient beings sink into suffering." Hence it says, "Why labor to expound for them?" From "supposing" onward, it explains hypothetically. "Supposing" means hypothetically; even if they weary of the world, they cannot seek the Great. Therefore the sūtra says, "This is not the place where my hired labor obtains goods." In "clinging to," and so forth, it adduces similar examples to confirm and explain. Wearying of the Great and practicing the Small is like abandoning the root and clinging to the branches and leaves. Thus the *Dapin* says: "To discard the profound prajñāpāramitā is like abandoning the root, while practicing the sūtras that should be practiced by the two vehicles is like clinging to the branches and leaves; this is a demonic deed. Clinging to the leaves, one falls; grasping the trunk, one is secure. Grasping the branches of impermanence, one falls into the stage of the two vehicles; grasping the trunk of the Mahāyāna, the bodhimind is firm." In "dogs fawning on laborers," the *Dapin* says: "Good sons! Drawing close to other sūtras and not studying prajñā is like a dog not begging food from the master of the house, but instead begging from the hired laborers; this is a bodhisattva's demonic deed. A bodhisattva is likewise: abandoning profound prajñā and taking up the sūtras that should be practiced by the two vehicles is a demonic deed." The *Dazhidulun* explains: "Some persons, having previously received precepts in the Śrāvaka Dharma, later encounter profound prajñā, yet remain attached to what they previously learned and abandon prajñā. There are also śrāvaka disciples who previously studied prajñā, but not understanding its meaning and not obtaining its flavor, still seek the Way through śrāvaka sūtras. There are further śrāvakas who previously studied prajñā, but wishing to place faith in other śrāvaka sūtras, disparage prajñā, saying: 'This sūtra's sequence is unfixed and its meaning is inconsistent; therefore I discard it and leave. In the Śrāvaka Dharma, what dharma is not present? The six-section *Abhidharma* is precisely prajñā, the Vinaya piṭaka of the five schools is precisely śīla, the analysis of dhyāna meanings in the Abhidharma is precisely samādhi, and praising forbearance and vigor in the *Jātaka* sūtras is precisely the completion of the six pāramitās.'" The words "dallying with the inferior" in the present text completely encompass the various meanings in the treatise. In "revering monkeys," and so forth, there was a person who did not recognize monkeys or Śakra; having once heard people say that the Lord of Heaven flies through the air, he later saw a troop of monkeys in a forest, took them to be Śakra, and gave rise to reverence, promptly paying homage to them. In "valuing rubble," and so forth, this is also the meaning of the analogy of the spring pond in the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*. Furthermore, clinging to branches and leaves and valuing rubble are like not recognizing the Dharma; dogs fawning on laborers and revering monkeys are like not recognizing the person.