止觀輔行傳弘決 5.34

5.34

Next, explaining the arousing of the aspiration [for awakening]. First, initiating a great intention to advance toward the goal is called "arousing"; not relying on the didactic path is "true"; and relying on the principle of the three truths is called "correct." "Bodhi" is the fruit to be attained; the marvelous object is the path to be walked; and the mind is the sentient being able to walk and advance upon it. Because from beginningless time one has followed after dust and defilement, not knowing that unconditioned reality pervades the dharma-dhātu, and merely following the grasping of discursive cognition of a false self, now relying on the holy teachings one reverses delusion from within delusion; therefore it is called "arousing." Regulating this discursive cognition so that one seeks above and transforms below is also called "arousing." Here there are four sections in the text, but the meaning is twofold: namely, compassion and loving-kindness. Its aim lies in the ultimate fruit; if taken from the perspective of benefiting others, its aim lies in pervasive benefit. Question: One should first make the vows and afterward contemplate the marvelous object; why does the text only speak of arousing the aspiration after the object? Answer: It is not that one does not arouse the aspiration before the object, fully as in the intention of the "Five Summaries." Here, arousing is specifically for the sake of perfecting contemplation; therefore, one must take principle as the object and benefit others. Therein, compassion comes first and loving-kindness next. If following the convenience of terminology, loving-kindness should come first and compassion next; here, following the convenience of practice, compassion comes first and loving-kindness next, because one must first alleviate suffering and only then bestow happiness. In principle there is no before or after; the text provisionally accords with practical matters. In the initial explanation of compassion, the text first clarifies the object of the vow. Therein, it first sums up the preceding marvelous object, saying: "one suffering is all suffering." The two [aspects of] suffering—suffering and origination—are both called suffering; their meaning subsumes the ten realms and exists in just a single thought-moment; therefore it says, "one suffering is all suffering." If one does not understand the marvelous object that three thousand [realms] are in a single thought-moment, how could one know that one subsumes all? The three thousand do not go beyond a single thought-moment of ignorance; therefore there are only the cause of suffering and the result of suffering. From knowing that ignorance is just dharma-nature, compassion arises. From "grieving for oneself" downward, reflecting through the objects forms the reason for making the vows. It also first borrows sequential stages before understanding the marvelous object. The first text is the cause of the three bad paths initiated from the past. From "cycling through the wheel" downward, it clarifies that the causes of the three bad paths bring about the three evil fruits. From "and now" downward, in the present life one again initiates the causes of the three bad paths; the origination in the three realms also does not go beyond the two minds of delusion and craving. Constantly misled by them, it is likened to the silkworm and the moth. From "hundreds of thousands" downward is an exclamation of lament. From "even if" downward clarifies that there is no path and cessation, but only humans and devas. "Even if" means a hypothesis. Constantly in transmigration, even if one wishes to renounce it, one only takes joy in precepts and goodness without seeking the undefiled; this is called the "conditioned mind." From "like trading in a market" onward, these all illustrate that conditioned blessings, on the contrary, further increase guilt. If one cultivates conditioned blessings, one obtains the bliss of humans and devas, trading it for the suffering of the three bad paths. Again due to this bliss, one obtains the suffering of the three bad paths, exchanging it for the bliss of humans and devas. Du Yanye says: "There are five kinds of blessings: the first is longevity; the second is wealth; the third is health and tranquility; the fourth is the love of virtue; and the fifth is living out one's life to the end." These mundane Confucians only know that there are blessings, but do not distinguish what is induced [by them], nor do they say that one must take precepts as the vessel for receiving blessings. Because blessings are abundant, the guilt incurred is also abundant; this is called "further increasing." A "gou" is a basket for catching fish. The conditioned mind is like the fish and the moth; conditioned blessings are like the fish-trap and the lamp; the conditioned mind inducing its fruit is like entering and dashing into [them]. The empty fabrications of feelings and thoughts are called "mad reckonings"; that which is not world-transcending wisdom is called "deviant cleverness." "Yu" means exceeding, or surpassing. When fetters and accumulation are already thick, it is called "more deluded"; when the suffering incurred is bound to be deep, it is called "farther removed." The mind of greed and craving lacks the water of true principle; in meaning, this is like "thirst." Furthermore, cultivating blessings with a conditioned mind creates the cause for the five desires; like drinking salty water, it instead increases birth and death, just as thirst becomes more severe. Next, it clarifies the impairment of the path. Conditioned blessings are like dragon-whisker rope and ox hide; the three of precepts, concentration, and wisdom are like the body and torso; cultivating with a conditioned mind is like being bound and tied; receiving the fruits of humans and devas is like entering and heading into [the water]; falling back into the three bad paths is like [the bindings] becoming increasingly tight and the pain worsening. Therefore the Dazhidulun says: "Offerings and gain are like a dragon-whisker rope binding the body and entering the water: first it damages the skin of precepts, next it damages the flesh of concentration, and afterward it damages the bone of wisdom." Now, through conditioned blessings one obtains human and deva gain and loses the three trainings; it is also like this. Ignorance is like "blindness"; precepts and goodness are like "entering"; the fruit and retribution induced are like being in a "thicket of thorns." Cultivating with a conditioned mind is like being insecure; the conditioned blessings obtained are like "drowning and falling"; birth and death being hard to escape are like a "whirlpool." Drowning is falling into water; a whirlpool is a counter-swirling current. From "grasping the blade" downward laments the absence of path and cessation. The smallest strand of goodness originally tends toward bodhi, like grasping the handle of a knife or holding a torch by its proper end; if one acts with a conditioned mind, it is like grasping the blade or embracing fire. Seeing the suffering and origination of birth and death from the preceding conditioned mind is like treading on a tiger's tail or a snake's head. "Song" means being startled and afraid; "dao" means being grieved; "li" means trembling. Because of grief and fear, one therefore initiates the vows.