止觀輔行傳弘決 5.35

5.35

Next, grieving for oneself and grieving for others. In the text, it censures the birth and death of ordinary beings, and also simultaneously censures the six perfections and the two vehicles; therefore it concludes below: "now it is neither deceptive nor poisonous." The bodhisattvas of the Tripiṭaka are called "mixed with poison," while the two vehicles and the six destinies are called "deceptive." Therefore, the preceding elimination of the nine bondages and the one liberation are all called errors, and error is precisely deception. From "even supposing" downward, it clarifies that there is only one liberation, and the cause and fruit of the two vehicles also become the object of the vow. "Su" means reviving after death. The character is written either as 穌 or 穌; neither takes the grass radical, for with the grass radical it means vegetables. The contemplation of objects in the Tripiṭaka cannot be immediate with phenomena; this is called a "narrow path." Therefore the second [fascicle] of the Great Scripture says: "Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are like a narrow path, not permitting two persons to walk abreast." Form and emptiness being mutually identical is called "abreast"; extinguishing form while retaining emptiness is called "not abreast." Emptiness that extinguishes form is called a narrow path; cultivating the bodhisattva practice is in meaning like a public thoroughfare. Turning one's back on and abandoning birth and death is in meaning like "rebelling and fleeing." Afflictions and birth and death harm nirvāṇa, and therefore are like an enemy. The three realms are all dwelling places of birth and death, called the "enemy kingdom." Pervading the five destinies is called "experiencing thoroughly"; the three realms lacking peace is called "toil and suffering." Losing the bodhi vow is called "severed"; arousing a small intention anew is called "revived." Turning one's back on the father of the Mahāyāna is called "departing"; seeking liberation in the five dusts is like "reaching a poor village"; clearing away the dung of afflictions to seek the money of wisdom is called "hired labor." Birth and death are night; nirvāṇa is the "sun." The resting place of the lesser fruit is called a "thatched hut." Not yet having aroused the great mind is called "unwilling to advance"; shattering delusions through crude methods of crossing over is called "doing menial tasks." "Disbelieving," and so on, are the reasons for pity and grief: because people of the two vehicles turn their backs on the great and head toward the small, one therefore pities and grieves for them. Before the Vaipulya, they were not free from giving rise to slander; this is called "disbelieving." Although they heard it in the Vaipulya, they did not understand and did not practice; this is called "not recognizing." Therefore Kāśyapa said: "like a blind person." Not knowing the distinctive delusions is therefore "lamentable"; not recognizing the distinctive principle is therefore "astonishing." Furthermore, the extreme of what is lamentable is called astonishing. From "reflecting" downward, it directly clarifies grieving for oneself and grieving for others. "Reflecting" is the beginning of the great vows; "choking grief" is the habitual perfection of the compassionate vow. "Geng" refers to a fish bone stuck in the throat, which is the mark of grief and pain reaching the extreme.