止觀輔行傳弘決 5.9

5.9

From "Sequential means" onward, it explains the ten pairs. In the initial [pair of] sequential and non-sequential, each has three meanings. However, the first two pairs are none other than the three types of calming and contemplation. Here it does not discuss the present cultivation of contemplation; it is simply that the three marks that manifest are distinct. Thus it is not like the three in the previous "Great Intent"; all conclude the present text to form three types of marks. Now, when speaking of non-sequential dharmas, all are the dharma-dhātu, which is called non-sequential. The two kinds of manifestation and cultivation are not called sudden; they are merely opposed to distinguish differences, as in the text. Furthermore, because manifestation and cultivation are easy to see, they are explained first; because the meaning of the dharma is somewhat broader, it is explained later. In the initial text on the dharma, it adduces the text to make ten on its own; by analogy, one should also say that the aggregates and sense-bases are the dharma-dhātu. What is spoken of as the eyes and so forth being the gate of tranquil extinction is fully as cited in the fourth fascicle. "Why must one abandon this" and so on means that unlike the two vehicles, one does not abandon this birth and death to seek that nirvāṇa. "Casket" means a bamboo hamper; a hamper containing jewels is called a jewel casket, because this sūtra is able to contain the jewel of the true mark. Regarding "feigning illness in his ten-foot-square room," Vimalakīrti thought to himself: "Lying ill on my bed, will the World-Honoured One in his great compassion not show pity?" The Buddha knew his thought and, having previously foreseen the opportune conditions, commanded the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas. All recounted their past humiliations, and all declined as incapable. The assembly at that time thereby heard about the incidents of their being rebuked. Furthermore, they heard that Mañjuśrī accepted the command to inquire after the illness, yet though receiving the Buddha's directive, he still lamented the difficulty of responding. Because of this, the great assembly admired his demeanor and longed for his virtue, and countless tens of millions followed him to go and observe. For the kings and great ministers who had come, he had already extensively discussed impermanence and swift decay by taking occasion of the illness. As soon as Mañjuśrī arrived, he related the Buddha's dispatched command, and then himself inquired about the arising and ceasing of the illness. The Mahāsattva extensively replied with subduing, consolation, and reassurance, and extensively expounded the inconceivable deeds of the bodhisattva, as well as contemplating sentient beings as ultimately empty; the Buddha path thus opened up, and the gate of non-duality was unlocked. The room accommodated high seats, and the fragrant rice ubiquitously perfumed [the assembly], causing [Śāriputra] to invite the ridicule of brushing off flowers and incurring the humiliation of paying homage to the seats. The two Mahāsattvas gave free rein to their eloquence, which was beyond the comprehension of the two vehicles, and admiring and yearning for the Mahāyāna constituted the benefit of fresh curd, while the various Mahāsattvas all converged in clarified butter. The arising of this teaching was entirely due to feigning illness. The benefits of the illness having ended, credit was attributed to its source, and they returned to the Āmrapālī park to have the cardinal tenets confirmed with the seal. Because at the causal stage he was able to contemplate his own and others' illnesses as the dharma-dhātu, upon reaching the fruit he was able to benefit others by means of illness; hence Vimalakīrti made illness into the path of transformation, and all dharmas were entirely contained within illness. For instance, when Tang sent for the Bodhi image, envoy Wang Ce personally arrived at his room; having paid his respects, he wished to write an inscription on the wall, but though the wall was right before his eyes, he walked for a long time and could not reach it. When he gave up and wished to go out, near and far were as at first; he marveled at the inconceivability, and the traces have not vanished to this day. Regarding "manifesting illness at the Twin Trees," at the Twin Trees, the Buddha, by telling of his back pain, relied on Cunda's request to stay to broadly open up the lineage of the eternal, uniquely refuting and seizing the three cultivations and laying out the three dots. He answered thirty-six questions, expounded the five practices and ten virtues, overturned the heterodoxies of the six teachers, and conferred the path upon the ten ṛṣis. Such teachings arose through the manifestation of illness. In "karma as the dharma-dhātu," the citation of the Lotus [means]: fault and merit are karma, and through profound penetration they are therefore called the dharma-dhātu. The ten directions are the ten realms; through penetrating the ten realms as none other than the dharma-dhātu, seeing the principle of the realms universally is called profound penetration. The initial text is the true [truth]. Empty karma breaks all karmas, hence it says this karma can break karma. Next, from "If sentient beings" onward is provisional karma. That is, within empty karma one thoroughly penetrates all karmas; hence by means of this karma one establishes provisional karma. Next, from "Karma and non-karma" onward, it contemplates the middle path of karma. Karma is provisionality and non-karma is emptiness; provisional karma is called bondage and empty karma is called liberation; negating both extremes, neither is attainable. "Manifesting in all gates" and so on accommodates the specific inclinations of living beings, temporarily corresponding to three passages: if manifesting the six realms, it is bondage; manifesting the realms of the two vehicles is called liberation; and the realms of Buddhas and bodhisattvas illuminate both bondage and liberation together. Unless one has realized the karma of sovereignty in the inconceivable body of the Lotus samādhi, how could one manifest these thirty-three bodies, being neither bound nor liberated yet manifesting bondage and liberation? "How merely" and so on means: 'merely' means still more. Beyond a Vaipulya master, his virtues are still more abundant. Why? A worldly Vaipulya master need only determine the marks of defiled karma, yet is still unable to penetrate karma as empty and karma as provisional, how much less karma as the middle? Now, penetrating karma as the dharma-dhātu, how is he merely qualified to be a worldly Vaipulya master! Regarding "Even if there are" and so on: since one contemplates the dharma-dhātu, Māra is also fundamentally suchness. Even if there are still demons in one's practice, it is like shoes smeared with medicine, capable of bearing travel. The demonic affairs are like the shoes, the perfect contemplation is like the smearing; contemplating Māra as none other than suchness is called "capable of bearing travel." "Able to contemplate the nature of the mind" and so on: contemplating the nature of the three poisons is still called superior concentration, how much more so contemplating the dhyāna mind as the dharma-dhātu? "Entering the correct by means of the heterodox": the heterodox is the correct, views are the dharma-dhātu; remaining unmoved amid views is also like this. The sūtra text is still general; if distinguished, it is fully as explained above under purification through confession. "Taking views as the gate" concludes the previous mark of taking the heterodox. A gate means capable of passing through; entering the correct by means of the heterodox is precisely the meaning of capable of passing through. "Taking views as attendants" concludes the previous remaining unmoved amid views. The Vimalakīrti says: "Bodhisattvas remain unmoved amid all views, and do not abandon birth and death," which is precisely the meaning of an attendant. Generally speaking, an attendant is one who can comply with a person. Views transform according to contemplation and follow whatever contemplation illuminates; views are the dharma-dhātu, leaving nowhere they do not follow. "Still just afflictions" briefly determines the similarities and differences. Specifically stated, there are eight kinds of pride, and this belongs to overweening pride; among afflictions, sharp and dull are not exclusively overweening pride, but following the general explanation, it also belongs to afflictions. "No pride" is emptiness. "Great pride" is provisionality. Emerging from the true into provisional stages, one manifests various forms to subdue sentient beings; hence it is called great pride. Fascicle thirty of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: "If a bodhisattva sees sentient beings who have arrogance, he manifests as great pride." Negating both belongs to the middle; by analogy, this should be apparent. In "If one only sees emptiness" and so on: one merely deeply contemplates emptiness; the substance of emptiness is fundamentally subtle, but sentient beings' sentiments create a barrier and consider emptiness as not empty. Therefore, now penetrating emptiness is none other than the dharma-dhātu, and what manifests from emptiness is the conventional; when emptiness is contrasted with non-emptiness, the meaning of the three truths is complete. "Base evil" and so on: base evil is precisely the eight objects such as the aggregates. The "inferior two vehicles" means that even the object of the two vehicles is still the dharma-dhātu, how much more so the three bodhisattvas. Next, from "Furthermore, a bodhisattva" onward, it again relies on the provisional and the real to reveal the three truths: provisional is the conventional, real is the true, and negating both reveals the middle. From "These individual" onward, conclude as in the text.