觀心論疏 3.9

3.9

二衣食具足者，衣以蔽形遮障醜陋，食以支命填彼飢瘡，身安道隆，道隆則本立，形命及道賴此衣食，故經云「如來食已，得三菩提」，此雖小緣，能辦大事。衣者，遮醜陋，遮寒熱，遮蚊虻，飾身體。衣有三種：雪山大士絕形深㵎不涉人間，結草為席，被鹿皮衣，無受持、說淨等事，堪忍力成，不須溫厚，不遊人間，無煩支助，此上人也；十二頭陀但畜三衣不多不少，出聚入山被服齊整，故立三衣，此中士也；多寒國土聽百一助身，要當說淨，趣足供事，無得多求，多求辛苦，守護又苦，妨亂自行，復擾檀越，少有所得即便知足，此下士也。觀行為衣者，經云「汝等比丘，雖服袈裟，心猶未染大乘法服」，《法華》云「柔和忍辱衣」是也，此即寂滅忍，生死涅槃二邊麁獷，與中道理不二不異，故名柔和。安心中道故名為忍，離二喧故名寂，過二死故名滅也（云云）。食者，三處論食，可以資身養道：一、深山絕跡去遠人民，但資甘果美水，一菜一果而已，或餌松柏以續精氣，如雪山甘香藕等。食已繫心思惟坐禪，更無餘事。如是食者上士也。二、阿蘭若處，頭陀抖擻，絕放牧聲，是修道處。分衛自資，七佛皆明乞食法，《方等》、《般舟》、《法華》皆云「乞食」也。路徑若遠，分衛勞妨；若近，人物相喧；不遠不近，乞食便易，是中士也。三、既不能絕穀餌果，又不能頭陀乞食，外護檀那送食供養亦可得受，又僧中如法結淨食亦可得受，下士也。若就觀心明食者，《大經》云「汝等比丘雖行乞食，而未得入大乘法食」。大乘法食者，如來法喜禪悅也。此之法喜即是平等大慧，觀一切法無有障礙。《淨名》云「於食等者，於法亦等，於法等者，於食亦等」，「煩惱為薪，智慧為火，以是因緣，成涅槃食，令諸弟子皆悉甘嗜」。此食資法身、增慧命，如食乳糜，更無所須，即真解脫。真解脫者，即是如來用此法喜禪悅歷一切法，無不一味一色一香無非中道。中道之法具一切法，即是飽義，無所須義，如彼深山上士，一草一果資身即足。頭陀乞食者，行人不能即事而中修實相慧者，當次第三觀，調心入中道。次第觀故，名為乞食，亦見中道，又名飽義，即中士也。檀越送食者，若人不能即事通達，又不能歷法次觀自無食義，應須隨喜知識，能說般若者，善為分別，隨聞得解而見中道。是人根鈍，從聞生解，名為得食。如人不能如上兩事聽他送食，又僧中結淨食者，即是證得禪定支林功德，藉定得悟，名僧中食也。是故行者常當存念大乘法食，不念餘味也。

Second, having sufficiency of clothing and food: Clothing covers the body to shield its ugliness; food supports life to fill the wound of hunger. When the body is at peace, the Way flourishes; when the Way flourishes, the foundation is established. The physical form, life, and the Way rely on this clothing and food. Therefore a sūtra says: 'Having eaten, the Tathāgata attained sambodhi.' Though this is a small condition, it can accomplish the great matter. As for clothing, it shields ugliness, blocks cold and heat, repels mosquitoes and horseflies, and adorns the body. Clothing is of three kinds: The Great Being of the Snowy Mountains cuts off his form in deep ravines without entering the human realm, weaves grass for a mat, wears deer-skin garments, without matters of receiving, holding, or declaring purity; accomplished in the power of forbearance, he needs no warmth or thickness, does not wander among humans, and has no trouble of provisions—this is the superior person. The twelve dhūtas maintain only three robes, neither more nor less, wearing them neatly when leaving villages or entering mountains; hence the three robes are established—this is the middling person. In countries of extreme cold, one hundred and one extra items are permitted to aid the body; they must be declared pure, taken just to suffice for need, without seeking much. Seeking much is toil and suffering, guarding them is also suffering, hindering and disturbing one's own practice and troubling the donors; taking little and being immediately content—this is the inferior person. Regarding clothing in contemplation of mind: A sūtra says: 'Although you bhikṣus wear kāṣāyas, your minds are not yet dyed with the Dharma robes of the Great Vehicle.' The Lotus Sūtra says: 'The robe of gentleness and forbearance' is this. This is the forbearance of cessation and extinction. The two extremes of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are coarse and harsh; being non-dual and not different from the principle of the Middle Way is therefore called 'gentleness.' Settling the mind in the Middle Way is therefore called 'forbearance.' Leaving behind the two clutters is called 'cessation.' Transcending the two kinds of death is called 'extinction,' and so forth. As for food: Food is discussed in three places as supporting the body and nourishing the Way. First: In deep mountains where human tracks are cut off far from the people, relying solely on sweet fruits and fine water, just one herb and one fruit; or feeding on pine and cypress to continue one's vital energy, like the sweet, fragrant lotus roots of the Snowy Mountains. Having eaten, one binds the mind, meditates, and sits in dhyāna, with no other concerns. Such an eater is a superior person. Second: In an āraṇyaka place, with dhūta austerity, cutting off the sounds of herding; this is a place for cultivating the Way. Sustaining oneself through almsround (piṇḍapāta): all seven Buddhas explained the method of begging for food; the Vaipulya, Pratyutpanna, and Lotus sūtras all speak of 'begging for food.' If the path is far, almsround is toilsome and disruptive; if near, people and things are noisy and distracting. Neither far nor near, begging for food is easy and convenient—this is the middling person. Third: Being neither able to cut off grains to feed on fruit, nor able to beg food as a dhūta, receiving food sent by external patrons is also permissible; or receiving food properly purified in the saṅgha is also permissible—this is the inferior person. If explaining food with respect to contemplation of mind: The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Although you bhikṣus practice begging for food, you have not yet entered the Dharma food of the Great Vehicle.' The Dharma food of the Great Vehicle is the Tathāgata's Dharma joy and dhyāna bliss. This Dharma joy is precisely great, equal wisdom, contemplating all phenomena without obstruction. The Vimalakīrti Sūtra says: 'One who is equal with respect to food is also equal with respect to dharmas; one who is equal with respect to dharmas is also equal with respect to food,' and 'Defilements are the firewood, wisdom is the fire; by this cause and condition, the food of nirvāṇa is prepared, causing all disciples to find it delicious.' This food nourishes the dharmakāya and increases wisdom-life; like eating milk-rice, nothing more is needed—this is true liberation. True liberation means that the Tathāgata, using this Dharma joy and dhyāna bliss, traverses all phenomena, none of which is not of one flavor, one color, and one fragrance, none of which is not the Middle Way. The phenomena of the Middle Way fully contain all phenomena: this is the meaning of satiety, the meaning of having no need, like that superior person in the deep mountains who is fully satisfied by supporting the body with a single herb and a single fruit. As for begging food as a dhūta: When a practitioner cannot directly realize the Middle Way and cultivate true mark wisdom in the midst of mundane affairs, they should practice the threefold contemplation in sequence, tuning the mind to enter the Middle Way. Because of sequential contemplation, it is called 'begging food'; also seeing the Middle Way, it is also called 'satiety'—this is the middling person. As for the donor sending food: If a person can neither penetrate directly through affairs nor contemplate sequentially through phenomena, lacking the food of their own, they should rejoice in good friends who can speak prajñā, who skillfully distinguish it, so that following what is heard they attain understanding and see the Middle Way. This person's faculties are dull; generating understanding from hearing is called 'obtaining food.' Just as a person unable to do the two things above is permitted to have others send food. Furthermore, food purified in the saṅgha is attaining the virtues of the branches and factors of dhyāna-concentration, relying on concentration to attain awakening; this is called 'food in the saṅgha.' Therefore, a practitioner should always bear in mind the Dharma food of the Great Vehicle, not thinking of other flavors.