四教義 7.6

7.6

二行菩薩道者，即是三阿僧祇劫行六度也。從過去釋迦牟尼佛至罽那尸棄佛時，名一阿僧祇劫，從此常離女人身。爾時不自知我當作佛不作佛。此初阿僧祇劫，即是得五停心別想、總想念處之位，用性念處、共念處、緣念處行六度也。三種念處義，略如前說。所以者何？修性念處，為壞屬愛魔業，破屬見一切智六師；修共念處，欲壞愛結，破神通六師；修緣念處，為一切愛見眾生說法，屬愛壞故，一切天魔眷屬壞，愛見壞故，三六十八種六師及一切外道眷屬壞也。故用三種念處行六波羅蜜，意欲降伏天魔、制諸外道。菩薩用三種念處行六度時，雖修性念處而不斷結，為生三界度眾生故。常欲多修共念處觀，為得神通，成四攝法，同事調伏愛見眾生。又常多修緣念處觀，為欲成四辨，說三乘法，化一切愛見眾生共出三界火宅也。是為初阿僧祇劫修行六度，用四弘誓願安撫生死、心無怯弱、根壞女人之業，常受丈夫之身也。爾時，未發煗解位，在外凡故，不自知己身當得作佛不得作佛也。次明從罽那尸棄佛至燃燈佛，為第二阿僧祇劫。是時，菩薩用七莖青蓮華供養燃燈佛，敷鹿皮衣，布髮掩泥。時燃燈佛便授其記：「汝當來世必得作佛，名釋迦牟尼。」爾時，菩薩雖能自知我必作佛，而口不稱我當作佛，謂此是用煗法智慧修六度也。所以者何？因總想四念處，初得善有漏五陰，即是性地順忍初心之位。既有證法之信，故必知作佛，而用煗解修行六度，心未分明，故不向他說。次明從燃燈佛至毘婆尸佛，為第三阿僧祇劫滿。是時，菩薩內心了了自知作佛，口自發言無所畏難：「我於來世當得作佛。」今謂此是頂法之位，行六波羅蜜，四諦觀解分明，如登山頂四方顧分明，了了自知作佛，亦向他人說也。

Second, practicing the bodhisattva path: this is practicing the six perfections for three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. From the past Śākyamuni Buddha until the time of the Buddha Ratnaśikhin is called one asaṃkhyeya kalpa; from then on, he permanently leaves behind a female body. At that time, he did not know within himself whether he would or would not become a Buddha. This first asaṃkhyeya kalpa is the stage of attaining the fivefold settling of the mind and the four applications of mindfulness considered separately and collectively, using mindfulness of dharmic nature, shared mindfulness, and object-oriented mindfulness to practice the six perfections. The meaning of the three kinds of mindfulness is briefly as described above. Why is this? Cultivating mindfulness of dharmic nature is done to destroy the demonic deeds pertaining to craving and to shatter the six masters of omniscience pertaining to views; cultivating shared mindfulness is done wishing to destroy the fetters of craving and to shatter the six masters of spiritual penetrations; cultivating object-oriented mindfulness is done to preach the Dharma for all sentient beings with craving and views: because that which pertains to craving is destroyed, all retinues of the heavenly māras are destroyed, and because craving and views are destroyed, the three-times-six—eighteen kinds of—six masters and all retinues of heterodox paths are destroyed. Therefore, using the three kinds of mindfulness to practice the six pāramitās, the intention is to subjugate heavenly māras and quell all heterodox practitioners. When the bodhisattva uses the three kinds of mindfulness to practice the six perfections, although he cultivates mindfulness of dharmic nature, he does not cut off the fetters, because he takes birth in the three realms to deliver sentient beings. He always wishes to cultivate mostly the contemplation of shared mindfulness in order to attain spiritual penetrations, accomplish the four methods of winning beings over, and use common activities to subdue sentient beings with craving and views. He also always cultivates mostly the contemplation of object-oriented mindfulness wishing to accomplish the fourfold eloquence, preach the Dharma of the three vehicles, and transform all sentient beings with craving and views so that they together emerge from the burning house of the three realms. This is the practice of the six perfections during the first asaṃkhyeya kalpa, utilizing the four universal vows to bring comfort amid birth-and-death without faint-heartedness, thoroughly eradicating the karma of female embodiment, and constantly receiving a male body. At that time, because he had not yet given rise to the stage of understanding warmth and was an external ordinary being, he did not know within himself whether his own body would or would not attain Buddhahood. Next, explaining from the Buddha Ratnaśikhin to the Buddha Dīpaṃkara constitutes the second asaṃkhyeya kalpa. At this time, the bodhisattva offered seven stems of blue lotus flowers to the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, spread out a deerskin garment, and spread his hair to cover the mud. Then the Buddha Dīpaṃkara bestowed upon him the prediction: "In a future lifetime you will definitely become a Buddha named Śākyamuni." At that time, although the bodhisattva was able to know within himself that 'I will definitely become a Buddha,' his mouth did not proclaim 'I will become a Buddha'; it is said that this is practicing the six perfections using the wisdom of the dharma of warmth. Why is this? Because from the four applications of mindfulness considered collectively, he initially attained the wholesome contaminated five aggregates, which is the position of the initial mind of conforming patience on the stage of nature. Having the faith of realized Dharma, he therefore definitely knew he would become a Buddha; yet practicing the six perfections with the understanding of warmth, his mind was not yet distinct, so he did not speak of it to others. Next, explaining from the Buddha Dīpaṃkara to the Buddha Vipaśyin marks the completion of the third asaṃkhyeya kalpa. At this time, the bodhisattva clearly knew within his mind that he would become a Buddha, and with his mouth he spoke without fear or difficulty: "In a future lifetime I will become a Buddha." Now we say this is the stage of the dharma of the peak: practicing the six pāramitās, his contemplative understanding of the four truths is clear, just like climbing to a mountain peak and looking around in all four directions with distinct clarity; clearly knowing within himself that he would become a Buddha, he also spoke of it to others.