金光明懺法補助儀 1.3

1.3

問曰：「事儀已載《百錄》，觀慧復指餘文，於是二途，更何所補？」答：「今觀事儀，既出舊經，讖師語約，《百錄》一準，亦無別立。行用之際，遲迴之事，不免數四。且散灑一法，經云：『別以種種美味，供施於我，散灑諸方。爾時，當誦如是章句：……』尋此一文，難曉者四：一、闕別明奉飲食供施天女；二、闕分灑散別施諸神；三、闕明散食處所；四、誦呪時節似未次第。準淨師新譯，唯闕今第三明散食處，餘甚分曉。新云：『亦以香華及諸飲食供養我像；復持飲食，散擲餘方，施諸神等。』誦呪之語，亦復別出。先令禮佛，後即誦呪，而云召請，不云於散灑時誦。觀此新文，有補舊式。若爾，《百錄》令別飣一盤，擬散諸方，此與新經宛如符契。何謂『亦無別立』？答：初雖似分，後至散灑，復依經文，便令誦呪，又成難了。何者？呪本召喚天女，秖可兼於徒黨。若令散食處誦，則成但召徒屬。縱云同時誦者，復闕明處。若道場內布散飲食，大有不便。若異處散，同時誦呪，又成不可。況復誦呪時節，亦應不爾，必先持呪，通召主伴，令至道場，後奉飲食，必須異處。又今時行事，多將此法準同《法華》、《方等》，初日已後，廢請三寶，直爾誦呪，甚闕次第。又《百錄》不出五悔，後人濫用。今並補助，非徒然也。」

Question: "The practical rituals are already recorded in the Bailu, and the wisdom of contemplation is additionally pointed out in other texts. With regard to these two approaches, what further is there to supplement?"
Answer: "Now when we look at the practical rituals, since they were derived from the old sūtra, Master Dharmakṣema's wording was concise, and the Bailu adhered to it entirely without establishing anything separately. In the course of practical application, occurrences of hesitation inevitably happened repeatedly. Moreover, regarding the single procedure of scattering and sprinkling, the sūtra says: 'Separately with various fine foods, make offerings to me and scatter and sprinkle [them] in the various directions. At that time, you should recite such verses as these: ...' Looking closely at this single passage, there are four points that are hard to understand: first, it lacks an explicit clarification of presenting food as an offering to the Devī; second, it lacks a separate sprinkling and scattering to offer separately to the various spirits; third, it lacks an explicit indication of the location for scattering food; fourth, the timing of reciting the dhāraṇī appears not to be in proper sequence.

According to the new translation by Master Yijing, it only lacks the present third point—clarifying the location for scattering food—while the rest is very clear. The new [translation] says: 'Also with incense, flowers, and various foods, make offerings to my image; furthermore, take the foods, scatter and cast them in other directions, and offer them to the various spirits.' The wording for reciting the dhāraṇī also appears separately: it first instructs one to bow to the Buddha, and subsequently recite the dhāraṇī, speaking of invoking, and not saying to recite at the time of scattering and sprinkling. Observing this new text, it supplements the old ritual.

If so, the Bailu directs one to separately arrange a plate intended for scattering to the various directions, which matches the new sūtra like two halves of a tally. Why say 'neither did it establish anything separately'?
Answer: Although at first they seem distinguished, later when it comes to scattering and sprinkling, it again relies on the sūtra text and immediately instructs one to recite the dhāraṇī, which again becomes hard to understand. Why is that? The dhāraṇī originally summons the Devī; it can only incidentally include her retinue. If one is made to recite at the place of scattering food, it would then amount to summoning only the retinue. Even if one says it is recited at the same time, it again lacks an explicit place. If one distributes and scatters food within the bodhimaṇḍa, there would be great inconvenience. If one scatters in a different place while reciting the dhāraṇī at the same time, that too becomes impossible. Furthermore, the timing of reciting the dhāraṇī also should not be like that: one must first uphold the dhāraṇī to universally summon host and retinue to come to the bodhimaṇḍa, and afterwards present the food, which must be in a different place.

Furthermore, in current practice, people often treat this method as equivalent to the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka and Vaipulya [repentances]; after the first day, they omit the invocation of the Three Jewels and just recite the dhāraṇī directly, which is severely lacking in proper sequence. Moreover, the Bailu does not set out the five repentances, and later people have used them indiscriminately. Now I supplement them all; it is not done in vain."