西方合論 2.10

2.10

三、顯果德者，如《華嚴經．普賢行願品》云：「諸佛如來，因於眾生，而起大悲；因於大悲，生菩提心；因菩提心，成等正覺。譬如曠野沙磧之中，有大樹王，若根得水，枝葉華果，悉皆繁茂；生死曠野，菩提樹王亦復如是。一切眾生，而為樹根；諸佛菩薩，而為華果。以大悲水，饒益眾生，則能成就諸佛菩薩智慧華果。」是故當知，一切諸佛取佛果者，依於眾生；若無眾生，佛果不成。譬如漢王以救民故，而有百戰；以百戰故，登大寶位；登寶位故，百姓樂業。若無百姓，即無如上等事。究而論之，凡行一德、一事、一利、一名者，若無眾生，皆悉不成。是故我無眾生，即不成我；眾生是依，我即是正；眾生是正，我即是依。人我平等，依正無礙，是法爾故。法爾者，即自然果德故。若向外建立，即不成果義。

Third, regarding 'manifesting fruit-virtue': as the 'Chapter on the Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra' in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: 'The buddhas and tathāgatas arise with great compassion on account of sentient beings; based on great compassion, they generate the bodhicitta; based on the bodhicitta, they attain samyaksaṃbodhi. Just as in the midst of a desert wilderness there is a great king of trees, if its roots obtain water, its branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits will all flourish; so too is the king of bodhi trees in the wilderness of saṃsāra. All sentient beings are the tree's roots, while the buddhas and bodhisattvas are its flowers and fruits. By benefiting sentient beings with the water of great compassion, one can accomplish the flowers and fruits of wisdom of the buddhas and bodhisattvas.' Therefore, one should know that all buddhas attain the fruit of buddhahood relying on sentient beings; if there were no sentient beings, the fruit of buddhahood would not be accomplished. For example, because the King of Han rescued the people, there were a hundred battles; because of the hundred battles, he ascended the great imperial throne; because he ascended the throne, the common people enjoyed their livelihoods. If there were no common people, none of the above things would exist. In the final analysis, whenever one performs a single virtue, a single task, a single benefit, or a single fame, without sentient beings none of them can be accomplished. Therefore, if I have no sentient beings, I cannot become myself: sentient beings are the dependent [circumstances] and I am the primary [entity]; or sentient beings are the primary and I am the dependent. The equality of others and self, and the non-obstruction of dependent and primary, are because it is naturally so. What is naturally so is precisely the natural fruit-virtue. If it were established outwardly, the meaning of fruit would not be accomplished.