[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › 91.15 # 宗鏡錄 91.15 宗鏡錄 91.15 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [91.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91.15) 答。約古德釋代苦有七意。一起悲意樂。事未必能。二修諸苦行。能與物為增上緣。即名代苦。三留惑潤生。受有苦身。為物說法。令不造惡。因亡果喪。即名代苦。四若見眾生造無間業。當受大苦。無畏方便。要須斷命自墮地獄。令彼脫苦。五由初發心。常處惡道。乃至飢世身為大魚。即名為代。六大願與苦。皆同真性。今以即真之大願。潛至即真之苦。七法界為身。自他無異。眾生受苦。即是菩薩。初唯意樂。次二為緣。次二實代。後二理觀。然約有緣。方能代耳。還原觀云。普代眾生受苦德者。謂菩薩修諸行法。不為自身。但欲廣益群生。怨親平等。普令斷惡。備修萬行。速證菩提。又是菩薩。本行菩薩道時。大悲大願。以身為質。於三惡趣。救贖一切受苦眾生。要令得樂。盡未來際。心無退屈。不於眾生希望毛髮報恩之心也。經頌云。廣大悲雲遍一切。捨身無量等剎塵。以昔劫海修諸行。令此世界無諸垢。謂眾生妄執念念遷流。名之為苦。菩薩教令了蘊空寂。自性本空。故言離苦。 > Answer: Masters of old have explained taking on suffering according to seven meanings: First, giving rise to the aspiration of compassion, though in actual fact one might not necessarily be able \[to do so\]. Second, cultivating various ascetic practices, being able to serve as an augmenting condition for living beings, which is called taking on suffering. Third, retaining defilement to moisten rebirth, accepting a suffering body of existence to expound the Dharma for beings and cause them not to commit evil; when the cause is destroyed, the effect vanishes, which is called taking on suffering. Fourth, if one sees a sentient being committing an ānantarya karma that will result in great suffering, through fearless skillful means one would rather end their life and fall into hell oneself so that they may escape suffering. Fifth, from the initial resolve, constantly abiding in the evil destinies, even taking the body of a great fish in an age of famine, which is called taking their place. Sixth, the great vows and the suffering are both identical to the true nature; now, by means of the great vows that are identical to truth, one secretly penetrates the suffering that is identical to truth. Seventh, taking the dharmadhātu as the body, self and other are without distinction; sentient beings undergoing suffering is itself the bodhisattva. The first is only aspiration; the next two are as conditions; the next two are actual substitution; the last two are contemplation on principle. However, it is only with respect to those with whom there is a connection that one is able to substitute for them. The Huanyuan guan says: 'The virtue of universally taking on suffering on behalf of sentient beings means that when a bodhisattva cultivates various practices, it is not for his own sake, but solely out of the desire to broadly benefit all living beings, regarding enemies and kin with equality, universally causing them to sever evil, fully cultivating the myriad practices, and swiftly realizing bodhi. Moreover, when the bodhisattva originally practiced the bodhisattva path, through great compassion and great vows, he used his own body as a pledge in the three evil destinies to ransom all suffering sentient beings, determined to bring them happiness, to the end of future time, his mind never retreating or faltering, harboring not even a hair's breadth of hope that sentient beings would repay his kindness.' A sūtra verse says: / 'The vast cloud of compassion pervades all; / Relinquishing immeasurable bodies equal to dust motes of kṣetras. / Having cultivated various practices over oceans of past kalpas, / He causes this world to be free from all defilements.' / This means that sentient beings' deluded attachment shifting from thought-moment to thought-moment is called suffering. The bodhisattva teaches them to comprehend that the skandhas are empty and quiescent, their self-nature originally void; hence it is called transcending suffering. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 91.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91.14) - [Next: 91.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91.16) - [Up: 91](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.91.15) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [修華嚴奧旨妄盡還源觀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1876.1.30) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.91.15) · Pramāṇa