萬善同歸集 1.46

1.46

答：「修行力至，聖境方明；善緣所生，法爾如是。故將證十地，相皆現前。是以志切冥加，道高魔盛：或禪思入微，而變異相；或禮誦懇志，暫覩嘉祥。但了惟心，見無所見。若取之，則心外有境，便成魔事；若捨之，則撥善功能，無門修進。《摩訶論》云：『若真若偽，惟自妄心現量境界，無有其實，無所著故。又若真若偽，皆一真如，皆一法身，無有別異，不斷除故。』《智論》云：『不捨者，諸法中皆有助道力故；不受者，諸法實相畢竟空，無所得故。』台教云：『疑者言：「大乘平等，何相可論？」今言不爾，秖由平等，鏡淨故諸業像現。令止觀研心，心漸明淨，照諸善惡，如鏡被磨，萬像自現。』是知不有而有，無性緣生；有而不有，緣生無性。常冥實際，中道泠然，欣慼不生，分別情斷，虛懷寂慮，何得失之所惑乎？又若諷誦遺典，受持大乘，功德幽深，果報玄邈。如經佛親比校，譬如一人辨若文殊，教化四天下人，皆至一生補處，格量功德，不如香華供養方等經典，得下等寶。又阿難疑審，七佛現身證明，實有此事。又如說修行，得上等寶；受持讀誦，得中等寶；香花供養，得下等寶。《法華經》云：『供養四百萬億阿僧祇世界眾生，乃至皆得阿羅漢道，盡諸有漏，於深禪定，皆得自在，具八解脫，不如第五十人聞《法華經》一偈，隨喜功德，百千萬億分，不及其一。』又經云：『若人讀誦經處，其地皆為金剛，但肉眼眾生，不能見耳。』南山《感通傳》云：『七佛金塔中有銀印，若誦大乘者，以銀印印其口，令無遺忘。』《普賢觀經》云：『若七眾犯戒，欲一彈指頃，除滅百千萬億阿僧祇劫生死之罪者，乃至欲得文殊、藥王諸大菩薩，持香花住立空中侍奉者，應當修習此《法華經》。讀誦大乘，念大乘事，令此空慧與心相應。』《大般若經》云：『無諸惡獸，巖穴寂靜，而為居止。所謂聞法，晝夜六時，勤加讚諷。聲離高下，心不緣外，專心憶持。』《賢愚經》云：『行者欲成佛道，當樂經法，讀誦演說。正使白衣說法，諸天鬼神悉來聽受，況出家人。出家之人乃至行路誦經說偈，常有諸天隨而聽之，是故應勤誦經說法。』已上皆是金口誠諦之言，非是妄心孟浪之說。是以志心誦者，證驗非虛，常為十方如來，釋迦文佛，密垂護念，讚言善哉；授手摩頭，共宿衣覆；攝受付囑，隨喜威加。乃至神王護持，天仙給侍，金剛擁從，釋梵散華。成就福因，等法界虛空之際量；校量功德，勝恒沙七寶之施緣。乃至凡質通靈，肉身不壞；舌變紅蓮之色，口騰紫檀之香。聞一句而畢趣菩提；誦半偈而功齊大覺。書寫經卷，報受欲天；供養持人，福過諸佛。可謂法威德力不思議門，萬瑞千靈因茲而感，三賢十聖從此而生。亘古該今，從凡至聖，三業供養、十種受持，盡稟真詮，傳持不絕。今何起謗，而斷轉法輪乎？」

Answer: "When the power of cultivation reaches its consummation, sacred realms become clear; produced by wholesome conditions, this is naturally so according to the Dharma. Therefore, when one is about to realize the ten grounds, signs all manifest before one. Thus, when aspiration earnestly seeks subtle divine assistance, as the Way grows high, Māra flourishes: either meditative contemplation penetrates the subtle and miraculous signs transform; or reverent recitation is done with sincere resolve and auspicious omens are briefly beheld. One need only realize that it is mind alone, and seeing is without anything seen. If one grasps at them, there are objects outside the mind, which then becomes a demonic snare; if one abandons them, one rejects the wholesome function and merit, leaving no gateway for cultivation and progress. The *Mahāvibhāṣā Śāstra* says: 'Whether real or fake, it is merely the direct-perception realm of one's own deluded mind; having no true reality, it is without attachment. Furthermore, whether real or fake, all are the one suchness, all are the one dharmakāya, without difference, because they are not severed or eliminated.' The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* says: 'Those who do not abandon [them] do so because all dharmas possess power that aids the Way; those who do not accept [them] do so because the dharmatā of all dharmas is ultimately empty, without anything to be attained.' The Tiantai teachings state: 'Doubters say: "The Great Vehicle is equal; what signs can be spoken of?" Now we say this is not so: precisely because of equality, when the mirror is clean, the images of various karmas appear. Causing śamatha and vipaśyanā to polish the mind, the mind gradually becomes bright and clean, illuminating all good and evil; just as when a mirror is polished, myriad images naturally appear.' Thus one knows that non-being yet being, [phenomena] arise dependently without intrinsic nature; being yet non-being, dependent origination is without intrinsic nature. Ever merging with the limit of reality, the Middle Way is limpid and clear; joy and sorrow do not arise, discriminatory sentiments are severed, and with a receptive mind and serene contemplation, how could one be deluded by gain and loss? Moreover, if one chants and recites the transmitted scriptures and upholds the Great Vehicle, the merit is profound and deep, and the retribution is wondrously vast. As personally compared by the Buddha in the sūtra: suppose a person had eloquence like Mañjuśrī's and taught the people of the four continents, bringing them all to the stage of being bound to one more birth; measuring their merit, it would not equal offering incense and flowers to the vaipulya scriptures, which obtains an inferior jewel. Moreover, when Ānanda had doubts and questions, the seven Buddhas manifested their bodies to testify that this matter truly exists. Furthermore, practicing according to the teachings obtains a superior jewel; upholding, reading, and reciting obtains a middling jewel; offering incense and flowers obtains an inferior jewel. The *Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra* says: 'Even if one were to make offerings to sentient beings in four hundred myriad koṭis of asaṃkhyeya worlds, bringing them all to attain the arhat path, exhaust all outflows, attain mastery in profound dhyāna, and be endowed with the eight liberations, it would not equal a fiftieth person hearing a single verse of the *Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra* and rejoicing in accord—the merit [of the former] would not equal one part in a hundred thousand myriad koṭis [of the latter].' Another sūtra says: 'Wherever a person reads and recites the sūtra, that ground is all made of diamond; it is only that sentient beings with physical eyes cannot see it.' The *Gantong zhuan* of Nanshan says: 'In the golden stūpa of the seven Buddhas there is a silver seal; if one recites the Great Vehicle, they imprint his mouth with the silver seal, causing him to have no forgetfulness.' The *Sūtra on the Contemplation of Samantabhadra* says: 'If the seven assemblies violate the precepts and wish, in the snap of a finger, to eradicate the sins of saṃsāra of hundreds of thousands of myriad koṭis of asaṃkhyeya kalpas, or even wish to have Mañjuśrī, Bhaiṣajyarāja, and other great bodhisattvas stand in the sky holding incense and flowers to attend upon them, they should cultivate this *Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra*, read and recite the Great Vehicle, be mindful of the matters of the Great Vehicle, and make this empty wisdom accord with the mind.' The *Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra* says: 'Without ferocious beasts, peaceful rock caves are used as dwellings. To listen to the Dharma, one diligently adds praise and chanting during the six periods of day and night. The voice is free from high and low, the mind does not grasp at the external, and one recollects and upholds with undivided mind.' The *Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish* says: 'A practitioner who wishes to accomplish the Buddha Way should delight in the scriptural Dharma, reading, reciting, expounding, and explaining it. Even if a layperson explains the Dharma, all the devas, ghosts, and spirits will come to listen and receive it, how much more so an ordained monastic. When an ordained monastic even recites sūtras and speaks verses while walking along the road, there are always devas following and listening; therefore, one should diligently recite sūtras and expound the Dharma.' All the above are the sincere and true words from the golden mouth [of the Buddha], not the reckless speech of a deluded mind. Therefore, for those who recite with wholehearted sincerity, the verifications are not in vain: they are constantly granted secret protection and mindful regard by the Tathāgatas of the ten directions and Śākyamuni Buddha, who praise them, saying, 'Excellent!'; extending a hand to stroke their heads, sharing lodging and covering them with robes; receiving and entrusting them, rejoicing with added majestic power. Even divine kings protect and uphold them, heavenly immortals attend upon them, vajra-holders surround them, and Śakra and Brahmā scatter flowers. The wholesome causes they accomplish equal the measure of the limit of the dharmadhātu and space; when measuring their merit, it surpasses the conditions of bestowing the seven treasures [filling sands of] the Gaṅgā. Even their mortal bodies attain spiritual penetrations, and their physical bodies do not decay; their tongues transform into the color of red lotuses, and their mouths emit the fragrance of red sandalwood. Hearing a single sentence, they ultimately head toward bodhi; reciting half a verse, their merit is equal to the Great Awakened One. Copying sūtra scrolls, their retribution is received in the desire heavens; making offerings to those who uphold it, their merit surpasses [offerings to] the Buddhas. This may indeed be called an inconceivable gateway of the power of the Dharma's awe-inspiring virtue: myriad auspicious omens and a thousand spiritual responses are evoked through this; the three [ranks of] sages and the ten [stages of] nobles are born from this. Extending from antiquity to the present, from ordinary people to sages, making offerings through the three karmas and practicing the ten ways of upholding, all receive the true teaching and transmit it without interruption. How can one now raise slander and sever the turning of the wheel of the Dharma?"