出三藏記集 6.23

6.23

Now, the wondrous carriage of the four convictions is the treasured carriage of the All-Blessed One, used to transport sentient beings bound by inverted views. All those within the three realms fail not to crown themselves with ignorance, gird on action, dance like babes in birth and death, hasten to the shaded chambers, court sights and tastes, drive on in confusion and doubt, and race through the nine abodes. Furthermore, they grow familiar with the unworthy and insult the sages, indulging their villainy; brandishing swords of greed and axes of anger, they decapitate the mysterious path and slander the supreme essentials, fully tasting disasters and woes. The Hero of the World looked on them with pity, deeply contriving transformed devices: the banner of the Dharma shone amidst layers of rainbows, and the drum of the Way thundered like a lion's roar. A thousand obstacles were silenced throughout the eight quarters; the halberd of wisdom breached the three existences. Thereupon, shattering the crown of ignorance and breaking the girdles of infantile habits, they mounted the carriage of faith and entered the track of the truths; causes and conditions ceased, and the four joys were accomplished. Therefore it is called *Understanding the Root of Birth and Death*. *Liao* means to understand; *ben* is ignorance, the very origin. The Tathāgata merely pointed out one corner, and Śāriputra expanded upon the sublime purport, adducing hidden praises—how beautiful, how magnificent! If one reckons that the body possesses a life-principle, one is bound along with conditions, slandering the Buddha and destroying faith, as if veiled in a dark chamber. If one understands emptiness and the lack of a life-principle, the four truths are accomplished, faith is clearly established, like the palace of the sun adorning the heavens. This is indeed the lofty foundation of the fifty-six medicines, profoundly deep; it is the source of the myriad practices! In unfolding subtleties and accomplishing tasks, what could take precedence? When the Buddha first attained the Way and grandly established great compassion, this sūtra was one of the sixteen [essential teachings]. Among the holy teachers of the Tripiṭaka in Tianzhu, none failed to take it as the head of the teachings and investigate its subtleties. In the declining years of the Han, this sūtra first arrived in this land; yet it was refined, deep, and abstruse, so few attained its goal. In the beginning of the Wei dynasty, there was a man of lofty character, Zhi Gongming of Henan, who made an annotated commentary to probe the mystery and resolve hindrances; he may truly be called one who entered the inner chamber. A preeminent sage of an earlier generation, he was well able to analyze its central meaning. Yet among the childish and ignorant, there were still those who did not comprehend. Thus, following in his prior footsteps, I have appended an explanation where it was not yet glossed, not presumptuously inventing anything so as to confound red with purple. Perhaps those dwelling alone and newly advancing may thereby resolve their doubts.