御注金剛般若波羅蜜經宣演 2.59

2.59

經。是人先世至則為消滅　演曰。釋所由中。餘本有徵說經之處。八部尚且虔恭持讀之人。理應凡聖稱讚返被輕毀。有何所由。釋中文二。初明滅罪後得菩提。此初也。彼論第七及遠離諸障。釋云。何故為人輕賤。而離諸障以有大功德故。演曰。經言先世則過去世。一過去世生二讀誦經。前亦名先世。依前先世轉後報業。依後先世通轉生後及現報業。於此諸業之中。由持經力轉不定業。輕罪皆滅重罪令輕。被人罵等便為先當三惡重苦。業有四種。順現生後第四不定。不定有三。謂時定報不定。報定時不定。時報俱不定。此中所轉是第二句。所以者何。由報定故轉重令輕。由時不定墮惡道業人間受故。其餘二句一切都滅。對法論云。若作不增長不必受異熟。乃至業有五種。一他所教勅。二他所勸請。三無所了知。此之三業持經力故一切都滅。以業非是受報定故。四根本執著。五顛倒分別。此二業重作必增長定受異熟。由持經力轉此二業令成輕受。問。現後生業時報俱定者得轉以不。答。由持經故。一切皆轉。不爾如何速證菩提。若爾既皆得轉。何故名定。答。據不發心若發不定故。涅槃經云。未入我法名決定業。若入我法則不決定。又解。准闍王造五逆罪時報俱定。見佛懺悔聞小乘經。初懺悔故應入拍毬地獄轉重令輕。後聞大乘至誠懇悔逆罪消滅故。入佛法名不定業。若准此義。此中且說中庸受持轉重輕受。若心精懇一切都滅。問。准大般若唯除決定惡業應熟。如何今言定業亦轉等。答。彼據定受受有輕重。此轉令輕非全不受。與彼無違。與涅槃經亦無乖返。持經即是入佛法故。此依前解。若依後解。彼亦據其中庸受持任意取捨。問。注云業若先定應墮惡道。即是鈍根聞必驚怖。安能信奉而讀誦此經耶。若後五百歲聞是章句能生信心者。此人已於千萬佛所種諸善根。復若為人輕賤乎。如何會釋。答。遽旨天懇叵難雲興自非聖心玄鑒。何以發斯幽賾有難而無釋者。蓋欲推功歸論表佛意之深微耳。今依論宗奉宣其趣。此論五種殊勝功德。即當第五滅罪所收。彼論九種成就業因即當第七遠離諸障故。長行云。示現遠離一切諸障故。何故為人輕賤而離諸障。以有大功德故。周本經云。此為善事。新論云。此為善事者。謂遭輕辱時顯被辱之人。有福德性故言此為善事。准此罪福各別有種。由福德故。能信此經令罪業滅。自下經文不但罪滅亦得菩提。

Sūtra: this person's prior lifetimes, up to will then be eradicated. Exposition: In explaining the reason: Other recensions contain a question: the place where the sūtra is spoken is reverently respected even by the eight classes of beings, and the person who upholds and recites it ought reasonably to be praised by ordinary beings and sages; why instead are they despised and slighted? What is the reason? In the explanation there are two [parts]: first, clarifying the eradication of transgressions; second, obtaining bodhi. This is the first. That treatise's seventh [line], "and leaving far behind all obstructions," comments: "Why is one despised and slighted by others yet leaves behind all obstructions? Because one has great merit." Exposition: The sūtra says "prior lifetimes," which means past lifetimes: first, birth in past lifetimes; second, prior to reciting the sūtra is also called "prior lifetimes." Relying on the former "prior lifetimes," one transforms karma of subsequent retribution; relying on the latter "prior lifetimes," it generally transforms karma of rebirth retribution, subsequent retribution, and present retribution. Among these various karmas, through the power of upholding the sūtra, one transforms indeterminate karma: light transgressions are all eradicated, and heavy transgressions are made light; being reviled by others and the like serves as [the retribution for] what would previously have been the heavy suffering of the three evil destinies. There are four kinds of karma: experienced in the present life, in the next life, in subsequent lives, and the fourth is indeterminate. Of indeterminate there are three: time is determinate but retribution is indeterminate; retribution is determinate but time is indeterminate; both time and retribution are indeterminate. What is transformed here is the second case. Why is that? Because retribution is determinate, the heavy is transformed into light; because time is indeterminate, karma that would cause falling into the evil destinies is experienced among humans. The other two cases are entirely eradicated. The Abhidharma-samuccaya states: "If done but not accumulated, one does not necessarily experience vipāka." Furthermore, there are five kinds of karma: first, commanded by another; second, exhorted by another; third, without awareness. These three karmas, through the power of upholding the sūtra, are entirely eradicated, because the karma is not determinate as to experiencing retribution. Fourth, fundamental clinging; fifth, inverted conceptualization. These two karmas are heavy: if done, they are certainly accumulated and definitely experience vipāka; through the power of upholding the sūtra, these two karmas are transformed so that they are experienced lightly. Question: Can karma of the present, subsequent, and next lives where both time and retribution are determinate be transformed or not? Answer: Through upholding the sūtra, all are transformed; otherwise, how could one quickly realize bodhi? If so, since all can be transformed, why are they called determinate? Answer: This is based on not having generated the aspiration [for bodhi]; if generated, they are indeterminate. Hence the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Not having entered my Dharma is called determinate karma; if one enters my Dharma, then it is not determinate." Another explanation: according to King Ajātaśatru, who committed the five heinous sins, both time and retribution were determinate; when he saw the Buddha, repented, and heard the Small Vehicle sūtras, through his initial repentance, what should have sent him to the bouncing-ball hell was transformed from heavy to light; later, hearing the Great Vehicle, with utmost sincerity and earnest repentance, his heinous transgressions were eradicated. Therefore, entering the Buddha's Dharma is called indeterminate karma. If according to this meaning, what is spoken here provisionally refers to middling upholding transforming heavy into light experiences; if the mind is refined and earnest, all are entirely eradicated. Question: According to the Large Prajñāpāramitā, only excepting determinate evil karma that is due to ripen, why is it now said that determinate karma is also transformed, and so forth? Answer: That is based on determinate experience, where experience has degrees of heaviness and lightness; here, transforming it to be light is not non-experiencing entirely. There is no contradiction with that, nor is it in conflict with the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, because upholding the sūtra is precisely entering the Buddha's Dharma. This relies on the former explanation. If relying on the latter explanation, that text is also based on middling upholding; one may adopt or reject at will. Question: The imperial commentary states: "If the karma was previously determinate, one should fall into the evil destinies; thus, those of dull faculties who hear it will certainly be terrified and alarmed—how could they faithfully accept, revere, and recite this sūtra? If in the latter five hundred years those who hear these verses and phrases are able to generate faithful confidence, such persons have already planted wholesome roots before tens of millions of buddhas—how then could they be despised and slighted by others? How is this reconciled?" Answer: The imperial intention is heavenly, earnest, and profound; difficulties arise like clouds. Were it not for the sagely mind's profound discernment, how could such subtle and abstruse matters be unfolded? Where there is a question without an explanation, it is surely intended to ascribe merit to the treatise and demonstrate the deep subtlety of the Buddha's intention. Now, relying on the tenets of the treatise, I respectfully proclaim its purport: Among the five kinds of superior merit in this treatise, this falls under the fifth, the eradication of transgressions. Among the nine causes of accomplished karma in that treatise, this corresponds to the seventh, leaving far behind all obstructions; hence the prose commentary says: "Because it demonstrates leaving far behind all obstructions." Why is one despised and slighted by others yet leaves behind all obstructions? Because one has great merit. The Zhou recension of the sūtra says: "This is a good thing." The New Treatise states: "'This is a good thing' means that when one encounters slight and insult, it reveals that the person being insulted possesses a virtuous nature; therefore it says 'this is a good thing.'" According to this, transgressions and merits each have their distinct seeds; because of merit, one is able to have faith in this sūtra and cause sinful karma to be eradicated. In the sūtra text below, not only are transgressions eradicated, but one also attains bodhi.