御注金剛般若波羅蜜經宣演 1.10.3

1.10.3

"Vajra" here is the most supreme among jewels. Its substances and varieties are manifold. The Nyāyānusāra states: "Śakra, Devendra, has a jewel called vajra, which cannot be seen by other sentient beings." Paramārtha's notes state: "There are six kinds of jewels, all called vajra: first, the blue-colored, which can eliminate all calamities and misfortunes; second, the yellow-colored, which can produce various things according to what a person requires; third, the red-colored, which can enable a person to travel through the air; fourth, the white-colored, which can produce water and also clarify turbid water; fifth, the space-colored, which can produce fire; sixth, the jasper-colored, which can dissipate all poisons." The above explains the substance of the metaphor. Next is to set forth its meanings and functions: first relying on various teachings, and later based on this treatise. First, as for the various teachings: fascicle twenty-four of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra extensively praises the vajra-samādhi: "It is just like a vajra: wherever it is directed, nothing fails to be shattered and destroyed, and yet that vajra itself suffers no damage or breaking." It also states: "Just as among all jewels, vajra is the most supreme." According to Bodhisattva Vasubandhu's commentary on the Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha, there are four meanings of the vajra-samādhi taken as a metaphor: first, it can destroy afflictions; second, it can induce remainingless merits; third, it is solid and unbreakable; fourth, its sharp utility penetrates all dharmas. Since the samādhi is like this, by analogy wisdom is also the same. Fascicle twelve of the Abhidharmasamuccaya-bhāṣya explains that the vajra-samādhi has four meanings: first, uninterrupted, because it is not interrupted or flawed by worldly practice; second, firm, because it can destroy all obstacles and is not destroyed by obstacles; third, of one taste, because its non-conceptual nature is purely of one taste; fourth, all-pervading, because it takes the tathatā of the common characteristic of all phenomena as its objective sphere. Vajra also has four [meanings]: first, its substance has no gaps and is not mixed with sand or stones; second, it can be known; third, it is purely of one type, neither changing nor altering; fourth, it is pervasive throughout the world, like the vajra mountains and vajra pestles. Bringing together the various texts, there are ten meanings of vajra: first, supreme; second, difficult to see; third, removing calamities; fourth, solid; fifth, fulfilling wishes; sixth, able to induce; seventh, sharp utility; eighth, uninterrupted; ninth, of one taste; tenth, all-pervading. The text and meaning of this sūtra also have ten kinds: because it is the utmost, foremost, rare dharma; because its meaning and fruition are inconceivable; because sinful karma, obstacles, and afflictions are eradicated; because it can shatter firm attachments and is not shattered by them; because it benefits sentient beings, adorns buddha-lands, and attains bodhi; because it can generate all buddhas and gather good dharmas; because it penetrates selflessness and its wisdom-vision is pure; because it is not grasped by a mind that abides in marks; because the meaning of 'suchness of all phenomena' has an unconditioned essence; because its blessings and wisdom are like space and cannot be measured. Matching and explaining in this way against the preceding ten metaphors, although these meanings are complete, they are not the intent of the basic treatise. The basic treatise has four meanings: first, subtle; second, rare; third, able to sever; fourth, similar. The first three are shared meanings: contemplating and illuminating the true mark, they are pervasive in all teachings. The last one is unshared: textual prajñā, which is solely in this treatise. First, the treatise marks: "As for 'vajra-cutter,' this name corresponds to two meanings; one should know it is as when one says 'entering the practice of right views' and 'entering the practice of wrong views.'" However, in explaining this passage, various interpretations differ. Ci'en explains: "'Corresponds to two meanings' shows that 'vajra' applies to both the antidote and that which is cured. 'As when one says...' below adduces an example to explain it. 'Right view' refers to the group of beings destined for correctness; 'wrong view' refers to the group of beings destined for falsehood. Practicing good or evil practices can enter into those groups, hence they are called those two practices. Or it broadly points to saying: as when one says that two persons, good and evil, practice good and evil practices; this practice enters the category of the group of right views, and this practice enters the category of the group of wrong views. Although wrong and right differ, both are called 'practices of views.' Now, the three wisdoms that can overcome and the two obstacles that are overcome—although defiled and good differ—are both called 'vajra.' As the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'A vajra is extremely firm; ten thousand things cannot break it, except the horn of a white sheep or the shell of a turtle.' The meaning is that the two obstacles, according to what is appropriate, cannot be severed by ordinary persons or the two vehicles; only when one gives rise to the great mind of bodhi can the three wisdoms then subdue or sever them. This uses that which is severed as a metaphor for vajra, like 'entering the practice of wrong views.' Furthermore, just as jade and stone are extremely hard and solid by nature, not broken by [ordinary] things, only vajra can smash them. The two obstacles are also like this: they are not destroyed by ordinary persons' conventional wisdom or the two vehicles' true knowledge, for the two vehicles do not sever the habit-energies of the obstacle of afflictions; only the three wisdoms of the Great Vehicle, like that vajra, can then subdue and sever them, and at the stage of ultimate severance, it is the wisdom cultivated by vajra [-samādhi]. Therefore, the sūtra only speaks of vajra as a metaphor for samādhi, which is this ability to sever as a metaphor for vajra, like 'entering the practice of right views.' Therefore it speaks of two meanings: first, the meaning of that which is shattered; second, the meaning of that which shatters. If it only meant that which shatters, the metaphor of the two views, wrong and right, would not correspond. However, the text of the treatise is brief and does not explicitly unpack the vajra of that which is cured; it is implicitly contained within 'able to sever' and only then becomes evident." Henan further explains: "Vajra is only a metaphor for the three wisdoms and the teaching. Why is that? The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'It is like a vajra, which is extremely firm and nothing can damage it, except turtle shells and the like.' That sūtra is also like this: it only excepts the icchantika, who cannot be made to establish the cause of bodhi. Since sheep horns and the like are used as metaphors for icchantikas, it is clear that that which is severed is not called vajra. And as for speaking of 'two meanings': first, realizing the principle of tathatā, like entering the practice of right views; second, severing all afflictions, like entering the practice of wrong views. This vajra-wisdom can shatter the two heavy obstacles and afflictions of those in the Great Vehicle who possess good roots and whose faculties are mature, but it cannot eliminate the afflictions in the bodies of those persons whose good roots are severed." There is also an explanation stating: "According to this treatise, the sentence 'vajra is hard to break' in the initial meaning-aggregate clarifies that it is not that which is severed. Although elsewhere it is said that afflictions are hard to sever just like vajra, here it says they can be severed, so it is inappropriate to use vajra as a metaphor for them—just as when it is said that icchantikas are hard to convert, scorched grain is used as a metaphor; if it were said that icchantikas could be cured, this metaphor would not be used. And as for speaking of 'two meanings correspond,' vajra can sever both hard and unhard things; this is called the two meanings." Daoyin says: "The first explanation is superior, because it accords with the text of the treatise: it takes vajra primarily as a metaphor for the wisdom that can [sever] and concurrently as a metaphor for the obstacles that are severed, thereby displaying the function of wisdom. Fascicle two of the Daśacakra Sūtra states: 'How does it shatter continuity, like afflictions that are like vajra?' Principles have many paths, so how could metaphors be fixed? Just as space is spoken of as a metaphor for buddha-nature, and is also spoken of as a metaphor for the coarse metal of the two obstacles. As in the Nyāyamukha: a doorway opens to both principle and wisdom. Adducing that obstacles are hard to sever just like vajra is done to express that wisdom's capability is extraordinary and transcendent; who needs to make someone contemplate the hardness of afflictions and give rise to contemplative practice based on that? If so, the metaphor of sheep horns and the like in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra would not correspond; how is that to be harmonized? Answer: The intent of the Mahāparinirvāṇa text is not an explanation of this sūtra. Here we merely borrow that metaphor to illustrate vajra."