金剛經疏 1.1.6

1.1.6

悉知是人。 悉見是人者。 出弘經者。 攝授正法。 成熟眾生。 乃可名為善男子善女人。 佛慧悉知悉見者。 佛無礙智慧攝授也。 佛知見德。 何功德。 舉　皆德成就無量無邊功德者。 以利誘也。 長短言之則無量佛智。 不能知分劑故。 上來諸文不同。 利過勸並了。 次下第二得勸。 舉　須菩提。 若有善男子善女人。 初日分。 以恒河沙等身布施。 中日分。 復以恒河沙等身布施。 後日分。 亦以恒河沙等身布施者。 一九時。 放捨身命布施。 夜三時不論。 各以恒沙身命布施者。 其數多也。 經多少時布施。 舉　如是無量百千萬億劫以身布施者。 時分長也。 此樂福宜多。 問何處得有爾所身命布施。 答假設為言。 示應語也。 喻孝順兒。 孝養阿孃頂戴母遶須彌山千匝。 由無足日。 菩薩亦然　何勿定得舉。 若復有人聞此經典信心不逆。 其福勝彼。 何況書寫受持讀誦。 為人解說者。 依本宣傳曰說。 開闡意義曰解。 功德多少。 說相貌將來。 舉　須菩提。 以要言之。 是經有不可思議。 不可稱量無邊功德者。 若廣別說。 窮劫不盡故巧方便。 略要言之。 何誰合聞。 此第二向勝乘。 舉　如來為發大者說。 為發最上乘者說者。 向勝乘也。 聲聞緣覺是小乘者。 不聞此經。 有漸悟者。 迴心向大。 是發大者。 佛乃為說。 漸悟者。 一千二百阿羅漢是也。 阿誰悉知悉見。 舉　若復有人。 能受持讀誦。 廣為人說。 如來悉知是人。 悉見是人。 皆成就不可量不可稱。 無有邊。 不可思議功德者。 即以上利。 勸行法行。 悉知見等義。 同前釋　緣何勿事合得聞。 舉　如是人等。 則為荷擔如來。 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者。 當重住也。 如理天下。 是天子事。 委任大臣。 臣荷重住。 阿耨菩提。 是如來事。 付囑菩薩即荷如來重擔菩薩即荷如來重擔　何以故釋。 看舉　須菩提。 若樂小法者。 著我見人見。 眾生見受者見。 則於此經。 不能聽受讀誦。 為人解說者。 謂二乘人。 則此經不能聽受。 及自讀誦　三昧樂。 不樂言說故。 小乘者。 縱聞此經。 亦不得成佛。 得成佛敬一切皆應供養無舉　須菩提。 在在處處。 若有此經。 一切世間。 天人阿修羅。 所應供養者。 得尊貴也。 隨何時分。 說為在在。 持此經者。 故名在在。 緣何勿事得供養。 舉　當知此處。 則為是塔。 皆應恭敬。 作禮圍遶。 以諸花香。 而散其處者。 花則光色鮮榮。 見者悅預。 香則美氣氳馥聞者安樂。 以財表敬莫此為先。 上來諸文不同。 得利勸了。 次下釋滅罪勸。 先勸即會。 次勸末代於中有兩段經文。 先舉初文。 舉。 復次須菩提。 若善男子善女人。 受持讀誦此經。 若為人輕賤。 是人先世罪業。 應墮惡道。 以今世人輕賤故。 先世罪業。 則為消滅。 當得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者。 滅業過。 何徒滅罪。 亦能善。 諸所作業。 略有二種。 一者定受。 二者不定受。 不定受中。 有業時定。 而時不定　業前方便。 及業後起。 此之一段勸即會。 後勸末代。 有四句經。 先舉初文。 舉　須菩提我念過去無量阿僧祇劫。 於燃燈佛前。 得值八百四千萬億那由他諸佛。 悉皆供養承事。 無空過者。 精懃無間。 不虛度也。 此問文。 念昔多福也。 會自然燈照。 故名。 然燈佛。 從此以下。 以經校量。 舉　若復有人。 於末世。 能受持讀誦此經。 所得功德。 於我所。 供養諸佛功德。 百分不及一。 千萬億分。 乃至算數譬喻。 所不能及者。 以經校量也。 無勝多法。 可為喻故。 從此以下。 將護彼意。 舉　須菩提。 若善男子善女人。 於後末世。 有受持讀誦此經。 所得功德。 我若具說者。

“Fully knows these people; fully sees these people”: this brings out those who propagate the sūtra. They embrace the true Dharma and bring sentient beings to maturity, and so can be called good sons and good daughters. That the Buddha’s wisdom fully knows and fully sees them means that the Buddha’s unobstructed wisdom embraces them. What kind of merit is the merit of the Buddha's knowing and seeing? The text cites: “They will all attain the accomplishment of measureless and boundless merit”: this is enticement by benefit. Broadly speaking, it is measureless, because the Buddha’s wisdom cannot know any limit to it. The preceding passages have varied; the exhortation through benefit is concluded. Next is the second exhortation regarding attainment. The text cites: “Subhūti, if a good son or good daughter in the early part of the day gives away bodies as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā, and in the middle part of the day also gives away bodies as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā, and in the latter part of the day also gives away bodies as numerous as the sands of the Gaṅgā”: during the day, they abandon their physical life in giving; the three periods of the night are not discussed. That they give bodies and lives equal each time to the sands of the Gaṅgā means their number is vast. For how long do they practice giving? The text cites: “Giving their bodies in this way for measureless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of kalpas”: the period of time is extremely long. The merit of such pleasure should be great. Question: Where could one obtain so many bodies and lives to give? Answer: This is said hypothetically, showing illustrative speech. It is like a filial child who reverently serves their mother, carrying her on their head and circumambulating Mount Sumeru a thousand times without ever finding a day sufficient; the bodhisattva is also like this. How is it definitely surpassed? The text cites: “If someone hears this scripture and believes it with a mind that does not oppose it, their merit surpasses that, how much more so if they copy, uphold, read, recite, and explain it to others”: proclaiming it according to the text is called “explaining”; clarifying and expounding its meaning is called “interpreting.” How great is this merit? Showing its characteristics, the text cites: “Subhūti, in short, this scripture possesses inconceivable, incalculable, boundless merit”: if explained in full detail, it could not be exhausted even in kalpas, hence by skillful means it is stated in brief. Who is fit to hear it? This is the second point, regarding turning toward the superior vehicle. The text cites: “The Tathāgata speaks it for those who give rise to the Great Vehicle, for those who give rise to the Supreme Vehicle”: this means turning toward the superior vehicle. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas belong to the Small Vehicle and do not hear this sūtra. Those of gradual awakening turn their minds toward the Great Vehicle; these are those who give rise to the Great Vehicle, and the Buddha then speaks it for them. Those of gradual awakening are the one thousand two hundred arhats. Who fully knows and fully sees? The text cites: “If someone can uphold, read, recite, and broadly explain it to others, the Tathāgata fully knows this person, fully sees this person, and they all achieve incalculable, unmeasurable, boundless, inconceivable merit”: that is, by the above benefits, they are exhorted to practice the Dharma practice. The meanings of “fully knows and fully sees” are the same as explained before. For what purpose are they fit to hear it? The text cites: “Such persons will be bearing the anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi of the Tathāgata”: this means shouldering a heavy burden. Ruling the world is the affair of the Son of Heaven; he entrusts it to great ministers, and the ministers bear the heavy burden. Anuttarā-bodhi is the affair of the Tathāgata; entrusting it to bodhisattvas means that the bodhisattvas shoulder the Tathāgata’s heavy burden; the bodhisattvas shoulder the Tathāgata's heavy burden. As for the explanation of “why is this,” look at the citation: “Subhūti, if someone takes pleasure in lesser teachings, clinging to the view of a self, the view of a person, the view of a sentient being, or the view of a soul, then they cannot listen to, receive, read, recite, or explain this sūtra to others”: this refers to persons of the two vehicles, who cannot listen to, receive, or themselves read and recite this sūtra. They delight in the joy of samādhi and do not delight in discourse; hence, even if those of the Small Vehicle hear this sūtra, they cannot attain Buddhahood. Reaching the attainment of Buddhahood and being revered, all should make offerings without exception. The text cites: “Subhūti, wherever this scripture exists, it should receive offerings from all worldly beings, including devas, humans, and asuras”: this means attaining honor. Whatever time period it may be, it is described as “wherever”; because they uphold this sūtra, it is called “wherever.” For what reason does it receive offerings? The text cites: “You should know that this place is a stūpa, which all should revere, pay homage to, and circumambulate, scattering various flowers and incenses upon that place”: as for flowers, their light and color are fresh and glorious, delighting those who see them; as for incense, its fragrance is rich and fine, bringing peace and happiness to those who smell it. In expressing reverence through material goods, nothing surpasses this. The preceding passages have varied; the exhortation through attaining benefit is concluded. Next is the exhortation through the eradication of negative karma: first, the exhortation regarding the immediate assembly; next, the exhortation regarding the final age. In this, there are two segments of sūtra text. First, the initial text is cited: “Furthermore, Subhūti, if a good son or good daughter upholds, reads, and recites this sūtra, and is despised by others, this person’s evil karma from previous lives, which should have led to falling into the evil realms, will be eradicated because they are despised by people in the present life, and they will attain anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi”: eradicating the fault of karma. Why merely eradicate sins? It can also bring about good. In general, there are two kinds of deeds performed: first, those with fixed retributions; second, those with unfixed retributions. Among those with unfixed retributions, some have fixed timing, and some have unfixed timing; the preliminary means prior to karma, and the consequences arising after karma. This segment of the exhortation concerns the immediate assembly. Next is the exhortation regarding the final age, which has a four-line scriptural verse. First, the initial text is cited: “Subhūti, I remember that in the past, countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, before the Buddha Dīpaṃkara, I encountered eight hundred and four thousand myriads of koṭis of nayutas of Buddhas, and made offerings to and served them all without passing any by in vain”: with diligent perseverance without interruption, it was not spent in vain. This question-text recalls the abundant merit of the past. As his light naturally shone like a lamp, he was called Dīpaṃkara Buddha. From here on, a comparison is made with the sūtra. The text cites: “If someone in the final age can uphold, read, and recite this sūtra, the merit they obtain, compared to the merit of my making offerings to all those Buddhas, would not equal one hundredth, or one thousand-myriad-koṭi-th, or even what could be reached by calculation or metaphor”: this is a comparison with the sūtra. Because there is no superior or greater phenomenon that can serve as a metaphor, from here on, their minds are protected. The text cites: “Subhūti, if a good son or good daughter in the later, final age upholds, reads, and recites this scripture, the merit they obtain—if I were to explain it fully…”