金剛經疏 1.1.2

1.1.2

did not attain Buddhahood. Why is that? Because there was something attained, for this reason he did not attain Buddhahood. Later, in the presence of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, he then received vyākaraṇa. Why is that? Because there was nothing attained; this is called 'true attainment.' It is like a small child who seeks deliverance, everywhere searching for a preceptor, everywhere seeking and beseeching, but directly revering [them] he cannot attain deliverance. Why is that? Because he has a seeking mind. Afterwards, when he reads the sūtras on his own, he then attains it. As for 'Dīpaṃkara' (Lighting a Lamp), it must be spontaneous; then one attains Buddhahood. As for 'Māṇava ṛṣi,' Dīpaṃkara Buddha gave him vyākaraṇa; he is the present Śākyamuni. As for the four conditions: first, hetu-pratyaya; second, unexcelled condition; third, samanantara-pratyaya; fourth, ālambana-pratyaya. All dharmas possess these four conditions; only then can one attain Buddhahood. The word 'in' means that within one's own body, within the eighteen dhātus, one seeks a fixed master, yet in the end it cannot be found; only then can one receive vyākaraṇa. The above various passages differ; the subduing of the mark of direct retribution is concluded. From here below is the subduing of the mark of environmental retribution. Therein are three questions and answers. First, the opening passage is cited. Citation: 'Subhūti, what do you think? Does a bodhisattva adorn the buddhakṣetra or not?' This asks about his understanding. 'Does a bodhisattva adorn the buddhakṣetra?' finishes the question. Answer: 'No, Bhagavat.' This is an upright answer according to his understanding. 'Why is this?' is his self-inquiry and self-explanation. If he does not adorn it, how could he attain a pure land? From here below is the explanation. See the citation: 'As for the adorning of the buddhakṣetra'—to slander through an augmenting mind—'is no adorning'—to slander through a diminishing mind—'therefore it is called adorning'—this departs from existence and departs from non-existence, inspiring union with the middle way. This means that taking physical marks and reckoning them to be purity is not adorning; taking them in false assertion, because it is truly adorned, this adorning is called adorning. Not relying on physical marks, but relying only on the real entity, is called true adornment. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra says: 'Because their minds are pure, the buddhakṣetra is pure.' This is called true adornment. There are four things seen, each seeing differently. For example, the devas see water and call it vaidūrya; the other three kinds are to broaden what is heard. From here below, Śākyamuni teaches true adornment point by point. Citation: 'Therefore, Subhūti, a bodhisattva-mahāsattva should produce a pure mind like this.' This teaches true adornment: by producing a pure mind one attains Buddhahood. One must make the three karmas pure. 'All' generally refers to bodhisattvas: the 'mahā' (great) ones are mahāsattvas, the lesser ones are bodhisattvas. Sentient beings have doubts: how does one produce a pure mind? Citation: 'One should not produce a mind dwelling on form; one should not produce a mind dwelling on sound, fragrance, taste, touch, or dharmas.' If one dwells on the various dusts, it is not a pure mind. 'One should not produce a mind dwelling on form' means there are external realms and internal realms; when internal and external are both relinquished, it is called producing a mind not dwelling on form. 'Producing a mind [not dwelling on] sound, fragrance, taste, touch, or dharmas' means that toward the realms of the six sense objects, from the beginning there is no defilement or attachment. If one dwells on the various dusts, it is not a pure mind. From below is the concluding exhortation to cultivate and train. Citation: 'One should produce that mind without dwelling anywhere.' Then one attains liberation, not grasping at the inferior realm of dusts. 'Without dwelling anywhere' means the mind is naturally pure. The above various passages differ; the subduing of the mark of environmental retribution is concluded. From here below, sixth is the subduing of the mark of the superior body. For the sentient beings of the latter age, who have delusional attachments and where the rich oppress the poor, the Buddha therefore must subdue it. In order to dispel this doubt, he examines by relying on a metaphor. Question: therein are two questions and answers. First, the opening passage is cited. Citation: 'Subhūti, suppose a person's body were like Sumeru, king of mountains. What do you think, is that large or not?' This asks about his understanding. Being the largest among all mountains, it is therefore called the 'king of mountains.' In order to dispel this doubt, he examines and asks relying on a metaphor. The question is finished. Answer: citation: 'Subhūti said: Very large, Bhagavat.' This is an answering agreement. Mount Sumeru is eighty-four thousand yojanas in height and breadth; therefore it is taken as a metaphor. 'Subhūti said: Very large, Bhagavat.' 'Why is this?' is an inquiry. From here below explains the meaning of greatness. Citation: 'The Buddha said a great body is called a great body.' Although Mount Sumeru is high, its mind is without discrimination. The Buddha's body is also like this; it does not discriminate between sentient beings and the Buddha's body. The eight worldly dharmas cannot move it. The eight dharmas are birth, old age, illness, and death, earth, water, fire, and wind; therefore they are called the eight worldly dharmas. The elder Ghoṣila saw a three-foot body; the Bodhisattva Dhāraṇīsaṃpanna saw a thousand-foot body. The asura's large body lacks wisdom; Śāriputra's physical body was small yet his wisdom was great. One may look toward the principle of bodily measure. Subhūti, the above various Buddhas differ; the sixth, subduing the mark of the superior body, is concluded. From here below, seventh is the subduing of the mark of defiled merit. Therein are three, four, or five courtesies. First, the opening passage is cited. Citation: 'Subhūti, as many as the grains of sand in the Gaṅgā, were there that many Gaṅgā rivers, what do you think, would the sands of all those Gaṅgā rivers be many or not?' 'What do you think?' asks about his understanding. 'All those Gaṅgā rivers': named after a spirit, it is therefore called the Gaṅgā. Flowing out from the east, it circles the great lake Anavatapta and flows into the Eastern Sea. Master Paramārtha of the capital [said]: where that river first emerges, it is one yojana in breadth, completely full of fine sand flowing along with the water. Taking all the sands within one river and calculating rivers by the sand, one grain of sand per river is already very many; could the sand of this many rivers be called many or not? Śākyamuni finishes asking. Subhūti answers. Citation: 'Subhūti said: Extremely many, Bhagavat.' This is a brief answer. As for whether it is many, Subhūti answers twice: first a brief answer, later an explanatory answer. For the explanatory answer, see the citation: 'Those Gaṅgā [rivers] alone are countless, how much more so their sands!' This is an explanatory answer. From here below is Śākyamuni's true answer. Citation: 'Subhūti, I now tell you truly'—one ought to believe this: 'If a good son or good daughter were to fill with the seven treasures'—valuable wealth is abundant—'that many trisāhasra-worlds as the sands in those Gaṅgā rivers, and use them for giving.'