仁王般若實相論卷第二 2.3.6

2.3.6

Third, it clarifies that the eighteen Brahma heavens cultivate the common contemplation of the three vehicles, enter samādhi, produce supernormal powers, and scatter flowers in offering. Fourth, it clarifies that the remaining assemblies, having ascended to the noble fruits, enter deeply into meditation and use supernormal flowers to make offerings to the Buddha. Fifth, it clarifies that the ten thousand bodhisattvas give rise to great compassion, rescuing suffering sentient beings of the three periods of time, vowing to lead them to jointly realize boundless samādhis. Sixth, it clarifies that there are further one billion bodhisattvas whose practice has ascended to the culmination of learning, realising the true dharma-nature and attaining the fruit of full enlightenment. 'When the great assembly heard the Buddha speak of the seven frightful things, their bodily hairs stood on end' clarifies the mutual confrontation of counteraction. 'Vowing not to be born in that country' means that after their practice-vows are established, they abandon their original dwellings. 'Therefore handing over state affairs to a younger brother and leaving the household': because the latter relies on the former, it is called 'handing over to a younger brother'; this is the meaning of benefiting others. 'Further cultivating conditions to advance daily, leaving the household to cultivate the Way; conditions of the four great elements and four colours producing characteristics' refers to the contemplation of the eight bases of mastery; the contemplating mind reveals superiority, hence it is called 'producing characteristics'. 'The four great elements and four colours, not using consciousness and emptiness' refers to the ten totalities. 'Characteristics of worldly forbearance on the initial stage' means that subduing forbearance is the first of the five forbearances; hence it is called 'characteristics of the initial stage'. 'Characteristics of the ultimate truth on the nine stages' refers to the sixth stage clarifying prajñāpāramitā as the ultimate truth. 'Characteristics of the nine stages' means that the first three are firm forbearance; from the Joyous Stage up to the Present Stage, hence it says 'characteristics of the nine stages'. 'Abandoning the body of an ordinary person' means abandoning subduing forbearance; hence it is called 'abandoning the body of an ordinary person'. 'Entering the body of the sixth stage': the body of the seventh stage is a body of minds with active effort within the three realms; at the final mind of the seventh stage, one must abandon it. As the sūtra states, abandoning the seven reward bodies and entering the eight dharma bodies: from the eighth stage to the tenth stage, both the eighth stage and ninth stage have higher, middle, and lower [grades]; the upper and lower cessation forbearances, hence it says 'entering the eight dharma bodies'. Another explanation says that entering the eight dharma bodies means that above the eighth stage, there is pure bodhi, effortless practice, and the true path beyond learning; hence it says 'entering the eight dharma bodies'. 'Realizing all practices' explains the meaning of 'entering' above. 'Prajñāpāramitā' reveals that the ultimate path is the true dharma of realization. 'The eighteen Brahma heavens and asura kings attained the contemplation of the three vehicles and shared the realm of the unborn' clarifies that the three vehicles equally contemplate the principle of emptiness and the unborn, as in the sūtra: 'attained the contemplation of the three vehicles and shared the realm of the unborn'. 'Further scattering flowers in offering': the Brahma gods and others of the form realm enter deep and wondrous samādhi, producing flowers through supernormal powers to make offerings. 'Initial offerings' is a general listing, distinguishing the nine kinds of flowers below. From entering samādhi the names of flowers are revealed: entering the station of emptiness, samādhi and supernormal powers produce wisdom, using inconceivable flowers to make offerings to the Buddha. The names of the eight kinds of flowers below all arise from samādhi generating supernormal powers, manifesting the meaning of inconceivable practices; hence it says 'flowers of the thirty-seven factors [of enlightenment] were scattered over the Buddha'. Another explanation states: from empty flowers down to the flowers of the thirty-seven factors [of enlightenment], these are all nine practices within subduing forbearance; lineage of practice, nature lineage, and path lineage each have three, making nine. 'And nine hundred billion great bodhisattvas' generally raises the ten stages. Mentioning nine and mentioning billion reveals that the causal meaning is not yet complete. 'All the rest who realized the fruit of the traces of the Path' means those below the sixth stage are all expedient practices and not yet complete, hence called 'the traces of the Path; minds like empty flowers; the tree of practice of the seventh stage; two lower flowers of practice of the eighth stage; the ninth stage and tenth stage scattered over the Buddha': the cause tends toward the fruit. 'And all the assembly' means that no practices are not gathered. 'Ten thousand bodhisattvas': based on stages ten is revealed, based on practices a thousand is revealed. 'Mindful of future sentient beings realizing enlightenment' means advancing through conditions to completion. From the wondrous enlightenment samādhi down to the all-practice samādhi, all are causal practices subsumed from the ten stages down to subduing forbearance; hence they are given the name of samādhi. 'There were further one billion who presently accomplished full enlightenment' begins to reveal the fruit-virtues.