無量壽經義記卷下 1.35

1.35

第七明破五戒勸修。從佛告彌勒如等能於此世。特欲明五痛五燒。先廣明五戒十善之相。此五戒十善悉具意地三善根無貪癡瞋也。修十善幡十惡修五戒幡五惡。此五戒是在家律儀。凡律儀者。詮量輕重也。今言五戒者。戒以心惡為義。心惡之義即是心善自心意地惡不起。復能外化即是行善也。此戒亦言彼。彼解脫亦言事。事得解脫於不。不得殺邊解脫乃至不飲酒。於不飲酒邊得解脫也。然眾生欺惑情重違破五戒。起於五惡乃至五燒也。就此章中凡有七段明義。第一段總明破五戒相。五痛五燒是也。從如等能於此世端心正意訖長壽泥洹之道。如等能於此世端心正意者。若能無意地貪瞋癡便是無眾惡。無眾惡故內德便生也。十方世界最無倫匹者。能無貪瞋癡。是世之所無故無倫匹也。所以者何。釋所以意地無貪瞋癡者。何只由修善幡惡故無貪瞋癡也。自然作善者。彼國天人無有三毒。唯有淳善也。易可開悟者。入理之人易為道化也。今我於此世間作佛處於五惡者。釋迦自明所得國土。爰是穢惡眾生洹以三毒四倒以為過患。是以幡五戒起五惡也。此五惡是起惡之因。何者是五。一者殺生。二者偷盜。三者貪婬。四者妄語。五者飲酒。此五惡是過去時因能滅現在。五痛五燒之果也。五痛者。是現在果。因惡而果痛。煩惱熾然盛自相燋然故言五痛也。五燒者。是未來果。現在果既不實。未來便應磨滅燒盡也。教化群生令捨五惡者。勸令修善令幡五惡。惡因既不起。俱然無五痛五燒之果也。降化其意令持五善者。令持五戒之善也。度世長壽泥洹之道者。是無為之果也。第二段明殺生破不殺戒。從其一惡者訖是為一大善。就此段中有五子句明義。第一子句明過去造殺生因也。從其一惡者訖犯者。不殺蠕動之類。欲為眾惡莫不皆然者。明過去行惡。因眾生修行殺惡業。現在得短壽六根不具報也。殘害殺戮者。不知反流盡源。唯以殺戮為懷。此造地獄之因也。惡逆無道後受殃罰者。過去有造惡因現在必受貧賤下劣斯報也。第二子句明現在受餘果報也。從故有貧窮下賤訖不逮之屬貧窮下賤者。此下八句明現在餘果定。是由前身造殺生惡業不行布施。只劫奪他物。是以墮地獄。受罪畢已餘殃不盡。現在受得人身。雖得人身聾盲瘖啞六根不具足也。第三子句明修善得果報尊貴也。從又有尊貴訖轉相受身。又有尊貴豪富高才明達者。明行善因得善果也。皆由宿世慈孝修善德所致者。明過去時行此慈孝善因。現在得尊貴豪富果報也。第四句與上聾盲瘖啞人作譬受二世果報也。從譬如王法痛苦極形者訖一痛一燒懃苦如是。一譬如王法痛苦極一刑者。明聾盲瘖啞示人現世受極重苦報也。故有自然三塗無量苦惱者。現在已受苦未來世復受三塗之重苦也。轉貿其身者。受六道之身非一更故言轉貿其身也。改刑易道者。既訖受六道之身所行惡道亦同也。所受命或長或短者。受六道之形所行造業亦不同。是以壽有長短也。第五子句明勸結也。從譬如大火焚燒人身訖是為一大善明。此勸修。若能懃修自策者。便得無為泥洹之道。若不能修行起惡者。便墮三塗如大火燒人也。

The seventh [part] explains encouraging cultivation through [discussing] the breaking of the five precepts. From "The Buddha told Maitreya: 'If you [and others] are able in this world...'" [the text] particularly wishes to explain the five sufferings and five burnings. It first explains extensively the characteristics of the five precepts and ten wholesome [actions]. These five precepts and ten wholesome [actions] are all fully endowed with the three wholesome roots of the mental ground: the absence of greed, delusion, and hatred. Cultivating the ten wholesome [actions] turns back the ten unwholesome [actions]; cultivating the five precepts turns back the five evils. These five precepts are lay discipline. In general, "discipline" means weighing gravity and lightness. Now, regarding the "five precepts," "precept" takes mental evil as its meaning. The meaning of "mental evil" is indeed mental goodness: when unwholesomeness does not arise in one's own mind and mental ground, and one can further transform others outwardly, this is precisely practicing goodness. This precept is also called "that-and-that liberation" (prātimokṣa), and is also called "matter-by-matter liberation." By [practicing] not killing, one obtains liberation regarding killing, and so forth, down to not drinking alcohol: by not drinking alcohol, one obtains liberation regarding drinking alcohol. However, sentient beings are heavily afflicted by deception and confusion, violating and breaking the five precepts, giving rise to the five evils and even the five burnings. Within this chapter, there are seven sections in total explaining the meaning. The first section generally explains the characteristics of breaking the five precepts; namely, the five sufferings and the five burnings. From "If you [and others] are able in this world to upright your minds and correct your thoughts..." down to "...the path of long life and nirvāṇa." "If you [and others] are able in this world to upright your minds and correct your thoughts": if one can be free from greed, hatred, and delusion of the mental ground, that is the absence of manifold evils. Because manifold evils are absent, internal virtue thereby arises. "Most peerless throughout the worlds of the ten directions": to be able to be free from greed, hatred, and delusion is something not found in the world, and therefore peerless. "Why is this?": explaining the reason why the mental ground is free from greed, hatred, and delusion. Why? It is only through cultivating goodness and turning back evil that one is free from greed, hatred, and delusion. "Naturally doing good": the gods and humans of that land have no three poisons, but only pure goodness. "Easily awakened": those who have entered principle are easily transformed into the Way. "Now I have become a Buddha in this world, dwelling amidst the five evils": Śākyamuni himself clarifies the land he has attained. Here sentient beings of defilement and evil constantly take the three poisons and four inversions as their faults; therefore, turning back from the five precepts, they give rise to the five evils. These five evils are the causes for giving rise to evil. What are the five? The first is killing living beings; the second is stealing; the third is lustful greed; the fourth is lying; the fifth is drinking alcohol. These five evils are causes in past times, and they can extinguish the present fruits of the five sufferings and five burnings. "The five sufferings": these are present fruits. Due to evil, the fruit suffers; afflictions blaze fiercely, mutually burning themselves, hence called "five sufferings." "The five burnings": these are future fruits. The present fruit being already unreal, the future must then wear down, be destroyed, and be burned entirely. "Teaching and transforming the multitude of beings, causing them to abandon the five evils": encouraging them to cultivate goodness and turn back the five evils. Once the evil cause does not arise, together there are no fruits of the five sufferings and five burnings. "Subduing and transforming their intentions, causing them to maintain the five goods": causing them to maintain the good of the five precepts. "The path to cross over the world, to long life and nirvāṇa": this is the unconditioned fruit. The second section explains killing living beings, which breaks the precept against killing. From "Its first evil..." down to "...this is the first great good." Within this section, there are five clauses explaining the meaning. The first clause explains the cause of creating killing in the past. From "Its first evil..." down to "...the transgressor does not spare even wriggling creatures. Wanting to commit all manner of evils, none are not like this": this explains past evil practice. Because sentient beings cultivate the evil karma of killing, in the present they obtain the retribution of short life and incomplete sense faculties. "Cruelly harming and slaughtering": not knowing how to reverse the stream and exhaust the source, they only harbor slaughter in mind. This creates the cause for the hells. "Vicious, rebellious, and without the Way, later receiving calamity and punishment": having created evil causes in the past, in the present one must surely receive this retribution of being poor, base, and wretched. The second clause explains receiving the residual karmic retribution in the present. From "Therefore there are the poor and destitute, base and lowly..." down to "...and classes of those not equal [to others]." "The poor and destitute, base and lowly": these eight lines below determine the residual fruit in the present. It is due to creating the evil karma of killing in previous lives, not practicing giving, and merely robbing other people's property. Therefore, they fall into hell; after their suffering for their offenses is finished, the residual calamity is not exhausted, and in the present they obtain a human body. Although they obtain a human body, they are deaf, blind, mute, and their six sense faculties are not complete. The third clause explains cultivating goodness and obtaining the karmic fruition of nobility and honor. From "Again there are the noble and honorable..." down to "...mutually receiving bodies in turn." "Again there are the noble and honorable, the wealthy and powerful, the highly talented, and the clearly discerning": this explains that practicing wholesome causes obtains wholesome fruits. "All due to kindness, filial piety, and cultivating wholesome virtue in past lives": this explains that practicing these wholesome causes of kindness and filial piety in past times yields the karmic fruition of nobility, honor, wealth, and power in the present. The fourth clause provides a metaphor for the aforementioned deaf, blind, and mute people receiving the karmic retribution of two lifetimes. From "It is like the king's law, where the suffering and pain reach the extremity of punishment..." down to "...one suffering and one burning, being diligently afflicted like this." "It is like the king's law, where the suffering and pain reach the extremity of punishment": this shows that the deaf, blind, and mute people receive extremely heavy painful retribution in the present life. "Therefore there are the natural three paths, with immeasurable suffering and distress": having already received suffering in the present, in future lives they again receive the heavy suffering of the three paths. "Exchanging their bodies": receiving bodies in the six destinies not merely once, hence called "exchanging their bodies." "Altering their forms and changing paths": having already finished receiving bodies in the six destinies, the evil paths they traverse are also identical. "The lifespan they receive may be long or short": the forms received in the six destinies and the karma created by what they do are also not the same; therefore, lifespans have long and short. The fifth clause explains the encouraging conclusion. From "It is like a great fire burning a person's body..." down to "...this is the first great good": this explains the encouragement to cultivate. If one can diligently cultivate and spur oneself on, one will attain the unconditioned path of nirvāṇa. If one cannot practice, but gives rise to evil, one will fall into the three paths, like a great fire burning a person.