藥師經疏 1.24

1.24

經。以此善根至憂悲苦惱　四咸蒙願遂。言良友者。唐本云善友。宋本云善知識。皆不相違。如涅槃經三十一云。善知識者。若有能說信戒多聞布施智慧令人受行。是名菩薩善知識也。又智度論七十一云。善吉白佛。新學菩薩摩訶薩等。云何欲舉六波羅蜜。佛告善吉。新學菩薩摩訶薩等。若欲行學六波羅蜜。先當親近恭敬供養彼善知識。又大寶積經云。復次迦葉菩薩有四善知識。諸來求者是善知識。佛道因緣故。能說法者是善知識。生智慧故。能教化人令出家者是善知識。增長善法故。諸佛世尊是善知識。增長一切諸佛法故。又法華經第七卷說。善知識者是大因緣。所謂化導令得見佛。法句經說。佛言一切眾生欲得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。當親近善知識請問法要。必聞如斯甚深要句。普明菩薩白言。世尊云何名為是善知識。佛告普明。善知識者。是汝父母養育汝等菩提身故。善知識者是汝眼目視導汝等菩提路故。善知識者是汝脚足荷負汝等離生死故。善知識者是汝梯橙快侍汝等至彼岸故。善知識者是汝飲食能使汝等長法身故。善知識者是汝寶衣覆蓋汝等功德身故。善知識者是汝橋梁運載汝等渡有海故。善知識者是汝財寶救拔汝等離貧苦故。善知識者是汝日月照曜汝等離黑闇故。善知識者是汝身命護惜汝等無有時故。善知識者是汝鎧杖降伏諸魔得無畏故。善知識者是汝絙繩挽拔汝等離地獄故。善知識者是汝妙藥療治汝等煩惱病故。善知識者是汝利刀割斷汝等諸愛納故。善知識者是汝時雨潤漬汝等菩提牙故。善知識者是汝明燈能破汝等五蓋闇故。善知識者是汝善標教示汝等趣正覺故。善知識者是汝薪火成熟汝等涅槃食故。善知識者是汝弓箭射殺汝等煩惱賊故。善知識者是汝勇將能破汝等生死軍故。善知識者是汝如來破汝煩惱至涅槃故。善男子善知識有如是等無量功德。我今教汝親近。於是寶明與諸大眾聞佛說。此善知識甚深法要舉聲號哭淚下如雨。悲啼懊惱不能自裁。自念我身從曠劫已來為善知識之所守護。是故今日值於如來得聞深法。如是遇者善知識力非我力。能自念我身。從本已來未曾報恩方便親近。說是語已重復舉聲悲號懊惱椎胸大哭。譬如有人新喪父母號悼啼泣死而復蘇。爾時世尊見是事已生憐愍心。即噓長歎以歎息故振動三千大千世界一切佛剎亦皆大動。是名得與良友常相隨逐。能斷魔羂者。顯前自讚毀他。由毀他故不遇良友。由自讚故必被魔辱。此是天魔破無明㲉。謂破無明住地。竭煩惱河者。謂竭四住等煩惱此之二句明破煩惱魔。解脫一切生老病死憂悲苦惱者。明破蘊魔。天魔惱者。雜集第一云。忿恨居先瞋之一分心戾為體。高暴麁言所依為業。生起非福為業。不安隱住為業。高暴麁言者。謂語現凶疎切人心腑。謂聞佛名增上功德。能令如是生老病死憂悲苦惱皆得解脫。

Sūtra: By means of this root of goodness [...] to [...] sorrow, lamentation, pain, and affliction. Fourth, all receiving the fulfilment of vows. Regarding "good companions" (liangyou): the Tang recension has shanyou, while the Song recension has kalyāṇamitra (shan zhishi); these are not contradictory. As the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, fascicle 31, says: "A kalyāṇamitra is one who is able to speak of faith, morality, erudition, giving, and wisdom, causing people to receive and practice them; such is called a bodhisattva's kalyāṇamitra." Also, the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, fascicle 71, says: "Subhūti said to the Buddha: 'How should newly initiated bodhisattva mahāsattvas cultivate the six pāramitās?' The Buddha told Subhūti: 'If newly initiated bodhisattva mahāsattvas wish to practice and learn the six pāramitās, they must first draw near to, respect, and make offerings to that kalyāṇamitra.'" Furthermore, the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra says: "Furthermore, Kāśyapa, a bodhisattva has four kalyāṇamitras: all petitioners are kalyāṇamitras, for they are the conditions for the Buddha Path; those able to expound the Dharma are kalyāṇamitras, for they generate wisdom; those able to teach and transform people, causing them to leave home, are kalyāṇamitras, for they increase good dharmas; the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones, are kalyāṇamitras, for they increase all buddha-dharmas." Furthermore, the seventh scroll of the Lotus Sūtra says: "A kalyāṇamitra is a great cause and condition, namely, transforming and guiding [beings] to enable them to see the Buddha." The Dharmapada says: The Buddha said: "All sentient beings who wish to attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi should draw near to a kalyāṇamitra and inquire about the essentials of the Dharma; they will surely hear such profound and essential verses." Bodhisattva Samantaprabha addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, what is meant by a kalyāṇamitra?" The Buddha told Samantaprabha: "A kalyāṇamitra is your parents, because they rear your bodhi-body. A kalyāṇamitra is your eyes, because they show and guide you on the bodhi path. A kalyāṇamitra is your feet, because they carry you away from saṃsāra. A kalyāṇamitra is your ladder and steps, because they swiftly serve to bring you to the other shore. A kalyāṇamitra is your food and drink, because they enable you to nourish your dharmakāya. A kalyāṇamitra is your precious raiment, because it covers your body of merit. A kalyāṇamitra is your bridge, because it transports you across the ocean of existence. A kalyāṇamitra is your wealth and jewels, because it rescues you from poverty and suffering. A kalyāṇamitra is your sun and moon, because it illuminates you away from darkness. A kalyāṇamitra is your life, because it protects and cares for you without end. A kalyāṇamitra is your armor and weapon, because it subdues all māras so that you attain fearlessness. A kalyāṇamitra is your rope, because it pulls and rescues you from hell. A kalyāṇamitra is your wondrous medicine, because it cures your sickness of afflictions. A kalyāṇamitra is your sharp blade, because it cuts off all your attachments. A kalyāṇamitra is your timely rain, because it moistens your bodhi-sprout. A kalyāṇamitra is your bright lamp, because it can break through the darkness of the five hindrances. A kalyāṇamitra is your good guidepost, because it points out and directs you towards right awakening. A kalyāṇamitra is your firewood and fire, because it ripens your food of nirvāṇa. A kalyāṇamitra is your bow and arrow, because it shoots and kills your thieves of afflictions. A kalyāṇamitra is your brave general, because he can destroy your army of saṃsāra. A kalyāṇamitra is your Tathāgata, because he destroys your afflictions and brings you to nirvāṇa. Kulaputra, a kalyāṇamitra possesses such immeasurable merits as these; I now teach you to draw near to them." Thereupon, Samantaprabha and the great assembly, hearing the Buddha preach these profound Dharma essentials of a kalyāṇamitra, raised their voices and wept aloud, their tears falling like rain; grieving and lamenting, they could not contain themselves. They thought to themselves: "Throughout vast kalpas, our bodies have been protected by kalyāṇamitras, which is why today we have met the Tathāgata and been able to hear the profound Dharma. Encountering this is the power of the kalyāṇamitra, not our own ability." They reflected on themselves: "From the beginning until now, we have never repaid their kindness or skillfully drawn near to them." Having spoken these words, they again raised their voices, crying out in grief and lamentation, beating their breasts and weeping aloud, like someone who has newly lost their parents, wailing and sobbing, dying and reviving. At that time, the World-Honoured One, seeing this, gave rise to compassion and sighed a long sigh; by virtue of that sigh, the trichiliocosm and all the buddha-kṣetras were greatly shaken. This is what is meant by "obtaining and constantly following good companions". Regarding "able to sever the snare of Māra": this refers back to the earlier praising of oneself and disparaging of others. Because of disparaging others, one does not encounter good companions; because of praising oneself, one is inevitably humiliated by Māra. This refers to the Māra of the heavens. "Breaking the shell of ignorance" refers to breaking the avidyā-vāsanā-bhūmi. "Drying up the river of afflictions" refers to exhausting the afflictions of the four stages, etc.; these two clauses clarify the destruction of the affliction-māra (kleśa-māra). "Liberated from all birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and affliction" clarifies the destruction of the skandha-māra. Regarding "vexations by the heavenly māra": Fascicle One of the Abhidharma-samuccaya-vyākhyā says: "Resentment comes first; a part of hatred, its essence is mental perversity. Its activity is to serve as the basis for haughty, violent, and harsh speech; its activity is to give rise to demerit; its activity is to abide unrestfully." Haughty, violent, and harsh speech refers to words displaying cruelty and hostility that pierce a person's vital organs. It means that hearing the Buddha's name, with its superior merit, can cause all such birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and affliction to be liberated.