淨名經關中釋抄 2.7.1

2.7.1

前品既聲聞致辭。 理應次命菩薩。 所以不先命者。 若大士致辭。 即聲聞息命。 引進之道豈可無施。 天台辯呵菩薩之意。 略陳有五。 顯淨名勝德二轉方便教。 三快成淨土。 四為入大品法花方便挊胤。 五印定成經。 初顯德者。 前雖聲聞稱揚如與小兒桶力未足為健。 今若菩薩順伏方表淨名德。 大人尊為則法教可行。 豈勝劣於人哉。 二為轉稟漸教菩薩入圓妙門者。 菩薩同識深教別。 俱舍即云。 三阿僧祇修行六度百劫種相好因兜率下生八相成道初坐道樹。 由是凡夫三十四心方成等正覺。 此最識也。 二大品經說三乘共行十地。 二乘斷而取證。 菩薩斷而不證。 所謂乾惠地（外凡）性地（內凡）八人地（初果向第八人）見地（初果）薄地（二）離欲地（二果）已辦地（四果）辟支佛地菩薩地佛地。 此即三乘同觀無生證有淺深。 三獸渡河三箭中鍋皆喻此也。 此次深也。 由離三乘之見。 仁王瓔珞五十二位。 始初十信修成圓覺。 能一大乘更無別類。 此更深也。 由位行多門詞殊致別非即多即一不思議圓妙之道也。 花嚴云。 如是學者不從一地至一地具一切法地。 楞伽云。 寂滅真如有何次。 大經云。 雪山有草名曰忍辱。 牛若食者能出醍醐。 非乳酪之漸。 此經云。 一念知一切法。 是道場成就一切智故。 一位一切位一行一切行。 一豪之善發迹駐佛。 非圓非偏而假號圓頓大乘也。 昔諸大士隨根稟化異執成迷。 夫佛究竟圓妙大道。 今淨名大士彈呵折伏皆令釋偏。 諸圓解漸開。 頓成不思議解脫之道也。 三快成如來真淨七義者。 昔來大士各稟偏淺意。 謂娑婆定穢燈王定淨。 莫不厭穢忻淨。 而保著情深去道彌遠。 今淨名彈呵令知即穢即淨不二不別。 故下阿難之悟佛事香積之悔見穢皆其意也。 四為入法花涅槃方便挊胤者。 為諸大士既不能頓悟圓妙各稟偏漸。 今淨名折利根之法即座悟入者前第二收也。 其鈍根緣異藉。 次彈呵。 後聞大品法花涅槃等故得悟入者。 即因令彈呵折後方悟也。 故法界性論云。 若利根人於摩訶般若入法界。 若中根人於法花入法界。 下根人於涅槃入法界。 故知花嚴初教悟者乳教中入。 次阿含中悟酪教中入。 此經及方等諸經中悟生蘇教教入。 法障般若中悟熟蘇教入法花涅槃醍醐入。 五為印定成經者。 昔日呵詞未蒙印可。 今對佛宣揚。 如來印許。 便成法教因流遐逮也　彌勒此云慈氏。 姓也。 名阿逸多。 此云無勝　不退行者。 兜率欲界之天著樂故多退轉。 故彌勒為說不退行也。 但有進有退。 偏教之所厭忻。 非進非退圓妙之所絕待。 今淨名以經待之不退破彌勒有待之進退也。 若分別明者。 不退有四。 一者理不退。 性相常住故。 二者位不退。 不退入二乘外道故。 三者行不退。 智證無生故。 四者念不退。 寂而常用故。 俱舍種妙相因為不退者。 唯位不退。 共行十地性地為位不退。 見地為行不退。 漸教別具四不退。 未發十信前是理不退。 十住位不退。 初地行不退。 八地念不退。 圓教方圓具四不退。 今大士多用不退難也　郢匠者。 事出莊子。 彼云。 郢人以堊漫其鼻。 匠石運𣃆成風。 去其堊而不傷鼻。 引此意匠雖能運斯。 必藉郢人不動之質。 今淨名雖能彈。 亦須彌勒能受也　交臂者。 莊子云。 謂顏回曰。 我與汝終身交一臂。 而夫之意言無常遷變念念相夫　授記者。 覺性真常無成無得。 言授記者引未悟之流也。 若聞記而執著。 成得非真得記也。 未若悟陰體空無得為得名真記也。 金剛云。 我於燃燈佛所無有少法可得。 燃燈佛與我授記。 若分別者。 如首楞嚴經說。 有四種授記。 一有未發心而與授記。 二密為授記。 三現前授記。 四見無生授記。 前三有得記。 後一無得記。

Since the śrāvakas already declined in the previous chapter, in principle one should next summon the bodhisattvas. As for why [the Buddha] did not summon them first: if the mahāsattvas had declined [first], then the śrāvakas would have ceased being summoned; how could the path of guiding and advancing them have been applied? Tiantai explained the purpose of reproaching the bodhisattvas, summarily presenting five points: first, to manifest Vimalakīrti's superior virtue; second, to transform the provisional teachings; third, swiftly to accomplish the pure land; fourth, to serve as an expedient herald for entry into the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā and the Lotus [Sūtra]; fifth, to certify and establish [this discourse as] a sūtra. Regarding the first, manifesting virtue: previously, although the śrāvakas praised him, it was like wrestling with a small child—one’s strength is not yet proven valiant. Now, if the bodhisattvas submit, only then does it display Vimalakīrti's virtue. When the great take him as a model, the Dharma teachings can be put into practice; how could it be a matter of one person being superior or inferior to another? Regarding the second, transforming the bodhisattvas who adhered to the gradual teachings so that they enter the gate of perfect subtlety: bodhisattvas share the same realization, yet the depth of their teachings differs. The Kośa says: practicing the six perfections for three asaṃkhyeyakalpas, planting the causes of the marks and characteristics for a hundred kalpas, descending from Tuṣita to be born, accomplishing the path through the eight aspects, and initially sitting beneath the bodhi tree—being a common mortal in this way, one only achieves equal and perfect awakening through thirty-four mind[-moments]. This is the shallowest. Second, the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Sūtra speaks of the ten stages shared in common practice by the three vehicles. Those of the two vehicles sever [defilements] and realize [the fruit]; bodhisattvas sever them but do not realize [the fruit]. These are the stage of dry wisdom (external ordinary persons), the stage of nature (internal ordinary persons), the stage of the eight persons (the eighth person heading toward the first fruit), the stage of seeing (first fruit), the stage of attenuation (second [fruit]), the stage of detachment from desire (third fruit), the stage of having completed what was to be done (fourth fruit), the stage of pratyekabuddhas, the stage of bodhisattvas, and the stage of buddhas. Here, the three vehicles contemplate the non-arising together, but their realizations have depths and shallows. The three beasts crossing the river and the three arrows hitting the target both serve as similes for this. This is the next deeper level. Moving beyond the views of the three vehicles, the fifty-two stages of the Benevolent Kings and Yingluo [sūtras], beginning with the initial ten faiths, cultivate and accomplish perfect awakening, capable of the single Great Vehicle with no other distinct categories. This is deeper still. Because its stages and practices involve many gates, with divergent phrasing and distinct imports, this is not yet the inconceivable, perfectly subtle path wherein the many is immediately the one and the one is immediately the many. The Avataṃsaka says: "Such a practitioner does not advance from one stage to another stage, but possesses the stage of all dharmas." The Laṅkāvatāra says: "In the tranquil true suchness, what sequence could there be?" The Mahā[parinirvāṇa] Sūtra says: "In the Snowy Mountains there is a grass named forbearance. If a cow eats it, it can yield ghee; it is not a gradual process of milk and curd." This sūtra says: "Knowing all dharmas in a single thought is the bodhimanda, because it accomplishes all-knowledge." One stage is all stages; one practice is all practices. A single hair-tip of good initiates the traces and abides as a buddha. Being neither round nor biased, it is provisionally named the perfect and sudden Great Vehicle. In the past, the mahāsattvas received instruction according to their capacities, and their disparate attachments led to delusion; yet the Buddha's ultimate, perfectly subtle great path is now revealed: the mahāsattva Vimalakīrti rebukes and subjugates them, causing them all to abandon bias, gradually unfolding their perfect understanding, and suddenly accomplishing the inconceivable path of liberation. Regarding the third, swiftly accomplishing the Tathāgata's true purity in seven meanings: previously, each of the mahāsattvas adhered to biased and shallow notions, considering Sahā as definitely defiled and [the land of] Padmaprabha as definitely pure. None failed to loathe defilement and delight in purity, and as their emotional attachments were deep, they were ever farther from the Way. Now Vimalakīrti rebukes them, causing them to know that defilement is precisely purity, non-dual and undivided. Therefore, Ānanda’s later awakening to buddha affairs and Sarvagandhasugandhā's regret over seeing defilement both share this meaning. Regarding the fourth, serving as an expedient herald for entry into the Lotus and Nirvāṇa [sūtras]: since the mahāsattvas were unable suddenly to awaken to the perfect subtlety and each had received biased and gradual teachings, Vimalakīrti now subjugates those of sharp faculties so that they awaken and enter right on their seats, which was covered under the second point above. As for those of dull faculties who required different conditions and relied on this subsequent rebuke to awaken and enter only later upon hearing the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā, Lotus, and Nirvāṇa sūtras, they awakened only following this rebuke and subjugation. Thus the Fajie xing lun states: "If one is of sharp faculties, one enters the dharma-realm through the Mahāprajñāpāramitā; if one is of middling faculties, one enters the dharma-realm through the Lotus; if one is of dull faculties, one enters the dharma-realm through the Nirvāṇa." Thus we know that those who awakened in the initial Avataṃsaka teaching entered through the milk teaching; those who awakened next in the Āgamas entered through the curd teaching; those who awakened in this sūtra and the various Vaipulya sūtras entered through the raw curd teaching; those who awakened in the Prajñāpāramitā entered through the clarified butter teaching; and those who entered through the Lotus and Nirvāṇa entered through the ghee [teaching]. Regarding the fifth, certifying and establishing [this discourse as] a sūtra: in past days, the words of rebuke had not yet received certification; now, proclaimed before the Buddha, the Tathāgata certifies and approves them, whereupon they become Dharma teachings that spread far into the future. "Maitreya" is translated here as "Compassionate One" (Cishi); this is his family name. His personal name is Ajita, which is translated here as "Invincible." "Non-retrograde practices": the Tuṣita Heaven of the desire realm is attached to pleasure, so [beings there] often retrogress; therefore Maitreya explained non-retrograde practices for them. However, having progress and retrogression is what the biased teaching loathes and delights in; neither progress nor retrogression is the absolute realm of the perfectly subtle. Now Vimalakīrti uses the absolute non-retrogression to shatter Maitreya's relative progress and retrogression. If explained analytically, there are four kinds of non-retrogression: first, non-retrogression of principle, because nature and characteristics are eternally abiding; second, non-retrogression of stage, because one does not fall back into the two vehicles or non-Buddhist paths; third, non-retrogression of practice, because wisdom realizes non-arising; fourth, non-retrogression of thought, because one is tranquil yet constantly functioning. In the Kośa, planting the causes of the subtle marks is considered non-retrograde, which is solely non-retrogression of stage. In the shared ten stages, the stage of nature is non-retrogression of stage, and the stage of seeing is non-retrogression of practice. The gradual and distinct teachings fully possess all four kinds of non-retrogression: before generating the ten faiths is non-retrogression of principle; the ten abodes are non-retrogression of stage; the first bhūmi is non-retrogression of practice; and the eighth bhūmi is non-retrogression of thought. Only the perfect teaching completely and perfectly possesses the four kinds of non-retrogression. Here the mahāsattva mostly uses non-retrogression to present his challenge. "The artisan of Ying": the story comes from the Zhuangzi, which says: A man of Ying had a smear of plaster on the tip of his nose; Artisan Shi whirled his adze, creating a wind, and sliced off the plaster without injuring the nose. Drawing upon this meaning, although the artisan could wield his adze, he necessarily depended on the man of Ying's motionless composure. Here, although Vimalakīrti can rebuke, it also requires that Maitreya can receive it. "Rubbing shoulders" (jiaobi): the Zhuangzi says, speaking to Yan Hui: "You and I rub shoulders all our lives, yet we miss each other," meaning that impermanence shifts and changes, missing each other from thought to thought. "Prediction" (vyākaraṇa): the nature of awakening is truly eternal, without accomplishment and without attainment. Speaking of conferring prediction is to guide those who are not yet awakened. If, upon hearing the prediction, one becomes attached to it, such accomplishment and attainment is not a true receipt of prediction. It is not like awakening to the emptiness of the skandha-substance, where non-attainment is attainment—this is called true prediction. The Diamond [Sūtra] says: "I did not have the least dharma to attain in the presence of Dīpaṃkara Buddha, and Dīpaṃkara Buddha conferred a prediction upon me." If analyzed, as explained in the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, there are four kinds of predictions: first, conferring a prediction when the mind [for bodhi] has not yet been resolved; second, conferring a secret prediction; third, conferring a prediction face to face; fourth, conferring a prediction upon seeing the non-arising. The former three are predictions with attainment; the latter one is a prediction without attainment.