大乘起信論略述 1.8

1.8

論。歸命盡十方至如實修行等　述曰。以下第二解論文義。於中總分以為三分。初三行頌致敬述意。是序分。論曰已下正立論體。是正宗。其後一頌結願迴向為流通。序中有二。初顯歸敬。後明述意。此初也。將欲造論憑力請加。是故最初歸命三寶。文第二節。歸命二字是能歸至誠。盡十方下顯所歸深廣。所言歸者。有其二義。一敬順義。二報向義。命有二義。謂教命。二謂身命。欲令眾生修佛教命契本心源而造此論。以其身命歸趣三寶憑力請加故云歸命。所歸之中復有二節。盡十方者所敬分齊。最勝等者。所敬三寶。盡十方者。非唯敬佛一方三寶。盡於十方一一剎土所有三寶悉皆歸敬。顯敬周盡言盡十方。三寶之中其初三句顯其佛寶。言最勝者顯佛。三身皆超過故。過小曰最。超因曰勝。業謂業用。謂即佛身三輪三德二利業用。言遍知者。顯佛意業。大智德用。意有大智光明遍照能遍知故。遍知有二。一真智。遍知心真如門恒沙德等。二俗智。遍知心生滅門緣差別等。於此二門理重高鑑無倒遍知。無礙自在者。顯佛身業大定德用。依定發生無礙自在緣色身故。無礙有四。一大小無礙。一一色根雖遍法界。不壞根性不輕根相。二互用無礙。雖一一根更互作用。不受根性不捨根相。三理事無礙。色雖秉然而體性為二。妙體雖寂業用無方。四應機無礙。多機□感身不分而普現。雖皆遍應圓智盡而舉體。由大定故色起自真。義不由他故名自在。總是佛寶自利用也。救世等者。顯佛語業。大悲利他緣德用也。由大悲德能起語業。說緣妙法利他生故。世謂眾生。可對可壞應救濟故。言大悲者。是其能救顯佛悲緣故言大悲。即三悲中無緣之悲。非如凡小我法之悲不常遍。度諸眾生故者。謂假者結德屬人。具前如是三輪三德二利之人名之為者。以下二句顯其法寶。即三大中體相二大。以其用大佛寶攝故。所言及者。有其二義。一相違義。顯此法寶與前佛寶是二事故。二含乘義。非直敬前用大佛寶。及亦敬於體相法寶。顯斯二義故置及言。言彼身者。即佛三身對此法寶得彼名故。言體相者。體謂體大。相謂相大。是前用大法寶化身之體相故。故言彼身之體相也。教理行果四法之中。謂顯理果深圓法故。是故舉佛而記其法。此句正出法寶體相。言法性者。顯此法寶非直與前佛為體相。亦與諸法而為體性。法之性故名為法性。言真如者。顯此法寶雖與諸法而為體性。不同諸法而有妄。實悉非虛妄故說為真。顯非實易故說為如。所言海者喻顯二義。一依喻顯義。法寶隨緣作諸法。性非妄實者。如大海水因風作波。波雖起盡。濕性無實。當知此中道理亦爾。二約喻顯德德。顯法寶。具德如海故。在常云。譬如深大海珍寶不盡等。乃至廣說。僧寶之中有其二句。於中初句舉有德人。僧通凡聖及大小乘。此中所歸大乘聖僧地上菩薩。隨修一行萬行舉成。其一一行皆等法界積功所得。以是故言無量功德人。能攝德故名為藏。下句顯人所依行位。如下論說。法力熏習是地前行。如實修行是地上行。滿足方便是地滿位。今舉地上兼記滿位。是故說言如實修行等。

Treatise: Taking refuge in [the Buddhas of] the ten directions, most supreme in karma [...] practicing in accordance with reality, and so forth. Exposition: The second [part] below explains the meaning of the treatise's text. Within this, it is divided into three overall parts: the first three stanzas of verse express reverence and state the author's intention, which is the introductory section; from 'The treatise says' downward, it directly establishes the substance of the treatise, which is the main doctrine section; and the single verse following that concludes with vows and dedication of merit, serving as the transmission section. Within the introductory section there are two parts: first, revealing the refuge and reverence; second, clarifying the intent of the exposition. This is the first. Approaching the composition of the treatise, he relies on [the Three Jewels'] power to request aid; therefore, at the very beginning, he takes refuge in the triratna. The text has a second division. The two words 'taking refuge' are the utmost sincerity of the one who takes refuge; from 'the ten directions' downward reveals the depth and breadth of that in which refuge is taken. As for 'refuge', it has two meanings: first, reverence and obedience; second, turning toward in recompense. 'Life' (prāṇa/ming) has two meanings: first, the command of the teaching; second, physical life. He composed this treatise wishing to cause sentient beings to cultivate the Buddha's doctrinal commands and accord with their fundamental mind-source; dedicating his physical life to head toward the triratna, he relies on their power to request aid, and therefore says 'taking refuge with life'. Within that in which refuge is taken, there are again two divisions: 'the ten directions' is the boundary of reverence; 'the most supreme', and so forth, is the triratna that is revered. 'The ten directions' means not merely revering the triratna of a single direction of the Buddha, but taking refuge in and revering all triratnas throughout each and every kṣetra in the ten directions; to show that reverence is comprehensive and complete, it says 'the ten directions'. Among the triratna, the first three lines reveal the Buddha jewel. 'Most supreme' reveals the Buddha: because he surpasses all three bodies. Transcending the Hinayāna is called 'most'; surpassing the causal [stage] is called 'supreme'. 'Karma' refers to karmic function, namely the karmic functions of the Buddha body's three wheels, three virtues, and two benefits. 'All-knowing' reveals the Buddha's mental karma, the virtuous function of great wisdom. Because his mind possesses the radiance of great wisdom that shines everywhere and is able to know everything, [he is all-knowing]. All-knowing has two aspects: first, ultimate cognition, which completely knows the sands-of-the-Gaṅgā virtues and so forth of the mind in terms of suchness; second, conventional cognition, which completely knows the conditional distinctions and so forth of the mind in terms of arising and ceasing. Toward these two aspects, he has elevated discernment of their principles and is all-knowing without error. 'Unobstructed and sovereign' reveals the Buddha's physical karma, the virtuous function of great samādhi, because relying on samādhi there arises an unobstructed and sovereign conditional physical body. Unobstructedness has four aspects: first, unobstructedness of large and small: although each sensory faculty pervades the dharmadhātu, it does not destroy the nature of the faculty nor does it diminish the form of the faculty; second, unobstructedness of mutual function: although each faculty performs the functions of the others, it does not exchange the nature of the faculty nor abandon the form of the faculty; third, unobstructedness of principle and phenomena: although physical form appears distinctly, essence and nature are not two; although the wondrous essence is quiescent, its karmic functions are boundless; fourth, unobstructedness in responding to capacities: when many capacities [...] are stimulated, the body does not divide yet universally appears; although responding everywhere, perfect wisdom is fully engaged throughout the entire essence. Because of great samādhi, form arises from true suchness itself; its meaning does not depend on others, hence it is called 'sovereign'. All of this is the Buddha jewel's function of benefiting oneself. 'Saving the world', and so forth, reveals the Buddha's vocal karma, the conditioned virtuous function of great compassion benefiting others. Through the virtue of great compassion, he is able to arouse vocal karma, expounding wondrous conditional dharmas to benefit other beings. 'World' refers to sentient beings: because they are confrontable and perishable, they should be saved. 'Great compassion' is that which can save: revealing the condition of the Buddha's compassion, he says 'great compassion'. This is the compassion without conditions among the three types of compassion; it is not like the non-constant and non-universal compassion for self and phenomena found in ordinary beings and Hinayānists. 'Those who cross over all sentient beings' refers to the conventional person, associating the virtues with the person; the person endowed with the three wheels, three virtues, and two benefits as described above is designated as 'those who'. The two lines below reveal the Dharma jewel, namely the two greatnesses of essence and attributes among the three greatnesses, because the greatness of function is subsumed under the Buddha jewel. The word 'and' (tathā/ji) has two meanings: first, the meaning of distinction, revealing that this Dharma jewel and the previous Buddha jewel are two matters; second, the meaning of inclusion, meaning that one not only reveres the previous Buddha jewel of the greatness of function, but also reveres the Dharma jewel of essence and attributes. To reveal these two meanings, the word 'and' is placed here. 'Their bodies' refers to the three bodies of the Buddha; in contrast to this Dharma jewel, they obtain that designation. 'Essence and attributes': 'essence' refers to the greatness of essence, and 'attributes' refers to the greatness of attributes; because they are the essence and attributes of the previous transformation body of the Dharma jewel of the greatness of function, it says 'the essence and attributes of their bodies'. Among the four dharmas of teaching, principle, practice, and fruition, it reveals the profound and perfect dharma of principle and fruition; therefore, he adduces the Buddha to record his Dharma. This line directly presents the essence and attributes of the Dharma jewel. 'Dharmatā' reveals that this Dharma jewel is not only the essence and attributes for the aforementioned Buddha, but also serves as the essential nature for all phenomena; being the nature of phenomena, it is called 'dharmatā'. 'Suchness' (tathatā) reveals that although this Dharma jewel serves as the essential nature for all phenomena, it is not like phenomena which have delusion; reality is entirely free from falsity, hence it is called 'true' (zhen); showing that it is unalterable, it is called 'such' (ru). 'Ocean' uses a metaphor to reveal two meanings: first, revealing meaning relying on metaphor: the Dharma jewel accords with conditions to produce all phenomena, yet its nature is neither deluded nor real, just as the water of the great ocean produces waves due to wind; although waves arise and cease, the nature of wetness lacks real [arising and ceasing]; one should know that the principle here is also like this; second, revealing virtues in terms of metaphor: revealing that the Dharma jewel is endowed with virtues like an ocean, as it is constantly said: 'Just as the deep great ocean has inexhaustible rare jewels', and so forth, down to detailed explanations. Among the Saṅgha jewel, there are two lines. Within them, the first line adduces the virtuous persons. 'Saṅgha' applies to both ordinary and noble, as well as Mahāyāna and Hinayāna; here, the refuge is the noble Saṅgha of the Mahāyāna, the bodhisattvas of the bhūmi stages. Following the cultivation of a single practice, the ten thousand practices are all accomplished; each and every practice is equal to the dharmadhātu, obtained through accumulated merits. Therefore, it is said to be 'persons of immeasurable merit'. Because they can contain virtues, they are called a 'treasury'. The lower line reveals the stages of practice upon which these persons rely. As the treatise explains below: perfuming by the power of the Dharma is practice prior to the bhūmis; practicing in accordance with reality is practice on the bhūmis; fulfilling expedient means is the stage of completion of the bhūmis. Now, adducing the bhūmis, it also includes the stage of completion; therefore it says 'practicing in accordance with reality, and so forth'.