大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經 1.33

1.33

bodhisattvas to purify their eye of wisdom and to enable all sentient beings

in the final age to cut off cyclic existence forever, have their minds be enlightened to true reality, and be fully endowed with the acceptance of the birthlessness [of all things] (anutpattikadharmakṣānti). Now listen carefully to what I shall expound to you.” Then Maitreya Bodhisattva, delighted to receive the teaching, listened silently along with the great assembly.

“Son of good family, from beginningless time all sentient beings experience cyclic existence because of craving and desire. All of the different forms of life in various worlds—whether born of egg, womb, moisture, or through transformation (i.e., the four modes of birth)—receive their proper life form through lustful desires. Thus you should realize that craving is the fundamental root of cyclic existence. The formation of desires augments the nature of craving, and thus is able to cause the uninterrupted continuation of birth and death. Desire is born from craving, life is born from desire, and sentient beings’ craving and life in turn are based on the root of desire. Craving and desire are the cause [of life], and craving and life are the result [of desire].

“Aversion and attraction arise from desiring objects. When objects oppose what the mind craves, hate and envy arise, which generate various actions, which in turn thus lead to birth in hell (naraka) or as a hungry ghost ( preta). If one realizes that desires should be renounced, and one desires to renounce the paths [of birth] governed by karma, rejecting evil and delighting in good, one will appear as a heavenly being (deva) or as a human being. Again, if one forsakes craving and delights in renunciation because one realizes that craving should be loathed, one only nurtures the root of craving. Although one thereupon realizes the rewards of increasing meritorious conditioning, the sagely path is not completed because all [these rewards still] involve revolving within cyclic existence. Therefore sentient beings who desire to be liberated from birth and death and to escape from cyclic existence should first cut off desire and extirpate craving.

“Son of good family, the manifestation of bodhisattvas in the world through transformation is not rooted in craving. It is just out of compassion to cause [sentient beings] to abandon craving that they enter into birth and death by seeming to rely on desires. If all sentient beings in the final age are able to abandon desires, cast off likes and dislikes, cut off cyclic existence forever, and diligently seek the realm of the perfect enlightenment of the Tathāgatas, they will become enlightened to the intrinsic purity of their minds.

Chapter V

“Son of good family, all sentient beings, from taking desire as the root and so aggravating ignorance, manifest five natures, whose distinct qualities are not the same. Depending on the two obstructions, their [capacities] may appear deep or shallow. What are the two obstructions? The first is the obstruction of principle, which obstructs true knowing and seeing. The second is the obstruction of phenomena, which continues birth and death.

“What are the five natures?

“Son of good family, the condition in which these two obstructions have not yet been thoroughly cut off is referred to as not yet having realized buddhahood. If sentient beings are to get rid of desires once and for all, they must first remove the obstruction of phenomena. Until they have cut off the obstruction of principle they can only realize the realms of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas but not that of bodhisattvas.

“Son of good family, if all sentient beings in the final age want to enjoy the vast ocean of the Tathāgatas’ perfect enlightenment, they must first generate the vow to diligently strive to cut off the two obstructions. Once the two obstructions are subdued, they will be able to realize the realm of bodhisattvas. When the obstructions of principle and phenomena have finally been thoroughly cut off, they will then enter into the subtle perfect enlightenment of the Tathāgatas and completely realize bodhi and great nirvana.