英語訳
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It is "if." This is because it is the essence of the mind-spirit of all ordinary beings and sages. The second clarifies contemplative prajñā, because it generates the mind of wisdom and understanding in various kings. The latter six discuss scriptural prajñā, which has six excellent functions and protects the land. One explanation says: This sutra can provide a foundation for ordinary beings and sages, hence called "spiritual foundation." It can generate royal position, hence compared to "father and mother." It can protect body and life, hence compared to "divine talisman." It can cure evil demons, hence called "demon-dispelling divine jewel." It can fulfill all wishes, hence called "wish-fulfilling jewel." It makes the country peaceful and stable, hence called "nation-protecting jewel." It manifests cause and effect, hence called "heaven-earth mirror." Being of supreme power in the dharma and difficult to fathom, it is called "dragon-treasure spirit king."
The fundamental record says: The six consciousnesses are called "mind," the seventh is called "consciousness," and the eighth is called "spirit." This sutra provides a foundation for the eight consciousnesses of ordinary beings and sages, hence called "foundation." It can generate worldly and transcendent kings, hence compared to "father and mother." Even heretical demon kings cannot subdue it, hence likened to "divine talisman." It can remove the five fears of not surviving, etc., called "demon-dispelling jewel." It benefits sentient beings, called "wish-fulfilling jewel." It can remove the seven disasters, called "nation-protecting jewel." It can reveal the knowable, called "heaven-earth mirror." Before and after the path, pure and unchanged, called "dragon-treasure spirit king." As extensively explained there. Master Zang says: The eight names like father, mother, divine talisman, etc., all relate to prajñā. The extensive explanation can be understood.
The sutra says: "Buddha told the great king: You should make nine-colored banners nine zhang long, nine-colored flowers two zhang high, thousand-branch lamps five zhang high, nine jade boxes, nine jade cloths, and also make a seven-treasure table with sutra scrolls placed on top." The interpretation says: Encouraging the king to make offerings. The dharma has six items: first banners, second flowers, third lamps, fourth boxes, fifth cloths, sixth table. "Nine-colored banners" - according to the fundamental record: white, black, yellow, red, blue are the five object
【Right page, lower section】
colors. Together with the four element colors making nine. "Four element colors" means: earth makes ash color, water makes crystal color (crystal jewel), fire makes light color (fire jewel), wind makes smoke. Dharma Master Di says: Using nine colors to represent prajñā's nine kinds of supreme merit. "Nine merits" are: first seeing merit, second hearing and listening, third learning merit, fourth respectful merit, fifth utilization merit, sixth mindful retention merit, seventh penetrating understanding merit, eighth mental satisfaction merit, ninth benefiting others merit. Adding today's interpretation: escaping nine kinds of sideways [obstacles], obtaining nine concentrations, hence "nine colors." Transcending nine stages, perfecting nine moral conducts, hence "nine zhang." "Nine-colored flowers" - flowers represent the meaning of purity, likening prajñā's nine kinds of purity that can eliminate the nine grades of birth and death. "Nine purities" are: first moral conduct, second mind, third view, fourth perfection, fifth path, sixth practice, seventh severance, eighth nirvana, ninth country. These are called "nine grades," corresponding to the desire realm, four dhyānas, and four formless realms. "Two zhang high" reveals prajñā's essence and function. Adding today's interpretation: Six represents severing two obstacles and transcending the two vehicles, hence "two zhang." "Thousand-branch lamps five zhang high" - lamps symbolize prajñā. Thousand branches symbolize all-knowing wisdom. Adding today's interpretation: Thousand Śākyamuni Buddhas sit on thousand-petaled flowers expounding thousand dharma gates, hence "thousand branches." "Five zhang" reveals the five kinds of supreme wisdom: first temporal supreme wisdom, second dwelling-place supreme wisdom, third self-nature supreme wisdom, fourth abiding supreme wisdom, fifth containing supreme wisdom. These five are the functions of prajñā. Adding today's interpretation: being covered by the five forbearances, hence "five zhang." "Nine jade boxes" properly reveals prajñā's nine kinds of dependence: first joyful listening dependence, second truthful listening dependence, third thoughtful retention dependence.
【Left page, upper section】
Fourth mindful retention dependence, fifth decisive dependence, sixth accordance with principle practice dependence, seventh all practice dependence, eighth maintaining principle dependence, ninth true dharma entry dependence. Adding today's interpretation: Nine jade boxes are to reveal obtaining nine sequential concentrations by depending on the nine dharma stores. "Nine dharma stores" means bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas each have three stores, so this sutra, because it internally includes pratyekabuddha assemblies, separately opens three stores. To reveal prajñā's nine dependence places, they are called "nine jade boxes." "Nine jade cloths" reveals nine kinds of adornment: first depend on dharma, not on person; second depend on meaning, not on words; third depend on definitive meaning, not on non-definitive meaning; fourth depend on wisdom, not on consciousness; fifth depend on cultivation, not on hearing; sixth depend on great results, not on small results; seventh depend on wisdom, not on merit; eighth depend on direct wisdom, not on inferential wisdom; ninth depend on non-regression, not on regression. These are called prajñā's nine kinds of adornment, named "nine jade cloths." "Seven-treasure table" - adding today's interpretation: to reveal severing seven disasters and obtaining seven blessings, the sutra is placed on the seven-treasure table.
The sutra says: "When the king travels, constantly one hundred steps in front, this sutra constantly emits thousand rays of light, making seven disasters not arise and transgressions not arise within a thousand li." The interpretation says: clarifying traveling and dwelling offerings. First traveling offerings, then dwelling offerings. Adding today's interpretation: because the hundred spirit kings constantly protect, one obtains a hundred-year life span and also leaves behind the hundred non-disciplinary codes, cultivating the hundred disciplinary codes, hence "hundred steps."
【Left page, lower section】
The sutra says: "When the king dwells, make a seven-treasure canopy, within the canopy make a seven-treasure high seat, place sutra scrolls on top, daily make offerings, scatter flowers, burn incense, serve like serving father and mother, serve like serving Indra." The interpretation says: the later dwelling-time offering dharma. Adding today's interpretation: practicing the seven worthies, hence "seven-treasure canopy"; ascending and awakening to the seven stages, hence "seven-treasure seat." Master Di says: serving like father and mother and Indra is for the mind of repaying kindness. Worldly kindness has two types: first, parents' nurturing; second, Indra's protection. Indra constantly causes the Four Heavenly Kings to protect the world. Serving parents has five types: first, offering material goods; second, causing them to receive and practice right dharma; third, correctly receiving and maintaining according to parents' teachings; fourth, in all matters one should first respectfully benefit parents, then benefit others; fifth, to repay parents' kindness, generate bodhi-mind. Regarding Indra: serving dharma teachers. Dharma teachers have five virtues requiring offerings: first, able to speak good words; second, able to explain profound meanings simply for easy understanding; third, able to explain all meanings according to principle; fourth, able to explain skillful means without falling into various faults like suffering, pleasure, annihilation, eternalism; fifth, able to explain liberation from all suffering. Serving dharma teachers has five aspects: first, like travelers serving guides; second, like patients serving doctors; third, like poor people respecting wheel-turning kings; fourth, like fearful people respecting rescuers; fifth, like prisoners respecting liberators. These correspond in sequence.
The sutra says: "Great King, I now with five eyes clearly see all kings of the three times - all obtained kingship by serving five hundred buddhas in past lives, taking this as primary, with all sages and arhats coming to be born in those lands to create great benefit. When the king's merit is exhausted, all sages abandon and leave. If all sages..."