英語訳
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Hokke Eighth Volume Kaijiśō (Dhāraṇī Chapter, Auspicious King Chapter) (Second of Three Fascicles)
Dhāraṇī Chapter
Question: This chapter explains the merits of dhāraṇī. In that case, should concentration (samādhi) mental factors be taken as its essence?
Answer: The Xuanzan takes mindfulness and wisdom as its essence.
Regarding this: relying on the power of sovereign concentration, divine incantations are made efficacious. As for the essence of total retention, why not take concentration mental factors? The Yogācārabhūmi, in explaining incantation total retention, states: "Bodhisattvas obtain such sovereign concentration... making all those verses spiritually efficacious." Also, the Great Master takes concentration as the essence of incantation total retention.
Response: Among the four kinds of total retention, the two kinds of dharma and meaning take only mindfulness and wisdom as their essence. Incantation and patience take mindfulness, wisdom, and concentration as their essence. This is precisely the meaning of the Yogācārabhūmi. Without the power of concentration, how could one empower various incantation verses and make them spiritually efficacious? Therefore, as the Ryakusan shows, incantation dhāraṇī takes concentration as its essence, relying on concentration to retain incantations without loss, taking incantations as its object. However, the Xuanzan and others, dealing generally with the four total retentions, mention mindfulness and wisdom. The Yogācārabhūmi commentary, distinguishing from dharma and meaning, mentions concentration. Both sources are abbreviated. Speaking truthfully, sometimes two, sometimes three - the number of dharmas differs.
Alternatively, one might say: all four total retentions equally take mindfulness and wisdom as their essence. Though incantation retention uses concentration power to create spiritual efficacy, the correct merit of total retention is mindfulness and wisdom. The Yogācārabhūmi, namely regarding the ability to make all those verses spiritually efficacious, mentions "sovereign concentration" because it takes concentration as essence, not indicating the true essence. Or according to Kojima's interpretation: "obtaining such sovereign concentration" - this is not "concentration" but sovereignty of retention. Therefore, looking at the above text: "obtaining such power of mindfulness and wisdom retention." Below, pointing to that power retention, it says "retention sovereignty." The two retentions of dharma and meaning have different categories, dharma being one.
Also, because there are various kinds, it says "equal." The repeated meaning is: people who have gained sovereignty in dharma-meaning total retention empower various incantation verses, having complete spiritual efficacy. Above, concentration has not yet been explained. What does "such as this" point to? This humble scholar considers Kojima's interpretation not in accordance with the text, and fears it does not consider the beginning and end of the textual appearance.
The Xuanzan states: In Sanskrit "dhāraṇī," this is called "total retention." Taking mindfulness and wisdom as essence, using brief, esoteric, meaningless letters, empowered by spiritual power, their awesome spirituality is incomparable. Crushing evil and destroying wickedness, establishing righteousness and promoting goodness, therefore called dhāraṇī.
The Rishu-bunso states: Dhāraṇī means "total retention." Its nature is mindfulness and wisdom. There are four kinds: dharma, meaning, and bright incantations, capable of attaining factual patience.
Yogācārabhūmi forty-five states: What is the bodhisattva's dharma dhāraṇī? The bodhisattvas obtain such power of mindfulness-wisdom retention. Through this power they retain the collection of name-phrase-syllable bodies of the previously unheard, systematically weaving together, systematically collecting countless scriptures, able to retain without forgetting through countless times.
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What is the bodhisattva's meaning dhāraṇī? As previously explained, this difference is bringing forth countless meaning-trends from those dharmas. What is the bodhisattva's incantation dhāraṇī? The bodhisattvas obtain such sovereign concentration. Through this sovereign empowerment, they can eliminate sentient beings' disasters and sufferings, making all incantation verses completely spiritually efficacious - supreme spiritual efficacy with nothing wasted, able to eliminate various disasters and sufferings. How can bodhisattvas attain the bodhisattva's non-arising dharma-patience dhāraṇī? The bodhisattvas accomplish naturally firm causal practices and are endowed with wonderful wisdom.
Commentary twelve states: The treatise says dhāraṇī has four kinds: first dharma, second meaning, third incantation, fourth capability of attaining patience. As in the explanation below. Dharma dhāraṇī takes dharma as object, namely expressive verbal expressions with mindfulness and wisdom as essence. Meaning dhāraṇī has the same essence as dharma, only the object-sphere differs. What is the difference? Taking explained meaning as object, namely countless meanings and intent, existing only in the mental ground. Incantation dhāraṇī takes concentration as essence, relying on concentration to retain incantations without error, taking incantations as object. Capability-attaining dhāraṇī takes non-discriminating wisdom as patience essence, namely witnessing suchness, those capable of attaining patience being preparatory wisdom, having the merit of retaining incantations, capable of attaining suchness. Other editions should be consulted.
Maitreya Sūtra Commentary one states: The detailed explanation should be consulted.
Supreme Victory Commentary five states: The detailed explanation should be consulted.
Question: Are dhāraṇī only associated with mind, or do they extend to mind-non-associated? If they extend to mind-non-associated, dhāraṇī is Sanskrit meaning "total retention." If their essence is mindfulness and wisdom, why would they extend to mind-non-associated? If relying on this, Nāgārjuna's Wisdom Treatise extends to mind-non-associated. How is this?
Response: The Wisdom Treatise states: dhāraṇī are both mind-associated dharmas and mind-non-associated dharmas. Further establishing the non-associated meaning, it states: when people attain auditory dhāraṇī, even with angry minds, they do not lose it. It constantly follows people like a shadow following form. Jōyō's explanation states: even arising anger and hatred, not forgetting what is retained is called "non-associated." Speaking of "associated" refers to essence. Speaking of "non-associated" distinguishes its power. Like others' penetrating mind, though extinguished, still having transformative function.
Wisdom Treatise twenty-eight states: Samādhi is only mind-associated dharma. Dhāraṇī are both mind-associated dharma and mind-non-associated dharma. Question: How do we know dhāraṇī are mind-non-associated? Answer: Like people attaining auditory dhāraṇī, even with angry minds, they do not lose it. It constantly follows people like a shadow following form.
Question: Treatise five states: These dhāraṇī are sometimes mind-associated, sometimes mind-non-associated, sometimes contaminated, sometimes pure. The Abhidharma meaning of dhāraṇī is thus.
The commentary states: This "mind-non-associated" means not making mind [active], naturally able to retain, called "non-associated." Not the fourteen non-associated [dharmas] separate from inner mind. Saying "even with angry mind, not losing" means: