英語訳
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Ten million koṭi nayuta Ganges sand sentient beings attained non-arising dharma patience. In the Wonderful Sound Bodhisattva chapter, forty-two thousand devas attained non-arising patience. In this chapter, sixty-eight thousand people attained non-arising dharma patience. How can it be said there is none? Answer: The sūtra does not clarify the dharma function positions and sequential differences of attaining non-arising dharma patience. It is called "no non-arising" and does not obstruct those who hear the sūtra and have attainment. According to one view, below hearing divine incantations and awakening to non-arising dharma patience - how is this not the One Vehicle? That is, there is also non-arising patience total retention. Discussing: additionally taking previously attained patience and calling them all total retention - what fault is there in this? Think further.
The Kyōsui Commentary, volume 35, states: Saying "no attaining non-arising patience, etc." clarifies the fourth: being capable of attaining bodhisattva patience, namely non-arising dharma patience. Consequently, through the power of holding incantations during the bodhisattva's four preparatory stages, one enters the first ground and obtains non-arising dharma patience. Based on this capacity for attainment, this is already what dhāraṇī obtains - this is dharma-meaning non-arising patience. The commentary master's intent: looking throughout the entire sūtra, all places where non-arising dharma patience is attained are obtained through holding the sūtra, not through dhāraṇī. Therefore the commentary analyzes: the reason for no attaining non-arising patience - first, what is obtained and retained is only dharma-meaning; second, what enables attainment and retention is incantation. Among the four meanings of total retention, already lacking non-arising dharma patience, speaking of capability and object together, there are only three dharmas. Question: How is non-arising dharma patience called dhāraṇī? Answer: Regarding capable retention mindfulness-wisdom, it is called dhāraṇī. The explained dharma follows what is capable of retention in establishing names, therefore saying no attaining non-arising dharma patience total retention.
The above text states: If discussing retention in the bodhisattva's four preparatory stages, most importantly these incantations' names and phrases are not different from ordinary dhāraṇī, as in the Yogācāra...
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The Yogācāra Treatise, volume 35 (possibly error for 40), states:
The Hokke Jutsusan, volume 8, states: Question: Retention has four types - explained dharma-meaning-incantation-patience. What is explained here? Answer: According to one explanation, what was previously explained is dharma-meaning retention. Now there is incantation retention for obtaining those two. There is no patience retention. This meaning is incorrect. Dharma-meaning retention is mindfulness-wisdom. How can previous explanations be called dharma-meaning? Moreover, those who hear these incantations also attain non-arising patience. Why is there no non-arising patience retention? Therefore, now there is also patience retention.
Question: The sūtra text saying "cause no decline or suffering within one hundred yojana" - what does this explain? Answer: Vaiśravaṇa protects sūtra holders, saying there is no decline or suffering within one hundred yojana. Regarding this, the vow of protection is extremely great - why is removing decline and suffering so narrow?
Answer: Such matters are natural functional power and should not be questioned. Among these, the Four Heavenly Kings are first-ground bodhisattvas who attain sovereignty over many hundreds of gates, perhaps using hundreds as the number. What they naturally and definitively protect, though within one hundred yojana, if applying effort, might extend to immeasurable yojana.
Question: The sūtra says "spoken by 4.2 billion buddhas" - what does this explain? Answer: After Dhṛtarāṣṭra explained divine incantations, it says this was spoken by 4.2 billion buddhas. Regarding this, the Four Heavenly
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Kings are first-ground bodhisattvas, being second-stage dependents. Why only encounter 4.2 billion buddhas and hear these incantations? If these 4.2 billion are not necessarily buddhas they personally encountered, past buddhas are numberless and boundless. Why determine quantities and raise such numbers?
Answer: Looking at various sūtra explanations, regarding divine incantations, they often cite numbers of buddhas who explained them. Each should have its significance. In the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra, the Purest Ground Dhāraṇī has ten incantations, respectively spoken by one Ganges sand up to ten Ganges sand buddhas. Since Purest Ground is the tenth ground, perhaps using one, two, up to ten as numbers. The Eleven-Faced Sūtra was spoken by eleven koṭi buddhas. Each seems appropriate. Therefore, though actually numberless, perhaps having such numbers? Or reaching later buddhas, sequentially removing earlier buddhas?
Question: Should all Four Heavenly Kings explain divine incantations? Both ways. If all four explain, looking at the sūtra text, though it records what Vaiśravaṇa and Dhṛtarāṣṭra explained, it doesn't say the other two explained divine incantations. If so, all four kings should make vows to protect the One Vehicle. Why don't the other two explain divine incantations? Moreover, in other sūtras all four explain them - why not here?
Answer: In this sūtra, two devas explain incantations, two do not. The sūtra text is undisputed; all translations agree. Generally, depending on the Tathāgata's empowerment, explaining protective divine incantations - the protected dharma, protecting persons, dwelling in past causes and conditions, future benefits - all observe accordance and opposition, having explanation and non-explanation. Why doubt this? Like the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra: in two chapters, all four explain in one chapter, only Vaiśravaṇa explains. Even within one text it's indefinite - how much more among different teachings?
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The Xuanzan states: Below clarifying divine incantations has five aspects, combined into three categories: first two saints, next two devas, last ten spirits. The Yishu, volume 12, has the same meaning.
The Ritual Manual for Accomplishing the Wonderful Dharma Lotus Sūtra states (Amoghavajra's commentary):
Taking refuge in the wonderful dhāraṇī chapter, two bodhisattvas and two heavenly kings,
Together with rākṣasī explaining true words, for protecting sūtra-holding dharma masters.
The Saishō Commentary, volume 5, states: Previously explaining incantations only mentioned Vaiśravaṇa. Present praise extends to all four kings, wanting to make concentrated prayer easily accomplished. Incantations are explained by only one. Hearing dharma and gaining benefit is universal, therefore all four kings praise together. This is from the Four Heavenly Kings Protecting the Nation chapter.
In the Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra's Wish-Fulfilling Jewel chapter and Elder's Son Flowing Water chapter, all four devas explain dhāraṇī. In the Four Heavenly Kings Protecting the Nation chapter, only Vaiśravaṇa explains divine incantations; the other three do not.
(One version makes the above discussion the end of Commentary volume 26, with the following Adorning King chapter commentary as the beginning of Commentary volume 27.)