英語訳
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Saishō Mondō-shō, Fascicle Three
Fascicle Three
Question: The sutra text mentions "all merits, rejoicing and praise." If so, is this "rejoicing" the same act as praise, or are they separate practices? There are problems on both sides. If rejoicing is the same as the act of praise, when we look correctly at the sutra text, it says "rejoicing and praising all the merits possessed by bodhisattvas." Since rejoicing and praise are listed separately, we know for certain they are not one practice. Accordingly, Master Zizhou judges in the present commentary that "praise is celebration," seeing rejoicing as distinct from praise. If we follow this interpretation, the master states elsewhere that "rejoicing is the practice of praise." Neither side is clear. How should this be understood?
I say: That this rejoicing corresponds to celebration is without doubt. As Cien and Zizhou explain, celebration and rejoicing have equal meaning. However, depending on circumstances, there are cases where it corresponds to praise and cases where it does not. In the present sutra, rejoicing and praise are listed separately, showing them as separate dharmas. Therefore praise is attributed to celebration, not to rejoicing. Praising others means rejoicing in their affairs. Rejoicing and praise should be the same. In the four practices of the Lotus Sutra, only rejoicing is mentioned. Therefore, wanting to show the aspect where rejoicing and praise are one, the Xuanzan explains they are one. If so, should there be two systems of establishment and abandonment in the four practices? In the Saishō commentary's understanding, it lists self-practice, teaching others, celebration, and rejoicing, attributing praise to
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celebration. If following the Xuanzan's understanding, it lists self-practice, teaching others, praise, and celebration, attributing rejoicing to praise. Therefore the attribution of praise, rejoicing, and celebration differs according to convenience.
Question (Another approach): The sutra text mentions "all merits, rejoicing and praise." If so, is rejoicing the practice of praise, or how should this be understood? There are problems on both sides. If they are one, rejoicing has the meaning of joyful delight, while praise is language of commendation. Their meanings are already different. Why attribute them together? Here, looking at the sutra text and present commentary explanation, they appear as separate practices. If we follow this interpretation, the Xuanzan states "rejoicing is praise." If so, how should this be understood?
The Xuanzan says: "The Madhyāntavibhāga treatise has ten dharma practices. In each practice, there are four practices: first, self-practice; second, teaching others; third, praise; fourth, celebration. Present rejoicing is precisely praise. Mentioning one to exemplify the rest ○ Now merely mentioning one, hearing 'rejoicing' exemplifies the remaining self-practice, teaching others, and celebration."
Question: The sutra text mentions "turning the wonderful dharma wheel, upholding and illuminating the dharma wheel." If so, is this dharma wheel the dharma wheel of the three paths of seeing, cultivation, and no-more-learning, or how should this be understood? There are problems on both sides. If so, in various places in our school's [texts], they judge it to be the wheel of the three periods of existence, emptiness, and the middle, consistent with the Saṃdhinirmocana Sutra teaching. If we follow this interpretation, the present sutra's context clarifies the dharma wheel of three turnings and twelve aspects. Why suddenly speak of the teaching of the three periods of existence, emptiness, and the middle? Moreover, even if this text is not sequential, it should show the three types of demonstrating characteristics, encouraging cultivation, and bearing witness. Therefore, Master Xinluo Xing states "the dharma wheel of the three paths of seeing, cultivation, and no-more-learning." Does this explanation most accord with the text's appearance? Also, the masters who establish four teachings and five periods state that because the text of turning, illuminating, and upholding is not sequential, it is not authentic evidence for the three periods. Other
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schools' statements are reasonable. Both sides are unclear. How should this be understood?
I say: In the Xuanzan, explaining this sutra text: "Speaking of turning, illuminating, upholding: turning the four noble truths dharma, illuminating existence with emptiness, non-existence and non-non-existence should be maintained." The meaning is that formerly at Varanasi, the four noble truths dharma wheel was turned, etc. In the conventional study of doctrinal characteristics, "turning" names the four noble truths teaching; "truly seeing that the five aggregates are all empty, crossing over all suffering and difficulty," etc. "Illuminating" names awakening to emptiness. Since turning and illuminating are already existence and emptiness teachings, upholding should also be neither-empty-nor-existent. Because neither-empty-nor-existent should maintain both complete existence and complete emptiness, the third period is named "upholding." The terms correspond to the path of meaning. Does our school's interpretation specifically accord with the sutra text? Though the sutra text is not clear, even if the commentary makes two explanations, the latter explanation should be relied upon for actual meaning. Here, in the master's various [works], without reaching two explanations, only the latter explanation is述べている. The explanation matching it to the three paths of seeing, cultivation, and no-more-learning is forced analysis outside conventional teaching - who would use it? However, the sequence of turning, illuminating, upholding depends on phonetic convenience, not meaningful sequence. Accordingly, looking at the eight-fascicle sutra text, it lists the sequence of turning, illuminating, upholding. If so, doesn't it accord with other schools' definitive judgments?
The Xuanzan says: "Such bodhisattvas, through the three turnings: the first turning is in the path of seeing, named the turning of showing characteristics; the next turning is in the path of cultivation, named the turning of what should be cultivated; the latter turning is in the path of no-more-learning, named the turning of what has been accomplished. At each turning, regarding each truth, four aspects are generated. Discussing the three turnings vertically, twelve aspects are formed. Thus the four truths total forty-eight, but do not exceed twelve. Because the numbers are equal, they are collectively named the three turnings and twelve aspects."
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It also says: "Speaking of when bodhisattvas enter direct realization, they truly understand: this is the noble truth of suffering, up to this is the noble truth of the path. The present-moment sacred wisdom therein can cut off the afflictions eliminated by the path of seeing. At that time it is said to generate the sacred wisdom eye. This very [wisdom], depending on past, present, and future, has distinctions, therefore according to sequence is named knowledge, clarity, and awakening."
Regarding the three turnings of the dharma wheel, there are self-turning and other-turning - how is this?
The meaning of the three self-turnings is as in the above text. Personally experiencing the three paths and awakening to the external four noble truths is named self-turning. Explaining their characteristics for others, causing them to understand and awaken, is named other-turning. Therefore the Xuanzan's later text says: "This is the Buddha's three turnings for others. The first is named demonstrating characteristics, because it demonstrates the characteristics of the four truths. The next is named encouraging cultivation, because it cultivates the practices of the truths. The latter is named bearing witness, to provide testimony, knowing their fulfillment." Based on this, it is said that showing characteristics, what should be cultivated, and what has been accomplished should be demonstrating characteristics, encouraging cultivation, and bearing witness in the three turnings for others.
Question: Do self-turning and other-turning both have twelve aspects? Answer: Though the three cycles are the same, the twelve aspects exist only in self-turning.
Question: In the present fascicle's commentary, regarding clarifying the five eyes' object-perception, can the flesh eye and divine eye perceive sentient beings' verbal karma? There are problems on both sides. If they perceive it, the flesh eye perceives blue, yellow and other color forms, while the divine eye understands obstructed, subtle, and distant colors - this is the conventional nature and characteristics of both greater and lesser [vehicles]. Why speak of perceiving verbal karma? If it is conventional verbal karma, this is vocal sound. If it is actual karma, it is mental factors of volition in the formation aggregate, neither being within the eye's domain. Isn't it doubtful to state they perceive this? If we follow this interpretation, in the present commentary, we immediately see