英語訳
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The seven true suchnesses are all objects of fundamental cognition. Here in the sūtra, combining them and naming them "suchness as it really is" and separately establishing the seven true suchnesses like transmigration etc. - this discusses the opening and combining regarding the seven true suchnesses, speaking of the aspect where they become objects of fundamental cognition. Taking subsequent cognition's objects and combining them is not called "suchness as it really is."
Question: Is the Great Sage Compassionate One (Maitreya Bodhisattva) a Buddha who achieved enlightenment long ago, or how is it? There are problems both ways. If he is a Buddha who achieved enlightenment long ago, the Compassionate One is the teaching master of the three Dragon Flower assemblies and the fifth Buddha of the Bhadrakalpa. How could he proclaim enlightenment in the distant past? Here in the present sūtra it says "the Tuṣita heaven assembly, Maitreya shall become Buddha." If based on this he is not one who achieved enlightenment long ago, in our school's explanations it says "the Way is perfect in the superior fruit, the traces tread the inferior causes." Moreover, the Ten Stages Sūtra on Cutting Off Bondage explains the principle of actual achievement in the distant past. How is this?
In my view: Regarding Śākyamuni's achievement of the Way, the two meanings of distant achievement and recent achievement are distinguished. If Śākyamuni's distant achievement is real, then Maitreya should equally have distant achievement. If one considers recent achievement to be real, then Maitreya should have recent achievement. The reason is that Maitreya's initial arousal of bodhicitta preceded Śākyamuni's by forty kalpas. Regarding the two meanings of the World-Honored One's achievement of the Way, one should first accept the recent achievement as real meaning. The principle of recent achievement as real is clear in both text and reasoning. Though there are many types of evidence, the Lotus Sūtra's Lifespan chapter describes the meaning of actual achievement in the distant past, yet tells this saying "All of you, listen carefully to the Tathāgata's secret, spiritual powers." Since it says "secret," isn't this speaking of therapeutic secrecy? Moreover, the same chapter says "Also saying that entering nirvana - all such things are through skillful means and discrimination." Isn't this also pointing to distant achievement as skillful means? In the Ornament of Realization, Compendium of Mahāyāna, etc., Asaṅga, Vasubandhu, and Asvabhāva Bodhisattva, based on Abhidharma secrecy, reconcile the principle of achievement of the Way in the distant past through equal intent. Even if many carry intent, when treatise masters determine characteristics and essence, in what treatise would they point to and reconcile recent achievement? Next, the Great Master's explanations in commentaries like the Ascent to Tuṣita Sūtra Commentary, and Cien's commentary on other volumes of the present sūtra (Prophecy chapter commentary) maintain the principle of recent achievement as real. Next, regarding reasoning: distant achievement as skillful means has its reason in removing obstacles like despising the Buddha. For what purpose would skillful means explain recent achievement? Thus know that recent achievement is real, not skillful means. If so, Maitreya's achievement of the Way should be recent achievement as real. Here, the present sūtra's description of "Tuṣita heaven assembly, Maitreya shall become Buddha" should be recent achievement as real explanation. The Ten Stages Sūtra on Cutting Off Bondage's explanation should be distant achievement as skillful means explanation. Regarding the Ascent to Tuṣita Sūtra Commentary's explanation, originally in the Great Master's explanations, two meanings are distinguished - this is perhaps the intent of one explanation.
Question: Can what is realized by the two vehicles' direct cognition be called true cessation through selection? There are problems both ways. If it cannot be called this, when the seven preparatory practices gradually reach fulfillment and arouse the pure cognitive factors, they can separate from afflictive defilements and directly realize the true suchness of personal emptiness. Why can't what they realize be called true cessation through selection? Here examining the Vijñānavāda treatise, it sometimes says "cutting off affliction seeds, realizing true cessation through selection" and sometimes explains "attaining personal emptiness contemplation, directly realizing true suchness." If following this, in the present volume's commentary it says "realizing true cessation through selection differs from the two vehicles." This explanation clearly shows that what the two vehicles realize is not called true cessation through selection. Moreover,
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the Lamp of the Ultimate Meaning states "also not knowing direct realization, only called liberation, not true liberation." How is this?
In my view: Whether what the two vehicles realize can be called true cessation through selection should have various doctrinal aspects. If based on the doctrinal aspect of cutting off afflictions and merging with the principle of personal emptiness, since there is direct realization meaning, it can be called true cessation through selection. The treatise text follows this meaning. If based on the doctrinal aspect of not cutting off habitual tendencies and not separating from cognitive obstacles, only what buddhas and bodhisattvas realize is called true cessation through selection and true liberation. The present commentary's explanation has this intent. However, regarding the Lamp explanation "also not knowing direct realization," Master Puyang explained this text: when two-vehicle people emerge from fundamental cognition contemplation to subsequent contemplative cognition, they do not know what fundamental cognition directly realizes. This doesn't mean fundamental cognition doesn't directly realize. If regarding the fundamental cognition aspect, why say they don't know? Should it just say they don't directly realize?
Question: Regarding the great yakṣa general Correct Understanding Wisdom being a third-stage bodhisattva, how does Great Master Cien explain this?
Proceeding to say: The commentary states "Wisdom Light and Blazing Wisdom have the same name and meaning." Regarding this, Wisdom Light is the third stage, Blazing Wisdom is the fourth stage. If using the two meanings of Wisdom Light and Blazing Wisdom to jointly establish this, how could one bodhisattva simultaneously realize two stages? If Wisdom Light is the same as Blazing Wisdom, since Blazing Wisdom uses the fourth stage, it should be called a Blazing Wisdom Stage bodhisattva. How can it be called a third-stage bodhisattva? How is this?
The commentary states: This deity is perhaps a third-stage bodhisattva, having attained Wisdom Light. Wisdom Light and Blazing Wisdom have the same name and meaning. Or perhaps fifth stage, having comprehended conventional and ultimate truth. Or perhaps tenth stage, being able to
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penetrate the inconceivable cognitive realm.
The Xing Commentary states: Question: Correct Understanding Wisdom must have practice positions. What stage is this practice position? Answer: One explanation says that being able to benefit and propagate sūtras through wisdom power, this is the tenth stage. This is incorrect, saying that the sixth stage and above all attain the perfection of wisdom. Another explanation says the position reaches the eighth stage. The reasoning seems appropriate. As the Wisdom Treatise says: "Through prajñā one attains dhāraṇī. Since dhāraṇī is already in the Good Wisdom Intelligence eighth stage."
The treatise states: The third Radiant stage accomplishes supreme samādhi and great Dharma retention, able to emit boundless wonderful wisdom light. The fourth Blazing Wisdom stage abides in the supreme factors of enlightenment, burning the firewood of afflictions, increasing the blazing wisdom.
Someone's answer states: Following the treatise text and taking the sūtra's meaning, since it explains Wisdom Light, it is called a third-stage bodhisattva. However, regarding this explanation's intent, since the sūtra text also has the term Blazing Wisdom, the commentary master reconciles this, explaining that Blazing Wisdom is the same as Wisdom Light, so it is not the fourth stage but the third stage. "Having the same name and meaning" is this intent. There is no error.
Spring Day Shrine New Building, Eighth of Ten Fascicles
One collation completed using manuscript