英語訳
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They claim their vinaya practice is meticulous. The most extreme among them falsely rely on vinaya practice to seek worldly fame, profit, and respect, willingly becoming those who are internally defiled but externally pure, deceiving the Buddha. This all arises from the inverted attachment of attacking the branch while forgetting the root. How can one not fear this? Here I will briefly discern the root and branch of studying the path to facilitate beginners. The main points of root and branch have two aspects. First, generally clarifying the root and branch of studying the path; second, separately clarifying the root and branch of eliminating faults. The first is also divided into two: first, initially clarifying the root and branch of the three studies; second, correctly showing the root and branch of studying the path. Initially clarifying the root and branch of the three studies: the uncontaminated precepts, concentration, and wisdom are inherent virtues of mind-nature, so root and branch cannot be discussed. Contaminated precepts, concentration, and wisdom naturally have root and branch. If discussing root and branch in terms of dharma essence, then wisdom is fundamental, concentration comes next, and precepts are branches. Why? Because wisdom is the master of the noble path and the commander that breaks delusions. To accomplish this wisdom, one cultivates meditative concentration. To accomplish this concentration, one receives and maintains the prohibitive precepts. Root and branch can be known. If discussing root and branch in terms of mutual generation, precepts are fundamental, concentration comes next, and wisdom is the end. Why? Because concentration arises from precepts, and wisdom arises from concentration. However, among these two principles, the first is real and the second is expedient. Generally in the vinaya and commentaries, when saying precepts are fundamental, this reveals the foundation of mutual generation, not about dharma essence. Second, correctly clarifying the root and branch of studying vinaya: the essentials of studying vinaya are only view, precepts, and deportment. Deportment is included in precepts; here I distinguish three. Among the three, view is the foundation of studying the path, precepts come next, and deportment is the branch. The so-called view is the correct view of the three vehicles. The general meaning is like the three contemplations shown in the novice section. The so-called precepts and deportment: broadly speaking, among the five categories, the first two categories constitute the precept division, and the lower
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three categories constitute the deportment division. Finely distinguished, all five categories penetrate both precepts and deportment, as can be known. Second, separately clarifying the root and branch of eliminating faults: this also has two aspects. First, generally clarifying the root and branch of eliminating faults; second, separately clarifying the root and branch of the categories and groups. Initially, generally clarifying the elimination of faults: eliminating faults has two aspects. First, eliminating mental faults; second, eliminating bodily and verbal faults. First, eliminating mental faults means subduing afflictions. The ten mental factors are fundamental; when expanded they become 108 mental factors up to 84,000. Second, eliminating bodily and verbal faults refers to the precepts of five categories and seven groups. Between these two fault eliminations, eliminating mental faults is fundamental, while eliminating bodily and verbal faults is subsidiary. The reason for regulating bodily and verbal faults is to subdue delusions. This can be compared to felling a tree by first cutting the branches to gradually rot the root, as can be known. Second, separately clarifying the root and branch of categories and groups: among the categories and groups, the four pārājika constitute the foundation, while dukkaṭa constitute the branches. Comparing front and back through the middle, the former are fundamental and the latter are subsidiary. Generally, among those studying vinaya, there are naturally three types. The superior type studies both root and branch with no omissions. The next type focuses entirely on the foundation while neglecting the branches. The inferior type merely picks at the branches while ignoring the foundation. Although all three types equally receive the name of students, their excellence and inferiority are like heaven and earth. Carefully examining the patriarch's intention, he takes progressing from branch to foundation as his doctrinal style. Those who focus on branches while ignoring the foundation represent the corruption that the patriarch severely criticizes. Yet later generations have mistakenly identified what Nanshan severely rejected as representing the Nanshan school - is this not also erroneous? Therefore, those who wish to follow the Nanshan school should carefully investigate the above-mentioned principles of root and branch urgency to establish learning that progresses from branch to foundation. Otherwise, they will inevitably fall into the vulgar stream of picking branches while forgetting the foundation, and will fall far short of others who focus only on the foundation without
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attending to branches.
Someone asked: "That those who focus on branches while ignoring the foundation go against the patriarch's intention is certainly as it should be. But in this age of decline and corruption, people who focus on branches while ignoring the foundation are perilously few. What we mostly see are those who abandon both root and branch, calculating the non-path as path, or outwardly displaying the dharma while secretly pursuing worldly paths, bewilderedly not knowing what principles Buddhism contains. Throughout their lives they only love and value the stinking shell of ignorant delusion, making this their only activity. What can be said about this?" I was troubled and could not immediately answer. After a while I replied: "The ancients said: 'When a strong crossbow reaches its limit, the arrow cannot pierce Lu silk. When rushing wind reaches its end, its force cannot blow away swan feathers.' Now we have already passed 2,500 years, with conflict firmly established and the white dharma in retreat. Is this how the times should be? You should not be deeply disturbed by this."
Fifth, Cultivation. This is divided into two parts. First, correctly clarifying cultivation; second, according to sutras, discerning the sequence of study and practice. The first contains three parts. First, clarifying the foundation of practice; second, clarifying correct cultivation; third, clarifying the fruits of practice. First, the foundation of practice refers to correct faith and correct view. The novice section of the Shijiao Commentary states: "Faith is the source of the path and mother of merit and virtue. Wisdom is the cause of transcendental liberation. Those who renounce must first possess these two. If one has not yet understood this, merely shaving one's head in vain, with no path in the inner mind and no dharma in outer deportment, giving free rein to foolish feelings, one returns to being the same as the defiled worldly. Therefore, entering the dharma until white-haired old age, encountering matters one faces walls, because oneself lacks devotional faith,
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noble wisdom has no cause to arise. Merely attending to nourishing the body, how could one know the supreme karmic activities of transcending the world?"
Those whose faith and wisdom are not correct who study precepts and vinaya often give rise to the fault of internal defilement and external purity. Gradually they fall into the dangerous pit that Nanshan criticizes - this is frightening.
Second, clarifying correct cultivation. This again has three parts: first, maintaining precepts; second, practicing concentration; third, studying wisdom. First, maintaining precepts: this has two types. First, those produced by vinaya; second, those produced by Mahayana. The first contains two aspects: first, restraining maintenance; second, active maintenance. The first is divided into two: first, correctly clarifying restraining maintenance; second, showing the essentials of practice. First, correctly clarifying restraining maintenance: restraining maintenance refers to the precepts of the five renunciant groups. Maintaining precepts has two aspects: first, specialized purity without violation; second, ability to repent after violation. The first contains four aspects: first, precept dharma; second, precept essence; third, precept practice; fourth, precept characteristics. These four dharmas are as clarified in the middle volume of the Shijiao Commentary, in the section explaining precept characteristics according to individual precepts. Second, ability to repent after violation is as discerned in the middle volume of the Shijiao Commentary, in the section on repentance methods for six groups, divided into transformational and regulatory repentance. Second, clarifying the essentials of practice: the essentials of restraining maintenance generally have two aspects: first, abandoning wealth and sexuality; second, subduing the three poisons. These two are as specifically clarified in the Pure Mind Admonishing Contemplation Dharma. Second, clarifying active maintenance refers to diligently urging the three karmas and cultivating wholesome dharmas. This also has two aspects: first, comprehensively including the three types of karma procedures - namely the three types: assembly dharma, facing another, and mental recollection; second, excluding karma procedures, the remaining communal practices and all wholesome karmic activities, as specifically clarified in the Shijiao Commentary. Second, clarifying those produced by Mahayana: precepts have three types: first, precepts that gather disciplinary rules; second, precepts that gather wholesome dharmas; third, precepts that benefit sentient beings. The first disciplinary precepts are not different from those of śrāvakas. The other two are not without differences. However, precepts for protecting the mind exceed what the vinaya