英語訳
Answer: That treatise's verse states: "Right practice has six types: namely, supremacy, attention, following dharma, avoiding two extremes, distinction, and non-distinction."
Question: What is called the supremacy of right practice?
Answer: There are twelve types. Therefore the verse states: "Supremacy has twelve: namely, vastness, long duration, foundation and inexhaustibility, continuity, effortlessness, sovereignty, embracing, arousing, attainment, continuation, and completion. By these, the ten degrees are called pāramitās."
The commentary explains: "Vastness supremacy means never delighting in all worldly wealth, pleasure, and sovereignty, because one's aspirations are lofty and far-reaching. Long duration supremacy means accomplishment through cultivation over three incalculable eons. Foundation supremacy means serving universally as the foundation for benefiting all sentient beings. Inexhaustibility supremacy means dedicating merit toward supreme perfect enlightenment without exhaustion. Continuity supremacy means swiftly perfecting the pāramitās of giving and others toward sentient beings by attaining the supreme understanding of equality between self and others. Effortlessness supremacy means deeply rejoicing in the good dharmas cultivated by other sentient beings, thereby causing one's own pāramitās of giving and others to swiftly reach completion. Sovereignty supremacy means swiftly perfecting the cultivation of giving and others through the power of samādhis such as Ākāśagarbha. Embracing supremacy means being embraced by non-discriminating wisdom, enabling giving and others to become extremely pure. Arousing supremacy exists in the highest grade of patience in the stage of understanding and practice. Attainment supremacy exists in the stage of extreme joy. Continuation supremacy exists in the next eight stages. Completion supremacy exists in the tenth stage and Buddha stage, because the causes and effects of bodhisattvas and tathāgatas are fulfilled. Through the ten practices of giving and others having these twelve qualities, one can reach the other shore."
Question: What is called attention right practice?
Answer: The verse states: "Bodhisattvas constantly contemplate the Great Vehicle with three wisdoms. According to the dharmas as established, this is called attention right practice." The commentary states: "If bodhisattvas, with the wonderful wisdom accomplished through hearing, contemplating, and cultivating, repeatedly apply attention to contemplate the Great Vehicle based on giving and others, according to the established dharmas such as the sūtras, this is called attention right practice."
Question: What is called following dharma right practice?
Answer: The verse states: "Following dharma practice has two types: namely, without distraction and without inverted transformation. Bodhisattvas should understand this." That is, following dharma right practice has two types: (1) without distraction—namely, without the transformation of six types of distraction; (2) without inversion—namely, without the transformation of ten types of inversion. Bodhisattvas should completely understand these sixty and others. This is called following dharma right practice. The six distractions are: (1) inherent distraction, (2) external distraction, (3) internal distraction, (4) characteristic distraction, (5) gross distraction, (6) attention distraction. The ten inversions are called ten inversions by reversing the ten non-inversions. The ten non-inversions are: (1) non-inversion regarding text, (2) non-inversion regarding meaning, (3) non-inversion in attention, (4) non-inversion in unmovability, (5) non-inversion in individual characteristics, (6) non-inversion in common characteristics, (7) non-inversion in purity and defilement, (8) non-inversion regarding the adventitious, (9) non-inversion in fearlessness, (10) non-inversion in non-superiority. Details are as explained in the treatise.
Question: What is called the right practice of avoiding two extremes?
Answer: If one grasps at difference between self and form, etc., or grasps at them as one, this is called one extreme. To abandon such grasping, the middle way practice is taught. That is, contemplating selflessness is called the practice of avoiding two extremes. This is like the middle way practice explained in the Ratnakūṭa Sūtra.
Question: How many two-extreme attachments are there?
Answer: The verse states: "Different nature and one nature, outsiders and śrāvakas, augmentation and diminishment extremes, sentient beings and dharmas each two, what is to be treated and what treats, permanence and annihilation, grasped and grasper extremes, defiled and pure, two or three types." These are eight types of two extremes: (1) different nature and one nature extreme, (2) outsider and śrāvaka extreme, (3) sentient being augmentation-diminishment extreme, (4) dharma augmentation-diminishment extreme, (5) what is to be treated extreme, (6) permanence and annihilation extreme, (7) grasped and grasper extreme, (8) defiled and pure extreme. Another verse states: "The nature of discriminated two extremes should be known to have seven more: namely, existent and non-existent extremes, what pacifies and what is pacified, fear and dread, what is grasped and what grasps, correct and incorrect, useful and useless, non-arising and temporal, etc. These are discriminated two extremes." That is, there are also seven types of two extremes: (1) existent and non-existent extreme, (2) what is pacified and what pacifies extreme, (3) fear and dread extreme, (4) what is grasped and what grasps extreme, (5) correct and incorrect extreme, (6) useful and useless extreme, (7) non-arising and temporal extreme. Details are as explained in that treatise and commentary.
Question: What are called distinctive right practice and non-distinctive right practice?
Answer: The verse states: "Distinctive and non-distinctive should be understood in the ten stages, where the ten pāramitās are cultivated with emphasis and equality." That is, within the ten stages, cultivating the ten pāramitās with emphasis on one at a time is called distinctive right practice. Equally cultivating all ten perfections of giving and others in all stages is called non-distinctive right practice.
Question: What is called supremacy of objects?
Answer: The verse states: "Objects mean establishment and realm, what establishes and what establishes, maintenance, sealing, internal holding, penetration, increase, realization, operation, and supremacy." That is, there are twelve types: (1) established dharma designation objects, (2) dharma realm objects, (3) established objects, (4) establishing objects, (5) maintaining objects, (6) sealing objects, (7) internally holding objects, (8) penetrating objects, (9) expanding objects, (10) partial realization objects, (11) equal operation objects, (12) supreme objects. Details are as explained in that text.
Question: What is called supremacy of cultivation and realization?
Answer: The verse states: "Cultivation and realization mean without deficiency, indestructible, unshakeable, perfect, arising, firm, gentle, non-abiding, unobstructed, and cessation." That is, there are ten types: (1) spiritual lineage cultivation-realization, (2) faith and understanding cultivation-realization, (3) arousing aspiration cultivation-realization, (4) right practice cultivation-realization, (5) entering freedom from birth cultivation-realization, (6) accomplishment cultivation-realization, (7) pure land cultivation-realization, (8) attaining non-regression stage and receiving prediction cultivation-realization, (9) Buddha stage cultivation-realization, (10) manifesting enlightenment cultivation-realization. The above digression is complete. Details are as explained in that treatise, volume 2, and commentary.
Question: After quoting the three supremacies text, the treatise concludes by saying "because it comprehensively encompasses all objects, practices, and fruits possessed by bodhisattvas." What does this mean?
Answer: There are two teachers' interpretations. The Compendium Commentary states: "Among the three supremacies, the first is causal practice, the next two are objects and fruits. All extend through both the causal stage and Buddha fruition." The Water Commentary states: "That is, through these three types of supremacy, one realizes the fundamental One Vehicle essence and comprehensively encompasses the objects, practices, and fruits possessed by bodhisattvas."