英語訳
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buddhas." The third doubt's meaning says: "Those who seek quiescence hear dharma from the Buddha and give rise to slanderous minds. How does the Tathāgata not become one incapable of teaching dharma?" To sever this doubt, the sutra says: "Except after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa... then they obtain clear understanding, etc." The fourth doubt's meaning says: "Previously three vehicles were taught, now it is taught as one. The dharma taught before differs, the dharma taught now differs. How does the World-Honored One not constitute false speech?" To sever this doubt, the sutra says: "You should wholeheartedly believe and understand... only one Buddha vehicle, etc." In detail, as in the Xuanzan commentary, this should be understood. Above concludes the essentials of the five sections and forty-four dharmas of the Skillful Means chapter.
Question: What are the seven parables? Answer: 1. The burning house parable. This refers to ordinary beings in training who seek power and give rise to the first delusion - the conceit of seeking all merits. Because worldly afflictions blaze fiercely, yet they seek the wonderful realm rewards of humans and gods, this is taught for them. 2. The poor son parable. This refers to two-vehicle trainees who seek śrāvaka liberation with one-sided conceit, saying "My vehicle and the Tathāgata's vehicle are not different." Because they thus deludedly grasp antidotes and exclusively seek śrāvaka liberation, this is taught for them. 3. The rain clouds parable. This refers to Mahāyāna people who have one-sided conceit, saying "There are no separate two vehicles." This is taught to make them understand the differences among various vehicles. 4. The conjured city parable. This refers to ordinary beings in training who have concentration but actually lack it yet have conceit. Though they have worldly samādhi and samāpatti, they actually lack nirvāṇa yet generate nirvāṇa thoughts. This is taught for them. 5. The jewel sewn in the garment parable. This refers to ordinary beings in training without concentration. Their scattered minds actually lack concentration. Though they had Mahāyāna good roots in the past, they do not realize this themselves. They do not seek the Mahāyāna but generate false understanding regarding inferior minds, considering this the first vehicle. This is taught for them.
6. The bright jewel parable. This refers to those who seek the fruits of three vehicles and accumulate merits, who hear Mahāyāna dharma explained but grasp what is not Mahāyāna, having conceit. For this reason the parable of giving the bright jewel from the topknot is taught. 7. The physician parable. This refers to ordinary beings in training without merits who do not accumulate good roots in the first vehicle and do not grasp it, having conceit regarding the first. This is taught for them.
Question: How are there three equalities? Answer: 1. Vehicle equality. This refers to people without afflictions who generate deluded faith and believe in the difference of various vehicles. To cure this defiled conceit, prediction is given to śrāvakas. Because there is only one vehicle and no two vehicles. 2. Saṃsāra-nirvāṇa equality. This refers to people without afflictions who generate deluded faith and believe in the difference between world and nirvāṇa. To cure this defiled conceit, the stupa of Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna is manifested. After entering nirvāṇa, he later manifests his body. 3. Body equality. This refers to people without afflictions who generate deluded faith and believe in the difference between this and that body. To cure this defiled conceit, it is revealed that Buddha Prabhūtaratna encompasses all Buddha bodies. The commentary says: "In brief, the one body of Tathāgata Prabhūtaratna demonstrates encompassing and grasping all Buddha bodies, therefore through body equality it is taught that one body encompasses all Buddha bodies."
Question: What are the ten supremacies? Answer: 1. Seed supremacy. This refers to Mahāyāna untainted seeds. The commentary quotes the sutra saying: "Not departing from the Mahāyāna is the meaning of supremacy. Because only the Mahāyāna is called 'not departing.'" Also it says: "To reveal seed supremacy, the rain parable is taught."
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Question: The ten supremacies are the remainder of the seven parables and three equalities. This has textual remainder and meaning remainder. What remainder is this seed supremacy? Answer: There are two meanings. First, this is meaning remainder. Previously the rain parable was taught, universally moistening the three plants. Since the three plants are already different, it makes known the vehicle differences. Now teaching the rain parable, among the three plants that are moistened, in relation to the two plants, the Buddha-seed is called "great plant." Matching their own positions, additionally called "two trees." Because what they aspire to differs, it is called "meaning remainder." Second, this is textual remainder. The text of small, medium, and large plants is the rain parable breaking the disease of vehicle sameness. The various trees, large and small, follow upper, middle, and lower, each having what they receive. This rain parable is seed supremacy. Because the before and after texts differ, it is called "textual remainder."
Question: How are they called textual remainder and meaning remainder? Answer: Within the seven parables and three equalities there are remaining texts whose meanings have not yet been explained - this is called "textual remainder." Though their meanings have already been explained, the meanings are still not exhausted. There are further additional meanings different from the previous meanings - this is called "meaning remainder." The intent should be understood in detail.
2. Cultivation supremacy. This refers to explaining the original deeds of Tathāgata Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū. Mahāyāna bodhi is difficult to attain and the practice is also difficult to accomplish. It is not like two-vehicle bodhi which is quickly attained and the practice is also easy to cultivate. Therefore it teaches that Buddha Mahābhijñājñānābhibhū sat in the place of enlightenment for ten kalpas before attaining bodhi.
3. Superior power supremacy. This refers to teaching the merchant leader parable. Previously the conjured city was taught, knowing it is not true extinction. It had not yet taught that the merchant leader can lead the merchants and guide them to the jewel place of Buddha-fruit. Now this is taught.
4. Understanding reception supremacy. This refers to teaching the sewn jewel parable. This teaches past connections to generate awakened understanding and know there are Mahāyāna good root precious jewels.
5. Pure land supremacy. This refers to manifesting the stupa of Buddha Prabhūtaratna. When Prabhūtaratna appears, the transformation-body Buddhas gather. The Buddha emits one light enabling them to see other pure lands. Also transforming the eight directions into pure lands, showing the purity of Buddha-lands and revealing the excellence of the present dharma.
6. Teaching supremacy. This refers to teaching the bright jewel parable. Teaching about giving the bright jewel from the topknot. Bestowing this dharma is like untying and giving the jewel. The dharma that is taught has nothing superior to it.
7. Teaching and transforming sentient beings supremacy. This refers to countless bodhisattvas emerging from the earth. This clarifies that the Buddha has already taught and transformed countless bodhisattvas.
8. Accomplishing great bodhi supremacy. This refers to manifesting three types of Buddha bodhi.
9. Nirvāṇa supremacy. This refers to teaching the physician parable. The Buddha manifesting entry into nirvāṇa is transformational extinction. Actually he does not become extinct. It is not like the extinction of the two vehicles becoming extinction.
10. Excellent wonderful power supremacy. This has two powers within it: 1. Dharma power, 2. Cultivation power. Dharma power has five: 1. Realization, 2. Faith, 3. Offerings, 4. Hearing dharma, 5. Reading, reciting, upholding and explaining. Cultivation power has seven: 1. Upholding power, 2. Explaining power, 3. Practicing austerities power, 4. Teaching sentient beings and practicing austerities power, 5. Protecting sentient beings from various difficulties power, 6. Merit excellence power, 7. Dharma protection power. Realization refers to the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits - among the bodhisattvas, those who hear about the lifespan have eleven stages of realizing sagehood. Faith refers to bodhisattvas numerous as dust particles of eight worlds generating mind and faith-understanding. Offerings refer to heavenly flower rain, etc. Hearing dharma refers to the two long verses after the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits and the Chapter on the Merits of Joyful Acceptance - those who hear dharma and rejoice. Reading, reciting, upholding and explaining refers to the Chapter on the Merits of Dharma Teachers, clarifying the merits of those who uphold sutras. Upholding power