英語訳
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grounds and creates their causal characteristics, called "nine ground characteristics." Therefore the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha says: "If one penetrates the dharmadhātu on the first ground, one can quickly penetrate all subsequent grounds." As a verse says: "Just as when bamboo breaks at the first joint, the remaining joints can also break, when one attains the true wisdom of the first ground, all other grounds will quickly be accomplished." Regarding "abandoning the ordinary person's body, etc.," this means abandoning the ordinary person's body before the grounds and entering the first ground. Reaching the sixth ground, one dwells in the ground-body and abandons the divided retribution body of the seventh ground, entering the transformation dharma-body of the eighth ground and above. Master Ye's interpretation agrees with this. Master Zang considers the first ground and nine ground characteristics the same. Masters Ce and others interpret the passage about "abandoning ordinary persons, etc." saying: abandoning the external ordinary person's body and entering the six-dwelling body of seed-nature and above. Abandoning the seven expedients before the grounds and attaining the eighth dharma-body of the first ground. It's also possible to abandon the effortful body of the first seven grounds and enter the effortless dharma-body of the eighth ground and above. Regarding "empty flowers, etc.," Master Ce says: Empty flowers reveal the emptiness of persons, dharma-nature flowers clarify the emptiness of dharmas. These two represent patient acceptance. Saint flowers represent faith acceptance, because one first enters sainthood. Conforming flowers represent conforming acceptance. Non-arising flowers represent the lower and middle grades of acceptance of non-arising dharmas. Dharma-joy flowers represent the upper grade of acceptance of non-arising dharmas. Vajra flowers represent the lower grade of quiescent extinction acceptance. These seven flowers above represent the Mahāyāna dharma. Dependent observation middle way flowers represent perfect enlightenment dharma, because they realize and understand dependent origination middle way observation. Therefore the thirty-seven factors flowers represent śrāvaka dharma. Masters Zang and Ye's interpretations are largely similar with minor differences. Regarding "path-trace fruits," Master Ye says: First attaining the path-trace is the path of seeing. Master Ce says: Path-trace is the path, fruit is the fruit itself. Also, path-trace is the learner, fruit is the non-learner. This applies to all three vehicles. Regarding "mind emptiness, etc.," Master Ce says: Mind emptiness flowers are the four concentrations. Among the three trainings, this is called mind training. Mind tree flowers are dependent origination observation. The twelve-link dependent origination is called the flower tree. The six pāramitā flowers
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are the practices of the ten grounds. These three respectively reveal the dharmas of those three vehicles. Perfect enlightenment flowers are buddha-fruit practices. Speaking of fruit within the cause is called perfect enlightenment flowers. Regarding "perfect enlightenment perfectly clear vajra samādhi," regarding "three truth samādhi," regarding "countless other samādhis," Master Ce says: These are the four immeasurable concentrations. Regarding "seven wealth samādhi," Master Ce says: This relates to the seven wealth concentrations: first faith, second precepts, third shame, fourth embarrassment, fifth giving, sixth learning, seventh wisdom. Regarding "twenty-five existence samādhi," regarding "there are also one billion bodhisattvas, etc."
Benevolent Kings Dharma-Protecting Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, Chapter Eight: Entrustment
Master Ce says: Entrustment means entrusting. Cumulative means repeatedly accumulating. The Tathāgata repeatedly entrusts this sutra, causing it to flow through successive generations, hence called entrustment. Master Zang says: The Tathāgata earnestly entrusts it to kings and burdens the bodhisattva assembly, therefore called entrustment. Master Ye says: Earnestly entrusting it to flow through myriad generations. Master Ben says: Entrustment means entrusting. Cumulative means repeatedly accumulating. Bearing the Buddha's repeated accumulation, hence called entrustment. Also, using this dharma to entrust to various kings, celebrating cumulative propagation to prevent the Buddha-seed from being cut off. Also entrusting prajñā to be transmitted through successive generations, removing disasters and benefiting sentient beings.
Scripture: "The Buddha told Pāraśika" up to "end of chapter"
Master Ye says: The text has three parts: first admonition and encouragement, second "At that time the sixteen" below on acceptance and upholding, third "At that time countless" below on
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dispersing the assembly. The first scroll says: The text has four sections: first the Tathāgata's admonition and encouragement, second the kings' acceptance of the teaching, third the kings' sorrowful response, fourth the great assembly's practice.
Scripture: "The Buddha told the great king" up to "the true dharma will not perish for long"
Master Ye says: Admonition and encouragement has two parts: first joy, then "in the later five turbidities" below admonishing faults, having seven parts.
Scripture: "The Buddha told the great king" up to "all sentient beings"
Regarding "I admonish and command you all," Master Ce says: Some versions lacking the character "all" are deficient. Regarding "eighty years, etc.," Master Ce says: Interpreting this sutra passage, various explanations differ. One explanation says: Within one hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, five people maintained the dharma: first Kāśyapa for twenty years, second Ānanda for twenty years, third Madhyāntika for twenty years - these three maintained the dharma for sixty years. Because they saw the Buddha's dharma practice in the world, they maintained the dharma without it perishing. Fourth Śāṇavāsin, fifth Upagupta - these two each for twenty years. Because Śāṇavāsin did not see the Buddha's transformations, the deportment dharma perished. Eight hundred years refers to within the five hundred years of true dharma, twenty-five masters maintained the Buddha-dharma, all being saints who transmitted the Buddha-dharma without it perishing. In the sixth hundred years was Aśvaghoṣa Bodhisattva, in the seventh hundred years was Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva - because these two maintained it, the dharma did not perish. In the eight hundred years, few people maintained the dharma, hence speaking of dharma extinction. Speaking of "eight thousand years" refers to the extinction of semblance dharma. Because sentient beings of the final dharma practice wrong dharma, both semblance and final dharma perish. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra speaks of the final age. One hundred twenty thousand great bodhisattvas well maintain my dharma without it perishing. Based on what ordinary beings see, it's said to perish.
Some explanations say "eighty years" refers to the final eighty years within the five hundred years of true dharma. Eight hundred years refers to the final eight hundred years within the thousand years of semblance dharma. Eight thousand years takes the final eight thousand years of the ten thousand years of final dharma. Although there are such explanations, no authentic texts have been seen, so they cannot be relied upon. Master Ye says: Eighty years is when the five-school disputes first arise, the beginning of true dharma extinction. Eight hundred years is when emptiness-existence disputes arise, the beginning of semblance dharma extinction. Eight thousand years is the arising of final dharma. Regarding "no Buddha, etc.," Master Ce says: Now saying "none" means calling few "none." Also, having something become nothing is called "none." Master Ben says: Like a river with little water can also be called "none." Therefore the first three use the sutra for entrustment. If there were completely nothing, what would be entrusted? Regarding "this sutra's Three Jewels, etc.," Master Ce says: Entrustment has two parts: first entrusting to kings to maintain, later entrusting to the assembly to transform. Also saying: Question - why does the previous chapter only entrust to kings, while this chapter commonly entrusts to the four assemblies? Explanation: The previous chapter entrusts protection and maintenance, therefore only entrusts to kings. This chapter entrusts understanding and teaching to transform sentient beings, therefore applies to all four assemblies. Regarding "opening empty wisdom, etc.," Master Ce says: Opening the empty wisdom path is undefiled wisdom. Seven noble practices are seven expedient observations. Ten good practices are the ten good karma paths. This goes from superior toward inferior practices. I say: This interpretation seems skillful. However, I now add an explanation: opening the empty wisdom path means propagating this teaching for people. Only speaking of cultivating noble practices without mentioning sage practices means teaching people to first achieve these seven noble practices. If one cultivates noble practices, one naturally attains the sage position, therefore now it doesn't speak of cultivating undefiled practices. Also, because it can produce non-certification, perhaps it only speaks praise.