英語訳
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Is the twelve-link dependent origination contemplation of enlightenment also dream-illusion? Are the bodhisattva's six perfections also dream-illusion? Are the myriad dharmas of the Buddha's fruition ground also dream-illusion?" Answer: "Yes. On the side of conventional truth, they are all equally dream-illusions. Therefore, my Great Perfect Enlightenment Sutra of Practice and Meaning explains: 'Buddha-lands arise and perish in disorder like flowers in empty space.'" Asking again: "If śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas are all equally dream-illusions, why does the World-Honored One recommend the holy practices of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas?" Answer: "The four holy practices of śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and buddhas are all equally dream-illusions, but they are good dreams and good illusions. Being good illusions, though they are dream-illusions, they are peaceful dreams. They are peaceful illusions. Therefore, the buddhas of the three times recommend seeing good, peaceful dreams." Asking again: "If conventional truth is all equally dream-illusion, are great mountains dreams? Are great oceans illusions? If so, the three-thousand-fold world exists majestically day by day and vastly night by night—why do you explain that great mountains and great oceans are all dream-illusions?" Answer: "The Benevolent Kings Sutra explains: 'When the kalpa fire finishes burning, heaven and earth are ablaze throughout. Mount Sumeru and the vast oceans all become ash that rises up. Form has no permanent master, spirit has no permanent home. Even form and spirit separate—how could there be countries?'" 《Marginal note: Above》 Thus, even the three-thousand-fold world, during the three disasters of the great kalpa, seven suns appear in the sky, and great fire disasters blaze up from the Uninterrupted Hell. The karmic fires of all sentient beings in fields, mountains, and forests blaze forth. Heaven and earth burn brightly and Mount Sumeru becomes ash. The four great oceans dry up and great fires blaze up from the golden wheel foundation. After the three-thousand-fold world all becomes cinders and ash, the three-thousand realms become empty space and dream-illusions. Therefore, the three realms and six paths are all conventional truth, and conventional truth being equally dream-illusion, one cannot remain in the dwelling place of dream-illusions. One should quickly return to the dharma-realm emptiness of ultimate truth dharma-nature emptiness and enter the palace of Vairocana's wisdom-ocean treasury at the supreme peak of the ten grounds above the wondrous enlightenment Buddha revered in the Benevolent Kings Sutra"—this is the secret treasury
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of the seven buddhas explaining the Benevolent Kings Sutra》《Marginal note: Above》 The above is the secret initiation of Śākyamuni's influence on the Two Truths Chapter of the Benevolent Kings Sutra. This is a supreme matter unknown in Japan. This is a supreme matter unknown among the various schools. Who would know that Śākyamuni reappeared in the world to explain the Benevolent Kings Sutra again? It should be kept secret, should be kept secret. It should be revered, should be revered. Exit from the dream of conventional truth and enter the palace of awakening of ultimate truth. The palace of awakening is the original palace of the empty space dharma-realm palace of Vairocana's wisdom-ocean. It is the swift path of sudden realization of bodhi.
Śākyamuni's Influence on the Secret Dharma of the Benevolent Kings Sutra, Volume 4 - Complete
Śākyamuni's Influence on the Secret Dharma of the Benevolent Kings Sutra, Volume 5
Chapter on Protecting the Country
In explaining this chapter, there are three aspects: coming intention, explanation of the name, and textual analysis and interpretation. First, the coming intention: In the previous Two Truths Chapter, ultimate truth dharma-nature protects inner realization, while conventional truth protects the external function of the country as the protected. Therefore, following the previous Two Truths Chapter comes the Chapter on Protecting the Country below. Next, explaining the chapter name: The Chapter on Protecting the Country protects the country where beings dwell and protects the beings who dwell there. By protecting the beings who dwell there, sentient beings achieve buddhahood. The威力 of Benevolent Kings Prajñā guards and protects the world of countries and causes awakening in the world of sentient beings—this skillful means for benefiting beings is called the Chapter on Protecting the Country. Third, textual analysis and interpretation: The Chapter on Protecting the Country has many reception sections. 《Marginal note: [Investigation] The two characters "reception section" are probably copying errors》 First, the World-Honored One clarifies that countries are about to fall into disorder. Second, he clarifies protecting countries. Fifth, in the past this method was read. 《Marginal note: [Investigation] From "fifth" to "method" - six characters whose meaning is unclear, probably copying errors》 Third, he properly clarifies the signs of national disorder. Fourth, he properly clarifies protecting countries. Fifth, in the past, Indra ascended from the human Cakravartin King to Trayastriṃśa Heaven wanting to destroy that country. When Indra lectured on the Prajñā
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Sutra, the Cakravartin King immediately fell back to the human realm. Sixth, in ancient times King Kalmāṣapāda received the teaching of the heretical teacher Raudra and wanted to take the heads of a thousand kings to sacrifice to a tomb deity. He captured King Puṇyaraśmi. When King Puṇyaraśmi lectured on the Benevolent Kings Sutra, King Kalmāṣapāda listened to the Benevolent Kings Sutra and attained the samādhi of emptiness. The 999 kings also heard the Benevolent Kings Dharma and all realized the three gates of emptiness. Immediately King Kalmāṣapāda paid respect to the Benevolent Kings Sutra and released the thousand kings, all returning to their original countries to lecture on the Benevolent Kings Sutra and protect their countries. Though this protection of countries is clear, at that time Śākyamuni obtained the benefit of hearing this chapter. Various great assemblies, as many as explained in the sutra.
The Principle and Practice of National Disorder Arising and Benevolent Kings Prajñā Calming the Country
The sutra says: "When countries are in disorder, first the spirits and demons are in disorder. Because spirits and demons are in disorder, all people are in disorder. With strange phenomena in heaven and earth and all kinds of difficulties, lecturing and reading Benevolent Kings Prajñā, even without protecting the country, still attracts all good fortune." But why does national disorder arise? Also, for calming national disorder, among all sutras the Benevolent Kings Prajñā Sutra takes the lead. This protection is a particularly puzzling matter. In the Tiantai cave, sitting on rocks, Śākyamuni's influence appeared, and Zen Master Zhiyi respectfully asked about this reason. Śākyamuni declared: "When the minds of all sentient beings are defiled, the country is defiled; when the minds of all sentient beings are pure, the country is pure. Thus when sentient beings' minds are disordered, the country is disordered; when sentient beings' minds are ordered, the country is ordered. Sentient beings' disorder means the mental disorder of the ten evils, five grave sins, etc. When a wheel-turning sage king appears in the world and guides and transforms the country's sentient beings, causing them to cultivate the ten good karmic paths, the country becomes calm and ordered, and even the branches and leaves of plants and trees are not disturbed by contrary winds. When an evil king appears in the world, the country's sentient beings violate the ten good karmas and create the ten evil karmas: killing, stealing, sexual misconduct,
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false speech, harsh speech, divisive speech, greed, hatred, and wrong views. The heavenly spirits, earth spirits, dragon spirits, etc., become angry at sentient beings, harm the dwelling sentient beings, and devastate the countries where they dwell. Know that sentient beings' minds are like painters—they dip the brush of their own minds and paint the picture of the country and world. Therefore, at the beginning of the formation kalpa, the mountains created jointly by the minds of all sentient beings, and the great ocean that is only deep and clear, is the ocean jointly made clear by the minds of all sentient beings. Thus when the minds of sentient beings in countries are disordered, the countries where they dwell also become disordered accordingly; when sentient beings' minds become wild, the countries also become wild accordingly."》《Marginal note: Above》 This is a secret matter. Zhiyi again addressed him: "Why is it that among all sutras, for calming national disorder and protecting countries, only the Benevolent Kings Prajñā Sutra takes the lead?" Śākyamuni declared: "For ordering national disorder, Benevolent Kings Prajñā alone takes the lead. National disorder is the disorder of sentient beings' thoughts. Sentient beings' thoughts become disordered and lost regarding prajñā. Prajñā contemplates emptiness, and empty space has no disorder. Thus empty space has no ten evils. Also empty space has no five grave sins. Also empty space has no false thoughts of the 84,000 gates of worldly troubles. Therefore there is no killing in empty space, no committing killing sins toward empty space. There is no stealing from empty space, no committing theft sins toward empty space. Also no committing sexual misconduct sins toward empty space. Also no committing false speech sins toward empty space. Also no defiling empty space and committing frivolous speech sins. 《Marginal note: [Investigation] "sins" is probably redundantly copied》 Also no committing divisive speech sins toward empty space. Also there is no one who hates empty space. Also there is no one who holds wrong views toward empty space. Therefore, turning toward the empty space of the Benevolent Kings Sutra, there is no disorder of thoughts of the ten evil karmic paths, and no national disorder. Without national disorder, countries become ordered. Also there is no sin of patricide with empty space as father. Also there is no sin of matricide with empty space as mother. Also there is no sin of killing an arhat with empty space as arhat. Also there is no sin of drawing blood from a buddha's body with empty space as buddha body. Also there is no sin of schism with empty space as saṅgha breaking the harmony of empty space. The world