英語訳
【Right Upper Section】
This does not constitute a difficulty.
The sutra states: "Those four assemblies who constantly disparaged this bodhisattva at that time - how could they be different people? Now in this assembly, the five hundred bodhisattvas including Bhadrapāla, the five hundred bhikṣuṇīs including Lion Moon, and the five hundred upāsakas including Mindful-of-Buddha are all non-retreating from anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi."
The Water Commentary states: The sutra's phrase "Lion Moon and other five hundred bhikṣus" constitutes one sentence. This mentions bhikṣus to include the nun assembly, mentioning the superior to include the inferior. The sutra's phrase "Nī Mindful-of-Buddha and other five hundred upāsakas" mentions upāsakas to include upāsikās, mentioning males to include females. These four assemblies are complete.
The New Commentary states: Regarding the sutra's "Lion Moon and others," here three categories are mentioned: bodhisattvas, bhikṣuṇīs, and upāsakas. All give name first, then essence. The character "nī" belongs to the upper sentence. However, according to the Correct Dharma Blossom Sutra: "Lion Moon and other five hundred bhikṣuṇīs are now before the Buddha, five hundred male lay devotees, five hundred female lay devotees, etc." This verifies that this sutra text is abbreviated. The two characters "bhikṣu" are stated twice. Since Lion Moon is a bhikṣu's name, it speaks of upāsakas and upāsikās. In the verses below, all are complete.
The Lotus Brief Phonetic Guide states: (Compiled by Śramaṇa Xuanji, longtime lecturer on sutras and treatises at Jianyuan Temple in Changzhou, later transferred to Right Street Monastic Registrar of Jinling) "Lion Moon and other five hundred bhikṣuṣīs, Mindful-of-Buddha and other five hundred upāsakas." Regarding the character "nī," the Prime Minister says it belongs to the upper sentence, while Baoyi says it belongs to the lower sentence: "Nī Mindful-of-Buddha and others." This sutra also, among the two monastic assemblies, both mentions "Lion Moon and other five hundred bhikṣus," implicitly including bhikṣuṇīs. Among the two lay assemblies,
【Right Lower Section】
both mentions "Nī Mindful-of-Buddha and other five hundred upāsakas," implicitly including upāsikās. If one connects the character "nī" to read with the upper sentence, there would be no bhikṣus, only the nun assembly. Therefore we know the character "nī" belongs to the lower sentence. "Nī Mindful-of-Buddha" is Sanskrit, like saying "Elder Nī-guluda" or "Nirañjanā River." Since we now follow the latter interpretation, the end of the Benevolent Kings Sutra states: "Maitreya, Lion Moon and others, billions of Śāriputra, Subhūti and others, immeasurable." Therefore we know Lion Moon and others are bhikṣuṇīs.
The Sutra of the Causes and Conditions of a Thousand Buddhas states:
(Changji uses this)
Question: Can this chapter demonstrate supreme marvelous power? If it doesn't demonstrate it, supreme marvelous power is the inconceivable power function of the One Vehicle. Since Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, relying on the marvelous practice of the One Vehicle, attained the merit of six sense faculties' purity, why isn't this called supreme marvelous power? If following this logic, the treatise doesn't say this chapter demonstrates supreme marvelous power. How should this be understood?
Reconciling explanation: This matter indeed has doubt. Yet while the Śāstra Commentary and Profound Praise both point to fourteen chapters for supreme marvelous power, they don't include the Never Disparaging chapter. How can we later students contend to add it? Briefly considering the meaning: regarding supreme marvelous power, the treatise makes three types - Dharma power, maintaining power, and cultivation power. The Profound Praise makes two types, using maintaining power to include cultivation power. Among these, Dharma power has five gates: proof-faith, offerings, hearing Dharma, recitation, and expounding. Also cultivation power has seven types, each seeing its characteristics. All are what should be cultivated accordingly within the ten Dharma practices. However, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging, though practicing prostration and
【Left Upper Section】
giving predictions, regarding the ten practices of maintaining, reciting, etc., there are clearly no explanations. Therefore, looking toward cultivation power etc., the characteristics don't correspond. Hence perhaps he doesn't take this. One should step back and consider this.
Someone challenges this meaning saying: Never Disparaging attained six sense faculties' purity - how could there be no ten Dharma practices? Hearing the sky, one could hear Dharma, etc. Such doubts - in various chapters, there are many instances of hearing sutras and gaining benefit, like Avalokiteśvara dhāraṇī, etc. How could there be no supreme marvelous power? Like the Chapter on Distinguishing Merits, as a proof-faith category, this could be produced. Therefore one should separately explain: Generally, as the main intent of one chapter, what is clarified is demonstrating the matters produced in the Tathāgata's mind, etc. However, Never Disparaging's attainment of six sense faculties' purity is not the chapter's main intent. Cultivating peaceful and joyful practices, practicing patience, circulating this sutra, etc. - these are what constitute this chapter's main intent. Due to clarifying this matter, though six sense faculties' purity is explained, it's not specifically wanting to demonstrate this.
(One edition makes the above discussion equal to the end of commentary volume twenty, with the following Supernatural Powers chapter commentary as the beginning of commentary volume twenty-one)
[One edition's colophon states]
Written and completed on the twenty-ninth day of the seventh month of Ōan 1 (1368)
Stored on the fifth day of the third month of Eitoku 3 (1383). From this temple's Fukujōin, it must not be taken elsewhere.
【Left Lower Section】
Supernatural Powers Chapter
Question: According to our school's position, the Entrustment chapter is placed at the sutra's end. So should this chapter be at the sutra's end?
Answer: No. Regarding this, the two chapters of Supernatural Powers and Entrustment properly belong to this sutra. If Entrustment is at the end, why does Supernatural Powers reside in the middle? Therefore, looking at the sutra text, it manifests immeasurable supernatural powers and entrusts this sutra. If so, the two entrustments of supernatural powers and touching the head should equally be at the sutra's end. If the two chapters don't connect continuously, wouldn't the text and meaning be contradictory?
Reconciling explanation: That the Supernatural Powers chapter is in the sutra's middle - all four editions are the same. In the Śāstra Commentary's five gates of cultivation power, the power of exposition has three types of Dharma gates demonstrated in the Supernatural Powers chapter. The sequence of Dharma gates is not at the sutra's end. Regarding Entrustment being at the sutra's end, the Śāstra Commentary text is clear, and the three editions are also the same. If it were in the sutra's middle, it would be among the eight difficulties and ten impossibilities - why doesn't our school permit this? That the Supernatural Powers chapter has the meaning of being in the sutra's middle is undisputed and without obstacle. They shouldn't be compared. Though both Supernatural Powers and Entrustment chapters involve entrustment, discussing the superior, there is the sutra's end. One can know this from the chapter names. Even if the entrustment in the Supernatural Powers chapter is in the sutra's middle, what fault would there be? Since it involves two levels, those Four Noble Youths Samādhi Sutra, Mahāprajñāpāramitā, etc. have double entrustments, so not only at the sutra's end but also extending through the sutra's middle. This sutra should also be so. Other schools place the fundamental entrustment in the sutra's middle, but this also violates the sequence of Dharma-protection power. Hence there is fault. This shouldn't be used as an example.