Back to the library

t85n2749 lotus sutra commentary.g2.0f

English

English version The heavenly eye can see the colors of the Middle Chiliocosm. (Heavenly Eye: A supernatural power to see things invisible to ordinary people.) The heavenly eye attained through cultivation can see the colors of the Great Chiliocosm. The Buddha's eye, relying on the heavenly eye, can see the colors of the Great Chiliocosm. The heavenly eye attained through cultivation can see the colors of the boundless world. This is the same as the view in the *Abhidharmasamuccaya*. The *Abhidharmasamuccaya* says: 'The *sravakas* (disciples of the Hinayana Buddhism) cannot see the Small Chiliocosm without skillful means; with skillful means, they can see the Two-Thousandfold World. The *pratyekabuddhas* (solitarily enlightened ones) cannot see the Two-Thousandfold World without skillful means; with skillful means, they can see the Three-Thousandfold World. The Buddhas cannot see the Three-Thousandfold World without skillful means; with skillful means, they can see countless, boundless, billions of hundreds of thousands of Three-Thousandfold Worlds.' Here, 'without skillful means' refers to the heavenly eye obtained through inherent faculties, and 'with skillful means' refers to the heavenly eye obtained through cultivation. Paramārtha clearly stated that the so-called retribution-obtained heavenly eye is all due to the karma of the desire realm (the lowest realm in Buddhist cosmology). However, the heavenly eye obtained through inherent faculties in the superior heavens (higher-level deities), if the outflows of the three vehicles (sravaka vehicle, pratyekabuddha vehicle, Bodhisattva vehicle) are not completely exhausted, this karma will still be applied. Receiving the inherent faculties in the desire realm heavens, because one no longer receives future existence, all the previously accumulated superior karma will be transformed into a superior heavenly eye in the body of the non-learner (one who has attained Arhatship). This heavenly eye manifests in the physical eye, along with the flourishing of *vitarka* and *vicara* (thinking and observation). If one wants to see nearby objects, one activates the physical eye consciousness; if one wants to see distant objects, one activates the heavenly eye consciousness. Now, it is explained that because of the power of upholding the sutra, the physical eye can also see the Three-Thousandfold World, and the power of light is very great. The reason for not being able to see beyond the Three-Thousandfold World is that the *Mahaprajnaparamita-sastra* says that there is a wind wheel outside the Three-Thousandfold World, which is contrary to the eyes, so it cannot be seen. The sutra says: 'All the mountains, forests, rivers, and seas inside and outside,' this refers to the scope of what is seen. Although it was said earlier that one can see vast scenes, there may be cases where one can see the large but not the small, such as seeing a large mountain in the distance but not seeing small objects; or seeing the distant but not the near, such as seeing the sun in the distance but not seeing one's eyelashes. Now it is explained that one can see everything, whether large or small, near or far. One Jambudvipa (one of the four continents in Buddhist cosmology) has eight great mountains and eight great seas. Thus, the Three-Thousandfold World has a hundred billion eight thousand great mountains and a hundred billion eight thousand great seas. There are a thousand Middle Iron Mountain Ranges and one Great Iron Mountain Range. Among them, the small mountains, small seas, various forests, and various rivers are countless. All of these can be seen. The sutra says: 'Down to Avici Hell, up to the Summit of Existence,' this refers to transcending the limitations of the realms. According to the usual explanation, the law of the realms only allows one to look upwards, not downwards; the lower realms cannot look upwards. Now, this power of sight can also see upwards to the top of the Form Realm, so it is said to transcend the limitations of the realms. The sutra says: 'Also seeing all the beings within them,' this refers to exhausting all kinds of beings. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chinese

如上五类众生悉皆见之故。言一切也。   经曰。及业因缘果根生处悉见悉知者。委事绪也。四意。一知业体。二知业因。三知业缘。四知业果。业者业体。谓身口意。身业眼根境。口业耳根境。意业意根境。知身业者自用。知口意者互用。因者业因也。恶业以三恶根为因。善业以三善根为因。并是意根境。眼根知者互用。缘者业缘。一人缘恶业。以恶友为缘。善业以善友为缘。二物缘恶业。以刀仗等为缘。善业以香花等为缘。此是眼根自境果根生处者。是业果也。知果略有六门。一知好恶。二知交赊。三知多少。四知生熟。五知受处。六知受心。一知好恶者。十住论云。知根者知诸业各各有根。善业或善处生或得涅槃恶业恶处生。二知交赊者。谓知三时根。得现根为交。得生后为赊。三知多少者感一世为少。感二世三世为多。如是过去业得七根。三单感三复感一总感现在业得三报。二单感一总感未来业得一根。一单感合三世业感 一根故。十住论说。佛知众生过去业根。或业过去根在过去。或业过去根在现在。或业过去根在未来。或业过去根在过去未来。或业过去根在过去现在。或业过去根在未来现在。或业过去根在过去未来现在。或业现在根在现在。或业现在根在未来。或业现在根在现在未来。或业未来根在 现代汉语译本: ‘如上五类众生悉皆见之故。言一切也。’意思是说,正如以上所说的五类众生,(佛)全部都能看见,所以称之为‘一切’。 ‘经曰。及业因缘果根生处悉见悉知者。委事绪也。’ 经文说,(佛)能够完全看见和知晓(众生的)业、业因、业缘、业果、根和生处,这是详细地说明了事情的头绪。其中有四层含义:一是知业体,二是知业因,三是知业缘,四是知业果。业者,指的是业体,包括身、口、意。身业对应眼根和境,口业对应耳根和境,意业对应意根和境。知身业是自己运用(身体造业),知口业和意业是相互作用(影响)。因者,指的是业因。恶业以贪、嗔、痴三恶根为因,善业以无贪、无嗔、无痴三善根为因,这些都属于意根的境界。眼根所知是相互作用(影响)。缘者,指的是业缘。一是人缘,恶业以恶友为缘,善业以善友为缘。二是物缘,恶业以刀仗等为缘,善业以香花等为缘。这些是眼根的自身境界。果根生处者,指的是业果。了解业果大致有六个方面:一是知好恶,二是知交赊,三是知多少,四是知生熟,五是知受处,六是知受心。一是知好恶,如《十住论》所说:‘知根者,知诸业各各有根。善业或善处生,或得涅槃;恶业恶处生。’ 二是知交赊,指的是了解三时(过去、现在、未来)的根。得到现根为‘交’,得到生后根为‘赊’。三是知多少,感一世为少,感二世三世为多。像这样,过去业得到七根,三单感,三复感,一总感。现在业得到三报,二单感,一总感。未来业得到一根,一单感。合三世业感一根。因此,《十住论》说,佛知众生过去业根,或者业过去根在过去,或者业过去根在现在,或者业过去根在未来,或者业过去根在过去未来,或者业过去根在过去现在,或者业过去根在未来现在,或者业过去根在过去未来现在,或者业现在根在现在,或者业现在根在未来,或者业现在根在现在未来,或者业未来根在……

English

English version: ‘As the above five kinds of sentient beings are all seen, therefore it is called 'all'.’ This means that, just as the five kinds of sentient beings mentioned above, (the Buddha) can see them all, so it is called 'all'. ‘The Sutra says: 'And those who see and know all about karma, causes, conditions, results, roots, and places of birth, understand the details of the matter.' The sutra says that (the Buddha) can completely see and know (sentient beings') karma, karmic causes, karmic conditions, karmic results, roots, and places of birth, which explains the details of the matter. There are four meanings: first, knowing the nature of karma; second, knowing the cause of karma; third, knowing the condition of karma; and fourth, knowing the result of karma. 'Karma' refers to the nature of karma, including body, speech, and mind. Body karma corresponds to the eye root and its object; speech karma corresponds to the ear root and its object; and mind karma corresponds to the mind root and its object. Knowing body karma is using (the body) oneself to create karma; knowing speech and mind karma is mutual interaction (influence). 'Cause' refers to the cause of karma. Evil karma has the three evil roots of greed (tanha), hatred (dosa), and delusion (moha) as its cause; good karma has the three good roots of non-greed, non-hatred, and non-delusion as its cause; these all belong to the realm of the mind root. What the eye root knows is mutual interaction (influence). 'Condition' refers to the condition of karma. First, the human condition: evil karma takes evil friends as its condition, and good karma takes good friends as its condition. Second, the material condition: evil karma takes knives and weapons as its condition, and good karma takes incense and flowers as its condition. These are the eye root's own realm. 'Result, root, and place of birth' refers to the result of karma. Understanding the result of karma roughly has six aspects: first, knowing good and evil; second, knowing 'jiaoshe' (交赊, immediate and deferred); third, knowing quantity; fourth, knowing maturity; fifth, knowing the place of reception; and sixth, knowing the state of mind of reception. First, knowing good and evil, as the *Dashabhumika Sutra* (*Ten Stages Sutra*) says: 'Those who know the root know that each karma has its own root. Good karma is born in good places or attains Nirvana; evil karma is born in evil places.' Second, knowing 'jiaoshe', which refers to understanding the roots of the three times (past, present, and future). Obtaining the present root is 'jiao' (immediate), and obtaining the root after birth is 'she' (deferred). Third, knowing quantity: feeling the effect in one lifetime is little, feeling the effect in two or three lifetimes is much. In this way, past karma obtains seven roots: three single feelings, three repeated feelings, and one total feeling. Present karma obtains three retributions: two single feelings and one total feeling. Future karma obtains one root: one single feeling. The karma of the three times combined feels one root. Therefore, the *Dashabhumika Sutra* says that the Buddha knows the past karmic roots of sentient beings, or the past root of karma is in the past, or the past root of karma is in the present, or the past root of karma is in the future, or the past root of karma is in the past and future, or the past root of karma is in the past and present, or the past root of karma is in the future and present, or the past root of karma is in the past, future, and present, or the present root of karma is in the present, or the present root of karma is in the future, or the present root of karma is in the present and future, or the future root of karma is in... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chinese

未来。有如是分别。四知生熟者。智度论云。二种业必受根不必受根。必受者不可离或待时待处待人受根。如人应共轮王受福。待轮王出时。是待时人即轮王处即轮王出处。五知受处者。智度论云。欲界受三受业根处。色界受二受业根处。无色界受一受业根处。六知受心者。智度论云。善心中受善不善无记根不善心无记心亦如是。如是六事一一知是名知业果。问。为即肉眼知未来耶。为有别智知未来耶。若即肉眼知者。肉眼见现在色不应知未来。若有别智知者。云云何说父母所生肉眼知耶。答。因肉眼起别智知故说肉眼知。肉眼见人死时生时色。意识知未来。如天眼知未来。此亦尔故。俱舍云。天眼天耳以色声为境。若尔死生通惠。云何知彼众生与身口意邪行相应诽谤圣人。由此舍命。必受无行恶道堕负黑闇处生。广说如经。答由天眼不得知有别智。是天眼通惠伴类圣人相续中生能知如此。解脱道论亦云。天眼生四智。未来分智。自作业智。如行业智。果报业智。以未来分智。于未来色当起知之。以自作业智见他。以此业当往彼趣知之。以如行业智。见此人生趣。以此业在先生此知之。以业果报智。至此明至此烦恼至此方便。此业应熟。此业不应受。此业应多受。此业应少受知之。案今由经力肉眼起。智亦复如是。故 现代汉语译本 未来,有这样的区分(分别)。四、知生熟者:《智度论》说,有两种业是必定要承受果报的,根(善根或恶根)则不一定承受果报。必定承受果报的业,是不可避免的,或者需要等待时机、地点、人物才能承受果报。例如,有人应该和转轮王一起享受福报,就要等待转轮王出现的时候。这个‘时’就是等待转轮王出现的时间,‘处’就是转轮王出现的地方,‘人’就是转轮王本人。五、知受处者:《智度论》说,欲界承受三种感受的业和根,色界承受两种感受的业和根,无色界承受一种感受的业和根。六、知受心者:《智度论》说,在善心中承受善、不善、无记的根,不善心和无记心也是如此。像这样,一一了解这六件事,就叫做‘知业果’。 问:是用肉眼直接知道未来吗?还是有另外的智慧知道未来?如果用肉眼直接知道未来,那么肉眼只能看到现在的色法,不应该知道未来。如果有另外的智慧知道未来,那么为什么又说父母所生的肉眼能知道呢? 答:因为通过肉眼生起另外的智慧来知道,所以才说肉眼能知道。肉眼能看到人死亡和出生时的色法,意识能知道未来,就像天眼能知道未来一样,这里也是同样的道理。《俱舍论》说,天眼和天耳以色和声为境界。如果这样,那么死和生都应该通达。为什么能知道那个众生与身口意邪行相应,诽谤圣人,因此舍弃生命,必定会承受没有修行的恶道,堕落到黑暗的地方出生呢?详细的说法如经中所说。 答:通过天眼不能知道,而是有另外的智慧。这种智慧是天眼通达伴随的,在圣人相续中产生,能够知道这些。解脱道论也说,天眼产生四种智慧:未来分智、自作业智、如行业智、果报业智。用未来分智,能够知道未来将要产生的色法。用自作业智,看到他人,知道他会因为这个业而前往那个去处。用如行业智,看到这个人转生到哪个去处,知道他先前的业。用业果报智,知道到什么时候光明,到什么时候烦恼,到什么时候方便,这个业应该成熟,这个业不应该承受,这个业应该多承受,这个业应该少承受。现在凭借经的力量,肉眼生起智慧也是这样。