Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p167Sakra-Devanam-Indra was also present.
He is the second god-emperor, in charge of four regional godkings. He commands the dragons (nāgas) and demons (pretas), not letting them offend beings unrestrainedly but making them (beings) always cultivate meritorious virtues. He makes the sun and the moon shine clear and bright. He often acts as a main interlocutor who draws out remarks or sermons [from the Buddha]. Hence, he is mentioned in the beginning [of the paragraph].
Category Archives: LS45
Tao-sheng: The Merits of the Bodhisattvas
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p167They never faltered in [seeking] Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi. They had already obtained dharanis, turned the irrevocable wheel of the Dharma with eloquence according to the wishes [of all living beings], made offerings to many hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, and planted the roots of virtue under those Buddhas, by whom they had always been praised. They had already trained themselves out of their compassion towards others, entered the Way to the wisdom of the Buddha, obtained [penetrated] great wisdom, and reached the Other Shore so that their fame had already extended over innumerable worlds. They had already saved many hundreds of thousands of living beings.
This refers to the conduct that took place in the past [lives].
[The passage] following this phrase illustrates the merits of the bodhisattvas through three kinds of deeds (karman). Having sympathy for, and taking care of, the weak and the deprived is what is meant by “cultivating themselves through compassion.” The word body [of cultivating themselves or, literally, cultivating body] implies both mouth and mind as well.
This word (great wisdom) refers to what they have obtained for themselves. Penetration means “[reaching] to the substratum.”
[Having reached the Other Shore] refers to what they have reached at the ultimate end.
Whereas their virtues were established internally their fame spread outward. Their merit and fame having been established, the news spread outward.
Tao-sheng: Bodhisattvas Embrace All Beings
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p166There were also eighty thousand Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas.
The voice hearers basically take the exhaustion of suffering as the aim [of life]; hence, it was said earlier that they had their bondages destroyed. In the path of bodhisattvas, in which a person sets himself to embrace all [beings] he does not stay [in the world] just to get rid of bonds of existence (chieh); he wishes only to acquire such ways to help save beings. [As such] they [i.e., the bodhisattvas] are the only people to be equipped with the magic charms (dhārāṇi) and the four kinds of [unhindered] powers. Hence, their wondrous techniques for wheeling and uplifting ̄̄̄[beings to salvation] are introduced first, being followed at the end by a discussion of the innumerable people to be saved.
Tao-sheng: Mahāprajāpatī and Yaśodharā
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p166Maha-Prajapati Bhikṣunī was present with her six thousand attendants. Yasodhara Bhikṣunī, the mother of Rahula, was also present with her attendants.
Listed next are the group of mendicant nuns (bhiksunis). Mahāprajāpatī means, in Chinese, [the one who] loves the path (tao) greatly.
Rāhula’s mother Yaśodharā [Yaśodharā] means, in Chinese, “keeps hearing from afar.”
Tao-sheng: Hinayāna Identical to Bodhisattva Path
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p166They were great Arhats well known to the multitude.
All these voice hearers (Śrāvakas) had “their virtues firmly established within and their fame reported without.” [People] far and near admired them [wholeheartedly]; who did not know them? This is why their names are listed and their virtues praised.
Great [of great arhats] tells that the Dharma of the Lesser Vehicle (Hinayāna) is identical with the path of the bodhisattvas.
Tao-sheng: The Arhats By Name
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p164-166They included Ājñāta-Kauṇḍinya, Mahā-Kāśyapa, Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa, Gaya-Kāśyapa, Nadi- Kāśyapa, Śāriputra, Great Maudgalyāyana, Mahā-Kātyāyana, Aniruddha, Kapphina, Gavampati, Revata, Pilindavatsa, Bakkula, Maha-Kausthila, Nanda, Sundarananda, Pūrṇa who was the son of Maitrāyanī, Subhūti, Ananda, and Rahula.
- Ājñātakauṇḍinya
- Ājñā(ta) means, in Chinese, attaining the unlearned knowledge.” Kauṇḍinya is a surname. He was the first one who attained the Tao; hence, the name.
- Mahākāśyapa
- Mahā means “great.” Kāśyapa is a surname. Because he was an elder and virtuous, he was thus called by this name. Kāśyapa is a Brahman surname.
- Uruvilvākāśyapa
- It is the name of a papaya grove. As he stayed always in this grove, the place became his name.
- Gayākāśyapa
- Gayā is the name of a town. He stayed by the town; thus, it became his name.
- Nadīkāśyapa
- It is the name of a river. He was born at the bank of this river. Because of this, he got the name.
- Śāriputra
- Śāri refers to his mother’s name. His mother’s eyes were like those of the Śāri bird (stork); hence, this name. Putra means “son.” This Śāriputra’s mother was highly talented and skillful in debates. She was known all over the land. Therefore he came to have the name Śāri, after his mother.
- Mahāmaudgalyāyana
- His first name was Kolita. The surname came from a Brahman clan.
- Mahākātyāyana
- It was a surname of a Brahman (clan) of South India. So what originally used to be a surname became his name.
- Aniruddha
- In Chinese, it means non(a)extinction (nirodha) (i.e., unextinguishable).
- Kapphina
- It is a first name; it is untranslatable.
- Gavampati
- Gavam means cow (go); pati means foot (pad). When he was born, his feet were like cow’s feet; hence, his name, “cow feet.”
- Revata
- It is the name of a constellation. He was born when this constellation appeared in the sky; got the name.
- Pilindavatsa
- Pilinda is the first name: Vatsa is a surname.
- Bakkula
- The name [translated into Chinese] is Fei-ch’eng (“fertile and prosperous”).
- Maha-Kausthila
- The [Chinese] name is Ta-hsi (“great knee”).
- Nanda
- The [Chinese] name is Huan-hsi (“joy”) (Ānanda). He was the Buddha’s younger brother.
- Sundarananda
- The [Chinese] name is Jou-ju (“gentle and smooth”). It means “handsome” (suedara) and “joy” (Ānanda).
- Pūrṇa Maitrāyanīputra [who was the son of Maitrāyanī]
- Pūrṇa is a surname; Maitrāyanīputra is a first name. He is also called [in Chinese] Man-yüan (“fulfilled wish”). Maitrāyanī was his mother’s name. His mother’s talent for debate and great wisdom were known to many people. People honored his mother. Hence, the son’s name was taken from his mother’s surname.
- Subhūti
- The [Chinese] name is Shan-chi (“good and lucky”). It also means “empty birth” (su-bhū).
- Ānanda
- He had a handsome appearance. People were delighted to see him. He was born on the day of the Buddha’s enlightenment. Thus, he was called Huan-hsi (“joy”) (Ānanda).
- Rāhula
- In Chinese, it means “not letting go” (not released). He was in the womb for six years. He thus came to be called not letting go.
Tao-sheng: The Specific Cohearers
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p163He was accompanied by twelve thousand great bhikṣus.
If it is said that [the transmitter] heard [the preaching] by himself, one would find it difficult to believe other factors, too. If he simply said we and everybody [vaguely, not specifically] he would not be any better than “excepted from being” a solitary [witness]. [So] he lists all the [specific] cohearers. These are all that I mentioned as [the five factors] witnessing the sūtra. Bhikṣu is a general term referring to those who are in the process of destroying evils. Why are the voice hearers (śrāvakas) listed first and then the bodhisattvas? This has to do with the difference of inner and outer; inner-directedness has a limited scope, whereas outer-directedness has no restrictions. Hence, it should be in that order. It also suggests that the Buddha’s transformative teaching covers all; starting from the near, extending to the distant; there is no place where [his] Tao is not existent. Great (Mahā) refers to the assembly of people that can [counter] ninety-six kinds [of heretical views or arguments].
Tao-sheng: At One Time
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p163The Buddha once {At One Time}1 lived on Mt. Gṛdhrakūṭa in the City of King-House.
Even though words be in accord with li, if they do not match the occasion they will still be empty statements. Hence, next comes “at one time.” What time means is that the “subtle, triggering mechanism force (chi)” within beings stimulates (kan) the Sage, and the latter responds [appropriately and helpfully] (ying) to them; when religious interaction between ordinary people and the Sage does not miss a favorable opportunity (chi), we call it at one time.
Although there is no place where the Dharma body is not present, if the place where the preaching took place were not recorded, it would look vague and diffuse. Given that [the transmitter] had to introduce it in order to give evidence for the preaching, and there were five places in this mountain, [namely,] Rājagṛha, which is the one where the preaching took place? It was at the monastery on Gṛdhrakūṭa mountain (“Vulture Peak”).
- I’ve used Senchu Murano’s translation of the Lotus Sutra when quoted by Tao-sheng. When he uses a phrase not used by Murano, I’ve inserted the phrase in {curly brackets}.return
Tao-sheng: Transmitting the Sutra
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p162-163Thus have I heard
This is the phrase of the transmitters of the sūtra. How is it that the sūtras have been transmitted through generations and the voice of the Buddha has not been cut off? Because there are certain factors that make it possible. It resembles the possession of a passport (literally, sealed tally) by a person, with which he will not encounter any check point that he will not be able to pass through. The sūtras have five facts established in the beginning [of the first passage] in order to make the path (tao/mārga) pass [down the generations] without difficulty. Like [of like this or thus] is the word suggesting that the words match li. When the words and li are in mutual accord, this is spoken of as like. This (or right) [of like this or thus] refers to the fact that everything the Thus Come One (Tathāgata) said is not wrong. This [word] points to all that the Buddha preaches.
He intended to transmit it to those who did not [directly] hear it. If there were just words [heard] but no information about transmission, it means that he merely followed the words he heard [which could be subject to distortion]. The importance [of a document as an authentic scripture] lies not so much in preaching [as such] as in transmission. It can be said that the Tao values one who forgets himself. [The reader is advised to] forget about (or cast off) “I” and to follow the word heard. Heard means that the words came from the Buddha himself; it clarifies that they did not come forth from “my” [the hearer’s) mind. In this way,
the sūtras have been handed down from generation to generation and the wondrous track [of the Dharma wheel] has not ceased.
Tao-sheng: The Introductory Chapter
Tao-sheng Commentary on the Lotus Sutra, p161-162As regards the topic, initiating a speech and beginning a discourse must be done gradually. As [the Buddha] is about to issue (ming) the subtle words, he thus manifests auspicious omens first. This [chapter] is organized as a general, organic introduction from which the rest of the chapters evolve; it is [like] the sun and moon of the Dharma Blossom (or Lotus). Here [the Buddha] also intends to shock the vision and hearing of the beings so as to solemnize the mood of those who wish to hear [his words].