Chapter 10 · The Four Practices of Ease — Walking the Lotus

Part Three · Contemplation and Practice

Reading a sutra is one thing. Bringing it out and teaching it in an unwelcoming age is another. At the opening of the “Peaceful Practices” chapter, Mañjuśrī asks on behalf of everyone in later ages who will wish to uphold this sutra:

「World-Honored One! In the evil age to come, how can bodhisattva-mahāsattvas teach this sutra?」 〔羅什譯《妙法蓮華經·安樂行品》·T09n0262 0037a12–13·本版《法華》譯注品十四〕 『World-Honored One! In the evil age to come, how can bodhisattva-mahāsattvas teach this sutra?』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

An evil age, teaching this sutra: the question is not whether one can read it, but whether one can teach it—and how to teach without coming to harm or losing heart. The Buddha answers with four 「peaceful practices」: one each for body, speech, mind, and vow. These are not four prohibitions but four points at which to apply oneself: where the body stands, what speech restrains, what thought the mind adopts, and how far the vow extends. This chapter walks all four, then asks how Nanyue Huisi, Tiantai's teacher, read this chapter.

1 · Body — Abiding on the Ground of Patient Endurance

The first practice settles the body. Where does it settle?

「If a bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides on the ground of patient endurance, gentle and kindly compliant, neither rash nor violent, with a mind that is not startled or shaken; and if, furthermore, he acts without grasping at any dharma, while contemplating all dharmas in their true aspect, neither engaging in contrivance nor falling into discrimination—this is called the sphere of conduct of a bodhisattva-mahāsattva.」 〔同品·0037a17–20〕 『If a bodhisattva-mahāsattva abides on the ground of patient endurance, gentle and kindly compliant, neither rash nor violent, with a mind that is not startled or shaken; and if, furthermore, he acts without grasping at any dharma, while contemplating all dharmas in their true aspect, neither engaging in contrivance nor falling into discrimination—this is called the sphere of conduct of a bodhisattva-mahāsattva.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

Abiding on the ground of patient endurance describes how one treats people; contemplating all dharmas in their true aspect describes how one sees dharmas. A single sphere of conduct gives both faces together. Beyond the sphere of conduct, the sutra also establishes a 「sphere of association.」 It lists one by one the situations that should not be approached—kings and ministers, non-Buddhist teachers, violent games, those who live by harmful disciplines, and others. The complete text is in the annotated Chapter 14. Here we take only the concluding 「second sphere of association」:

「A bodhisattva-mahāsattva contemplates all dharmas as empty, in accordance with their true aspect: not inverted, not moving, not retreating, and not turning; like empty space, without any existent self-nature.」 〔同品·0037b12–13〕 『a bodhisattva-mahāsattva contemplates all dharmas as empty, in accordance with their true aspect: not inverted, not moving, not retreating, and not turning; like empty space, without any existent self-nature.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

What one avoids finally returns to what one contemplates. The foundation of the peaceful practice of body is this contemplation. The violence of the age cannot shake one who abides on the ground of patient endurance because the marks of dharmas that person sees are from the beginning not moving, not retreating, and not turning.

2 · Speech — Do Not Speak of Faults; Answer with the Great Vehicle

The second practice settles speech. First, what is not said:

「One does not delight in speaking of the faults of other people or other scriptures. Nor does one treat other Dharma teachers with contempt; one does not speak of other people's good or bad qualities, their strengths or shortcomings.」 〔同品·0038a01–03〕 『he does not delight in speaking of the faults of other people or other scriptures. Nor does he treat other Dharma teachers with contempt; he does not speak of other people’s good or bad qualities, their strengths or shortcomings.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

Then, what is said:

「When people raise difficult questions, one does not answer with the Dharma of the lesser vehicle, but explains only through the great vehicle, enabling them to attain the knowledge of all modes.」 〔同品·0038a06–07〕 『When they raise difficult questions, he does not answer with the Dharma of the lesser vehicle, but explains only through the great vehicle, enabling them to attain the knowledge of all modes (the Buddha’s perfect wisdom).』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

Do not speak of people's faults or scriptures' faults; do not slight other teachers. Speech draws contention inward. When someone comes with a question, answer through the Great Vehicle. Speech sends the road outward. With one restraint and one release, the mouth of the person teaching the sutra comes to ease.

3 · Mind — Three Ways of Regarding

The third practice settles the mind. How? Not by suppressing thoughts, but by adopting three ways of regarding:

「Regard every sentient being with great compassion, the Tathāgatas as loving fathers, and the bodhisattvas as great teachers. Constantly bow with deep reverence to the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions.」 〔同品·0038b10–12〕 『They should regard every sentient being with great compassion, the Tathāgatas as loving fathers, and the bodhisattvas as great teachers. They should constantly bow with deep reverence to the great bodhisattvas of the ten directions.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

Regard sentient beings with great compassion, the Tathāgatas as loving fathers, and bodhisattvas as great teachers. Jealousy, disparagement, and contention lose their footing within these three ways of regarding. The sutra then says to 「teach the Dharma equally to all sentient beings.」

4 · Vow — Drawing Them In and Causing Them to Abide

The fourth practice settles not the three kinds of action but the vow. Of those who do not ask about, trust, or understand this sutra, the person who upholds it should think:

「When I attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening, wherever they may be, I will draw them in through the power of supernormal abilities and the power of wisdom and cause them to abide within this Dharma.」 〔同品·0038c09–11〕 『when I attain unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening, wherever they may be, I will draw them in through the power of supernormal abilities and the power of wisdom and cause them to abide within this Dharma.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

The first three practices safeguard. This one promises. A person who does not trust today is not abandoned. When awakening is attained, wherever that person may be, draw them in. With this, the four practices are complete: body, speech, mind, and vow each have a place of ease.

5 · The Jewel in the Topknot

After teaching the four practices, the Buddha tells a parable. A wheel-turning sage-king rewards merit in battle. Fields, houses, cities, treasures, elephants, horses—he gives all these away, except one thing:

「Only the bright jewel in his topknot he does not give away.」 〔同品·0038c28〕 『Only the bright jewel in his topknot he does not give away.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

There is only one bright jewel in the topknot; it is not lightly given. The Buddha then explains the simile himself:

「This Lotus Sutra is the foremost teaching of the Tathāgatas and the most profound of all teachings. It is bestowed only at the end, just as that powerful king long guarded the bright jewel and only now gives it away.」 〔同品·0039a15–17〕 『This Lotus Sutra is the foremost teaching of the Tathāgatas and the most profound of all teachings. It is bestowed only at the end, just as that powerful king long guarded the bright jewel and only now gives it away.』〔本版譯注品十四·白話層〕

Long guarded, bestowed at the end, given only now: what you are reading is that jewel. The practice of upholding the sutra in an evil age belongs to a sutra of this kind.

6 · Nanyue's Reading

This chapter carries exceptional weight in Tiantai. Chapter 0 quoted the opening of the Mohe Zhiguan: 「Tiantai transmitted from Nanyue three kinds of calming-and-contemplation」—the source writes 「Nanyue.」 That Nanyue was the meditation master Huisi. He composed a separate fascicle, Meaning of the Peaceful Practices of the Lotus Sutra, whose title attributes it to 「the Great Meditation Master Huisi of Nanyue under the Chen,」 and devoted the work to this practice. At their first meeting on Mount Dasu in Chapter 2, this was the Dharma-gate he gave Zhiyi. The work's first sentence begins by placing the Lotus:

「The Lotus Sutra is the Great Vehicle Dharma-gate of sudden awakening. Without a teacher, one awakens by oneself and swiftly accomplishes the buddha-way. It is a Dharma-gate difficult for the entire world to trust.」 〔慧思《法華經安樂行義》·T46n1926 0697c19–20·待譯；底本標點唯「。」，照錄〕 『In today's words: The Lotus Sutra is the Great Vehicle Dharma-gate of sudden awakening. Without a teacher, one awakens by oneself and swiftly accomplishes the buddha-way. It is a Dharma-gate difficult for the entire world to trust.』

Its verse establishes 「two kinds of practice」:

「A bodhisattva who studies the Lotus is complete in two kinds of practice: first, the practice without marks; second, the practice with marks」 〔同書·0698a20–21·偈文〕 『In today's words: A bodhisattva who studies the Lotus is complete in two kinds of practice: first, the practice without marks; second, the practice with marks.』

The practice without marks is the peaceful practice, practiced within profound and wondrous meditative concentration. The practice with marks is this: 「This is the practice in the ‘Encouragement of Universally Worthy’ chapter—reciting the Lotus Sutra, diligent even with a scattered mind」 〔0700a29–b01〕. Huisi explains the three characters 「peaceful practice」 one by one:

「Because the mind does not move amid any dharma, this is called peace. Because no aggregate is received amid any dharma, this is called ease. Because one benefits oneself and others, this is called practice.」 〔同書·0700a11–12〕 『In today's words: Because the mind does not move amid any dharma, this is called peace. Because no aggregate is received amid any dharma, this is called ease. Because one benefits oneself and others, this is called practice.』

He also names the four practices:

「Next, the four peaceful practices. The first is called the peaceful practice of right wisdom free from attachment. The second is called the peaceful practice without disparagement, praise, or blame; it is also called the peaceful practice that turns śrāvakas and enables them to attain the Buddha's wisdom. The third is called the peaceful practice of equality without affliction; it is also called the peaceful practice of revering good spiritual friends. The fourth is called the peaceful practice of compassionate drawing-in; it is also called the peaceful practice of complete attainment in a dream of supernormal power, wisdom, the buddha-way, and nirvāṇa.」 〔同書·0700a13–18〕 『In today's words: Next, the four peaceful practices. The first is called the peaceful practice of right wisdom free from attachment. The second is called the peaceful practice without disparagement, praise, or blame; it is also called the peaceful practice that turns śrāvakas and enables them to attain the Buddha's wisdom. The third is called the peaceful practice of equality without affliction; it is also called the peaceful practice of revering good spiritual friends. The fourth is called the peaceful practice of compassionate drawing-in; it is also called the peaceful practice of complete attainment in a dream of supernormal power, wisdom, the buddha-way, and nirvāṇa.』

Right wisdom free from attachment; no disparagement, praise, or blame; equality without affliction; compassionate drawing-in. The four names stand in this order and correspond in sequence to the sutra's practices of body, speech, mind, and vow. The complete meaning of Huisi's Meaning of the Peaceful Practices awaits its full translation. The story of the transmission from Huisi to Zhiyi was told in Chapter 2.

7 · The Evil Age Is This Age

The 「evil age to come」 in Mañjuśrī's question is not someone else's time. Every one of the four practices can be used today: abide on the ground of patient endurance, do not speak of others' faults, adopt three ways of regarding, and make a vow that abandons no one. Chapter 9's three kinds of calming-and-contemplation are an entry into the study of meditative concentration—what Huisi calls profound and wondrous concentration. The sentence-by-sentence vernacular and complete textual study of this chapter are in this edition's annotated Chapter 14. When you finish reading it, the four practices enter your own days.

Author · Shi Huijing CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · 二〇二六 · 夏