無量壽經優波提舍 善巧迴向Treatise on Birth in That Land: The Upadeśa on the Sūtra of Measureless Life · Skillful Dedication and Direction

Placement of the passage as a whole. This unit arises out of the extensive exposition of the gate of contemplation (the seventeen of the land, the eight of the Buddha, the four of the bodhisattvas, entering in brief the one dharma-phrase): the bodhisattva, practicing stilling and contemplation extensively and in brief, accomplishes the pliant mind, knows in accordance with reality all dharmas extensive and brief, and so accomplishes dedication and direction by skillful means—with the merit and roots of good of the fivefold practice he does not seek the pleasure of abiding and sustaining for himself, but, in order to pull out the suffering of all beings, makes the vow to gather in beings and to be born together with them in that land. It next says that one who knows dedication and direction well departs from the three dharmas contrary to the gate of bodhi (relying on the gate of wisdom, the gate of compassion, and the gate of skillful means) and obtains the three dharmas according with the gate of bodhi (the three pure minds—undefiled, peaceful, and blissful); last, with three sentences of the form “The … spoken of above … this should be known,” it concludes their names and meanings: the three gates gather in prajñā, and prajñā gathers in skillful means; the three kinds of departing are the departure from the mind that obstructs bodhi; the three kinds of pure mind are, in brief, the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss. Among the ten sections of the division explaining the meaning in the second fascicle of Tanluan’s Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land, this unit corresponds to the fifth, 「善巧攝化」 (skillful gathering in and transforming), through the eighth, 「名義攝對」 (the gathering and matching of names and meanings); all four sections lie wholly within this unit, and its boundaries before and after coincide with Tanluan’s. For the name of the sixth section, the general list of the ten sections has 「離菩提障」 (departing from the obstacles to bodhi), while the heading has 「障菩提門者」 (as for the obstacles to the gate of bodhi); recorded side by side, see the first topic. Tanluan explains skillful means by the simile of the 「火𣕊」 (fire-tongs), and explains the three gates of wisdom, compassion, and skillful means by glossing their characters one by one; see the fourth and seventh topics. In this passage of the treatise, for the phrase 「不以為自身」 (not for himself), the mirror’s citation agrees with the three witnesses of the Song, Yuan, and Ming in reading 「以不為自身」 (because not for himself); see the ninth topic.

I. Doctrinal-Outline Placement

The fifth to eighth of the ten sections of the division explaining the meaning — the middle part of the general list of the ten sections at the head of Tanluan’s second fascicle:

「五者善巧攝化、六者離菩提障、七者順菩提門、八者名義攝對」—“fifth, skillful gathering in and transforming; sixth, departing from the obstacles to bodhi; seventh, according with the gate of bodhi; eighth, the gathering and matching of names and meanings” 〔T40n1819 0835a08〕

The boundaries before and after — the heading of the fifth section follows directly on the last sentence of the fourth section, 「淨入願心」 (the mind of the vow entering into purity): 「以當得故得名清淨。」—“Because they will attain it, they attain the name of purity.” 〔T40n1819 0841c27〕 The last sentence of the eighth section: 「真言不虛偽不顛倒。」—“‘True’ means neither false nor inverted.” 〔T40n1819 0843a06〕 Below it on the same line the ninth section begins at once: 「願事成就者：」—“As for the accomplishment of the vowed undertaking:” 〔T40n1819 0843a06〕 The start of Tanluan’s fifth section and the end of his eighth coincide with the start and end of this unit.

The name in the general list of ten sections is not wholly the same as the heading: for the sixth section the general list has 「六者離菩提障」 (sixth, departing from the obstacles to bodhi), and the heading has 「障菩提門者：」 (as for the obstacles to the gate of bodhi:) 〔T40n1819 0842b05〕; for the other three sections the general list and the heading have the same name. Recorded side by side, without adjudication.

Start and end of this unit — it begins at 「如是菩薩奢摩他、毘婆舍那廣略修行，成就柔軟心」—“In this way the bodhisattva practices śamatha and vipaśyanā, extensively and in brief, and accomplishes the pliant mind” 〔T26n1524 0232c03〕, and ends at 「向說無染清淨心、安清淨心、樂清淨心，此三種心略一處成就妙樂勝真心應知。」—“The undefiled pure mind, the peaceful pure mind, and the blissful pure mind spoken of above—these three kinds of mind, in brief, are accomplished in one place as the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss; this should be known.” 〔T26n1524 0232c28〕 The whole unit runs to four hundred and fifty-four characters including punctuation, four hundred and six Chinese characters alone.

II. Collation with the Alternate Translations — recorded without adjudication

There is no alternate translation of this treatise; for the text of the Sūtra of Measureless Life on which the verses rely, see the third topic of the unit on the verses. The names set out in this passage of prose—dedication and direction by skillful means, the three dharmas contrary to the gate of bodhi, the three dharmas according with the gate of bodhi, and the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss—have no text of the same name in the sūtra; what they rely on is given in the third topic.

III. Scriptural and Treatise Grounding (the “eye”)

The scriptural ground for dedication and direction by skillful means — all three classes give rise to the unsurpassed bodhi-mind: Tanluan ties the sentence 「不求自身住持之樂，欲拔一切眾生苦故」 (not seeking for himself the pleasure of abiding and sustaining, because he wishes to pull out the suffering of all beings) to the three classes of beings in the sūtra:

「案王舍城所說《無量壽經》，三輩生中雖行有優劣，莫不皆發無上菩提之心。」—“According to the Sūtra of Measureless Life spoken in Rājagṛha, among the three classes of those born there, though their practices differ in excellence, there is none who does not give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi.” 〔T40n1819 0842a15〕

The sūtra’s own text speaks of giving rise to the mind for each of the three classes — the upper class: 「捨家棄欲而作沙門，發菩提心，一向專念無量壽佛，修諸功德願生彼國。」—“They leave home and cast off desire to become śramaṇas, give rise to the bodhi-mind, single-mindedly keep the Buddha of Measureless Life in mind, cultivate all merits, and aspire to be born in that land.” 〔T12n0360 0272b16〕 The middle class: 「當發無上菩提之心，一向專念無量壽佛。」—“They should give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi and single-mindedly keep the Buddha of Measureless Life in mind.” 〔T12n0360 0272b26〕 The lower class: 「當發無上菩提之心，一向專意乃至十念，念無量壽佛，願生其國。」—“They should give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi, and with undivided intent, even for ten thoughts, keep the Buddha of Measureless Life in mind and aspire to be born in his land.” 〔T12n0360 0272c06〕

What the pleasure of abiding and sustaining rests on — the power of the original vow: Tanluan explains the treatise’s 「住持之樂」 (the pleasure of abiding and sustaining) by tying it to the power of the original vow of the Tathāgata Amitābha: 「住持樂者，謂彼安樂淨土為阿彌陀如來本願力之所住持，受樂無間也。」—“The pleasure of abiding and sustaining means that that Pure Land of Peace and Bliss is abided in and sustained by the power of the original vow of the Tathāgata Amitābha, and the pleasure received there is without interruption.” 〔T40n1819 0842a23〕 This corresponds to the last of the Buddha’s adornments under the gate of contemplation: 「不虛作住持功德成就者，蓋是阿彌陀如來本願力也。」—“The accomplishment of the merit of abiding and sustaining that is not in vain is, indeed, the power of the original vow of the Tathāgata Amitābha.” 〔T40n1819 0840a06〕

Dedication and direction by skillful means and the gate of dedication and direction — under the gate of dedication and direction among the five gates of mindful practice the treatise has already said 「不捨一切苦惱眾生」 (not abandoning any being who suffers affliction); there Tanluan divides dedication and direction into the two aspects of going forth and returning: 「迴向有二種相：一者往相、二者還相。」—“Dedication and direction has two aspects: first, the aspect of going forth; second, the aspect of returning.” 〔T40n1819 0836a21〕 The text of the aspect of returning: 「還相者，生彼土已，得奢摩他、毘婆舍那方便力成就，迴入生死稠林，教化一切眾生共向佛道。」—“The aspect of returning is, having been born in that land and attained the accomplishment of the power of skillful means of śamatha and vipaśyanā, to turn back into the dense forest of birth and death and teach all beings, so that together they turn toward the path of the Buddha.” 〔T40n1819 0836a24〕 This passage’s 「作願攝取一切眾生，共同生彼安樂佛國」 (makes the vow to gather in all beings and to be born together with them in that buddha-land of Peace and Bliss) has the same aim as the aspect of going forth of the gate of dedication and direction.

The antecedent cause of the pliant mind — the extensive and the brief: at the end of the gate of contemplation the treatise brings the three kinds of adornment, in brief, into the one dharma-phrase: 「此三種成就願心莊嚴，略說入一法句故。一法句者，謂清淨句。」—“These three accomplishments are adorned by the mind of the vow, and, spoken of in brief, they enter the one dharma-phrase. The one dharma-phrase is the phrase of purity.” 〔T26n1524 0232b23〕 This passage’s opening words, 「廣略修行」 (practices extensively and in brief) and 「如實知廣略諸法」 (knows in accordance with reality all dharmas extensive and brief), carry this on; Tanluan makes it clear by number: 「廣中二十九句、略中一句，莫非實相也。」—“The twenty-nine phrases of the extensive and the one phrase of the brief are none of them other than the real mark.” 〔T40n1819 0842a05〕

The doctrinal attachment of the treatise — the three minds accomplished in this passage (together with the gates of wisdom, skillful means, and the rest above) the treatise later gathers into four kinds of mind, which it says can be born in the pure land: 「如是菩薩智慧心、方便心、無障心、勝真心，能生清淨佛國土應知。」—“In this way the bodhisattva’s mind of wisdom, mind of skillful means, unobstructed mind, and supreme true mind are able to be born in a pure buddha-land; this should be known.” 〔T26n1524 0233a01〕 (This belongs to the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting.)

IV. Essentials of the Commentary on This Passage (the Commentary on the Treatise on Birth in That Land, line by line)

〔一〕The pliant mind · knowing in accordance with reality · dedication and direction by skillful means — Tanluan divides the treatise’s first sentence into three and cites and explains each in turn:

「如是菩薩奢摩他、毘婆舍那廣略修行，成就柔軟心。柔軟心者，謂廣略止觀相順修行，成不二心也。譬如以水取影，清靜相資而成就也。」—“‘In this way the bodhisattva practices śamatha and vipaśyanā, extensively and in brief, and accomplishes the pliant mind.’ The pliant mind means practicing stilling and contemplation, extensive and brief, in accord with each other, and so forming a non-dual mind. It is like taking a reflection in water: clearness and stillness help each other, and so it is accomplished.” 〔T40n1819 0841c29〕 「如實知廣略諸法。如實知者，如實相而知也。廣中二十九句、略中一句，莫非實相也。」—“‘Knows in accordance with reality all dharmas extensive and brief.’ ‘Knowing in accordance with reality’ means knowing in accordance with the real mark. The twenty-nine phrases of the extensive and the one phrase of the brief are none of them other than the real mark.” 〔T40n1819 0842a04〕 「如是成就巧方便迴向。如是者，如前後廣略皆實相也。以知實相故則知三界眾生虛妄相也，知眾生虛妄則生真實慈悲也，知真實法身則起真實歸依也。慈悲之與歸依巧方便在下。」—“‘In this way accomplishes dedication and direction by skillful means.’ ‘In this way’ means that, as before and after, the extensive and the brief are all the real mark. Because one knows the real mark, one knows the false marks of the beings of the three realms; knowing that beings are false, true compassion arises; knowing the true dharma-body, true refuge arises. Compassion and refuge, and skillful means, are below.” 〔T40n1819 0842a06〕

〔二〕Dedication and direction by skillful means —

「何者菩薩巧方便迴向？菩薩巧方便迴向者，謂說禮拜等五種修行所集一切功德善根，不求自身住持之樂，欲拔一切眾生苦故，作願攝取一切眾生，共同生彼安樂佛國，是名菩薩巧方便迴向成就。」—“What is the bodhisattva’s dedication and direction by skillful means? The bodhisattva’s dedication and direction by skillful means means that all the merit and roots of good gathered by the fivefold practice of worship and the rest are not used to seek for himself the pleasure of abiding and sustaining; because he wishes to pull out the suffering of all beings, he makes the vow to gather in all beings and to be born together with them in that buddha-land of Peace and Bliss. This is called the accomplishment of the bodhisattva’s dedication and direction by skillful means.” 〔T40n1819 0842a11〕 「此無上菩提心即是願作佛心，願作佛心即是度眾生心，度眾生心即攝取眾生生有佛國土心。是故願生彼安樂淨土者，要發無上菩提心也。」—“This mind of unsurpassed bodhi is the mind that vows to become a buddha; the mind that vows to become a buddha is the mind that ferries beings across; the mind that ferries beings across is the mind that gathers in beings and brings them to birth in a land where there is a buddha. Therefore those who aspire to be born in that Pure Land of Peace and Bliss must give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi.” 〔T40n1819 0842a17〕 「若人不發無上菩提心，但聞彼國土受樂無間，為樂故願生，亦當不得往生也。是故言不求自身住持之樂，欲拔一切眾生苦故。」—“If a person does not give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi, but only hears that in that land pleasure is received without interruption and aspires to be born there for the sake of pleasure, he too will not attain birth there. Therefore it says, ‘not seeking for himself the pleasure of abiding and sustaining, because he wishes to pull out the suffering of all beings.’” 〔T40n1819 0842a20〕 「住持樂者，謂彼安樂淨土為阿彌陀如來本願力之所住持，受樂無間也。」—“The pleasure of abiding and sustaining means that that Pure Land of Peace and Bliss is abided in and sustained by the power of the original vow of the Tathāgata Amitābha, and the pleasure received there is without interruption.” 〔T40n1819 0842a23〕 「凡釋迴向名義，謂以己所集一切功德施與一切眾生共向佛道。」—“In general, to explain the name and meaning of dedication and direction: it means giving all the merit one has gathered to all beings, so that together they turn toward the path of the Buddha.” 〔T40n1819 0842a25〕 「巧方便者，謂菩薩願以己智慧火燒一切眾生煩惱草木，若有一眾生不成佛，我不作佛；而眾生未盡成佛，菩薩已自成佛。」—“Skillful means means that the bodhisattva vows to burn the grasses and trees of the afflictions of all beings with the fire of his own wisdom: ‘If a single being does not become a buddha, I will not become a buddha.’ And yet, while beings have not all become buddhas, the bodhisattva has already become a buddha himself.” 〔T40n1819 0842a26〕 「譬如火𣕊〔聽念反〕，欲摘〔聽歷反〕一切草木燒令使盡。草木未盡，火𣕊已盡。以後其身而身先故，名巧方便。」—“It is like fire-tongs 〔聽念反〕: one wishes to pick up 〔聽歷反〕 all the grasses and trees and burn them until none are left; before the grasses and trees are used up, the fire-tongs are used up. Because he puts his own self last and yet that self comes first, it is called skillful means.” 〔T40n1819 0842a29〕 「此中言方便者，謂作願攝取一切眾生，共同生彼安樂佛國。彼佛國即是畢竟成佛道路無上方便也。」—“The skillful means spoken of here means making the vow to gather in all beings and to be born together with them in that buddha-land of Peace and Bliss. That buddha-land is the unsurpassed skillful means of the road on which one ultimately accomplishes the buddha-path.” 〔T40n1819 0842b03〕

〔三〕The obstacles to the gate of bodhi — Tanluan cites the treatise gate by gate, and under each gate glosses its two characters separately:

「菩薩如是善知迴向成就，即能遠離三種菩提門相違法。何等三種？一者依智慧門，不求自樂，遠離我心貪著自身故。」—“When the bodhisattva knows dedication and direction well in this way and accomplishes it, he is able at once to depart from three dharmas that are contrary to the gate of bodhi. What are the three? First, relying on the gate of wisdom, he does not seek pleasure for himself, in order to depart from the mind that clings to a self and is attached to its own body.” 〔T40n1819 0842b06〕 「知進守退曰智，知空無我曰慧。依智故不求自樂，依慧故遠離我心貪著自身。」—“To know how to advance and how to keep to retreat is called zhi, knowing; to know emptiness and no-self is called hui, wisdom. Relying on discernment, he does not seek pleasure for himself; relying on insight, he departs from the mind that clings to a self and is attached to its own body.” 〔T40n1819 0842b08〕 「二者依慈悲門，拔一切眾生苦，遠離無安眾生心故。」—“Second, relying on the gate of compassion, he pulls out the suffering of all beings, in order to depart from the mind that does not give beings peace.” 〔T40n1819 0842b11〕 「拔苦曰慈，與樂曰悲。依慈故拔一切眾生苦，依悲故遠離無安眾生心。」—“Pulling out suffering is called ci, kindness; giving pleasure is called bei, compassion. Relying on kindness, he pulls out the suffering of all beings; relying on compassion, he departs from the mind that does not give beings peace.” 〔T40n1819 0842b12〕 「三者依方便門，憐愍一切眾生心，遠離供養恭敬自身心故。」—“Third, relying on the gate of skillful means, he has a mind of pity for all beings, in order to depart from the mind that seeks offerings and reverence for itself.” 〔T40n1819 0842b14〕 「正直曰方，外己曰便。依正直故生憐愍一切眾生心，依外己故遠離供養恭敬自身心。」—“Being upright and straight is called fang, straightness; putting oneself outside is called bian, putting oneself outside. Relying on uprightness, he gives rise to a mind of pity for all beings; relying on putting himself outside, he departs from the mind that seeks offerings and reverence for itself.” 〔T40n1819 0842b15〕 「是名遠離三種菩提門相違法。」—“This is called departing from the three dharmas contrary to the gate of bodhi.” 〔T40n1819 0842b18〕

〔四〕According with the gate of bodhi — Tanluan cites the treatise mind by mind, and under each mind sets out why it accords, in the form “Bodhi is the place of …”:

「菩薩遠離如是三種菩提門相違法，得三種隨順菩提門法滿足故。何等三種？一者無染清淨心，以不為自身求諸樂故。」—“Because the bodhisattva departs from these three dharmas contrary to the gate of bodhi, he obtains the three dharmas according with the gate of bodhi in fulfillment. What are the three? First, the undefiled pure mind, because he does not seek any pleasure for himself.” 〔T40n1819 0842b20〕 「菩提是無染清淨處，若為身求樂即違菩提，是故無染清淨心是順菩提門。」—“Bodhi is the undefiled, pure place; if one seeks pleasure for oneself, one goes against bodhi. Therefore the undefiled pure mind is according with the gate of bodhi.” 〔T40n1819 0842b22〕 「二者安清淨心，以拔一切眾生苦故。」—“Second, the peaceful pure mind, because he pulls out the suffering of all beings.” 〔T40n1819 0842b25〕 「菩提是安穩一切眾生清淨處，若不作心拔一切眾生離生死苦，即便違菩提，是故拔一切眾生苦是順菩提門。」—“Bodhi is the pure place that gives peace to all beings; if one does not resolve to pull all beings out of the suffering of birth and death, one goes against bodhi. Therefore pulling out the suffering of all beings is according with the gate of bodhi.” 〔T40n1819 0842b25〕 「三者樂清淨心，以令一切眾生得大菩提故、以攝取眾生生彼國土故。」—“Third, the blissful pure mind, because he brings all beings to great bodhi, and because he gathers in beings so that they are born in that land.” 〔T40n1819 0842b29〕 「菩提是畢竟常樂處，若不令一切眾生得畢竟常樂，則違菩提。此畢竟常樂依何而得？依大乘門。大乘門者，謂彼安樂佛國土是也。是故又言以攝取眾生生彼國土故。」—“Bodhi is the place of ultimate, constant bliss; if one does not bring all beings to ultimate, constant bliss, one goes against bodhi. By what is this ultimate, constant bliss attained? By the gate of the Great Vehicle. The gate of the Great Vehicle is that buddha-land of Peace and Bliss. Therefore it says further, ‘because he gathers in beings so that they are born in that land.’” 〔T40n1819 0842c01〕 「是名三種隨順菩提門法滿足應知。」—“This is called the fulfillment of the three dharmas according with the gate of bodhi; this should be known.” 〔T40n1819 0842c06〕

〔五〕The gathering and matching of names and meanings · gathering in prajñā —

「向說智慧、慈悲、方便三種門，攝取般若。般若攝取方便應知。」—“The three kinds of gate spoken of above—wisdom, compassion, and skillful means—gather in prajñā. Prajñā gathers in skillful means; this should be known.” 〔T40n1819 0842c08〕 「般若者，達如之慧名。方便者，通權之智稱。達如則心行寂滅，通權則備省眾機。省機之智備應而無知，寂滅之慧亦無知而備省。」—“Prajñā is the name of the insight that penetrates suchness. Skillful means is the designation of the wisdom that comprehends the provisional. Penetrating suchness, the activity of the mind is quiescent; comprehending the provisional, it fully discerns the capacities of all beings. The wisdom that discerns capacities responds fully and yet is without knowing; the insight of quiescence is likewise without knowing and yet fully discerns.” 〔T40n1819 0842c09〕 「然則智慧方便相緣而動、相緣而靜，動不失靜，智慧之功也；靜不廢動，方便之力也。是故智慧、慈悲、方便攝取般若。」—“So wisdom and skillful means move by depending on each other and are still by depending on each other. That moving does not lose stillness is the work of wisdom; that stillness does not abandon moving is the power of skillful means. Therefore wisdom, compassion, and skillful means gather in prajñā.” 〔T40n1819 0842c12〕 「般若攝取方便應知者，謂應知智慧方便是菩薩父母。若不依智慧方便，菩薩法則不成就。何以故？若無智慧，為眾生時則墮顛倒；若無方便，觀法性時則證實際。是故應知。」—“‘Prajñā gathers in skillful means; this should be known’: it means that it should be known that wisdom and skillful means are the father and mother of bodhisattvas. If they do not rely on wisdom and skillful means, the dharmas of bodhisattvas are not accomplished. Why? Without wisdom, when acting for beings one falls into inversion; without skillful means, when contemplating the dharma-nature one realizes the limit of reality. Therefore it should be known.” 〔T40n1819 0842c15〕

〔六〕The gathering and matching of names and meanings · departing from the mind that obstructs bodhi —

「向說遠離我心不貪著自身、遠離無安眾生心、遠離供養恭敬自身心，此三種法遠離障菩提心應知。」—“The three dharmas spoken of above—departing from the mind that clings to a self and not being attached to one’s own body, departing from the mind that does not give beings peace, and departing from the mind that seeks offerings and reverence for oneself—are the departure from the mind that obstructs bodhi; this should be known.” 〔T40n1819 0842c20〕 「諸法各有障礙相，如風能障靜、土能障水、濕能障火，五黑十惡障人天、四顛倒障聲聞果。此中三種不遠離障菩提心應知者，若欲得無障，當遠離此三種障礙也。」—“All dharmas each have the mark of obstruction: as wind can obstruct stillness, earth can obstruct water, and moisture can obstruct fire; the five black deeds and the ten evils obstruct the states of humans and gods, and the four inversions obstruct the fruit of the śrāvaka. ‘Here, these three kinds of not departing from the mind that obstructs bodhi; this should be known’: if one wishes to be without obstruction, one should depart from these three kinds of obstruction.” 〔T40n1819 0842c22〕

〔七〕The gathering and matching of names and meanings · the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss —

「向說無染清淨心、安清淨心、樂清淨心，此三種心略一處成就妙樂勝真心應知。」—“The undefiled pure mind, the peaceful pure mind, and the blissful pure mind spoken of above—these three kinds of mind, in brief, are accomplished in one place as the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss; this should be known.” 〔T40n1819 0842c27〕 「樂有三種：一者外樂，謂五識所生樂；二者內樂，謂初禪二禪三禪意識所生樂；三者法樂〔五角反〕樂〔魯各反〕，謂智慧所生樂。」—“Bliss is of three kinds: first, outer bliss, the bliss born of the five consciousnesses; second, inner bliss, the bliss born of the mental consciousness in the first, second, and third dhyānas; third, the bliss 〔魯各反〕 of delight 〔五角反〕 in the Dharma, the bliss born of wisdom.” 〔T40n1819 0842c28〕 「此智慧所生樂，從愛佛功德起是遠離我心、遠離無安眾生心、遠離自供養心。是三種心清淨增進，略為妙樂勝真心。」—“This bliss born of wisdom arises from loving the merits of the Buddha; it is departing from the mind of self, departing from the mind that does not give beings peace, and departing from the mind that makes offerings to itself. As these three kinds of mind grow in purity, they are, in brief, the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss.” 〔T40n1819 0843a02〕 「妙言其好，以此樂緣佛生故。勝言勝出三界中樂。真言不虛偽不顛倒。」—“‘Wondrous’ speaks of its excellence, because this bliss arises with the Buddha as its object. ‘Supreme’ means that it surpasses the pleasures within the three realms. ‘True’ means neither false nor inverted.” 〔T40n1819 0843a05〕

Recorded: what this sentence of the treatise gathers is the three kinds of pure mind—undefiled, peaceful, and blissful; but in explaining where 「妙樂勝真心」 (the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss) arises from, Tanluan names the three 「遠離我心、遠離無安眾生心、遠離自供養心」 (departing from the mind of self, departing from the mind that does not give beings peace, departing from the mind that makes offerings to itself), that is, the three kinds of departing of 〔六〕; the third of these he gives as 「遠離自供養心」 (departing from the mind that makes offerings to itself), which differs in fullness from the treatise’s 「遠離供養恭敬自身心」 (departing from the mind that seeks offerings and reverence for oneself). Recorded as it stands, without adjudication.

Who asks and who answers — there is no question and answer in this passage. The treatise’s 「何者菩薩巧方便迴向？」—“What is the bodhisattva’s dedication and direction by skillful means?”—and its two 「何等三種？」—“What are the three?”—are all asked and answered by the author of the treatise himself; nor does Tanluan set up any question and answer in these four sections.

V. Divergent Readings of the Commentators (in parallel columns — recorded without adjudication)

This treatise has Tanluan alone as its mirror. In this passage Tanluan neither cites the view of another master nor discusses a translated term, and there is nothing in this passage that can be set out in parallel columns. For the sūtra Tanluan cites, see the third topic; for a difference in his citation and explanation of one sentence of the treatise, see the ninth topic.

VI. Terms (first occurrences — all glosses drawn from the mirror commentary)

Two explanations of 「方便」 (skillful means): in this passage Tanluan explains 「方便」 (skillful means) in three places in all—skillful means as the bodhisattva putting himself last, by the simile of the 「火𣕊」 (fire-tongs); 「此中言方便者」 (the skillful means spoken of here) as referring to making the vow to gather in beings to be born together in that land; and, in the gathering and matching of names and meanings, as 「通權之智」 (the wisdom that comprehends the provisional), set against prajñā. Each of the three explanations is tied to one sentence of the treatise; recorded side by side.

The two readings in “the bliss of delight in the Dharma”: Tanluan gives a fanqie spelling for each of the two characters 「樂」 (bliss / delight) in this phrase, the first 「五角反」 (read as “delight”), the second 「魯各反」 (read as “bliss”), to distinguish the 樂 of loving delight from the 樂 of pleasure; his notes are reproduced as they stand, and no pronunciation is supplied in their stead.

Sanskrit: the name 「般若」 (prajñā) Tanluan explains by its meaning as 「達如之慧名」 (the name of the insight that penetrates suchness), without giving any other form; the IAST prajñā is added here as an aid to pronunciation. For the explanation of 「奢摩他」 (śamatha) and 「毘婆舍那」 (vipaśyanā), see the unit on the general statement and the five gates of mindful practice.

「智慧心」 (the mind of wisdom), 「方便心」 (the mind of skillful means), 「無障心」 (the unobstructed mind), 「勝真心」 (the supreme true mind): the treatise gives the names of the four minds together in the next sentence (in the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting); this passage gives only 「妙樂勝真心」 (the supreme true mind of wondrous bliss).

VII. Similes and Rhetoric

Similes the treatise uses of itself: none in this passage.

Similes set up by the mirror commentary:

Things that may be recorded as rhetoric:

First, the treatise’s three lists are all set out in order with 「一者」 (first), 「二者」 (second), and 「三者」 (third); the three sentences of the gathering and matching of names and meanings all begin with 「向說」 (spoken of above) and close with 「應知」 (this should be known). Set side by side in their order they are as follows (following only the order of the treatise’s text, adding no theory of correspondence):

Second, in explaining the three gates Tanluan uniformly first glosses the two characters separately (knowing and wisdom, kindness and compassion, straightness and putting oneself outside), one sentence for each gloss, and then returns to cite the treatise with two sentences of the form “relying on …, …; relying on …, …”—the same pattern for all three gates. Third, in explaining the three minds Tanluan uniformly begins with “Bodhi is the place of …” and closes with 「是順菩提門」 (is according with the gate of bodhi) or 「則違菩提」 (one goes against bodhi). Fourth, in explaining 「如是成就巧方便迴向」 (in this way accomplishes dedication and direction by skillful means), Tanluan uses three sentences in a row of the form “knowing …, then …”—knowing the real mark, knowing that beings are false, knowing the true dharma-body—bringing out in turn true compassion and true refuge. Fifth, in explaining the gathering and matching of names and meanings, Tanluan sets two sentences against each other: 「動不失靜，智慧之功也；靜不廢動，方便之力也」—“that moving does not lose stillness is the work of wisdom; that stillness does not abandon moving is the power of skillful means.”

VIII. Citation and Carrying Forward

• The apparatus of the unit on the upper class in The Sūtra of Measureless Life in this series has already cited Tanluan’s 「案王舍城所說《無量壽經》，三輩生中雖行有優劣，莫不皆發無上菩提之心」—“According to the Sūtra of Measureless Life spoken in Rājagṛha, among the three classes of those born there, though their practices differ in excellence, there is none who does not give rise to the mind of unsurpassed bodhi,” and the sentence 「此無上菩提心即是願作佛心」—“This mind of unsurpassed bodhi is the mind that vows to become a buddha,” to explain the giving rise to the mind common to the three classes.
• The apparatus of the unit on exhortation to good in The Sūtra of Measureless Life in this series has already cited Tanluan’s sentence 「不求自身住持之樂，欲拔一切眾生苦故」—“not seeking for himself the pleasure of abiding and sustaining, because he wishes to pull out the suffering of all beings,” to make clear the aim of aspiring to be born there.
• Tanluan’s own echoes, earlier and later: 「廣中二十九句、略中一句」 (the twenty-nine phrases of the extensive and the one phrase of the brief) carries on from the seventeen of the land, the eight of the Buddha, the four of the bodhisattvas, and the one dharma-phrase of the gate of contemplation (in the unit on the gate of contemplation); the aspect of returning, 「迴入生死稠林」 (to turn back into the dense forest of birth and death) (in the unit on the general statement and the five gates of mindful practice), comes from the same dedication and direction as this passage’s making the vow to gather in beings; the three minds of this passage are later gathered into four minds, 「智慧心、方便心、無障心、勝真心」 (the mind of wisdom, the mind of skillful means, the unobstructed mind, the supreme true mind), of which it is said that they 「能生清淨佛國土」 (are able to be born in a pure buddha-land) (in the unit on the five gates of entering and exiting).
• Among the sūtra commentaries of the ancient masters gathered in the translated-and-annotated texts of this series, none has been found that cites the treatise’s text in this passage.

IX. Placement Among the Recensions

The collation notes (<app>) to the treatise within the domain of this unit come to one:

Recorded without adjudication: in this note the mirror’s citation reads 「以不為自身求諸樂故」 (because he does not seek any pleasure for himself) 〔T40n1819 0842b22〕, agreeing with the variant reading of the three witnesses of the Song, Yuan, and Ming. Recorded as it stands; no judgment is made in their stead as to the original text.

Agreements and differences between the treatise and the mirror’s citation:

Further: the treatise and the mirror’s citation alike read 「此三種法遠離障菩提心應知」—“these three dharmas are the departure from the mind that obstructs bodhi; this should be known” 〔T40n1819 0842c21〕; but Tanluan’s explanation below reads 「此中三種不遠離障菩提心應知者」—“here, these three kinds of not departing from the mind that obstructs bodhi; this should be known” 〔T40n1819 0842c24〕, with one more character, 「不」 (not), and continues below with 「若欲得無障，當遠離此三種障礙也」—“if one wishes to be without obstruction, one should depart from these three kinds of obstruction.” Recorded side by side, without adjudication.

Gaiji: none in the treatise within this unit. Inline notes: none in the treatise within this unit; in the mirror’s text of this passage the inline notes in 〔…〕 come to four, all fanqie spellings—「𣕊〔聽念反〕」, 「摘〔聽歷反〕」, 「樂〔五角反〕」, and 「樂〔魯各反〕」—and all are reproduced as they stand in the citations above.