「爾時，普興雲幢主水神，承佛威力，普觀一切主水神眾，而說頌言。」
阿難說完了前邊的長行，這時又把這個長行都用重頌再來說一說。第一位主水神就是「普興雲幢主水神」。這一位主水神他仗著佛的大威神力－－其餘的主水神也都同樣地承仗佛的大威神力－－「普觀一切主水神眾」：普遍地觀察一切的主水神這種因緣，這種根性而說頌言，用偈頌再把這個長行來再說它一遍。
清淨慈門剎塵數 共生如來一妙相
一一諸相莫不然 是故見者無厭足
這個普興雲幢主水神，他所得到的解脫門，是平等利益一切眾生慈解脫門。現在又把長行這個意思再重複說它一遍，所以說「清淨慈門」。這個慈門是清淨的沒有染污法；沒有染污法，也就是沒有一切的欲心。
這一種的慈悲門，是作什麼的呢？是慈悲平等利益一切眾生的。這一種的門有多少呢？有「剎塵數」那麼多？怎麼樣生出那麼多的清淨慈門呢？
「共生如來一妙相」：他在如來每一個毫毛端上，就具足這麼多的清淨慈悲門。那麼如來這個毛端是很多很多的，每一個毛端都具足剎塵那麼多的數目。
每一個毛孔就具足無量無邊這麼多的清淨慈悲門，所以說：「一一諸相莫不然」：在如來每一個相都具足這麼廣大，這麼無邊的清淨慈門，來利益一切眾生。你說這個慈悲門有多少？所以：「莫不然」。每一相都這樣子。
「是故見者」：因為如來海每一相都具足無量無邊這麼多的清淨慈門。每一相都是這樣子，所以一切見著佛的眾生都「無厭足」：都歡喜見佛，歡喜聞法。見著佛就目不暫捨，那個眼睛就好像入定似地看著佛，眼睛也不動彈了。為什麼呢？因為無厭足。眾生都是著相的，所以見著佛的相好光明，他就生出一種不願意捨離的心，所以常常要瞻仰於佛。
世尊往昔修行時 普詣一切如來所
種種修治無懈倦 如是方便雲音入
這是前邊那個海潮雲音主水神，他得到無邊法莊嚴解脫門。他得到佛的這種境界，明白佛在因地的時候怎麼樣勤苦修行，所以在偈頌他這樣講，說：
「世尊往昔修行時」：世尊，就是世出世之尊，世間的人和出世間的人之尊，也就是佛十號之一。往昔就是從前，就是說佛在因地的時候。現在佛成佛就是果地，在因地他修行的時候，怎樣修行呢？「普詣一切如來所」：普，就是普遍；詣，就是到那個地方。到什麼地方呢？到佛那個地方；到哪一位佛呢？就是過去所成就的諸佛。釋迦牟尼佛在當時還沒有成佛；他還沒有成佛，所以他就去親近過去一切的諸佛，去親近、供養、恭敬。「種種修治無懈怠」：就是用上他所能做到的這一切法門來供養於佛、恭敬諸佛、親近諸佛。他為法，忘軀，為求法把自己的身體都忘了。為求法，那他不睡覺不吃飯，有病他也不管，還是為求法。
說是佛還會有病嗎？這是佛在還沒有成佛的時候。佛成佛之後，有的時候還受頭痛和金槍馬麥之報。怎麼叫金槍馬麥的報呢？佛在沒有成佛之前，是一個童子。這個時候就有一條魚，人把那條魚捉到岸上。這個童子看這個魚很好玩的，於是乎他就拿一個棍子打了這個魚的頭幾棍子。所以佛成佛了以後還有的時候有頭痛，就是因為他打了這個魚的關係，這一種的因果是絲毫不會爽的。佛，總而之在因地修行的時候不懶惰。
按照戒律上來講，若有法師講經說法，在四十里地以內都應該去聽法。若不去聽法；你或者睡覺，或者在那兒貪圖自在，這都是犯戒的。佛以前求法修行的時候，時時刻刻都去修行不懈倦、不懶惰。「如是方便雲音入」，像前邊所說的這個種種的方便法門，這是這個海潮音主水神，他能入這一種的解脫門。
佛於一切十方中 寂然不動無來去
應化眾生悉令見 此是髻輪之所知
佛在一切十方，我們這個世界有十方，其他的世界也有十方，所以叫一切十方。這個十方並不是一個十方，是很多很多的十方世界，所以叫「佛於一切十方中」。「寂然不動無來去」：寂，就是靜的樣子；寂然不動，無所動。因為佛是寂然寂然不動，所以就無來無去，所以說如來者無所從來，亦無所去。那麼不來不去，可是「應化眾生悉令見」：應該得到佛的教化的這個眾生，佛以大神通力，令這一切的有緣眾生都得見於佛。「此是輪髻之所知」：這一種的境界，就是這個妙色輪髻主水神，他所明白的這種解脫門。
* * * * * * * * * * *
（編按：下列對話由比丘尼恆賢筆記本上摘錄下來。因與水神相關，故此刊出。）
上人﹕剛從奧勒崗州來的人，要不要說些什麼？一路上怎麼樣？
男眾﹕一路順利，毫無問題。
上人：沒下雨 ？
男眾：星期三晚上下大雨，車子很難開。可是星期四是這三週以來，最好的一天。
上人﹕可是你先前寫信說，恐怕會淹水。
男眾﹕我們上路後，就沒下雨了。
上人﹕這是你誠心所感。因為第一天你雖很擔心會淹水和下雨，你還是決定來了。這就是感應。這不過是個小考驗。兩個孩子怎麼樣？
男眾﹕很好。他們這一趟的表現，比在我們其它的旅程上，好多了。
上人﹕你從那麼遠的地方過來，不怕大水，一路很誠心來皈依，使我很高興。因此不論是搭飛機或開車來，任何人要能像他這樣，就很好了。
（編按：下面是上人宣佈比丘恆謙英譯的法華經第一冊於1973年11月出版了。）
這部法華經是佛教裡道理最圓融、最妙的一部經，也就是人人可以成佛的一部經。研究佛法的人一定要把這一部經研究明白了，然後這才算明白佛教的了。所以真想要研究佛教，或者想要將來成佛的，一定要有這部經。如果你有親戚，你自己不願意看的時候，又可以送給親戚朋友，作一個最有價值的禮物。這是人人都不要錯過的機會。
待續
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Sutra:
At that time, the Water-Ruling Spirit named Universally Raising Cloud Banner received the Buddha’s awesome might, universally contemplated all the multitudes of Water-Ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse.
Commentary:
At that time, when Ananda had finished speaking the previous section of prose, he then used verses to restate what had been said in prose. The first Water-Ruling Spirit is named Universally Raising Cloud Banner. That particular Water-Ruling Spirit received the Buddha’s great awesome spiritual might, just as all the other Water-Ruling Spirits did. He universally contemplated the dispositions and conditioning factors of all the multitudes of Water-Ruling Spirits, and spoke the following verse, restating the prose section in verse.
Sutra:
Pure doors of kindness, many as kshetras' motes of dust.
Are all produced on a single wondrous hallmark of the
Thus Come One.
Each and every hallmark of the Thus Come One is this way,
Therefore, those who look upon him are never satiated.
Commentary:
The Water-Ruling Spirit named Universally Raised Cloud Banner obtained the liberation door of kindness of equally bestowing benefits on all living beings. Now the meaning of the prose passage is being restated, and so it says: Pure doors of kindness. These gates of kindness are pure, without any defiling dharmas. No defiling dharmas means no thoughts of desire. What is the function of these doors of kindness and compassion? They benefit living beings, bringing equal benefit to all. The kindness and compassion are the same towards all beings in aiding them. How many of these doors are there? They are as many as kshetras’ motes of dust. How did so many pure doors of kindness come into being? They are all produced on a single wondrous hallmark of the Thus Come One. The tip of a single hair of the Tathagata is replete with all those many doors of pure kindness and compassion. The tips of hair of the Thus Come One are quite numerous to begin with, and the tip of every hair holds an amount like dustmotes in kshetras. Every single hairpore contains limitless and boundlessly many pure doors of kindness and compassion, and so it says: Each and every hallmark is this way. Within each of the Tathagata's hallmarks are found such vast and great, such boundlessly many pure doors of kindness to benefit all living beings. How many doors of kindness would you say there were in all? The reason it says without exception is that every hallmark is like that too. Therefore, those who look upon him are never satiated. Because each hallmark of the Tathagata is replete with limitless and boundlessly many doors of kindness and compassion, and all his hallmarks are the same way, consequently, the living beings who see the Buddha are all delighted to see him and to hear the Dharma. They gaze at the Buddha, their eyes never leaving him for an instant. It is as if their eyes have entered samadhi the way they look at the Buddha with unwavering gaze. Why is that? It’s because they can never get enough. Living beings are attached to marks, and so when they see the radiance of the Buddha’s fine marks and characteristics, they never want to leave him. They would like to gaze up at the Buddha forever.
Sutra:
The World Honored One, when cultivating in the past,
Went everywhere to where all Thus Come Ones were.
He practiced in all types of ways and was never lax.
Such are the expedients which Cloud Sound enters.
Commentary:
This is the Water-Ruling Spirit discussed previously, named Sea-Tide Cloud Sound, who obtained the liberation door of boundless adornment with Dharma. That he “obtained” it means he achieved that kind of state and understood how diligently the Buddha cultivated when he was on the casual ground. That’s why he says in the verse: The World One, when cultivating in the past. The World Honored One is honored in the world and beyond it. He is honored by people in the world and by those who have transcended the world. This is one of the Ten Titles of a Buddha. “In the past” means previously, referring to when the Buddha was on the causal ground. Now that the Buddha has achieved Buddhahood, it is the ground of the fruition. When he was practicing at the time of planting causes, how did he cultivate? He went everywhere to where all Thus Come One were. That he went everywhere indicates universal pervasion to all places. What places were those? He went to all locations where there were Buddhas. Which Buddhas? All those who had already become Buddhas before him. Shakyamuni Buddha had still not become a Buddha. Because he wasn’t a Buddha yet, he drew near to all Buddhas, meaning all previous Buddhas. He went to be near all Buddhas of the past, made offerings to them and revered them. He practiced in all types of ways and was never lax. “In all types of ways” describes how he employed whatever Dharma doors he was capable of in order to make offerings to the Buddhas, to worship and respect all Buddhas, and to draw near all Buddhas. He forgot himself for the sake of the Dharma. In order to seek the Dharma he forgot about his own body. In his pursuit of the Dharma he went without sleep and food, and even if sick paid no heed, but still sought the Dharma.
“Does a Buddha still get sick?” you may ask. Well, that was before the Buddha accomplished Buddhahood. And even after he became a Buddha, he would sometimes have headaches. He underwent the retributions of the metal spear and horsefeed. What was that retribution? Before the Buddha was a Buddha, he was a young lad. At that time, some people had dragged a fish to the shore. The boy saw the fish as a lot of fun, and took a staff and hit the fish on the head a few times. As a result, after he was a Buddha, he still had to have headaches sometimes—the reason being that he had hit the fish. This kind of cause and effect isn’t off by a hair. In general, when the Buddha was cultivating on the causal ground, he wasn’t lazy, lax or remiss.
According to the precepts, if a Dharma Master is delivering a Sutra lecture or speaking Dharma within a radius of 40 (Chinese) miles [between 14 and 15 English miles], you are supposed to go listen to the Dharma. If, instead of going to listen to the Dharma, you sleep or take it easy where you are, you break the precept. In the past when the Buddha was seeking the Dharma and cultivating, he practiced at all times and was never lax or lazy. Such are the expedients which Cloud Sound enters. All of the various kinds of expedient Dharma doors which were just described constitute the type of door to liberation which the Water-Ruling Spirit named Sea-Tide Cloud Sound is able to enter.
Sutra:
The Buddha, within all the ten directions,
Still and unmoving neither comes nor goes,
Yet responds and teaches living beings, causing all to see him.
This is what is known by Wheel-like Cowl.
Commentary:
The Buddha is described as being in all the ten directions. Our world-system has ten directions, and so do other world-systems; and so there is not just one set of ten directions, but rather a great many world-systems of ten directions. Thus it says: The Buddha, within all the ten directions, still and unmoving neither comes nor goes. The Buddha is still and quiet, without movement. Because he is still and does not move, he neither comes nor goes, hence the quotation: “The Thus Come One does not come from everywhere, nor does he go anywhere.” He doesn’t come or go, yet responds and teaches living beings, causing all to see him. The Buddha uses great powers of spiritual penetrations to enable all the living beings who have affinities with the Buddha, to see the Buddha. This is what is known by Wheel-like Cowl. This kind of state is the type of door to liberation which is understood by the Water-Ruling Spirit named Wheel-Like Cowl of Wondrous Colors.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
[What follows is from Bhikshuni Heng Hsien’s notes. As it is interesting in connection with Water-Ruling Spirits, it is included here.]
Ven. Master: Would the people who just arrived from Oregon like to say a few words? How was your trip?
Man: It was a good trip down. No problems.
Ven. Master: No rain?
Man: Wednesday night it rained a lot, and was very bad driving. But Thursday was the best weather in three weeks.
Ven. Master: When you wrote earlier you said you feared flooding.
Man: After we started, there was no rain.
Ven. Master: This is a response from your sincerity, because of your whole attitude about the possibility of a flood and rain the first day, and in spite of that coming anyway. It was a response. It was just a test. How are the two children?
Man: Fine. They were better on this trip than on any other we’ve made.
Ven. Master: Your coming from such a long distance not fearing water and so sincere all this way to take refuge makes me very happy. Therefore, whether people come by plane or drive by car, if everyone could be like this it would be very good.
[Historical note: This is announcing, in November, 1973, the publication of the first volume of English translation of the Lotus Sutra, translated by Bhikshu Heng Ch’ien.]
Ven. Master: The Dharma Flower Sutra is the Sutra of the most wonderful and most interpenetrating principles in Buddhism; and it is the Sutra on how everyone can become a Buddha. Only when someone who investigates the Buddhadharma has understood this Sutra can he or she be said to understand Buddhism. Therefore, if you truly wish to study Buddhism, or if you want to become a Buddha in the future, you must have this Sutra. When you aren’t reading it yourself, you can give it to your friends or relatives. It makes a most valuable gift. This is an opportunity no one should miss.
To be continued
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