大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 5.52

5.52

第六夜天名妙德守護諸城，即六地菩薩位也，入甚深妙德自在音聲法門。初勸教進入、二「爾時善財」下依教趣入、三「夜天告」下正入法界。初文有三，同前。二依入中有七：初善財將辭，先以偈讚報恩，十偈中有二：初生起、次偈頌，頌中初三歎由教故離諸取著得見法身、次二歎菩薩離三障故得解脫自在、次三歎菩薩攝益、下二令時眾離取著也；二正禮辭；三念前法門；四往趣；五見勝相；六敬禮；七問。三正入中有三：初歎發心能問、二「我已」下說自分所得、三「諸大」下仰推勝分。自分中有四：初辨法門體、二「是故佛子我為」下明法用、三「白言夜天」下得法久近因緣、四「我唯」等結當分所知。二法門用中有四：初二十三句明觀修攝化方便，有三：初一句立、次「於一切法」下釋、三「佛子我等」下結。第二文有四：一依法、二依世界、三「等心」下依眾生、四「佛子我常」下成心德用。二「復次佛子」下以十種行觀察法界行稱法成，有四可知。三「我如是念」下二十三句，正明對緣利他攝化。四「我已成就」下結。三就對緣利他，文有二：初辨利他方便、二「我深入」下結用廣大。初文有二：初辨能持德，舉數釋結三文也；二明所攝持法，此有二：初釋、次結耳。得法久近中，初問、次答。答中有四：初說往世得法因緣、二「佛子」下會古今、三「佛子次有」下復值無量佛得諸法門、四「復次佛子」下復更值無量諸佛獲勝益也。仰推有二：略、廣。後述己非分，可知。

The sixth night goddess is named Miàodé Shǒuhù Zhūchéng (Wondrous Virtue Protecting All Cities), who is at the rank of a sixth-bhūmi bodhisattva, and enters the teaching gate of the profound and wondrously virtuous sovereign voice. First is the exhortation and instruction to enter; second, from 'Then Sudhana' downward, proceeding to enter in accordance with the instruction; third, from 'The night goddess said' downward, directly entering the dharmadhātu. The first text has three parts, as before. In the second part, proceeding to enter, there are seven: first, when Sudhana is about to depart, he first repays her kindness with verses of praise—the ten verses have two parts: first, giving rise to them; next, the verses proper, in which the first three praise freedom from all grasping and seeing the dharmakāya due to her instruction; the next two praise the bodhisattva's liberation and sovereignty due to leaving behind the three obstructions; the next three praise the bodhisattva's gathering and benefiting [beings]; the last two cause the assembled multitude to leave behind grasping; second, directly paying homage and taking leave; third, recollecting the preceding teaching gate; fourth, proceeding toward [her]; fifth, seeing superior characteristics; sixth, paying homage respectfully; seventh, asking questions. In the third part, directly entering, there are three: first, praising the resolve of the mind and the ability to ask; second, from 'I have already' downward, explaining her own share of what has been attained; third, from 'The great' downward, reverently deferring to superior portions. In her own share there are four: first, identifying the essence of the teaching gate; second, from 'Therefore, son of the Buddha, I, for the sake of...' downward, explaining the function of the Dharma; third, from 'Said to the night goddess' downward, the causes and conditions and duration of attaining the Dharma; fourth, 'I only,' and so on, concluding with what is known of her own share. In the second part, the functions of the teaching gate, there are four: first, twenty-three clauses explaining the expedients of contemplation, cultivation, gathering, and transforming, which has three parts: first, one clause setting it forth; next, from 'Regarding all dharmas' downward, explaining it; third, from 'Son of the Buddha, we...' downward, concluding. The second text has four: one, relying on dharmas; two, relying on world systems; three, from 'With an equal mind' downward, relying on sentient beings; four, from 'Son of the Buddha, I constantly...' downward, the virtuous functions of the accomplished mind. Second, from 'Furthermore, son of the Buddha' downward, observing the dharmadhātu with ten kinds of practice, the practice corresponds to the Dharma and is accomplished, having four parts, as can be known. Third, from 'I contemplate thus' downward, twenty-three clauses directly explaining gathering and transforming to benefit others according to conditions. Fourth, from 'I have already accomplished' downward, the conclusion. In the third part, regarding benefiting others according to conditions, the text has two parts: first, identifying the expedients for benefiting others; second, from 'I enter deeply' downward, concluding that the functions are vast. The first text has two: first, identifying the virtue of being able to uphold, citing the numbers, explaining, and concluding—three passages; second, explaining the dharmas that are gathered and upheld, which has two: first, explaining; next, concluding. In the duration of attaining the Dharma, first is the question, and next is the answer. In the answer there are four: first, explaining the causes and conditions of attaining the Dharma in past lives; second, from 'Son of the Buddha' downward, reconciling past and present; third, from 'Son of the Buddha, next there were...' downward, again meeting immeasurable Buddhas and attaining various teaching gates; fourth, from 'Furthermore, son of the Buddha' downward, further meeting immeasurable Buddhas again and obtaining superior benefits. Reverently deferring has two: brief and extensive. Afterward, she recounts that it is not her own share, as can be known.