大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 1.7

1.7

Fourth, explaining the title of the sūtra: *Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra*, 'The Chapter on the Pure Eye of the World'. 'Great' (da) means that its essence, characteristics, and functions cannot be surpassed—namely, an essence that is equal and neither increases nor decreases, possessing characteristics endowed with inherent virtues, and functioning as the cause and effect of mundane and supramundane goodness. 'Square' (fang; correct) means the principle is upright and not crooked. 'Broad' (guang) means that its dharmic approaches, principles, and categories are replete with virtues, exhausting their utmost bounds. 'Buddha' (fo) means 'awakened one', which encompasses both the ten Buddhas and the three bodies of the Buddha. There are two kinds of 'flower' (hua): first, the flowers that gather the fruit, which do not coexist with the fruit, such as taking saṃsāra as the path's equipment and so forth, up to the wholesome roots of the causal stage; second, the flowers that adorn the fruit, which coexist with the fruit, such as the flowers of the seven purifications and so forth, as well as all virtues of the consummate fruition stage. Whether cultivated or inherently present, their mutual adornment can be understood. 'Adornment' (yan) means to decorate. Furthermore, 'great' indicates an overarching title for the most supreme and ultimate. Therefore a treatise says: 'Great, supreme, high, and broad are different names for one single essence. Its vehicle's purport is rich in the Way, arrayed without an exterior; this is called the great origin.' It is by no means confined. 'Square' refers to the import of consummate penetration: everywhere it is good; encountering conditions it complies with them; it gives without discriminating among things—hence it is called 'square'. 'Broad' means serene yet profound, subtle yet far-reaching, deep and also expansive—this is called 'broad'. 'Buddha': the correct pronunciation in the Central Country is *buddha*; here it is called 'the awakened one' because he brightly penetrates to the ultimate source, afflictive habituations are forever extinguished, he holds light that shines alone, his radiance illumines the great night, he guides the multitudes of the confused, and he awakens himself and awakens others—hence he is called *buddha*. 'Flower adornment': this analogizes the beauty of the dharmakāya's active virtues. Therefore, if the essence were not real, there would be nothing to display its wonder; if the cultivation were not ultimate, there would be nothing to manifest its supremacy. Mutually polishing and revealing, their meanings are both transcendent; it can be called the utmost of self-nature's consummate penetration, supreme and wonderful indeed. It is like manifold colors and rare gems finely adorning a golden visage, exceedingly magnificent and incomparable in the world. Hence the title is designated according to this analogy, and so it is called *Flower Adornment*. 'Sūtra' (jing) means a truly pure teaching, a constant norm of instruction and deliberation, whose words sign the warp of principle and manifest the mental functions of practice; hence it is called 'sūtra'. 'Pure Eye of the World': this refers to the three worlds, such as the temporal and receptacle worlds, as well as the characteristics capable of serving as analogies; also, essence and function differ, so appearing in the world without obstruction and without defilement is analogized to a pure eye. It can also be that before the Tathāgata appeared in the world, because there was no good guide, beings were like the blind; now that the Buddha has appeared in the world, manifesting the purification of self and other, he is analogized to a clear eye. 'Pure Eye of the World': this ought to be called an introduction; however, those assembled at this time were all supreme streams entering the oceanic congregation of the Buddha, their virtues abiding in the pure realm, unstained by dust, emerging from natural authenticity, and truly unconditioned. Therefore, it is relied upon to reveal the wonder of the dependent origination of the ultimate consummate path, not abandoning saṃsāra yet without being sullied. Hence it takes the event as its title, and so is called 'Pure Eye of the World'. Difficult to fathom, it cannot be understood without an analogy; hence this is devised to delineate its form. If an eye is pure both internally and externally, clear through inside and out, the forms and images arrayed within it all belong to a single operation. Neither small nor large, neither far nor near, they do not obstruct one another; thus it may serve as an analogy, designated as an eye. Therefore a subsequent verse praises: 'The world is pure like an eye.' The meaning of the sacred exposition is thus revealed. 'Chapter' (pin): when language and principle are equal, categorizing like with like, it is called a 'chapter'. This sūtra has thirty-four chapters; this chapter stands at the head, and so is called the first. The overarching title of the sūtra and the analogy of its central essential purport are clarified here; thus it is called the *Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra*.