大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 3.29.3

3.29.3

The third is contemplating the twelve links with a mind seeking the Buddha, which in the treatise text is called the "discriminative contemplation of the knowledge of all modes"; this is the earlier contemplation of predominant compassion. Question: In the previous initial dwelling, compassion was first explained as foremost, then predominance was spoken of, and finally the fulfillment of compassion was revealed. Why here is fulfillment first, compassion second, and predominance spoken of last? In the previous initial dwelling, it was the sequence of generating the mind, and therefore compassion was first foremost and the fulfillment of compassion was discussed afterward; here it is the sequence of the actual practice, and therefore the fulfillment of compassion is first and predominance is spoken of afterward. What does this mean? In the previous initial dwelling, availing oneself of the preceding ten dharmas to contemplate the emptiness and quiescence of phenomena, one then recollected sentient beings being bound by falsely existing conditioned phenomena, and therefore one first gave rise to compassion; compassion wishing to eradicate suffering, one must attain the Buddha's wisdom, so next one gave rise to predominance; the Buddha is necessarily accomplished by leaving existence behind, and therefore the contemplation of the fulfillment of arising and ceasing and so forth was explained. Now in the actual practice, leaving faults behind is the beginning, so one first disdains the conditioned; by oneself leaving faults behind, one then recollected sentient beings abiding in them and unable to escape, so next one distinguishes following along. The first two subsume the cause, and their principle must necessarily come before; the knowledge of all modes is the practice of seeking the fruit, and its principle must necessarily come behind. Within these three gates, each has ten kinds of contemplating the accumulation of causes and conditions, which makes thirty; within each gate there is the reverse and direct orders, which becomes sixty. The above differentiation only explains sixty turns on the basis of the residing ground; contrasted with the fruit-portion below, there are one hundred and eighty gates of contemplating causes and conditions. How do we know this is so? Examining the text of the fruit-portion, it differentiates the accumulation of conditions by means of the three gates of emptiness, and based on this, what is subsumed under each gate is different. The sūtra says: "Relying on the liberation of emptiness, one attains ten samādhis of emptiness; non-arising and non-wishing are also like this." Based on these three emptinesses, there are three meanings. If one contemplates the twelve links by means of the samādhi of emptiness, the twelve links are all empty. How is this known? The author of the treatise has matched discriminative signlessness to the samādhi of emptiness; if one contemplates the twelve links by means of the gate of signlessness, the twelve are simulated; if one contemplates the twelve links by means of the gate of non-wishing, the dependent origination is real. The treatise also explains the contemplation gate of signlessness as the true nature (tathatā); because the true is free from signs, it matches it. It matches non-wishing with non-arising; because other-dependence is non-arising and has nothing to wish for or seek, it uses it to match it. These dharmic gates of the sameness and difference of causes and conditions can be understood by analogy with the ten samādhis of emptiness below. Third, regarding the demarcation of the treatise contrasted with the sūtra text, there is a further distinct meaning. Previously, relying on the ten turns of the sūtra text, the contemplation of disdaining conditioned causes and conditions and so forth was accomplished; therefore, based on the ten turns of the sūtra text before and after, one hundred and eighty gates are accomplished. Further question: If according to the sūtra and treatise there are no features of sixty contemplation gates, how can one hundred and eighty gates be accomplished? Answer: Because at the beginning of the sūtra three contemplation gates are opened, and afterward the author of the treatise still allows twenty turns in the sūtra text, and further separately differentiates three gates, four gates, nine gates, and so forth. Now, using the previously opened three contemplation gates to verify the contemplation-substance in the subsequent sūtra, one knows that there are definitely sixty gates. Now, contrasting the treatise with the sūtra, subsuming the ten gates into three turns, the intent proceeds from one contemplation of disdaining the conditioned; this intent will be further differentiated below. Now, as for the treatise's demarcation in subsuming the sūtra: within the contemplation of disdaining the conditioned, subsuming the ten turns of contemplation gates within that sūtra to make the initial gate among thirty, this is made into one, named "the mark of accomplishment and answer"; next, there is half a gate which is again made into one, named "paramārtha"; the remaining eight and a half gates are combined into one, named "differences of saṃvṛti-satya". In the second contemplation of following along with great compassion, it subsumes the ten into four: the initial gate is made into one, named "contemplating the delusion and inversion of sentient beings"; the next one is made into one, named "seeking liberation elsewhere"; the next four are made into one, named "seeking liberation on deviant paths"; the last four are made into one, named "seeking a different liberation". In the discriminative contemplation of the knowledge of all modes, it subsumes the ten into nine: the initial half-gate is spoken of as one, named "the contemplation of defilement and purity"; the next gate and a half is again made into one, named "the contemplation of the support of defilement"; next there are five gates, each distinct as one; next there are two gates combined into one, named "the contemplation of beginninglessness"; next one is made into one, named "the contemplation of varieties"—including the preceding, this makes nine. The earlier and later positions of the text within these three gates will be analyzed and explained below. Second, in explaining the meaning: according to the root text of the Great Sūtra, the dependent origination of the dharmadhātu has many [modes], but now they are briefly subsumed into two essential gates: first, distinguishing dependent origination in terms of defiled phenomena of ordinary beings; second, explaining dependent origination in terms of the pure part of bodhi. Regarding the pure gate, it is essentially subsumed into four: first, fundamentally existing; second, fundamentally existing and produced through cultivation; third, named produced through cultivation; fourth, fundamentally existing as produced through cultivation. "Fundamentally existing" means: dependent origination is fundamentally real, its essence being free from conceptualizing sentiments; the dharmadhātu is manifest and unmoving through the three times. Thus the "Nature Arising" chapter says: "Within the minds of sentient beings there is a scroll of sūtra in a speck of dust, and there is the great bodhi tree, which all āryas jointly realize." People realize it earlier or later, but that tree has no discriminative difference; thus we know it is fundamentally existing. Moreover, in this text on dependent origination, the twelve links of causes and conditions are themselves paramārtha. "Fundamentally existing and produced through cultivation" means: all pure categories fundamentally have no different nature, but now, in terms of various conditions, new goodness is generated; based on those various conditions, it is generated from false phenomena, and true wisdom then accords with the nature-essence of Samantabhadra. Fundamentally it is non-discriminative, and cultivated wisdom is also non-discriminative; hence wisdom accords with principle and does not accord with various conditions. Thus we know that what is produced through cultivation arises from what is fundamentally existing, sharing the same nature. Thus the "Nature Chapter" says: "It is called the bodhicitta, because it is nature-arising." Question: Since "fundamentally existing and produced through cultivation" is newly generated and its meaning is not old, why is it said to come from its fundamental nature? Answer: Because this chapter has the meaning of being newly born, it is called "produced through cultivation"; because it is intimate with the fundamental meaning, it is [said to] arise from nature. Just as grain today is not distinct from that at the beginning of the kalpa: it is intimate with the original grain, but distant in relation to present conditions; therefore it is not called newly attained. Reflecting on this, it can be understood. Third, "produced through cultivation" means: good roots such as faith have not previously been manifest; now, facing pure teaching and relying on conditions, they first arise; therefore they are called newly born. Thus the treatise says: "Because they lack non-discriminative wisdom." Fourth, "fundamentally existing as produced through cultivation" means: that tathāgatagarbha nature is hidden in all entanglements; ordinary beings are deluded, residing in it without realizing it. If contrasted with the time of delusion, it is not named as existing; therefore the *Lakṣaṇābhāva-śāstra* says: "If it existed, it should be seen." Furthermore, relying on the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha*, it says: "Because there are attainment and non-attainment, seeing and non-seeing, and so forth." Now, having attained non-discriminative wisdom, the dharmakāya begins to be revealed; being in entanglement, it is made pure; having previously lacked power, it was like those non-existent phenomena, but now, attaining functional efficacy, it is different from the fundamental prior non-existence; hence it cannot be said to be fundamentally existing, but is called purified through cultivation. Question: If the initial revelation is called produced through cultivation because it arises through cultivation, why is it called revealed?