大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 3.8.1

3.8.1

Within the section on the empowerment, there are three parts: first, because he enters samādhi, all buddhas simultaneously bestow empowerment; second, from "desiring to proclaim all..." onwards, the purpose of the empowerment is explained; third, from "Vajragarbha, you should speak..." onwards, the characteristics of the empowerment are manifested. / Within the first part, there are three sections: first, the buddhas, wishing to bestow empowerment and praise, all manifest their bodies; / second, from "with one voice praised..." onwards, the buddhas simultaneously praise him, responding to his prior entry into absorption and revealing his realization and capability to teach; / third, from "in this manner, in the ten directions..." onwards, the buddhas show that they have already empowered him, responding to his prior entry into absorption so that he receives the buddhas' power, and also explaining the reason he received the empowerment. / Furthermore, the phrase "because of displaying multiple buddhas" means that multiple buddhas have identically realized this Dharma. / The rest of the text should be understood in accordance with the Treatise. / Second, the text on the purpose: first, explaining the purpose of the empowerment with respect to the bhūmi dharmas; second, from "namely, to cause them to enter wisdom..." onwards, explaining the purpose of the empowerment with respect to the persons to be transformed. / Furthermore, "seeing, knowing, attaining, and realizing": the first two are understanding through contemplation, and the latter two are understanding through practice. / Seeing is the beginning, and knowing is the end; attaining is the beginning, and realizing is the end. / Furthermore, "faith and delight, attaining and realizing" is also the same as above; however, because it concerns those who have not yet attained and are heading toward attainment, the name "faith and delight" is assigned. / In explaining the purpose with respect to persons, there are twenty phrases: the first ten "entries" are practices for one's own benefit; the latter ten "from beginning to end" are practices for benefiting others. / Question: Why are those for self-benefit called "entry," while the practices for benefiting others are described as "from beginning to end"? / Answer: Simply because the meanings of entry and of beginning-to-end are one and not different: speaking of entry, it must proceed from beginning to end; discussing its beginning and end, there must be something entered. To differentiate the two practices, each follows one meaning. / Within the twenty phrases of entry and of beginning-to-end, each first phrase is general, and the remaining phrases are specific. / In the seventh, that there are again roots of good that can serve as causes for transcendence of the world refers to the preparatory roots of good within the bhūmis and so forth. / Furthermore, within "from beginning to end," the sūtra text omits the second phrase. / Furthermore, when the Treatise speaks of āgama, there are nine pairs: / First, the contrast between practice and teaching. / Vocal teachings are called āgama, while all virtues are said to be realization; this is just like the two treasuries of letters and meanings spoken of below. / Second, the contrast between stations and stages. / Cultivating practice based on teaching prior to the stage of understanding and practice is called āgama, while from the initial bhūmi upward is spoken of as realization; this is just like the praise of the assembly in the second request of Mokṣa below. / The hearing, contemplation, cultivation, and so forth that arise before the bhūmis are called the purity of āgama; all virtuous practices from the initial bhūmi upward are collectively called the purity of realization. / Third, the contrast between cultivation and accomplishment. / In all bhūmis, the understanding of the reflective illumination of these four minds—the wisdoms of hearing, contemplation, and cultivation, and the karmically born conscious knowledge—is called āgama, while true wisdom transcending speech is realization. Therefore the Treatise below says: "Hearing, contemplation, cultivation, and so forth are indeed preachables, and because they are preachables they are called āgama; / the wisdom of the bhūmis transcends letters, and this is called realization." / Fourth, the contrast between the real and the provisional. / The combined cultivation of the real and the provisional in all bhūmis is called āgama, while abandoning the provisional to accord with the real is called realization; this is just like the two great aspects of meaning and teaching explained below, where the great aspect of teaching is āgama, the practice of skillful means; / and the great aspect of meaning is realization, the accomplishment of practice. / Fifth, the contrast between characteristics and reality. / In mundane cultivation, attaining those characteristics of realization is called āgama, while according with the fundamental true reality is called realization; this is just like the illuminated Dharma-gate of the supreme wondrous Dharma explained below, where "supreme" is realization and "illumination" is teaching. / Sixth, the contrast between essence and virtue. / In that practice accomplished by transcending characteristics, the beginningless Dharmatā, originally concealed and now revealed, is called realization; the virtuous practices of skillful means accomplished based on the fundamental, cultivated and produced based on teaching, are called āgama. This is just like the metaphor of refining gold in the text below, where the gold essence illustrates realization and the bracelets and ornaments illustrate āgama. / Seventh, the contrast between essence and function. / The preceding essence and virtue taken together are realization; the function of teaching and wisdom that accords with the mundane world arising based on this is called āgama. This is just like the dharmas illustrated below by the light of the wish-fulfilling jewel, where the purity of the jewel wheel and so forth illustrates the essence of realization, and the radiance and flames illustrate āgama. / Eighth, the contrast between one's own share and superior progress. / The essence, virtue, and function accomplished within one's own share are all called realization, while being able to receive the Buddha's teaching is designated āgama. This is just like the praise of Vajragarbha's two powers below, where wondrous wisdom and eloquence are called the power of realization, and the resolute and pure wisdom of mindfulness regarding the Buddha's teaching is called the power of āgama. / Ninth, the contrast between following designation and approaching reality. / The essence of true wisdom is spoken of as realization; dividing this very essence of realization into ten according to words is called āgama. This is just like the dharma illustrated by traces in empty space in the text below, where the equality of empty space illustrates the realized wisdom of the bhūmis. Therefore the Treatise below says: "The locus where the bodies of syllables abide is subsumed under realized wisdom." / The traces in empty space illustrate the āgama of the bhūmis; therefore the Treatise below says: "It is not that there are no names, phrases, and bodies of syllables of the bhūmi wisdom; names, phrases, and bodies of syllables are the dharma of āgama." / This āgama and realization run through above and below, and can be understood and subsumed accordingly. / The remaining aspects should be understood. / Within the third text on the characteristics of empowerment, they refer to mouth, mind, and body: the mouth exhorts him to speak so as to augment his power; the mind secretly protects him so as to bestow authority; the body touches his head so as to make him awaken. / Why first the mouth, next the mind, and then the body? / Availing himself of the preceding buddhas' display of the purpose of empowerment, he accordingly exhorts him to speak; therefore the mouth is explained first. When the body touches him he then arises, which in principle should come after; the mind has no such sequence and is explained in the middle. / Within the oral empowerment, there are two parts: first, general; second, specific. / Furthermore, in "purity of body," the sūtra text omits the phrase "exhaustion of buddhas." / The second, mental empowerment, contains twenty phrases: the first ten phrases directly explain the mental empowerment; the latter ten explain the reason for the specific empowerment. / Why is the specific empowerment explained with respect to the mind, while the others are not like this? / The mind is the root of empowerment, therefore it is explained here. / Furthermore, the preceding oral empowerment possesses the two powers of eloquence, one's own and the other's; the mental empowerment is also like this. / The first ten on direct empowerment explain the other's power; the latter ten explaining the empowerment reveal one's own power; therefore it is explained here. / Within the preceding text, the initial "fearless body" is both general and specific: collectively subsuming the ten phrases constitutes the fearless body, and this is why it is both general and specific. / In dividing it specifically: the first phrase reveals the excellence of the form body and is therefore called specific; the remaining nine phrases are strictly specific. / Furthermore, concerning the Treatise's "accomplishment of dharmas," according to the Sandhinirmocana-sūtra, there are four kinds of accomplishment: first, accomplishment through existence, where all dharmas are accomplished through causes, conditions, names, and verbal conventions; / second, accomplishment of what is to be done, where all deeds are each achieved; / third, accomplishment of dharmas, where the natures and characteristics of all dharmas are established; / fourth, accomplishment through assistance, where through wisdom and speech one assists in accomplishing all dharmas. / Now, "conditions" refers to that accomplishment through existence. / Because all dharmas are accomplished through causes and conditions, it is called "conditions." / "Dharmas" is precisely "dharmas" therein. / "Accomplishment of action" is that accomplishment of what is to be done. / "Accomplishment" is that accomplishment through assistance. / Furthermore, regarding the "wisdom of the three identical characteristics," the explanations are not uniform. / According to the Commentary of Vajrarṣi, it is knowing that all dharmas are impermanent, suffering, and non-self. / According to another translated treatise, it is knowing the self-characteristic, common characteristic, and non-dual characteristic of all dharmas, which refers to saṃvṛti-satya, paramārtha-satya, and the one true reality; or again, knowing emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness.