大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 4.45

4.45

Fourth, explaining the text: As to why Mind King inquires and the Buddha speaks himself, what has preceded is due to the causes of the great fruition; none other than one at the stage of fruition can distinguish its limits, and therefore the Buddha speaks himself. Dharmas are accomplished depending on the mind; therefore Mind King raises the questions. Furthermore, it is so that cause and fruition mutually illumine each other. Alternatively, the methods of calculation are that which knows phenomena across fruition, so the Buddha speaks himself. Hence the text says "Tathāgata, Samyaksaṃbuddha," which has the meaning of the Buddha's wisdom. This chapter has two parts: first, questioning; afterwards, answering. The purport of the question: The virtues of the bodhisattva's practice reach their numerical extreme; we do not yet know what the bodhisattva's numerical methods are. Alternatively, one asks: Since the noble realm is vast and the bodhisattva completely understands it, we do not yet know by what numerical methods one may exhaust its measures to show to those below. In the answer, it generally presents one hundred twenty numbers in reply; of the great numbers there are ten: first, asaṃkhyeya; second, following below is named immeasurable (aprameya), rendered here as "unfathomable"; third, limitless; fourth, boundless; fifth, following below is named innumerable (asaṃkhyeya), rendered here as "uncountable"; sixth is called incomparable (atulya); seventh is named unmeasurable (amāpya)—here the character for "un-" is missing; eighth is named inconceivable (acintya), appearing as the seventh below; ninth is named ineffable (anabhilāpya); tenth is named ineffable of ineffables (anabhilāpyānabhilāpya). This text of questioning has three parts, as can be understood. Within the Buddha's answer there are four: first, praising Mind King's question; second, exhorting to listen; third, giving assent; fourth, directly answering what was asked from "the Buddha told" onward. Within this text there are two: first, prose; later, verses. The prose is the counting methods that can count; the verses are that which is counted by the numbers; this is the interlaced revealing of the meaning, virtue, and function of numbers. In the prose there are one hundred twenty methods of calculation: the first one hundred form the asaṃkhyeya; second, from asaṃkhyeya downward, they successively form ten numbers to answer the previous question. Furthermore, as for the divisions of the one hundred twenty numbers: taking the initial line of koṭi as the cause, next from "unchanging" downward there are separately one hundred lines as the completed numbers; next there are twenty lines: taking ten lines from "receiving" etc. as the cause, and ten lines from "asaṃkhyeya" etc. as the completed number lines. In the second part, the verses, it takes solely the ninth numerical method above to calibrate the virtuous practices, not repeating in verse the text above; in this there are two hundred forty-five verses. The verses here, taken comprehensively, have roughly two kinds of purports: first, general; second, specific. Regarding the general: whether phenomena or principle, practice or realm, cause or fruition, text or meaning, etc., up to revealing, explaining, and so forth, the marks of the text manifest of themselves; this should be reflected upon. Regarding the specific, there are two: First, with respect to the realm, there are three: 1. wisdom and full enlightenment; 2. the realm of sentient beings; 3. the realm of lands. Second, with respect to mind, meaning the primary and the auxiliary. This text has three: first, fourteen lines clarify that which can count, wherein there are ten tiers of multiplying numbers, forming ten texts; second, distinguishing what is counted with reference to phenomena; in this counting with reference to phenomena there are two: first, using the ninth calculation method; second, taking up the cause of the tenth number to use in calculating dharmas from "having gathered the ineffable turning" onward. As to why it is so, it merely intends to clarify that the method of increasing numbers is not only like this. Third, the latter one line concludes generally. Question: Why is the tenth number not used? Because the tenth number belongs to the Buddha. Although the text clarifies the fruition dharmas of the Buddha, it intends to take the causal-stage dharmas capable of dedicating roots of goodness. Why is it so? Because the marks of fruition communicate with the cause, being manifested in both places. This should be reflected upon. This is just counting within the countless.