大方廣佛華嚴經搜玄分齊通智方軌 5.7.1

5.7.1

Fourth, explaining the text: this text has two [parts]: first, the introductory narrative of initiation; second, from "At that time the World-Honoured One, wishing to cause the bodhisattvas..." downward, discerning the main doctrine. What is the doctrinal meaning of this [assembly]? It clarifies the power of spiritual friends (kalyāṇamitra). In all the previous assemblies, [the Buddha] always first emitted light, causing other directions to know and revealing the shallow or deep nature of the Dharma being taught and the increase or decrease of the assembled congregation, and furthermore took sound as the formal exposition. This assembly is not so: merely by the Tathāgata emitting light and manifesting the three worlds so as to cause the great assembly to enter, this serves as the formal exposition; there is no other, separate communication of the various spiritual friends beneath spoken words. Now we clarify the meaning with reference to the beginning. Spiritual friends have four powers: drawing near to a good spiritual friend, listening to the true Dharma, mindfulness and contemplation, and practicing according to the Dharma; the subsequent text fully contains this meaning. There are also four capabilities, as explained in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. First, the introductory text has nine [parts]: 1. time of exposition; 2. lord of transformation; 3. dwelling place; 4. co-hearers; 5. doubtful thoughts of the great assembly; 6. the Buddha enters samādhi; 7. new assemblies from the ten directions gather; 8. uttering verses in praise; 9. Samantabhadra's further unfolding of the virtues and functions of the samādhi. In all the previous assemblies, only after assembling the new congregation did [the Buddha] enter meditative absorption; why is it placed before here? Answer: Previously, persons came to approach the lord of transformation, and there were other persons who spoke; only when a person wished to speak did [the Buddha] then enter absorption. Now this is not so: the Buddha himself confers [the teaching according to] capacities; if the Buddha did not enter absorption, there would be no cause for the various persons to come. Therefore, he first enters absorption to manifest the signs, and only afterwards does the new assembly gather. That is, the arrangements for causal persons and fruition persons are different. Furthermore, it is because of the two layers of revealing the Dharma in the subsequent text: only when reaching the second layer does he begin to descend to approach persons so that they may enter knowledge and vision. Why did the Buddha himself enter it? Answer: It is now to accomplish the practice and Dharma of practitioners; if the fruition person did not himself enter it to reveal that the Dharma is real, there would be no cause to guide those causal persons to achieve the great fruition. Why did he enter the Lion's Sprint Samādhi? Because he wished to cause the bodhisattvas to attain it. It also signifies valiant strength in conferring the teaching, causing practitioners to subdue the false and manifest the real. Fourth, the assembly of co-hearers has three [groups]: first, bodhisattvas; next, śrāvakas; third, heavenly kings and so forth. Why are the bodhisattvas placed first? Answer: The various sūtras take intimate instruction from phenomenal marks, because they pertain to the gradual [teaching]; this sūtra determines it according to principle, because it is the sudden teaching. As for why this assembly alone has śrāvakas, there are two reasons: first, to reveal that the dharmadhātu subsumes all in correspondence; second, to turn from the small and enter the practices of the great. The assembly of bodhisattvas has three [parts]: 1. stating the number; 2. listing one hundred and forty names, having fifteen stations, each revealing distinct dharmas, which may be contemplated; 3. praising their virtues. In the text on virtues, first is general, next is particular. The particular has two: the first seven [sentences] are practices for one's own benefit; the latter three sentences are practices for benefiting others. Second, among the śrāvakas there are three [parts]: 1. stating the number; 2. listing the names; 3. praising their virtues. Fifth, in the request through doubtful thoughts, first is the request, next is the conclusion. The first has sixty sentences, which comprise three: the first thirty sentences discern the Dharma that is requested; second, there are ten sentences praising the assembly's capability to hear; third, twenty sentences praising the Buddha's capability to speak. Among [the sentences on] the Dharma there are three: first, directly discerning the fruition Dharma requested; [second,] twenty sentences discerning that causal persons have not exhausted it; third, there are ten attributing the merit to the Buddha. In the first, the Dharma doubted, there are three: 1. discerning the persons who doubt; 2. discerning their thoughts; 3. clarifying the Dharma they contemplate. In the third, praising the Buddha's capability to speak, the first ten sentences clarify the perfection of the cause, and the second ten praise the fulfillment of the fruition. Sixth, in entering meditative absorption, there are two [parts]: first, entering meditative absorption; second, from "having entered samādhi" downward, clearly revealing the signs of the pure land, which is the power of samādhi. The first text has three: 1. discerning the upāya; 2. the actual entry; 3. from "wishing to cause" downward, clarifying the purpose for entering. Why does this rely solely on great compassion? Because the previous expositions encompassed both understanding and practice, whereas this solely preserves practice, causing them to leave danger and obtain bliss. Second, in the power of entering absorption revealing the pure land, there are five: 1. adorning the multi-storeyed pavilion; 2. adorning the groves and gardens; 3. adorning empty space; 4. from "why is that" downward, explaining and establishing; 5. from "just as in this Jeta Grove" downward, concluding by extending it to the ten directions. The first text has two: first, general; next, particular. In the particular, there are ten kinds of adornment, which can be understood. The ten sentences on the groves and empty space below can be understood. Fifth, in the conclusion, there are four: 1. the conclusion; next, the buddhas gathering; 3. the bodhisattvas gathering; 4. further adorning empty space. Alternatively, the main text can be divided into three: first, the adornment of the pavilion and so forth, which is the receptacle world; second, the Tathāgatas gathering, which is [the world of] the truly enlightened through wisdom; third, the bodhisattvas gathering, which is the world of sentient beings. The reason why cause and fruition both gather is to reveal that cause and fruition are truly accomplished. Seventh, the gathering of the assembly: the text has three [parts]: first, discerning the gathering of the assemblies from the ten directions; second, from "these bodhisattvas" downward, praising their virtues; third, from "at that time the great śrāvakas" downward, discerning the unshared characteristics. In the first text, all ten directions have eight [points]: 1. being far beyond dust-mote-numbered ocean-like realms, which is based on quantity; 2. listing the names of the worlds; 3. discerning the names of the buddhas; 4. listing the names of the foremost bodhisattvas; 5. discerning their retinue; 6. articles of offering; 7. coming to the Buddha's dwelling; 8. each transforming a pavilion and sitting down. The rest are the same. The reason why bodhisattvas are called kings is because their practice and application in realizing the dharmadhātu are sovereign. Second, praising their virtues: the text has two [parts]: first, praising; second, from "all are [due to] the Tathāgata" downward, attributing the merit. The first text has three: 1. general praise; 2. from "having accomplished" downward, particular praise of their virtues; 3. from "these bodhisattvas" downward, concluding praise of the assembly. Within the particular there are two: 1. virtues of their own share; 2. from "roaring the lion's roar in the great assembly" downward, virtues of the share of others. Within the first there are three: 1. discerning the practices of self-benefit; 2. from "able, before all Tathāgatas" downward, practices of benefiting others; 3. from "fully possessing the ten powers" downward, discerning the complete fulfillment of the virtues of both self and other shares. Third, discerning the unshared [character] of the śrāvakas, which reveals that the dharmadhātu is profound. Within the text there are two: first, directly not seeing; second, from "just as hungry ghosts" downward, using metaphors. The first text has three: 1. clarifying that they do not see the Buddha's true and eternal virtues of practice; 2. "why is that" explains and establishes the reason why they do not see; 3. from "therefore although together with" downward, the conclusion. The first text has three: 1. listing the names; 2. from "such great..." downward, not seeing the fruition virtues of the dharmadhātu—this is broadly the same as the Dharma inquired about in the ten sentences above; the text has three, which can be understood; 3. from "also do not see" downward, not seeing the causal practices of the all-pervading great assembly. In the third, not seeing the realm of causal practices, there are three: 1. general mention; 2. direct discernment; 3. from "such as these" downward, the conclusion. In the second, the explanatory establishment, there are two: first, the reproach; next, the answer. The answer has two: first, general;