華嚴經探玄記 10.31

10.31

就初分中，論主分為四：一依何身者，謂厚集善根為所依身；二為何義者，為求佛果；三以何因者，以大悲為因；四有何相者，過凡得聖為相。此四各有十門別辨，名為創住菩薩初地。又此四義與《瑜伽》四十八〈住品〉中極喜住內菩薩發心有其四相，文同語少別，會意可知。彼云「一何相菩薩發心、二發心何所緣慮、三發心何狀何相、四發心有何勝利。」彼論依此經文，作彼略釋，不具。初依何身中有三：初結前總告、二正顯行相、三「如是眾生」下結行入位。正顯行中，初句是總，謂一大僧祇積集勝善，故名厚集。若有眾生者，是此初入地眾生，非是地前。有人判此十句屬地前發心方入初地者，此不順文，豈可地前屬初地攝？以此文說初地不說地前故。應知此是初住地處，說此所依善根行相。別辨中，此集有九種：一行集，善作眷屬。持戒者以慧為主，戒隨助伴故云眷屬，如經「修諸善行故」，謂三聚非一，故云諸善行也。二定集，謂定助智道，名為善作眷屬三昧。如經「善集助道法故」。三親近集，謂親近諸佛，供養恭敬，習聞慧智，如經「供養諸佛故」。四聚集，謂思慧智善能思量積集諸度，故云聚也，如經「集諸清白法故」，謂六度治垢，故云清白也。五護集，謂修慧之行上順善友，故為攝護。出世真證，修能趣入，故名修行實證。行實證故，為彼善友教授攝護，故云善知識所護。六廣集，謂廣於一切眾生以愍至深心作利益故。七信心集，謂決定信樂求大法故。八現集，謂隨所集善多向益生，故云心多向慈悲。於中慈念依苦苦、壞苦者，以慈行麁故；悲依行苦者，明是細故。問：上文云慈與樂、悲拔苦，何故與此不同耶？答：此二有通有別。別如前辨。通論俱有與樂，如三地中慈有廣大無量者與樂，謂廣與欲界樂、大與色界同喜樂、無量與色界不同喜樂，悲喜捨亦爾，故知同與樂也。又如三地，為苦眾生入慈悲，故知同拔苦也。此文亦爾，是故知同也。九求集，謂與眾生求一切智智，故云好求佛智慧。依論經，此句攝在第八信心集中。別有第六淨心集，謂出世真證心無垢染，故云善，清淨心故。又此九中，初五護煩惱行，謂一戒學；二定學；餘三慧學，即聞、思、修三慧；依論有四，加淨心，集出世智故。後四護二乘行，於中初二護二乘心，謂廣護狹心、信護小心；後二護二乘行，謂慈護狹行、求護小行。又此十中，初一總相，謂統括諸行成一厚集故；餘九皆是集中間出，故是別相。九中皆有集義是同相，戒定等別名為異相。成壞同前可知。依此諸集集成之身，乃能發此真證之心，住於初地故。此諸集總在地中，初分所攝故。云如是眾生乃能發阿耨等心，此心即是本分中願善決定，彼文指此也。第二為何義生如是心者，如經「為得一切種智故」，此顯佛無上智具知斷證修究竟滿，故此為總句。佛智業用利益眾生，差別有九，為求彼故生如是心。一力佛智，能作問記業。此是如來處非處智，隨諸眾生問因果等義，悉能記別。此義廣說，如餘修多羅說，故云為得十力故。二無畏了佛智，能作破邪業。以四無畏破外道說，故云為得大無畏故。三平等佛智，能作教授業。謂得二空具足佛法，轉教眾生，令同證入，故云為得具足佛法故。四救佛智，能作救濟業。謂以四攝巧化眾生，故云為救一切世間故。五淨佛智，能作救攝因業。以大慈悲為救眾生因，故云為淨大慈悲心故。六無餘智佛智，能作普觀之業。謂常以佛眼普觀十方世間眾生無不窮盡，故云為向十方無餘無礙智故。七無染佛智，能作嚴土攝生為業。謂莊嚴一切世界，令無障礙、無有雜染，不待功力以土應機，令生信入法，故云為淨一切佛國令無餘故。論中智心無礙者，智無礙顯前無障，心無礙顯前無染。又初慧解脫、後是心解脫故也。八覺佛智，能於一念頓覺三世眾生心數以為業用，故云為於一念中知三世事故。九轉法輪佛智，於諸眾生能令解脫，善巧為業，故云為自在轉乃至佛神力故。生如是心者，即是前發阿耨菩提心也。論云何故唯言生心，不言生智？為一問也。及餘心數法，謂念定等，為二問也。理實此時諸德皆生，何獨心耶。釋云：心是總主，舉此即攝智等心法，故云心中即攝知斷證修，答初問也；亦攝一切助道法故者，答後問也。第三以何因生如是菩提心者，如經「是心以大悲為首故」。前說為何義中顯所求果，今此以何因顯能成因，謂以何因求大菩提？以大悲為首濟眾生故，求此菩提非為自安。何以故？若非如是大菩提法，無以究竟救眾生故，是故諸行大悲為首。此悲大有九種：一增上大。緣微細苦，生增上智，故云智慧增上。論釋智與慧二差別者，然此智慧有通有別，通而言之所知無別，開別有二門：一智知俗諦、慧照真諦，如十度中第六名慧，以照理故；第十名智，以鑑事故。二智能決斷因果逆順染淨差別、慧能照達諸法假實體性有無。此中約後義辨。又觀眾生十二緣起，前能起後皆名為因、後依前起悉名為果。逆順觀之有染有淨。染逆順者，無明緣行，乃至老死，是名順觀。何緣老死？謂由生故，乃至無明，是名逆觀。淨順逆者，無明滅故行滅，乃至老死，是名順觀。何緣老死滅？由生滅故，乃至無明，是名逆觀。是觀名智，決斷義故。觀一切法但名無實，名自相觀；觀一切法真如一味，名同相觀。是觀名慧，照察義故。二攝大。謂前既知苦，今以四攝方便善巧救苦眾生，故云方便所攝。三淳至大。淳謂淳厚，至謂至到，慈悲增上故曰淳至。淳至有二：一直心淳至，謂向時發心許盡眾生界作利益，其心一向無改易故。二深心淳至，謂愍苦情愍徹於後際，故云直心深心淳至故。又直心令證理、深心令集善，故《起信論》云「直心者，正念真如法故。深心者，樂集一切諸善行故。」四無量大。謂攝取如來無量神力，化物生信，故云量同佛力故。五決定大。上妙決定信深智勝對治者，決定信知諸佛深智，堪授眾生令成最勝對治之用，故云善決定眾生力佛力故。謂以佛智力授與眾生益其智力，故云眾生力也。六隨順大。謂隨順菩提令得正覺，故云趣向無礙智隨順自然智故。七正受大。謂能領受諸佛大勝教法轉受眾生，故云能受一切佛法，以智慧教化故。八最妙大。攝受勝妙平等功德，故云廣大如法界故。九住盡大。謂住是無常愛果之因，盡是涅槃常果之因，故云究竟如虛空盡未來際故。第四明是心生時有何等相者，如經「菩薩發如是心即時過凡夫地」者，以此心即是出世間道，此時捨離凡夫性故；又創得聖位，過於地前內凡位故。此是總句。過義有八，下別顯之。一入位過，此時初成出世間心，猶如世人初始住胎，相似法故，云入菩薩位故。此句約位故，《瑜伽．住品》名入菩薩正性離生。梁《攝論》第十云「一入菩薩正定位，以入菩薩初無流地故。二家過，以得佛所證法界之分，故云生在佛家故。」梁論二「生在佛家，如諸菩薩生法王家，具足尊勝故。」解云：前雖住胎，若下賤家不足為過，要在王家受生方顯其勝故。此句約得法為家。《瑜伽．住品》云「生如來家」。三種姓過，以大行成立，堪紹佛種，故云種姓尊貴。無可譏嫌者，梁論云「以過二乘及世間種姓故。」解云：良以二乘亦得生空法界，然彼不能紹佛果位。如雖生王家，然或是王之僕隷等，不足為貴故。今要得王之體分，繼於王位，故子相似也。四道過，以非有流故，世道不攝；是無流故，出世道攝，故云過一切乃至出世間道故。以雖得大乘，在世間無足為勝。如雖是王種，若是鬼神之王不足為貴，要是人天之王方顯道過，故云異道生相似法故。梁論云「四已轉一切世間行，決定不作殺生等邪行故。」五法體過，謂菩薩正以大悲為體，於作他事即是己事，以為自身體性相似法，故云住菩薩法中故。《瑜伽》云「設有問言：菩薩以何為體？當云何答？應正答言：大悲為體。」此之謂也。前雖道勝，若己身殘闕未足為勝，故舉大悲顯成自體。六住處過，以不捨世間，是不住涅槃；方便不染，是不住世間。巧離二邊，住無住處，故云在諸菩薩數。論經名住在菩薩正處故也。如王子諸根備具，若住處下劣亦不足為勝。菩薩雖有大悲，若著二邊亦未為勝。七生業過，以順空聖智等入三世真如法中，顯無終極無際限相，生命相似，故云等入三世如也。論經名三世真如法中。是故此中如字，兩處用之，應知。如彼王子雖依正俱勝，若壽命短促不足為勝。八畢定過，佛種不斷顯因畢定、究竟涅槃顯果畢定。成就相似者，如王子雖依正命勝，若志氣不立所作不成，不堪紹繼，故云如來種中畢定究竟阿耨多羅三藐三菩提故。住如是法等者，牒以總結。謂前四義中，初明內所依身、二辨外所求果、三顯求果所因，此三明發心由致；四正顯所發心相，此即是初住地相，故云住如是法名住菩薩歡喜地，以不動法故。不動法者，釋成住義，謂一證真理不復失故、二乘異道所不動故。已說住義竟。

Regarding the first division, the treatise master divides it into four: first, upon what body it relies, which means that the deep accumulation of roots of goodness constitutes the body on which it relies; second, for what purpose, which means to seek the fruit of Buddhahood; third, by what cause, which means taking great compassion as the cause; fourth, what characteristic marks it possesses, which means surpassing the ordinary and attaining the noble as its characteristic mark. Each of these four has ten separate approaches of differentiation, which are termed "the bodhisattva's initial abiding in the first bhūmi." Furthermore, these four meanings correspond to the four marks of a bodhisattva generating the mind within the Abode of Utmost Joy in chapter forty-eight, "The Chapter on Abodes," of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra; the text is identical while the wording is slightly different, which can be understood by harmonising the ideas. That text says: "First, what mark has the bodhisattva's generating of the mind? Second, what is cognitive object of the mind generation? Third, what form and what mark does the mind generation have? Fourth, what supreme benefit does the mind generation possess?" That treatise relies on this sūtra text to provide that brief explanation, but it is not complete. In the first, "upon what body it relies," there are three parts: first, concluding the preceding to address in general; second, directly revealing the marks of practice; third, from "such sentient beings" downward, concluding the practice and entering the station. In directly revealing the practice, the first sentence is general, meaning that having accumulated superior goodness over one asaṃkhyeya is called a "deep accumulation." "If there are sentient beings" refers to those sentient beings who have newly entered the bhūmi, not those prior to the bhūmis. If someone determines that these ten sentences belong to the generation of the mind prior to the bhūmis that only then enters the first bhūmi, this does not accord with the text—how could what is prior to the bhūmis be subsumed under the first bhūmi? Because this text speaks of the first bhūmi and does not speak of what is prior to the bhūmis. One should know that this is the point of initial abiding in the bhūmi, speaking of the marks of practice of the roots of goodness on which it relies. In distinguishing separately, there are nine kinds of this accumulation: First is the accumulation of practice, properly making retinue. In observing the precepts, wisdom is taken as principal, and the precepts follow as an accompanying companion, hence called "retinue"; as the sūtra says: "because of cultivating various good practices," which means the three aggregates [of precepts] are not single, hence called "various good practices." Second is the accumulation of samādhi, meaning that samādhi assists the path of wisdom, termed the samādhi that properly makes retinue; as the sūtra says: "because of properly gathering the factors assisting the path." Third is the accumulation of drawing near, meaning drawing near to the Buddhas, making offerings and paying reverence, practicing the wisdom of hearing; as the sūtra says: "because of making offerings to the Buddhas." Fourth is the accumulation of gathering, meaning the wisdom of contemplation is well able to deliberate upon and accumulate the various pāramitās, hence called "gathering"; as the sūtra says: "because of gathering various pure and white dharmas," meaning the six pāramitās remedy defilements, hence called "pure and white." Fifth is the accumulation of protection, meaning the practice of cultivating wisdom above accords with good friends, hence it is embraced and protected. As for supramundane true realization, cultivation can lead into it, hence it is termed cultivating actual realization; because of actualizing realization through practice, one is instructed, embraced, and protected by those good friends, hence it is said: "protected by good spiritual friends." Sixth is the vast accumulation, meaning acting for the benefit of all sentient beings with a profoundly deep mind of empathy. Seventh is the accumulation of faithful mind, meaning decisively having faith in and delighting in seeking the Great Dharma. Eighth is the manifest accumulation, meaning that in accordance with the good accumulated, it mostly turns toward benefiting beings, hence it is said: "the mind mostly turns toward loving-kindness and compassion." Therein, contemplating loving-kindness relies on the suffering of suffering and the suffering of change, because the practice of loving-kindness is coarse; compassion relies on the suffering of conditioned existence, explaining that it is subtle. Question: The previous text stated that loving-kindness bestows joy and compassion eradicates suffering; why is it different here? Answer: These two have both general and specific aspects. Specifically, it is as distinguished before. In general discussion, both bestow joy: as in the third bhūmi, loving-kindness has the vast, great, and measureless which bestow joy—"vast" bestows the joy of the desire realm, "great" bestows the joy shared with the joy of the form realm, and "measureless" bestows the joy not shared with the joy of the form realm; compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity are also like this, hence one knows that they equally bestow joy. Furthermore, just as in the third bhūmi one enters loving-kindness and compassion for the sake of suffering sentient beings, one knows that they equally eradicate suffering. This text is also like that; therefore one knows they are identical. Ninth is the accumulation of seeking, meaning seeking the wisdom of all-knowledge for the sake of sentient beings, hence called "fond of seeking the Buddha's wisdom." According to the treatise sūtra, this sentence is subsumed under the eighth, the accumulation of faithful mind. Separately there is a sixth, the accumulation of pure mind, meaning supramundane true realization where the mind has no defilement or stain, hence called "good, because of a pure mind." Furthermore, among these nine, the first five protect against defiled practices, meaning: first, the training in morality; second, the training in concentration; the remaining three are the training in wisdom, namely the three wisdoms of hearing, contemplating, and cultivating; according to the treatise there are four, adding the pure mind, because of accumulating supramundane wisdom. The latter four protect against the practices of the two vehicles: therein, the first two protect against the minds of the two vehicles, meaning the vast protects against the narrow mind, and faith protects against the small mind; the latter two protect against the practices of the two vehicles, meaning loving-kindness protects against narrow practice, and seeking protects against small practice. Furthermore, among these ten, the first one is the general mark, meaning integrating all practices to form a single deep accumulation; the remaining nine all emerge from within the accumulation, and are therefore specific marks. That all nine contain the meaning of accumulation is the identical mark; the distinctions of morality, concentration, etc., are called the diverse marks. The forming and disintegrating are known to be the same as before. It is the body integrated and formed by relying on these various accumulations that is then able to generate this mind of true realization and abide in the first bhūmi. Because these various accumulations are all within the bhūmi, they are subsumed under the first division. Hence it says: such sentient beings are then able to generate the anuttara[-samyak-saṃbodhi] mind; this mind is precisely the vows being well determined in the fundamental division, to which that text points. Second, "for what purpose does one generate such a mind?": as the sūtra says, "because of attaining omniscience." This reveals that the Buddha's unsurpassed wisdom completely possesses the ultimate fulfillment of knowing, abandoning, realizing, and cultivating; hence this is the general sentence. The Buddha's wisdom's karmic functions for benefiting sentient beings have nine differentiations; for the sake of seeking those, one generates such a mind. First is the Buddha's wisdom of power, able to perform the karmic action of answering and determining. This is the Tathāgata's knowledge of the possible and impossible: in accordance with sentient beings' questions on the meanings of cause, fruit, and so forth, he can prophesy and distinguish all of them. This meaning is spoken of extensively, as stated in other sūtras; hence it says: "because of attaining the ten powers." Second is the Buddha's fearlessly discerning wisdom, able to perform the karmic action of refuting the heterodox. Using the four fearlessnesses to refute the doctrines of non-Buddhists, hence it says: "because of attaining the great fearlessnesses." Third is the Buddha's equal wisdom, able to perform the karmic action of giving instruction. This means attaining the fully endowed Buddha-dharmas of the two kinds of emptiness, turning to teach sentient beings so that they equally realize and enter; hence it says: "because of attaining the fully endowed Buddha-dharmas." Fourth is the Buddha's rescuing wisdom, able to perform the karmic action of salvation. This means skillfully converting sentient beings through the four means of embracing; hence it says: "because of rescuing all worlds." Fifth is the Buddha's pure wisdom, able to perform the karmic action that is the cause for rescuing and embracing. Taking great loving-kindness and compassion as the cause for rescuing sentient beings; hence it says: "because of purifying the mind of great loving-kindness and compassion." Sixth is the Buddha's wisdom of exhaustive knowledge, able to perform the karmic action of universal contemplation. This means constantly using the Buddha eye to universally contemplate sentient beings in the worlds of the ten directions without exhaustion; hence it says: "because of tending toward the non-residual, unhindered wisdom of the ten directions." Seventh is the Buddha's unstained wisdom, whose karmic action is to adorn pure lands and embrace sentient beings. This means adorning all worlds, making them free of hindrances and free of defilements, responding to capacities with pure lands without waiting for deliberate effort, leading them to generate faith and enter the Dharma; hence it says: "because of purifying all Buddha-lands without remainder." In the treatise, "unhindered wisdom and mind": unhindered wisdom reveals the former freedom from hindrance; unhindered mind reveals the former freedom from defilement. Furthermore, the first is liberation by wisdom, and the latter is liberation of mind. Eighth is the Buddha's awakening wisdom, whose karmic function is being able in a single thought-moment to awaken at once to the mental factors of sentient beings across the three times; hence it says: "because of knowing the matters of the three times in a single thought-moment." Ninth is the Buddha's wisdom of turning the dharmacakra, whose karmic action is skillfully enabling all sentient beings to be liberated; hence it says: "because of freely turning... up to the Buddha's supernatural power." "Generating such a mind" is precisely generating the anuttara-bodhicitta mentioned earlier. The treatise asks: Why does it only speak of generating the mind, and not of generating wisdom?—this is the first question. And the remaining mental factors, meaning mindfulness, samādhi, and so forth—this is the second question. In truth, at this time all virtues are generated; why only the mind? It explains: The mind is the general sovereign; mentioning this subsumes wisdom and other mental factors, hence it says that within the mind, knowing, abandoning, realizing, and cultivating are precisely subsumed, answering the first question; "because it also subsumes all factors assisting the path" answers the latter question. Third, "by what cause does one generate such a bodhicitta?": as the sūtra says, "because this mind takes great compassion as primary." Previously, in explaining for what purpose, the sought fruit was revealed; now, in this "by what cause," the productive cause is revealed, meaning: by what cause does one seek great bodhi? Taking great compassion as primary to rescue sentient beings, one seeks this bodhi not for one's own peace. Why is that? If not for such a great bodhi-dharma, there would be no means to ultimately rescue sentient beings; therefore, among all practices, great compassion is primary. This greatness of compassion has nine kinds: First, the greatness of predominance. Observing subtle suffering generates predominant wisdom; hence it says: "wisdom is predominant." The treatise explains the differentiation between the two, jñāna (knowledge) and prajñā (wisdom): however, these two, knowledge and wisdom, have general and specific aspects. Speaking generally, the known has no distinction; opening them into distinct categories there are two approaches: 1. Knowledge knows conventional truth, and wisdom illuminates ultimate truth; as in the ten pāramitās the sixth is called wisdom, because it illuminates the principle; the tenth is called knowledge, because it inspects phenomena. 2. Knowledge can decisively judge the differentiations of causes and effects, direct and reverse, defiled and pure; wisdom can illuminate and comprehend the provisional and real, essential nature, existence and non-existence of all dharmas. Here it is distinguished according to the latter meaning. Furthermore, in contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination of sentient beings, the preceding being able to give rise to the subsequent are all called causes; the subsequent arising relying on the preceding are all called effects. Contemplating them directly and in reverse, there are defiled and pure. For the defiled direct and reverse: ignorance conditions volitional formations, up to old age and death—this is called direct contemplation. Conditioned by what is there old age and death? Namely due to birth, up to ignorance—this is called reverse contemplation. For the pure direct and reverse: because ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease, up to old age and death—this is called direct contemplation. Conditioned by what do old age and death cease? Due to birth ceasing, up to ignorance—this is called reverse contemplation. This contemplation is called knowledge, because of the meaning of decisive determination. Contemplating all dharmas as merely nominal and devoid of reality is called contemplating individual characteristics; contemplating all dharmas as identical in the single flavor of suchness is called contemplating common characteristics. This contemplation is called wisdom, because of the meaning of illuminating examination. Second, the greatness of embracing. This means that having previously known suffering, now through the upāya and skill of the four means of embracing, one rescues suffering sentient beings; hence it is said: "embraced by upāya." Third, the greatness of purity and culmination. "Purity" means pure and substantial; "culmination" means arriving at the utmost; because loving-kindness and compassion are predominant, it is called pure and culminating. Purity and culmination have two aspects: 1. Purity and culmination of the straightforward mind, meaning that having previously generated the mind and vowed to benefit the realm of sentient beings to the end, its mind is single-mindedly without change. 2. Purity and culmination of the profound mind, meaning that the sentiment of empathizing with suffering penetrates through to the future limit; hence it says: "because of the purity and culmination of the straightforward mind and the profound mind." Furthermore, the straightforward mind causes the realization of principle, and the profound mind causes the accumulation of goodness; hence the Awakening of Faith says: "The straightforward mind means properly recollecting the dharma of suchness. The profound mind means delighting in accumulating all good practices." Fourth, the greatness of the immeasurable. This means embracing the Tathāgata's immeasurable supernatural power to convert beings and generate faith; hence it says: "because its measure is equal to the Buddha's power." Fifth, the greatness of determination. As for the superior and marvelous decisive faith in deep wisdom being the supreme antidote: having decisive faith and knowledge of the Buddhas' deep wisdom, it can be bestowed upon sentient beings to make them accomplish the functioning of the most supreme antidote; hence it says: "because of being well determined in the power of sentient beings and the power of the Buddha." That is, by bestowing the power of the Buddha's wisdom upon sentient beings to augment their intellectual power, it is called "the power of sentient beings." Sixth, the greatness of conformity. This means conforming to bodhi so that one attains right awakening; hence it says: "because of tending toward unhindered wisdom and conforming to spontaneous wisdom." Seventh, the greatness of correct reception. This means being able to receive the great, supreme teachings of the Buddhas and transmit them to sentient beings; hence it says: "because of being able to receive all Buddha-dharmas, teaching and transforming with wisdom." Eighth, the greatness of the most marvelous. Embracing superior, marvelous, and equal merit; hence it says: "because of being as vast as the dharmadhātu." Ninth, the greatness of abiding and exhaustion. Abiding is the cause of the impermanent, loved fruit; exhaustion is the cause of the permanent fruit of nirvāṇa; hence it says: "because of being ultimate like empty space and exhausting the limits of the future." Fourth, clarifying what marks this mind has when generated: as the sūtra says, "when the bodhisattva generates such a mind, he immediately surpasses the stage of ordinary beings." This is because this mind is precisely the supramundane path, and at this time one abandons the nature of an ordinary being; furthermore, one newly attains the noble station, surpassing the station of internal ordinary beings prior to the bhūmis. This is the general sentence. The meaning of surpassing has eight aspects, distinguished below. First, surpassing by entering the station: at this time one first accomplishes the supramundane mind, like a worldly person first abiding in the womb—by similarity of phenomenon, it says: "because of entering the bodhisattva's station." This sentence concerns the station; hence "The Chapter on Abodes" in the Yogācārabhūmi calls it "entering the bodhisattva's right nature and detachment from rebirth." The tenth fascicle of the Liang Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "1. Entering the bodhisattva's correct determination, because of entering the bodhisattva's initial uncontaminated bhūmi. 2. Surpassing by family: because of attaining a share of the dharmadhātu realized by the Buddha, it says: 'because of being born into the Buddha's family.'" The Liang treatise's second [part says]: "'Born into the Buddha's family' is like the bodhisattvas being born into the Dharma King's family, fully endowed with nobility and supremacy." The explanation says: Previously, although abiding in the womb, if it were in a lowly family it would not suffice as surpassing; only when taking birth in a royal family is its supremacy revealed. This sentence concerns attaining the Dharma as the family. "The Chapter on Abodes" in the Yogācārabhūmi calls it "born into the Tathāgata's family." Third, surpassing by lineage: because great practice is established, one is capable of inheriting the Buddha lineage; hence it says: "the lineage is noble and honorable. Free from blame or contempt"—the Liang treatise says: "Because of surpassing the two vehicles and worldly lineages." The explanation says: Truly, because the two vehicles also attain the dharmadhātu of the emptiness of persons, yet they cannot inherit the fruit-station of Buddhahood. Just as one may be born in a royal house, yet may be a servant of the king and so forth, which does not suffice to be noble. Now one must obtain a portion of the king's essence and succeed to the royal throne, hence it is similar to being a prince. Fourth, surpassing by path: because it is not contaminated, it is not subsumed by worldly paths; because it is uncontaminated, it is subsumed by the supramundane path; hence it says: "because of surpassing all... up to the supramundane path." For although one has attained the Mahāyāna, being in the world does not suffice as supreme. Just as although one is of royal lineage, if one is a king of ghosts and spirits it does not suffice to be noble; only if one is a king of humans or devas is the surpassing of the path revealed; hence it says: "a phenomenon similar to being born in a different path." The Liang treatise says: "4. Having already turned away from all worldly practices, decisively not engaging in wrong practices such as taking life." Fifth, surpassing by dharma-essence: that is, the bodhisattva takes great compassion as the actual essence; performing others' tasks is just one's own task, as a phenomenon similar to taking this as the essence of one's own body; hence it says: "because of abiding in the bodhisattva's dharmas." The Yogācārabhūmi says: "If there is a question: 'What does a bodhisattva take as essence? How should one answer?' One should correctly answer: 'Takes great compassion as essence.'" This is what is meant. Previously, although the path was supreme, if one's own body were crippled or deficient it would not suffice as supreme; therefore great compassion is cited to show the completion of one's own essence. Sixth, surpassing by dwelling place: because of not abandoning the world, one does not abide in nirvāṇa; because of being unstained through upāya, one does not abide in the world. Skillfully departing from the two extremes, one abides in non-abiding; hence it says: "counted among the bodhisattvas." The treatise sūtra calls it "because of abiding in the correct dwelling place of bodhisattvas." Just as when a prince has all faculties complete, if his dwelling place is lowly, it also does not suffice as supreme. Although a bodhisattva has great compassion, if he clings to the two extremes, it is not yet supreme. Seventh, surpassing by life-activity: because noble wisdom conforming to emptiness equally enters into the dharma of suchness across the three times, revealing the mark of having no end and no boundary, which is similar to life span; hence it says: "equally entering into the suchness of the three times." The treatise sūtra calls it "within the dharma of the suchness of the three times." Therefore, one should know that the character 'ru' (suchness/like) here is used in two places. Just as that prince, although both his relying and proper [retinues and forms] are supreme, if his life span is short, it does not suffice as supreme. Eighth, surpassing by definitiveness: the Buddha lineage being uninterrupted reveals that the cause is definitive; ultimate nirvāṇa reveals that the fruit is definitive. Being similar to accomplishment: just as a prince, although his relying and proper forms and life are supreme, if his resolve is not established and what he does is not completed, he is incapable of succeeding to the throne; hence it says: "because of being definitive and ultimate in anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi within the Tathāgata lineage." "Abiding in such dharmas," etc., reiterates in order to conclude in general. That is to say, among the preceding four meanings, the first clarifies the internal body on which one relies, the second distinguishes the external fruit that is sought, and the third reveals the cause for seeking the fruit—these three clarify the reasons for generating the mind; the fourth directly reveals the marks of the mind generated. This is precisely the mark of initially abiding in the bhūmi; hence it says: "abiding in such dharmas is called abiding in the bodhisattva's Bhūmi of Joy, because of unmoving dharmas." "Unmoving dharmas" explains and completes the meaning of "abiding": namely, first, realizing the true principle and never losing it again; second, not being moved by the different paths of the two vehicles. The meaning of abiding has now been explained.