華嚴經探玄記 11.8

11.8

第五約所求行位分別者，有二：一通、二別。通而言之，或俱是行，以並依願所修行故；或並是位，以創發在地前、終成在地上，如前梁論故。別分中，初七是行，已如前辨。後三約位顯，論說後三初名得地校量勝故，此從初地乃至第九地轉勝故；二得菩薩地盡校量勝故，此在第十地，菩薩位窮故云地盡；三得一切地盡究竟故，此在佛地，佛果究竟一切地盡。

Fifth, regarding the distinction in terms of the practices and stages sought, there are two aspects: the general and the particular. Speaking generally: either all are practices, because they are practices cultivated in reliance on the vows; or all are stages, because their initial generation is prior to the bhūmis and their ultimate accomplishment is above the bhūmis, as in the aforementioned Liang treatise. In the particular distinction, the first seven are practices, as already explained above. The latter three are elucidated in terms of stages. The treatise explains that of the latter three, the first is called 'the superiority assessed by attaining the bhūmis', because this becomes increasingly superior from the first bhūmi up to the ninth bhūmi; the second is 'the superiority assessed by exhausting the bodhisattva bhūmis', which is at the tenth bhūmi, where the stages of a bodhisattva are consummated, hence called 'exhausting the bhūmis'; the third is 'the ultimate [attainment] by exhausting all bhūmis', which is at the Buddha bhūmi, where the fruit of Buddhahood is ultimate and all bhūmis are exhausted.