華嚴經探玄記 15.31

15.31

第七如響忍中作四門：初喻相者，無性釋云「又如谷響，實無有聲，而令聽者似聞多種言說境界，種種言說語業亦爾。」梁論云「譬如實無響塵，而顯現可聞。言說事亦爾，實無所有而顯現可聞。」此經意有三義：一知一切法如響、二知佛聲如響、三能以如響言音而為說法。二開義者，響亦有五義：一空谷、二有聲、三聲擊空谷便有響應、四此響非有而有、五愚小謂有。三有無等諸句，竝准前知之。四釋文中有四：初知一切法如響，謂出生等顯能知德，知一切等明所知。二「分別」下總知音聲如響。三別知佛聲如響。不從內等者，佛如空谷，離聲不成，故非內出；機感如聲，離谷不成，故非外出。兩俱相依，故非內外。離聲無聞故非內、離根無聞故非外，非二故俱非。由此無性緣起如響，是故恒有而非有。非有而說法，故云亦不壞法施也。四「深入」下明能以自如響之聲而說法，亦是忍行成就起用自在。於中有十句：初稱法善學、二「如帝釋」下喻況圓音、三「菩薩」下明稱性起用、四「於無量」下顯業用分齊、五「受持」下勝進仰學、六「出生」下明妙音廣大、七「普令眾生」下顯業用成益、八「而音」下顯用則甚深、九「知音聲」下辨定聲語、十「亦不染」下明能知自在。

In the seventh, the endurance of [knowing dharmas as] like an echo, there are four gates: First, regarding the characteristic of the simile: Asvabhāva's commentary explains: "Furthermore, like an echo in a valley, there is truly no sound, yet it causes the listener to seem to hear manifold realms of speech; the various acts of speech and verbal karma are also like this." The Liang Translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "For instance, though there is truly no sensory object of an echo, it manifests and can be heard. Matters of speech are also like this; though truly nonexistent, they manifest and can be heard." The meaning of this sūtra has three aspects: 1. knowing all dharmas to be like an echo; 2. knowing the Buddha's voice to be like an echo; 3. being able to expound the Dharma with words and sounds that are like an echo. Second, unfolding the meanings: An echo also has five meanings: 1. an empty valley; 2. the presence of a sound; 3. the sound striking the empty valley, whereupon an echo responds; 4. this echo, not being existent, yet being present; 5. the foolish and small regarding it as existent. Third, the various propositions of existence, nonexistence, and so on, may all be known by analogy with the preceding. Fourth, in explaining the text, there are four [parts]: First, knowing all dharmas to be like an echo: that is, "giving birth to," etc., reveals the virtue of the knowing subject; "knowing all," etc., clarifies what is known. Second, from "distinguishing" on, generally knowing sounds to be like an echo. Third, specifically knowing the Buddha's voice to be like an echo. As for "not coming from within," etc.: The Buddha is like an empty valley; apart from sound, [the echo] does not occur, hence it does not come from within. The capacity [of beings] to evoke [teaching] is like the sound; apart from the valley, [the echo] does not occur, hence it does not come from without. Because both rely on each other, it is neither internal nor external. Apart from sound there is no hearing, hence it is not internal; apart from the sense organ there is no hearing, hence it is not external; not being either of the two, it is neither. Because of this, natureless dependent origination is like an echo; therefore it is constantly present yet nonexistent. Being nonexistent and yet expounding the Dharma, it is therefore said: "and also does not destroy the giving of the Dharma." Fourth, from "deeply entering" on clarifies being able to expound the Dharma with one's own voice that is like an echo; this is also the perfection of the practice of endurance giving rise to unimpeded functioning. In this there are ten phrases: 1. fittingly and skillfully learning according to the Dharma; 2. from "like Śakra" on, an analogy illustrating the round sound; 3. from "the bodhisattva" on, clarifies giving rise to functioning in accord with the nature; 4. from "in immeasurable" on, reveals the measure of karmic function; 5. from "receiving and upholding" on, superior advancement and aspiring study; 6. from "giving birth to" on, clarifies the vastness of the wondrous voice; 7. from "universally causing sentient beings" on, reveals the karmic function achieving benefit; 8. from "yet the voice" on, reveals the function to be profoundly deep; 9. from "knowing sounds" on, determines sounds and words; 10. from "also not defiled" on, clarifies that the knowing subject is unimpeded.