華嚴經探玄記 17.4

17.4

初釋名，有三：一者分名，謂此明第三名託法進修分，即依託行法修成正行，故立斯名。二會名者，約處名普光重會。今何故於此而重會者？以前普光是生解之初，今明依解起行，故重會之。若爾，何不三四等處亦重會邪？釋：前是生解之法，可寄多處；今但依前法成行，故不多會。三品名者，有四：一下文有十義，至彼當辨。二別翻一本，名度世經。三更有一本，名普賢菩薩答難二千經。四此品名離世間，亦有四義：一約妄執為世間，即空為離故。上文云「一切諸世間，皆從妄想生。是諸妄想法，其性未曾有。」二約緣起為世間，無自性故名為離也。上文云「三世五陰法，說名為世間。斯由虛妄有，無則出世間。」三約行，謂常在世而非世攝，故云離也。四約位，人天是世，二乘為離；二乘為世，菩薩為離；菩薩分段變易俱為世間，佛果究竟方以為離。今此所辨，六位行故，因果二位俱即世而非世，故云離也。品內明此，故以為名。

First, explaining the title has three parts: 1. The name of the division: this clarifies the third [division], named 'Division of Relying on the Dharma to Advance in Cultivation'—that is, relying upon the methods of practice to cultivate and accomplish correct practice; hence this name is established. 2. As for the name of the assembly: in terms of place, it is called the 'Re-assembly at Universal Light'. Now, why re-assemble here? Because the earlier [assembly at] Universal Light was the beginning of generating understanding; now, clarifying the initiation of practice based on understanding, [the Buddha] re-assembles here. If so, why not also re-assemble at the third or fourth places? Explanation: The former was the Dharma for generating understanding, which could be lodged in multiple places; now, one merely accomplishes practice based on the former Dharma, hence there are not multiple assemblies. 3. As for the chapter title, there are four points: First, the text below has ten meanings, which will be discerned when reaching that point. Second, an alternate translation of another edition is named 'Sūtra on Crossing Over the World'. Third, yet another edition is named 'Sūtra of the Two Thousand Answers to Difficulties by Samantabhadra Bodhisattva'. Fourth, this chapter is named 'Transcending the World', which also has four meanings: (1) In terms of deluded grasping being the world, emptiness itself is transcendence. As the text above says: 'All worlds are born from false conceptualization; these falsely conceptualized dharmas, their nature has never existed.' (2) In terms of dependent origination being the world, being devoid of self-nature is called transcendence. As the text above says: 'The dharmas of the five skandhas across the three times are called the world; these exist due to falsity, and their nonexistence is transcending the world.' (3) In terms of practice: always being in the world yet not subsumed by the world, hence called transcendence. (4) In terms of stages: humans and devas are the world, while the two vehicles are transcendence; the two vehicles are the world, while bodhisattvas are transcendence; the bodhisattva's portioned [saṃsāra] and transformational [saṃsāra] are both the world, while the Buddha-fruit's ultimate state is transcendence. What is discerned here is the practice of the six stages; therefore, the two stages of cause and fruit are both immediately the world and yet not the world, hence called transcendence. Within the chapter this is clarified, so it is taken as the title.