華嚴經探玄記 18.101

18.101

第三見敬請中三：初見苦行相、二禮、三問。初中四面火聚者，正法師云：四無礙智能燒惑薪。刀山者，真無分別，出妄解也。從彼山上自投火聚者，加行相應，意言分別，緣真望證，真顯妄滅故也。又解：火聚者，是根本般若，故《智論》云「般若波羅蜜猶如大火聚，四邊不可觸，遠離於四句。」解云：此智火有四義，一燒煩惱薪、二破無明闇、三成熟善根、四照現證理。刀山者，加行智，趣證疾利故。高峻者，非即正證故。投下者，從彼入此故。又刀是斷德，障無不割故。火是智德，理無不照故。投下者，障盡證理故。此火聚刀山即法門，更無表示。若爾，何故有刀火相？解云：即以此相即是法門甚難解者，是此文意。設敬申請可知。

Third, seeing, paying respects, and inquiring contains three: first, seeing the marks of ascetic practice; second, paying prostrations; third, inquiring. In the first, as for the mass of fire on four sides, Master Zheng says: the four unobstructed knowledges can burn the firewood of delusions. As for the mountain of knives: true non-discrimination emerges from erroneous understanding. Casting oneself from that mountain into the mass of fire: with application of effort corresponding, conceptual discrimination based on reality aspires to realization, because reality becomes manifest and error is extinguished. Another interpretation: the mass of fire is fundamental prajñā, hence the *Dà zhìdù lùn* says, "The perfection of wisdom is like a great mass of fire: its four sides cannot be touched, and it is far removed from the four propositions." The interpretation says: this fire of wisdom has four meanings: first, burning the firewood of afflictions; second, destroying the darkness of ignorance; third, maturing good roots; fourth, illuminating and manifesting the realized reality. The mountain of knives is the wisdom of application of effort, because it proceeds toward realization swiftly and sharply. Being high and steep is because it is not yet direct realization. Throwing oneself down is entering this from that. Furthermore, the knife is the virtue of severance, because there is no hindrance it does not cut; fire is the virtue of wisdom, because there is no reality it does not illuminate. Throwing oneself down is realizing reality when hindrances are exhausted. This mass of fire and mountain of knives are themselves the teaching, with no other symbolic representation. If so, why is there the appearance of knives and fire? The interpretation says: that this very appearance is itself the teaching is extremely difficult to understand; this is the meaning of this text. Offering respects and making the request can be understood.