華嚴經探玄記 18.27

18.27

四定會名義者，問：此等諸會並無佛說，何得為經？答：此等並是傳法菩薩結集當時求法說法諸菩薩事，同上本會所現祇洹自在等法，令彼大眾覩已入法。雖無佛語，豈亦非經？問：前本會中佛雖無說，諸所現事並在佛會之中。今此乃在遠方異處說，非佛說、復不對佛，豈得為例？答：雖在遠處而不離本會，是故常在佛前。如上文中祇洹林內，一一境界尚攝十方一切佛剎，況此諸處而不攝耶？是故此五十五會不出本故名為一會，謂〈入法界品〉也。問：既此諸處並在祇洹，下文善財應見普賢及佛大眾在此重閣，何故乃見在金剛道場？答：以覺樹金剛為八會本故，是故不動覺樹遍諸會處。尋末見本，還在此故。又此會初普賢及佛在祇洹中，更無移動，見之覺樹；即此祇洹亦在樹下，思之可見。

Fourth, determining the names and meanings of the assemblies: Question: None of these assemblies are spoken by the Buddha; how can they be considered a sūtra? Answer: These were all compiled by the Dharma-transmitting bodhisattvas from the affairs of various bodhisattvas seeking and preaching the Dharma at that time, identical to the phenomena of mastery in the Jetavana, etc., manifested in the fundamental assembly above, causing that great assembly to see them and enter the Dharma. Even though there are no Buddha words, how could this not be a sūtra? Question: In the fundamental assembly earlier, although the Buddha did not speak, the various manifested events all took place within the Buddha's assembly. Now, these are spoken in distant and different places, not spoken by the Buddha, nor in the presence of the Buddha; how can they serve as a precedent? Answer: Although in distant places, they do not depart from the fundamental assembly, and therefore are always before the Buddha. Just as in the text above, within the Jetavana grove, every single sphere of experience still subsumes all Buddha-kṣetras of the ten directions; how much more would these various places not be subsumed? Therefore, because these fifty-five assemblies do not go beyond the fundamental, they are called one assembly, namely the 'Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu'. Question: Since these various places are all within the Jetavana, in the text below Sudhana ought to see Samantabhadra and the Buddha's great assembly here in the multistoried pavilion; why does he instead see them at the vajra-bodhimaṇḍa? Answer: Because the vajra-[seat under the] bodhi tree is the root of the eight assemblies, without moving from the bodhi tree it pervades the locations of all assemblies. Tracing the branches back to see the root, it returns to being here. Furthermore, at the beginning of this assembly, Samantabhadra and the Buddha were within the Jetavana, having never moved, yet were seen at the bodhi tree; thus this Jetavana is also beneath the tree. This can be understood upon reflection.