華嚴經探玄記 18.31

18.31

八法界人類，有二：先辨類別、後顯義相。前中，雖總通論有五十七人，收攝流類但有二十：一菩薩、二比丘、三尼、四優婆塞、五優婆夷、六童男、七童女、八天子、九天女、十外道、十一婆羅門、十二長者、十三博士、十四醫人、十五船師、十六國王、十七仙人、十八佛母、十九佛妃、二十神。二顯義相中，有四句：一約果攝化，總是佛智攝生之用，海印三昧之所顯現。二約因成行，總是菩薩成行攝生，但隨願力現形差別以應群機。三約義顯德，總是緣起法界之中人法門攝。四約相辨異，即是菩薩。五生所收，一息苦生、二隨類生、三勝生、四增上生、五最後生。於中菩薩有六，三處現身：一初文殊，為佛母故、本有緣故、初位劣故，唯一人也；二中間漸進現於二人，謂觀音、正趣也；後位成滿顯德勝故，具有三人，謂彌勒、文殊及普賢。餘人寄顯位別，至文當辨。

Eighth, regarding the human categories of the dharmadhātu, there are two parts: first distinguishing the classifications, and second revealing the doctrinal aspects. Under the former, although in general discussion there are fifty-seven people, when categorized into classes there are only twenty: 1. bodhisattvas, 2. monks (bhikṣus), 3. nuns (bhikṣuṇīs), 4. laymen (upāsakas), 5. laywomen (upāsikās), 6. young boys, 7. young girls, 8. gods (devas), 9. goddesses (devīs), 10. non-Buddhists, 11. brahmins, 12. householders (śreṣṭhins), 13. scholars, 14. physicians, 15. shipmasters, 16. kings, 17. ṛṣis, 18. the Buddha's mother, 19. the Buddha's consort, and 20. spirits. Under the second, revealing the doctrinal aspects, there are four propositions: 1. In terms of the fruit gathering and transforming [beings], these are entirely the function of the Buddha's wisdom gathering sentient beings, manifested by the sāgara-mudrā-samādhi. 2. In terms of the cause perfecting practice, these are entirely the bodhisattva perfecting practice and gathering sentient beings, simply manifesting different forms according to the power of vows to respond to various capacities. 3. In terms of meaning revealing virtues, they are entirely subsumed within the person-dharma gate of the conditioned-arising dharmadhātu. 4. In terms of characteristics distinguishing differences, these are bodhisattvas subsumed under the five births: 1) birth that ceases suffering, 2) birth according to species, 3) superior birth, 4) augmented birth, and 5) final birth. Among them, there are six bodhisattvas who manifest their bodies in three places: first, Mañjuśrī at the beginning, because he is the mother of buddhas, because of original affinity, and because the initial stage is inferior, is only a single person; second, in the middle, two persons are manifested as one gradually advances, namely Avalokiteśvara and Ananyagāmin; and because the subsequent stages are perfected and reveal superior virtues, there are three persons, namely Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra. The remaining persons are lodged to reveal differences of stages, which will be analyzed when reaching the text.