華嚴經探玄記 18.49

18.49

問：此善財是何位菩薩？答：經無正斷，位相難明。或有判為地上菩薩，設後發心則是四種發心中後二位也，又是論中三發心內證發心也。或有說是實報凡夫，但有信心能求善友。今更准釋：應善趣信中行人。依圓教宗有其三位：一見聞位，則是善財次前生身，見聞如此普賢法故，成彼解脫分善根故，如歎德中辨者是。二是解行位，頓修如此五位行法，如善財此生所成至普賢位者是。三證入位，即因位窮終潛同果海，善財來生是也。若爾，善財定是何位？謂是何位？以在信是信位，在住是住位。一身歷五位，隨在則彼位遍一切，故如普賢位。餘義准宗思釋。第三「文殊如象迴」下明正說所授之法中二：先明攝機許說。身首俱迴如象王，現身攝受相。觀察自視，明意攝受相。告而許說，明語攝受相。二「則為」下正宣所說，說佛果法，令成信故、令彼發心求此果故。八句之中，初一總、後七別。別中，初三妙用攝生德，一明為機出世、二放光集眾法、三正說所說法；後四明體相圓備德，於中前二後二，各先相、後體可知。第四「爾時文殊」下明引成勝進行，於中有三：初文殊南行引發、二善財隨逐求救、三文殊象迴攝受。初中、先結前、後遊行南方生後也。前中，令成信位菩提之心，故云歡喜等也。顯明過去善根者，令彼過去所修善根，由今菩提心故更得增長，使不失沒，故云顯明也。不捨本座等者，明不離覺城而遍遊故也，同上不起覺樹至六天等，如上已釋。若爾，童子亦如文殊，不去而遍諸位，准之。二善財隨逐中有二：先經家敘事、二善財說偈求救。於中有三十四頌，分二：初四傷己迷淪不能自出、後三十歎文殊德請求救濟。前中四頌通皆具有惑、業、苦，三別分三：初二起惑、次一造業、後一苦轉。初中，三有等，起惑處也。癡闇等，起惑因也。惡魔等，起惑緣也。三毒等，正起惑也。就造業中，初二句失正行、後二句成邪行。就苦報中，慳等舉餓鬼因，下結成苦果可知。就第二三十頌中亦二：初九歎文殊德求其救厄，悕離生死之苦；後二十一歎德求其與法，悕成行得果。又前希離凡地苦，後望離二乘樂。又前望得涅槃，後望得菩提。初中九頌，歎文殊九種功德：一悲智德、二慈惠德、三法化德、四願滿德、五救苦德、六自在德、七力用德、八善淨德、九淨眼德。又前八及後頌，皆初三句歎德，下一句求救。二「遠離」下求菩提法中分四：初二求示果法，令知所求菩提；次一求見三世諸佛，成菩提行緣；次十七正求能得菩提因行，是故皆云乘，或云道也；後一結請。就因行中分四。初五歎智悲定攝德、次三歎十度行圓德、次四歎二利滅障德、後五歎隨事攝生德。第三文殊攝受中分五：初迴視歎善明受之相、二「是故善男子」下教近善友問菩薩行、三說偈歎德令其喜修、四指示後位令其趣入、五「時善財」下慶聞辭退依教趣求。就第二教近友問行中，初教近善友、二教請問行。於中十句，初一句總、後九句別。別中，一問創修行法、二問行成滿法、三問淨治行法、四問淨已圓成法、五問從行出行法、六問念持所行道、七問緣彼差別境界道、八問增長法用、九問攝成普賢行亦是攝別成普行。此上九種皆依前起後，可知。三偈頌中十頌，分二：初一歎善財已成行令喜、後九歎普賢行令修初。一教發大願為行之本。次二舉普賢行，勸彼令求，一舉行、一勸求。後六辨普賢行令修：一多聞法行；二多見佛行；三順教修行；四一切處行；五一切時行；六成大益行，謂有眾生聞彼普賢名號者，還成彼行得大菩提。上來明信位成滿竟。就第四指示後位、第五慶聞辭退此二段文，若約會分即屬前會，以是前位善友說故；若約法分即屬後位，以是後位之方便故。

Question: At what stage is this bodhisattva Sudhana? Answer: The sūtra makes no definitive determination, so his stage is difficult to clarify. Some assess him as a bodhisattva above the bhūmis; if he aroused the bodhimind later, it would be the latter two stages among the four kinds of arousing the mind, and also the arousal of mind by realization among the three arousals of mind in the treatise. Some say he is an ordinary being with true fruition, who merely possesses faithful mind and is able to seek good spiritual friends. Now, in further accordance with interpretation, he should be a practitioner in the course of good faith. According to the Perfect Teaching tradition, there are three stages: First, the stage of seeing and hearing, which was Sudhana's immediately preceding lifetime; having seen and heard this teaching of Samantabhadra, he formed those wholesome roots conducive to liberation, as explained in the praise of his virtues. Second, the stage of understanding and practice, in which one suddenly cultivates the practices of these five stages, as exemplified by what Sudhana achieved in this lifetime up to the stage of Samantabhadra. Third, the stage of realization and entry, in which the causal stage reaches its ultimate culmination and invisibly merges with the ocean of fruition; this is Sudhana's future lifetime. If so, precisely what stage is Sudhana in? Which stage is he in? Because when in faith he is in the stage of faith, and when in the abodes he is in the stage of the abodes. One single body traverses the five stages; wherever he is, that stage pervades all, just like the stage of Samantabhadra. Other meanings may be inferred and reflected upon according to the doctrinal tenets. Third, from "Mañjuśrī, like an elephant turning" onward, which clarifies the formal teaching of the Dharma conferred, there are two parts: first, clarifying the gathering of the capacities and granting permission to preach. Turning both body and head like an elephant king manifests the sign of physical embracing. Looking back at him clearly manifests the sign of mental embracing. Calling out and granting permission to speak clearly manifests the sign of verbal embracing. Second, from "then for [him]" onward, formally expounding what is taught: he preaches the Dharma of the Buddha-fruition in order to bring faith to completion and to cause him to arouse the mind to seek this fruition. Among the eight lines, the first is general and the latter seven are particular. Among the particulars, the first three concern the virtue of marvelous function in gathering living beings: first, clarifying his appearance in the world for their capacities; second, the Dharma of emitting light to gather the assembly; third, formally expounding the Dharma to be taught. The latter four clarify the virtue of complete perfection of essence and marks; among them, the former two and latter two each present marks first and essence second, which is understandable. Fourth, from "At that time, Mañjuśrī" onward, which clarifies leading him to achieve practices of superior advancement, there are three parts: first, Mañjuśrī's journey south inspires and guides him; second, Sudhana follows behind seeking rescue; third, Mañjuśrī turns like an elephant to embrace him. In the first, he first concludes the preceding and then travels to the south to give rise to what follows. In the former, he causes him to achieve the bodhimind of the stage of faith; hence it says "rejoiced" and so forth. As for "made manifest past wholesome roots," this causes the wholesome roots cultivated in the past to further increase on account of the present bodhimind and prevents them from being lost; hence it says "made manifest." As for "not relinquishing his original seat" and so forth, this clarifies that he travels everywhere without leaving the City of Awakening; this is identical to what was explained above regarding not rising from the Bodhi tree while reaching the six deva realms and so forth. If so, the youth is also like Mañjuśrī: without departing, he pervades all stages; infer it accordingly. Second, in Sudhana's following behind, there are two parts: first, the narrator of the sūtra recounts the events; second, Sudhana speaks verses seeking rescue. Therein are thirty-four verses, divided into two: the first four lament his own bewilderment and drowning, unable to deliver himself; the latter thirty praise Mañjuśrī's virtues and request rescue. In the former, the four verses all comprehensively contain delusion, karma, and suffering, and are distinctively divided into three: the first two concern the arising of delusion, the next one the creating of karma, and the last one the turning of suffering. In the first, "the three existences" and so forth are the places where delusion arises; "darkness of ignorance" and so forth are the causes for the arising of delusion; "evil māras" and so forth are the conditions for the arising of delusion; "the three poisons" and so forth are the actual arising of delusion. In creating karma, the first two lines concern losing correct practice, and the latter two lines concern committing evil practice. In suffering retribution, "stinginess" and so forth adduces the causes of hungry ghosts, and below concludes with the bitter fruit, as can be understood. In the second part of thirty verses, there are also two parts: the first nine praise Mañjuśrī's virtues to seek rescue from distress, hoping to be freed from the suffering of saṃsāra; the latter twenty-one praise his virtues to seek his conferral of the Dharma, hoping to achieve practice and attain fruition. Furthermore, the former hopes to leave the suffering of the ordinary stage, while the latter aspires to leave the pleasure of the two vehicles. Furthermore, the former aspires to attain nirvāṇa, while the latter aspires to attain bodhi. In the first, the nine verses praise Mañjuśrī's nine kinds of virtues: 1. the virtue of compassion and wisdom; 2. the virtue of loving-kindness and beneficence; 3. the virtue of Dharma transformation; 4. the virtue of fulfilling vows; 5. the virtue of rescuing from suffering; 6. the virtue of mastery; 7. the virtue of power and function; 8. the virtue of wholesome purity; 9. the virtue of the pure eye. Furthermore, in both the first eight and the last verses, the first three lines praise virtue and the bottom line seeks rescue. Second, from "distantly leaving" onward, seeking the Dharma of bodhi, is divided into four: the first two seek the manifestation of the fruit Dharma to make known the bodhi sought; the next one seeks to see all buddhas of the three times as conditions for accomplishing the practices of bodhi; the next seventeen formally seek the causal practices that enable the attainment of bodhi, which is why all say "vehicle" or say "path"; the last one concludes the request. Within causal practice, it is divided into four: the first five praise the virtue of being gathered by wisdom, compassion, and samādhi; the next three praise the virtue of the perfection of the ten pāramitā practices; the next four praise the virtue of the two benefits eradicating hindrances; the latter five praise the virtue of gathering living beings according to phenomena. Third, within Mañjuśrī's embracing, it is divided into five: 1. turning to look and praising goodness, clarifying the mark of acceptance; 2. from "Therefore, good son" onward, instructing him to draw near good friends and ask about bodhisattva practices; 3. speaking verses praising virtues to cause him to cultivate with joy; 4. pointing out subsequent stages to cause him to proceed into them; 5. from "Then Sudhana" onward, rejoicing upon hearing, taking leave, and proceeding according to instructions to seek them. In the second part, instructing him to draw near friends and ask about practices, first he instructs him to draw near good spiritual friends, and second he instructs him to ask about practices. Therein are ten lines: the first line is general and the latter nine lines are particular. Among the particulars: 1. asking about the Dharma of newly cultivating practices; 2. asking about the Dharma of fulfilling practices; 3. asking about the Dharma of purifying practices; 4. asking about the Dharma of perfectly completing after purification; 5. asking about the Dharma of issuing practices from practices; 6. asking about mindfully upholding the path practiced; 7. asking about the path that conditions those differentiated spheres; 8. asking about increasing the Dharma's function; 9. asking about gathering into the practices of Samantabhadra, which is also gathering particulars to achieve universal practice. These nine kinds above each arise from the preceding, as can be understood. Third, among the ten verses in the gāthās, there are two parts: the first one praises Sudhana's already achieved practice to make him joyful; the latter nine praise Samantabhadra's practices to cause him to cultivate them. The first instructs him to arouse great vows as the root of practice. The next two present Samantabhadra's practices and exhort him to seek them: one presents the practice, and one exhorts the seeking. The latter six discern Samantabhadra's practices to cause him to cultivate: 1. the practice of hearing much Dharma; 2. the practice of seeing many buddhas; 3. the practice of cultivating in accord with teaching; 4. practice in all places; 5. practice at all times; 6. the practice of accomplishing great benefit, meaning that if there are living beings who hear that name of Samantabhadra, they will in turn achieve those practices and attain great bodhi. The explanation above clarifying the complete fulfillment of the stage of faith is finished. Regarding the two sections of text—the fourth pointing out subsequent stages and the fifth rejoicing upon hearing and taking leave: if analyzed according to the assembly, they belong to the preceding assembly because they are spoken by the good friend of the preceding stage; if analyzed according to Dharma, they belong to the subsequent stage because they are the upāya of the subsequent stage.