華嚴經探玄記 2.11

2.11

「始成正覺」下，第二別料簡上三義。初料簡時、二處、三主。時中且作五門：一定分齊、二攝前後、三顯差別、四表示法、五釋本文。初定分齊者，菩提流支云：「華嚴八會中，前之五會是佛成道初七日說，第六會後是第二七日說，以《十地經》初云第二七日故。」又有人說：第八會是後時說，以彼文中有鶖子等五百聲聞，竝後時度故。此等所判恐不順文，以初七日定不說法。《十地論》云「何故不初七日說？思惟行因緣行故。」既言思惟，明知非說法。設有救言：只不說十地非不說餘法者，則不得言思惟也。下論又釋「為顯己法樂，是故不說。」故知初七定非說耳。又第八會亦非後時，何得於一部經前已說半，中說餘經，後方更續？豈令佛無陀羅尼力，不能一念說一切法？祇園鶖子竝是九世相入，下文云「過去一切劫，安置未來今。未來一切劫，迴置過去世。」又云「於一念中建立三世一切佛事。」乃至廣說。如是等文處處皆有，豈可所用鶖子祇園而非此類？是知此經定是第二七日所說。二攝前後者，有三重：一於此二七之時即攝八會同時而說。若爾，何故會有前後？答：如印文，讀時前後，印紙同時。問：若爾，云何重會得成？答：重亦同時，以無礙故，如燈光相入等。餘不動昇天等，准釋可知。二即於此時攝彼前後各無量劫無不皆盡，以是不思解脫時故。三攝於重重無量念劫，如因陀羅網重收攝故。三顯差別者，依《普曜經》，第二七日於鹿野園為彼五人三轉四諦，此是小乘。依《密迹力士經》，第二七日，鹿園為於無量大眾轉法輪時，有得羅漢辟支菩薩道等，此是三乘。依此經，第二七日於樹王下，為海會菩薩轉無盡法輪，明是一乘。上三同時者，約法表本末同時，約人顯機感各異。依《法華》，三七日。《四分律》，六七日。《興起行經》，七七日。依《五分律》，八七日。《智論》，五十七日。《十二遊經》，一年方說。此竝末教機異，宜聞各別，故致不同。本教機定，故唯二七。四表示法者，《十地論》云「時處等校量，顯示勝故。此法勝故，在於初時及勝處說。」此有三義：一此經約初時，表本法勝故。二末教亦同，表末不離本故。三顯本非末故，末時不定本時定故。時定二七，更無異說。第五釋文者，始成正覺者，意顯初始之義。然有二相：一初七日是現世之始、二第二七日是說法之始。此中是成正覺來經今七日，故云始成正覺也。通有五義：一約小乘，以生身佛於此樹下三十四心初成正覺，同諸羅漢，實成非化。二約大乘，八相化身示現，於此初成正覺。三約報身，十地行滿，無間道後果現圓明，名初成正覺。四約法身，謂創得了因最初圓現，故曰初成。此上大乘，竝無初之初。五約十佛，謂遍一切因陀羅網無邊世界，念念之中皆初初成佛，具足主伴，盡三世間，是故此即具攝前後無量劫初也。此中正唯第五，兼攝前四，准可知。以此五重不相離故、攝方便故。

From “having first attained equal and right awakening” onward is the second section, which discriminates in detail the preceding three meanings: first, discriminating the time; second, the place; and third, the master. Concerning the time, we shall set forth five headings for now: 1. Determining its scope; 2. Enfolding what comes before and after; 3. Revealing distinctions; 4. Expressing the Dharma; 5. Explaining the root text. First, concerning determining its scope: Bodhiruci says, “Among the eight assemblies of the Avataṃsaka, the first five assemblies were preached during the first seven days after the Buddha's attainment of the Way, and from the sixth assembly onward was preached during the second seven days, because the beginning of the Daśabhūmika Sūtra says ‘during the second seven days.’” Furthermore, some say: the eighth assembly was preached at a later time, because in that text there are the five hundred śrāvakas such as Śāriputra, all of whom were converted at a later time. Such judgments are probably not in accord with the text, because during the first seven days [the Buddha] definitely did not preach the Dharma. The Commentary on the Ten Bhūmis says, “Why was it not preached during the first seven days? Because he was contemplating the practices of causes and conditions.” Since it says “contemplating,” we clearly know that he was not preaching the Dharma. Even if someone were to salvage this by saying, “He merely did not preach the ten bhūmis, not that he did not preach other teachings,” then one could not speak of “contemplating.” Later the commentary also explains, “It was to manifest his own joy in the Dharma, therefore he did not preach.” Thus we know that during the first seven days he definitely did not preach. Furthermore, the eighth assembly was also not at a later time; how could half of a single sūtra be preached first, other sūtras preached in the middle, and then this one resumed afterward? Would you have the Buddha lack the power of dhāraṇī so that he could not preach all dharmas in a single instant of thought? The Jetavana and Śāriputra are both instances of the mutual interpenetration of the nine time-periods. A later passage says, “All kalpas of the past are placed into the future and present; all kalpas of the future are turned back and placed into the past world.” It also says, “In a single instant of thought he establishes all Buddha-works of the three times,” and so on at length. Passages such as these appear everywhere; how could the Śāriputra and Jetavana utilized here not be of this kind? Therefore, we know that this sūtra was definitely preached during the second seven days. Second, concerning enfolding what comes before and after, there are three tiers: 1. At the time of these second seven days, the eight assemblies are directly enfolded and preached simultaneously. If so, why do the assemblies have a before and after? Answer: Like a seal impression: when reading, there is before and after, but the impression on the paper is simultaneous. Question: If so, how can repeated assemblies be established? Answer: The repetitions are also simultaneous, because they are unobstructed, like the mutual interpenetration of lamplights. Other matters such as remaining motionless while ascending to the heavens can be understood by following this explanation. 2. Directly at this time, the immeasurable kalpas before and after are each completely enfolded without exception, because this is the time of inconceivable liberation. 3. Enfolding layer upon layer of immeasurable thoughts and kalpas, just as Indra's net repeatedly enfolds and gathers them together. Third, concerning revealing distinctions: According to the Lalitavistara, during the second seven days in the Deer Park he turned the four truths in three turnings for those five persons; this is the Hīnayāna. According to the Guhyakādhipati-nirdeśa, during the second seven days when he turned the wheel of Dharma in the Deer Park for an immeasurable great assembly, there were those who attained the path of arhats, pratyekabuddhas, bodhisattvas, and so forth; this is the Three Vehicles. According to this sūtra, during the second seven days beneath the king of trees, he turned the inexhaustible wheel of Dharma for the ocean-like assembly of bodhisattvas, making it clear that this is the One Vehicle. That the above three are simultaneous expresses, in terms of the Dharma, that root and branch are simultaneous; and reveals, in terms of persons, that capacities and responses differ. According to the Lotus Sūtra, it was three seven-day periods. The Dharmaguptaka Vinaya says six seven-day periods. The Xingqi xing jing says seven seven-day periods. According to the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya, it was eight seven-day periods. The Dà zhìdù lùn says fifty-seven days. The Shi'er you jing says it was only preached after one full year. All of these are differences in the capacities of the branch teachings; what is suitable to be heard differs in each case, which is why they are not uniform. The capacities of the root teaching are definitive, therefore it is only the second seven days. Fourth, concerning expressing the Dharma, the Commentary on the Ten Bhūmis says, “The comparative assessment of time, place, and so forth reveals superiority. Because this Dharma is superior, it is preached in the primordial time and in a superior place.” Here there are three meanings: 1. This sūtra takes the primordial time to express the superiority of the root Dharma. 2. The branch teachings are also identical, expressing that the branch does not depart from the root. 3. Revealing that the root is not the branch, because the time of the branch is unfixed while the time of the root is fixed. The time is definitively the second seven days, and there are no other differing views. Fifth, concerning explaining the text: “Having first attained equal and right awakening” is intended to reveal the meaning of the initial beginning. However, there are two aspects: 1. The first seven days are the beginning in the present world; 2. The second seven days are the beginning of preaching the Dharma. Here, seven days have elapsed since attaining equal and right awakening, hence it is said: “having first attained equal and right awakening.” Overall there are five meanings: 1. In terms of the Hīnayāna, the physical-body Buddha under this tree, through the thirty-four minds, first attained equal and right awakening, identical to all arhats, an actual attainment and not a transformation. 2. In terms of the Mahāyāna, the nirmāṇakāya of the eight aspects was manifested, first attaining equal and right awakening here. 3. In terms of the saṃbhogakāya, the practices of the ten bhūmis being fulfilled, following the uninterrupted path the fruit appears perfectly luminous; this is called first attaining equal and right awakening. 4. In terms of the dharmakāya, it refers to newly attaining the revelatory cause and its first perfect manifestation; hence it is called “first attaining.” The above Mahāyāna views all lack a beginning before the beginning. 5. In terms of the ten Buddhas, it means that throughout all the boundless worlds of Indra's net, in thought-moment after thought-moment he is in each case freshly attaining buddhahood, complete with master and retinue, exhausting the three worlds; therefore this directly and completely enfolds the beginnings of immeasurable kalpas before and after. Here, it is properly only the fifth, which concurrently enfolds the preceding four, as can be known accordingly. Because these five tiers are not separated from one another, they enfold the upāyas.