華嚴經探玄記 2.41

2.41

自下大段第二供養圓滿。從遠向近辨十八眾中，前三十四內於四天中略舉南北，具列諸神。今此興供之中，從道場神至摩睺羅伽，略此十八，具顯四王。何故爾耶？釋云：以前龍等屬西方攝，餘類多分東方所收。由此二類所領多故，分王從眾，略彼二王具顯十八。今此欲明上首讚佛，攝眾從王，東西收盡，是故略彼十八、加列二王。以南北所領文中不廣，不類東西，故無開合。是故三十四中，略却十八唯有十六，復加二王故成十八。於中前則先同後異，今乃先異後同。何故爾者？謂前表依本起末，今明攝末歸本。又異生中，前則先劣後勝，今乃先勝後劣。何故爾者？謂前表法增微，今顯尊位次第。又釋：此等竝顯法界緣起逆順自在無障無礙，總合為一大法界眾，故作是說。既云興供，何故不列諸事供耶？釋：事供非奇，不足顯勝。經云「諸供養中法供養最。」是故唯顯法供養耳。若爾，何故下文海慧及新集眾皆列事供？釋：海慧等眾從座中出，復持事供，為顯奇故；他方客眾，各從本土持彼事供，不類此等常隨之眾。如釋迦身以舍利弗等為常隨之眾，但以修行化人作法供養，亦更不辨餘事供等。此舍那身眷屬亦爾，於中各入法門洞達自在為意業供，說偈讚佛為語業供，在會虔敬為身業供。又夫論法供，有其二種：一順教修行，得法自在；二讚揚顯發，法化傳通。今此三業具斯二行。文中有二：初有一句總標，故云「各於佛法門而得自在。」下別辨中二：初十七眾各一法門自在者，分總成別，名為異生。後普賢一人一切法門自在者，攝別成總、攬異歸普，名為同生。是故二眾同一緣起，思之。文中十八眾，即為十八段，一一各二：先長行得法，是經家序列；後偈頌讚嘆，是當時文也。

From here below is the second major section: the fulfillment of offerings. Differentiating the eighteen assemblies from distant to near: previously, among the thirty-four, among the four heavenly kings, south and north were briefly raised, while the various deities were fully listed. Now, among these offering-initiators, from the bodhimaṇḍa deities up to the mahoragas, these eighteen are omitted, while the four kings are fully revealed. Why is it so? The explanation is: previously, the dragons and others belonged to the western direction, and the remaining kinds were mostly subsumed under the eastern direction. Because the retinues governed by these two kinds were numerous, the kings were divided to follow the assemblies, omitting those two kings and fully revealing the eighteen. Now, wishing to clarify the leaders praising the Buddha, subsuming the assemblies to follow the kings, east and west are fully encompassed; therefore those eighteen are omitted and two kings are added to the list. Since what is governed by the south and north is not extensive in the text and not analogous to east and west, there is no expanding or combining. Therefore, among the thirty-four, omitting eighteen leaves only sixteen, and further adding two kings makes eighteen. Among them, previously the common came first and the different came later; now the different comes first and the common comes later. Why is it so? Previously it expressed emerging from the root to produce the branches; now it clarifies subsuming the branches to return to the root. Furthermore, among the worldly-born, previously the inferior came first and the superior came later; now the superior comes first and the inferior comes later. Why is it so? Previously it expressed the increase and subtlety of dharmas; now it displays the hierarchy of noble stations. Another explanation: all these universally reveal the conditioned arising of the dharmadhātu, forward and reverse, unhindered and unobstructed, completely combined into one great assembly of the dharmadhātu; therefore this statement is made. Since it says 'initiating offerings', why does it not list offerings of material things? Explanation: material offerings are not extraordinary and insufficient to display supremacy. The sūtra says: 'Among all offerings, the offering of Dharma is supreme.' Therefore it only reveals the offering of Dharma. If so, why do Sāgaramati and the newly gathered assemblies below both present material offerings? Explanation: Sāgaramati and other assemblies emerge from their seats and additionally hold material offerings in order to reveal what is extraordinary; guest assemblies from other directions each bring those material offerings from their own lands, not being analogous to these assemblies of constant attendants. Just as Śākyamuni's body takes Śāriputra and others as his constant retinue, who only perform Dharma offerings by practicing and transforming people, and do not further differentiate other material offerings. This retinue of Rocana's body is also like this: among them, each entering a dharmamukha and attaining thorough penetration with mastery constitutes the mental karma offering; uttering verses to praise the Buddha constitutes the vocal karma offering; being reverently present in the assembly constitutes the physical karma offering. Furthermore, when discussing Dharma offerings, there are two kinds: 1. practicing in accordance with the teaching and attaining mastery in the Dharma; 2. praising and making it manifest, spreading and communicating the Dharma's transformation. Now these three karmas possess these two practices. In the text there are two parts: first, there is one line generally stating the heading, thus saying: 'each attaining mastery in the Buddha's dharmamukha.' Below, in the specific differentiation, there are two: first, in the seventeen assemblies, each having mastery in one dharmamukha divides the universal to form the particular, termed 'worldly-born'; later, Samantabhadra as one individual having mastery in all dharmamukhas subsumes the particular to form the universal, gathering the different to return to the universal, termed 'commonly born'. Therefore, the two assemblies share the same conditioned arising; ponder this. In the text, the eighteen assemblies constitute eighteen sections; each individually has two parts: first, the prose on attaining the Dharma, which is the sūtra compiler's arrangement; next, the verses of praise, which are the words spoken at that time.