華嚴經探玄記 20.64

20.64

第八偈頌中有九十九偈半。問：既云重頌，未知頌何處文？答：有人釋，此是頌前善財當得十三種所等佛境，即科此文亦為十三段次第配釋。此釋不便，前善財所得是結集者說，非是普賢說，何因乃為重頌？又有釋云：此頌前普賢說自往因所事諸佛等。此亦難用，以偈文中總無此意。今釋：前長行中唯明因行、未說果用，今明重頌說果非因，文綺互顯故也。又釋：今頌舉果顯因，是顯發釋故也。何故唯顯佛德者？為善財因行窮滿，不可為說因門，是故說佛果業用。又為普賢對佛前坐，承力攝化其用究竟，推功在佛。偈中分六：初有五偈，誡聽許說，略歎佛德。二「時諸菩薩」下三偈，明眾領勸，歎說聽受。三「諸佛微妙」下二十偈半，通歎十方報佛勝德，於中五：初三明大智無著照機德、次四歎形言隨感隱顯德、次七歎主伴嚴土自在德、次五半歎遍轉法輪微細德、後一總結十方諸佛德。四「或見釋迦」下別歎釋迦化身功德，於中四：初二十半歎佛意業作用、二「安住」下十九歎佛語業作用、三「具足智功德」下十五歎佛身業作用、四「譬如工幻師」下八偈半喻顯無礙。就初意業作用中有五：初五明六度行智用、次三天身八相用、次二常在恒滅用、次四巧化隨機用、次六半用身光壽剎用。第二語業中四，初五明轉三乘法輪，并業用無生等是大乘法也；次五明六度覺品對治法，則釋前三乘唯一圓音也；次五明五乘總別乃至多乘；次四明平等語業而應一切。第三「具足」下十五偈明身業作用中五：初三示凡身、次二現聲聞身、次三現外道身、次三現示大力身、後四現諸天身及結。第四「譬如」下八偈半喻顯三業中，初五偈明喻身業，一幻師喻；二月現四德喻，一體圓淨、二示增減、三應淨心、四映二乘；三海現二能喻，一出寶、二現影、次一喻前意業，謂智日滅闇喻；後二半喻語業；謂法雨無從喻。化身竟。第五「如來淨法身」下六偈歎法身德。於中四：初二明法身相，先法說、後喻況。前中《攝論》法身具五種故，此中同彼，謂初句是白淨法身為相，以是果圓滿轉故。二次二句是不思議相，謂於世間無物比故。三非有無者是無二為相，以非有為無為故。四次一句是無依為相，謂無所依故。五次一句是常住為相，以無來去常住故。次二句舉夢見及空畫為喻。二有一偈明法身離相，亦先法說三句，一約用、二約德、三約體。下一句喻顯如空也。三有二偈明法身用無積聚，初一舉二喻，謂摩尼出寶喻、二光明無體喻。謂諸天菩薩等皆名眾生，悉有光明，故云眾生諸光明也。辨此等光各無停積處，同摩尼所出寶亦無本相似。下一偈合法可知。四「大仙」下一偈圓法身，即相常寂。於中大仙現者，明佛出現。「於世虛空」下舉七喻以顯：一空、二如、三自性、四實際、五涅槃、六離欲、七寂滅。謂佛現世則同此七義，是故即寂以顯法身也。第六末後二頌即結說勸持，先舉四喻可知，以顯佛德深廣，一心慮無限喻、二微塵難量喻、三海滴難知喻、四虛空無際喻。此下一舉益勸信，謂信此普賢自在法者，究竟要當終齊佛果，如善財與諸佛等等也。上來於下本十萬偈花嚴內釋前分三萬六千偈竟。

Eighth, in the verse section, there are ninety-nine and a half gāthās. Question: Since they are called "reiterative verses" (geya), what part of the text do they reiterate? Answer: Some explain that this reiterates the thirteen kinds of realms of the buddhas that Sudhana was previously to attain, and thus they also divide this text into thirteen sections to correlate and explain them in sequence. This explanation is unsuitable: what Sudhana previously attained was spoken by the compiler [of the sūtra], not by Samantabhadra; why then would it be a reiterative verse [spoken by Samantabhadra]? Furthermore, another explanation says: this reiterates Samantabhadra's previous account of the buddhas he had served in his past causal stages, and so forth. This is also difficult to adopt, because the verse text completely lacks this intention. Now I explain: the preceding prose only clarified the causal practices and did not yet speak of the fruition's functions; now the reiterative verses explain the fruition rather than the cause, because the texts mutually complement and illuminate each other. Another explanation is: the present verses raise the fruition to reveal the cause, which is an explanatory elucidation. Why do they solely reveal the buddha's virtues? Because Sudhana's causal practices were fully exhausted and complete, so one could not speak to him of the causal approach; therefore, the karmic functions of the buddha-fruition are spoken of. Moreover, because Samantabhadra sat before the Buddha, received [his] power to gather and transform [beings], and his functioning was ultimate, he attributed the merit to the Buddha. Within the verses there are six parts: First, there are five verses admonishing [the assembly] to listen and consenting to speak, briefly praising the buddha's virtues. Second, from "Then the bodhisattvas" below, three verses clarify that the assembly received the admonition, praised the exposition, and listened receptively. Third, from "The subtle and marvelous of the buddhas" below, twenty and a half verses generally praise the supreme virtues of the saṃbhogakāya Buddhas of the ten directions; within this there are five: the first three clarify the virtue of great wisdom unattached and illuminating the faculties [of beings]; the next four praise the virtue of forms and words concealing and revealing in accordance with responsiveness; the next seven praise the virtue of host and retinue adorning the lands with mastery; the next five and a half praise the subtle virtue of turning the dharmacakra everywhere; the last one summarizes the virtues of the buddhas of the ten directions. Fourth, from "Or seeing Śākyamuni" below, specifically praises the qualities of Śākyamuni's nirmāṇakāya; within this there are four: first, twenty and a half verses praise the functioning of the Buddha's mental karma; second, from "Abiding stably" below, nineteen praise the functioning of the Buddha's vocal karma; third, from "Endowed with the qualities of wisdom" below, fifteen praise the functioning of the Buddha's physical karma; fourth, from "Just as a skilled illusionist" below, eight and a half verses illustrate unhinderedness through similes. Within the first, the functioning of mental karma, there are five: the first five clarify the wisdom-functioning of the practices of the six pāramitās; the next three, the functioning of the heavenly body and the eight aspects [of the Buddha's life]; the next two, the functioning of being constantly present yet ever extinguished; the next four, the functioning of skillful transformation following the faculties [of beings]; the next six and a half, the functioning of the bodily light, lifespan, and lands. In the second, vocal karma, there are four: the first five clarify turning the dharmacakra of the three vehicles, together with the karmic functions being unproduced, etc., which is the Mahāyāna teaching; the next five clarify the antidotal dharmas of the six pāramitās and the bodhipakṣadharma, which explain that the preceding three vehicles are only a single, perfect sound; the next five clarify the general and specific aspects of the five vehicles, up to multiple vehicles; the next four clarify that the vocal karma is impartial yet responds to all. In the third, the fifteen verses from "Endowed with" below clarifying the functioning of physical karma, there are five: the first three show ordinary bodies; the next two manifest śrāvaka bodies; the next three manifest non-Buddhist bodies; the next three manifest bodies of great strength; the last four manifest bodies of the gods and conclude. In the fourth, the eight and a half verses from "Just as" below illustrating the three karmas through similes, the first five verses illustrate physical karma: first, the simile of an illusionist; second, the simile of the moon manifesting four virtues: (1) its essence is round and pure, (2) it shows waxing and waning, (3) it responds to pure minds, (4) it outshines the two vehicles; third, the simile of the ocean manifesting two capacities: (1) producing jewels, (2) manifesting reflections. The next one illustrates the preceding mental karma, namely the simile of the sun of wisdom eliminating darkness. The last two and a half illustrate vocal karma, namely the simile of the rain of Dharma having no origin. The nirmāṇakāya is finished. Fifth, from "The Tathāgata's pure dharmakāya" below, six verses praise the virtues of the dharmakāya. Within this there are four: the first two clarify the characteristics of the dharmakāya, first stated through dharmas, then through similes. In the former, because according to the Mahāyānasaṃgraha the dharmakāya possesses five kinds [of characteristics], here it is identical to that: the first line takes the pristine pure dharmakāya as its characteristic, because it is the transformation of the perfection of fruition; the next two lines are the characteristic of being inconceivable, because in the world nothing compares to it; the third, "neither existent nor non-existent," takes non-duality as its characteristic, because it is neither conditioned nor unconditioned; the fourth, the next line, takes non-reliance as its characteristic, because it has nothing on which it relies; the fifth, the next line, takes permanent abiding as its characteristic, because having neither coming nor going, it permanently abides. The next two lines raise seeing in a dream and painting in empty space as similes. Second, there is one verse clarifying that the dharmakāya is free from marks; it also first uses dharmas to explain in three lines: (1) in terms of function, (2) in terms of virtue, (3) in terms of essence. The following one line uses a simile to show that it is like empty space. Third, there are two verses clarifying that the functioning of the dharmakāya has no accumulation; the first one raises two similes, namely the simile of a maṇi jewel producing jewels, and second, the simile of light having no substance. That is to say, the gods, bodhisattvas, and so forth are all called "sentient beings" and all possess radiance; hence it says "the various radiances of sentient beings." Discerning that each of these radiances has no place of staying or accumulating is similar to the jewels produced from a maṇi having no original source. The next verse matches the dharmas [to the simile], as can be understood. Fourth, the one verse from "The Great Sage" below is the perfect dharmakāya, in which the marks are constantly quiescent. Therein, "the Great Sage appearing" clarifies the Buddha appearing in the world. From "In the world, empty space" below, seven similes are raised to reveal it: (1) emptiness, (2) suchness, (3) self-nature, (4) the reality limit, (5) nirvāṇa, (6) detachment from desire, (7) cessation. This means that the Buddha's appearing in the world is identical to these seven meanings; therefore, being quiescent [in marks] reveals the dharmakāya. Sixth, the final two verses conclude the exposition and exhort retention; first, four similes are raised, as can be understood, to reveal that the Buddha's virtues are profound and vast: (1) the simile of the mind's thoughts being boundless, (2) the simile of paramāṇus being difficult to measure, (3) the simile of the ocean's drops being difficult to know, (4) the simile of empty space being limitless. From here below, one [line] raises the benefit to exhort faith, meaning that those who believe in this sovereign Dharma of Samantabhadra will ultimately and necessarily end up equal to the buddha-fruition, just as Sudhana is equal to the buddhas, and so forth. Above, within the lower recension of the hundred-thousand-verse Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the explanation of the preceding portion of thirty-six thousand verses is finished.