華嚴經探玄記 4.101

4.101

第六喻說玄旨分，亦名舉劣顯勝分。以上來所明正顯一乘普賢行德窮乎佛境，然位次之言蓋是外凡十信之位。既越三乘反於視聽，滯情對教取信無由，是故舉斯近事以鏡玄趣，令開悟耳。於中有七十七頌，分二：初一偈總標。於中眾生業等者，下文諸天修羅等是正報，海風等為依報；次一句是下諸龍興雨等；下句是聲聞三昧及梵天等，並於世間有少不測，故云難思，所以為喻況。二別辨中，有十八大喻：一聲聞現通喻，喻菩薩自在饒益眾生力，於中三：初標意，謂理實聲聞之通比於菩薩，如牛跡之與大海、螢燭之與日光，故云無可為喻也。但以今舉螢德尚爾，矧乎羲陽，令聰慧者翻對懸解，彼云聰慧者能解是義也。次「得八」下舉近喻。後「現作」下顯遠趣。二水現四兵喻，喻菩薩海印三昧德。三海天妙音喻，喻菩薩總持巧說令眾喜德。四女授辨才喻，喻菩薩方便智授法令喜德。五幻師化術喻，喻菩薩不思議解脫力轉變悅機德。六修羅入絲喻，喻菩薩自在無礙通。七象王隨變喻，喻菩薩定用隱顯自在德。八修羅大身喻，喻菩薩現法界等身德，謂如上文三千大千世界中化一蓮華滿世界等知之。九帝釋破怨喻，喻菩薩降破眾魔德。十空聲說法喻，喻菩薩無功用心說法利生德。十一空聲安慰喻，喻菩薩慈音除惱德。十二天王普應喻，喻菩薩圓迴之身應機無礙德。十三魔王自在喻，喻菩薩十力攝生令同行德。十四梵身殊現喻，喻菩薩以解脫力遍坐道場說一切法德。十五摩醯數渧喻，喻菩薩一念了知一切眾生心德。十六風輪持散喻，喻菩薩大願宿成無心無礙而辨說應機德。十七大海包含喻，喻菩薩蘊積眾德印現群機德。十八龍王遍降喻，喻菩薩窮盡法界普雨法雨德。

Part Six: Explaining the Profound Purport through Metaphor, also called 'Raising the Inferior to Reveal the Superior.' What was clarified above directly reveals the virtues of Samantabhadra's practice in the One Vehicle exhausting the Buddha's realm; however, the terms of stages and ranks merely belong to the stage of the ten faiths of external ordinary beings. Since it transcends the three vehicles and runs contrary to ordinary seeing and hearing, minds that are obstructed and face the teaching have no way to take faith; therefore, these proximate matters are adduced to mirror the profound orientation and lead them to awaken. Therein are seventy-seven verses, divided into two: first, one verse provides a general statement. In that, 'sentient beings' karma' and so forth: the various devas, asuras, and so forth below are the direct retribution, and the ocean winds and so forth are the environmental retribution; the next line refers to the various nāgas raising rain and so forth below; the lower line refers to the śrāvakas' samādhi, Brahmā, and so forth, all of which are slightly unfathomable in the worldly realm and hence called 'difficult to conceive,' serving as analogies and comparisons. Second, in the specific explanations, there are eighteen great metaphors: First, the metaphor of śrāvakas manifesting supernormal powers, illustrating the bodhisattva's power of mastery in benefiting sentient beings. Therein are three: first, stating the intention, meaning that in real principle the supernormal powers of śrāvakas compared to the bodhisattva are like an ox's hoofprint to the great ocean, or a firefly's light to the light of the sun; hence it says there is nothing that can serve as a metaphor. It merely adduces the virtues of a firefly as still being thus, how much more so the blazing sun, leading the intelligent to contrast them and gain remote understanding; hence it says that those who are intelligent can understand this meaning. Next, from 'obtaining the eight' onwards, it adduces the proximate metaphor. Finally, from 'manifesting as' onwards, it reveals the distant purport. Second, the metaphor of water revealing the fourfold army, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of the sāgara-mudrā-samādhi. Third, the metaphor of the wondrous sounds of the ocean and devas, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of dharāṇī and skillful speech that delight the assembly. Fourth, the metaphor of a woman granting eloquence, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of conferring the Dharma with wisdom of upāya to bring joy. Fifth, the metaphor of a magician's illusions, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of transforming to please faculties through the power of inconceivable liberation. Sixth, the metaphor of the asura entering a thread, illustrating the bodhisattva's supernormal powers of free and unobstructed mastery. Seventh, the metaphor of the elephant king transforming at will, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of mastery in concealing and revealing the function of concentration. Eighth, the metaphor of the asura's great body, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of manifesting a body equal to the dharmadhātu, which should be understood as in the above text where one lotus is manifested filling the trichiliocosm. Ninth, the metaphor of Śakra defeating his foes, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of subduing and destroying the hordes of Māra. Tenth, the metaphor of a voice in the sky teaching the Dharma, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of teaching the Dharma and benefiting beings without deliberate effort. Eleventh, the metaphor of a voice in the sky offering comfort, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of eliminating distress with a voice of compassion. Twelfth, the metaphor of the heavenly king responding universally, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of an all-encompassing body responding to faculties without obstruction. Thirteenth, the metaphor of the demon king's mastery, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of gathering beings through the ten powers to make them fellow practitioners. Fourteenth, the metaphor of the distinct manifestation of Brahmā's body, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of universally sitting in bodhimaṇḍas and expounding all dharmas through the power of liberation. Fifteenth, the metaphor of Maheśvara counting drops, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of knowing the minds of all sentient beings in a single thought-moment. Sixteenth, the metaphor of wind-wheels holding and dispersing, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of long-formed great vows, expounding and responding to faculties without mind and without obstruction. Seventeenth, the metaphor of the great ocean containing everything, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of accumulating all merits and stamping upon and manifesting all faculties. Eighteenth, the metaphor of the dragon king showering everywhere, illustrating the bodhisattva's virtue of exhausting the dharmadhātu and universally showering the rain of Dharma.