華嚴經探玄記 4.85

4.85

就初中有七頌，於中分三：初二明德廣說略可知、次四釋略說所由、後一結已略相。就第二釋中，初一辨德廣所依、二明依心德勝。前中有四種難故，雖是初心，令此功德廣大無邊。一處難，謂於生死苦惱之處而能發心，此為難故，生德廣也；二時難，謂久已發心一向不動未足為難，今則反此，故生德多也；三境難，謂能求此無限菩提，以心從境，故廣大也；四心難，謂若發心進退不定生德不廣，今則反此，故廣大也。一頌四句，如次應知。此是《起信論》三種發心中，當最初信成就發心，故云初也。同下文十住初發心住，及〈發心功德品〉。此約信終，彼就住初，故無二也。既以信滿入住方為信，何不住滿入行為住耶？釋云：信不成位，故不例也。二所起勝位中，初一舉小猶無盡、後二顯多則亡言，何得說之而不略耳？三結說中少分者，有三重：一多劫所修，此難辨故，且論一念功德；二則此一念之中功德，自如來窮劫說不盡，是故且論一時中所說功德；三則此一時所說功德猶自深廣，唯佛能說，菩薩不知，是故復於佛所說中分取小分菩薩所知而今說之。又此少分與彼廣大通融，有四句：一以此少分不異多故，攝少同多，則此所說亦是不說說也。如鳥所履之空，不異未行之處廣大空也。是故〈性起品〉云「如鳥飛虛空，經遊百千年，行處未行處，皆悉不可量。若人百千劫，演說如來行，已說及未說，皆悉不可量。」二或攝多同少，義亦圓備。如《地論》云「如實滿足攝取故。」三或二俱攝故，亦說亦不說。四或二俱不攝故，非說非不說。竝准思之。問：何故此中信位菩薩得有如此廣大功德？答：此是普賢法界行德，但就信門於中顯現，故說不盡。若分別論，總有四句：一或唯約信門當相階降以辨，則此信但是善趣位，如輕毛等，如《瓔珞本業》及《仁王》等經說，此約三乘；二或唯約普賢當體德辨，如〈普賢行品〉說；三或俱，謂約彼信門顯此普賢德，如此品所說，此約一乘因分說；四或俱非，總不可說，此約果分離言之處。是故圓教中所明信位，與彼三乘中十信，義別不同也。

Within the first section, there are seven verses, divided into three parts: the first two clarify that the virtue is broad while the explanation is brief, which is self-evident; the next four explain the reason for the brief explanation; the last one concludes the characteristics that have been summarized. In the second explanation, the first verse discerns the basis of the vastness of the virtue, and the second clarifies the excellence of the virtue based on the mind. In the former, because there are four kinds of difficulty, even though it is the initial mind, it makes this merit vast and boundless. First, the difficulty of place: being able to generate the mind in the midst of the suffering and distress of birth and death; because this is difficult, the generated merit is vast. Second, the difficulty of time: having generated the mind long ago and being completely unmoving is not yet considered difficult, but now it is the opposite; therefore, the merit generated is manifold. Third, the difficulty of the object: being able to seek this limitless bodhi, where the mind follows the object, and is thus vast. Fourth, the difficulty of mind: if one generates the mind and is indecisive in advancing or retreating, the merit generated is not vast, but now it is the opposite; thus it is vast. The four lines of one verse should be understood respectively in this way. Among the three kinds of generating the mind in the Awakening of Faith, this corresponds to the very first, the generation of the mind through the completion of faith; hence it is called 'initial'. It is identical to the first abode of initial aspiration among the ten abodes below, and to the 'Chapter on the Merits of the Initial Generation of the Mind'. This concerns the culmination of faith, while that concerns the beginning of the abodes; hence they are not two. Since perfecting faith and entering the abodes is alone regarded as faith, why does perfecting the abodes and entering practice not serve as the abodes? The explanation says: faith does not form a distinct stage, so it is not analogous. In the second part, on the superior stages that arise: the first verse points out that even a small amount is inexhaustible; the latter two reveal that the manifold is beyond words—how could one explain it without being brief? In the third part, concluding the explanation of a small portion, there are three layers: 1. What is cultivated over many kalpas is difficult to discern; thus, let us only discuss the merit of a single thought-moment. 2. The merit within this single thought-moment cannot be fully spoken of by the Tathāgata even throughout kalpas; therefore, let us only discuss the merit spoken of in a single session. 3. The merit spoken of in this single session is still so deep and broad that only a Buddha can speak of it and bodhisattvas cannot know it; therefore, from what the Buddha has spoken, taking a small portion known to bodhisattvas, it is now spoken. Furthermore, this small portion interpenetrates with that vastness in four propositions: 1. Because this small portion is not different from the manifold, gathering the small to be identical with the manifold, what is spoken here is also an unspoken speaking. Like the sky traversed by a bird, it is not different from the vast sky not yet traversed. Therefore, the 'Chapter on Nature Manifestation' says: 'Like a bird flying through empty space, / Traveling for hundreds and thousands of years, / The places it has traversed and not yet traversed / Are all immeasurable. / If someone for hundreds of thousands of kalpas / Expounds the Tathāgata's practices, / What has been spoken and not yet spoken / Are all immeasurable.' 2. Or, gathering the manifold to be identical with the small, the meaning is also complete. As the Dilun says: 'Because it grasps and gathers in accordance with reality and perfection.' 3. Or, because both are gathered, it is both spoken and unspoken. 4. Or, because neither is gathered, it is neither spoken nor unspoken. These should all be contemplated accordingly. Question: Why do bodhisattvas in the stage of faith here come to have such vast merit? Answer: This is the practice and virtue of Samantabhadra's dharmadhātu, which is merely manifested within the gate of faith; therefore, it cannot be fully spoken of. If discussed analytically, there are four propositions in total: 1. Or, discerned solely in terms of the stage and grading proper to the gate of faith, this faith is merely a stage heading toward good realms, like light feathers, etc., as spoken in sūtras such as the Yingluo benye and Renwang; this refers to the Three Vehicles. 2. Or, discerned solely in terms of the intrinsic virtue of Samantabhadra, as spoken in the 'Chapter on Samantabhadra's Practice'. 3. Or both, meaning revealing this virtue of Samantabhadra with reference to that gate of faith, as spoken in this chapter; this is spoken with reference to the causal part of the One Vehicle. 4. Or neither, which is entirely ineffable; this refers to the realm of the resultant part that transcends speech. Therefore, the stage of faith explained in the Complete Teaching is distinctly different in meaning from the ten faiths in the Three Vehicles.