華嚴經探玄記 1.44

1.44

Second, concerning the evaluation of right and wrong: The various venerable masters of the ten schools mentioned above who established teachings were all generals of the Dharma in their times, with unsurpassed brilliance and discernment. Figures such as Dhyāna Master Si and Dhyāna Master Zhizhe had divine anomalies and spiritual resonance, their traces joining the ranks of the bhūmis; their listening to the Dharma at the Vulture Peak was remembered as if in the present. Dharma Master Yun, relying on this, founded a school and lectured on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, causing gods to rain down flowers and the like—all as recounted in the Biographies of Eminent Monks. Furthermore, how could these venerable masters have divided the sacred teachings out of a love for divergence? It was solely because their understanding encompassed all the scriptures, and diverse paths answered different capacities; having no other choice, they founded schools to provide distinct expositions, striving to make each sacred teaching accord with what was fitting. Question: Among the ten explanations above, which is right and which is wrong? Answer: According to the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra, when the Buddha spoke words concerning the internal, the external, and the intermediate, he immediately entered meditative absorption. At that time, five hundred arhats each gave a different interpretation of these words. When the Buddha emerged from absorption, they asked the World-Honoured One together: "Whose interpretation accords with the Buddha's intention?" The Buddha said: "None of them are my intention." The people asked the Buddha: "Since they do not accord with the Buddha's intention, will we not incur guilt?" The Buddha said: "Although they are not my intention, each conforms to correct principle and can serve as sacred teaching; there is merit and no guilt." How much more so as each of these interpretations is corroborated by more or less sacred scriptural testimony; therefore, they cannot be entirely rejected as wrong.