華嚴經探玄記 1.54

1.54

Fourth, the capacities of beings addressed by the teaching. In general there are ten levels, among which the first five weed out non-receptacles, and the latter five directly reveal those for whom it is intended. Among the first five: First, non-receptacles through violating truth. This refers to those who do not generate the bodhicitta and do not seek liberation, but rely upon this sūtra to seek fame and profit, adorning their own ego; this sūtra is not their condition, so they are not its receptacle. Below it says: 'Expounding the Dharma for the sake of fame and profit is a māra-deed.' And also, as expounding the Dharma with impurities leads to falling into the evil destinies, and so on. Second, non-receptacles through turning away from the correct. This refers to those who pretend to manifest a great mind and falsely cultivate perverse goods; in the short term they attract [rebirth as] humans and gods, but in the end they never become buddhas, and are in danger of falling into the Avīci hell to suffer for many kalpas. Like Devadatta, who was at the apex of the icchantika, or like the eight great good persons who would become evil. The former can be known based on the beginning, while the latter is only revealed at the end. Below it says: 'Forgetting the bodhicitta while cultivating wholesome roots is a māra-deed.' The sūtra is not a condition for such, so they too are not receptacles. Third, non-receptacles through deviating from reality. This refers to those who, although not deceitful, grasp the sūtra text according to their own attached views, thus preventing this supreme teaching that transcends conception from entering their minds at all; thus they become non-receptacles. The *Daśabhūmika-vyākhyāna* says: 'Construing hearing as hearing, one fails to attain the un-heard.' There are also the five kinds of faults of grasping meaning according to literal words, and so on. These three levels above are all the realm of ordinary and foolish sentient beings. Below it says: 'This sūtra does not enter the hands of all sentient beings, with the sole exception of bodhisattvas.' Truly, because this sūtra is not a condition for the transmigration of sentient beings, it does not enter their hands. Fourth, non-receptacles through narrowness and inferiority. This refers to all those of the two vehicles who lack a vast mind; they too are not its receptacle. A lower passage says: 'All śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas do not hear this sūtra, how much less receive and uphold it.' Furthermore, Śāriputra and the other five hundred śrāvakas were all like the deaf and blind, neither hearing nor seeing. Fifth, non-receptacles through clinging to the provisional. This refers to the various bodhisattvas of the shared teaching of the three vehicles who, practicing within their own tenets, have not yet completed the first asaṃkhyeya [kalpa]; they too are not its receptacle. A lower passage says: 'Though a bodhisattva-mahāsattva practices the six pāramitās and cultivates the wholesome roots of the aids to bodhi for immeasurable hundreds of millions of nayutas of kalpas, if they have not heard this sūtra, or though having heard it do not faithfully accept, uphold, and accord with it, such a one is still a nominal bodhisattva.' Question: The *Yingluo jing* and others state that cultivating the ten faiths to completion requires ten thousand kalpas; why does it say here that after immeasurable hundreds of millions [of kalpas] they still do not believe in this sūtra? Answer: Because they have only cultivated faith and so forth within the gradual stages of practice, and have not yet heard of or believed in this perfectly interpenetrating Samantabhadra ten faiths where the one subsumes the all. By this we know the difference between the two tenets. Were it not so, having cultivated for so many kalpas, if they did not believe this sūtra, how could they be called bodhisattva-mahāsattvas? The weeding out of non-receptacles is complete. Among the second [group of] five that directly reveals those for whom it is intended: First, those who are directly intended: these are the bodhisattvas of universal capacity in the unshared teaching of the one vehicle; they are precisely the receptacles for which this sūtra is intended. A lower passage says: 'Such a sūtra is spoken solely for bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who ride the inconceivable vehicle, and not for other people.' Explanation: 'Vehicle' has the meaning of conveying. If relying on the distinct gate, first one is conveyed to the ten faiths, next advanced to the ten abodes up to the buddha-fruit, ascending successively to step onto the other shore; this is called conceivable. If relying on the universal gate, because one stage is all stages, one conveyance is also all conveyances; this is called the inconceivable vehicle. For those who ride this vehicle, fulfilling the heart of the ten faiths immediately attains the six stages, as explained in the 'Bhadraśrī Chapter' and elsewhere. Furthermore, the stages of the ten abodes and so forth are all likewise, as explained in the various assembly locations below. Moreover, like Sudhana fulfilling the five stages in a single lifetime, these are all due to the mutual inclusion of the universal dharma. Also, the 'Rocana Chapter' says: 'Not what is known by other realms; / by Samantabhadra's upāya, all can enter.' Furthermore, Samantabhadra admonishes the assembly, saying: 'The pure body of the realm of the universal eye, / I now expound; O good ones, listen carefully!' Such is known. Question: Why is this dharma not within other realms? Answer: Because Rocana ubiquitously pervades dust-mote realms, universally responding to all the various capacities of the dharmadhātu. If those of distinct capacities accord with their own dispositions, each only sees what they themselves see and hears what they themselves hear; none sees what others see or hears what others hear. These capacities of Samantabhadra, however, see all that is seen and hear all that is heard, fully exhausting Rocana's scope of capacity to transform; hence it is called the realm of the universal eye. Therefore one should know that the universal and distinct capacities evoke the universal and distinct dharmas differently. Second, those who are concurrently intended: this refers to those who, during the remnant Dharma, see, hear, believe, and incline toward this inexhaustible dharma, forming a vajra-seed; they will definitely attain this perfectly interpenetrating universal dharma. This is like the analogy below of swallowing the vajra, or the analogy of a small fire burning widely, and so forth; also like the god in Tuṣita emerging from hell to attain the ten bhūmis and the forbearance of non-arising, progressively benefiting beings inexhaustibly, and so forth—all have the prior hearing of this dharma as their root cause. A lower passage also says: 'Though being in the great ocean, / or within the fire at the end of a kalpa, / with decisive faith without doubt, / one will definitely get to hear this sūtra.' Third, those who are guided: this refers to those bodhisattvas of the shared teaching mentioned before, who, after a long time of nurturing within that teaching, deeply understand and exhaust the source of the gradual teachings; they will then attain this Samantabhadra dharmadhātu. Since it says that for immeasurable hundreds of millions of nayutas of kalpas they do not believe this sūtra, one knows that upon surpassing this number of kalpas they will definitely believe and accept it, because apart from this universal dharma there is no other path to attain buddhahood, and because the sūtra does not say that they still disbelieve after surpassing this number of kalpas. Question: If those prior to the bhūmis definitely believe and accept after surpassing that number of kalpas, then one knows that above the bhūmis the two tenets are not distinct; could what they believe lack the ten bhūmis? Answer: In that teaching there is fully the succession of the gradual ten bhūmis up to the buddha-fruit, nurturing their faculties so as to bring them to maturity. The slowest among them will definitely believe and enter upon reaching this number of kalpas; as for the quick ones, it is indeterminate, which can be understood by analogy. Fourth, those who are redirected: this refers to those of the two vehicles who, due to their dull faculties, must first turn back and enter the Mahāyāna of the shared teaching, relinquishing the name of the two vehicles to obtain the designation of bodhisattva, and only then enter this Samantabhadra dharma; hence it is said that this sūtra is solely for bodhisattvas and does not subsume the two vehicles. Were it not so, other Mahāyāna sūtras have assemblies of śrāvakas as capacities to be addressed, and also guide the two vehicles to enter the Mahāyāna. If only this sūtra lacked capacities of śrāvakas in its assembly, and lacked passages on turning the small [to the great], how could it be a definitive, profound, and vast scripture? Even if there are śrāvakas in the eighth assembly, this is to manifest the Dharma by way of contrast, expressing that they are like the deaf and blind, not that they are addressed; the six thousand bhikṣus are not arhats, so there is no contradiction. Therefore one should know that across the board, no one of the two vehicles enters the Samantabhadra dharmadhātu abruptly. According to the ultimate explanation, there are no two-vehicle practitioners who do not turn back to become bodhisattvas of the shared teaching, and no such bodhisattvas who do not enter this Samantabhadra dharma; therefore, indirectly, all are receptacles for this dharma. Fifth, those who are distantly intended: this refers to all ordinary fools, non-Buddhists, and icchantikas, who all possess the buddha-nature; due to their heavy obstructions, over a long time they too will attain entry into this dharma. As both the *Buddhagotra-śāstra* and the *Ratnagotravibhāga* say, because the icchantika slanders the Mahāyāna, it is said based on an immeasurable time that they lack the buddha-nature, not that they ultimately lack the pure nature. It is also like the great tree of nature manifestation in this sūtra, which does not sprout in the two places of the two vehicles and icchantikas, yet does not relinquish its nature of generation, and like the analogy of the sun shining on the born-blind, and so forth. Therefore, one should know that ultimately there are no sentient beings who do not enter this dharma, because sentient beings inherently possess this universal dharma. A lower passage says: 'The bodhisattva knows that within the bodies of all sentient beings there is the Tathāgata's bodhi,' and so on. Question: If so, why do treatises like the *Yogācārabhūmi* state that those of the determinate nature of the two vehicles and beings without nature definitely do not become buddhas? Answer: This is because the gates of teaching have the definitive and the non-definitive, hence there are various explanations. If relying on the Hīnayāna, all sentient beings entirely lack the nature of great bodhi, as stated in Hīnayāna treatises. If it is the initial teaching of the Mahāyāna, there are the differences of the five natures, where one portion has the nature and one portion lacks the nature, as in the *Yogācārabhūmi* and elsewhere. If relying on the final teaching, all sentient beings have the buddha-nature, as in sūtras like the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* and treatises like the *Buddhagotra-śāstra*. If relying on the sudden teaching, the buddha-nature of sentient beings is of one taste and one characteristic, which cannot be said to exist nor said not to exist, transcending words and conceptualization, as stated in the *Sarvadharmāpravṛtti-nirdeśa* and others. If relying on the perfect teaching, the buddha-nature of sentient beings is replete with both cause and fruit, possessing both nature and characteristics, perfectly clear and complete with virtues, as stated in the passage on the Tathāgata's bodhi in the 'Nature Manifestation Chapter'.