華嚴經探玄記 1.87

1.87

Ninth, the synthesized name: "Great" designates the substance itself, taking containment as its meaning. "Square/Correct" (fang) takes function as its name, having the meaning of a standard/rule, because it is a method; its nature is free from deviance and crookedness, because it is upright; it can cure heavy hindrances, because it is a medical prescription; it pervades the realm of empty space, exhausting all directions. "Broad" (guang) clarifies essence and function together, taking omnipresence as its meaning, which means that in all places, at all times, across all dharmas, and among all persons, there is none it does not pervade, all being layered upon layer like Indra's net. Here, provisionally speaking, one encompassing all is called "great," and one pervading all is termed "broad." Reading "broad" first and "great" second also presents no contradiction in principle. "Fang" is just "guang," and "da" is just "fangguang"; all are karmadhāraya compounds. This is the dharma that is attained, and "Buddha" is the person who attains it; taking awakening and illuminating as its name, its meaning is the fulfillment of the fruit. In this context, person and dharma, object and wisdom, possess both mutual reliance and mutual identity. As for mutual reliance: because wisdom relies on the object, the Buddha of Vaipulya is distinguished from the Buddhas of the lower vehicles; because the object relies on wisdom, the Vaipulya of the Buddha is distinguished from dharmas of the causal stage. These two in mutual reliance each possess four propositions of efficacy and inefficacy in conditioned arising, which can be understood upon reflection; all are tatpuruṣa compounds. As for mutual identity: it means that the Buddha is identical with Vaipulya, and Vaipulya is identical with the Buddha; person and dharma are unobstructed, their entire substance being mutually identical. The four propositions of emptiness and existence should also be understood accordingly; this is solely a karmadhāraya compound. Since the Buddha is not of the lower vehicles, and the dharma transcends the causal stage, the virtues of the fruit are difficult to make manifest; relying on metaphor, they are then revealed. That is, the myriads of virtues are ultimate and magnificent like flowers; mutually adorning one another to manifest the nature is called adornment. Here there are two approaches: 1. the mutual adornment of all virtues, which also has mutual reliance and mutual identity, each possessing four propositions where existence and non-existence are both obliterated; all are karmadhāraya compounds, as can be understood upon reflection. 2. The mutual adornment of principle and practice, which also has mutual reliance and mutual identity. First, the four propositions of mutual reliance: (1) because principle is revealed through cultivation, this is the flower of practice adorning the nature; (2) because practice arises from principle, this is the flower of principle adorning practice. The Liang translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "There is nothing that does not flow from this dharmakāya, and nothing that does not return to realize this dharmakāya"; (3) principle and practice are both interfused, non-dual and yet dual: without practice that flows from the true, there is no way to tally with the true; without practice that adorns the true, it does not arise from the true. Truly, because essence interfuses with practice, the cause is perfected; because practice encompasses the true, the fruit is fulfilled; therefore it is designated the Buddha's Flower Adornment; (4) principle and practice are both obliterated, dual and yet non-dual: because it is the practice of principle, it is non-practice; because it is the principle of practice, it is non-principle. This is the vanishing of both signifier and signified, transcending sentiment and leaving behind characteristics; being neither adornment nor non-adornment, this is called Flower Adornment. In the four propositions of mutual identity, principle and practice are completely subsumed, as can be understood upon reflection. Hence we know that dharma and metaphor illuminate each other and are vividly evident. The remainder is as explained before.