華嚴經探玄記 10.34

10.34

In the third part, the accomplishment of dedication, four rounds of interpretation are made following the treatise: first, explaining the intended meaning; second, explaining the general and specific; third, distinguishing according to the essentials; fourth, explaining in terms of practice. In the first, it first asks: What matters are spoken of in setting forth this seeking of the ground of omniscience and so forth? Why is this question posed? Because the word "dedication" does not appear in the text, this question is asked. "Showing the accomplishment of dedication" is the answer provided to clarify it, because seeking the fruit of buddhahood is the meaning of dedication. Second, regarding the general and specific explanation, it should be known as in the treatise. Third, regarding distinguishing according to the essentials, three parts are differentiated here: (1) What matter is sought? "Seeking the ground of omniscience" is the fruit and Dharma sought in the first line. "Seeking" is like desiring. (2) Through what contemplation is it sought? Through contemplating the powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth of the buddhas. This reveals the contemplative understanding capable of seeking, which is the second line. (3) How does one seek? By seeking the unattached dharmas of the pāramitās, this reveals through what practice one seeks, namely using the pāramitās to seek while separated from attachments such as the six obscurations. This universally subsumes the subsequent ten lines, completely exhausting them. Among these three seekings: "Home" concludes that the ground of omniscience is the place sought, hence it is called home. "Relying on home" concludes the contemplative understanding capable of seeking, meaning the powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth contemplated are the particular virtues within omniscience, hence it is called relying on home. "Seeking without obstacles" concludes that the practices capable of seeking are separated from obscurations and hindrances. Fourth, in explaining in terms of practice: the first two lines are not the primary practices cultivated here, hence they are explained separately. This only explains the preceding practices capable of seeking. In the treatise, "how does one seek" and so forth generally marks the third approach above as this general line. Below, opening the specifics, it speaks of "seeking differentiated fruits." In the two defilements of giving: first, when seeing a beggar, resorting to deception is verbal flattery; having no intention to grant it is deceit of the mind. As an antidote to this, the sūtra says: "Because of departing from flattery and deceit." This is a categorical refusal to grant. Second, promising but not giving has three meanings: (1) first promising and later not giving; (2) promising much and giving little; (3) promising superior goods and giving inferior goods; all of which fail to follow one's prior words. As an antidote to this, the sūtra says: "Because of being able to act according to what one has said." Second, morality has one defilement, which is not guarding true speech, comprising two aspects: (1) transgressing the precepts, by violating the words of being able to uphold them at the time of original reception; (2) concealing and not revealing them, committing sins of silent false speech and so forth. As an antidote to this, the sūtra says: "Always practicing true speech." A verse in the Bodhisambhāra-śāstra states: "Even if through true speech one dies, / Or falls from being a wheel-turning king / Or from being among the kings of devas, / One should only speak true words." Third, patience has one defilement: the house of the Buddha takes benefiting others as its proper vocation; contrary to this, afflicting others defiles the house of the Buddha. As an antidote to this, the sūtra says: "Because of not defiling the house of the Buddha." Fourth, vigor has one defilement, which means generating regression with respect to the precepts. This has three kinds: (1) regression because the Dharma is extensive, as the treatise says: "The bodhisattva precepts are measureless"; (2) regression because the time is long, as the treatise says: "The number of kalpas is vast and distant"; (3) regression because they are profound and subtle, as the treatise says: "Difficult to uphold and difficult to practice." Because they are extensive, it is difficult to uphold them completely; because the time is long, it is difficult to uphold them constantly; because they are profound and subtle, it is difficult to uphold them well. Furthermore, in the precepts of restraint, there is no evil that is not abandoned, hence they are difficult to uphold; in the other two categories, there is no good that is not gathered, and no sentient being that is not delivered, hence they are difficult to practice. Because of this, one gives rise to a mind of regression and falling away, which is this defilement. As an antidote to this, the sūtra says: "Because of not abandoning the bodhisattva precepts," and through the urged cultivation of vigor, one can practice what is difficult to practice. Fifth, in the two defilements of meditation: (1) clinging to conditions amid objects is called a distracted mind; inner emotions falsely grasping is called conceptualization. Also, the first is coarse and the second is subtle. Also, the first fails to attain calm (śamatha), and the second fails to attain insight (vipaśyanā). Among the antidotes, immovability cures distraction, and giving rise to sarvajña cures conceptualization. Sixth, wisdom has three defilements: (1) obstructing practice that does not abide in paths. Either one exclusively manifests the world and does not manifest nirvāṇa, thereby resembling ordinary beings, or one exclusively manifests nirvāṇa and does not manifest the world, thereby resembling the two vehicles. Lacking skillful means in this manner is a defilement of prajñā. Its antidote can be known as in the sūtra. (2) Obstructing practices that assist the path, and (3) obstructing practices that realize the path, can both be known. The statement "The bodhisattva like this" downward concludes securely abiding. Purified through these thirty lines of practice, this bhūmi becomes fully mature, hence they are called pure dharmas. The treatise further explains, dividing it into four: (1) faith, meaning receptive endurance and decisive certainty; (2) aspiration, meaning longing to proceed toward those practices; (3) vigor, meaning creating and cultivating in response to conditions; (4) upāya, meaning skillful seeking when practice is perfected. Among the first ten lines, the last three lines are this aspiration, hence there are four. The preceding hundred lines of the sūtra conclude the general explanation of the expository section of the first bhūmi.