華嚴經探玄記 14.4

14.4

Second, the rationale for its sequence also has three senses: First, the preceding three bhūmis provisionally correspond to the mundane; the subsequent four bhūmis provisionally correspond to the teaching of the three vehicles; and from the eighth onward, it provisionally reveals the One Vehicle. The Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra explains the seventh bhūmi, saying: 'Because it is close to the One Vehicle.' The Liang translation of the Treatise also speaks of the eighth bhūmi and above as the One Vehicle. The explanation is: it enters the One Vehicle from the previous differentiated stages of the three vehicles; hence it follows. Second, although the preceding stage attained purely signless contemplation, it still had to await preparatory effort and attention to be realized; now this has ripened to purity, presenting itself spontaneously without awaiting preparatory effort, hence it is explained next. Third, the preceding [stages] still pertain to samsaric transmigration of segmented birth and death, while this stage pertains purely to transformation [body birth and death]; hence it follows.