華嚴經探玄記 15.72

15.72

The seventh major section, from possessing ten kinds of inconceivable dharmas having realized equal, right awakening onward, contains six approaches, which turn back to answer the fourth question regarding the Buddha's appearance in the world. Within this: first, gathering conditions to manifest awakening; second, skillfully manifesting from within non-existence; third, what is manifested is difficult to measure; fourth, the fruitional stages are identical; fifth, wisdom abides in the sublime realm; sixth, knowing phenomena without remainder. Each section head is evident. In the first ten: the first two are endowed with the marks of the fruit—that is, first external marks are complete, then internal virtues are perfected; the next two are fulfillment of causal virtues—that is, first merit, then practice; the next two are manifesting in response to capacities—that is, the unruined supreme Dharma is the merit of subduing Māra; the next two are adorning lands and possessing wisdom; the next two are perfection of marks and completeness of virtues; the last one is displaying the end after his work is finished. In the second [group], 'skillful upāya' means that realizing the equality of truth, he is able to initiate extraordinary practices within existence; hence it is called 'skillful.' The first, 'knowing that dharmas have no ultimate end,' is realizing the truth; 'yet expounding ultimately' and so forth is skillful means. If dwelling in truth contradicts the existence of these phenomena, or expounding phenomenal existence contradicts the non-existence of that truth, neither is skillful means. If the two meanings are as divergent as mountains, or if combining them causes both to be lost, neither is skillful means. Now, both [extremes] are avoided, hence it is called 'skillful upāya.' Since this explains the meaning of the Buddha's appearance in the world, it is explained with respect to upāya facing phenomenal affairs. Second, realizing that there is no grasper or grasped, he skillfully sees the dharmadhātu. Third, being signless he knows signs; lacking self-nature he manifests forms. Fourth, realizing the truth that obliterates the three time periods, he clearly sees the Buddhas of the three times. Fifth, while the three modes of action involve no creating, he blazingly expounds the Dharma. Sixth, while truth extinguishes defilement and purity, it does not destroy the worldly realm or the functions of the Buddha's wisdom. Seventh, by relying on the dharma that is non-temporal, he harmonizes time so that [moments] enter one another; furthermore, constantly abiding in the non-temporal, he expounds the Dharma in accordance with the time. Eighth, because what is realized as non-temporal is not separate from time, he possesses the ten kinds of eloquence and expounds endless dharmas. Ninth, realizing that dharmas are nameless, he skillfully generates names and phrases. Tenth, while there are no aggregates, realms, or sense bases, he does not destroy the marks of dharmas. Furthermore, he thoroughly penetrates the two forms of emptiness, and skillfully distinguishes the three collections and so forth. In the third [group], 'having ten kinds of Buddha-work that are immeasurable' and so forth means that the manifestations of the fruit are difficult to measure, all gathering beings to enter the Path, collectively called Buddha-work. Their karmic functions are vast; these all belong to the approach of the subtle and minute mutually containing each other, hence it is not the realm of others. In the first, performing the Buddha-work of gathering beings in the Tuṣita heaven: first, he separately cites those capable of gathering, generally revealing those gathered. Second, from 'great compassion' downward, he generally reveals those capable of gathering, and separately clarifies the benefit of those gathered, all evident in the text. In the second, descending in spirit from the Tuṣita heaven into the mother's womb to perform Buddha-work, there are four parts: first, wisdom and virtue are inwardly complete. Second, at 'in the final' and so forth, he analyzes the stage and place. Third, at 'or with spiritual powers' and so forth, he directly reveals ten karmic functions, as in the text. Within this, 'or from the initial aspiration' gathers the past; 'or nirvāṇa' gathers the future. Therefore, at the time of entering the womb, there is none that does not possess all eight phases [of a Buddha's life], and it also gathers past causal practices. This is as explained in the place of Māyā in the 'Chapter on the Dharmadhātu' below. Fourth, from 'this second bhūmi' downward, it directly clarifies the time, direction, and so forth of fully gathering the eight phases to perform Buddha-work. In the third, the Buddha-work of gathering and transforming while experiencing sensory pleasures in the royal palace, within this: first, his own practice is inwardly complete; second, from 'great compassion' downward, the four immeasurables well observe; third, from 'able to expound extensively' downward, it directly reveals gathering and benefiting; fourth, from 'although residing in the royal palace' downward, it clarifies that the gathering and benefiting are deep and vast—meaning all places constitute the vastness, and purifying the three modes of action constitutes the depth. In the fourth, benefiting beings at the time of renunciation, there are four parts: first, to guide beings attachment-bound to obtain pure practice; second, from 'manifesting worldly abandonment' downward, guiding ignorant beings to obtain wisdom; third, from 'manifesting for beings unsurpassable' downward, guiding beings of meager merit to become endowed with merit and wisdom; fourth, from 'extensively for beings' downward, bestowing the marks of the correct Dharma. In the fifth, benefiting beings at the time of attaining the Path, there are three parts: first, manifesting his own right awakening; second, from 'adorning all' downward, gathering his inner retinue; third, from 'causing all beings' downward, broadly benefiting beings—meaning first causing their practice to be accomplished and virtues fulfilled, and from 'fully distinguishing' downward, causing vast wisdom to be established. In the sixth, benefiting beings at the time of turning the dharmacakra, there are ten kinds of dharmacakra: 1. the teaching is firm and non-retrograde; 2. the wheel is manifold and omniscient; 3. what is expounded is definitive; 4. achieving benefit is not in vain; 5. the body of the wheel is vast; 6. the realm of the wheel is extremely profound; 7. the function of the wheel shines downward; 8. the wheel can manifest upward; 9. the nature of the wheel is equal; 10. the general conclusion of endlessness. The ten turnings of the endless dharmacakra of the One Vehicle should be matched to this text. In the seventh, benefiting beings at the time of entering royal cities and so forth: first, entering cities to benefit beings; second, from 'the physical bodies of all Buddhas' downward, clarifying that he can benefit through physical marks, deportment, and so forth; third, from 'those beings' downward, revealing the marks of those benefited; fourth, from 'with such' downward, a general conclusion of endlessness. In the eighth, from 'or dwelling in an araṇya' downward, clarifying the meaning of gathering and benefiting according to where he abides and so forth, there are four parts: first, gathering and benefiting by where he abides; second, gathering and benefiting by realms; third, gathering and benefiting by what is expounded; fourth, gathering and benefiting by the time he abides. In the ninth, gathering and benefiting through the inexhaustible treasury of merit, there are three parts: first, clarifying the achieved benefit of transformation, entering the bodhisattva stages; second, from 'or manifesting nirvāṇa' downward, revealing the skillful means capable of transforming; third, from 'or generating in sentient beings' downward, transforming them to enter the stage of the Buddha's realm. In the tenth, displaying nirvāṇa to benefit beings, there are three parts: first, displaying extinction to produce the benefit of yearning; second, the benefit of bodily relics; third, erecting stūpas with nails, teeth, and hair, meaning causing them to accomplish causes and attain fruits, being mindful of his kindness and praising his virtues. In the fourth [group], 'the Dharma King's dharmas of non-difference' clarifies that the fruitional stages are identical: 1. prophecies are non-different; 2. fulfilling vows is entirely the same; 3. the dharmakāya is not distinct; 4. wisdom is equal; 5. known Buddhas are the same (some texts read the character 'dharma'); 6. known lands are the same, because in the fruit there is no superiority or inferiority; 7. speech is identical with the words of Dharma; 8. there is nothing that does not transform beings; 9. defilement and purity are equally extinguished; 10. roots of goodness are identically in accord with suchness. However, elsewhere it speaks of four kinds of equality, and so says Vipaśyin is Śākyamuni. Here, the ten kinds of non-difference are also to be understood as the intention of equality. In the fifth [group], 'the ten abidings of the Buddha' means the places where the Buddha abides with respect to these ten kinds of dharmas: 1. the Buddha abiding; 2. the Brahma abiding; 3. relying on past vows; 4. abiding in present compassion; 5. effortless; 6. free from false passions; 7. mindfulness without momentary loss; 8. mind without limit or obstruction; 9. never not in absorption; 10. abiding in the true limit of reality. In the sixth [group], 'knowing ten kinds completely without remainder' means great wisdom illuminates realms boundlessly without omission. The first three are the complete clarity of the three knowledges; the next three are knowing worldly sentient beings—that is, the distinct paths of voices and sounds of many kinds of sentient beings are called 'the path of language'; the next two are knowing the trans-worldly, namely bodhisattvas and Buddhas; the last three are knowing Dharma approaches: first, knowing dependent origination generally; second, knowing phenomenal marks specifically; third, integrating phenomena with principle, like Indra's net layer upon layer, all having already been explained previously in the treatise on the Bhūmis. The above concludes the answer to the question regarding the Buddha's appearance in the world.