華嚴經探玄記 16.47

16.47

Fourth is the nature-manifestation mental action. Having first explained body and speech, next it explains mind; thus it shows the sequence by proceeding from coarse to gradually subtle. Within it, the rubric is stated and the meaning is explained. In explaining the meaning: first, a general analysis according to Dharma; second, particular illustrations with respect to similes; third, a general summary of what is known. In the first part, the statement that mind, intellect, and consciousness (citta-manas-vijñāna) are not identical to the Tathāgata is a discerning determination of the entity of the Dharma. That is to say, this text intends to clarify the Buddha's mind; however, the Buddha's mind and so forth have all undergone transformation of the basis (āśrayaparavṛtti) to become wisdom. Therefore, the Buddha's mental action is praised in terms of wisdom, and thus it says only to know that wisdom is measureless, and so forth. The intent of this text is to clarify that the Buddha has no mind or intellect, but is solely wisdom. The eighth fascicle of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "That is, the support of non-conceptual wisdom is neither the mind nor the meaning of intellect; nor is it that non-mind is the support, because it is of the same category as mind. With mind as the cause, through the force of frequent habituation this stage is attained, so it is called 'of the same category as mind.'" The explanation states: it does not mean that there is a mind in this stage. If so, how could these mental factors of wisdom lack a kingly mind to depend upon? There are multiple explanations. One says: In actual reality, the Buddha-stage possesses the pure eight consciousnesses; stating only 'wisdom' is spoken in terms of what is predominant and superior. The treatise states: "The Tathāgata's immaculate consciousness is associated with the great round mirror-like wisdom." Saying that because wisdom is measureless, mind is also measureless, is to draw a parallel from the mental factors to the kingly mind, adducing what is dependent to reveal that which is depended upon; the Buddhabhūmi-śāstra and others fully clarify this meaning. One should know that this is distinguished according to the Initial Teaching. Another says: In actual reality, the Buddha-stage is purely great wisdom, with no talk of the eight consciousnesses or other mental dharmas. The sūtra says: "The Buddha has no mind, intellect, or consciousness," and the treatise says: "Only suchness and the wisdom of suchness uniquely endure; all else is cut off," and so forth; both this sūtra text and the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and others jointly illuminate this meaning. One should know that this is spoken according to the Final Teaching. Another says: The great wisdom of the Buddha-stage is inwardly identical with true nature, because shining is immediately quiescence. In the "Chapter on the Ten Treasuries," the passage stating "The Tathāgata's great wisdom is unproduced and unceasing" and so forth represents this meaning. One should know that this is spoken according to the Sudden Teaching. Another says: The great wisdom of the Buddha-stage is immediately principle and immediately wisdom, immediately the kingly mind and immediately the mental factors, whether opened or merged; because the preceding three explanations are not separated from one another, and without obstruction or hindrance it fully possesses the ten wisdoms. One should know that this is spoken simply in terms of the Perfect Teaching. Second, in particularly illustrating with respect to similes, it briefly adduces ten great similes to illustrate the Tathāgata's ten kinds of great wisdom. First, the simile of empty space being unsupported illustrates the Buddha's wisdom of equality that is unsupported. That is, because it can serve as a predominant condition for others, it can serve as a support for others; but itself does not depend on others, and thus has no support. Another explanation: Because the stage is complete, there is no further support. Another explanation: The causal wisdom depends on the fruit; the fruitional wisdom is without support. Another explanation: Mundane wisdom is preparatory, supramundane wisdom is subsequently attained; both depend on the fundamental; the fundamental wisdom is without support. Why does it not say it depends on tathatā? Explanation: "Dependence" implies seeking; having verified the real to perfection, there is no further seeking, hence it is called unsupported. Another explanation: Because the nature of wisdom is intrinsically free [from clinging], it has no further support. If so, could other wisdoms not also be like this? Explanation: This wisdom reaches the culmination of verifying principle. Second, the simile of the dharmadhātu being unchangeable illustrates the Buddha's wisdom that nature is without increase or decrease. Just as the three vehicles that are able to verify naturally have shallow and profound differences, the dharmadhātu verified is without increase or decrease. In the correspondence, the subsequently attained [wisdom] which is able to depend wanes and waxes along with the world; the true wisdom which is depended upon is in its nature without increase or decrease. Third, the simile of the great ocean moisturizing and benefiting illustrates the Buddha's thought-free wisdom that benefits sentient beings. That is, it empowers sentient beings and aids their power of mindfulness, hence it is called "moisturizing their minds." Fourth, the simile of the great jewel producing [treasures] illustrates the Buddha's wisdom whose function arises while its essence is concealed. In the correspondence: first, it corresponds to the Buddha-ocean possessing the jewel of wisdom; second, it corresponds to the function of producing treasures; third, it lists the four names. Dharma Master Bian says: "This can produce the wisdom of the four vehicles: first, it can produce the śrāvaka vehicle; second, it can produce the pratyekabuddha vehicle; third, it can produce the bodhisattva vehicle; fourth, it can produce the human and deva vehicle." Yanying and others say: "First is the wisdom of verifying the path, severing the defilement hindrances; second is called the wisdom aiding the path, severing the cognitive hindrances; third is the wisdom of the non-abiding path, relinquishing the retribution hindrances—the above three being the benefit of oneself; fourth is the wisdom of benefiting sentient beings, which is the practice of benefiting others." The present explanation is: first, the wisdom of non-attachment, meaning unstained and non-clinging to existence, and by upāya not abiding in non-existence; second, the wisdom analyzing dharmalakṣaṇas, meaning dissecting the distinctions between the conditioned and the unconditioned; third, the wisdom expounding in accord with the Dharma, meaning that stating differences does not obstruct sameness, hence it says "not destroying the dharmadhātu"—the above three being in terms of Dharma; fourth, the wisdom converting without missing the proper time, this being in terms of capacity. The fourth correspondence, to profundity and superiority, contains a rubric and an explanation, which can be known. It is like the bright pearl in the king's topknot in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, which only ministers of great merit can see, and so forth. The fifth correspondence, to being upright and square, can be known. Fifth, the simile of the precious gem dissolving the ocean illustrates the Buddha's wisdom extinguishing defilements and achieving virtues. In both the simile and the correspondence, each has three points: first, a general adduction; second, a listing of names; third, revealing functions. In conventional books, it says: "In the great ocean there is the scorched stone that dissolves the great waters." It also says: "Pouring into the Weilu whirlpool so that the ocean does not increase." Again, in the Hīnayāna, it is held that the Avīci hell lies beneath the great ocean, and its fiery vapors swallow upward to dissolve the seawater. Now in this text, it is spoken as the ultimate truth, and thus is unlike the former ones. In the four wisdoms of the correspondence, ancient masters correlated them with the wisdoms of four samādhis: the first is the wisdom of the Mahāyāna Radiance Samādhi; the second is the wisdom of the King of Amassing Merit Samādhi; the third is the wisdom of the Bhadrapāla Samādhi; the fourth is the wisdom of the Śūraṅgama Samādhi. Also, Ying says: "The first is meditative wisdom, removing unwholesome hindrances; the second is upāya wisdom, removing the hindrance of attachment to dhyāna; the third is wisdom according with principle, removing defilement hindrances; the fourth is wisdom according with measure, removing cognitive hindrances." The present explanation further states: first, it can remove the hindrance of flowing and scattered defiled karmas; second, it can remove the hindrance of obscurity in meditation and attachment to purity; third, it can remove the hindrance of fundamental ignorance; fourth, when hindrances are exhausted, it achieves the fruitional wisdom. These four all proceed gradually from coarse to fine. From "O son of the Buddha" below, the conclusion summarizing what is essential and superior can be known. Sixth, the simile of empty space containing and receiving illustrates the Buddha's non-obstructive wisdom of sustaining. In the explanation it says that the Tathāgata's wisdom reaches everywhere; that is, the Buddha's wisdom is omnipresent within the minds of all sentient beings. Therefore, when sentient beings produce wisdom from the gotra within their own minds, it is produced from the Buddha's wisdom, and in turn abides dependent upon the Buddha's wisdom, yet without crowding or constricting the Buddha's wisdom. Seventh, the simile of the king of medicinal herbs growing illustrates the Buddha's deep and vast wisdom of lineage (gotra). Within the simile there are six parts: first, clarifying the tree's location and name; second, clarifying that its cause of arising is deep; third, the tree's function is vast, stated because this tree can produce all trees; fourth, explaining and displaying the tree's name; fifth, excluding the places where it does not grow; sixth, not losing its nature to produce. In the correspondence there are also six parts: first, adducing the Dharma identical to the simile, hence it says "it is also like this"; second, from "from all" below corresponds to its cause of arising being deep, meaning that the first is the naturally abiding nature (prakṛtistha-gotra). "In the past" and so forth is the nature acquired through practice (samudānīta-gotra); third, from "world measureless" below clarifies that the produced fruit is complete, within which there are four phrases: first, inner virtue is complete; second, from "all entirely" below, external conversion is vast; third, from "eradicating" below, benefit is not in vain; fourth, from "skilful upāya" below distinguishes the fruitional characteristics in six items. Finally it says "holding without increase or decrease," which means that after the fruitional virtue is produced, it exhausts the future limit; when function rests there is no decrease, and when newly arising there is no increase. Third, from "O son of the Buddha" below corresponds to the name and the explanation of the name, meaning that attaining the fruit without abandoning the cause is named "not severing the bodhisattva practice." Fourth, from "that Tathāgata" below corresponds to the function being vast, also through six items achieving the practice of benefiting others: that is, with the Buddha's compassion on the causal ground as the root, now that the root is firm and unsevered, it produces the bodhisattva's compassionate practice. Second, taking skilful upāya as the base, it is called the trunk; this can spur and accomplish the bodhisattva's diligent practice. Third, the pure dharmadhātu—dhātu means division or limit, meaning the branches and streams; they stream forth the bodhisattva's practice of the ten pāramitās. Fourth, dhyāna and liberation form the shading leaves, producing others' leaf-like practices such as the precepts. Fifth, the seven factors of awakening are the inwardly blossoming flowers, forming others' adornments of goodness. Sixth, the supreme power of fruit causes them to attain the fruit of prediction. Also, with the Buddha's wisdom as the root, it can produce the bodhisattva's stages of practice; therefore, taking the Buddha's wisdom as the nature, its ability to accomplish bodhisattva practices and so forth is called "manifestation" (utpāda). Fifth, the correspondence to not growing in two places is because those two places lack the meaning of manifestation. Question: Based on the earlier text, the three vehicles' roots of goodness produced depending on the Buddha's wisdom are all nature manifestations; why here are the two vehicles excluded? Answer: The former was based on what is benefited by nature-manifestation, not the self-nature of nature-manifestation itself, because those are merely that which depends. If so, bodhisattvas are also that which depends; why are they included? Explanation: Because those two vehicles lack the great bodhicitta and do not accord with the nature, it is not called manifestation; bodhisattvas are not like this, hence they are not the same. Here, the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles corresponds to the deep pit of hell, because it is burned by fire into ash and cut off. Breaking the precepts and so forth corresponds to the watery sphere, possessing four faults: first, breaking precepts, with respect to those who do not repent; second, wrong views, with respect to being the cause of severing goodness; third, greedy attachment, based on those who cannot be transformed or corrected; fourth, being an unfit vessel, concerning those lacking the vessel for the supramundane path. Or, this is also a general summary of the preceding three. If one looks directly at this text, it seems that the first is in terms of the two vehicles of fixed nature, and the latter is in terms of ordinary beings without nature, and therefore it cannot grow in these two places. If based on the subsequent text, corresponding to not abandoning the nature to produce, one knows it is not an absolute non-existence, because these two positions are spoken with respect to the present; if spoken with respect to the future, they can all produce it. Since not growing in the two places is not called decrease, and being able to grow in other places is not called increase, we know it is definitely existent. Eighth, the simile of the kalpa-fire burning completely illustrates the Buddha's wisdom of knowing without omission. In the correspondence, it briefly adduces four realms with nothing not known to the utmost. The explanation states "indestructible" because the power of being able to know is inexhaustible. Ninth, the simile of the kalpa-wind sustaining and destroying illustrates the Buddha's wisdom of skilfully retaining defilements, meaning giving them to bodhisattvas to make them retain dormant defilements (anuśaya), or to complete bodhisattva practice reaching Buddhahood. Tenth, the simile of a speck of dust containing a scroll of scripture illustrates the Buddha's wisdom of nature-pervasion and equality. Within it are three parts: Dharma, simile, and correspondence. In the first part are two: first, stating the rubric, meaning that because the Buddha's fruitional wisdom and the causal original awakening in sentient beings are without distinction, therefore the cause still entangled in defilements possesses the fruitional dharmas emerging from defilements; because in the Perfect Teaching cause and fruit are not two, a doctrine not seen in other sacred teachings. Second, from "Why is this?" below explains that the cause possesses the fruit. Since it says there is no sentient being's body in which the Tathāgata's wisdom is not fully present, one knows that if there were any who did not possess it, they would not be counted among sentient beings; how could there still be sentient beings devoid of nature (icchantika)? If they all possess it, why do they not know it? Explanation: Because of inversion (viparyāsa). If through inversion they do not know it, how is it known to exist? Explanation: If it did not exist previously, at the time of leaving inversion, where could it be obtained? Since it says that upon leaving inversion wisdom arises, it is clear that it is not non-existent. The "all-knowing wisdom" (sarvajñāna) is the wisdom of initial awakening. The "teacherless wisdom" is the wisdom of original awakening. The "unobstructed wisdom" is the wisdom in which initial and original [awakening] are not two. In the simile are also five parts: first, a speck of dust harboring a scroll of scripture; second, the divine eye seeing the scripture; third, sorrow that there is no benefit; fourth, forming the thought to break the dust; fifth, extracting the scripture to bring benefit. In the correspondence are six phrases: first, wisdom being inside sentient beings corresponds to the scripture inside the dust. "All specks of dust" refers to all sentient beings. Because deluded thoughts lack substance and are as fine as specks of dust, while virtues of nature are complete like a great scroll of scripture, deluded confusion veils the real just as dust conceals the scripture. Second, because of inversion, they cannot inferentially know it, cannot verify and see it, and furthermore do not believe in this teaching. Third, the Buddha-eye perceives it. Fourth, sorrow that there is no benefit. Fifth, from "I should" below teaches the removal of deluded defilements, corresponding to forming the thought to break the dust. Sixth, from "The Tathāgata immediately" below acts according to the thought, corresponding to extracting the scripture to bring benefit. The third major section, the general summary, can be known. Among the verses, there are thirty-seven verses: the first verse summarizes the preceding general explanation; the remaining verses summarize the ten similes, within which the first two have three verses each, the third and fourth have four verses each, the fifth and sixth also have three each, the seventh has five verses, the eighth also has three, and the remaining two have four verses each; therefore there are thirty-six, versifying the ten similes in order. The answer concerning mental action is finished.