華嚴經探玄記 18.27

18.27

Fourth, determining the names and meanings of the assemblies: Question: None of these assemblies are spoken by the Buddha; how can they be considered a sūtra? Answer: These were all compiled by the Dharma-transmitting bodhisattvas from the affairs of various bodhisattvas seeking and preaching the Dharma at that time, identical to the phenomena of mastery in the Jetavana, etc., manifested in the fundamental assembly above, causing that great assembly to see them and enter the Dharma. Even though there are no Buddha words, how could this not be a sūtra? Question: In the fundamental assembly earlier, although the Buddha did not speak, the various manifested events all took place within the Buddha's assembly. Now, these are spoken in distant and different places, not spoken by the Buddha, nor in the presence of the Buddha; how can they serve as a precedent? Answer: Although in distant places, they do not depart from the fundamental assembly, and therefore are always before the Buddha. Just as in the text above, within the Jetavana grove, every single sphere of experience still subsumes all Buddha-kṣetras of the ten directions; how much more would these various places not be subsumed? Therefore, because these fifty-five assemblies do not go beyond the fundamental, they are called one assembly, namely the 'Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu'. Question: Since these various places are all within the Jetavana, in the text below Sudhana ought to see Samantabhadra and the Buddha's great assembly here in the multistoried pavilion; why does he instead see them at the vajra-bodhimaṇḍa? Answer: Because the vajra-[seat under the] bodhi tree is the root of the eight assemblies, without moving from the bodhi tree it pervades the locations of all assemblies. Tracing the branches back to see the root, it returns to being here. Furthermore, at the beginning of this assembly, Samantabhadra and the Buddha were within the Jetavana, having never moved, yet were seen at the bodhi tree; thus this Jetavana is also beneath the tree. This can be understood upon reflection.