華嚴經探玄記 18.49

18.49

Question: At what stage is this bodhisattva Sudhana? Answer: The sūtra makes no definitive determination, so his stage is difficult to clarify. Some assess him as a bodhisattva above the bhūmis; if he aroused the bodhimind later, it would be the latter two stages among the four kinds of arousing the mind, and also the arousal of mind by realization among the three arousals of mind in the treatise. Some say he is an ordinary being with true fruition, who merely possesses faithful mind and is able to seek good spiritual friends. Now, in further accordance with interpretation, he should be a practitioner in the course of good faith. According to the Perfect Teaching tradition, there are three stages: First, the stage of seeing and hearing, which was Sudhana's immediately preceding lifetime; having seen and heard this teaching of Samantabhadra, he formed those wholesome roots conducive to liberation, as explained in the praise of his virtues. Second, the stage of understanding and practice, in which one suddenly cultivates the practices of these five stages, as exemplified by what Sudhana achieved in this lifetime up to the stage of Samantabhadra. Third, the stage of realization and entry, in which the causal stage reaches its ultimate culmination and invisibly merges with the ocean of fruition; this is Sudhana's future lifetime. If so, precisely what stage is Sudhana in? Which stage is he in? Because when in faith he is in the stage of faith, and when in the abodes he is in the stage of the abodes. One single body traverses the five stages; wherever he is, that stage pervades all, just like the stage of Samantabhadra. Other meanings may be inferred and reflected upon according to the doctrinal tenets. Third, from "Mañjuśrī, like an elephant turning" onward, which clarifies the formal teaching of the Dharma conferred, there are two parts: first, clarifying the gathering of the capacities and granting permission to preach. Turning both body and head like an elephant king manifests the sign of physical embracing. Looking back at him clearly manifests the sign of mental embracing. Calling out and granting permission to speak clearly manifests the sign of verbal embracing. Second, from "then for [him]" onward, formally expounding what is taught: he preaches the Dharma of the Buddha-fruition in order to bring faith to completion and to cause him to arouse the mind to seek this fruition. Among the eight lines, the first is general and the latter seven are particular. Among the particulars, the first three concern the virtue of marvelous function in gathering living beings: first, clarifying his appearance in the world for their capacities; second, the Dharma of emitting light to gather the assembly; third, formally expounding the Dharma to be taught. The latter four clarify the virtue of complete perfection of essence and marks; among them, the former two and latter two each present marks first and essence second, which is understandable. Fourth, from "At that time, Mañjuśrī" onward, which clarifies leading him to achieve practices of superior advancement, there are three parts: first, Mañjuśrī's journey south inspires and guides him; second, Sudhana follows behind seeking rescue; third, Mañjuśrī turns like an elephant to embrace him. In the first, he first concludes the preceding and then travels to the south to give rise to what follows. In the former, he causes him to achieve the bodhimind of the stage of faith; hence it says "rejoiced" and so forth. As for "made manifest past wholesome roots," this causes the wholesome roots cultivated in the past to further increase on account of the present bodhimind and prevents them from being lost; hence it says "made manifest." As for "not relinquishing his original seat" and so forth, this clarifies that he travels everywhere without leaving the City of Awakening; this is identical to what was explained above regarding not rising from the Bodhi tree while reaching the six deva realms and so forth. If so, the youth is also like Mañjuśrī: without departing, he pervades all stages; infer it accordingly. Second, in Sudhana's following behind, there are two parts: first, the narrator of the sūtra recounts the events; second, Sudhana speaks verses seeking rescue. Therein are thirty-four verses, divided into two: the first four lament his own bewilderment and drowning, unable to deliver himself; the latter thirty praise Mañjuśrī's virtues and request rescue. In the former, the four verses all comprehensively contain delusion, karma, and suffering, and are distinctively divided into three: the first two concern the arising of delusion, the next one the creating of karma, and the last one the turning of suffering. In the first, "the three existences" and so forth are the places where delusion arises; "darkness of ignorance" and so forth are the causes for the arising of delusion; "evil māras" and so forth are the conditions for the arising of delusion; "the three poisons" and so forth are the actual arising of delusion. In creating karma, the first two lines concern losing correct practice, and the latter two lines concern committing evil practice. In suffering retribution, "stinginess" and so forth adduces the causes of hungry ghosts, and below concludes with the bitter fruit, as can be understood. In the second part of thirty verses, there are also two parts: the first nine praise Mañjuśrī's virtues to seek rescue from distress, hoping to be freed from the suffering of saṃsāra; the latter twenty-one praise his virtues to seek his conferral of the Dharma, hoping to achieve practice and attain fruition. Furthermore, the former hopes to leave the suffering of the ordinary stage, while the latter aspires to leave the pleasure of the two vehicles. Furthermore, the former aspires to attain nirvāṇa, while the latter aspires to attain bodhi. In the first, the nine verses praise Mañjuśrī's nine kinds of virtues: 1. the virtue of compassion and wisdom; 2. the virtue of loving-kindness and beneficence; 3. the virtue of Dharma transformation; 4. the virtue of fulfilling vows; 5. the virtue of rescuing from suffering; 6. the virtue of mastery; 7. the virtue of power and function; 8. the virtue of wholesome purity; 9. the virtue of the pure eye. Furthermore, in both the first eight and the last verses, the first three lines praise virtue and the bottom line seeks rescue. Second, from "distantly leaving" onward, seeking the Dharma of bodhi, is divided into four: the first two seek the manifestation of the fruit Dharma to make known the bodhi sought; the next one seeks to see all buddhas of the three times as conditions for accomplishing the practices of bodhi; the next seventeen formally seek the causal practices that enable the attainment of bodhi, which is why all say "vehicle" or say "path"; the last one concludes the request. Within causal practice, it is divided into four: the first five praise the virtue of being gathered by wisdom, compassion, and samādhi; the next three praise the virtue of the perfection of the ten pāramitā practices; the next four praise the virtue of the two benefits eradicating hindrances; the latter five praise the virtue of gathering living beings according to phenomena. Third, within Mañjuśrī's embracing, it is divided into five: 1. turning to look and praising goodness, clarifying the mark of acceptance; 2. from "Therefore, good son" onward, instructing him to draw near good friends and ask about bodhisattva practices; 3. speaking verses praising virtues to cause him to cultivate with joy; 4. pointing out subsequent stages to cause him to proceed into them; 5. from "Then Sudhana" onward, rejoicing upon hearing, taking leave, and proceeding according to instructions to seek them. In the second part, instructing him to draw near friends and ask about practices, first he instructs him to draw near good spiritual friends, and second he instructs him to ask about practices. Therein are ten lines: the first line is general and the latter nine lines are particular. Among the particulars: 1. asking about the Dharma of newly cultivating practices; 2. asking about the Dharma of fulfilling practices; 3. asking about the Dharma of purifying practices; 4. asking about the Dharma of perfectly completing after purification; 5. asking about the Dharma of issuing practices from practices; 6. asking about mindfully upholding the path practiced; 7. asking about the path that conditions those differentiated spheres; 8. asking about increasing the Dharma's function; 9. asking about gathering into the practices of Samantabhadra, which is also gathering particulars to achieve universal practice. These nine kinds above each arise from the preceding, as can be understood. Third, among the ten verses in the gāthās, there are two parts: the first one praises Sudhana's already achieved practice to make him joyful; the latter nine praise Samantabhadra's practices to cause him to cultivate them. The first instructs him to arouse great vows as the root of practice. The next two present Samantabhadra's practices and exhort him to seek them: one presents the practice, and one exhorts the seeking. The latter six discern Samantabhadra's practices to cause him to cultivate: 1. the practice of hearing much Dharma; 2. the practice of seeing many buddhas; 3. the practice of cultivating in accord with teaching; 4. practice in all places; 5. practice at all times; 6. the practice of accomplishing great benefit, meaning that if there are living beings who hear that name of Samantabhadra, they will in turn achieve those practices and attain great bodhi. The explanation above clarifying the complete fulfillment of the stage of faith is finished. Regarding the two sections of text—the fourth pointing out subsequent stages and the fifth rejoicing upon hearing and taking leave: if analyzed according to the assembly, they belong to the preceding assembly because they are spoken by the good friend of the preceding stage; if analyzed according to Dharma, they belong to the subsequent stage because they are the upāya of the subsequent stage.