華嚴經探玄記 18.52

18.52

Second, explaining the meaning of "good friend" (kalyāṇamitra) has two parts: first general, and later specific. To discuss true good friends in general, there are three types: first, persons; second, dharmas; third, the combination of persons and dharmas. First, within persons, there are six: 1. Although some can relieve present suffering, they do not encourage the cultivation of goodness; they are not true good friends. 2. Although they encourage the cultivation of worldly goodness to avoid the evil destinies, they do not encourage the cultivation directed toward the supramundane path; they are also not true friends. 3. Although they cultivate the supramundane good practices of the two vehicles to escape the suffering of the three realms, they do not encourage practicing the bodhisattva path; they are also not true friends. 4. Although they encourage cultivating the bodhisattva path to avoid the two vehicles, they still retain phenomenal goodness; they are also not true friends. 5. Only when they encourage sentient beings to cultivate signless practice are they true good friends. This is distinguished in accordance with the Buddhapiṭaka-sūtra, the Dà zhìdù lùn, and so forth. 6. Only when they encourage them to be endowed with the practices and vows of Samantabhadra are they called ultimate, true good friends. The above are all "practicing good friends"; because they guide faculties through practice, they belong solely to persons. Second, "dharma good friends" also have six levels: 1. the dharma of humans and devas; 2. the dharma of the two vehicles; 3. the dharma of the initial teaching; 4. the dharma of the final teaching; 5. the dharma of the sudden teaching; 6. the dharma of the perfect teaching. Relying on these dharmas to accomplish right practice, they are therefore called good friends; but one distinguishes true good friends in accordance with the provisional and real nature of the teachings. Third, within the combination of persons and dharmas, there are also six levels, meaning that at each of the above six stages of dharma, they expound one teaching gate to bestow upon capacities and conditions; this is the joint explanation of persons and dharmas. Since this refers to understanding the good friend expounding the Dharma and bestowing it upon people, it is not the same as the previous stages of true good friends, etc., and can be understood accordingly. Now, the text below contains both the general and the specific within the above three categories and six gates: "general" means that all six gates are present; "specific" is only the last, because all accomplish the practices of Samantabhadra. Moreover, the "Chapter on Transcending the World" has ten kinds of good friends, which are also recounted here. Second, specifically explaining the good friends in the text below: they all possess the aforementioned three, and each of these three positions has three meanings. As for the three in persons: first, hearing the name and so forth is the upāya; second, directly seeing the person is attaining the dharmadhātu; third, inquiring about the Dharma and so forth manifests their virtues. As for the three in dharmas: first, the spoken teaching is the upāya; second, what is attained by the eye of wisdom is attaining the dharmadhātu; third, comprehensively elucidating the karmic functions manifests their virtues. As for the three in the combination of persons and dharmas: first, hearing the name and reaching the place is the upāya; second, seeing the person and attaining the Dharma is attaining the dharmadhātu; third, expounding past causes and deferring to superior advancements manifests their virtues. The good friends below should all be understood in accordance with this.