華嚴經探玄記 18.9

18.9

Third, explaining the entering into the dharmadhātu according to stages: by standard of the text below, the broad stages of the entered dharmadhātu are two: namely, cause and fruition. Among the preceding persons and phenomena, there is none that is not subsumed under the buddha-fruition; that is, the mastery of the dharmadhātu manifested by the Tathāgata's lion-stretch samādhi. Furthermore, among the preceding persons and phenomena, there is none that does not belong to and is not subsumed by the causal stage; that is, the dharmas and gates of the dharmadhātu manifested by Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra. Subdividing this causal stage, there are five: namely, the dharmadhātus of the five stages beginning with faith; they can be understood through their corresponding subsumption. Second, explaining the entering capacities: by standard of the text, there are also two: in relation to the preceding fruition stage, it explains that the bodhisattvas enter the dharmadhātu suddenly; in relation to the preceding causal stage, it metaphorically manifests Sudhana entering the dharmadhātu gradually. Since cause and fruition are unobstructed, the gradual and the sudden are also perfectly interpenetrating; it is merely to lay out the teaching to construct an explanation that these stage distinctions are metaphorically employed.