華嚴經探玄記 2.37

2.37

In the former part, they achieve ten kinds of merits of the buddha-fruition: 1. The virtue of obtaining the Buddha's wisdom and vows: "unsurpassed" because nothing can be added to the buddha-fruition. Wisdom refers to great wisdom, which is the four wisdoms, the ten wisdoms, and so on. Vow refers to the great vow, which is the unobstructed vow of one's own essence. The great wisdom is already accomplished, the great vow is already fulfilled, and both are completely fulfilled at present, not something to be accomplished in the future; hence it says "all have already been accomplished and fulfilled." 2. The virtue of possessing the Buddha's esoteric teaching. This has two meanings: first, words that do not fully express the principle are called secret teachings, because they are not of definitive meaning; second, wondrous and difficult to comprehend, beyond what lower stages can fathom, hence called esoteric teachings, because they are deep and vast. Here it is based on the latter explanation. What is deep? Words being non-words. What is broad? The non-verbal word pervading the dharmadhātu, as in the passage below where Śāriputra is as if deaf, and so forth. This deep and broad teaching is possessed only by buddhas; now these bodhisattvas possess it fully, equal to the Buddha, hence it is so named. 3. The virtue of obtaining the dharmas of the buddha-fruition, which refers to the fruition-stage merits such as the eighteen unshared dharmas; looking down from them, all are called unshared. Buddhas looking toward one another are called shared dharmas, not shared with bodhisattvas; hence it says "the dharmas shared by buddhas." 4. The virtue of equaling the fruition stage. This has four meanings: first, equaling the Buddha's practice, meaning the practice of great compassion; second, equaling the Buddha's bhūmi, obtaining the Buddha's ten bhūmis, meaning the ocean-like bhūmi of Vairocana's wisdom-treasury, and so on; third, equaling the Buddha's virtues, because they obtain the Buddha's boundless merits of blessing and wisdom; fourth, equaling the Buddha's powers, because they obtain the ten powers, and also obtain the ten kinds of great power, and so forth, as explained in the "Inconceivable Chapter." 5. The virtue of mastery in samādhi. This has two meanings: first, mastery in entering and emerging; second, mastery in mutual subsumption. The above five sentences are obtaining the Buddha's virtues of benefiting oneself. 6. The virtue of manifesting form in response to faculties: because responses to faculties are manifold, it says "ocean of birth"; the round body responds universally, hence it says "manifesting in response." As the sūtra says: "To those who should be saved by a buddha body, they immediately manifest a buddha body," and so on. 7. The virtue of gathering sentient beings according to their practice: according to their faculties and practices, conferring dharma-gates upon them to cause their correct practices to increase; hence it says "establishing." The preceding sentence manifests bodies; this sentence expounds the Dharma; these two sentences obtain the Buddha's virtue of transforming living beings. 8. The virtue of skillfully realizing the ocean of dharmas: conditioned origination dharmas are deep, vast, manifold, and profound, containing all like an ocean; skillfully penetrating its limits, hence it says "skillfully entering." 9. The virtue of revolving in the ocean: skillfully entering the dhāraṇī gate of conditioned origination, causing one to subsume all; hence it says "revolving and maintaining (dhāraṇī)." 10. The virtue of the ocean of fruition filling the body: because of skillfully revolving in the dharma-ocean of conditioned origination, they cause the Buddha's dharma-ocean of boundless merits to be completely subsumed and fill their own bodies; therefore, they all obtain the merits of the buddha-fruition; the meaning lies herein. Below the text says: "Bodhisattvas have mastery within the harmony of causes and conditions, even being able to manifest a buddha body at will." This is what it means. In the second part, on wondrous function and mastery, there are six functions: 1. The function of universally wandering through all lands: this exhausts the ocean of worlds. 2. The function of generating the ocean of vows: through this power of vows, one enters the ocean of lands. Furthermore, the preceding sentence wanders to other buddha-lands, and this sentence vows to adorn one's own land. 3. The function of the three penetrations being roundly bright: because the future is difficult to know, it is raised specifically; in principle, it actually applies to all three [times], as can be known. 4. The function of sequentially serving and making offerings. 5. The function of the depth and breadth of the ocean of vows, hence it says "Samantabhadra's vows." 6. The function of perfection in the wisdom of transforming beings, hence it says "fulfillment in wisdom regarding sentient beings." The assembly of common birth is finished.