華嚴經探玄記 2.43

2.43

Second, the Vṛhaphala devas of the fourth dhyāna have eight [attainments]: 1. Contemplating the faculties of beings, raising the Dharma-cloud and showering the Dharma-rain, in order to accord with the faculties mentioned above. 2. "Wondrous form" is because of manifesting the body. "Upāya" is because of teaching the Dharma. These two are the capacity to respond. "Mindfulness" is because of mindfully holding the Dharma. "Contemplation" is because of contemplating the form-body. These are the capacities responded to. Through this mindfulness, delusion is extinguished and purity is achieved. 3. Seeing lands like Indra's net, because dependent origination lacks intrinsic nature. 4. Entering the dhāraṇī of dependent origination; within a single gate the perfectly interpenetrating dharmadhātu is subsumed, hence called "universal gate." 5. "Non-turning craving" is keeping delusion for oneself, while transforming other sentient beings' craving for rebirth to extinguish it forever; furthermore, it causes others to extinguish delusions and not be born in the realms of the three worlds. 6. "The realm of all mundane worlds" means the vessel world and sentient beings. The Buddha enters therein to teach the Dharma while constantly remaining in quiescence, hence it is called "inconceivable." 7. Bringing together the two kinds of emptiness and revealing the two truths. "Sentient beings and dharmas" adduces persons and dharmas. "Path of deliverance" brings together true emptiness. 8. Causing capacities to realize the true source and enter the ocean of the fruit. In the verses, there are nineteen verses, divided into two parts: first, seventeen verses praise the preceding Dharma-gates; second, two verses cite the cause to offer general praise. Within the former, the first two verses praise the first Dharma-gate: the first verse praises the depth of the Buddha's virtues, reiterating the capacity to contemplate; the second verse reiterates the Dharma-cloud, opening and nourishing faculties and desires. In the second, there are also two verses: the first verse praises wondrous form and upāya; the second verse praises mindfulness and contemplation. In the third, there are also two verses: the first verse skillfully manifests true principle; the second manifests phenomena based on principle, as Indra's net connects both principle and phenomena. In the fourth, there are also two verses: the first praises manifesting the dharmadhātu-body through the universal gate; the second reveals the Dharma of the dharmadhātu. In the fifth, there are three verses: the first verse is the virtue of cessation gathering sentient beings and transforming to extinguish delusion, karma, and suffering; the next verse transforms to reveal merit, wisdom, and so on, both connecting to Indra; the last verse links the Dharma to the person, where upāya is precisely non-turning craving. One should know that the preceding prose only contains the matter of the first verse. In the sixth, there are two verses: the first reiterates entering the realm of all mundane worlds above; within the second verse, three lines praise the inconceivable, and the last line links the Dharma to the person. In the seventh, there are two verses: the first verse reiterates the deliverance of sentient beings above, causing them to know selflessness in order to reveal conventional truth; the second verse reiterates the deliverance of all dharmas, causing them to know selflessness in order to reveal ultimate truth. In the eighth, there are two verses: reiterating the Dharma-gate of those being transformed entering the Buddha's realm; the first brings the fruit to capacities, and the second subsumes capacities into the fruit. Within the last two verses: the first cites the cause that completes virtue, and the second reveals the function in response to capacities. Another explanation: these verses reiterate the preceding Dharma-gates in reverse order: the first two reiterate the last; the next two reiterate the seventh; the next two leap to reiterate the second; the next two leap to reiterate the fourth; the next three reiterate the third; the next two go back to reiterate the sixth; the next two go back to reiterate the fifth; and the last four reiterate the first—all can be understood accordingly. This is because, unfettering their eloquence, their exposition does not depend on sequence.