華嚴經探玄記 3.14

3.14

Seventh, the five powers: The Viśeṣacintābrahma-paripṛcchā Sūtra, fascicle two, states: "If a person can penetrate and accord with the letters, speech, sentences, and phrases spoken by the Tathāgata, not opposing and not resisting them, harmonizing them into oneness, following their meaning and principle rather than following the sentences, phrases, and spoken expressions, and skillfully knows the signs to which the spoken expressions correspond, knowing with what speech the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma, with what adaptation [to suitability] he expounds the Dharma, with what upāya he expounds the Dharma, with what Dharma-gate he expounds the Dharma, and with what great compassion he expounds the Dharma—Brahmā, if a bodhisattva can know that the Tathāgata expounds the Dharma with these five powers, this bodhisattva is capable of performing the Buddha's work." Note: The sūtra below extensively explains them in sequence. First, regarding speech: the Tathāgata expounds the phenomena of the three times, defiled and pure phenomena, worldly and world-transcending phenomena, flowing and non-flowing phenomena, and so on; such speech is like the speech of an illusory person, because it lacks determinacy. Up to saying that the expounding is like empty space, because there is no arising or ceasing; one should know that this speech is without anything spoken, up to saying that this is named the speech of the Tathāgata. Second, regarding adaptation to suitability: the Tathāgata sometimes speaks of defiled phenomena as pure, because the nature of defiled phenomena cannot be obtained; sometimes he speaks of pure phenomena as defiled, because [beings] greedily attach to pure phenomena. Up to saying that saṃsāra is nirvāṇa, because there is no receding and no arising; nirvāṇa is saṃsāra, because of greedy attachment. True words are false, because a view of speech arises; false words are true words, for the sake of people with overweening pride. Because the Tathāgata adapts to suitability, he sometimes says of himself, 'I am one who speaks of the extreme of permanence,' up to extensive explanations. Third, regarding upāya: the Tathāgata truly does not apprehend a self, a person, a sentient being, or a living soul, nor does he apprehend giving, nor does he apprehend stinginess, and so on, yet through upāya he praises giving for sentient beings, saying that it attains great wealth, and so on, up to extensive explanations. Fourth, regarding the Dharma-gate: the six sense faculties and other phenomena are all gates of liberation, because being empty and devoid of a self-possessor, their nature is of itself thus; this is even so for letters and words. Fifth, regarding great compassion: the Buddha, with thirty-two kinds of great compassion, [considers that] all phenomena are selfless, yet sentient beings do not believe and do not understand; the Tathāgata arouses great compassion regarding this, up to extensive explanations. Note: Among the above five kinds: the first is in terms of the one who is able to speak, because he speaks through non-speaking speech. The second is in terms of what is spoken, namely distinguishing right and wrong as phenomena follow delusion or awakening. The third is in terms of the capacities that are addressed, because through skillful means he speaks of existence where there is none. The fourth is in terms of the intrinsic essence of phenomena, because being originally empty of themselves, they are gates of liberation. The fifth is in terms of the mind of the one who is able to speak, because he gives rise to the teaching out of pity for the delusion of living beings.