華嚴經探玄記 3.30

3.30

Second, in the explanation of the text there are two parts: prose and verses. In the first part there are also two: first, the gathering of the assembly; second, revealing their virtues. In the first part there are also two: first, the gathering; and second, the conclusion. In the first part, the ten directions constitute ten sections. Each single direction has seven aspects: first, the name of the sea of receptacles; second, the name of the lands—the twelve Buddha lands, etc.—these two being the marks of the phenomena relied upon, differing only in being general versus specific; third, the name of the Buddha; fourth, the bodhisattvas—these two being the wisdom that can enter, differing only in being complete versus partial; fifth, the host and companions coming together, which clarifies the perfection of fully endowed virtues; sixth, producing offerings to worship the Buddha, which signifies conforming benefit, meaning the cause conforms to the fruit; seventh, taking seats according to their original directions, which clarifies gathering the dispersed back to stillness. Why is the eastern direction explained first? It reveals the beginning of awakening and illumination, and conforms to that direction. Because in the customs of the Western Regions, the east is considered supreme, their halls and palaces all face east; just as the Jetavana Monastery and the Bodhi Monastery both face east, and the Tathāgata's expounding of the Dharma also mostly faces east, so the light emitted from the portal of the face directly faces east. Question: The text below says that this Padmagarbha-lokadhātu is boundless; why then does it have east and other [directions] here? Answer: Because the Padmagarbha-lokadhātu is the non-duality of bounded and boundless, it is named boundless, as explained below; because the non-duality of boundless and bounded, it is named bounded, as explained here. Thus, without destroying the bounded it is ever boundless, and without breaking the boundless it is ever bounded. If one asserts that the boundless contradicts the bounded and the bounded contradicts the boundless, that is an object reached by conceptual calculation, not true conditioned arising; because this bounded and boundless are one single thing, they doubly transcend conceptual calculation. It is like a brocade pattern: the white threads run completely through the weave without becoming mixed with the purple patterns, and the purple, etc., are also like this. Furthermore, that the white pattern contains purple is because it is brocade. If there were no purple within the white, and the purple threads did not reach across both weaves, it would be embroidery, not brocade. That the white pattern lacks purple is also because it is brocade. If purple appeared in the white, it would ruin the design and not be brocade. Therefore, it is achieved through white containing purple; white lacking [it] and purple lacking white are likewise so. You should know that the principle here is also like this; reflect on it to extrapolate accordingly. Question: If so, are those worlds of the ten directions the Padmagarbha or not? Answer: They are and are not. That is to say, by virtue of being identical, they are not; being not [identical] is also like this—reflect on this by analogy with the above. Furthermore, why? Because they are the east, etc., of the Padmagarbha, they are identical and not identical. Question: Outside these ten worlds, are there any other worlds or not? Answer: None. Why? Because the Padmagarbha is the host and those ten are the companions; this host and companions are perfectly interpenetrating and universally pervade all the paths of paramāṇus, layer upon layer like Indra's net. All others are identical to this, like empty space. Furthermore, all the offerings herein are Dharma-doors, which according to their marks have ten [aspects]: first, wondrous jewels, which signify preciousness; second, Sumeru, which signifies surpassing height; clouds signify the meanings of moistening benefit, containing rain, and roof-like sheltering; third, the sun signifies dispelling darkness, and the disc signifies complete virtues; fourth, pavilions signify layered completion, like compassion arising upon right wisdom; fifth, flowers signify purity and blossoming; sixth, clouds of incense signify the fragrance of precepts, etc.; seventh, thrones signify embracing and benefiting; eighth, canopies signify covering and shading; ninth, banners signify towering solitary prominence; tenth, trees signify establishment. The rest may be inferred from these. Furthermore, in terms of Dharma there are also ten examples: first, taking material forms as clouds, such as clouds of wondrous jewel-colored forms, etc.; second, taking great sounds as clouds, such as wondrous sounds and praising the Buddha's virtues, etc.—this is in terms of phenomena; third, taking inexhaustible Buddha lands as clouds, such as the clouds of ten kinds of inconceivable Buddha lands, etc.—this is in terms of the dependent fruition; fourth, taking the nature and principle of the nine times as clouds, such as clouds of the light of the dharmakāya of the Buddhas of the three times, etc.—this is in terms of essence; fifth, taking the Buddha's eight phases, etc., as clouds, such as clouds of ten kinds of Buddha transformations, etc.—this is in terms of function; sixth, taking the unimpeded liberation Dharma-doors as clouds, such as clouds of ten kinds of liberation canopies, etc.—this is in terms of inconceivable liberation; seventh, taking the realm realized by the Buddha as clouds, such as clouds of ten kinds of Buddha realms, etc.—this is in terms of the fruit; eighth, taking all bodhisattva practices as clouds, such as clouds of manifestations of the practices of ten kinds of bodhisattvas, etc.—this is in terms of the cause; ninth, taking all sentient beings' desires and joys as clouds, such as clouds of inexhaustible manifestations of the pleasures of all sentient beings, etc.—this is in terms of Dharma receptacles; tenth, taking manifestations of the Buddha's great vows as clouds, such as clouds of manifestations of the vows of all Buddhas, etc.—this is in terms of responding to capacities. That each and every one of these is explained with ten doors is to reveal their inexhaustibility. In these ten meanings above, all dharmas are present within each and every one; their conditioned arising is unimpeded. Therefore, they are either persons or dharmas, principle or phenomena, realms or practices, dependent or primary [fruitions], causes or fruits. Here, when each offering utensil is said to 'fill empty space,' it clarifies that matching their original nature of emptiness, they gather without disorder, like the nature of conditioned arising. Therefore, true principle and wondrous practice can be realized through phenomena; phenomena such as clouds, flowers, and jewels can serve as Dharma through principle. This is according to the Distinct Teaching; reflect upon it. Second, in the conclusion: first, concluding the lands; second, the host; third, the companions; fourth, the offerings; fifth, the seats. Second, manifesting virtuous functions. 'Taking seats in order' means that through unimpeded conditioned arising, they gather without confusion. In this there are two parts: first, clarifying the unimpeded essence of virtue; second, from 'in thought after thought' onward, the wondrous functions and superior benefits. In the first part, among the common functions, the opening phrase comprises six tiers of unimpededness in total, each progressively manifold: first, the unimpededness of bodily light; second, the unimpededness of light and persons; third, the unimpededness of persons and dharmas; fourth, the unimpededness of dust and lands; fifth, the unimpededness of dependent and primary [fruitions]; sixth, the unimpededness of transformative functions. As in a single thought-moment transforming sentient beings as numerous as the dust motes of a Buddha land in a single world, in this very thought-moment [the bodhisattva] likewise transforms them in all worlds. One thought-moment being so, all other thought-moments are entirely the same. As in a single land manifesting all the Buddhas of the three times throughout these thoughts, what is manifested individually in all other lands is also like this. As in a single dust mote there are all these lands manifesting Buddhas, every other dust mote individually is also like this. As a single bodhisattva's Dharma-door pervades all these paths of dust motes in the manifested lands, all other bodhisattvas' dharmas individually pervading are also like this. As a single light emits all these dust-pervading bodhisattvas, all other lights individually emitting are also like this. As a single pore emits all these bodhisattva-emitting lights, all other pores individually emitting are also like this. The above generally distinguishes the matters within a single bodhisattva's body; as it is for one bodhisattva, so it is for all. As for the host, so it is for the companions. Thus it is manifold and inexhaustible, beyond the reach of mind and speech; this is the actual virtue of the dharmatā conditioned arising of the One Vehicle dharmadhātu, not a mere transformation. These are all the virtues of the stage of Samantabhadra. If it is so for a bodhisattva, the virtuous functions of the Buddha-fruit are beyond comparison with this; this may be comprehended by analogy. Second, in the functioning benefit there are three parts: first, indicating the assembly being transformed; second, from 'with dream[-like]' onward, clarifying the dharmas that can transform; third, from 'in a single thought-moment' onward, distinguishing the benefits of transformation. In [the section on] what can transform there are ten phrases: the first nine distinguish individually, and the last one concludes generally. Among the nine: first, mastery in dreams is because they are simultaneously real and empty, and in a single thought-moment manifest many dharmas; second, because of purity, they transform; third, because of doctrine and meaning; fourth, manifesting superior supernatural powers to cause beings to take refuge, terrifying them to cause them to enter the Dharma, and causing active marks to return to truth; fifth, gathering sentient beings by vow power; sixth, because the profound voice is by nature detached, because defiled voices have pure applications, and to reveal that the pure voice universally gathers; seventh, because the perfect voice universally descends, as in the head and mouth of the dharmadhātu, etc.; eighth, because essence and function awaken capacities; ninth, because of establishing the complete cause. Third, in receiving the benefits there are six 'so that's, which are explained in four tiers because the text contains multiple nuances. First, causing them to leave behind heavy suffering; second, enabling them to become vessels for transcendence of the world; third, causing them to attain the liberation-fruits of the two vehicles and head toward the ten stages. These are the two vehicles within the Mahāyāna, not those who cling foolishly to the Dharma. Furthermore, in the Hīnayāna, prior to the fivefold contemplation for stilling the mind, one is in wrong determination; according to the *Tattvasiddhi*, from the stages of heat and summit upward, all are called right determination because they never regress; according to the *Abhidharma*, only from the patient mind upward does one attain non-regression; if according to the *Daśabhūmivyākhyāna*, only from the path of seeing upward is it called right determination, and therefore it says that the 'right position and right determination' is the right position only from the path of seeing upward. As for 'undetermined', the interval between these two is called undetermined. Fourth, entering the three worthy stages of the Mahāyāna; fifth, realizing the ten bhūmis; sixth, achieving the Buddha-fruit; this is according to the Shared Teaching. Furthermore: the first three are as above; the fourth is entering the Initial Teaching; the fifth is entering the Final Teaching; the sixth is entering the Sudden Teaching; this explains three according to the exhaustion of afflictions. Furthermore: the first is humans and devas; the next two are the Hīnayāna; the fourth is the Gradual Teaching; the fifth is the Sudden; the sixth is the Perfect; this explains four according to the fruit manifesting perfection. Furthermore: the first is humans and devas; the next three are the three vehicles; the latter two are the One Vehicle, dividing cause and fruit into two. All the above are benefits within a single thought-moment; all other thought-moments may be inferred accordingly. In the verses there are ten stanzas: the first five generally praise the bodhisattvas' virtues, and the latter five versify the preceding Dharma-doors. In the first part, the first three clarify virtues of their own stage: first, benefit of oneself; second, transforming others; third, attaining Dharma; the latter two are superior progress: first, external benefit; second, internal perfection. Among the latter five: first, manifesting Dharma; second, shaking lands; third, bodily adornment; fourth, entering kalpas; fifth, expounding the Dharma. These are all the matters within the pores described above, rendered through skillful abbreviation in the verse text.