華嚴經探玄記 3.46

3.46

Part 5, "The Great Assembly's Joint Request," has two sections. First, the prose expresses wonder at his not speaking immediately, so as to give rise to the subsequent request. This also constitutes a request endowed with both bodily and mental karmas: veneration is bodily, and contemplation is mental. Both being single-mindedly fixed is the unified mind. Next, in the request with proper vocal karma, how does it differ from the preceding request? It differs because this specifically requests Samantabhadra, knowing that he is the master of preaching the Dharma. Moreover, this assembly includes both the new and old assemblies, and is thus unlike the previous one. The Dharma inquired about does not differ from before, and so is not listed separately. The ten verses are divided into three: first, eight verses praise the master of Dharma to request [his teaching]; second, one verse adduces what is to be taught to request [it]; finally, one verse praises the assembly's eagerness to hear, requesting [the teaching]. The first has two parts: first, five verses generally praise Samantabhadra's virtues; then, three verses specifically praise his virtue in expounding the Dharma. This also means that the former praises having the cause for preaching, and the latter praises having the fruition of preaching. The former briefly reveals Samantabhadra's ten kinds of merit: 1. fulfillment of causal practice and vows, 2. equality of fruitional virtues—revealed by the first verse; 3. omnipresence of the physical body, 4. depth and breadth of merit and wisdom—revealed by the second verse; 5. universally seeing the ocean of Buddhas, 6. being able to manifest in dust-mote lands—revealed by the third verse; 7. universally pervading times and places, 8. deep samādhi constantly manifesting—revealed by the fourth verse; 9. essence filling the dharmadhātu, 10. function pervading the ocean of sentient beings, which is also wisdom first and compassion second—revealed by the fifth verse. Moreover, these ten virtues are subsumed into five pairs: 1. cause and fruition, 2. body and wisdom, 3. seeing and manifesting, 4. depth and breadth, 5. essence and function. Below, in the specific praise of the virtue of expounding [the Dharma], the first verse praises realization and eradication as the cause for universally and extensively expounding [the Dharma]: the first line [signifies] realizing the principle, the next line eradicating obstructions, the next line universal pervasion, and the bottom line extensive expounding. The second verse praises internal and external causes being able to benefit wondrous expounding: the first line praises Samantabhadra's internal realization, generating the ocean of all Buddha-virtues; the next line praises his external ability to universally emit clouds of light of Dharma exposition; the next line praises his ability to benefit sentient beings and solidify their pure practices; the bottom line [shows that] by this he is able to wondrously expound the Buddha's realm. The third verse praises deep practice as the cause for being able to rain down the Dharma like clouds. Among the above three, in terms of the eloquence of the speaker: 1. broad expounding, 2. wondrous expounding, 3. sudden expounding; in terms of what is expounded: 1. the Buddha's Dharma, 2. the Buddha's realm, 3. the dharmadhātu. The next verse clarifies the Dharma to be expounded: the first line generally adduces the Padmagarbha-lokadhātu and so forth mentioned below; the next line adduces the matters of the Buddha's adornments and purifications below; in the next line, that which can enter is the ocean of Buddhas and the ocean of the dharmadhātu, and that which is entered is the ocean of sentient beings and the ocean of faculties and inclinations; the bottom line concludes the request. The final verse praises the assembly as possessing two virtues making them fit to hear: 1. joy and desire, 2. spiritual capacity. The former also has two aspects: first, the body is free from pride and indolence, hence it says "veneration"; second, the mind is free from divergent thoughts, hence it says "observing Samantabhadra." Under spiritual capacity, although they single-mindedly rejoice to hear, without wisdom they could not receive it. This also has two aspects: 1. profound wisdom penetrates the profound principle, 2. broad wisdom illuminates broad phenomena. The bottom line concludes the request, praying that he preach. The "Joint Request" part is finished.