華嚴經探玄記 3.63

3.63

Second, within the ten [points] in 'explaining separately according to the headings', the first one is not explained, because explaining the remaining nine is itself stating it. In the text, it first explains the first eight, and later explains the tenth. In the former, the first seven each have two parts, namely prose and verses. The first text has no verses. Within the prose of the first, there are four: 1. indicating, 2. forming, 3. analyzing, and 4. concluding. 'All oceans of worlds' means that each of those three categories is not just one. 'Already formed' and so forth means, first, that through these conditions all worlds of the three times are universally formed, yet the worlds have differences such as already [formed] or not yet [formed]. Second, the formation of a single world pervades the three times. In the former, conditions are universal and worlds are distinct; in the latter, worlds are universal and conditions are distinct—reflect on this. This is according to the One Vehicle. Among the eight conditions: 1. subsequent penetrative wisdom; 2. dharmatā of dependent origination; 3. karmic power of those to be transformed; 4. the bodhisattva's practice being fulfilled, so that he ought to achieve buddhahood in that realm, and through this power that realm is formed; 5. formed by universal causes; 6. the bodhisattva cultivating vows and practices in order to adorn and purify lands without remainder, and the lands unimpededly accommodating and holding in accordance with vows and practices, hence called 'liberation and sovereignty'; 7. the correct cause of the great awakening; 8. gathered and formed by universal vows. However, among these eight, the first four are provisional formation, because they are coarse characteristics, and also extend to the defiled; the latter four are according to real formation, because they are subtle characteristics, and are solely pure, as in the sūtra: 'This land of mine is ever tranquil,' and so forth. And a single world is endowed with both the coarse and the subtle. Furthermore, among these eight there are altogether four pairs: 1. the first and seventh explain the provisional and real in terms of the Buddha; 2. the eighth and fifth specifically explain the provisional and real in terms of Samantabhadra, because the eighth is for the sake of beings; 3. the fourth and sixth generally explain the provisional and real in terms of all bodhisattvas; 4. the second and third serve as provisional and real in terms of principle and phenomena, because formation through conditions of karma and practice is not real. Why must they be complete with such four conditions? It is because the Buddha is the lord of teaching, Samantabhadra is the assistant in transforming, and bodhisattvas and sentient beings are those to be transformed. In the first two, if there were no provisional, there would be no means to mature beings; if there were no real, there would be no means to respond to the true. In the latter two, the karmic recompense of sentient beings is conditioned and unreal, and later must have the true nature upon which it relies. Dust-mote-numerous causes and conditions such as these eight kinds form a single world; they are all mutually unhindered, entirely and comprehensively subsuming making and non-making, just like the nature of dependent origination: identical to emptiness and identical to existence, identical to one and identical to many, interpenetrating without differentiation—reflect on this. The other worlds, one by one, are to be understood by analogy. In the verses there are twenty [gāthās], divided into seven: The first four versify the former divine power of the Buddha, wherein: 1. the land appears relying on the mirror-like wisdom; 2. the land is formed through the cultivation of practice; 3. transforming bodhisattvas; 4. awakening sentient beings. The next four versify the power of the bodhisattva destined to attain the Path, wherein: the first half of the first clarifies the causal practice, and the second half clarifies the fruit of wisdom—'crossing over' is like 'arriving'; the first half of the second clarifies the cause of the land, and the second half brings forth the fruit of the land; the first half of the third clarifies the formation of the cause of the dependent and proper, and the second half clarifies the realization and entry into the fruit-realm of the dependent and proper; the first half of the fourth clarifies the vastness of the fruit, and the second half clarifies the longevity of the cause. The next two versify the karmic power of sentient beings; the next two versify the power of the bodhisattva's vows and practices to adorn and purify buddha-lands; the next two versify the power of Samantabhadra's roots of goodness; the next four versify the sovereign power of Samantabhadra's vows; the next two versify the Buddha's fruit of dependency. These verses generally encompass the different meanings of dependent origination, which is just the suchness of phenomena, hence it is not versified separately.