華嚴經探玄記 4.12

4.12

Second is the section on requesting. Here, it broadly requests the text of the subsequent five assemblies; within it there are three parts: first, requesting in thought; second, asking questions in thought; and third, appearing in thought. Within the questions, Dharma Masters such as Yufan divide them into one hundred and twenty-four questions, namely: the first ten questions are on the practice of the dharmakāya's own essence; the middle one hundred questions are on the practices of developing cultivation of the saṃbhogakāya; and the final fourteen questions are on the practice of equanimity of the upāyakāya. Furthermore, if one combines the middle ninety questions into nine questions, there are forty-three questions in all. Master Guangtong combines the rejoicing mind and so on into one question, making thirty-four questions: the first ten questions ask about the Buddhadharma of the past limit, the next ten questions ask about the Buddhadharma of the intermediate limit, and the final fourteen questions ask about the Buddhadharma of the future limit, which are answered in the sixth assembly below. Relying now on this interpretation, they are divided overall into three: the first ten questions ask about the fruit upon which the cause relies; the next ten questions ask about the cause engendered by the fruit; and the final fourteen questions ask about the fruit attained by the cause. The Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: 'There is nothing that does not flow forth from this dharmakāya, and nothing that does not return to realize this dharmakāya.' This seeks to clarify that the cause, relying on the fruit, is accomplished and can in turn attain the fruit; the fruit can extend down to the cause and in turn becomes what is accomplished by the cause. Cause and fruit mutually accomplish one another, and dependent origination is devoid of intrinsic nature. Because it lacks intrinsic nature, it is identical to the true dharmadhātu's absence of nature; [its being] identical to the essence does not obstruct dependent origination, and therefore the true dharmadhātu does not destroy cause and fruit. The profound meaning of the real principle of cause, fruit, and dependent origination is established based on this. Furthermore, regarding the first ten questions, they are answered together within the first three chapters of this assembly. If divided specifically, the 'Four Truths' chapter answers the single question on preaching the Dharma; the 'Light of Enlightenment' chapter answers the two questions on power and right enlightenment; and this chapter answers the remaining questions. Answering them together accords with the text; the three chapters beginning with 'Elucidating Difficulties' have their own separate questions below, and because faith does not constitute an [abiding] stage, there is no anticipatory question about the ten faiths, unlike the ten abodes and so forth. Regarding these first ten questions, there are two interpretations: First, they are questions regarding the two fruits of dependent and primary [retribution], namely: the first generally asks about the dependent retribution of the pure land; the second generally asks about the primary retribution of the dharmakāya; the third asks about the adornments of the land; the fourth asks about what is realized by the dharmakāya; the fifth asks about the land's freedom from defilement; the sixth asks about preaching the Dharma after realization; the seventh asks about the essence of the aforementioned land; the eighth asks about the light-wheel of the primary retribution; the ninth asks about the land arising in response to conditions; and the tenth asks about matters such as the eight phases of manifesting right and equal enlightenment. Second, they are questions solely regarding the ocean of lands, because according to the subsequent text and the Yingluo jing, this assembly clarifies the meaning of the ocean of lands. Among the ten, the first five clarify the land's complete endowment with manifold virtues, and the latter five clarify the land's full endowment of essence and function. Furthermore, the first is general and the remaining nine are specific. Among the specific ones, the land has nine meanings: 1. The meaning of distinctive abode, namely the red lotus and so on, as explained in the Mahāyānasaṃgraha. 2. The meaning of complete endowment with virtues, namely that principle, practice, phenomena, and so forth each have their embellishments. 3. The meaning of holding the standard, namely that the lands' dharmas, inferences, realizations, and attainments differ. 4. The meaning of freedom from defilement, namely the purity of intrinsic nature, marks, functions, and so on. 5. The meaning of establishing the teaching, namely revealing the lands through words, such as speaking of world-systems and so forth. 6. The meaning of own-essence, namely that principle, wisdom, consciousness, and phenomena all have essence. 7. The meaning of wondrous function, namely subjugation by majestic radiance and so on. 8. The meaning of dependent origination, namely that in accordance with the capacities of sentient beings, Buddha lands arise; furthermore, [Buddhas] cause causal practices to arise in accordance with the lands; furthermore, because Buddhas appear in accordance with the lands, it is also called 'arising', which accords with the Dousha jing; furthermore, as causes and conditions are fulfilled, the lands come to arise, as in worlds possessing full causes and conditions of arising, and so forth. 9. The meaning of manifested enlightenment, namely that in the oceans of lands they manifest the attainment of the correct path, because dependent and primary [retribution] are unobstructed. The remaining meanings may be understood by reference to the answers below. Next, the ten questions regarding the cause are answered from 'Ascending Mount Sumeru' down to 'Abodes of Bodhisattvas'. The first nine questions concern one's own practice in terms of the stages; the questions below 'rejoicing [mind]' concern the practice of transforming beings in accordance with conditions. In the first part, concerning the ten treasuries: why are they questioned after dedication, yet answered below before dedication? Because the treasury has two meanings: first, the meaning of producing, hence it comes after dedication, as it produces the realizing wisdom of those above the bhūmis; second, the meaning of gathering and subsuming, hence it comes before dedication, as it gathers and subsumes the manifold practices to bring about dedication. Because of these two meanings, the two places mutually elucidate each other, and so they do not contradict. The ten vows are answered within the first bhūmi. The ten absorptions are answered in the 'Ten Forbearances' chapter. Because the contemplating mind taking in principle is forbearance, and stopping the mind from distraction is absorption, and the non-obstruction of stopping and contemplating is solely the one mind, the two places each elucidate one meaning. For all bodhisattvas, in conditioning the true and conventional objects, there are two aspects: first, non-perversion; second, non-distraction, fully as explained in the Liang Treatise. The ten sovereignties are answered in the 'Ten Clarities' chapter; because their functions are clear and distinct, two names are established. This is also because in another translation, the Pusa benye jing, they are also called the 'ten clarities' in its questions. In the Dousha jing they are called the 'ten flying dharmas'. Furthermore, for the ten summits, no distinct answer is found; an ancient master took the Fanwang jing to harmonize them here, saying this was an omission or error, but this is perhaps difficult to rely upon. Now examining that sūtra's preaching of the Dharma in eleven places, six places are the same as this: it says that in the Heaven of Delighting in Transformations, the ten dhyāna absorptions were preached; in the first dhyāna, the ten adamantine minds were preached; in the second dhyāna, the ten vows were preached; in the third dhyāna, the ten forbearances were preached; and in the fourth dhyāna, in Maheśvara's palace, the mind-ground Dharma-gate was preached; it does not speak of re-convening at Universal Light or in the upper chambers of the Jetavana. Furthermore, these questions and those have similarities and differences, hence it is difficult to adopt. Some say there is an answer in the 'Inconceivable' chapter. However, since the 'Inconceivable' and other chapters already answer the subsequent questions on the fruit, they cannot belong here. Furthermore, the 'Asaṃkhyeya' chapter clarifies the ten great numbers, the ultimate limits of numbers at the end of the causal stages, and thus could also be called the 'ten summits'. However, at the beginning of that chapter there are separate questions of its own, so it is also difficult to assign them here. In the 'Lifespan' chapter, the ten tiers of Buddha lands reach up to the ultimate end, the Buddha land of Bhadraśrī being the utmost limit, and therefore it is called 'summit'; yet there are ten tiers, so calling them 'ten summits' would also do no harm. Since there are no separate questions at the beginning of that chapter, it can serve as the answer. Here, the question is posed by looking toward what is exalted and lofty below; the subsequent text answers in terms of continuity at that very place. Furthermore, wherever there is a separate question in the subsequent text of this sūtra, there is no question posed here; if there is no question below but there is an exposition, then it is an answer to this question. Therefore, this must be understood. Below 'mind of rejoicing', it elucidates questions regarding the bodhisattva's practices arising in accordance with conditions, which are answered by the 'Abodes of Bodhisattvas' chapter, because that text explains that bodhisattvas, in accordance with capacities, universally respond in various places and give rise to superior practices. Here, the question is posed in terms of the practices that can abide; below, the answer is given in terms of the abodes of those practices. Deciding according to this, the correspondence between questions and answers concerning the Buddhadharma of the intermediate limit is also extremely clear. Below, in explaining transforming others in accordance with conditions: first, seeing another's slight good, one's mind rejoices; second, transforming sentient beings so that they perpetuate the Buddha seed, namely planting the Buddha seed in the field of sentient beings, and so forth. These two are the mind of transforming others. Below, it clarifies the practice of transforming others, namely: how is it uninterrupted? By rescuing and liberating. Where does one rescue? From within afflictions and false thoughts. How does one rescue? By knowing their faculties and conducts. With what does one rescue? By understanding the medicine of the Dharma. How is the rescue and liberation accomplished? Namely, by causing them to abandon the defilement of origination, transcend suffering and difficulties, resolve doubts regarding the path, and realize the cessation of craving; as the four lines in sequence should be understood. The fourteen questions concerning the future limit are answered generally from the 'Inconceivable' chapter to the 'Samantabhadra' chapter. Among them, 'superior dharmas' are the superior dharmas of bodhi, identical to the text above. 'Immovable' means being without effort. The remaining meanings are mostly the same as the explanations in the previous assembly.