華嚴經探玄記 4.17

4.17

Second, repeating the questions: within this, "the Buddha's appearance" repeats the earlier seventh and eighth questions. "Anuttara-bodhi" repeats the earlier "demonstrating the attainment of samyaksaṃbuddha," or "the Buddha's appearance" repeats "demonstrating the attainment of samyaksaṃbuddha," while the seventh and eighth questions are abbreviated and not repeated. "Anuttara-bodhi" is a general conclusion; the remaining phrases are identical to the preceding and can be known. In the general thesis, the initial phrase "inconceivable" runs through all the phrases; hence it concludes by saying, "all are inconceivable." "Inconceivable": the main idea here is that within the single-flavor dharmadhātu, the meaning is divided into two: first, the sea of lands that can accord; second, the conditions of the faculties that are accorded with. These two are non-dual, interpenetrating, and unobstructed. If one reduces conditions to the essence, then in its immediate characteristics it is perfectly interpenetrating, with nothing distinct that can be distinguished, beyond the reach of verbal explanation. If one reduces the essence to conditions, it again prints and forms diverse dependent origination. In terms of this diverse dependent origination, it inversely reveals that the essence of the land is exceedingly wondrous and difficult to conceive—this is its meaning. Due to this meaning, the sense of "inconceivable" has three kinds: 1. using the signifier of conditions to inversely reveal the meaning of the land's essence transcending conditions; here, the words reside within conditions, but the intention abides outside conditions; hence it is called inconceivable. 2. Since the land is revealed in terms of conditions, because of the dust-mote calculations of dependent origination, the land's essence is stamped by conditions into distinctions; this explains the land's non-distinct distinction, distinct yet non-distinct; hence it is inconceivable. 3. Conditions have no separate conditions, because the essence is identical to conditions; therefore, diverse dependent origination is itself the profound sea of lands. This means that the principle is extremely near yet difficult to recognize; hence it is inconceivable (reflect upon this).