華嚴經探玄記 4.66

4.66

Tenth is the profundity of the Buddha's realm. Previously, Mañjuśrī questioned the many persons; now the many persons question Mañjuśrī, because the leader and companions mutually illuminate each other. Above, other dharmas were discussed and other bodhisattvas spoke; now the Buddha's realm is analyzed. The reason they jointly request Mañjuśrī is that he has attained Buddhahood long ago, revealing the depth of his wisdom. Moreover, Mañjuśrī's questions all used principle to counter-examine contradictions and conclude with difficulties; now, in merely consulting and requesting without presuming to raise difficulties, this reveals him to be venerable, senior, and the leader of the assembly. Furthermore, this Buddha's realm comprises two kinds: first, the realm of realization, namely truth and conventionality, and so forth; second, the delimited realm: according to the Hīnayāna, from the thirty-four minds onward is the Buddha's realm; according to the Three Vehicles, after the completion of the ten bhūmis is the Buddha's realm; according to the One Vehicle, after the completion of the ten faiths is the Buddha's realm. As analyzed here, it is that which is within the [stage of] faith. Furthermore, the Three Vehicles and so forth do not extend to the causal stage; because in the One Vehicle cause and fruit are identical, it is also the realm of Samantabhadra. The remaining meanings are as explained in the chapter on Nature Manifestation. In the text there are two: first, the question; second, the answer. In the question there are four: 1. general address; 2. concluding what has already been said; 3. praising Mañjuśrī; 4. directly presenting the request in eleven clauses: the first two ask about the essence of the virtue of benefit for oneself; the next five ask about the virtuous functions of benefit for others; the next three ask about the sentient beings benefited; the last one concludes with its vastness. Moreover, the first one is general: the fruit-essence. 2. Achieving the fruit through the cause: asking about the cause of realizing the realm. 3. The place of entry: meaning cause is rounded and fruit is perfected, mounting transformations to universally enter the world, etc. 4. Those who are delivered: meaning entering the world to analyze the sentient beings to be delivered. 5. Analyzing the wisdom that knows the Dharma for delivering sentient beings, meaning the wisdom that knows the Dharma-gates of the dharmadhātu. 6. The Dharma-medicine that is administered. 7. Speaking differentially in response to capacities. 8. Clarifying the capacity's entry into the Dharma, meaning it is not what is cognized by defiled consciousness. 9. Since it is not the realm of defiled consciousness, how is one caused to know it? 10. Once caused to know it, what dharmas does it illuminate and eliminate? Another explanation: these three questions cause those being transformed to successively obtain the benefits of the three wisdoms, as should be known. 11. General conclusion: asking where the Buddha's realm extends and pervades. In the answer, among the ten verses, the eighth single verse answers the two clauses eight and nine, and the remaining verses sequentially answer the remaining nine questions. The first verse answers the realm; the upper half raises the Dharma entered, which contains two meanings: first, 'equal' (qi) means identical, meaning equal to empty space, which is true suchness as the cognitive object; second, 'equal' (qi) means boundary, meaning from equality with the true emptiness of dharmatā onward is the Buddha's realm. Furthermore, the upper line is profound and the lower line is vast. The lower half clarifies the realization and entry of sentient beings. Regarding 'no place of entry': because sentient beings are themselves the dharmakāya, there is no further entry. Just as when constantly residing in empty space, how could one further speak of entering empty space? The second answers the cause: first, the cause of the other portion, which only the Buddha can discern; second, the cause of one's own portion, which cannot be fully explained because it was cultivated for many kalpas. Furthermore, because it is manifold it cannot be fully explained; because it equals the Buddha, only the Buddha can discern it. 'Only the Buddha can discern' reveals its depth; 'cannot be fully explained' reveals its vastness. 'All others' means that aside from the Buddha, other people cannot explain it completely. The third answers entry: the upper half clarifies following conditions, and the lower half clarifies non-changing. That is, being tranquil yet constantly functioning, he universally enters; functioning yet constantly tranquil, he is serene. Harmonious yet distinct, hence it says 'different from what the world sees'; precisely by virtue of being able to enter, he is different. The fourth answers deliverance: meaning what kind of deeds does he perform when entering the world? That is, delivering sentient beings. The upper half raises the deliverance of beings; the lower half clarifies the number of deliverances. The fifth answers the wisdom that knows the Dharma for delivering sentient beings: the upper half is the knower; the lower half is the known. The sixth answers the Dharma-medicine: the first line clarifies the Dharma-essence, the next line the Dharma-function; the lower half clarifies that function is not distinct from essence, hence only the Buddha knows it. Fully discerning it has two aspects: first, through the undifferentiated dharmadhātu, much is spoken according to capacities; because it is much, it is difficult to know, and if fully discerned, only the Buddha knows it; second, this manifold speech is without differentiation, and being without differentiation it is manifoldly spoken. These two gates do not disrupt each other and do not obstruct being identical to one; this is difficult to analyze, and if one wishes to fully discern it, only the Buddha can know it. The seventh answers the wisdom of speaking the Dharma knowing voices: the upper half is the known, the lower half the knower. That is, though he fully knows the speech and voices of sentient beings and preaches the Dharma thereby, he is ever free of contrivance, hence free of conceptual differentiation. The eighth answers consciousness, containing two lines: the first line, being inconceivable, terminates the path of language, and is not cognized by ear-consciousness and so forth; the lower line, being unthinkable, extinguishes the place of mental activity, and is not an object of mental deliberation. Moreover, it is neither defiled consciousness nor defiled mind, as the Laṅkāvatāra states: 'Grasping marks is called consciousness; not grasping marks is called wisdom.' Therefore, among the four reliances, one is not permitted to rely on consciousness. The ninth answers decisive knowledge, containing two lines: the first line raises the Dharma, namely the naturally pure tathāgatagarbha-dharma; the lower line reveals causing one to know decisively. The tenth answers illumination: the upper half illuminates and eliminates the affliction-hindrance, realizing quiescent nirvāṇa; the lower half illuminates and eliminates the hindrance to the knowable, attaining bodhi to practice equally in the world. Furthermore, 'avidyā' means there is no illuminator; 'no place to practice' means there is nothing illuminated; 'practicing equally in the world' means illuminating while transcending the subject and object, hence called 'practicing equally'—'practicing' is equivalent to illuminating. The eleventh answers vastness: the upper half is the vastness of the known, the lower half is the vastness of the knower.