華嚴經探玄記 5.10

5.10

Second, within adorning faculties and desires, "seeing the Buddha coming from afar" is because, in terms of the Buddha, function arises from essence, and in terms of the receptive capacities, the objective realm appears from the mind. Within this, there are two: first, adorning the seat to symbolize characteristics, wherein there is first a general and then a specific [treatment]. Within the specific, first is circumstantial retribution, and second is direct retribution. Second, from "palms joined" onwards, discerning desire. Third, within the harmony of faculties and conditions, there are also two: first, the benefit of ascending the palace; second, the benefit of ascending the seat. Within the former, there are two: first, responding to resonance; second, accomplishing benefit. Each of these two has two parts, namely this realm and concluding universality. Within benefit, there are two: first, "tranquil..." and so forth shows the benefit of attaining samādhi; second, verses of praise give rise to the benefit of wisdom. Within this, there are two: first, recollecting past practices; second, praising virtues. Within the praises, in reality, all past buddhas have the same essence and fused functions, being naturally non-dual, and all expounded the Dharma of the ten abidings in this palace; yet now, by reverse order, only ten buddhas are mentioned to reveal endlessness and to expound the ten abidings. Kāśyapa is a clan name, translated here as "Drinker of Light." Kanakamuni is translated here as "Golden Sage." Krakucchanda is translated here as "Having Severed What Ought to Be Severed," referring to the afflictions of saṃsāra and the like. Suyaśas (Vipaśyin/Viśvabhū), also named Viśvabhū, is translated here as "All-Victorious" and also as "Universally Manifesting," meaning his body manifests in all places. Śikhin is translated here as "Having a Topknot." Vipaśyin is translated here as "Various Seeing," newly named "Pure Contemplation." Puṣya is translated here as "Flourishing," because of having no deficiency, and is also the name of a constellation. Tiṣya is translated here as "Expounding," meaning constantly preaching the Dharma, and is also named "Light." Padma is translated here as "Red Lotus." Dīpaṃkara is the Buddha Burning Lamp; when this Buddha was first born as a crown prince, all around his body was like a burning lamp, hence he was named Crown Prince Burning Lamp, and when the prince attained Buddhahood, he also established this name. Question: Here, the latter seven buddhas are buddhas of the past Alaṃkārakalpa; how could they expound the Dharma in the Trāyastriṃśa palace of this Bhadrakalpa? Answer: These heavenly palaces and so forth have coarse and subtle aspects; the coarse are burned and destroyed in the previous kalpa, while the subtle are eternally enduring. As the sūtra says: "Devas and humans see the end of the kalpa, while this land of mine is ever tranquil," and so forth. Furthermore, what is expounded in the three vehicles is destroyed, while what is discerned in the One Vehicle is eternally enduring. Second, within the benefit of ascending the seat, there are two: first, this land; second, concluding universality. Within the former, there are two: first, ascending the seat; second, discerning the benefit. Expanding his palace shatters delusions by altering what is ordinarily seen. Being identical with the heavenly abode reveals identity with the principle. The previous ascending of the palace benefited persons, while this ascending of the seat benefits the place, in order to reveal that both circumstantial and direct [retributions] are superior.