華嚴經探玄記 5.86

5.86

Regarding the second, the explanation revealing its superiority, there are two parts: first, a query; and second, the explanation. The intent of the query is: consider how in the eastern direction, in a single thought-moment, one sees boundless buddhas, and by the power of this single thought-moment offers worship through immeasurable kalpas, demonstrating that the buddhas and so forth are exceedingly vast. As in the east, so too in the rest, which reveals an extreme vastness. Since this is already so for one person, and furthermore one encourages all other sentient beings to do likewise, how much more does it multiply and surpass what came before! Up to the tenth [stage], which explains that the limit of this merit is difficult to know, why is it that when compared with the merit of generating this [bodhi-]mind, it does not equal even one part in an inexpressible number of parts? Therefore it asks, "Why is this?"
In the explanation below, it first clarifies that because [the former] does not lack boundaries, it shows that the former is inferior to this; next, from "wishing to fully [know]" onward, because [this mind] has no boundaries, it shows that this surpasses the former.
Although the aspects of surpassing here are immeasurable, broadly speaking there are six kinds:
1. Surpassing in place: meaning wishing to completely make offerings to the buddhas in the places of inexhaustible worlds, equal to space and the inexhaustible dharmadhātu of the ten directions. This reaches places such as Indra's net, and is therefore unlike the former.
2. Surpassing in time: meaning exhausting the buddhas of the three times, which reaches the inexhaustible, manifold times of the nine times, ten times, and so forth.
3. Surpassing in buddhas: meaning exhausting all the buddhas in the realm of the buddhas to make offerings to them all, not merely as before.
4. Surpassing in offerings: meaning taking whatever physical, mental, noumenal, phenomenal, practices, and so forth of self and other exist within the dharmadhātu and offering them all, not merely as before.
5. Surpassing in mind: meaning before each and every buddha in the aforementioned inexhaustible buddha-realms, each with inexhaustible offering activities, each making offerings through inexhaustible time, the mind is still not exhausted; hence it surpasses.
6. Surpassing in practice: meaning completely penetrating the equality, perfect interpenetration, and unhindered nature of the three factors of agent, recipient, and act; hence it surpasses.
Question: One could only compare the entirety as unequal; how could it not even equal a single part out of an inexpressible number of parts?
Answer: The merit of this generation of the mind is identical to the dharmadhātu and cannot be divided. Even a single part out of an inexpressible number of parts still pervades the dharmadhātu; regardless of more or less, all are beyond comparison. Just as with the grain and rice of the permanent Saṃgha, a single bushel pervades the Saṃgha of the ten directions, down to a single handful also pervading the Saṃgha of the ten directions, because it cannot be divided. Reflecting on this, it can be understood.