華嚴經探玄記 6.103

6.103

The seventh [part] is the section of repeated verses (gāthās), which has two parts: first, stating the intention, and second, the verses proper. In the former, there are ten distinct points: first, contemplating the ten directions to reveal that [all Buddhas] teach the same; second, from "contemplating the retinue to make them delight in hearing" onwards, directly revealing the intention of the teaching; third, to cause them to inherit the fruit; fourth, to cause them to purify the cause; fifth, firmness of vows; sixth, continuity of practice—the above pertain to one's own stage; seventh, superior advancement to comprehend the Buddha—the above pertains to one's own virtues; below explains benefiting others: eighth, expounding the differences in the good roots of sentient beings in the ten practices to cause beings to practice and learn; ninth, measuring the capacity to bestow the Dharma; tenth, concluding summary. These are all explained from the perspective of the causal approach, hence all are called "seeds" (gotra), and also because this is the stage of the nature seed (prakṛti-gotra). In the repeated verses proper, there is no difference between seven-character and five-character lines in the Sanskrit text; both consist of four lines per verse, totaling one hundred and one verses. The rhetorical momentum of the verses here differs from the preceding prose; to discuss it briefly, there are five examples: First, the former laid out the exposition in sequence from beginning to end according to the stages, whereas now it merges and harmonizes the previous teaching so that there is neither beginning nor end; therefore, each single practice contains all practices. Second, the former was based on distinct practices, while this clarifies universal practices, because the two texts mutually reveal the unhindered nature of the universal and the distinct. Third, the former was based solely on causes, while this extends to fruitional practices, because the perfect interpenetration of cause and fruit constitutes the dharmadhātu of this practice-approach. Fourth, the former was based on the common teaching to gather those of medium faculties, while now it reveals the distinct teaching to cover those of superior attainment, because the unhindered nature of common and distinct constitutes the one perfect teaching. Fifth, the former was based on unmixed eloquence, while this is based on spontaneous eloquence, spoken without awaiting sequence, with uninterrupted words and expressions. In the text there are two parts: first, five verses praising the Buddha's virtues to make people aspire and seek [them]; second, from "All in the ten directions" onwards, versifying the bodhisattva practices to make people learn and practice [them], revealing that this stage is endowed with both causal and fruitional practices. Furthermore, because the exposition was empowered by the Buddha, the Buddha is praised first; because it was expounded by means of practice, the practices are versified second. In the former there are two: first, two verses praising Buddha Rocana, as he is the host of conversion. Within this, the first verse praises the Buddha's immaculate and unobstructed wisdom; the next two lines praise the greatness of the Buddha's superior virtues; the last two lines praise the perfect purity of the Buddha's realized practice. Second, praising the Buddhas of the ten directions, as they provide auxiliary empowerment. Within this, the first verse reveals the fullness of the fruit of the two adornments, meaning that the understanding of true wisdom is profound, and the matchless superior merit quickly reaches the complete fruit; the next verse shows that true compassion broadly benefits; the last verse reveals that wisdom and virtue of eradication are equal. In the second part, versifying the bodhisattva practices, there are three: first, six seven-character verses versifying that the karmic practice in the previous foundational part is inconceivable, vast as the dharmadhātu and ultimate as space; second, from "Line by line, broadly distinguishing" onwards, versifying the distinctions of the ten practices in the previous teaching section; finally, four verses concluding in praise to reveal their supremacy. In the first six verses, six kinds of karmic practices are shown to be inconceivable: first, the practice of seeing the Buddha and leaving delusion; second, the practice of seeing the principle and perfecting virtue; third, the vast practice without effort; fourth, the practice of unobstructed quiescence and function; fifth, the supremely noble practice of firm vows; sixth, the multi-gate practice of encompassing the stages—each shown in one verse, as is evident. In the second, versifying the previous ten practices, the first verse generally explains the ten practices. In the specific explanations below, the first six verses versify the practice of joy; within these, the first three concern the giving of fearlessness: one, benefiting sentient beings by abandoning harm; two, relieving suffering to bring peace; three, enduring distress in speech and thought; the next two concern the giving of Dharma: one, investigating meaning; two, expounding the teaching; the last one concerns the giving of wealth. As for "a hundred merits," the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says that cultivating the ten good deeds in each of the five grades of minds—lower, middle, upper, upper-middle, and uppermost—makes fifty. Cultivating fifty at the beginning and the same at the end makes one hundred merits. A hundred merits adorn a single mark. Second, the five verses from "Skillfully entering" onwards versify the practice of beneficial action. Within these, the first verse versifies the precept of moral discipline, meaning that faults cannot move [the bodhisattva]; the next two verses versify the precept of collecting good dharmas: one, practicing in accordance with the Dharma; two, leaving the two practices; the next verse and a half versify the precept of embracing sentient beings: one, the place of conversion; half, the practice of conversion. The lower half concludes the three pure precepts. Third, the four verses from "Wisdom cannot be measured" onwards versify the practice of non-resentment. Within these, the first verse is patience of thorough understanding and contemplation of phenomena; the next two are patience of enduring suffering, meaning that when one cultivates practice oneself and suffering arises, one is able to bear it: one, enduring suffering of mind, where the upper half brings up what is cultivated and that the mind is without indolence, clarifying the mind's patient endurance; two, enduring suffering of body, where the upper half also brings up what is cultivated and that bodily action is unhindered, clarifying the body's patient endurance; the next one is patience toward others' lack of benefit, where the upper half brings up the object of patience, and the bodhisattva rescues all, bringing up benefit to counter harm, directly clarifying the ability to endure. Fourth, the five verses from "Cultivating the Buddha Dharma" onwards versify the practice of inexhaustibility. Within these, the first two concern vigor of preliminary application: one versifies the previous ten phrases such as diligent cultivation of vigor; two versifies the previous cultivation of vigor in order to fully know the faculties, desires, and natures of sentient beings. The next one is vigor of donning armor, versifying the previous enduring of hellish suffering for the sake of sentient beings, and so forth. The last two are vigor without satiety: one, the light of wisdom universally benefiting beings; the last, spiritual power constantly benefiting sentient beings, hence without satiety. Fifth, the two verses from "Skillfully understanding" onwards versify the practice of freedom from delusion and confusion. Within these, one is dhyāna dwelling in pleasant abiding in the present life. The upper half is preliminary application, versifying the previous distinguishing of worldly material phenomena, scriptures, and treatises; the lower half is abiding in concentration, clarifying that wisdom is manifested to depart from delusion. "Immovable" reveals departure from confusion; the last one is dhyāna that induces merit. "Inexhaustible stage" versifies the previous hearing and receiving of the true Dharma, and not regressing or forgetting even through many kalpas. Sixth, the two verses from "Measureless" onwards versify the practice of skillful manifestation; the previous preliminary application and primary essence are omitted and not versified. In the subsequently attained wisdom: one, great wisdom for one's own practice, versifying the previous not relinquishing the bodhicitta, and so forth; two, great compassion for benefiting others, versifying the previous not relinquishing the conversion of sentient beings, increasing great kindness, and so forth. Seventh, the four verses from "Buddha's nectar" onwards versify the practice of non-attachment. Within these, the first versifies the previous receiving of the true prophecy, fulfilling the salvation through upāya in this, hence called ultimate; the next versifies the previous compassionate mindfulness of sentient beings; the last two versify the previous non-attachment of the mind toward the path of language. Eighth, the eight verses from "Abiding peacefully" onwards versify the practice of veneration. Within these, the first versifies the previous deep understanding of the dharmadhātu and abiding in the signless abode; the next versifies the previous practicing the bodhisattva path throughout measureless kalpas, not calculating multiple sufferings to produce grief and distress; the next two concern seeing the Buddha with the universal eye, which also versifies the previous equality with the Buddhas of the three times; the next one is the liberation of extending and contracting, which is the inconceivable liberation also attained, versifying the previous neither ultimate nor non-ultimate; the next one versifies the previous that if there are sentient beings who respectfully see and hear, all attain abiding in non-retrogression; the next one versifies the previous that the mind always cherishes the sublime Dharma of all Buddhas; the last one versifies the previous not departing from one sentient being while attaching to many sentient beings. Ninth, the three verses from "Endowed with wisdom" onwards versify the practice of good dharmas. Within these, the first versifies the accomplishment of upholding, the cooling pool of Dharma, and so forth; the next versifies the accomplishment of teaching, questioning, and answering; the last one is manifesting the body relying on concentration, versifying the previous golden body, the ten bodies, and so forth. Tenth, the forty-six verses from "Ultimate" onwards versify the previous practice of truth. Within these, there are five divisions: the first three generally versify, where the first is that the errors of patience and wisdom are exhausted; the next two concern the unhindered nature of body and land: one, the mastery of wish-fulfillment, and one, the mastery of illusion. The second division has seven verses versifying that the previous words and actions correspond, within which the first three verses versify the attained wisdom of the ten powers; the next verse directly versifies words and actions being non-futile; the lower three verses versify entering three and emerging as Buddha-nature and good roots. Third, from "Deeply entering the ocean of wisdom" onwards there are twelve verses versifying the previous initiating practice relying on vows to gather beings in accordance with words. The text above was brief, while here it is broad. Within these, the first three concern bestowing the eyes and raining down the Dharma; the next two concern firm faith and knowing the mind to convert; next, the four verses from "Inconceivable" onwards reveal conversion through mastery of the three karmas; the next two concern knowing faculties and bestowing the Dharma; the last verse concludes in praise to reveal supremacy. Fourth, the nine verses from "That wisdom has no equal" onwards versify the previously perfected virtues of causal fulfillment. Within these, the first four concern the fulfillment of the two adornments and the two benefits; the last five concern the culmination of the three karmas and two functions: one, body; two, thought; three, speech; four, bodily function; five, speech function, as should be known in sequence, which is the above text's inexhaustibility of this bodhisattva's artha-kāya and vyañjana-kāya. Fifth, the fifteen verses from "Practicing the Buddha's liberation" onwards versify the previously perfected virtues of the Buddha-fruit. Within these are two parts: first, seven verses specifically versifying the text above; second, eight verses generally versifying those virtues. In the former, the first verse versifies the previous becoming the unobstructed liberation of the Tathāgata, the hero among humans without fear; the next verse versifies cutting off the stream of saṃsāra, entering the ocean of wisdom, and benefiting sentient beings; the next three concern the eight phases being constantly quiescent, versifying the previous exhausting the great ocean of upāya of all Buddhas; the next verse versifies the previous contemplating the stage of non-duality; the next verse versifies the previous protecting the true Dharma of all Buddhas of the three times. Below generally versifies the virtues of this practice, within which are eight verses: the first four are the virtues of perfecting the two benefits. First, among the three of one's own benefit, the first verse praises the supremacy of the physical sense faculties, specifically praising the eye, ear, and body because they are of the nature of superknowledges, not discussing the nose and tongue. The next two praise the supremacy of the mind: one, wisdom; one, concentration. Moreover, the first praises superknowledges and praises wisdom; the next praises concentration and praises wisdom; the next one is benefiting others. Next, the four verses from "All knowledge and vision" onwards concern the extraordinary virtues of the three karmas: one, supremacy of birthplace; two, supremacy of eloquence; three, supremacy of bodily radiance; four, supremacy of responding to capacities. The third part, four verses, concludes the ten practices in summary, praising them to reveal their supremacy, as can be understood.