華嚴經探玄記 6.19

6.19

Eighth, illuminating the Buddha's dharmakāya is named Forest of Steadfastness, praising the quiescence of the essence of the Buddha's dharmakāya. The ten verses are divided into two: the first seven reveal the dharma, and the latter three accomplish contemplation. In the former, the first two establish the two headings of subject and object: first, revealing the quiescence of the essence which is praised, meaning that the earth produces grass and trees, yet seeking the seeds of grass and trees within the earth is truly impossible, which illustrates that the Buddha manifests differentiations in response to capacities, but seeking any differentiated intent within the Buddha is impossible; hence below it says: 'The immeasurable bodies are not the Buddha,' and so forth. Later, it reveals that the praising subject is equal; this is evident. In the five below that broadly explain, first three verses explain the emptiness of the aforementioned praising subject: 1. explaining that karma is not existent; 2. using karma to analogize the body, the body is also not existent; 3. using karma and the body to analogize consciousness, consciousness is also not existent. In the two verses below explaining that the aforementioned object of praise is non-existent, they first explain the great function of responding to capacities, and then explain that the essence is not plural. In the three below explaining the benefit of practice: 1. the benefit of realizing and seeing the dharmakāya; 2. breaking marks and returning to truth; 3. realizing reality and departing from marks.