華嚴經探玄記 6.29

6.29

Fourth, within the root section, there are two: first, the essence of practice; second, the characteristics of practice. In the essence, "the karmic practice is inconceivable" indicates the essence and reveals the virtue: that is, this practice of Samantabhadra's perfect interpenetration is endowed with virtues that surpass ordinary thought, hence it is called "inconceivable." This inconceivable practice has ten aspects in all: 1. Being vast and great: with all bodies, in all places, across all times, thought-moment after thought-moment instantly cultivating practices that accord with the dharmadhātu; therefore this practice is called inconceivable. 2. Being profound: this vast and great practice is itself mental activity, entirely lacking self-nature and identical with tathatā, yet its characteristics of practice are clearly not lost; it is practice of the manifestation of the nature, and thus also inconceivable. 3. Being remarkably supreme: surpassing the other vehicles and not to be surmised by lower stages; hence also inconceivable. 4. Embracing the stages: though being prior to the bhūmis, it is able to embrace all preceding and succeeding stages; hence called inconceivable. 5. Realizing principle: this practice is able to realize the inconceivable principle; hence called inconceivable. 6. Severing obstacles: this practice is able to instantly sever inconceivable obstacles that are difficult to sever. 7. Benefiting others: this practice is able in a single thought-moment to broadly benefit the exhaustless realm of sentient beings; hence inconceivable. 8. Perfect interpenetration: a single practice is all practices, and all practices are a single practice; difficult to measure; hence called inconceivable. 9. Multiple accomplishment: what is performed here is multiplied without end like Indra's net; hence inconceivable. 10. Accomplishing the result: being able to accomplish the inconceivable result of buddhahood; hence also inconceivable. The reason ten are distinguished is to reveal inexhaustibility, as should be understood in accordance with the great dragon's practice in the verses below. This is distinguished according to the perfect teaching. If according to the three vehicles, one cannot interpret it in this way, because this would still be a stage with outflows. "Vast as the dharmadhātu and ultimate as empty space" reveals the characteristics of the previously mentioned inconceivability. Now, there are ten kinds of dharmadhātu, as explained below. Here two approaches are brought forward to explain this practice: practice that is broad is called "vast," and practice that is deep is called "great." This vastness and this greatness are accomplished in accordance with nature, hence it is said to be "like the dharmadhātu." Empty space also has ten meanings, as explained below under the space-body of the eighth bhūmi. Here two meanings are also brought forward: 1. The practice can break through signs and realize the ultimate empty space of dharmatā; hence it is called "ultimate as empty space." 2. The practice can give rise to immeasurable agreeable results, just as forms appear based on space, and forms are inexhaustible; hence it is called "ultimate as empty space." In the explanation below, it first questions and then explains. Because this practice is what the buddhas of the three times have practiced, it is therefore like this. Another explanation: The aforementioned karmic practice corresponds to the goodness of contemplating signs; definitely inconceivable corresponds to real goodness; dharmadhātu corresponds to supreme goodness; like empty space corresponds to causal goodness; emulating the three times, etc., corresponds to being undaunted. The rest is the same as the explanation of the previous assembly.