華嚴經探玄記 6.6

6.6

Fourth, explaining the text: this assembly has four sūtra chapters; the first two are the preface, and the latter two are the main discourse. In the former, there are two: first is the preface of inviting the Buddha, and second is the preface of praising the Buddha. Furthermore, the first is his ascendance to heaven, and the latter is the gathering of bodhisattvas; because the Buddha is the leader of transformation, he comes first, while the bodhisattvas as companions follow after. In addition, the first is the fruit and the latter the cause; the first is that which can transform, and the latter is that which is transformed. In the first outline: One explanation is identical to that explained at the beginning of the previous assembly. Another explanation has seven [points]: (1) the Dharma Kings beneath the bodhi-trees of the ten directions appear simultaneously; (2) the Buddhas of the ten directions each ascend to Yāma; (3) the heavenly kings of the ten directions each adorn thrones to invite the Buddhas; (4) the Buddhas of the ten directions accept the invitation and ascend the palaces; (5) the heavenly kings of the ten directions obtain benefit and praise the Buddhas; (6) the Buddhas of the ten directions simultaneously ascend the lotus thrones; and (7) the jeweled palaces of the ten directions are each vast and extensive. Why are they all distinguished in the same way across the ten directions? Because the dharma-gate of the Perfect Teaching spans and pervades the dharmadhātu; whenever a single dharma arises, all must appear simultaneously. Therefore, when about to speak this Dharma, the principle is not one-sided or restricted, hence causing the endless simultaneous speaking in the ten directions, so that one speaking is all speakings, and so on. Herein there are three tiers of unobstructedness: (1) One is identical to many; therefore, the Buddha beneath one tree is identical to those beneath all trees. (2) Movement is identical to stillness; therefore, the Buddha beneath the tree is identical to the one ascending to heaven. (3) Movement and stillness are one and many; therefore, in all places he ascends to heaven without moving. This is the characteristic of the unobstructed, perfect interpenetration of the ten Buddhas endowed with virtues, which is not distinguished by other traditions; ponder and match this. The first two sections in the text are identical to the explanation of the previous assembly. Regarding the third, adorning and inviting, there are three: first, viewing the superior conditions from afar; second, adorning the throne to manifest the faculties; and third, inviting the Buddha to show desire. In adorning the throne, first is general and then specific. In the previous assembly there were ten thousand, whereas here there are one hundred thousand, signifying the increased characteristic of the stage. Furthermore, the previous palace was not jeweled, whereas here it is adorned with jewels, revealing that practice is precious and endowed with virtues. In the specific, there are twenty-three phrases: the first seven distinguish the adornment of the vessel world; the next seven phrases, 'a hundred thousand devaputras,' reveal the adornment of the sentient-being world; the latter nine phrases, from 'Tathāgatas of the ten directions' downward, are the adornment of the wisdom-and-correct-enlightenment world. Another explanation: the first seven are external phenomenal adornments; the next six are internal retribution adornments; the latter ten are dharma-gate adornments. In the dharma-gate adornments: the first phrase is the causal characteristic; the second is the fruit characteristic; the third is the virtue characteristic; the fourth is the samādhi characteristic; the fifth is the vow characteristic; the sixth is the superior characteristic; the seventh is the dharma characteristic; the eighth is the function characteristic; the ninth is the subtle characteristic; and the tenth is the teaching characteristic. In the third, inviting the Buddha, first it concludes the previous, and then it makes the formal invitation. Fourth, accepting the invitation and ascending the palace reveals that capacity and condition correspond, first clarifying this land and then analogizing to other directions. Fifth, in the heavenly kings obtaining benefit, it also first distinguishes this realm and then analogizes to other directions. In the former, it first attains the benefit of samādhi, and then gives rise to the benefit of wisdom. In wisdom, it first remembers its own roots of goodness, and then praises the past ten Buddhas to show the superiority of the present place. In principle and actuality, all Buddhas of the past have equally spoken the dharmas of the ten practices here; yet now, to signify the gradual increase of the stage characteristics, in relation to the ten Buddhas of the previous assembly, it proceeds forward to cite ten Buddhas such as this Yaśas Buddha to praise them; it is not that the remaining Buddhas, looking backward to Kāśyapa and forward, have not all also equally spoken the dharmas of the ten practices at this place. Sixth, ascending the throne, and seventh, the vast palace, can both be understood following the previous [explanations].