華嚴經探玄記 7.26

7.26

Sixth is the Banner of Jewels, so named because illuminating principle is precious. Its ten verses are divided into two parts: first, three verses praise the sovereignty of the Buddha's body and mind; last, seven verses praise the sovereignty of the Buddha's appearing in the world. Within the first: the first two explain the body—first, the limitless manifests as limited; second, having no location, it pervades all locations; the following one verse explains the mind itself—the upper line explains the absence of the eight consciousnesses as mental kings, the second line explains the absence of mental factors, and the lower half concludes with the dharma-essence. The Dà zhìdù lùn says: "On the Buddha ground, there are no mind or mental dharmas." Question: If in terms of the dharmakāya, it may be as spoken above. But in terms of the saṃbhogakāya, if it lacks mental dharmas, how could one cause the Buddha to be identical to insentient beings? Answer: If relying on the initial teaching, the Buddha ground is fully endowed with the eight pure consciousnesses and twenty-one mental factors. If it is said that they are absent, it is merely that defiled consciousness is absent, not that pure [consciousness] is absent. Furthermore, because wisdom is superior, it only speaks of having wisdom, not that consciousness is absent. If according to the final teaching, there is only a single perfect wisdom that internally realizes suchness and externally gives rise to transformative functions; also, there is no difference between mental king and mental factors, nor distinctions among the eight consciousnesses. Thus, Paramārtha's translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha states: "The fruit of buddhahood is only suchness and the wisdom of suchness uniquely persisting." If in terms of the sudden teaching, because initial enlightenment is identical to original enlightenment, there is no distinction of initial enlightenment; consequently, combining this, wisdom's proper characteristic is immediately suchness, the marks of wisdom are also exhausted, and only the single wondrous principle beyond words and conceptual thought constitutes the fruit of buddhahood. If in terms of the perfect teaching, since principle and wisdom are seamlessly fused, the entire dharmadhātu taken together is wisdom; speaking of ten reveals the inexhaustible, and therefore this wisdom has never not been identical to the dharmadhātu. One should ponder and evaluate this accordingly. Within the last seven verses: the first four explain this Buddha, and the latter three analogize other Buddhas. Within the former: the first two explain that the Buddha appears in the world for benefit, yet there is immediately no appearing—meaning that the first one explains that not appearing causes harm; the next half-verse explains the benefit of appearing in the world; the lower half reveals that there is truly no appearing. The Sūtra on the Non-Practice of All Dharmas says: "The Tathāgata does not appear in the world, / Nor does he deliver sentient beings. / Sentient beings rigidly discriminate, / Saying the Buddha delivers sentient beings." Explanation: It clarifies that when this body of Śākyamuni appears in the world, there is constantly no appearing, not that this refers separately to the dharmakāya. The lower two verses explain the reason for not appearing in the world, meaning that whenever one discusses a Buddha's appearing, it is always in terms of time and place. Now examining these two, neither is equal enlightenment; therefore, appearing is immediately non-appearing. Below, it clarifies that when sentient beings' capacities are ripe, they themselves see the Buddha-sun appear within their own minds; yet the Buddha's own enlightenment is originally not a pure sun. Within the latter part analogizing other Buddhas: the first one verse speaks in terms of doctrine, directly analogizing. The upper half rehearses the previous appearing. This Buddha appearing in the world is immediately the meaning of non-appearing, meaning that the Buddhas previously seen by the minds of sentient beings are all false and non-existent, and therefore words are severed. The lower half directly analogizes the appearing of the Buddhas of the three times, the principle being likewise the same. The next verse provides an analogy: the upper part analogizes that the Buddha's appearing is immediately non-appearing, meaning that destroying darkness is named the sun's appearing; when the sun appears, darkness is already non-existent, and when darkness is non-existent, the sun does not appear, so appearing is immediately non-appearing. The lower half analogizes appearing without appearing, appearing being merely a name. The following one verse matches the doctrine: the upper half matches appearing being immediately non-appearing; the lower half matches non-appearing being appearing. Appearing is merely a name, and is therefore not different from that non-appearing.