華嚴經探玄記 7.37

7.37

Third, within the characteristics of empowerment, there are three parts: first, empowerment through vocal action; next, empowerment through mental action; and last, empowerment through bodily action. First, within vocal empowerment there are nine phrases: "You must expound this Dharma" is general, and the rest are specific. There are two kinds of expounding this Dharma: First, expounding by other-power, which is both the power of the fruition and the power of the sovereign condition (adhipati-pratyaya), as the sūtra says: "Because of expounding through the empowerment of the Buddha's power." Second, expounding through self-power's capability, which is both the power of the causal stage and the power of the cause-and-condition (hetu-pratyaya). Therefore, this Dharma can only be expounded through the fusion of self and other, cause and fruition, direct and indirect. Among the eight on self-power, the first three explain the power of active pure dharmas. The first is general: having already abided in the house of the Buddha, it is fitting in principle to proclaim the Dharma in order to carry out the house's business. Below are the specific ones: the first is developing untainted meritorious qualities; the second is entering into the wisdom of dhāraṇī; therefore, one resides in the Buddha's house. The next two phrases are the power of non-active pure dharmas: first, realizing the Buddha's eternal body; second, illuminating the true nature of dharmas. The last three manifest the power of purity of the body: first, "pure and white," etc., which is the culmination distinct from the two vehicles; second, "abiding in vastness," etc., which is the culmination of bodhisattvas; third, "abiding in unimpededness," etc., which is the culmination of the Buddha. Although this is prior to the bhūmis, calling it the Buddha's culmination is because it is subsumed under the Samantabhadra stage of the Perfect Teaching, as explained before and after. Second, mental empowerment has two parts: first, the empowerment itself; [second,] the teaching explains the intention behind this particular empowerment. Within the former there are ten phrases: the first is general, and the remaining nine are specific. Among the specific ones, the first three confer the wisdom of exposition: first, discriminating phrases and words is unimpeded eloquence of expression; second, absence of obstruction is unimpeded eloquence of delighted speech; third, unimpeded illumination of dharmas confers the two unimpeded eloquences of dharma and meaning. The next three confer the wisdom of the three actions matching transformation, causing one to accomplish transformation identically with the Buddha through the three wheels; this can be understood. The last three confer the wisdom of the rituals of expounding the Dharma: first, causing one's mind to have no partiality when expounding the Dharma, acting solely for the sake of benefiting others—hence it says "directing toward the wisdom of merit"; second, when encountering any dharma, being able to give rise to skillful, superior understanding; third, correctly expounding to conditions without any end. Furthermore, the first is the expounding mind, the next is expounding understanding, and the last is expounding practice; "all places" means simultaneous expounding, and "uninterrupted" means constant expounding. The explanation of the particular empowerment, bodily empowerment, and the section on arising are all as explained before. Fourth, in the section on the fundamental source, it first alerts the great assembly. Below, the manifestation has two parts: first, clarifying the essence; second, revealing the characteristics. Within the former there are two: first, generally stating; second, beginning with "all and everywhere," specifically analyzing the inconceivable. "Great vows": generally stating the arising; seeking with anticipation is called a "vow"; profound and vast is called "great"; surpassing measurement is called "inconceivable." This is the unimpeded vow of Samantabhadra's own essence, completely possessing the limitless meritorious functions of the dharmadhātu, as expounded below in this chapter. All merits are summarized within this single phrase of "great vows," hence it is called inconceivable. Although it is thus spoken generally, specific discussion has ten aspects: 1. Inconceivable in what is anticipated, namely, definitely attaining unexcelled great bodhi; 2. Inconceivable in enduring suffering, namely, having no worldly suffering of the evil destinies, even endured for many kalpas, that can destroy this vow; 3. Inconceivable in enduring vexation, namely, toward sentient beings difficult to transform who turn their backs on kindness and vex or harm the bodhisattva, the great vow of initially gathering and transforming them never turns away; 4. Inconceivable in being hard to destroy, namely, having no divergent doctrines of heavenly māras or the two vehicles that can destroy this vow so that one does not follow their conversion; 5. Inconceivable because it is vast, namely, exhausting the realms of sentient beings throughout the dharmadhātu, as expounded in the ten exhaustion phrases; 6. Inconceivable because it is profound, tallying identically with the dharmatā, as in the nature-manifestation vows; 7. Inconceivable in the merits gathered by the Buddha, naturally and intrinsically gathering the ocean of limitless great merit of the dharmadhātu; 8. Inconceivable in what is generated, namely, generating all pāramitā practices without exhaustion relying on this great vow, just as the great ocean produces inexhaustible jewels; 9. Inconceivable in great function, namely, great vows previously accomplished accomplishing things without effort, such as arising through the power of vows upon hearing sounds in the cessation attainment; 10. Inconceivable in adverse and conforming [conditions], namely, the great vows universally responding to types of faculties to accomplish benefit, with diverse adverse and conforming modes that lower stages cannot fathom. However, the real merits of the great vows are endless; relying on guidelines ten are distinguished, all of which are revealed below in the section of exposition. Below, "universally rescuing," etc., clarifies the vastness of benefiting others; "learning from the three times," etc., reveals the vastness of benefiting oneself, each possessing the previous ten meanings, as can be understood. Furthermore, here the first is the aspect of contemplation, the next is great goodness, and the last is lack of cowardice; these are three among the six determinations, and the remaining meanings are as explained before.