華嚴經探玄記 7.54

7.54

In the third [dedication], "Dedication Equal to All Buddhas," there are also two parts: prose and verses. In the former there are also two parts: first, the practice of the stage; later, the fruit of the stage. In the former there are three: the heading, the explanation, and the conclusion. In the explanation there are three: first, bringing forward the intent of the dedication to be learned, which explains the title; second, from "When this bodhisattva practices" onward, directly revealing the dedication; third, from "When such a mahāsattva has properly dedicated all roots of goodness, he achieves a wondrous body" onward, explaining the benefits accomplished by the dedication. In the second, the direct dedication, there are two parts: first, dedication to sentient beings and bodhi; later, from "He further reflects: Just as those past [buddhas]" onward, explaining dedication to the ultimate reality. In the former there are also two parts: first, performing dedication based on events; later, from "If the mahāsattva is a householder" onward, gathering goodness according with conditions to make dedication. In the former there are three: first, presenting the practices based on events; second, directly dedicating; third, from "The mahāsattva grasps practices through great vows, equalling them..." onward, concluding with the characteristics of the benefits. In the first, it means attaining three pure minds with respect to two kinds of objects: first, with respect to agreeable and disagreeable objects, attaining freedom from the fetters of hatred and affection; second, having become free of these fetters, joy and pleasure remain unbroken; third, having become free of the fetters and joyful in feeling, causing the body and mind to be harmonious, relaxed, light, at ease, and delighted. Having obtained this joy, one directly dedicates it based thereon. In the second, directly dedicating one's own joy, there are three parts: first, dedicating to the buddhas; second, dedicating to bodhisattvas; third, dedicating to sentient beings. In the first, it clarifies that when one attains joy oneself, one contemplates wishing to dedicate it as an offering to all buddhas; therefore, it first brings up the buddhas' own joy, hence it says that although the buddhas possess pure, wondrous happiness. Below there are ten phrases directly wishing for the joy attained by all buddhas. Question: The buddhas' virtues are full and their joy is complete; why is it necessary to wish for the buddhas to attain joy? Even if one wishes it, could the buddhas' virtues increase? Answer: How could the Buddha need human incense and flowers as an offering expressing filial devotion? It is because this bodhisattva loves and reveres the Tathāgata that he dedicates the joy he has attained to the Buddha. Among the ten, the first one is general: wishing the Buddha to attain the joy in which the Buddha abides, which cannot be measured by me; the remaining nine are distinct expositions, all of which are inconceivable. 1. The joy of samādhi is that upon which the Buddha's own virtue relies, meaning entering, exiting, roaming, and being at ease. 2. The joy of great compassion is the root of the Buddha's transformative virtue, meaning residing in saṃsāra as if roaming in pleasure gardens. 3. The joy of liberation is the Buddha's inconceivable liberation; as explained below in the "Inconceivable Chapter," there are ten kinds, etc.; being free from obstacles and sovereign, it is called joy. 4. The joy of supernatural powers is that the Buddha's universal superknowledges are sovereign, hence joyful, like the ten superknowledges, etc. 5. The joy of supreme honour is the Buddha's superior virtue, standing out uniquely without match, hence called joy; superior joy covers people, hence called "covering the Tathāgata." 6. The joy of immeasurable powers is that the wisdom function of the Buddha's ten powers is sovereign, called the joy of power. The above are the joys of great bodhi; below are the joys of great nirvāṇa. 7. The joy of being free from vitarka is the Buddha's nirvāṇa, because it is free from vitarka and vicāra. The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Freedom from all vitarka and vicāra is called nirvāṇa." 8. The joy of unchangingness is because parināmi-saṃsāra has been exhausted. 9. The joy of indestructibility is the Buddha's virtue being fully complete and eternally joyful; three points are briefly mentioned: first, the Buddha's virtue is unimpeded, and nothing can cause it to be impeded; second, he is never not in meditation, and nothing can cause him to be distracted; third, the two actions of knowing and not-knowing cannot be caused to be two, hence called indestructible. Furthermore, these nine kinds are subsumed into four: the first is the joy of samādhi; the second is the joy of great compassion; the next four are called the joy of great wisdom; the last three are called the joy of quiescence. In the second, dedicating to bodhisattvas, there are ten phrases, divided into two: first, causing them to accomplish their own virtues; second, from "able to" onward, causing them to accomplish transformative virtues. In the former there are six: first, causing them to obtain the one hundred and forty vows of the stage of faith; second, causing them to enter the straight mind of correct understanding of the ten abodes; third, causing them to cultivate the practices of the ten practices of the pāramitās; fourth, causing them to abide in the great bodhi-mind of the Vajradhvaja of the ten dedications; fifth, causing them to accomplish the bodhi-mind that seeks wisdom of the first bhūmi and above, realizing non-retrogression; sixth, causing them to attain effortless practice on the eighth bhūmi and above, hence it says "not abandoning the great adornment, protecting bodhi," etc. In the second, causing them to accomplish the virtue of benefiting others: first, transforming them to accomplish the practices prior to the bhūmis; second, from "abiding" onward, transforming them to accomplish the practices above the bhūmis; third, from "attaining the..." onward, transforming them to attain the virtues of the eighth bhūmi and above; fourth, from "realizing sarvajñā" onward, transforming them to accomplish the fruit. In the third, dedicating to sentient beings: first, concluding the preceding and introducing the subsequent; next, the direct dedication, in which there are two parts: first, explaining that the bodhisattva benefits sentient beings through the dedication of his own power; second, from "as the Buddha" onward, aspiring to benefit sentient beings equally with the buddhas' dedications. In the former, there are ten phrases of dedication: the first one dedicates causing them to see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and draw near to the Saṅgha; the next three dedicate causing them to be mindful of the Triratna; the remaining six dedicate causing them to initiate practice. 5. Not departing from the Buddha is drawing near to good persons. 6. Causing them to give rise to pure faith in the Buddha. 7. Causing them to discern and generate understanding. 8. Causing them to give rise to practice and accomplish virtue. 9. Causing them to accomplish the cause of pure superknowledges. 10. Causing doubts and confusion to be exhausted forever. In the second, benefiting sentient beings equally with the Buddha: first, generally presenting equalling the Buddha; second, from "causing all" onward, distinctly revealing its characteristics. In this there are ten items: the first five cause them to leave suffering, meaning escaping the four evil destinies and all places of adversity; later, from "the mahāsattva" onward, the five cause them to abide in goodness. First, accomplishing the practices prior to the bhūmis, in three phrases: first, producing the aspiration; second, growing the mind; third, leaving obstacles and having eternal joy; below, accomplishing the practices above the bhūmis, causing all living beings to ultimately, etc., accomplish the virtues of the fruit. In the third, concluding in praise of the characteristics of the benefits, as for "grasping practices through great vows, equalling them...", the meaning of this passage is difficult to discern, causing various masters to explain it differently. Master Guangtong says: This concludes the meaning of the ultimacy of the above three paths. "Practicing equal practices" concludes that the joy given to the buddhas accomplishes the path of realization; "accumulations, etc." concludes that giving to bodhisattvas accomplishes the auxiliary path; "nourishing, etc." concludes that giving to sentient beings accomplishes the non-abiding path. Master [Hui]yuan says: The mind of realization wandering in principle is called practice; one being endowed with all is called equal practice. The auxiliary path gradually becoming full is called accumulation; each practice being endowed with all practices is called equal accumulation. The non-abiding gradually increasing is called nourishing; each approach fully subsuming all is called equal nourishing. Master Fan says: Merely giving rise to one practice is called practice; bringing together numerous practices is called accumulation; advancing and surpassing the previous is called nourishing; these are just different designations revealing the previous practices. Since the bodhisattva's practices are immeasurable and cannot be fully enumerated, they are merely spoken of as equal, hence all are called "equal." Master Zheng says: Roots of goodness are the goodness of giving and so forth. "Grasping through great vows" means because the vows are great, the practices are great. Practice is the practice of both benefits; equal practice is equally practicing all practices. Accumulation is accumulating practices to accomplish the virtues of the stages; equal accumulation is accomplishing all virtues. Nourishing is giving rise to practices from practices; equal nourishing is generating all practices. Master Bian says: Practice is what the Buddha practiced in the stage of aspiration and joy; the bodhisattva, through great vows, grasps and equals that practice, hence called equal practice. Accumulation is what the Buddha cultivated and accumulated in the stage of effort; the bodhisattva cultivating equally is called equal accumulation. Nourishing is what the Buddha cultivated in the effortless stage; the bodhisattva cultivating equally is called equal nourishing. Therefore, the above says: "Just as the Buddha dedicates to guide and transform all, so too is the bodhisattva's dedication"; this is what it means. Now I explain further: All roots of goodness possessed by the bodhisattva, through the power of dedication of great vows, cause these roots of goodness to be gathered into supreme practices; since all practices are carried out equally, it is called equal practice. Furthermore, through the power of vows, gathering the various practices accomplished by these roots of goodness so that they are not scattered or lost is called accumulation; since where there is practice there is accumulation, it is called equal accumulation. Furthermore, through the power of vows, gathering the manifold practices accumulated by these roots of goodness to generate further practices is called nourishing; each single practice generating all practices is called equal nourishing. Therefore, all is due to the power of vows, causing these roots of goodness to all be vast, complete, and fulfilled. The above first section, accomplishing dedication through practices based on events, is completed; from here on is the second, raising practices according with conditions to accomplish dedication. Another explanation: It is also permissible that the above is dedication to sentient beings for the sake of bodhi, hence it concludes with "nourishing, etc."; from here on is dedication to bodhi for the sake of sentient beings, hence it concludes: "Now gathering such goodness, all is dedicated." In this there are three parts: first, explaining dedication of according through great compassion; second, from "further reflecting, down to small or great..." onward, explaining dedication of profound and weighty great compassion; third, from "such a bodhisattva" onward, concluding with dedication of the three times. In the first, it is first distinctly revealed; later, from "this is" onward, it concludes generally. In the distinct part there are three: first, explaining that due to compassion one accords with defilement, yet through skillful wisdom one remains unstained; second, from "mahāsattva" onward, correct mindfulness being present, and actions accord with the path; third, from "the mahāsattva with such..." onward, explaining that for all varieties of beings he extensively accomplishes benefit and joy. In this there are three: first, presenting generally; second, from "immeasurable vows" onward, distinctly accomplishing benefit, in which first the practices that are able to benefit are distinguished; second, from "eliminating" onward, explaining the benefits accomplished, first causing them to eliminate obstacles and be mindful of the Dharma, and later, from "cultivating" onward, accomplishing practice and entering the bhūmis; third, from "causing all" onward, distinctly accomplishing peace and joy, meaning leaving suffering, etc. Second, the dedication of profound and weighty great compassion means saving and rescuing down to the sufferings of animals, etc. In this there are two parts: first, rescuing beings and freeing them from suffering; later, from "such as these" onward, concluding the dedication and accomplishment of benefits. In the former, first causing them to leave the causes of suffering; from "leaving the destiny of animals" onward, explaining leaving the results of suffering and forever crossing over the ocean of suffering—this is general, meaning numerous sufferings are deep and broad like an ocean. Painful feeling means taking painful feeling among the three feelings. Painful aggregates are the five aggregates in the evil destinies. Painful perception means suffering emerging from within, taking vitarka and vicāra as suffering. All of the above are coarse and heavy suffering, called predominant great suffering. Below, subtle suffering is explained. Painful conditioning is the suffering of conditioning (saṃskāra-duḥkhatā), and also taking suffering as karmic practice. The store of suffering is the body and mind containing suffering, accumulating in large quantities. The root of suffering means the place where afflictions and karma generate suffering; also taking suffering as the support, and suffering as the root; also from the desire realm up through the second dhyāna is the root of suffering. The shelter of suffering means being covered by suffering oneself, hence called a shelter. Another explanation: painful feeling is the aggregate of feeling; the painful aggregate is the aggregate of form; painful perception is the aggregate of perception; predominant great suffering is the aggregate of consciousness; painful conditioning is the aggregate of conditioning. Speaking comprehensively, all defiled aggregates are the store of suffering; the cause of suffering being able to produce is the root; the result of suffering covering itself is the shelter. For the Hīnayāna it is real suffering; for the Initial Teaching it is suffering that is identical to emptiness, the sūtra saying: "Thoroughly penetrating that the five appropriated aggregates are empty and without arising is the meaning of suffering." The Final Teaching takes tathatā as the meaning of suffering; the Sudden Teaching takes transcending speech as suffering; the Perfect Teaching takes pervading the dharmadhātu and being endowed with all dharma-gates as suffering. From "such as these" onward, it concludes generally. In the second, the dedication, there are two parts: first, dedicating for beings and teaching beings to dedicate toward such realms of bodhi; second, from "correct mindfulness" onward, dedicating to accomplish the practices of both benefits, first accomplishing one's own practice; later, from "cultivating the Tathāgata's..." onward, accomplishing the practice of benefiting others, which has ten items in five pairs: 1. compassion being universal; 2. causing them to attain joy and guard goodness; 3. causing them to exhaust the correct and distance the heterodox; 4. causing them to enter the deep and exit the shallow; 5. causing them to possess causes and abide in results; the text is evident in all cases. Third, from "such a bodhisattva" onward, concluding that roots of goodness of the three times are all dedicated. Question: Since future roots of goodness do not yet exist, with what are they dedicated? Answer: There are two meanings. First, by now raising great vows in advance, one dedicates future roots of goodness, and when they are cultivated and accomplished, they directly turn toward bodhi without waiting further for dedication, hence they must be dedicated; second, relying on the tenets of the Perfect Teaching, among the nine times the three present times exist, and therefore dedication also extends through the three periods of time.