華嚴經探玄記 8.6.2

8.6.2

Third, well-cultivated, because it is cultivated when all practices of śamatha and vipaśyanā are in correspondence. Fourth, well-spoken, because of seeking no gain. Fifth, well-emerged, because of respectfully cultivating all superior dharmas. The fourth is the wheel of past merit. Past merit also possesses five causes and conditions: first, delightful, having residing in superior persons as its cause; second, devoid of difficulties, having encountering good persons as its cause; third, freedom from illness; fourth, samādhi; and fifth, wisdom—these three having one's own correct wheel as their cause. Second, regarding the dispelling of difficulties: according to the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra*, the four wheels dispel the eight difficulties. As for the wheel of dwelling in a correct land, that treatise calls it the wheel of dwelling in a good place, meaning that being born in a central land dispels five difficulties—namely, the three bad paths, the northern continent, and the long-lived heavens. As for the wheel of relying on a correct land [or person], that treatise calls it relying on good persons, meaning encountering the era of a Buddha, which dispels the difficulty of being born before or after a Buddha. As for the wheel of impartial vows, that treatise calls it generating correct vows oneself, meaning right view, which dispels the difficulty of worldly cleverness and eloquence. As for the wheel of fundamental merit, that treatise calls it having previously planted good roots, which dispels being born blind, deaf, dumb, or mute. The first five are difficulties of bad places; the sixth is the difficulty of a bad time; the seventh is the difficulty of a bad cause; and the eighth is the difficulty of a bad fruit. Third, regarding the perfection of virtues: among the four, the first two are external conditions and the last two are internal causes; that is, vows are the cause of wisdom, and merit is the cause of blessings. The bodhisattva's boundless pure practices all rely on these causes and conditions for their virtues to become fulfilled. The above has been explained generally according to the teaching of the three vehicles. Furthermore, the correct land is the land of suchness and dharmatā; the correct person is the correct contemplation of prajñā; the merit of giving and the like are the practices of the [other] five pāramitās; and the original vows are the bodhisattva's ten great vows. This is explained according to the Final Teaching. Furthermore, the correct land is the sea of the lands of the ten Buddhas; the correct person is the true retribution of the ten Buddhas; merit is the merit manifested from nature; and the vows are the sea of Samantabhadra's vows. This is according to the Perfect Teaching, because they are the same dependent arising of the single, inexhaustible, great dharmadhātu. Elephants and horses are given separately, but dedicated together. In the giving of couches and seats: what was given previously was ordinary couches and seats, whereas these are the thrones sat upon by holy kings, so they are not the same. Regarding that which 'cannot be destroyed by the three kinds of worlds': Master Bian explains: prior to the bhūmis is the world of aspiring joy; from the first to the seventh bhūmis is named the world of effort; and from the eighth bhūmi up to equivalent enlightenment is the effortless world; [the giving] causes one to attain the Buddha's superior seat, which cannot be destroyed by the three kinds of impermanent worlds of the causal stages. Master Yan says: it is indestructible by the three disasters. Now it is explained: it should mean not being transformed and destroyed by the three times of past, future, and so on; the three marks also apply, because it is a seat in accord with dharmatā, as the sūtra says: 'The emptiness of all phenomena is the seat.' In the twentieth, the giving of parasols: just as the one held by Ratnarāśi, the Tathāgata joined parasols to completely cover the three thousand [worlds], illustrating the realm of gathering and transforming. Furthermore, the *Bodhisattvacaryā Sūtra* states: when the Buddha was traveling in the heat in the country of Uruvilvā, a shepherd with a pure mind plaited grass to make a parasol and followed the Buddha holding it over him; the Buddha then smiled slightly. Ānanda asked about this, and the Buddha said: 'Because this person covered me with a grass parasol, for thirteen kalpas he will not fall into hell; born in heaven or among humans, a seven-jeweled parasol will spontaneously follow and cover him above, and later he will leave home and become a pratyekabuddha.' Banners and pennants are given together; it can also mean that pennants hanging from banners are given together. The *Avadānaśataka* states: when the Buddha appeared in the world, there was an elder's son named Patāka; after his birth, there was a great pennant in the sky that covered the entire city and followed him, sheltering him. Encountering the Buddha, he left home and attained arhatship. Ānanda asked about this, and the Buddha replied: 'Long ago, after the nirvāṇa of Vipaśyin Buddha, a seven-jeweled stūpa was erected; at that time, a person held an assembly at the stūpa, made a long pennant and hung it upon the stūpa, made a vow, and departed. For ninety-one kalpas he did not fall into the bad paths, and wherever he was born, a pennant always shaded him from above; now he has met me.' In the giving by opening treasure storehouses, causing them to attain the sixteen jewels of wisdom: according to the Hīnayāna, the eight patiences and eight knowledges make sixteen. Master Bian says: the four samādhis prior to the bhūmis, such as the attainment of light, and the four samādhis above the bhūmis, such as the Mahāyāna brilliance, each have their own stage and superior progress, making sixteen; the wisdom generated on this basis is the sixteen jewels of wisdom, as the explanation below says: 'The jewels of wisdom whose samādhi and correct absorption are ultimately increased and broadened.' Another person explains: the four wisdoms of the Buddha stage each have four, making sixteen, because at the stage of fruition they possess sovereign, mutual interpenetration. In the giving of adornments, possessing the fine marks through a hundred merits: according to the *Nirvāṇa Sūtra*, when a bodhisattva cultivates the body, in the precept against killing and the ten virtues there are five kinds of minds—namely, inferior, middling, superior, upper-middling, and supreme—and so forth up to right view, which are also like this. These fifty minds are called the fulfillment of the initial aspiration; at final completion there are another fifty minds, and such a hundred minds are called the fulfillment of a hundred merits. These hundred merits together produce one fine mark; hence it is said, 'adorned oneself with the fine marks complete with a hundred merits.' Also, according to the *Viniścayasaṃgrahaṇī* of the *Yogācāra*: the practices of a hundred merits mean abandoning the path of the ten non-virtuous karmas: minor abandonment of killing living beings up to minor abandonment of wrong views are the first ten practices; major abandonment of killing living beings up to major abandonment of wrong views are named the second ten practices; complete abandonment of killing living beings up to complete abandonment of wrong views are named the third ten practices; abandonment of killing living beings for a short time up to abandonment of wrong views for a short time are named the fourth ten practices; abandonment of killing living beings for a long time up to abandonment of wrong views for a long time are named the fifth ten practices; abandonment of killing living beings for one's whole life up to abandonment of wrong views for one's whole life are named the sixth ten practices; abandoning killing living beings by oneself up to abandoning wrong views by oneself are named the seventh ten practices; encouraging others not to kill living beings up to encouraging others not to have wrong views are named the eighth ten practices; praising and speaking highly of not killing living beings up to praising not having wrong views are named the ninth ten practices; and rejoicing with great delight upon seeing those who abandon killing living beings up to seeing those who abandon wrong views are named the tenth ten practices. Also, according to Master Sengzhao's *Commentary on the Lotus Sūtra*, the ten virtues are the foundation, and one virtue adorned with nine virtues is called a hundred merits. It is not known from which sacred teaching this comes. In the giving of crown jewels: perfuming the mind through giving causes it to further attain a superior progress in great giving; hence it is said, 'directed toward the supreme.' Through this thought of giving, wisdom is deepened and one sees the correct principle in giving; hence it is said, 'cultivating wisdom.' Furthermore, intentional mental engagement through giving causes the root of relinquishment to be accomplished, meaning ultimate great relinquishment. Due to intentional mental engagement through giving, wisdom is broadly awakened. In the dedication of all the remaining practices, causing them to attain the mark of an invisible usṇīṣa: this is the mark of an invisible usṇīṣa among the thirty-two marks of a Buddha, representing the Buddha's preeminence beyond which there is none higher. As for the mani-jewel crown: like the heavenly crown upon Mañjuśrī's head, it is formed of vilaṅga jewels and generated from the śūraṃgama-samādhi; within it, immeasurable Buddha-lands and bodies of Buddhas constantly appear, relieving the suffering of prisoners in hell.