花嚴經文義綱目 1.47

1.47

第五明業用者，問：下文云「不離菩提樹而昇忉利天」等。云何不起而得昇天？答：有人釋云，本釋迦身不離覺樹，重現化身以用昇天。此則本釋迦身竟無昇天，昇天之身非本釋迦。經意不然，故不可也。又有釋言，不起是法身，昇天是化用。此恐非理，豈可法身坐道樹耶？又有釋言，此昇天是不往而至，以往即不往故，所以不起也。不往即往故，所以昇天也。如不來相而來，名善來等。若依此釋，但是無昇相而昇天，非是樹下有不起之身，故亦難用。今解此文，略有八義：一約處即入門。謂以一處中有一切處故，是故此天宮等即本來在彼樹王下，故云不起也。然先未用此天宮處，今欲於中說法用故，說為昇也。又相即故，不起門別，故有昇也。二約佛。謂此坐樹王下之佛身，即遍法界一切處故，是故佛身本來在彼忉利等處，故不待起也。今欲用此忉利門中之佛，故曰昇也。是故若起，則不成昇也。三約時。謂由此樹下座上佛身，即遍前後際等九世，十世一切時故。是故此佛坐樹下時、昇天去時、到天處時，一一時皆遍法界，攝前後際盡，即知坐樹下時永無起時，故云不起也。若正去時，亦如此故唯有去，無餘也，皆念念不相至，各各收法界，如是緣起門，無礙恒不離。四約法界門。謂此昇去無自性故，即攝真如法界。以彼樹下坐等，亦不異真，故同真如。在去門顯現，故不起而昇也。五約緣起門。謂坐由行故坐，坐在於行中；行由坐故行，行在於坐中。是故由行中坐，故，昇天即不起也，由坐中行故，不起而昇天也。行坐無礙故，即昇常坐、即坐恒昇也。六約佛不思議德。謂即不起此坐，即是行、即是臥、即是住，即是到一切處，即是作一切事，竝非下地所知。七約所表。謂表前位行成，究竟堅固不壞，故云不起前坐也；而有赴機用，故云昇也。八約成會。謂後會必具前，故不捨前而成後。若捨前則壞緣起，是故不起前而昇後也。

Fifth, explaining actions and functions: Question: The text below states, "Without leaving the bodhi tree, ascending to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven," and so forth. How can there be ascending to heaven without arising? Answer: Some explain that the original body of Śākyamuni does not leave the bodhi tree, and newly manifests an emanation body in order to ascend to heaven. In that case, the original body of Śākyamuni never ascended to heaven at all, and the body ascending to heaven would not be the original Śākyamuni. The intention of the sūtra is not this, so [this view] is untenable. Others explain that not arising is the Dharma-body, while ascending to heaven is its emanated function. This is feared to be unreasonable; how could the Dharma-body sit beneath the bodhi tree? Yet others explain that this ascending to heaven is reaching without going; because going is itself non-going, there is therefore no arising. Because non-going is itself going, there is therefore ascending to heaven. Just as coming with the characteristic of non-coming is called "well-come" and so forth. If one relies on this explanation, it is merely ascending to heaven without the characteristics of ascending, not that there is a non-arising body beneath the tree; thus it is also difficult to apply. Now, interpreting this passage, there are briefly eight meanings: 1. In terms of the gate of loci being mutually entered: because all places are contained within a single place, this heavenly palace and so forth are originally beneath that king of trees; hence it is said to "not arise." However, previously this heavenly palace locus had not been used, and now, intending to use it to expound the Dharma therein, it is spoken of as "ascending." Furthermore, because they are mutually identical, while the gates of not arising are distinct, there is therefore "ascending." 2. In terms of the Buddha: because this Buddha body sitting beneath the king of trees pervades all places of the dharmadhātu, the Buddha body is originally in that Trāyastriṃśa and other places; hence it does not wait to arise. Now, intending to employ the Buddha within this Trāyastriṃśa gate, it is called "ascending." Therefore, if he were to arise, it would not constitute ascending. 3. In terms of time: because this Buddha body on the seat beneath the tree pervades all times of the nine times and ten times, including the past and future limits, when this Buddha sits beneath the tree, when he ascends to heaven, and when he arrives at the heavenly abode—every single time pervades the dharmadhātu and completely subsumes past and future limits. Thus one knows that when sitting beneath the tree, there is never a time of arising; hence it is said to "not arise." When precisely going, it is also like this; hence there is only going and nothing else. Every thought-moment they do not reach one another, yet each gathers the dharmadhātu; such a gate of pratītyasamutpāda is unimpeded and eternally unseparated. 4. In terms of the dharmadhātu gate: because this ascending and going lacks intrinsic nature, it directly subsumes the true thusness dharmadhātu. Since sitting beneath that tree and so forth are also not different from the real, they are identical to true thusness. Being manifested within the gate of going, he ascends without arising. 5. In terms of the gate of pratītyasamutpāda: sitting exists because of walking, so sitting is within walking; walking exists because of sitting, so walking is within sitting. Therefore, because of sitting within walking, ascending to heaven is precisely not arising; because of walking within sitting, without arising he ascends to heaven. Because walking and sitting are unimpeded, in ascending he constantly sits, and in sitting he constantly ascends. 6. In terms of the Buddha's inconceivable virtues: precisely without arising from this seat, it is walking, it is lying down, it is standing, it is reaching all places, it is performing all deeds, none of which can be known by lower stages. 7. In terms of what is expressed: it expresses that the practice of the previous stage is accomplished, completely firm and indestructible; hence it is said to "not arise from the previous seat." Yet having the function of responding to capacities, it is therefore called "ascending." 8. In terms of constituting the assemblies: the later assembly must completely possess the earlier, so it does not abandon the earlier to accomplish the later. If it abandoned the earlier, it would destroy pratītyasamutpāda; therefore, without arising from the earlier, he ascends to the later.