大方廣佛華嚴經疏 16.9

16.9

第二「信為道元」下七頌略示勝能。於中，初一頌總標、次五頌別釋、後一頌總結今初。初句又標道有二義：一果，所謂菩提涅槃；二因，謂三賢十聖。乘一直道，元亦二義：一本義，菩提本故，其猶滔滔之水始於濫觴；二首義，元者善之長也，即一因之初功德。二義通因及果。母有二義，生長、養育。下三句共釋初句，長養即母二義，亦道元義；一切善法及第二句即因功德；第三一句即果功德。無上道者，即大菩提，由信長善得此菩提、由信斷疑出愛成涅槃證。不信身心如來知見，豈能開示菩提涅槃。次「信無垢濁」下別顯中，有二十句，一句辨一勝能。一心淨為性故，能翻不信濁；二信理普敬故，翻憍慢；三十藏之內信即是藏，七聖財中信為第一；四信方受取奉行；五信財如夢，故無所悋；六《智論》云「佛法大海，信為能入。」七增福智因；八到二嚴果；九、十，五根五力各在初故；十一信本無惑，方斷惑根；十二若向餘德，不名淨信；十三信境本空，故無所著；十四正信之人不生八難；十五非不正信；十六正信解脫；十七成不壞本；十八為菩提根；十九增佛勝智；二十究竟見佛，謂信自己心自佛出現，信外諸佛諸佛現前故。下經云「一切諸佛從信心起。」三是故下一偈，總結勝能，前法、後喻。信樂者，信三寶性，已於方便諸度求欲修行。信樂二字是菩薩正意，由此二故，於諸行有能，故名最勝。非佛不信，故云難得。喻如意珠，略有五義：一勝義，法寶中王故；二希義，非佛輪王餘無有故；三淨義，能清不信濁故；四貴義，出位行寶等不可盡故；五蘊義，蘊眾德物無障礙故。第三「若常信奉」下五十頌半，廣明信中所具行位。然有二意：一行布、二圓融。古約圓融，故名信中所具。於中三：初明所具行、次辨所具位、三結歎功德。今初八頌半分二：先五頌明信三寶以成諸行、後三頌半明信展轉以成諸行。前中，初三頌信佛成行，初二句標章，持戒惡止也，修學處善行也。《瑜伽》云「既發心已，應於七處修學，故名學處。謂一自利處、二利他處、三真實義處、四威力處、五成熟有情處、六成熟自佛法處、七無上正等菩提處。」次一偈半雙顯二德。若不持戒，尚不能得疥癩野干之身，況於菩提。戒止妄非則性淨菩提開發，因果功德皆依學處而生，故云地也。後一偈別明成供養行，謂財法供養故云大也。次一信法，後一偈信僧，文並可知。二有三頌半成展轉行，展轉依前功歸於信。二「若為諸佛」下三十九頌，明所具諸位。於中成後四位，即為四段：初三頌明十住位，有六句：初句發心住；次句治地修行二住；次句生貴住；次句方便具足住；次句正心住；後句增上是不退住，最勝心是後三住，準下釋之。二「若得增上」下二頌半，明十行位。波羅蜜是十行總名，摩訶衍是異二乘行。初二行收如法供養，是順理行。次二行攝念佛心不動及常見佛，並是定慧行，故屬後六行。釋相可知。三「若常覩見」下三頌，明十迴向位，通顯三種迴向。佛體常住是向菩提，法永不滅是向實際，餘向眾生。四「若得堅固」下三十頌半，明十地位。初半頌是初地，謂深法是所證真如，愛樂是極喜異名。二半頌是離垢地，以離犯戒有為過故。三一頌離慢等，是三四二地，以三地於禪不著故無慢，又以求法不懈亦名離慢。第四地得出世間道品，故云無放逸；然不捨攝生，故云兼利。四有一頌明五地，謂雖得出世，而還處生死故無厭。真俗互違難合能合，餘地不過，故云勇健無能勝，此是難勝之名也。五有一頌明第六地，悲智不住般若現前，謂神通攝物是大悲行，知眾生行是十二緣生是大智行。六二頌半明七地，謂初一明有中殊勝行，後一頌半明空中方便智，準釋可知。七「若具最勝」下三頌明第八地，略辨六義：一道勝，謂無功用道，故云勇猛無上；二力勝，謂智力摧魔；三用勝，謂超四魔境捨分段故無蘊魔，無捨命故無死魔，惑不現行故超煩惱魔，覺佛十力故超天魔；四位勝，不動地故云不退也；五行勝，謂得無生忍；六因勝，謂此位中當大授記位也。八二頌明第九地作大法師。略辨四義：一諸佛加持名佛現前；二解了諸佛深密之法；三諸佛憶念，增其慧力；四佛德自嚴，為眾說法。九「若以佛德」下十九頌明第十地位，分五：初八頌三業殊勝德。初五頌半身業，於中前三頌明身體德殊勝、後二頌半明身業大用；次演說一頌半語業勝，說法益生；後二頌意業勝，智先導故。二「若以智慧為先」下四頌，明三業廣大功、三輪攝生德。初一頌身業、次一語業、後二意業。三「若知煩惱」下二頌，辨得法結位。四「若得十地」下三頌，明三昧分、大盡分、受位分，並顯可知。五「若蒙」下二頌，明大用難測，亦是釋名分事也。謂以大法智雲含眾德水，能蔽如空麁重故。又「若蒙」下二頌，亦是進入佛地。

Second, the seven verses beginning with "Faith is the primary source of the Way" briefly show its superior capabilities. Within this, the first verse is a general presentation, the next five verses are a distinct explanation, and the final verse is a general summary. Now for the first. The first line also indicates that "the Way" has two meanings: first, the fruit, which refers to bodhi and nirvāṇa; second, the cause, which refers to the three stages of the worthy and the ten stages of the noble. One mounts the single straight path. "Primary source" (yuan) also has two meanings: first, the sense of "root" (ben), because it is the root of bodhi, just as surging waters begin from a cup-filling trickle; second, the sense of "head" (shou), for yuan is the foremost of virtues, namely the initial merit of the single cause. Both meanings apply across cause and fruit. "Mother" has two meanings: giving birth to and nurturing. The lower three lines jointly explain the first line: "nurturing" conveys the two meanings of mother and also the meaning of the primary source of the Way; "all good dharmas" and the second line convey causal merit; the single third line conveys fruitional merit. "The unexcelled Way" is great bodhi: through faith cultivating goodness, one attains this bodhi; through faith severing doubts and transcending craving, one realizes nirvāṇa. If one does not believe that body and mind have the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision, how could bodhi and nirvāṇa ever be disclosed?

Next, within the distinct explanation beginning with "Faith is free from defilement and turbidity," there are twenty lines, with each line distinguishing one superior capability: 1. Having purity of mind as its nature, it can overturn the turbidity of disbelief; 2. Because it believes in the noumenon and universally respects, it overturns pride; 3. Among the ten treasures, faith is itself the treasure, and among the seven noble riches, faith is the first; 4. Only through faith does one receive, accept, and put into practice; 5. It believes wealth is like a dream, and so is without stinginess; 6. The *Upadeśa* says: "In the great ocean of the Buddhadharma, faith is what enables entry"; 7. It increases the causes of merit and wisdom; 8. It leads to the fruit of the two adornments; 9 & 10. It is at the beginning of each of the five faculties and five powers; 11. Faith is originally without delusion, and only then severs the root of delusion; 12. If it is directed toward other virtues, it is not called pure faith; 13. It believes that the object is originally empty, and so has no attachment; 14. A person of correct faith is not born in the eight difficulties; 15. It is free from non-correct faith; 16. It correctly believes in liberation; 17. It accomplishes the indestructible root; 18. It serves as the root of bodhi; 19. It increases the Buddha's superior wisdom; 20. It ultimately sees the Buddha—meaning that believing in one's own mind, one's own Buddha appears; believing in the external Buddhas, the Buddhas appear before one. A later text of the sūtra states: "All Buddhas arise from the mind of faith."

Three, the single verse beginning with "Therefore" concludes by summarizing the superior capabilities, the first part in terms of the Dharma, the second through metaphor. "Joyful faith" means believing in the nature of the Triratna and already wishing to cultivate through skillful means and the various pāramitās. The two characters "joyful faith" represent the correct intention of a bodhisattva; through these two, one possesses capability in all practices, and thus it is called "the most supreme." None but Buddhas are not believed in, hence it is said to be "rare to obtain." It is likened to a wish-fulfilling jewel, which briefly has five meanings: 1. Superiority, because it is the king among Dharma-treasures; 2. Rarity, because none possess it except Buddhas and wheel-turning kings; 3. Purity, because it can cleanse the turbidity of disbelief; 4. Preciosity, because the treasures of practices produced through the stages are inexhaustible; 5. Containment, because it contains the substances of all virtues without obstruction.

Third, the fifty and a half verses beginning with "If one constantly has faithful devotion" broadly explain the practices and stages contained within faith. Yet there are two aspects: 1. orderly progression; 2. perfect interpenetration. The ancients proceeded in terms of perfect interpenetration, and hence called it "contained within faith." Within this are three parts: first, explaining the practices contained; next, distinguishing the stages contained; third, concluding with praise of the merit. Now, the first eight and a half verses are divided into two: first, five verses explain having faith in the Triratna to accomplish the various practices; next, three and a half verses explain faith unfolding progressively to accomplish the various practices.

In the former, the first three verses concern faith in the Buddha accomplishing practices: the first two lines present the topic, holding precepts being the cessation of evil, and cultivating the training rules being wholesome action. The *Yogācārabhūmi* states: "Having generated the mind [for bodhi], one should cultivate training in seven domains, hence they are called training rules (śikṣāpada): 1. domain of self-benefit; 2. domain of benefiting others; 3. domain of the real meaning; 4. domain of power and majesty; 5. domain of maturing sentient beings; 6. domain of maturing one's own buddha-dharmas; 7. domain of unexcelled, correct, and complete bodhi." The next verse and a half jointly show the two virtues. If one does not keep the precepts, one cannot even attain the body of a mangy jackal, much less bodhi. When precepts halt false transgressions, inherently pure bodhi opens up; causal and fruitional merits are all born based on the training rules, hence it is called "the earth." The last verse separately explains accomplishing the practice of making offerings: namely, offerings of material goods and of the Dharma, hence it says "great." The next verse concerns faith in the Dharma, and the subsequent verse concerns faith in the Saṃgha; the texts may both be understood.

Second, the three and a half verses accomplish the unfolding of practices: progressively relying on the previous ones, the merit returns to faith.

Second, the thirty-nine verses beginning with "If one, for the sake of the Buddhas" explain the various stages contained. Within this, accomplishing the latter four stations constitutes four sections: First, three verses explain the station of the ten abodes, having six lines: the first line is the abode of initial aspiration; the next line is the two abodes of clearing the ground and practice; the next line is the abode of noble birth; the next line is the abode of fulfillment of skillful means; the next line is the abode of correct mind; the last line, "ever-increasing" is the non-retrogressing abode, and "the most supreme mind" refers to the latter three abodes, to be explained accordingly below.

Second, the two and a half verses beginning with "If one attains the ever-increasing [mind]" explain the station of the ten practices. "Pāramitā" is the general name for the ten practices; "Mahāyāna" is the practice distinct from the two vehicles. The first two lines subsume offerings made according with the Dharma, which are practices conforming to noumenon. The next two lines subsume the unmoving mind of recollecting the Buddha and constantly seeing the Buddha; these are all practices of concentration and wisdom, and therefore belong to the latter six practices. The characteristics of the explanation can be understood.

Third, the three verses beginning with "If one constantly beholds" explain the station of the ten dedications (pariṇāmanā), universally showing the three kinds of dedication. The Buddha's essence being eternally abiding is dedication to bodhi; the Dharma never being extinguished is dedication to the limit of reality (bhūtakoṭi); the rest is dedication to sentient beings.

Fourth, the thirty and a half verses beginning with "If one attains firmness" explain the station of the ten stages (bhūmi). The first half-verse is the first stage: the "profound Dharma" is the tathatā that is realized, and "delight and joy" is another name for Extreme Joy (Pramuditā). The second half-verse is the Immaculate Stage (Vimalā), because it departs from the faults of breaking precepts and conditioned states. The third single verse, departing from pride and so on, refers to the second and third stages: because in the third stage one is unattached to dhyāna, there is no pride; also, because one seeks the Dharma without indolence, it is also called departing from pride. In the fourth stage, one attains the factors of the path that transcend the world, hence it says "without negligence"; yet not abandoning the gathering of beings, it says "further benefit." The fourth single verse explains the fifth stage: namely, although one has attained transcendence of the world, one still abides in saṃsāra, and thus is "without weariness." Ultimate and conventional contradict each other and are hard to unite, yet one is able to unite them; other stages cannot surpass this, hence it says "valorous and unexcelled"—this is the name of "Difficult to Conquer" (Sudurjayā). The fifth single verse explains the sixth stage, where compassion and wisdom do not abide and prajñā appears before one: using spiritual superknowledges to gather beings is the practice of great compassion; knowing the actions of sentient beings as the twelve links of dependent origination is the practice of great wisdom. The sixth, two and a half verses, explains the seventh stage: the first verse explains the superior practice within existence; the latter verse and a half explains the expedient wisdom within emptiness; this can be understood according to the explanation.

Seventh, the three verses beginning with "If one is endowed with the most supreme" explain the eighth stage, briefly distinguishing six meanings: 1. Superiority of the path, referring to the path of non-exertion, hence called "valorous and unexcelled"; 2. Superiority of power, referring to the power of wisdom destroying Māra; 3. Superiority of function, referring to transcending the realm of the four māras—abandoning delimited transmigration, there is no māra of the skandhas; having no abandoning of life, there is no māra of death; afflictions not being active, one transcends the māra of defilement; realizing the Buddha's ten powers, one transcends Devaputra-māra; 4. Superiority of stage, referring to the Immovable Stage (Acalā), hence called "non-retrogressing"; 5. Superiority of practice, referring to attaining the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti); 6. Superiority of cause, referring to this stage being the stage of great prophecy.

Eighth, the two verses explain the ninth stage, serving as a great dharmabhāṇaka. They briefly distinguish four meanings: 1. Empowered by all Buddhas, called the Buddha appearing before one; 2. Comprehending the profound and esoteric Dharma of all Buddhas; 3. Being held in the memory of all Buddhas, increasing one's power of wisdom; 4. Self-adorned with the Buddha's virtues, preaching the Dharma for the assembly.

Ninth, the nineteen verses beginning with "If by the Buddha's virtues" explain the station of the tenth stage, divided into five: First, eight verses on the superior virtues of the three karmas. The first five and a half verses concern bodily karma: within these, the previous three verses explain the bodily virtues as superior, while the latter two and a half verses explain the great function of bodily karma; next, one and a half verses of exposition concern the superiority of speech karma, preaching the Dharma to benefit beings; the last two verses concern the superiority of mental karma, because wisdom leads the way. Second, the four verses beginning with "If with wisdom as the forerunner" explain the vast merit of the three karmas and the virtues of the three wheels in gathering beings: the first verse concerns bodily karma, the next concerns speech karma, and the latter two concern mental karma. Third, the two verses beginning with "If one knows afflictions" distinguish the attainment of the Dharma concluding the stage. Fourth, the three verses beginning with "If one attains the ten stages" explain the share of samādhi, the share of the great end, and the share of receiving the rank, all of which are clearly evident. Fifth, the two verses beginning with "If receiving..." explain that the great function is difficult to fathom, and also explain the matter of the name: namely, with the great Dharma cloud of wisdom containing the waters of all virtues, it can cover heavy defilements that are like space. Furthermore, the two verses beginning with "If receiving..." also signify entering into the Buddha stage.