大方廣佛華嚴經疏 32.21

32.21

第二舉益請者，顯所說法利他，有三時益故。二偈分三：初半偈聞時益。若得上加，則法寶入心，成聞持故。次半頌修時益。上句修時因圓，下句所修果滿。後一偈轉生時益，即具堅種人，上半順明，明有信之益；下半反顯，舉無信之損。論經但有順明。偈云「雖在於大海，及劫盡火中，決定信無礙，必得聞此經。」今經堪受，即決定信義。此中大意云：若有信有機為堪受者，無問惡道、善道難處生，皆得聞經。以難不障聞，故言雖也。海水劫火，即是轉生難處。大海即是惡道，畜生趣故。故論云「龍世界長壽，亦得聞此經」，偈言雖在於大海故。而言長壽者，如有經說：右脇著地未動之間，已經賢劫千佛出世，更一轉亦爾。但暫臥息尚爾，況其一生。劫火中者，即是善趣。論云「雖在色界光音天等，亦得聞此經」，偈言及劫盡火中故。此即指二禪已上為長壽天難。然論無長壽之言，而前龍趣却有長壽，且三惡為難不必長壽，恐是譯人誤將此中長壽入於前文。然二經中文皆巧略，若具應言劫盡火起時在光音天中故。論為此釋，以火起時初禪無人，二禪不為其壞，於中得聞故。等言，等取三禪四禪，免水風災、長壽天難。乃至無色亦皆得聞。今舉初攝後，及對水成文，故云劫火。案《智論》等通上二界，除五淨居，皆長壽難。今不取初禪者，以彼有梵王多好說法，有覺有觀聞法障輕。又正已燒，故不說之。上順論釋。八難之中，善惡二趣各舉其一，理實八難皆容得聞。又劫火之言兼佛前後，劫壞之時無佛出故。脩羅、地獄容在海中，則兼數難矣。今經但云劫火，則正在火中亦容得聞，以眾生見燒，燒處有不燒故。問：若依前義，云何堪受法人復生難處？答：此約乘戒緩急應成四句，一乘緩戒急，生長壽、北洲不聞法要。二者乘急戒緩，生三塗中，不礙聞法，故佛會中多列龍鬼等類。三者乘戒俱急，則人天聞法。四乘戒俱緩，則處三塗，諸根不具又不聞法。今海水劫火是二三兩句，餘二無乘，故經論不明。即後半意勉旃學徒，願留心法要，故《涅槃》云「於戒緩者不名為緩，於乘緩者乃名為緩。」第二一偈教說分齊中，應說諸地者，總勸說也。說地何義？謂應說前字藏之中諸地廣智三漸次相故。次修習言，即為總相。言漸次者，漸明非頓，次辯不亂。云何為三？一觀漸次、二證漸次、三修行漸次，此即十地之中加行、根本、後得三智，為地地中初、中、後相也。勝智道者，即觀漸次。道者因也，以加行智為正證勝智之漸次，故名勝智道。謂說此十地，若加行觀、若加行所依止理，能生諸地實智故。次入住展轉者，是證漸次。入者入地心，住即住地心，未轉向餘地故。展轉即出地心，地地轉所住處故。即此三心證智自為漸次。第三句即修行漸次，以後得智要由證真修行方能了俗，故名修行漸次。言法智者，正辯後得智體緣法別，故名為法智。此智從二境生：一由證真，故云從行生，故論云「行者入住展轉成就故」。二外能了俗，故云從境界生，故論云「境界者，此行種種異境界故」，謂以正證之行，行於俗境，是後得也。利益眾生一句，結說之益，亦是後得智境。問：地地正證者，如初地中正智親證真如，則後九地中不應更證，以如無二無異故。古德釋云：如雖一味，約智明昧有十親證。此亦順理。故《唯識論》云「雖真如性實無差別，而隨勝德假立十種。」此約所證德異，故有十地親證。又云「雖初地中已達一切，而能證行猶未圓滿。為令圓滿，後後建立。」此則亦約能證明昧意也。若唯取所證德異，則初地未全證如，亦未能全通如無異難。如人觀空，小時不遠、大則漸增，空雖無差，眼有明昧。

Second, concerning the request by adducing benefit: this reveals that the Dharma taught benefits others, possessing benefits at three times. The two verses are divided into three [parts]: First, the initial half-verse concerns the benefit at the time of hearing. If one obtains the empowerment from above, the Dharma jewel enters one's mind, fulfilling hearing and retention. Next, the half-gāthā concerns the benefit at the time of cultivation. The upper line is the completion of the cause at the time of cultivation, while the lower line is the fulfillment of the fruit cultivated. The final verse concerns the benefit at the time of rebirth; that is, persons endowed with firm seeds. The first half explains this directly, explaining the benefit of having faith; the second half reveals it inversely, adducing the detriment of lacking faith. The Śāstra text only has the direct explanation. The verse states: 'Even if in the great ocean / or in the fire at the end of the kalpa, / with decisive faith free from obstruction, / one is certain to hear this sūtra.' In the present sūtra, 'capable of receiving' has the meaning of decisive faith. The general sense here is: if one has faith and capacity so as to be capable of receiving, then regardless of whether born in bad destinies, good destinies, or difficult places of birth, one will in all cases obtain hearing of the sūtra. Because the difficulty does not obstruct hearing, it says 'even if.' The ocean waters and the kalpa fire are precisely the difficult places of rebirth. The great ocean is an evil destiny, belonging to the realm of animals. Therefore, the Śāstra says: 'Those of long life in the realm of dragons also obtain hearing of this sūtra,' because the verse says 'even if in the great ocean.' As for stating 'long life,' it is as a sūtra states: during the time when one's right side touches the ground without moving, already the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa have appeared in the world, and turning over once more is also like this. If merely a temporary lying down to rest is like this, how much more so an entire life! 'In the kalpa fire' refers to the good destinies. The Śāstra says: 'Even if in the Radiant Sound Heaven of the form realm and so forth, one also obtains hearing of this sūtra,' because the verse says 'and in the fire at the end of the kalpa.' This directly points to the second dhyāna and above as the difficulty of long-lived heavens. However, the Śāstra does not have the words 'long life' [there], while the preceding dragon realm instead has 'long life.' Moreover, the three evil [destinies] as difficulties are not necessarily long-lived; it is feared that the translator mistakenly placed the 'long life' of this passage into the preceding text. Yet the texts of both sūtras are adroitly abbreviated: if fully stated, it should say that when the fire at the end of the kalpa arises, one is in the Radiant Sound Heaven. The Śāstra gives this explanation because when the fire arises, the first dhyāna has no people, while the second dhyāna is not destroyed by it, and within it one obtains hearing. The word 'and so forth' encompasses the third dhyāna and fourth dhyāna, which are spared the calamities of water and wind and the difficulty of the long-lived heavens; up to the formless realm, all likewise obtain hearing. Now, by adducing the first to subsume the subsequent, and to balance the text against the water, it says 'kalpa fire.' According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa and other texts, throughout the upper two realms, excluding the five pure abodes, all are the difficulty of long life. Now, the first dhyāna is not taken because Brahmā kings there mostly delight in expounding the Dharma, and with vitarka and vicāra their obstruction to hearing the Dharma is slight; moreover, it is being burned at that very time, so it is not spoken of. The above accords with the Śāstra's explanation. Among the eight difficulties, one each is adduced from the good and evil destinies; in reality and truth, in all eight difficulties there is room to obtain hearing. Moreover, the words 'kalpa fire' span before and after a Buddha, because at the time of kalpa destruction no Buddha appears. Asuras and the hells can be situated within the ocean, thus encompassing several difficulties. The present sūtra merely says 'kalpa fire'; then even while directly within the fire, there is also room to obtain hearing, because sentient beings see the burning, but in the place of burning there is that which is not burned. Question: If following the previous meaning, how can one who is a vessel capable of receiving the Dharma be born again in a difficult place? Answer: This forms a fourfold schema based on whether vehicle and precepts are lax or urgent: First, when the vehicle is lax and the precepts are urgent, one is born in the long-lived [heavens] or the Northern Continent and does not hear the essentials of the Dharma. Second, when the vehicle is urgent and the precepts are lax, one is born in the three paths, yet it does not obstruct hearing the Dharma; hence in the assemblies of the Buddha many dragons, ghosts, and the like are listed. Third, when both vehicle and precepts are urgent, then among humans and devas one hears the Dharma. Fourth, when both vehicle and precepts are lax, then one abides in the three paths, with defective faculties and also not hearing the Dharma. Now the ocean waters and kalpa fire are the second and third propositions; the remaining two lack the vehicle, and thus the sūtra and śāstra do not explain them. This is the intention of the second half, urging students to direct their minds to the essentials of the Dharma. Therefore, the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'One who is lax regarding the precepts is not called lax; one who is lax regarding the vehicle is indeed called lax.' Second, regarding the one verse on the scope of the instruction to be expounded: 'should expound the stages' is a general exhortation to expound. Expounding the stages has what meaning? It means that one should expound the marks of the three gradations of the vast wisdom of the stages within the preceding treasury of characters. Next, the words 'cultivating and practicing' serve as the general mark. As for 'gradations,' 'gradual' clarifies that it is not sudden; 'gradation' explains that it is unconfused. What are the three? First, the gradation of contemplation; second, the gradation of realization; third, the gradation of practice. These are the three wisdoms within the ten stages—preparatory, fundamental, and subsequently attained—serving as the initial, intermediate, and final marks within stage after stage. 'The path of superior wisdom' is the gradation of contemplation. 'Path' means the cause; because preparatory wisdom is the gradation of directly realizing superior wisdom, it is called the path of superior wisdom. It means expounding these ten stages: whether the preparatory contemplation or the principle on which the preparation relies, it can give birth to the true wisdom of the stages. Next, 'entering, abiding, and proceeding' is the gradation of realization. 'Entering' is the mind that enters the stage; 'abiding' is the mind that abides in the stage, not yet turning toward other stages; 'proceeding' is the mind that emerges from the stage, stage after stage shifting the place of abiding. Thus these three minds of realizing wisdom themselves form a gradation. The third line is the gradation of practice: because subsequently attained wisdom must rely on realizing the true and cultivating practice before it can comprehend the conventional, it is called the gradation of practice. As for 'dharma-wisdom,' it directly explains the essence of subsequently attained wisdom apprehending distinctions among dharmas, and hence it is called dharma-wisdom. This wisdom arises from two spheres: First, it derives from realizing the true, and thus it is said to arise from practice; hence the Śāstra says: 'Because the practitioner's entering, abiding, and proceeding are accomplished.' Second, externally it can comprehend the conventional, and thus it is said to arise from the objective sphere; hence the Śāstra says: 'The objective sphere refers to this practice's various different objective spheres.' This means using the practice of direct realization to practice within conventional spheres; this is subsequently attained [wisdom]. The line 'benefiting sentient beings' concludes with the benefit of the exposition, which is also the sphere of subsequently attained wisdom. Question: Regarding the direct realization in stage after stage: as in the first stage where correct wisdom directly realizes tathatā in person, then in the subsequent nine stages one should not realize it again, because tathatā is without duality and without difference. Ancient masters explained: Although tathatā has a single flavor, in terms of the clarity and obscurity of wisdom there are ten direct realizations in person. This also accords with reason. Therefore, the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi says: 'Although the nature of tathatā is truly without distinction, in accordance with superior virtues ten kinds are provisionally established.' This is in terms of differences in the virtues realized, and hence there are direct realizations in person across the ten stages. It also says: 'Although in the first stage one has already comprehended all, the practice capable of realizing is not yet complete. In order to make it complete, the subsequent ones are established.' This is also in terms of the intention regarding the clarity and obscurity of that which is capable of realizing. If one solely takes differences in the virtues realized, then the first stage does not fully realize tathatā, and one also cannot fully resolve the difficulty of tathatā being without difference. It is like a person looking into space: when small, it is not far; when large, it gradually increases. Although space is without difference, the eye has clarity and obscurity.