大方廣佛華嚴經疏 49.8

49.8

第三「時性起」下請分，中有長行與偈。前中四：一總舉法請、二「佛子此諸」下歎眾堪聞、三「佛子汝已」下歎說主具德、四「善哉」下標章別請。前二可知。三中別歎十事：一供多佛，必曾聞故；二成妙行，曾已修故；三定自在，有所依故；四親證入故；五知教道故；六除他疑故；七上力加故；八審根器故；九能隨說故；十順智到彼岸，得意深故。「有如是」下總結，既有說德，堪宜說故。第四標章別請中，初句讚善，躡前三段；後列十事，以顯無盡。一如來出現之法，此是總相，總集多緣成出現法，法含持軌。餘九是別，初三即三業祕密；四境即智之所緣，亦分齊境；五依境修行，通因通果；六成菩提道；七成必轉法輪；八應必示涅槃；九若存若亡見聞皆益。備斯九事，一化始終。有云：初一所依之法、餘九能依之德。亦有斯理。「如是」下結請。第二「爾時」下偈請。十偈分三：初一讚德標請，頌前第三段；次四舉法別請，頌前第四段；三有五偈歎德勸請，通頌後三段。於中，初偈總讚請；次二偈勸說之方，以法深難領，故請說因喻；次一偈半歎眾堪聞；末後半偈結請。所說淨心，顯說無過，具演文義周圓。

Third, from 'At that time, Xingqi [Bodhisattva]' onwards is the section of the request, which contains prose and verses. In the former [prose] there are four [parts]: first, a general bringing forward of the Dharma to request [its teaching]; second, from 'Sons of the Buddha, all these...' onwards, praising the assembly as fit to listen; third, from 'Son of the Buddha, you have already...' onwards, praising the speaker as endowed with virtues; fourth, from 'Splendid!' onwards, setting forth the topics to request [their teaching] individually. The first two are self-evident. In the third, ten matters are praised individually: 1. Having made offerings to many Buddhas, [meaning that] he must have previously heard [the Dharma]; 2. Having accomplished wondrous practices, [meaning that] he has already cultivated them in the past; 3. Being sovereign in concentration, [meaning that] he has a support; 4. Having personally realized and entered [into it]; 5. Knowing the path of teaching; 6. Removing others' doubts; 7. Being empowered by superior power; 8. Scrutinizing faculties and capacities; 9. Being able to explain accordingly; 10. Following wisdom to reach the other shore, [meaning that] his grasping of the purport is profound. From 'Possessing such...' onwards is the general conclusion: since he possesses the virtues of an expositor, he is fittingly suited to speak. In the fourth [part], setting forth the topics to request [their teaching] individually, the opening phrase praises as 'splendid', connecting with the preceding three sections; thereafter, ten matters are enumerated to reveal their inexhaustibility. 1. The Dharma of the Tathāgata's manifestation: this is the general characteristic, generally gathering multiple conditions to accomplish the Dharma of manifestation, 'Dharma' containing [the sense of] upholding a standard. The remaining nine are particular: the first three are the secrets of the three karmas; the fourth, the object, is that which is conditioned by wisdom, and is also the circumscribed realm; the fifth, practicing in reliance upon the object, pervasive across both cause and result; the sixth, accomplishing the path of bodhi; the seventh, having accomplished it, inevitably turning the wheel of the Dharma; the eighth, having responded, inevitably manifesting nirvāṇa; the ninth, whether abiding or passing away, seeing and hearing [him] both bring benefit. Fully possessing these nine matters encompasses the beginning and end of a single teaching era. Some say: the first one is the Dharma that is relied upon, and the remaining nine are the virtues that rely upon it. There is indeed this principle as well. From 'Such...' onwards is the concluding request. Second, from 'At that time' onwards are the requests in verse. The ten verses are divided into three: the first one praises virtues and presents the request, versifying the third preceding section; the next four bring forward the Dharma to request it individually, versifying the fourth preceding section; third, there are five verses praising virtues and exhorting the request, versifying all of the latter three sections. Therein, the first verse generally praises and requests; the next two verses urge the method of exposition: because the Dharma is profound and difficult to grasp, they request an exposition of causes and metaphors; the next verse and a half praises the assembly as fit to listen; the final half-verse concludes the request. That which is spoken [with a] pure mind reveals that the exposition is without fault, fully expounding the words and meanings completely.