大方廣佛華嚴經疏 10.23

10.23

Second, from "At that time, each and every..." onward is the section on empowerment, which has three parts: first, vocal empowerment; next, mental empowerment; finally, bodily empowerment. In the first there are four parts: 1) all Buddhas manifest before him to bestow this vocal empowerment, because subsequently there is no concluding extension. This generally adduces the layered times and places, before each and every Samantabhadra. 2) From "those [Buddhas]" onward praises his attainment of the samādhi. Although this is a fruition samādhi, it is entered through the bodhisattva gateway, hence it is called a "bodhisattva samādhi." 3) From "Son of the Buddha" onward explains the reason for obtaining the samādhi. The reasons are three: first, the accompaniment Buddhas join together in empowerment, because the path of Buddha and Buddha is identical; second, the fundamental vow of the host Buddha. These two are conditions; third, his own practice of vows, which is the cause for entering the samādhi. Furthermore, among the above three meanings, the earlier rely on the later; could others lack such practice? It is because he is the master of this Dharma gateway and to symbolize the exposition of the universal Dharma. 4) From "namely" onward discerns the purpose of the empowerment. This passage has two aspects: first, discerning the purpose of the empowerment; second, revealing the marks of the above practices and vows, hence saying "namely." What is the purpose? It is to turn the wheel of the Dharma. There are eleven clauses, the first general and the rest specific. In the specific, the first generally gathers the ten wisdoms, and the remaining nine are the ten oceans: 1) the ocean of establishment; 2) the ocean of sentient beings and karma; 3) the ocean of worlds; 4) the ocean of Buddhas; 5) the ocean of names, lifespans, and liberations, because great functional transformations are all meritorious qualities; 6) the ocean of pāramitās, because they reach the shore of true reality; 7) the ocean of turning the wheel of the Dharma; 8) the ocean of faculties; 9) the ocean of exposition—bestowed together with the ten wisdoms below to enable knowing these ten. Second, from "At that time" onward explains mental empowerment. In this there are two: first, empowering; later, explaining. In the former there are also two: first, this land; later, analogous extension. In the former, he bestows ten kinds of wisdom; the first is general, meaning bestowing the wisdom of the ocean of fruition. Saying "bestow" is because the Buddha's power infuses it to make it increase. The "nature of all-knowledge" is the ocean of fruition. The nature of wisdom is power, because it cannot be overthrown and because it possesses the ten powers. The final word "wisdom" is that which is able to enter. The remaining nine are specific, which are the ten wisdoms in the "Chapter on Accomplishment." Because he is bestowed with this wisdom, he can later expound that wisdom and contemplate those ten oceans, though the text is slightly out of sequence. 1) The third: the wisdom of the ocean of the establishment of the dharmadhātu, because establishment is measureless and boundless. 2) The fourth: the ocean of Buddhas, for the ocean of Buddhas is an object solely within the purview of a Buddha. 3) The first. 4) The second: the ocean of sentient beings' karma; because the causes of karma are minute, it is said to be vast. 5) Contains two clauses: first, the eighth: the ocean of the Buddha's spiritual transformations; the functional application of liberation is spiritual transformation, and spiritual transformation relies on concentration, hence the word "samādhi" is added; second, it contains the wisdom of the three periods, as the text below says: "knowing the three periods in a single thought... due to the Buddha's inconceivable power of liberation." Because the general clause is added, combining these two makes the sixth. 6) The fifth. 7) The ninth. 8) The seventh: the ocean of vows, for through the power of vows one enters all worlds in the dharmadhātu. 9) The tenth: establishment and exposition. Furthermore, the faculties of a bodhisattva have even more meanings: practicing the ten wholesome paths, there are the three wholesome roots; practicing the perfections of the various stages, zeal is the root; receiving and upholding the correct Dharma, faith and wisdom are the roots; gathering and nurturing sentient beings, kindness and compassion are the roots; to accomplish the Buddha path, compassion and wisdom are the roots. This is because he skillfully knows these various distinctions. Second, from "just as [in this world]" onward, the analogous extension can be known. Second, from "Why is this?" onward explains the cause, containing two parts: first, questioning. The idea is: the Buddhas have the power to bestow and the compassion to be universal; why are the ten wisdoms bestowed specifically upon Samantabhadra? It explains: Samantabhadra has attained this samādhi, so by the nature of dharmas it should be bestowed. Third, from "At that time" onward, in bodily empowerment there are also two parts: first, this land; later, from "just as [in this world]" onward, analogous extension. In the former there are also two: first, the Buddha's hand pats the crown of his head, showing the empowerment of gathering him in. Also, according to the Sanskrit text, it explains that the bodies of the Buddhas of the ten directions do not come here, and stretching their arms is not necessarily long, yet they simultaneously pat the crown of his head, each fully touching the crown without obstructing one another; all are the sovereign karmic functions of the Tathāgata. Second, from "His hand" onward discerns the marks and function of the hand. In it there are ten clauses to reveal endlessness. The first five show that the marks of virtue are complete, meaning smooth, slender, straight, and so forth, hence it says "adorned with marks and signs." The latter five clauses, from "moreover emitting" onward, explain the sovereign wondrous function. The idea explains that this hand extends across the ten directions and encompasses the three periods, gathers causes and effects and covers persons and dharmas; its deep and vast essence and function are boundless and sovereign, beyond the capacity of words to describe. The subsequent concluding extension can be known.