大方廣佛華嚴經疏 10.4

10.4

Second: The praises of virtue by the bodhisattvas of the ten directions. The ten directions constitute ten sections. Now, first, the eastern direction. When it says 'in the assembly,' this refers to where the names were listed earlier in the ocean-like great assembly: named Lotus Banner of Contemplating the Sublime Dharma. A banner is elevated and prominent, and a king is supremely transcendent; this simile is analogous. Wisdom-light is precisely the essence of the banner that is the subject of the simile. The verse praises the Buddha's two bodies, the true and the response, subtly answering the above stage of buddhahood, because the Tathāgata's wisdom and so forth encompass the stage of buddhahood. The ten verses are divided into two: the first three praise the true [body], and the latter seven praise the response [body]. Praising the true necessarily encompasses the beauty of both essence and function; praising the response clarifies only through function, wishing to show that the diversity of gates is not truly external to the essence. Now, the first: within it, the first verse praises the wisdom-body, the next praises the dharmakāya, and the last concludes both together. Wisdom contains the four wisdoms, and Dharma is the dharmadhātu; thus the five dharmas are complete. Within wisdom: the first half of the verse directly realizes the true in essence; the second half subsequently conforms to the conventional. Furthermore, each line represents one wisdom: the first line is the Great Perfect Mirror Wisdom, because its mode of activity is deep and subtle; the next line is the Wisdom of Equality, because the equality of self and other is identical to the dharmadhātu; the next line is the Wondrous Observing Wisdom, because it operates without obstruction regarding individual and common marks; the final line is the All-Accomplishing Wisdom, because it accomplishes the tasks of benefiting others and guiding the world. Second, in praising the dharmakāya: in the first half of the verse, essence and marks are both identical. Identity has two meanings: 1. the dharmakāya of fundamental nature is identical in essence. Saying 'without reliance' means it is the root of non-abiding. 'Without differentiation' means its essence is non-dual. 2. The realized dharmakāya is identical in marks, because powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth are all undifferentiated. This is the body of unobstructed wisdom, which does not rely on anything. Being free from all conceptual discrimination, it is without differentiation. The second half of the verse shows identity in function, because the shadows of bodies, lands, and wisdom that can appear and arise are all non-dual; this is the dharmakāya having no form, appearing in bodily form according to beings. Third, the conclusion of both: the first half concludes wisdom—the upper line being the fundamental, and the lower line being the subsequently attained; the second half concludes Dharma, citing only its function, while the essence runs through both above and below, because wisdom tallies with suchness, and the Suvarṇaprabhāsa states that suchness and the wisdom of suchness constitute the dharmakāya. The latter seven verses praise the response [body], divided into three: the first verse shows manifesting responses according to inclination. 'Inconceivable' means boundless according to conditions. As the 'Chapter on Awakening through Light' states: 'Though one ponders for billions of nayutas of kalpas, the majesty of his physical marks ever multiplies without bound,' etc. The next four show the light of his body expounding the Dharma: the first verse shows the transformation body expounding the Dharma, which, relative to the response body above, is a re-transformation; the next two show the light of his pores expounding the Dharma; the latter verse concludes with praise of its unfathomability. The meaning of the Dharma wheel is as explained elsewhere. The final two verses show attaining awakening and giving rise to superknowledges. The above are all perfectly interpenetrating and also possess the ten bodies, but are taken here according to a single perspective.