大方廣佛華嚴經疏 11.28

11.28

Second, regarding the verses: In the prose and verses, there are ten cases and five pairs: namely, presence and absence, broad and brief, separate and combined, precedence and succession making eight and nine; or jumping over intervening items making ten; or verses reiterating what has already been versified. Therefore, the explanation of the verse text cannot be forced into a single pattern; the context above and below should be used as a guide. This text briefly has four cases: 1. Past causes and present conditions are separated in the sūtra and combined in the verses; 2. The resultant marks accomplished are brief in the sūtra and broad in the verses; 3. The present-condition wind-wheel is broad in the sūtra and brief in the verses; 4. Mountains, ground, oceans, and trees are present in the sūtra and absent in the verses. The ten verses are divided into two: The first two versify the causal marks above, that is, explaining the cause calling forth the fruit. The remaining verses versify the fruitional marks, within which there are four parts: First, one verse and a half versifies the wind-wheels, in all of which the upper line is what is supported and the lower line is what supports. The first half-verse uses fruit to support fruit; the latter verse additionally clarifies the cause capable of accomplishing it—the first half being free from obstacles because the vow is to cause purity, and the latter half being unobstructed because the vow is to abide relying on space. Second, there is one verse that versifies the fragrant ocean; one can understand the name by examining this. Third, there are three and a half verses that versify the lotus flower: the first verse and a half explains the stamens of various radiances, showing that this flower takes jewels as its essence; the next verse explains the meaning of fragrance, clarifying in terms of phenomena that Buddhas emerge from the jewels, and from the Buddhas emerge the worldly leaders, like the meaning of fragrance being emitted from a substance and perfuming from afar; the final verse explains the meaning of the banner (dhvaja), where preaching the Buddha is the meaning of rising high, and taming sentient beings is the meaning of subduing. Fourth, there are two verses clarifying the sovereignty of the kṣetras, generally versifying the supported ocean of kṣetras above. The first verse shows sovereignty, because each and every one accords with nature, which is precisely the gate of simultaneous complete concordance. The mind and dust should be reflected upon accordingly. That the jewelled light manifests Buddhas is because dependent and proper retributions interfuse with each other. The latter verse concludes by returning to the universal cause, and therefore it can contain and embrace.