大方廣佛華嚴經疏 13.32

13.32

The eighth repetition of light illuminates one hundred million worlds. Formerly it said one million; now it is ten times the previous, so ten millions make one hundred million (koṭi). Ten verses praise the Buddha's skillful means and executive ability in practicing both provisional and real. Now, the term 'skillful means' (upāya) generally has three meanings: first, by the power of the ten kinds of preparatory skillful means in the cause, one cultivates and accomplishes the mastered virtues of the Buddha-fruit. Second, all differentiated functions are simply called skillful means, because the unimpeded wisdom has no variety. Third, the provisional that is identical to the real gives rise to functions with mastery, hence it is called skillful means. The present text contains all three, each having three lines to distinguish the marks and one line to conclude with the name. The first verse takes arising function from essence as skillful means. It has six meanings: 1. wisdom surpassing lower stages; 2. realizing boundless dharmas; 3. liberation from the ocean of existence; 4. being endowed with the above three meanings, reaching the shore of nirvāṇa; 5. lifespan combining both the true and the responsive; 6. the bodily light being limitless—all are the Buddha's virtues. The second praises the skillful means of quiescent illumination: the first line illuminates horizontally; the next line penetrates vertically; the next line indicates that quiescent illumination is beyond conception, hence inconceivable. The third praises the Buddha's skillful means of the non-obstruction between phenomena and noumenon: the first two lines show the non-obstruction of existence and non-existence; the next line shows the non-obstruction of concentration and distraction. The fourth praises the Buddha's skillful means of cultivation without cultivation: the first line thoroughly fathoms nature and marks; the next line indicates diligent cultivation without conceptual thought and delighting in liberation, explaining the cultivation of nirvāṇa. 'Free from unevenness' explains the previous correct mindfulness, for not seeing saṃsāra as defiled and nirvāṇa as pure, with no difference between the two, is true quiescence. The fifth praises the skillful means of pariṇāmanā: the first two lines tend toward the true dharmadhātu, which is dedication toward the reality limit; the rest are all dedication toward bodhi. The next line is dedication toward sentient beings, abiding in reality to transform beings, hence it is a skillful means. The sixth is the skillful means of realization and knowledge: the first line accords with and enters realization; the next line knows without obstacle. The next line knows the practices tending everywhere, which are the dharmas for benefiting beings; knowing is itself realizing, which is cultivation with mastery. The seventh is the skillful means of quiescence and function: the first line is quiescence; the next line is function; the next line is the non-obstruction of quiescence and function. This is non-abiding nirvāṇa, difficult for ordinary beings and followers of the small [vehicle] to attain. The eighth is the skillful means of time and number, which can be understood. The ninth is the inconceivable skillful means: the first line understands arising and ceasing, fully knowing both the kṣaṇa and the complete lifespan. The next eleven characters understand marks, which are the substance of sentient beings, not going beyond the three realms and nine planes. The lower two realms are material; the formless realm is non-material; the two realms and eight planes are all called perception; the heaven of non-perception is non-perception; the peak of existence is neither-perception-nor-non-perception. 'Fully knowing' means that what can know also knows their nature, which is non-arising. This is a boundless realm of objects, hence inconceivable. In the above two verses, merely understanding distinctions is itself skillful means. The tenth is the peerless skillful means: the first two lines know marks; the upper line penetrates vertically, and the lower line gathers horizontally. The next line knows the nature; these two are non-dual, hence peerless, which is precisely skillful means.