大方廣佛華嚴經疏 14.18

14.18

Fourth, relying on earth there is sustaining and supporting, which illustrates the false being sustained by the true. The three meanings are the same as before. First, the causes and reliances of the earth element have two meanings: (1) with respect to the same kind; (2) with respect to different kinds. In the former, from the vajra-boundary up to the earth's surface, the upper all rely on the lower, and the lower support the upper; through mutual causes and reliances they attain stability. Yet the upper, what can rely, are all separated from the support, lacking essence capable of knowing the lower; and the lower, what can support, are also separated from what is supported, lacking essence that could make them know the upper. Furthermore, the highest that can rely penetrates down to the bottom, having no lower that could be known; the lowest that can support penetrates up to the top, having no upper that could be known. Therefore, whether relying or supporting, their marks are completely exhausted. The false dharmas manifested should be known to be likewise; the coarse must rely on the subtle. Namely, bitter retribution relies on karma; karma is created relying on ignorance; ignorance relies on what is created; mutually lacking essence, there is no thing that can know the other. This, then, is 'thickly carrying the myriad things without benevolence.' Master Zhao also said, 'Though heaven and earth topple and overturn, do not say it is not calm.' Second, with respect to different kinds: as the text below says, the earth mandala relies on the water mandala, the water mandala relies on the wind mandala, the wind mandala relies on empty space, and empty space has nothing it relies upon. In accordance with this, false objects rely on the false mind, the false mind relies on the fundamental consciousness, the fundamental consciousness relies on the tathāgatagarbha, and the tathāgatagarbha has nothing it relies upon. Therefore, if one sets aside the tathāgatagarbha, the other various false dharmas mutually rely on one another, lacking essence capable of knowing each other; thus the false dharmas are without exception completely exhausted.