大方廣佛華嚴經疏 14.4

14.4

Second, as for explaining the title: 'bodhisattva' is the person, and 'clarifying through inquiries' is the doctrine. It blocks the fruition and expresses the cause; hence it says 'bodhisattva.' 'Inquiry' (wen) is questioning (interrogation), and 'clarifying' (ming) is answering. However, there are two kinds of inquiry: 1. asking casually, called pṛcchā in Sanskrit; 2. challenging and questioning, that is, examining and interrogating on the basis of reason, called praśna in Sanskrit, which is the meaning in this chapter. There are also two kinds of answer: 1. merely responding in accordance with the inquiry is called answering; 2. both explaining and concurrently touching upon different meanings, using beautiful speech and praise to make the noumenon brightly manifest is called clarifying, which is the meaning in this chapter. 'Clarifying' also shatters darkness, because it can dispel the darkness of the questioner's doubt. Now, Mañjuśrī and the other nine leaders mutually clarify and question, taking turns as anvil and hammer, scrutinizing the teaching and noumenon to awaken the multitude of beings; hence it is named this. Furthermore, the prose portion clarifies that it arises from inquiry, and the verses clarify understanding of the inquiry; hence it is called 'clarifying through inquiries.' It does not say 'answering' because it seeks to encompass the inquiry within the clarification. Because inquiry has two meanings, it may be termed 'clarifying': 1. the interrogation and examination within the inquiry exhaust the principle, causing the respondent to be speechless—this is an inquiry of utmost clarity; 2. the scrutiny of principle through advancing and retreating within the inquiry makes it apparent, enabling the respondent to easily explain it; hence it is taken as 'clarifying.' Furthermore, 'clarifying' means 'clarity of Dharma' (dharmāloka); because the ten bodhisattvas' inquiries bring forth ten kinds of clarity of Dharma, it is called 'clarifying through inquiries.' Although the various meanings differ, all are the clarifying through inquiries of bodhisattvas; this is an appositional compound (tatpuruṣa) interpretation.