大方廣佛華嚴經疏 15.7

15.7

Tenth, the profoundness of the Buddha's realm: when the contemplation of the ten faiths is perfected, one directly accesses the Buddha's realm. Within this, there is also first a question, followed by an answer. In the question there are two parts: first, indicating the questioner and the one questioned. That the great assembly questions together indicates subsuming the particular back into the universal; thus universal and particular are unobstructed, and the six aspects are perfectly interpenetrating. Questioning Mañjuśrī is because the Buddha's realm is extremely profound, and except for the wondrous virtue of prajñā, none can reach it. Beginning with faith and ending with wisdom, all depend on the Buddha's realm; hence there is no fixed presupposition. Concluding with a challenge is to express deep reverence, because both the person and the Dharma are difficult to interrogate. Second, from "Sons of the Buddha, we..." onward, properly submitting the inquiry. This is further divided into two: first, concluding the preceding and indicating what follows. Adding praise of his wondrous eloquence is to revere the foremost leader. Second, from "What..." onward, individually presenting the points of inquiry, consisting of eleven phrases: the first is general, and the rest are specific. First, "realm" has two meanings: 1. the delimited realm, meaning the dharmas of the fruit state following the cause of the ten stages belong to the Buddha; 2. the cognitive object realm, meaning the realm known by the Buddha, which cannot be measured by others; collectively these constitute the Buddha's realm. Second, inquiring what serves as the cause of the Buddha's realm. Third, requesting the procedures by which the Buddha's realm liberates sentient beings. Fourth, responding to capacities by universally entering the world. Fifth, the wisdom that can know. Sixth, the dharmas that are known. Seventh, giving rise to exposition with the perfect voice. Eighth, clarifying knowledge's essence and characteristics. Ninth, internal realization of equality. Tenth, what dharmas are manifested. Eleventh, the greatness and smallness of measure. None of these are reached by the operations of the causal state, nor can they be known by those in lower states; hence it is called the Buddha's realm. In terms of the capacity to know, liberate, and so forth, it is the delimited [realm]; in terms of what is known and so on, it is called the cognitive object [realm]. When subject and object are both harmonized, difference is precisely non-difference, and the paths of speech and thought are cut off: this is the Buddha's realm. In the answer, the ten verses reply in sequence, with only the one meaning of breadth uniquely placed at the beginning to be treated together with the general, wishing to show that the measure pervades the whole, being broad precisely because it is profound. The first line generally indicates the profundity of the essence; the next line indicates the vastness of its measure. Therefore, the *Buddhagūmi-śāstra* cites a sūtra in explanation, stating: "For the realm of the Buddhas, except for empty space, nothing can serve as a metaphor." The next line explains the aforesaid breadth, and the last line explains the aforesaid profundity. However, there are three meanings: 1. In terms of all sentient beings being the tathāgatagarbha, what else is there to enter? Overturning delusion into awakening is therefore called "realizing entry." 2. In terms of the noumenon being neither identical nor different, it is called "entering that which has no entrance." 3. In terms of mind and object, the mind merging with the true object is spoken of as entry. If there were something entered, object and wisdom would not yet be obliterated, so how could it be called entry? Only when there is truly nothing entered is it called true entry. The profundity that is broad fundamentally gives rise to speech and thought; how could one measure the limits of the breadth that is profound? Second, answering the question about the cause: this cause is limitless, briefly indicated by three meanings: 1. excellence, because its practice is transcendent and peerless; 2. subtlety, because its realization of noumenon is profound and occult, exhausting the source of dharmas; 3. vastness, because even if spoken of for many kalpas, not even a fraction can be exhausted. Third, answering the question about liberation: following the differences of their mental capacities and inclinations, and following the distinctions in their intellectual power of understanding, one attracts and guides them to cultivate so that each gains benefit. Because it is detailed and without error throughout the entire dharmadhātu, its differences are difficult to know; hence it is called the Buddha's realm. Fourth, answering the question about entering: "world" means the world of sentient beings; "realms" means the material world. "All" means pervading the dharmadhātu. Entering has two meanings: 1. secretly entering with the wisdom-body to secretly benefit sentient beings; 2. visibly entering with the form-body to manifestly benefit sentient beings; the wisdom-body is difficult to know, so it is specially highlighted in the text. Fifth, answering the question about wisdom: the first half of the verse concerns expedient wisdom, which horizontally leaves nothing unknown, hence called "sovereign," and vertically penetrates the three times, hence "without obstruction." The second half concerns real wisdom, hence saying that the sphere of wisdom is equal like empty space, without multiplicity. The word "empty space" also serves as a metaphor for the aforesaid lack of obstruction; only when expedient and real are unobstructed is it the Buddha's realm. Sixth, answering the question about dharmas: the dharmadhātu is noumenon, and the realm of sentient beings is phenomena; taking hold of noumenon forms phenomena, and noumenon penetrates the surface of phenomena, hence they are said to be "without distinction." Therefore, phenomena do not wait to be destroyed to be constantly true, and noumenon does not wait to be hidden to be constantly conventional; it is not merely vast and limitless, but also profoundly boundaryless, thoroughly and exhaustively known; hence it is called the Buddha's realm. Furthermore, the dharmadhātu is that which is realized, the realm of sentient beings is that which is transformed, and thorough knowledge is that which can realize and transform; when its source is investigated, there is also no difference, which is the Buddha's realm that is difficult to know. Seventh, answering the question about exposition: all spoken sounds are completely known according to their nature and characteristics; never having given rise to thoughts, there is no conceptual discrimination, because all distinct spoken sounds are subsumed under the sound of the Tathāgata's wheel of Dharma. Answering the question on exposition with this means that the true mark of sounds is precisely the wheel of Dharma. Eighth, knowledge is the mental essence; discriminative perception is not true knowledge, hence it is not what consciousness perceives. A fleeting thought is also not true knowledge, hence it is not the realm of the mind. The mental essence is free from thoughts, meaning it is not that there are thoughts that can be negated; hence it is said that its "nature is fundamentally pure." Sentient beings possess it equally, yet obscured they do not know it; therefore the Buddha discloses it so that all are caused to awaken and enter. It is the function of the essence, so he is asked about "knowledge"; it is the essence of the function, so he answers with "purity of nature." The single word "knowing" is the gate of all wonders; if one can empty oneself and meet it, one will directly tally with the Buddha's realm. Ninth, answering the question about realization: this is realizing the perfection of the three virtues of great nirvāṇa. Not bound by karma, hence liberation. Not afflictions: transforming afflictions into bodhi is prajñā. Without entities: because empty marks are exhausted, the dharmakāya is revealed. Having no abiding place: completes the above dharmakāya having no location. Having no illumination: completes the above prajñā whose mark of being able to realize is quiescent. Having no practice: completes the above liberation having no function of karmic practice. Because it has no function, its function pervades the dharmadhātu; because it has no illumination, there is nothing it does not know; because it has no location, there is nowhere it is not present. Therefore the concluding line says "equally practicing in the world"; this is called the secret treasury of the three virtues, the Buddha's realm. Tenth, answering the question about manifestation: the first half is what is manifested; the first line horizontally exhausts the ten directions, and the next line vertically exhausts the three times. The second half is that which can manifest; all manifest without thought and instantaneously within the Tathāgata's great round mirror wisdom. Therefore the "Chapter on Arising and Appearing" says, "Bodhi universally manifests all mental activities"; this is precisely the meaning. Clarifying the ten profundities above concludes the questions and answers.