大方廣佛華嚴經疏 16

English (machine translation) 16

Language: English

16.1

Composed by the Śramaṇa Chengguan of the Da Huayan Monastery on Mount Qingliang under the Tang

First, as for the intention of its placement: practice is never undertaken in vain; it necessarily possesses its virtues. Since understanding and practice are consummate and wondrous, their superior virtues must be difficult to conceive. Gathering the preceding practices and vows to accomplish the virtuous functioning of faith, it therefore follows next. Furthermore, previously Jñānaśīrṣa brought forward the fruition to inquire about the cause, and Mañjuśrī extensively revealed its cause while briefly indicating its fruition, stating that one 'obtains all superior and wondrous merits and virtues'. He therefore questioned Bhadraśrī to have him expand upon these words. For this reason, the beginning of the verses follows up on what precedes and introduces what follows.

16.4

Second, as for explaining the title: whose essential nature is supremely compliant, harmonised, and good is called 'Bhadra' (worthy); whose auspicious, superior virtues are supreme and peerless is called 'Śrī' (foremost). The bodhisattva who expounds this Dharma is designated by this very name: the worthy is precisely the foremost. The chapter of Bhadraśrī corresponds to the beginning of the stages of worthiness; because it subsumes all virtues, it specifically raises the designation 'worthy'.

16.5

Third, as for the central theme and orientation: within the gateway of faith, accomplishing the practice and virtues of Samantabhadra with sovereign adornment, establishing sentient beings through unfettered, vast functioning, and running throughout from beginning to end to encompass all stages constitute its central theme; causing one to give rise to consummate and interpenetrating faith and practice, thereby accomplishing the virtuous functioning of the stages, constitutes its orientation.

16.6

Fourth, as for explaining the text: the text has three parts. First, Mañjuśrī's initiation; second, Bhadraśrī's extensive exposition; third, the manifest verification across the ten directions. Now, the first divides into two: first, the compiler's narrative; second, the actual initiation. Each of these two sections has concluding what precedes and giving rise to what follows. Now, the first: it first concludes what has already been spoken. Favourable and adverse [conditions] are alike complied with, so that adventitious defilements cannot sully his mind; compassion and wisdom roam together, so that the myriad realms cannot disturb his reflection—this is called 'pure practice'. The 'great merits and virtues' are precisely the previously accomplished fruition. Next, from 'wishing to reveal' downward gives rise to what follows; the text encompasses beginning and end. Regarding the end, it reveals the superior merits and virtues of the bodhicitta of perfected faith, because the causal practices of the five stations are fully complete. Regarding the beginning, it is merely that within birth-and-death one vows to realise bodhi, as it is that upon which the myriad virtues rely. Now, two verses are revealed. In the actual initiation, the first half concludes what precedes. Because the verse text is compressed, it briefly omits the virtues accomplished. The second half exhorts the exposition, requesting him to expound the virtues of practice, which thus stands in a mutually complementary relation to the prose text.

16.7

Second, from 'At that time, Bhadraśrī' downward is Bhadraśrī's extensive exposition. Therein, he first presents a general introduction. Answering in verse briefly has two reasons: first, because few words encompass many meanings; second, because beautiful phrasing praises and expounds so as to bring about pure faith. It is because the initial virtue encompasses the final, and an unsystematic exposition would be difficult to exhaust, and because of revealing these superior and wondrous merits and virtues. Second, the actual revelation: the verse phrases comprise three hundred and fifty-nine and a half gāthās, broadly divided into three parts: first, four gāthās of the section on humble praise and consenting to speak; second, three hundred and forty-six and a half gāthās of the section on the actual exposition of superior virtues; third, nine gāthās of the section on comparison and exhorting upholdance. The first part divides into two: the first gāthā is a general explanation, whose first half praises the question and exhorts cultivation, and whose second half humbles himself regarding expounding only a little. The ocean metaphor will be clarified directly below. The subsequent three open the sections: using the virtues of generating the mind, they analogise and bring forth the cultivation of practice, skilfully revealing its depth and breadth. Therein, the first gāthā presents the section on generating the mind; the next gāthā analogises and brings forth the section on the cultivation of practice. If the initial mind, aspiring toward future realization, already possesses immeasurable virtue, how much more so for one who enters the stages for a long duration and cultivates universally! Hence, many Buddhas cannot fully expound it. The final gāthā marks the scope of consenting to speak. The first half is the doctrinal statement. 'Such as this' points to both generating the mind and cultivating practice, because the text below fully reveals them, and the text above questioned both. The second half clarifies through metaphor, which however has two meanings: first, revealing the metaphor of a minute portion, meaning that the virtue of generating the mind and practice is like vast empty space and the great earth, whereas what is spoken is as narrow as a foot-tread or a single dust mote. Second, an esoteric metaphor of non-difference, meaning that the empty space beneath a bird's foot is not different from vast empty space, and a subtle dust mote is not different from the great earth. Therefore, in this brief exposition, the meaning is entirely comprehensive; whether extensive or brief, both are boundless. The chapter 'The Manifestation of the Tathāgata' says: 'Just as a bird flying in empty space for a hundred years, the places it has traversed and the places it has not traversed are alike immeasurable. Why is this? Because empty space has no boundaries,' and so forth. That passage concerns fruition-practice; this passage concerns causal virtue. Yet the practice and virtue of Samantabhadra seem identical to the Buddha-fruition; therefore, both take empty space as their measure, and the texts above and below all share this explanation. In what way does this initial generation of the mind differ from the Stage of the Initial Aspiration among the ten abodes below and the chapter 'The Merits and Virtues of Generating the Mind'? Here, generating the mind encompasses both beginning and end: taking its accomplished virtue, it is the completion of faith; taking its being the root, it lies in the initial generation. Though like a light feather, the merit belongs to the first basket of earth. The initial generation of the ten abodes is precisely this completion becoming that initial generation. This completion is the active generator, and that is the generated; this is precisely the 'generation' of initiating, its meaning including unfolding; that is the 'generation' of unfolding, its meaning including initiating. The chapter 'The Merits and Virtues of Generating the Mind' specifically reveals the merits and virtues of the initial mind of the ten abodes. Distinguishing them in this way, they are not without difference. Thus the Yingluo jing says: 'As for the Stage of the Initial Aspiration, this person, beginning from being fully bound and not yet knowing the Triratna, up to encountering Buddhas and bodhisattvas and giving rise to a single thought of faith within the teaching, then generates bodhicitta.' Since it says 'beginning from an ordinary person's earliest generation of the mind,' we know clearly that generating the mind here encompasses both beginning and end. Question: Since this is the beginning, how can it fully possess the subsequent stages of practice and the virtues of Samantabhadra? The ancient masters' explanation of this briefly has two approaches: First, the approach of graded sequence, meaning proceeding from subtle to prominent, from shallow to deep, mounting sequentially to reach the other shore, as expounded in texts such as the Yingluo jing, the Renwang jing, the Awakening of Faith, and the Yogācārabhūmi. Second, the approach of consummate interpenetration and universal inclusion, meaning that a single stage fully possesses all stages and so forth, as expounded in this sūtra, and also as in the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā and other texts where a single practice fully possesses all practices. Within this there are two approaches: first, the approach of mutual dependence through conditioned origination; second, the approach of interpenetrating inclusion of the dharmadhātu. In the former, universally gathering all stages from beginning to end, the ocean of boundless practices is of a single conditioned origination, constituting the practice and virtue of Samantabhadra. Truly, when the various conditions are viewed in relation to one another, there are briefly two meanings: first, regarding functioning, due to mutual relativity, there are the meanings of having efficacy and lacking efficacy; therefore they can mutually gather and mutually enter. Second, regarding essence, due to mutual constitution, there are the meanings of having essence and lacking essence; therefore they can be mutually identical and mutually enter. In this sūtra, relying on these meanings, the mutual gathering of practice and stages has four explanations in all: 1. Either the beginning possesses the end, such as in this gateway possessing all practices and stages, which is the ocean of Samantabhadra's virtues. 2. Or the end possesses the beginning, all residing in the ten stages, as expounded subsequently in chapters such as 'The Ten Samādhis' and 'The Ten Supernormal Powers'. 3. Or all stages are equally gathered together, all residing in the ten abodes and so forth, where each single stage gathers all, all reaching the ultimate, as expounded subsequently in chapters such as 'The Ten Abodes' and 'The Ten Practices'. 4. Or all stages are obliterated and the virtuous practice is manifest, as expounded in the chapter 'Transcending the World'. Second, as for the approach of the interpenetrating inclusion of the dharmadhātu: these various stages and the practices cultivated are all not separate from Samantabhadra's inexhaustible dharmadhātu. Yet this dharmadhātu is consummate, interpenetrating, and boundless; abiding in any single stage, it immediately fully possesses all. Now, within the gateway of faith, there is nothing it does not gather completely. That the stages below all fully possess everything is to be explained according to this. Question: The chapter 'The Merits and Virtues of Generating the Mind' below also states that the initial mind possesses boundless virtues; how does it differ from this? Answer: This is based on what is possessed by the gateway of faith as the head of practice; that is based on what is possessed by bodhicitta as the root of practice. Question: Regarding the mutual gathering of dharmas, it may indeed be so. But regarding a person's cultivation, how could cultivating faith for merely ten thousand kalpas to completion attain such an ocean of boundless virtue? Answer: Because the Dharma is a consummate, interpenetrating Dharma possessing all virtues. If bodhisattvas practice this practice of the Dharma, it is what is gathered by that, whether for immeasurable kalpas or without fixed limit. The phrase 'ten thousand kalpas' is not what is taught here. As with the practices and attainments of the youth Sudhana, the devaputra of Tuṣita, and others below, all are such persons; they are not the same as what is taught in the graded, sequential teachings. Furthermore, 'ten thousand kalpas' belongs to a single sūtra; the Yingluo jing speaks only of one kalpa or two kalpas. Even if this sūtra has graded sequence, it is entirely consummate and interpenetrating. Some also cite the text below to verify that this faith is abandoning the nature of ordinary beings, accomplishing the noble nature, emerging from the ground of ignorance, and being born into the house of the Tathāgata, because there is obtaining abhiṣeka and ascending the stage and so forth, which is not faith. If so, how could the first stage obtain abhiṣeka and ascending the stage, and so forth? If one says that one enters the Buddha-stage progressively, why could one not enter progressively beginning from faith? If one allows entering progressively from faith, why must one judge this as abandoning the ordinary and entering the noble? The text below itself has the assembly of the ten stages; here it is still separated by the abodes, practices, dedications, and so forth; judging this as entering the stages is wild talk. The chapter 'Generating the Mind' below is also judged as generating the mind of the first stage, its meaning being identical to this assembly. Question: Below it says: 'Diligently cultivating and studying for immeasurable koṭis of kalpas, one obtains this unexcelled wisdom of bodhi.' This then is not a single lifetime, nor is ten thousand kalpas taken as immeasurable. To resolve this difficulty, there should be two meanings: first, this is according to the progressive meaning of graded sequence; second, this is according to the meaning of the unobstructed expansion and contraction of consummate interpenetration, as analyzed above. For Sudhana saw the ṛṣi take his hand, and at each Buddha's place traversed immeasurable kalpas. The length or shortness of cultivation being inconceivable is specifically due to this. Therefore Bodhisattva Bhadraśrī says: 'Believing in the Mahāyāna is still easy; being able to believe in this Dharma is doubly difficult.' Because the initial mind immediately fully possesses all merits and virtues, it is difficult to believe.

16.8

Second, from "When a bodhisattva generates the resolve" onward directly clarifies the supreme virtues of generating the resolve and undertaking practice. The text is divided into five parts: first, five verses on the mental characteristics of generating the resolve; second, from "Faith is the source of the Path" onward briefly shows its supreme efficacy; third, from "If one constantly faithfully reveres" onward [shows] the stages of practice that are possessed; fourth, from "There are lands" onward [shows] its boundless great functioning; fifth, from "All Tathāgatas" onward uses metaphors to illustrate the profound meaning. However, among these five sections, the first reveals the true generation of the resolve, while the latter four concern the virtues of generating the resolve. The third also encompasses practice; both it and the subsequent two are virtues of practice. Now, as for the first, regarding the mental characteristics of generating the resolve: the initial verse is a general presentation, while the remaining text presents them distinctively. The *Bodhisattvabhūmi* in the *Yogācārabhūmi* explains five kinds of marks of generating the resolve: 1. essential nature; 2. mental characteristics; 3. cognitive objects; 4. virtues; 5. supreme excellence. The present text's five verses possess them completely. That is, "generating the resolve" is precisely the correct aspiration, which is the essential nature of generating the resolve. Seeking bodhi and, below, benefiting sentient beings are its mental characteristics. Bodhi, the Triratna, and sentient beings are all its cognitive objects. Being able to subsume all factors conducive to bodhi constitutes its virtues. Not seeking the five desires and so forth inversely reveals that what the bodhisattva seeks is supremely excellent. When speaking of "causes and conditions": what directly initiates the seeking of great bodhi is called the cause, while what serves as an auxiliary to prompt its generation is the condition. The cause is the power of the internal perfuming of the nature abiding in its own essence; the condition is the nature acquired through habituation. Furthermore, both of the above rely on good spiritual friends and external perfuming as conditions. The *Yogācāra* says: "Due to four causes, four conditions, and four powers, a bodhisattva generates the resolve. The four causes are: 1. completeness of lineage; 2. reliance on the supportive acceptance of the Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and good spiritual friends; 3. frequent arising of compassion; 4. remaining fearless before long-enduring, intense, difficult, and ascetic practices. The four conditions are: 1. seeing and hearing of the Buddhas' power of spiritual transformations; 2. hearing the subtle and wondrous Dharma; 3. seeing the Dharma on the verge of extinction; 4. seeing sentient beings suffer the afflictions, karma, and misery. The four powers are: 1. self-power; 2. other-power; 3. causal power, due to past habituation; 4. power of applied effort, meaning drawing close to good friends, hearing the Dharma, and cultivating applied effort in the present life. If one possesses the above causes and conditions, along with the first and third powers, one should know that one will not regress. If it is based on the second and fourth powers, one's mind will not be steadfast." The present sūtra refers to the first and the third. Furthermore, the *Awakening of Faith* and the *Jñānamudrā-sūtra* have seven causes and conditions, which should be understood as detailed therein. Below, in the distinct exposition, three causes and four conditions subsume all of the above meanings. The three causes are faith, compassion, and wisdom. The four conditions are the Triratna and sentient beings. In the present text, the second half uses faith and wisdom as causes to take the realm of the Triratna as conditions. Faith means taking deep receptivity, joy, and aspiration toward true reality, virtue, and capability, with a purified mind, as its nature; hence it is called "pure faith." Here, "reality" refers to all phenomena and noumena. "Virtue" refers to the pure virtues of the Triratna. "Capability" refers to the mundane and supramundane wholesome having their effective power. Here, the Dharma-jewel already subsumes the first and the last; also, the Triratna completely possesses these three: their essence is true reality and possesses virtue, and their great function rescues sentient beings. "Great" means the mind of wisdom seeking great bodhi. "Vast" means the mind of compassion extensively rescuing sentient beings. This overturns the narrow minds of the two vehicles. In the specific exposition, the first half-verse sets aside what is biased and counterfeit, meaning that the fault of gathering a retinue cannot taint it, because the text specifies not seeking five things, since seeking them is an error: First, if one seeks human and divine five desires, this fosters greed and is largely the cause for ghosts. Second, seeking kingship fosters anger and is largely the cause for hells. Third, seeking wealth fosters delusion and is the cause for animals. In reality, they extend to all three lower realms, but are spoken of here according to what predominates. Fourth, seeking one's own pleasure is the cause for the two vehicles. Fifth, seeking great fame: if with a mind of competitiveness, it is the cause for asuras; if with an arrogant mind, it is the cause for non-Buddhists. Furthermore, rationally speaking, seeking pleasure is the cause for humans and gods; being a king to amass subjects is the cause for Māra. Having the mind of the two vehicles is deemed "biased"; having any other mind is called "counterfeit." The subsequent three and a half verses directly reveal what is genuine and correct, explaining the causes and conditions distinctly. Therein, in the first verse, under the cause of compassion, rescuing beings, adorning lands, and making offerings to the Buddhas are also for the sake of taming sentient beings. Eradicating suffering is compassion (karuṇā); conferring benefit and joy is loving-kindness (maitrī). The subsequent verse and a half concerns great wisdom making offerings to what is above. That the above two are non-dual is the genuinely correct generation of the resolve. The final verse concludes and establishes faith, also encompassing faith in the causal practice. Among these, the correspondence to the above four causes and four conditions can be understood intuitively. Furthermore, from "not seeking the five desires" down, it directly reveals the virtues of faithful mind; thus the *Yingluo jing* says: "Cultivating the ten faithful minds requires possessing the ten virtues." The present text possesses them all, though not in that order: 1. Being able to endure suffering when encountering it corresponds to the earlier inverse demonstration; 2. The first two lines of the direct revelation correspond to deep and thick loving-kindness and compassion; 3. The subsequent two lines and "adorning lands" correspond to cultivating roots of goodness, meaning the wholesome of benefiting others and the cause of a pure land; 4. The three words [on making offerings] correspond to making offerings to all Buddhas; 5. The line "upholding" corresponds to aspiring to seek the supreme Dharma; 6. "Realizing bodhi" corresponds to seeking the Buddha's wisdom; 7. One line corresponds to the profound mind being impartial; 8. The subsequent two lines correspond to drawing close to good spiritual friends; 9. The subsequent two lines correspond to the mind being constantly gentle and compliant, meaning making offerings with utmost sincerity and being gentle, compliant, and obedient toward the Buddhadharma; 10. Two lines correspond to loving and delighting in the Mahāyāna. The ten virtues are fully complete. Furthermore, these ten virtues are precisely the intention of seeking bodhi. Below in the sūtra, Xiu She says: "Desiring to teach, transform, and tame all sentient beings exhaustively without remainder, one therefore generates the bodhicitta," and so on. Furthermore, in the final verse: the first line is precisely the Buddha-nature abiding in its own nature, for it is true Dharma only because there is no distinction between faith, the Buddha, and sentient beings, which may be called deep faith; the second line is the emergent Buddha-nature; the latter line is the Buddha-nature of attained fruition. Furthermore, the text contains the four universal vows, which can be understood intuitively. Furthermore, what was stated above about "a profound mind of faith and understanding being constantly pure": only when in accord with noumenon is it called a profound mind. If it were defiled in the past and pure now, purity would have a beginning; having a beginning, it must have an end, and would not be constant purity. Faith that the afflictions are precisely bodhi is what constitutes constant purity, because the resolve is generated by conforming to the fundamental nature. Being fundamentally a Buddha, there is nothing further to advance toward; like being in empty space, where could one regress to? Lamenating that sentient beings are deluded about this, one gives rise to great compassion of identical substance, and sorrowful over past ignorance, vows and aspires to attain future realization. Having compassion, one is not pacified by the boundless; having wisdom, one is not moved by the realm of existence. Neither moved nor pacified, one enters directly into the middle way; this is called the genuinely correct generation of the bodhicitta.

16.9

Second, the seven verses beginning with "Faith is the primary source of the Way" briefly show its superior capabilities. Within this, the first verse is a general presentation, the next five verses are a distinct explanation, and the final verse is a general summary. Now for the first. The first line also indicates that "the Way" has two meanings: first, the fruit, which refers to bodhi and nirvāṇa; second, the cause, which refers to the three stages of the worthy and the ten stages of the noble. One mounts the single straight path. "Primary source" (yuan) also has two meanings: first, the sense of "root" (ben), because it is the root of bodhi, just as surging waters begin from a cup-filling trickle; second, the sense of "head" (shou), for yuan is the foremost of virtues, namely the initial merit of the single cause. Both meanings apply across cause and fruit. "Mother" has two meanings: giving birth to and nurturing. The lower three lines jointly explain the first line: "nurturing" conveys the two meanings of mother and also the meaning of the primary source of the Way; "all good dharmas" and the second line convey causal merit; the single third line conveys fruitional merit. "The unexcelled Way" is great bodhi: through faith cultivating goodness, one attains this bodhi; through faith severing doubts and transcending craving, one realizes nirvāṇa. If one does not believe that body and mind have the Tathāgata's knowledge and vision, how could bodhi and nirvāṇa ever be disclosed?

Next, within the distinct explanation beginning with "Faith is free from defilement and turbidity," there are twenty lines, with each line distinguishing one superior capability: 1. Having purity of mind as its nature, it can overturn the turbidity of disbelief; 2. Because it believes in the noumenon and universally respects, it overturns pride; 3. Among the ten treasures, faith is itself the treasure, and among the seven noble riches, faith is the first; 4. Only through faith does one receive, accept, and put into practice; 5. It believes wealth is like a dream, and so is without stinginess; 6. The *Upadeśa* says: "In the great ocean of the Buddhadharma, faith is what enables entry"; 7. It increases the causes of merit and wisdom; 8. It leads to the fruit of the two adornments; 9 & 10. It is at the beginning of each of the five faculties and five powers; 11. Faith is originally without delusion, and only then severs the root of delusion; 12. If it is directed toward other virtues, it is not called pure faith; 13. It believes that the object is originally empty, and so has no attachment; 14. A person of correct faith is not born in the eight difficulties; 15. It is free from non-correct faith; 16. It correctly believes in liberation; 17. It accomplishes the indestructible root; 18. It serves as the root of bodhi; 19. It increases the Buddha's superior wisdom; 20. It ultimately sees the Buddha—meaning that believing in one's own mind, one's own Buddha appears; believing in the external Buddhas, the Buddhas appear before one. A later text of the sūtra states: "All Buddhas arise from the mind of faith."

Three, the single verse beginning with "Therefore" concludes by summarizing the superior capabilities, the first part in terms of the Dharma, the second through metaphor. "Joyful faith" means believing in the nature of the Triratna and already wishing to cultivate through skillful means and the various pāramitās. The two characters "joyful faith" represent the correct intention of a bodhisattva; through these two, one possesses capability in all practices, and thus it is called "the most supreme." None but Buddhas are not believed in, hence it is said to be "rare to obtain." It is likened to a wish-fulfilling jewel, which briefly has five meanings: 1. Superiority, because it is the king among Dharma-treasures; 2. Rarity, because none possess it except Buddhas and wheel-turning kings; 3. Purity, because it can cleanse the turbidity of disbelief; 4. Preciosity, because the treasures of practices produced through the stages are inexhaustible; 5. Containment, because it contains the substances of all virtues without obstruction.

Third, the fifty and a half verses beginning with "If one constantly has faithful devotion" broadly explain the practices and stages contained within faith. Yet there are two aspects: 1. orderly progression; 2. perfect interpenetration. The ancients proceeded in terms of perfect interpenetration, and hence called it "contained within faith." Within this are three parts: first, explaining the practices contained; next, distinguishing the stages contained; third, concluding with praise of the merit. Now, the first eight and a half verses are divided into two: first, five verses explain having faith in the Triratna to accomplish the various practices; next, three and a half verses explain faith unfolding progressively to accomplish the various practices.

In the former, the first three verses concern faith in the Buddha accomplishing practices: the first two lines present the topic, holding precepts being the cessation of evil, and cultivating the training rules being wholesome action. The *Yogācārabhūmi* states: "Having generated the mind [for bodhi], one should cultivate training in seven domains, hence they are called training rules (śikṣāpada): 1. domain of self-benefit; 2. domain of benefiting others; 3. domain of the real meaning; 4. domain of power and majesty; 5. domain of maturing sentient beings; 6. domain of maturing one's own buddha-dharmas; 7. domain of unexcelled, correct, and complete bodhi." The next verse and a half jointly show the two virtues. If one does not keep the precepts, one cannot even attain the body of a mangy jackal, much less bodhi. When precepts halt false transgressions, inherently pure bodhi opens up; causal and fruitional merits are all born based on the training rules, hence it is called "the earth." The last verse separately explains accomplishing the practice of making offerings: namely, offerings of material goods and of the Dharma, hence it says "great." The next verse concerns faith in the Dharma, and the subsequent verse concerns faith in the Saṃgha; the texts may both be understood.

Second, the three and a half verses accomplish the unfolding of practices: progressively relying on the previous ones, the merit returns to faith.

Second, the thirty-nine verses beginning with "If one, for the sake of the Buddhas" explain the various stages contained. Within this, accomplishing the latter four stations constitutes four sections: First, three verses explain the station of the ten abodes, having six lines: the first line is the abode of initial aspiration; the next line is the two abodes of clearing the ground and practice; the next line is the abode of noble birth; the next line is the abode of fulfillment of skillful means; the next line is the abode of correct mind; the last line, "ever-increasing" is the non-retrogressing abode, and "the most supreme mind" refers to the latter three abodes, to be explained accordingly below.

Second, the two and a half verses beginning with "If one attains the ever-increasing [mind]" explain the station of the ten practices. "Pāramitā" is the general name for the ten practices; "Mahāyāna" is the practice distinct from the two vehicles. The first two lines subsume offerings made according with the Dharma, which are practices conforming to noumenon. The next two lines subsume the unmoving mind of recollecting the Buddha and constantly seeing the Buddha; these are all practices of concentration and wisdom, and therefore belong to the latter six practices. The characteristics of the explanation can be understood.

Third, the three verses beginning with "If one constantly beholds" explain the station of the ten dedications (pariṇāmanā), universally showing the three kinds of dedication. The Buddha's essence being eternally abiding is dedication to bodhi; the Dharma never being extinguished is dedication to the limit of reality (bhūtakoṭi); the rest is dedication to sentient beings.

Fourth, the thirty and a half verses beginning with "If one attains firmness" explain the station of the ten stages (bhūmi). The first half-verse is the first stage: the "profound Dharma" is the tathatā that is realized, and "delight and joy" is another name for Extreme Joy (Pramuditā). The second half-verse is the Immaculate Stage (Vimalā), because it departs from the faults of breaking precepts and conditioned states. The third single verse, departing from pride and so on, refers to the second and third stages: because in the third stage one is unattached to dhyāna, there is no pride; also, because one seeks the Dharma without indolence, it is also called departing from pride. In the fourth stage, one attains the factors of the path that transcend the world, hence it says "without negligence"; yet not abandoning the gathering of beings, it says "further benefit." The fourth single verse explains the fifth stage: namely, although one has attained transcendence of the world, one still abides in saṃsāra, and thus is "without weariness." Ultimate and conventional contradict each other and are hard to unite, yet one is able to unite them; other stages cannot surpass this, hence it says "valorous and unexcelled"—this is the name of "Difficult to Conquer" (Sudurjayā). The fifth single verse explains the sixth stage, where compassion and wisdom do not abide and prajñā appears before one: using spiritual superknowledges to gather beings is the practice of great compassion; knowing the actions of sentient beings as the twelve links of dependent origination is the practice of great wisdom. The sixth, two and a half verses, explains the seventh stage: the first verse explains the superior practice within existence; the latter verse and a half explains the expedient wisdom within emptiness; this can be understood according to the explanation.

Seventh, the three verses beginning with "If one is endowed with the most supreme" explain the eighth stage, briefly distinguishing six meanings: 1. Superiority of the path, referring to the path of non-exertion, hence called "valorous and unexcelled"; 2. Superiority of power, referring to the power of wisdom destroying Māra; 3. Superiority of function, referring to transcending the realm of the four māras—abandoning delimited transmigration, there is no māra of the skandhas; having no abandoning of life, there is no māra of death; afflictions not being active, one transcends the māra of defilement; realizing the Buddha's ten powers, one transcends Devaputra-māra; 4. Superiority of stage, referring to the Immovable Stage (Acalā), hence called "non-retrogressing"; 5. Superiority of practice, referring to attaining the acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti); 6. Superiority of cause, referring to this stage being the stage of great prophecy.

Eighth, the two verses explain the ninth stage, serving as a great dharmabhāṇaka. They briefly distinguish four meanings: 1. Empowered by all Buddhas, called the Buddha appearing before one; 2. Comprehending the profound and esoteric Dharma of all Buddhas; 3. Being held in the memory of all Buddhas, increasing one's power of wisdom; 4. Self-adorned with the Buddha's virtues, preaching the Dharma for the assembly.

Ninth, the nineteen verses beginning with "If by the Buddha's virtues" explain the station of the tenth stage, divided into five: First, eight verses on the superior virtues of the three karmas. The first five and a half verses concern bodily karma: within these, the previous three verses explain the bodily virtues as superior, while the latter two and a half verses explain the great function of bodily karma; next, one and a half verses of exposition concern the superiority of speech karma, preaching the Dharma to benefit beings; the last two verses concern the superiority of mental karma, because wisdom leads the way. Second, the four verses beginning with "If with wisdom as the forerunner" explain the vast merit of the three karmas and the virtues of the three wheels in gathering beings: the first verse concerns bodily karma, the next concerns speech karma, and the latter two concern mental karma. Third, the two verses beginning with "If one knows afflictions" distinguish the attainment of the Dharma concluding the stage. Fourth, the three verses beginning with "If one attains the ten stages" explain the share of samādhi, the share of the great end, and the share of receiving the rank, all of which are clearly evident. Fifth, the two verses beginning with "If receiving..." explain that the great function is difficult to fathom, and also explain the matter of the name: namely, with the great Dharma cloud of wisdom containing the waters of all virtues, it can cover heavy defilements that are like space. Furthermore, the two verses beginning with "If receiving..." also signify entering into the Buddha stage.

16.10

Third, the three verses beginning with "The bodhisattva diligently cultivates" conclude with praise of its virtue: the first two are expressed in terms of Dharma, and the last is an illustration by metaphor. In the former, Xianshou says that the first two lines mean compassion and vows are fulfilled internally: "the bodhisattva diligently cultivates" and so on concludes the meaning beneath the previous word "if" (ruo). "None fail to bear fruit" concludes the meaning beneath the previous word "then" (ze). Since if there is that, then there is this, they are not an interlocking causal chain of before and after; it is solely the word "faith" of the fundamental station. If there is this, then there is that; they are possessed simultaneously, yet spoken of as before and after. Therefore, the gate of faith is fully endowed with the marks of all practices and stages. Yet, although practices are measureless, they all take compassion and vows as foremost, and thus it concludes with respect to this. The next two lines clarify that this compassion and vows benefit beings without being in vain. The next single verse concludes the practices and stages previously endowed: the first line cites the person and indicates the Dharma. The majestic spiritual power is faith, serving as the reason for being able to endow them. The next line concludes the wisdom able to realize, for the eye realizing suchness is eternally whole. The next two lines conclude the path realized: the ten virtues cite the practice of the second stage, and by extension include the remaining stages, the remaining stations, and the remaining paths; it means the superior jewels of teaching, realization, and so forth all appear. The final verse is an illustration by metaphor, which illustrates only the preceding verse: the first line and "majestic power" illustrate the preceding first line. The firm essence of faith is likened to vajra, and dwelling within the ocean of wisdom, it is able to produce through the majestic power of faith. The various jewels produced illustrate the practices and stages of the preceding third line. The third line illustrates the former Dharma eye being constantly intact.

16.11

Fourth, from "There may be lands" downward, two hundred and three verses explain the section on the vast functioning without fixed location. Those [beings] can have boundless vast functioning because Samantabhadra's virtue pervades all times and places, and the dharmadhātu is without limits. Briefly distinguished, there are ten gates of samādhi karmic functioning: 1. the gate of the ocean-seal samādhi of perfect luminosity; 2. the gate of the Avataṃsaka wondrous practice samādhi; 3. the gate of the Indrajāla samādhi; 4. the gate of the hands producing vast offerings samādhi; 5. the gate of manifesting all dharma gates samādhi; 6. the gate of gathering sentient beings through the four means of gathering samādhi; 7. the gate of bending to conform with the worldly samādhi; 8. the gate of the light from hair-pores illuminating and benefiting samādhi; 9. the gate of the majestic beauty of host and retinue samādhi; 10. the gate of boundless quiescence and functioning samādhi. Because there is no unfixed mind, they are all called samādhis; their functioning differs, so ten kinds are briefly distinguished. Furthermore, the first gate arises in function on the basis of essence; the last explains that function is not different from essence; and those in between all reveal the sovereignty of wondrous function. Moreover, each of the ten samādhis possesses these three. Now, the first six verses explain the ocean-seal samādhi, and the text is divided into two: the first five specifically explain the pervasiveness of karmic functioning, and the last one summarizes that on which the vast functioning relies. In the first [part] there are three: the first three are the Buddha's deeds; the next one is the three vehicles; the last one classifies the rest—collectively revealing the transformations of the ten dharmadhātus. In the first [part], the first [verse] generally explains manifesting Buddhas preaching the Dharma; the next one explains sovereignty of essence and function. The first line distinguishes two meanings of negation: first, thought is free of discrimination; second, movement is without effort. The next three lines reveal two meanings of affirmation, namely: the thought of thoughtlessness, where a single thought pervades the ten directions; the effort of effortlessness, where many gates gather all classes [of beings]. The moon analogy has four meanings, which can be understood in accord with the Dharma. The last [verse] concludes with that on which functioning relies. Although the meaning of the ocean-seal was briefly explained in the past, its source was not exhausted. Now I explain it with ten meanings to express its inexhaustible functioning. A later [passage of the] sūtra says: "Just as in clear water the images of the four divisions of an army, and so forth, down to everything manifests in the water," and also says: "The ocean has a rare and extraordinary quality, capable of being an equal seal for all: sentient beings, treasures, and flowing streams are all universally embraced without rejection." Fascicle fourteen of the Mahāsaṃnipāta says: "Just as the bodies of all sentient beings in Jambudvīpa and other external forms—forms such as these all have stamped images in the ocean; for this reason, the great ocean is called a seal. The bodhisattva is also like this: having attained the great ocean-seal samādhi, he is able to see and distinguish the mental activities of all sentient beings, and attains intellectual brilliance regarding all dharma gates. This is the bodhisattva's attainment of the ocean-seal samādhi, seeing where the mental activities of all sentient beings tend." However, much of the text of this sūtra is similar to the [chapter on] "Manifestation", but "Manifestation" manifests images of the four continents. Moreover, it is formulated in terms of Buddha bodhi, whereas the Mahāsaṃnipāta only speaks of Jambudvīpa, formulated in terms of what the bodhisattva attains. Yet both involve seeing where minds tend and so forth, understanding their capacity; what is manifested in the present text are bodily forms, responding to their capacity. The two texts cite each other as what is manifested, taking the bodhisattva's concentrated mind as that which is capable of manifesting. Concerning the ten meanings: 1. the meaning of being able to manifest without mind, for the sūtra says "without effort and without discrimination"; 2. the meaning of manifesting without anything manifested, for the sūtra says "like lights and shadows," and the "Manifestation Chapter" says "universally manifesting the thoughts, mental dispositions, and desires of all sentient beings, yet without anything manifested"; 3. the meaning of that which can manifest and that which is manifested being not one; 4. the meaning of their being not different, for the sūtra says: "The great ocean can manifest [images], and since the active and the passive are different, they are not one. Seeking the images outside the water is impossible, so they are not different"—this reveals that this concentrated mind and the manifested dharmas have the active and passive clearly apparent as the marks of nature, and self and other as non-dual as the nature of marks; 5. the meaning of having no coming or going: the water does not reach up to take, and objects do not descend to approach, yet manifestations occur. The mind in samādhi is also like this: it manifests the myriad dharmas in its own mind without them coming; it spreads clouds of bodies throughout the dharmadhātu without ever departing for an instant. The above five meanings are largely the same as the mirror analogy. 6. The meaning of vastness, for the sūtra says "because it pervades the ten directions, universally embracing everything without rejection," explaining that the samādhi mind pervades the dharmadhātu, so that the forms and minds of sentient beings are all objects within the samādhi mind, and functioning that pervades the dharmadhātu also does not depart from this mind; 7. the meaning of universal manifestation, for the sūtra says "all can be manifested," and "Manifestation" says "bodhi universally seals all mental activities"; this differs from vastness in that this is formulated from the perspective of what is manifested not distinguishing between large and small, while the former is formulated from the perspective of that which can manifest having a universally pervasive measure; furthermore, this is formulated from the perspective of what is manifested leaving out no category unmanifested, while the former is formulated from the perspective of that which can manifest leaving no practice uncultivated; 8. the meaning of sudden manifestation, for the sūtra says "manifesting in a single thought," meaning without before and after, like a seal formed all at once; 9. the meaning of constant manifestation, not like a bright mirror which has times of manifesting and not manifesting; 10. the meaning of manifesting what is not present, not like a bright mirror where an object must face it to manifest, for the sūtra says "manifesting images of the four continents"; the four divisions of an army arrayed in the air face it and can manifest, but the images of the four continents manifest without facing it, hence it is called manifesting what is not present. Because it does not depend on facing, it therefore constantly manifests, encompassing the three times. Possessing the above ten meanings, it is therefore called the ocean-seal. The Buddhas realize it exhaustively, while bodhisattvas have a resemblance to it. Question: In the Benevolent King Sūtra, there is no text mentioning the eight marks [of a Buddha] for the three stages of worthies; only on the first bhūmi does it say that one is born in a hundred great trichiliocosms and realizes sambodhi all at once. How could these eight marks be in the gate of faith? Answer: The Mahāsaṃnipāta cited above also says: "A bodhisattva in the consecration-abode attains the Buddha's spiritual power; if a bodhisattva accomplishes such dharmas, he can manifest the eight marks in Buddha-less worlds," and so forth extensively. That speaks of the end of the abodes. According to the Sūtra on the Divination [of Good and Evil Retribution], there are briefly four kinds of gradually becoming a Buddha. What are the four? First, becoming a Buddha because faith in the Dharma is fulfilled, namely, based on the stage of the lineage nature, having decisive faith that all dharmas are unarisen, unceasing, pure, and equal, with nothing to be wished for or sought; second, becoming a Buddha when understanding is fulfilled; third, becoming a Buddha when realization is fulfilled, which refers to the stage of the pure mind; fourth, becoming a Buddha when all merits and practices are fulfilled, based on the stage of the ultimate bodhisattva. The Awakening of Faith relies on this in saying that the fulfillment of faith and generating the aspiration can manifest the eight marks and become a Buddha. The textual evidence is clear and obvious. How much more so within the gate of perfect interpenetration, where it does not depend on stages and orders: relying on the ultimate teaching, it is said that when faith is fulfilled, cause and effect are immediately unobstructed; taking it through the causal gate, one is constantly a bodhisattva, while taking it through the fruition gate, one is constantly a Buddha, or both are preserved and both are eliminated, sovereign and inconceivable. Moreover, this transformative manifestation is not confined to a single stage; relying on one type of realm, it can completely encompass all stages and positions, pervading times and places; hence it is said, "thought after thought pervading the ten directions."

16.12

Second, from "adorned and purified" downward, is the Avataṃsaka good practice samādhi. The text has ten lines, briefly distinguishing seven practices. The first six lines are one practice each; lines seven and eight are the practices of the ten pāramitās; line nine concludes the sovereignty mentioned above; and line ten summarizes that on which they rely. The myriad practices are like flowers, because they adorn the dharmakāya. The rest is as explained elsewhere.

16.13

Third, from "within a single paramāṇu" downward, four verses explain the gate of the Indrajāla samādhi. Therein, the first two lines indicate the state of the concentrated mind. However, there are two meanings: first, because the one and the many are mutually identical, entering one concentration can accomplish many concentrations, and by accomplishing many concentrations, all dust motes are contained within a single dust mote, and in each and every dust mote all lands are manifested; second, one merely causes a single dust mote to manifest lands, and all others are likewise, hence it says "accomplishing the concentration of all paramāṇus." The next two lines explain universally manifesting without destroying marks, hence it says "not increasing." The next two verses explain that the marks of the lands manifested within a single dust mote are unobstructed, like re-manifesting flames, like Indra's net. The next half verse cites one to exemplify the rest, which also has two meanings: first, exemplifying the dust motes contained within the single dust mote mentioned above; second, exemplifying that just as entering concentration in one dust mote manifests [lands], entering concentration and manifesting in the other dust motes is also likewise. The last two lines conclude with the causes of the functioning, briefly distinguishing three gates: first, the power of samādhi, which is the same as in the initial statement; second, the power of inconceivable liberation, as the "Inconceivable Chapter" says: "manifesting the Buddha lands of the three times within a single dust mote," and so forth; third, the power of supernatural abilities, meaning the sovereignty of illusory supernatural abilities, all as explained below.

First 13 of 25 passages. Read on

Linked texts (1)

大方廣佛華嚴經疏 — Classical Chinese