大方廣佛華嚴經疏 17.7

17.7

Second, from "At that time" onward, explains not leaving the tree of awakening while severally ascending to Śakra's heaven. Question: Motion and stillness are opposed; going and staying are far apart. Since it is said that he did not leave, how can it be said that he ascended? Ancient [masters] offered many explanations. One says: The original Śākyamuni body did not rise from the tree of awakening; a distinct responsive manifestation arose to ascend to the heavens. Another says: Not rising is the recompense [body], while ascending to heaven is the manifestation [body]. Another says: Not rising is the dharmakāya, while ascending to heaven is its manifestative function. None of these express the text's intention, because in this text all are the clouds of Vairocana's ten bodies. Another says: Because going is identical to non-going, it is called "not rising"; because non-going is identical to going, it is "ascending to heaven," just as coming with the characteristic of non-coming, and so forth. If so, this is merely because the mark of ascending is abandoned; it is not that beneath the tree there is a separate body that does not rise, and so this is unacceptable. Some say: This is the activity and function of the Buddha's spiritual powers having the same essence: staying is precisely going, and going is precisely staying; staying is the essence being omnipresent, and going is the function responding; responding is the essence responding, so although he ascends to the latter, he does not depart from the former; the essence is the responsive essence, so although he does not depart from the former, he ascends to the latter. If so, how does this differ from the third master's "not rising is the Dharma[-body]", and further using "staying" to explain "not rising"? And if one says that staying is the essence being omnipresent, how could he exclusively stay at the bodhi-tree? How could ascending to heaven not be the essence being omnipresent? Could being beneath the bodhi-tree not be a function? Now, the correct meaning is revealed: When the Buddha attained bodhi, his wisdom was nowhere not pervasive and his essence was nowhere not present; he was without reliance and without abide, without going and without coming. Yet, through his sovereign response which is identical to the essence, the response follows the essence in being omnipresent; according to the past and future of the conditions and receptivity, there is staying and there is ascending. When Jambudvīpa has the receptivity, they see him at the tree of the Way; when the heavenly palace has the receptivity, they see him ascending to heaven. It is not that the Buddha at the tree of awakening moves and ascends to the heavenly palace; therefore it is said that without leaving the tree of awakening, he ascends to Śakra's palace. As Dharmamati's verse says: "Buddha-sons, you should observe / the Tathāgata's power of sovereignty: / all of Jambudvīpa / says the Buddha is in its midst." This is "not leaving." "We now see the Buddha / abiding on the summit of Sumeru." This is "yet ascending." There is textual and doctrinal evidence [for this]; let it be further illustrated with an analogy: It is like the clear moon casting drifting reflections that respond everywhere. Suppose that on a clear river three boats together view a single moon: one boat remains stationary, while two boats travel south and north. The one going south sees the moon following south for a thousand li; the one going north sees the moon following north for a thousand li; the one in the stationary boat sees the moon not moving. This is how this moon, without leaving midstream, travels south and north. Even if hundreds of thousands view it together and depart in the eight directions, then hundreds of thousands of moons will each follow where they go. Those who possess discernment should understand this principle! Past masters of virtue explained this with roughly ten meanings: First, according to the gate of places mutually entering: because within one place there are all places, therefore this heavenly palace and so forth were originally beneath the tree, hence there was no need to rise; yet to make use of that, it is spoken of as "ascending." Second, also according to the gate of mutual entering: because one place enters all places, the tree pervades the heavens, so again there is no need to rise; wishing to use the heavenly palace to symbolize progress in Dharma, it is called "ascending." Third, because all are identical to one, the heavens are beneath the tree. Fourth, because one is identical to all, the tree is in the heavens; "not rising" and so forth are understood accordingly as before. Fifth, according to the Buddha's body: this body beneath the tree fills the dharmadhātu and pervades all places; thus it was originally there, not awaiting rising; because faculties are ripe, it causes them to see, hence it is called "ascending." Therefore, the Tathāgata, with his dharmadhātu body, is constantly here, which is precisely being there. Sixth, according to the Buddha's sovereign, inconceivable liberation: sitting is precisely walking, staying, and so forth; being here is precisely being there—all beyond the estimation of those in lower stations. Seventh, according to the gate of mutual conditioning of dependent origination. Eighth, according to the gate of the interpenetration of the dharmatā. Ninth, according to the gate of symbolizing and manifesting the Dharma. Tenth, according to the gate of constituting the great assembly of the dharmadhātu. These ten interpretations consist of: the first five are profound gates, the next four are reasons, and the last one is the general intention; they were established in mutual reference to complete ten meanings, and although seemingly mixed, they do not contradict the sūtra's central doctrine, and all are usable. Here, mutually viewed, there are four pairs of dharmas that are non-obstructedly identical: 1. this place and that place; 2. this body and that body; 3. going and staying; 4. one and many. Regarding places: this place and that place are non-obstructedly identical, as in the first four of the ten. Regarding bodies being non-obstructedly identical: as in the fifth and sixth, as well as the prior direct exposition. Furthermore, the latter four of the ten apply to both bodies and places: regarding places there is only "this" and "that"; regarding bodies "going" and "staying" are added, meaning that this body is precisely that body, and the going body is precisely the staying body. Both body and place apply to one and many; all the aforementioned dharmas exist at the same time, without before and after. Mutually viewed, one and many should form four propositions: 1. not leaving beneath all trees, ascending to one heavenly palace, as in the present text; 2. not leaving one tree, ascending to all heavens; 3. not leaving all trees and ascending to all heavens, because the sūtra says "the worlds of the ten directions are all like this"; 4. not leaving beneath one tree and ascending to one heaven. Wishing to reveal the mutual identity of one and many, the sūtra presents the first proposition. As it is with ascending to Śakra's heaven, so it is with ascending to the other heavens, as in the later two assemblies; as it is with ascending to heaven, so it is with going to other places. Furthermore, trees viewed mutually should form two propositions, namely: not leaving beneath one tree, he is constantly at all trees; not leaving all trees, he is constantly at one tree. Furthermore, by not rising from other places, one can infer not rising from beneath the tree; mutually viewed in turn, all are completely pervasive, not destroying before and after, sovereign and hard to fathom. Moreover, since one place contains all places, there is also the meaning of the subtle; and because what is utilized differs, there is the meaning of hidden and manifest. If one adds previous time and subsequent time, there is the meaning of the ten time-periods; only seeing the explanation of the [ten] abodes and other dharmas contains the meaning of pure and mixed. The latter carrying the former has the meaning of Indra's net. This heaven viewed in relation to the others constitutes the meaning of host and companions. The ten mysteries are complete. Question: If carrying the preceding to give rise to the succeeding should be equal in phenomena and noumenon, why do the three [ranks of] worthies uniquely have this principle? Answer: To reveal different meanings. That is, because the first two assemblies are contiguous, they do not need to carry the preceding; here, humans and devas are separated, so they must be linked together. Furthermore, these three assemblies equally elucidate the stages of worthies; the sixth is already entering realization, so it does not need to carry the preceding; the seventh is Samantabhadra within the stages, so naturally it does not need to; the eighth suddenly reveals the five stations with essence and function already interpenetrating; the ninth solely explains the realization of the single taste of essence and function; therefore none of them need to.