大方廣佛華嚴經疏 19.46

19.46

Eleventh, the explanation of the simile of making offerings to the Buddha and sentient beings. The text has three [parts]: first, presenting the simile for comparative measurement; second, questioning; third, explaining. Now, in the first, there are two: first, an extensive explanation of one person; next, a brief differentiation of nine persons. In the first, there are four: 1. presenting the extensive simile; 2. question; 3. answer; 4. comparative measurement showing superiority. In the first, there are two: first, an extensive account of the eastern direction; next, from "south, west" downward, a brief illustration of the nine directions. In the first, there are also two: first, explaining offerings while the Buddha is present; next, from "until the Buddha's extinction" downward, explaining offerings after his extinction. In the former, there are also two: first, one's own practice; next, from "further encouraging" downward, converting others. In the former, there are four profound superiorities: 1. the offerings are vast and wondrous; 2. the field of offering is vast and superior, because it comprises the fields of compassion and reverence across countless realms; 3. the mind of offering is superior, due to reverence and so forth; 4. the time of offering is superior, because it continues for countless kalpas. This own practice is already superior, how much more so teaching others, how much more after [the Buddha's] extinction, how much more so in the remaining directions! The rest may all be understood. In the latter, briefly distinguishing the nine persons, there are two: first, presenting the extensive simile; second, from "Son of the Buddha" downward, the comparative measurement showing superiority. In the former, the nine persons correspond successively to one another; a single thought rivals many kalpas, and the quantities further multiply. Here, just as the first person in a single thought makes countless offerings, arriving at the second person they all increase to measureless, and so forth up to the tenth increasing to ineffable-ineffable; all accumulate the thoughts of that station to reach the utmost time of that station. The subsequent comparative measurement may be understood. Second, the meaning of the question is: the merit of the tenth person's offerings has already reached ineffable-ineffable, and a complete comparison allows for no equality—why does it not equal a fraction [of the bodhicitta]? Third, in the explanation, there are two: first, showing conversely that [bodhicitta] has no limits to make clear that the previous falls short of this; next, from "in order to make offerings to the exhaustless dharmadhātu" downward, explaining directly, distinguishing that this surpasses the previous because of being boundless. Ten kinds are briefly stated: 1. Surpassing in time: meaning exhausting the three periods of time, where thoughts and kalpas layer repeatedly; 2. Surpassing in place: meaning encompassing the marks of the ten directions, being identical and entering [one another]; 3. Surpassing in offering: meaning exhausting the dharmadhātu, being offerings that correspond to noumenon; 4. Surpassing in field: meaning exhausting places such as dust motes and hair-tips in the empty space of realms, where the bodies of all Tathāgatas each fill the dharmadhātu; 5. Surpassing in mind: meaning in each and every thought, offering inexhaustible offerings to inexhaustible Buddhas, yet after passing through inexhaustible kalpas, the mind is still not satisfied; 6. Surpassing in compassion: doing so oneself and teaching others, dedicating these roots of goodness solely for sentient beings to let them attain Buddhahood first, while I also make offerings; 7. Surpassing in wisdom: fully comprehending the three matters, such that each and every one accords with the dharmadhātu, just as a single drop of the ocean possesses the flavor of a hundred rivers, and the space within a mustard seed has no boundaries; 8. Surpassing in skillful means: able to take one thing as many and gather many into one, skillfully accomplishing the mutual fusion and inclusion of all stations, being practice of true reality; 9. Surpassing in what is sought: being solely for bodhi and not for any other destination; 10. Surpassing in equanimity: meaning that sentient beings and Buddhas, self and others, offering and not offering are all equal. Bundling the ten meanings above, they do not go beyond three: 1. having no limit; 2. according with dharmatā; 3. non-obstruction among phenomena. Lacking these three meanings, even if there were further layered, extensive similes, they would not equal even a tiny fraction.