大方廣佛華嚴經疏 22.15

22.15

Fourth is the practice of untiring vigor. 'Untiring' (nao) means bent or weak; thus it refers to steadfast and powerful zeal (vīrya). In explaining its characteristics, there are two parts: first, a general revelation of its characteristics; second, a specific explanation following the difficult points. In the first part there are three sections: first, directly revealing the zeal; second, from 'its nature has no [turbidity]' onward, explaining freedom from faults; third, from 'it is solely for the sake of' onward, explaining the purposes of this zeal. Among these three passages, the first is a general presentation; the second explains 'purity' (jing), meaning free from admixture; the third explains 'progress' (jin), because it proceeds toward what is aimed at. Now, in the first part directly revealing it: the opening clause indicates the practice to which it belongs. From 'namely' onward, it displays its superiority and enumerates its designations. Zeal has many designations, viewed in terms of its activities and functions. First, 'foremost' also has the sense of being prime; this meaning has three aspects: 1. It is foremost because of being great, that is, for the sake of great bodhi; 2. It is foremost because of being superior, due to its radiance and merit; 3. It is foremost because of being extraordinary, meaning that it transcends [others]. Second, 'great' also has three meanings: 1. It is great because it is supreme, reaching the culmination among the superior, like a great king in the mundane world; 2. It is great because it is most wondrous, because noumenon and phenomena interpenetrate, like a person of great virtue in the mundane world; 3. It is great because it is exalted, its practical essence being lofty, like the Bhagavat or an elder. Third, 'superior' also has three meanings: 1. It is superior because it is unsurpassable, for nothing can be added to it; 2. It is superior because it is peerless, for none can match it; 3. It is superior because it is pervasive, its essence extending throughout the dharmadhātu, so that nothing can surpass it. In the second section, on freedom from faults: this refers to the zeal of difficult practice, for having a nature without intermixture is the most difficult. First, it is free from the fault of vexing oneself, meaning that the fundamental and secondary afflictions spontaneously do not arise; hence it is said, 'its nature has no [turbidity].' In the teaching of perfect interpenetration, this is attainable before the stages. Later, from 'it never for the sake of' onward, it explains freedom from vexing others. In the third section, explaining the purposes of zeal, there are twenty clauses, which fully contain the three kinds of zeal: 'solely for the sake of' refers to the four universal vows of donning the armor, while 'undertaking practice' is the method of preparatory cultivation, and the intended dharmas are the embraced good dharmas. The text is divided into four parts: the first three clauses are on severing delusions; the next seven, on liberating sentient beings; the next four, on knowing dharmas; the final six, on seeking Buddhahood—these are the four universal vows. Now in the first: first is severing active manifestations, next is severing seeds, and finally is severing residual impressions. In the second, on liberating sentient beings: this is for the sake of accomplishing the knowledge of the ten powers. 'Afflictions' refers to outflows, and the intent is to bring them to exhaustion. 'Spheres' refers to the paths leading to all destinies. The 'activities of mind' implicitly encompasses karma, while 'birth and death' implicitly encompasses the power of past lives and the power of knowing what is possible and impossible; because this is a general statement, they are not spelled out. In the third, the four clauses on knowing dharmas: the first is general, the remainder are specific. Among the specific: 1. The dharmadhātu of phenomena: if entering the Dharma oneself, pure faith is taken as the root; if considered in terms of benefiting others, loving-kindness and compassion are taken as the root, and so forth. 2. The dharmadhātu of noumenon, spoken of as 'equal nature.' 3. The dharmadhātu of the non-obstruction between noumenon and phenomena: the phenomena of the three times are themselves the equal noumenal nature. As phenomena accord with noumenon and merge, this implicitly contains the non-obstruction among phenomena. In the fourth, the six clauses on seeking Buddhahood: the first two are wisdom itself; the first clause is the radiance of the wisdom of the teaching, and the latter clause is the wisdom of realization. The next two are knowing the objects: first the absolute, then the conventional. The final two are both expedient wisdom: the former clause is knowing the capacities and diagnosing the medicine; the latter clause is proclaiming through the four analytical knowledges. 'Discriminating and expounding' is the analytical knowledge of unhindered expression; 'expounding the meaning of dharmas' refers to the analytical knowledges of phrasing and teachings. Among the four universal vows above, the first two pertain to knowing suffering and severing the origin; the latter two pertain to cultivating the path and realizing cessation—these are the domain of the four noble truths of unconditioned action. Second, from 'Disciples of the Buddha, the bodhisattvas' onward, it specifically explains according to the difficult points. In this there are two parts: first, explaining the zeal of donning the armor; second, explaining the zeal of benefiting and bringing joy. Now in the first: it is completely identical to the text of the Yogācārabhūmi, but that treatise takes donning the armor as the first because it considers the initial mind's self-vow. Among the three kinds of zeal in the Benye jing, the first is called the great vow; here it is placed after the embracing of good dharmas because it is explained in terms of hypothetical encounters with conditions. The text contains two rounds of questions and answers. The first round is readily understood. Next, in the second round, from 'Suppose there were further' onward, it is even more difficult than the former. As for 'attaining great and beneficial good': 'I originally generated the mind resolving to take on the suffering of beings in their stead, but I merely worried that such substitution might not be permitted. Now that I hear that by tormenting my body I can fulfill my fundamental compassionate mind, I do not worry about the length of time, but merely increase my joy and celebration; not flagging over long kalpas, how much less for the end of a single lifetime!' Not regretting for a single thought-moment means forgetting one's body without interruption. Rejoicing in attaining benefit means equal and thorough comprehension. Having profound merit, it constitutes difficult practice. Second, from 'The bodhisattva with this' onward is the zeal of benefiting and bringing joy. That is, one employs the previous preparatory cultivation of embracing good dharmas to benefit sentient beings, causing them to attain the true peace and joy of nirvāṇa.