大方廣佛華嚴經疏 23.7

23.7

Second, from "O Son of the Buddha, this bodhisattva..." onward, explains the practice of advancing beyond, which also constitutes the characteristics of the aforementioned four rivers. The text is divided into two: first, restating the accomplishment of the practice proper to one's own level; second, from "can himself..." onward, directly revealing the advancing beyond. The text is divided into four: 1. explaining the meaning of the four rivers' purity; 2. from "just as in this..." onward, explaining the meaning of the four rivers entering the ocean without anything being able to obstruct them, because they transform beings in many realms without obstruction; 3. from "O Son of the Buddha..." onward, explaining the meaning of these four rivers circumambulating the pool; 4. from "the bodhisattva accomplishes..." onward, explaining the meaning of entering the ocean across accumulated kalpas without weariness. In the third, circumambulating, it means accomplishing the bodily, verbal, and mental karma that accords [with wisdom], with wisdom as the forerunner, because the bodily, verbal, and mental karma flows from the four directions into the ocean of wisdom. According is precisely the meaning of circumambulating. In the text there are two parts: first, a general indication; second, from "namely..." onward, listing and explaining. In all of them, the upper line indicates the name, and the lower line explains the characteristics. Categorizing these ten bodies produces five pairs: 1. the pair of verifying cessation and manifesting birth; 2. the pair of neither arising nor ceasing; 3. the pair of neither real nor unreal; 4. the pair of neither changing nor perishing; 5. the pair of having a single mark and having no marks. Summarizing these five pairs does not go beyond essence and function: within each and every pair, essence and function are correlated and explained. The first pair is the self-essence of essence and function; the second pair is the marks of essence and function; the third pair is the power of essence and function; the fourth pair is the nature of essence and function; the fifth pair is the virtue of essence and function. Now, as for the first: noumenon being entirely verified is called "entering the boundless dharmadhātu"; the world being entirely transcended is called "non-destiny." In the explanation below, it only explains "non-destiny": meaning that if one enters the dharmadhātu, one necessarily ceases the worldly; if one ceases the worldly, one immediately enters the dharmadhātu; the indication and the explanation mutually complete each other, this being the self-essence of essence. Second, function being entirely pervasive, one enters the boundless dharmadhātu; taking birth according to species, it therefore says "the various destinies." The "entering" mentioned here is the entering of responsive arrival, different from the entering of verified entry above. The explanatory text can be known; this is the self-essence of function. In the second pair, first, the unborn body is the aforementioned body of responsive application, born yet unborn. Saying that it "abides in the equal dharma of non-arising" has two meanings: 1. giving rise to function based on essence, because function does not depart from essence; 2. essence and function are equal and unborn; this is the mark of function. Next, the unceasing body is the aforementioned cessation of essence transcending words: 1. because cessation reveals noumenon, and noumenon is non-ceasing; 2. the noumenon of tranquil cessation transcends the mark of cessation. This is the mark of essence. Therefore, the aforementioned body whose essence ceases and manifests birth precisely takes non-arising and non-ceasing as its marks. In the third pair, what power does essence have? It attains the real noumenon, departing from the reality of conventional truth. What power does function have? It manifests in accordance with response, not being the same as dust. In the fourth pair, what does function take as its nature? It responds in accord with the flow without changing. What does essence take as its nature? It is identical to the dharmadhātu without perishing. In the fifth pair, what virtue does essence have? In the past it has no beginning, in the future it has no end, and in the present it does not exist; hence the speech of the three times is cut off. What virtue does function have? Its essence is without marks, yet it can illuminate the marks of dharmas. These ten bodies do not depart from essence and function: function has the meaning of an assemblage; essence possessing what is supported and being that which supports—both obtain the name of "body." Outside of essence there is no function, function is precisely essence; outside of function there is no essence, essence is precisely function. Essence is dharmatā; function is wisdom's response. The two being non-dual, noumenon and wisdom are perfectly interpenetrating, being solely a single body of the unobstructed dharmadhātu; manifesting as ten according to marks to symbolize inexhaustibility, the perfect interpenetration of the Ekayāna can be like this prior to the stages. There are further meanings, as explained in the "Ten Stages" and the "Leaving the World" chapters. This briefly presents the body of accomplishment and accordance; mentioning "body" also encompasses speech and mind. The fourth reveals non-weariness: meaning that the four rivers enter the ocean across accumulated kalpas without weariness. The bodhisattva is also like this: through the practice and vows of Samantabhadra, exhausting kalpas of the future, cultivating bodhisattva practice and entering the ocean of the Tathāgata without giving rise to weariness; therefore it extensively reveals being a refuge and rescue for sentient beings, and so forth. In the text, it first restates the previously accomplished bodies as the foundation for benefiting others; and from "becoming for all..." onward, directly reveals accomplishing benefit. The specific phrases number ten, which can be seen in the text. The "Ten Stages" also explains them; here we briefly state their essentials. Conventional [truth] must be detailed and shown, hence it is called a "lamp." Ultimate [truth] is merely lofty and bright, hence it is called a "torch." The extremely profound is the non-duality of subject and object. Just as light merges with space to become illumination and brightness, it is merely differentiated in terms of revealing virtues upon entering the stages.