大方廣佛華嚴經疏 27.3

27.3

Second, under "Sons of the Buddha, all the roots of goodness of the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas...", the dedication that comprehensively subsumes the myriad goods consists of two parts: first, it generally reveals its characteristics; second, under "Sons of the Buddha...", it sets them forth separately in relation to specific matters. As for the first: "All roots of goodness" refers to what is aroused, etc.; all of them can be aroused, etc., by means of great vows. There are separately three phrases: 1. Roots of goodness not yet arisen are, by the skillful means of great vows, aroused and made to arise; hence the Jin translation takes "arousing" as practice. 2. Also by great vows, they are accumulated and made numerous. 3. In accordance with the good already arisen, each is augmented and elevated to fill the Buddha-stage. That all have repeating phrases saying "correctly arousing" and so on means that, in accord with arousing, accumulating, and augmenting, they necessarily direct toward three destinations and do not seek other destinies. Free from all faults, it is termed "correct." From "making them all..." onward, it concludes by summarizing the realized benefit. Because of correctly arousing and so on, it accords with compassion and wisdom, and is thus called "vast." Because of arousing and accumulating, all goods are complete. Because of increasing, each fills the dharmadhātu and equals the Tathāgata. There is no good that is not like this, so it says "making them all." However, the Jin translation renders "correct" (zheng) as "equal" (deng), because the Sanskrit text says sam, which covers both "correct" and "equal." Yet "equal" has two meanings: first, equaling the Buddha, meaning equaling the Buddha's practice with the bodhisattva's practice; second, equaling the rest, meaning equaling the remaining practices with one practice. Ancient masters took it as concluding the above; although their far-fetched interpretations were manifold, none of them accorded with the text below. If "equal" is taken as equality, it is close to "correct," yet it also does not encompass the meaning comprehensively, and neither is adopted here. Second, setting them forth separately in relation to specific matters. The various goods are not single; a few are briefly cited to reveal that, in accordance with conditions, gathering goods all becomes dedication. In the text there are two parts: first, revealing the dedication of increasing; second, under "Sons of the Buddha, the bodhisattvas at that time...", explaining the dedication of accumulating. The dedication of arousing is found across both sections: the earlier section is also great compassion complying; the later section explains great compassion being profound and weighty—this is in terms of the roots of goodness. If based on dedication, the former explains dedicating toward bodhi for the sake of sentient beings, while the latter dedicates to sentient beings to make them attain bodhi. They interlock with each other, intending to show simultaneous dedication toward the three destinations. Now, in the first part, on increasing, there are two: first, explaining separately; second, under "The bodhisattva thus...", concluding generally. In the former, there are three: 1. Explaining dedication that complies with defilement without being defiled: out of compassion, complying with defilement; out of wisdom, abiding in the pure path and mindful of sarvajña (omniscience). 2. Under "Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas...", movement accords with the Way, and dedication is pervasive and uninterrupted. 3. Under "Wishing to...", it generally reveals the characteristics of dedication, directly demonstrating the meaning of the great vows arousing and increasing in the preceding text. In this text there are two parts: first, explaining generally—the first phrase marks the intent; under "abiding in..." are the vows capable of arousing; under "gathering and adopting...", the roots of goodness aroused and increased universally rescue all, which concludes the correct meaning. Second, under "forever leaving...", it explains separately. The text has ten phrases: 1. due to abandoning delusion; 2. due to correct orientation; 3. due to not adopting other paths; 4. due to correct contemplation; 5. due to relinquishing defilements; 6. due to completely cultivating causes; 7. due to relinquishing the two obstructions with respect to the cause of bodhi; 8. upholding and reciting the stage of wisdom; 9. gathering goods through wisdom; 10. not being defiled by worldly conduct and receiving supramundane dharmas. All ten are one's own virtues capable of directing toward bodhi. If strung through with the above "universally rescuing all," then all ten are for sentient beings, causing them to attain this good. In the second part, the general conclusion, this passage verifies and explains the meaning of increasing, and the principle is very clear. Second, explaining the dedication of accumulating has two parts: first, explaining separately; second, under "The bodhisattva-mahāsattva thus...", concluding generally. The former has two parts: first, explaining subtle accumulation; second, under "When the bodhisattva first generates...", long-term accumulation. The former also has two parts: first, explaining the accumulated roots of goodness—even down to a single mouthful or a single grain, its merit being extremely slight, given to an animal, its field being extremely inferior—accumulating this slight good, one also by great vows causes it to be correctly aroused to become the practice of dedication. Second, under "all making...", it explains the practice of dedication: first, generally explaining the departure from suffering and attainment of bliss; next, from "forever crossing over..." onward, it separately reveals departure from suffering. The text has nine phrases: the first generally reveals depth and breadth; the next eight separately explain the marks of suffering. "Feeling" is the self-nature of suffering. "Aggregates" are the basis of suffering, namely the five grasping aggregates. "Suffering sensations" refers to the marks of suffering, also subsuming sensations of encountering the disliked, parting from the loved, and so on. "Gathering" refers to birth, aging, sickness, death, the three sufferings, and the eight sufferings. "Formations" are sinful karma; "causes" are the defilements. The "root" is craving; the "places" are the three wretched destinies. Even the basis of transformation[-death] can all be abandoned; this runs through the following five phrases. Later, under "The bodhisattva thus...", it concludes generally by causing them to attain bodhi. Second, regarding long-term accumulation: because it is accumulated from the initial generation of the mind. In the text there are two: first, generally marking the dedication of the roots of goodness; second, under "wishing to make...", explaining the intent of dedication, which is the characteristic of dedication, because the words "wishing to make" indicate the mind's vow. The text has thirteen phrases; the first twelve form six pairs, attaining the benefit conforming to marks; the last phrase attains the benefit of entering the equal noumenon. In the former: 1. leaving the fruit of suffering and attaining the bliss of cessation; 2. emerging from the causes of origin and cultivating the correct path; 3. being endowed with compassion and wisdom to accomplish the superior path of cultivation; 4. guarding good and nearing the Buddha, thereby emerging from the ocean of afflictions. The remaining two pairs together accomplish the first pair. In the second part, the general conclusion: "a single mouthful, a single grain" and so on are the present accumulation; from the initial generation of the mind onward, it is already accumulated. Although the good to be accumulated in the future has not yet arisen, through the force of vows projecting beforehand, when it arises it necessarily flows spontaneously toward the three destinations—all the more so relying on this teaching of the perfect interpenetration of the nine periods of time.