大方廣佛華嚴經疏 34.5

34.5

Now first, the vow to make offerings. According to the Treatise, the vow is to make offerings to the superior fields, teachers, and masters of the Dharma, which are general offerings; the sūtra follows what is superior, and thus only speaks of making offerings to buddhas. In the text, the general presentation is omitted because it is adjacent to the preceding general 'such great vows.' The second and third sections each have three meanings, together forming six greatnesses, revealing the meaning of the initial great vow of making offerings. Now first, within the marks of practice, the three meanings of greatness are: (1) Greatness of mind, namely the sūtra's 'generating vast, great, pure, and resolute understanding.' That is, with superior reverence, deeply according with the buddha-realm, hence called vast and great. Dedicating toward bodhi with resolute faith, it is called pure and resolute understanding; the words 'pure understanding' speak of having faith in cause and effect. This intent of the Treatise above is restricted to the first vow. If seeking by meaning, it applies generally to the remaining nine vows, all being vows arisen for bodhi with vast, boundless, and doubt-free pure faith. (2) 'With all articles of offering,' which is greatness of articles of offering; this is the condition for practice. (3) From 'reverently' onward is greatness of the field of merit, within which 'leaving none remaining' is the general mark. Leaving none remaining has three aspects: first, leaving no buddha remaining, which is the objective realm of practice; second, leaving no offering remaining, and third, leaving no reverence remaining—these two are the essence of practice. Due to the above two meanings, the above field of reverence is perfected. All three above saying 'all': buddhas include the three bodies and also subsume the ten bodies. Offerings have three kinds: (1) material offerings of robes and so on, (2) reverential offerings of incense and so on, and (3) practice offerings of precepts and so on. Reverence also has three kinds: (1) reverence through attending and serving, (2) reverence through welcoming and escorting, and (3) reverence through cultivation and practice, which is reverently according with the Buddha. Each of the three above has three, vertically discussing 'all'; if horizontally discussing 'all,' then buddhas encompass the inexhaustible ten directions and so on, and the other two should be considered by analogy. Second, in revealing the virtues and capabilities of the vow, the three greatnesses are: (1) Greatness in gathering merit, as in the sūtra, 'vast and great as the dharmadhātu,' because it surpasses all other roots of goodness; (2) Greatness of cause, namely 'ultimate as space,' because it is the immeasurable cause for the non-impermanent, cherished fruit; (3) Greatness of time, namely 'exhausting the limits of the future,' because this cause attains the permanent fruit of nirvāṇa. Third, clarifying the scope of the vow: the texts of the ten vows are identical, though what they do is distinct. This should be practicing offerings exhausting the limits of the future.