大方廣佛華嚴經疏 35.19

35.19

Second, from "he further reflects in this way" onwards treats the precept of collecting wholesome qualities (kuśala-dharma-saṃgrāhaka-śīla): this means that not only are the rules of discipline (saṃvara) neither deficient nor interrupted, but the constant collection of wholesome qualities is also without interruption or deficiency. The text has three parts: first, briefly contemplating the unwholesome to give rise to the practice of collecting the wholesome; next, from "O sons of the Buddha" onwards, extensively contemplating the obstacles and antidotes to give rise to the practice of collecting the wholesome; third, from "with such expedients" onwards, concluding by encouraging cultivation. As for the first, it has two parts: first, explaining the wisdom of contemplation; second, from "for this reason" onwards, explaining the arising of vows and practices. As for the first, falling into the evil destinies has three meanings: first, going there by mounting evil conduct; this is the cause consisting in accumulation (samudaya). The sūtra says: "All because of the ten unwholesome courses of action." Second, relying on one's own body, it can produce anguish; this can cast down all sentient beings. Third, constantly falling into places with various aspects of suffering; these are the evil destinies into which one falls. The latter two are both fruits of suffering. "Karma" means cause; "destiny" (mārga/gati) means leading and reaching. Since one must use the unwholesome to fall into the evil destinies, it is not without a cause; and since what is used is exclusively unwholesome, it is not an aberrant cause. As for the subsequent arising of vows and practices: because he contemplates the evil causes and fruits of sentient beings, he immediately gives rise to great compassion, making a firm commitment to both benefits. Therein, first he directly cultivates the two benefits; second, from "why is this" onwards, he poses a question and explains by the contrary. In the second part, extensively contemplating the obstacles and antidotes to explain the collection of wholesome qualities: this refers to contemplating the five levels of wholesome qualities, giving rise to an aspiration for the supreme, pure wholesome qualities of the Buddha, and seeking to learn and cultivate the pure conduct of the precept of collecting wholesome qualities. If we approach the sūtra text directly, it also divides into two: first, explaining the wisdom of contemplation; second, from "for this reason" onwards, resolving to collect the wholesome. Now, because the treatise includes the latter section under the Buddha's wholesome qualities, it is tentatively divided into two: first, contemplating the unwholesome, which is exclusively that which is to be cured; second, from "the ten wholesome courses of action" onwards, contemplating the wholesome qualities, which encompass both the antidote and that which is to be cured. As for the first, it possesses both suffering and accumulation. Here, in order to illuminate the collection of wholesome qualities, its evil aspects are briefly indicated. Since the fruits mentioned are the three wretched paths, this shows that the causes also have three grades, as will be fully explained later in the sūtra text on the precept of benefiting sentient beings. As for the subsequent contemplation of the ten wholesome qualities, it possesses all dharma-gates; yet, distinguishing them according to their general characteristics, all wholesome qualities can serve as antidotes, because by according with noumenon and benefiting beings they directly oppose evil. If distinguished according to their specific characteristics, the wholesome qualities of humans and devas are still that which is to be cured, because they are suffering and accumulation. The text divides into five levels: Now first, the ten wholesome actions of humans and devas: because humans and devas are worldly wholesome qualities, they are not distinguished into separate categories. In reality, they also have three grades: wholesome qualities of humans are lower; those of the desire realm devas are middling; and those of the form and formless realms are upper. As for the three grades, they are distinguished either by the mind at the three times, or by the superiority or inferiority of the object, or by the heaviness or lightness of the mind, or by doing it oneself versus urging others, and so on. Elaborating on this, there are many different grades; they are just briefly spoken of as three or five. For the unwholesome, one can understand it by reversing this; the *Yogācārabhūmi* in fascicle sixty extensively explains these distinctions. Second, from "moreover, this" onwards distinguishes the wholesome qualities of the śrāvaka. Among the three vehicles below, each has three sections: first, stating that the wholesome qualities cultivated are the same; next, showing the difference in the effort applied; third, concluding with their own vehicle. Now among the śrāvakas, from "with wisdom" onwards explains the difference in application. Therein, the first phrase demonstrates superiority over what preceded, because they cultivate with wisdom of true reality, not like the wisdom-less wholesome qualities of humans and devas. Viewing the causes and fruits of wholesome and unwholesome comprehensively from the beginning, they are all the objects contemplated as suffering and accumulation. Next, from "the mind is narrow and inferior" onwards demonstrates inferiority to what follows, having five aspects: 1. Accumulation of causes: because they accumulate minor causes, their mind is narrow and inferior; "narrow" means cultivating few wholesome qualities, and "inferior" means only being able to benefit oneself. 2. Fear of suffering: that is, dreading the three realms. 3. Renouncing mind: that is, lacking great compassion and abandoning sentient beings. The above three are inferior only to the bodhisattva; the following two are also inferior to the pratyekabuddha. 4. Dependence: that is, the sūtra says "from others," meaning they must rely on the teaching of a master. 5. Contemplation: that is, hearing the sound and understanding it, meaning that hearing the sound of the doctrine of the selflessness of persons, their mind penetrates it. 3. Becoming the śrāvaka vehicle: concluding with their own vehicle. Now, the ten wholesome actions and wisdom that serve as antidotes are the truth of the path; the cessation of evil causes and fruits, and the cessation of the outflows within wholesome causes and fruits, is called the truth of cessation. Becoming the śrāvaka vehicle implicitly contains the path and cessation. Third, regarding the difference in application for the wholesome qualities of the pratyekabuddha: the first phrase explains generally that being able to cultivate is called cultivating purity, but failing to cultivate fully is not called complete. Next, from "not from [others]" onwards explains specifically, having three aspects: 1. Self-awakening: meaning that unlike the śrāvaka, he does not hear it from another, showing the superiority of his dependence. 2. From "great compassion" onwards, he cannot teach the Dharma: because great compassion is incomplete, he has no mind to undertake teaching; because expedients are incomplete, his power is inadequate to preach. If he benefits beings, he mostly just displays supernormal transformations; this is inferior to the bodhisattva. 3. From "having awakened and understood" onwards refers to contemplating a limited sphere. "Limited" has two meanings: first, demonstrating superiority over what preceded, because having sharp faculties, merely contemplating suffering and accumulation he awakens to a profound contemplation, superior to the śrāvaka; second, demonstrating inferiority to what follows, because he merely contemplates the selflessness of persons, not like the bodhisattva who seeks the great wisdom of the Buddha and so forth. The above two vehicles are extensively explained in the *Bhūmi* section of the *Yogācārabhūmi*. Fourth, regarding the difference in application for the bodhisattva's ten wholesome actions, there are four aspects: 1. Accumulation of causes; 2. Function; 3. That power; 4. Stages. Among the four: the first is the cause of practice; the next two are the marks of practice; the last is the rank of practice. As for the accumulation of causes: relying on wholesome roots cultivated in the past, one gives rise to practice. This again has three meanings: first, giving rise to practice by relying on all wholesome roots, which is the cultivation and purification to completeness. "Completeness" means the sense of all wholesome qualities; the present sūtra lacks these two characters, so it cannot be distinguished from the pratyekabuddha above. This explains benefiting oneself. Second, "vast mind" is the mind of benefiting others. Third, "immeasurable" is the Mahāyāna mind. These are the essence of the practice of the two benefits. 2. "Complete in compassion" is the function of the bodhisattva. 3. "Embraced by expedients," that is, gathering sentient beings through the four means of embracing, is the power of that compassion. 4. From "generating" onwards all illuminate the meaning of the stages. Although there are ten stages, in terms of completing the three asaṃkhyeya kalpas, three stages are briefly cited to subsume the remaining seven: first, generating the great vow is the first stage of the pure and deep mind; second, not abandoning sentient beings is the stage of non-retrogression—although attaining quiescence, he does not abandon sentient beings, which is the eighth stage; third, aspiring for the Buddha's wisdom and so forth is the stage of receiving the great rank, which is the tenth stage. This has three clauses: 1. Contemplating and seeking the fulfillment of the perfections of wisdom through practice and realization; 2. Utterly purifying the obstacles of the various stages; 3. Utterly purifying the veils of the various perfections. 3. Accomplishing the vast practice of the bodhisattva: concluding with their own vehicle. Fifth, the wholesome qualities of the Buddha: "Supreme" is general; from "all" onwards is specific, having four meanings that demonstrate supreme matters. The first three belong to the Buddha; the last one is the bodhisattva striving to emulate him: 1. Cessation: that is, because the unwholesome courses of action together with their latencies are extinguished, the all-seed wisdom is pure. 2. Relinquishment: that is, up to realizing the ten powers, fearlessnesses, and unshared qualities, abandoning the two vehicles. 3. Expedients: that is, skillfully accomplishing all Buddha-dharmas within the bodhisattva vehicle. 4. The bodhisattva seeks without satiety; hence it says "for this reason I now equally practice the ten wholesome actions." Although five levels of the ten wholesome actions are listed above, ordinary beings and the small vehicles only serve to transform beings and are not their own practice; since the bodhisattva has already resided in the ten wholesome actions, he only resolves to equally practice the wholesome qualities of the Buddha. In relation to himself, the Buddha's wholesome qualities are what remain uncultivated; only when one is sovereign and fully mature in all-knowledge are they complete, and because the latencies are also extinguished, they are called pure. The concluding admonition can be understood.