大方廣佛華嚴經疏 36.2

36.2

The third is the Stage of Emanating Light (Prabhākarī-bhūmi). As for why it follows: earlier was morality (śīla) and here is concentration (samādhi), following the sequence of meaning. Furthermore, the first three stages are provisionally equated with the worldly practices of giving, morality, and cultivation (bhāvanā); giving and morality in the first two [stages] being completed, cultivation is now revealed here. Therefore the Saṃdhinirmocana says: "In the prior station, one was able to uphold subtle categories of morality, but had not yet attained the fulfillment of worldly samādhis and samāpattis, nor the fulfillment of the dhāraṇī of hearing the Dharma. In order to cause them to attain these, this stage is taught to cause them to diligently cultivate and train." This then contains both of the earlier senses. Regarding the phrase "emanating light" (fāguāng): the Dazhidu lun, fascicle 49, names it the "Light Stage"; the root treatise (Daśabhūmika-śāstra), the Suvarṇaprabhāsa, the Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā, and others all name it the "Bright Stage" (mingdì). "Light" and "bright" are different designations for sight; both abbreviate and omit the word "emanating" (fā). The Renwang [sūtra] names it "Bright Wisdom"; "wisdom" is also "bright," and their intended meanings are completely identical. Now, collating the sūtra text below with various sūtras and treatises, there are altogether three senses in which the name "Emanating Light" is established: First, taking the ten kinds of pure mind upon first abiding in the stage as that which is able to emanate [light], and the superior concentration and hearing-retention as the emanated light, because it is only after securely abiding in the stage that one first begins to hear the Dharma, cultivate, and attain concentration. Hence the Yogācārabhūmi, fascicle 48, says: "Due to hearing and practicing the true Dharma, light and samādhi are manifested by light; hence it is named the Stage of Emanating Light. Because the inner mind is pure, it can emanate light; therefore it is called the Abode of the Higher Mind (adhicitta-vihāra)." Since it says that due to the inner mind's purity it can emanate brightness, we know that it takes the ten pure minds as that which is able to emanate. The intents of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha and the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra are both identical to this. Second, taking hearing and retention as that which is able to emanate, and superior concentration as that which is emanated, because only after hearing the Dharma and practicing in a secluded place does one emanate concentration. The Yogācārabhūmi also speaks of samādhi as light. This explains it according to [the practice] within the stage. Third, taking both superior concentration and dhāraṇī as that which is able to emanate, and the mark of light realized in the fourth stage as that which is emanated. Hence the treatise below says: "That unproduced wisdom is here named light. Relying on this light, it is therefore named the Bright Stage." This explains it according to the culmination of the stage. The Cheng weishi lun also says: "Because accomplishing superior concentration and the great dhāraṇī of the Dharma is able to emanate the boundless light of wondrous wisdom." This means that due to attaining superior concentration, one emanates the light of the wisdom derived from cultivation; due to attaining the dhāraṇī of the teaching, one emanates the light of the wisdom derived from hearing and reflection. That boundless wisdom is precisely the three wisdoms; hence the root treatise on this section above says: "Illuminating phenomena so that they are revealed in accordance with hearing, reflection, and cultivation." This means that within this wisdom, the phenomena realized in the fourth stage are that which is illuminated, and the light of the three wisdoms is that which is able to illuminate; the three wisdoms are the marks of the light of that realized wisdom. Although the wording in other sūtras and treatises is slightly different, none go beyond this. Therefore, the ten pure minds are exclusively that which is able to emanate, the marks of realized light are exclusively that which is emanated, and superior concentration alone pervades both that which can emanate and that which is emanated; for this reason, this stage uniquely receives the name "Higher Mind." As for the obscurations to be abandoned, they generally concern the three wisdoms; hence the root treatise on this section says: "The mark of darkness is the obscuration of forgetting the teachings of hearing, reflection, and cultivation." In the Cheng weishi lun it is named the obscuration of dark dullness (tamas-sammohāvaraṇa), meaning that innate portion within the cognitive obscurations (jñeyāvaraṇa) that causes one to forget and lose the teachings of hearing, reflection, and cultivation. That obscuration impedes the superior concentration and dhāraṇī of the third stage, as well as the exquisite three wisdoms emanated by them; upon entering the third stage, it can be permanently severed. For this reason, the third stage is said to sever two follies and their crude heaviness: first, the folly of sensual desire, which impedes superior concentration and its wisdom derived from cultivation; second, the folly regarding the complete dhāraṇī, because it impedes the wisdoms of hearing and reflection and impedes that complete dhāraṇī. If considered in terms of what is realized, with respect only to dhāraṇī it is called realizing the tathatā of the superior stream. The Cheng weishi lun says: "It means that the teachings flowing from this tathatā are supremely superior to other teachings." Paramārtha's translation of the Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "From tathatā flows fundamental wisdom; from fundamental wisdom flows subsequently attained wisdom; from subsequently attained wisdom flows great compassion; from great compassion flow the twelve divisions of scripture; this is named the dharmadhātu of the superior stream." Therefore, in the sūtra below, one can renounce life and limb to seek this good exposition. The practice that is accomplished is also solely dhyāna and seeking the Dharma. The fruit that is attained is likewise the Dharma and dhyāna. Paramārtha's Mahāyānasaṃgraha says: "Penetrating the dharmadhātu of the superior stream, one attains the fruit of the boundless sound of the Dharma." The Suvarṇaprabhāsa says: "In the third stage, generating the mind, one attains the fruit of difficult-to-shake samādhi." The four immeasurables, five supernormal knowledges, and so forth in the text below are all subsumed under concentration.