大方廣佛華嚴經疏 38.8

38.8

Fifth, the Stage Difficult to Conquer (Sudurjayā). The reason it follows [the fourth stage] comprises, in brief, four meanings: 1. In terms of aligning stations. The fourth, fifth, and sixth stages are aligned with the supramundane: the previous stage is aligned with the first fruit [stream-enterer], and this one is aligned with the arhat, following the order of meaning. Although there are four fruits, taking the beginning and the end subsumes the intermediate ones. This relies on the fundamental treatise (*Daśabhūmika-vibhāṣā* / *śāstra*) in terms of the marks of the practices contemplated. Since the sixth stage contemplates pratītyasamutpāda and is aligned with the pratyekabuddha, only two stages are aligned with the śrāvaka. The lower fascicle of the *Benevolent Kings Sūtra* and the upper fascicle of the *Yingluo jing* correlate the stations according to persons: because the seventh stage has not yet separated from fragmental [birth and death], the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh are aligned with the śrāvaka. 2. The previous stage explained the wisdom associated with the factors of awakening; here, the wisdom associated with the truths is distinguished. 3. The previous stage attained the supramundane but was not yet able to accord with the mundane; here, one can gather and transform [beings] through the five fields of knowledge (*pañca-vidyā*); hence, it is explained next. 4. The previous stage attained the thirty-seven factors of bodhi; here, the bodhi gathered by skillful means is distinguished. These latter three meanings derive from the *Yogācārabhūmi*. As for 'difficult to conquer', the *Saṃdhinirmocana* says: 'Because the cultivation of those factors of bodhi through skillful means is exceedingly arduous, it is named "Extremely Difficult to Conquer".' This is said in terms of the beginning; hence, in the initial section, the sūtra states: 'Because of well cultivating the factors of bodhi,' and so on. The *Mahāyānasaṃgraha* says: 'Because the wisdom of ultimate truth and worldly wisdom contradict each other, uniting these difficult-to-unite [wisdoms] so that they correspond [makes it difficult to conquer].' *Vijñaptimātratā* agrees with this, and Vasubandhu explains: 'In this stage, the wisdom knowing the ultimate truth is non-conceptual, while the wisdom knowing worldly crafts and sciences is conceptual; these two contradict each other and should be cultivated to unite; being able to unite what is difficult to unite so that they correspond is why it is named "Extremely Difficult to Conquer".' This applies across the beginning, middle, and end. The *Yogācārabhūmi* says: 'Now in this stage, it reveals that the bodhisattva's definitive, wondrous wisdom regarding all the noble truths is exceedingly difficult to surpass; hence it is named the Stage Difficult to Conquer.' This pertains solely to the middle of the stage. The *Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra* says: 'In this fifth stage there are two kinds of difficulties: 1. the difficulty of exhorting and transforming without vexation; 2. the difficulty of taking rebirth not according to one's own desires without vexation. The bodhisattva of this stage can overcome these two difficulties, conquering what is difficult.' This is said mostly in terms of the completion of the stage. The *Prakaraṇāryavācā* says: 'Realizing the exceedingly pure, subtle wisdom of the knowable objects that take the truths as cognitive object, accomplishing what is exceedingly difficult to accomplish, and dwelling neither in saṃsāra nor in the tranquil noble path is named "Extremely Difficult to Conquer".' This largely agrees with the fundamental section. The sūtras and treatises above mostly mention the dharmas that are difficult to conquer, but what is it that is unable to conquer them? The *Daśabhūmika-śāstra* says: 'Accomplished through the power of merit, none of the māras can destroy it.' This reveals supremacy in contrast to persons, and also includes the māra of afflictive defilements. Thus, though the words of the various sūtras and treatises differ, their intention is identical: all distinguish the non-obstruction of the real and conventional. If based on the actual stations, according to the *Benevolent Kings Sūtra*, the bodhisattva of the first stage as a king of the four heavenly kings already dual-illuminates the path of the equality of the two truths. Now, in terms of aligned stations, the previous stage was aligned with the supramundane, and only here does one turn back to enter [the world]; hence it is called non-obstructed. Therefore, in this stage, the obstruction of the parinirvāṇa of the lower vehicles is severed: that is, in the previous fourth stage, having transcended the world, one felt aversion toward the suffering of birth and death and took joy in proceeding toward nirvāṇa, which obstructs the fifth stage. Now, entering the path of the non-differentiation of the real and conventional, one is able to sever it. This severing of fondness and aversion is precisely [the severing of] the two kinds of delusion. Through this, one realizes the tathatā of undifferentiated class, partly because birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are both equal. The practices accomplished are also of two kinds: namely, the practice of the higher wisdom of the truths, and the practice of teaching and transforming [beings] in the five fields of knowledge. Because these two are unobstructed, one obtains the fruit of the undifferentiated dharmakāya; all these meanings and intentions accord with one another.