大方廣佛華嚴經疏 41.17

41.17

Now for the first, it is divided into two: first, marking the locus of accumulated virtues. That is, gathering together the previous seven stages, not only the seventh. Although the seventh also has the ten phenomena below, they were not sequential; because it is the boundary where active practice is fulfilled and effortlessness begins, they are gathered as a whole. This corresponds to the third among the four segments. Next, from "well-cultivated" downward, directly reveals that which is gathered, containing eleven phrases, divided into two: the first three are common marks, being practices common to all stages; the latter eight are specific marks, being the distinct cultivations of the various stages. Within the common marks are three phrases: 1. Because the two kinds of selflessness are progressively realized. This means that the path of realization becomes increasingly superior stage by stage, called progressive realization. Realizing skillfully without attachment, the sūtra calls it "expedient means." 2. "Well-purifying the various paths": because the unlocated path is purified. Compassion and wisdom are jointly mobilized, and hence they are called "various." 3. "Well-gathering the auxiliary paths": because subsumed under the practice of that expedient wisdom, fulfilling the factors auxiliary to bodhi. "Expedient means" is the aforementioned path of realization. "Practice" is the unlocated path, being practices of compassion, wisdom, and so forth. The factors of bodhi are the aids subsumed under those two, aiding the two. Next, from "great vows" downward, the specific marks subsume the eight into seven: 1. Supported by the great vows of the first stage, one is able to reach here. 2. In the morality that gathers good dharmas of the second stage, one is empowered by the Tathāgata's strength. That sūtra says: "In order to realize the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and so forth, I now equally practice the ten goods," etc., which is to receive the Buddha's power from above. 3. In the third stage, because of cultivating self-realized dhyāna and supernormal faculties, it is called "sustained by the power of one's own goodness." 4. From "constantly mindful" downward, the Treatise says: "In the fourth stage, the wisdom distinguishing the Dharma taught, the wisdom teaching and transforming, and the superior mindfulness of the purity of obstacles penetrate the Buddha Dharma"; this means that the previous ten gates of illumination of phenomena are intellectual distinctions, which is the previous observation, and relying on that intellectual illumination, one enters into the Dharma taught by the Tathāgata. Next, the wisdom teaching and transforming means that in the pure portion of that sūtra, because of the dharma accomplished by the ten kinds of wisdom, one is born into the Tathāgata's family. "Superior mindfulness of the purity of obstacles" means that, as explained in that Treatise, it eliminates the cognitive obstacles of the third stage and subsumes the superior wisdom of the fourth stage. Both of the two sections above are mindful of penetrating the Buddha Dharma, and thus are identical to this. 5. In the fifth stage there are ten kinds of equal, deep, and pure minds; hence it says "well-purified deep mind"—this mind is conceptual thought and reflection. 6. From "able to accomplish" downward, in the sixth stage there are three kinds of great compassion; hence it says "accomplishing merit." All three observe the accumulation of causes and conditions, which is accomplishing wisdom. 7. Within [the seventh], there are two phrases, because it is proximate to this stage. First, the expedient wisdom within emptiness and the superior practice within existence are both the practice of great kindness and great compassion not abandoning sentient beings. The next phrase refers to the previous: because of the immeasurable realms of sentient beings, one enters the path of immeasurable wisdom.