大方廣佛華嚴經疏 44.15

44.15

Major Section Eight: below 'Sons of the Buddha, the practices of the ten stages of these bodhisattva-mahāsattvas', is the section on the images of the stages. Within it are four similes, namely the lake, the mountains, the ocean, and the jewel, which illustrate four virtues: the first two are virtues of scriptural tradition (āgama), and the latter two are virtues of realization. In the former [pair], the lake illustrates the virtue of cultivating practice, that is, the practices undertaken and cultivated in the various stages. Second, the mountains illustrate the pre-eminent virtue, that is, the virtues accomplished on the basis of cultivation, because the stations of virtue stand lofty and supreme. Third, the ocean illustrates the virtue of the great fruit, difficult to cross yet able to cross, that is, the virtues accomplished through cultivation being able to reach the great fruit. That is to say, the great ocean is difficult to cross, yet its ten virtues are all-pervading, hence it is called 'able to cross'. The great ocean is difficult to form, yet by gathering the ten virtues it can form the ocean of wisdom, hence it is called 'the great fruit'. This explanation embraces both the Dharma and the simile. Fourth, the jewel illustrates the virtue of progressive exhaustion and firmness, meaning from the first stage one progresses to the Cloud of Dharma, as hindrances are exhausted and realization is firm. Furthermore, the ten stages are threefold: first, the stage of cultivation, because the cause precedes and the fruit follows, which the first two similes reveal. Second, the stage of accomplishment, because accomplishment through cultivation according to one's share is itself the Buddha's wisdom, which the jewel simile reveals. Third, the stage of Dharma, because with respect to the Dharma of the Buddha's wisdom it is unfolded into ten, which the ocean simile reveals. For the latter one harmonizes the former two without any obstruction. Furthermore, all four similes illustrate that the ten stages and that Buddha-wisdom are neither one nor different, the differentiation of non-differentiation, yet their purports are each distinct. The first simile illustrates difference at the beginning and identity at the end. Next, the mountain simile illustrates the difference between what supports and what is supported: the ground that supports is one, but the mountains that are supported are distinct; this is the difference of non-difference. The above two similes possess what supports and what is supported; the lower two similes directly illustrate the stage-wisdom without establishing what supports and what is supported. Third, the ocean simile illustrates the entirety of the single essence of Buddha-wisdom, while the ten virtues are distinct; yet the virtues are not separate things. Moreover, they mutually pervade one another, unlike the mountains. This is indeed the differentiation of non-differentiation; difference is precisely non-difference. Fourth, the jewel simile is only a single jewel with differences before and after; it is only a single essence of wisdom growing brighter before and after. Though the simile has no differentiation, it does not obstruct differentiation. Furthermore, in the first simile, the earlier and later essences are distinct: the earlier is not the later, yet the later encompasses the earlier. In the next simile, the preceding ones are not the succeeding ones, and the succeeding ones are not the preceding ones, yet they together depend on one single essence. In the ocean simile, though the earlier and later are distinct, the earlier and later mutually pervade. In the jewel simile, beginning and end are of one essence, yet the preceding are not the succeeding, and the succeeding necessarily possess the preceding. The first is gradualness within the round [teaching]; the next simile is the gradual within the round; the jewel simile is the gradual-round; and the ocean simile is the round-round. These four similes interpenetrate perfectly; the explanation given above, though not in the Treatise, must be so in principle. If one grasps this purport, one will have no doubt about the characteristics of differentiation and the like in the ten stages.