大方廣佛華嚴經疏 47.19

47.19

Next is the proper explanation of the text. In the text, there are two parts: First, the narrator's account by the compiler of the sūtra. That it is also spoken by the Mind King is because in accordance with whatever he presides over, [all things] are free and unobstructed, and it also represents mind abiding in accord with wisdom without obstruction. Second, from "Disciples of the Buddha" onward, it directly speaks of the dwelling places. There are twenty-two places. The first ten are based on the mountains and seas of the eight directions; because the zenith and nadir are not places ordinary beings reach, they are not explained. Mountains and seas encompass and conceal, places where the benevolent and the wise dwell, representing great wisdom being high and deep, and being able to still and able to illumine. The latter twelve places are mixed dwellings in cities and towns, fully adapting to the capacities of beings, representing great compassion leaving none behind; thus we know that bodhisattvas are nowhere absent. Now to address the first part: The sixth is a mountain in the sea, the tenth is a cavern in the sea, and the rest are all mountains. First, the Mountain of the Rṣis: Tradition says this is Mount Penglai in the Eastern Sea; if so, then it also includes the sea. Second, Excellent Peak: That is where Deyun lives; the Jin translation calls it Pavilion Mountain, which is the dwelling of Vaśila. Third, Diamond Flame: Located on the shore of the Western Sea. Fourth, Fragrance Accumulation Mountain: Formerly it was said that it should be Fragrant Mountain north of the Snow Mountains. Fifth, Mount Qingliang: That is Mount Wutai in Yanmen Commandery of Dai Prefecture, where Qingliang Monastery currently stands. Because solid ice accumulates over the years and snow still falls in summer, never having blistering heat, it is called Qingliang (Clear and Cool). Its five peaks tower high, their summits lacking trees, resembling earthen platforms piled high, so it is called Wutai (Five Terraces). This represents our Great Sage's five wisdoms being already perfected, his five eyes already purified, encompassing the true secrets of the five divisions, and penetrating the true source of the five aggregates; thus on his head he wears the crown of the five Buddhas, on his crest he divides into topknots facing the five directions, operating the essential points of the five vehicles, and cleansing the calamities of the five defilements. However, merely stating "the northeast" is still vague phrasing. Examining the Ratnakaraṇḍa-dhāraṇī-sūtra, it says: "After my parinirvāṇa, in the northeast of Jambudvīpa there will be a kingdom named Great Cina. In the middle of that country is a mountain called Five Peaks. The youth Mañjuśrī roams and abides there, preaching the Dharma for the bodhisattvas within it, and being surrounded, venerated, and revered by immeasurable and countless yakṣas, rākṣasas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans." These words are verified. The mountain's miraculous traces are fully recorded in various biographies. When I was young and sought out this scripture, whenever I came to this text I would close the scroll with a long sigh, and thereupon, not considering ten thousand li too distant, I entrusted my life and took shelter in this sacred precinct, where I have been drawn for ten years to the present; its resonances and responses are glaringly manifest, filling ears and eyes. When the summer scenery arrives, wondrous events are especially numerous: clearly the dragon palace opens a thousand moons by night; slender delicate grass mingles with a hundred blossoms at dawn; sometimes ten thousand sages line the sky, sometimes five-colored clouds condense on the peaks; round auras shine upon the mountain's emerald green, and auspicious birds soar into the misty heavens. One hears only the name of the Great Sage, no longer having worldly concerns; those entering the sacred precinct walk heel to toe, and those transforming ordinary minds jostle shoulder to shoulder, looking at each other and mutually declaring each other non-ordinary; whatever meets the eye is a Buddha work. The configuration of that mountain and its temples and sanctuaries are difficult to express fully. Ever since the Great Master concealed his traces in the Western Heaven (India) and Wondrous Virtue (Mañjuśrī) displayed his radiance in the Eastern Xia (China), though the dharmakāya endures forever, Mount Kukkuṭapāda lies barrenly overgrown with brambles; while responsive manifestations have specific localities, Vulture Peak gains its reputation in this land. Divine monks made it manifest in this sacred realm, while Vinaya Master Xuan received instructions above from the devas; Emperor Ming of the Han initiated its exalted foundations, and Emperor [Wen] of the Wei sincerely believed in its supreme conversion; several prefectures of the Northern Qi emptied their salaries [for offerings], and nine emperors of the Tang redirected their light; those from the Five Indies sacrificed their lives to rush here like the wind, and those from the Eight Quarters cast off their bodies to vie in entrusting themselves here. If someone resides in the Divine Land (China) but never once reaches it in their whole life, how are they different from the three hundred million people of Śrāvastī? May everyone cultivate reverence! Sixth, Diamond Mountain: That is, near the east of the Eastern Sea is a mountain named Diamond (Vajra); though its entirety is not gold, gold is present from top to bottom and on all four sides, even in the flowing waters and sands between the hills, so looking from afar it is thought to be made entirely of gold. Moreover, the people east of the sea have handed down from antiquity that sages appear from time to time on this mountain. However, in the Jin translation this place corresponds to the ninth, because along with the tenth, the Adornment Cavern, both are in the sea. But that it is placed here now means that it is within the eight directions, subsumed under the northeast. If not so, why would it suddenly speak of the sea when directly speaking of the eight directions? Furthermore, in the Jin translation there are two dwellings in the sea: one is named Zhidanuo (Cittāna), where currently a bodhisattva named Tanwujie dwells, with a retinue of twelve thousand bodhisattvas. As for "Zhida", the full name is Niqituo (Nirjita), translated here as "welling forth". "Diamond" speaks of its essence; "welling forth" speaks of its shape. As for "Tanwujie", this is translated as Dharmodgata, also called Fayong (Dharma Brave), also called Fashang (Dharma Esteemed). Now saying "Faqi" (Arising of Dharma) has the same meaning as "producing" and "brave"; that is, the friend of Sadāprarudita. His bodhisattva retinue is ten times that of the present sūtra, which is perhaps an error of the earlier translation. Seventh, Mount Caitya: This is translated as "place generating pure faith". Having relics, it is a stūpa; lacking relics, it is called a caitya. Or, the mountain's shape resembles a stūpa, or because there is a caitya there, it is named after it. Formerly it was said that since Qingliang is designated as the northeast, the southeast by implication refers to Wu and Yue. However, although there are many sacred mountains in Wu and Yue, taking one that resembles this shape, it is Mount Chicheng south of Tiantai. Towering straight into the clouds, glowing red like rising dawn-mist, its cliffs and trees reflect each other, divided into several tiers; among them are the remaining traces of Bai Daoyou, which perhaps corresponds to it. However, in Jianchuan there is Mount Sanxue, within which dwells Joy King Bodhisattva, who frequently emerges holding a lamp. Although the name differs, viewed from India it is indeed the southeast. Some have also seen him holding a jeweled crown, which secretly reveals his name. I hope later worthy scholars will examine this. Eighth, Mountain of Light: Formerly it was said that it should be connected with Mount Potalaka, because the Jin translation rendered the mountain where Guanyin dwells as Mountain of Light. The present text is not Guanyin's dwelling place, yet calls it Light, hence saying they are connected. Ninth, Mountain of Fragrant Wind: It is suspected to be on the western side of Fragrant Mountain. Tenth, Adornment Cavern: Contrasted with the sixth above which is in the sea, it therefore says "again there is". The Jin translation says the second is named Merit Adornment Cavern. Among the latter twelve places of cities and towns, first, Vaiśālī: That is Piyeli, translated here as City of Broad Adornment, also called Expansive; it is the city in Central India where the Pure Name (Vimalakīrti) resided. Regarding "south", examining the Record of the Western Regions, fascicle seven, it says: "Fourteen or fifteen li south of this city is a stūpa, which is the place where the seven hundred sages held the second council. Further south eighty or ninety li is a saṅghārāma, next to which are the seats of the past four Buddhas and the traces of their walking meditations." It should be this place. In the Jin translation, the second has another place named Pāṭaliputra, having a place named Golden Lamp Saṅghārāma. Formerly it was said: Fully named Pāṭaliputra, translated here as Yellow Flower Son, that is, the son of the Yellow Flower Maiden first settled this place. It is also in the kingdom of Magadha in Central India, fully detailed in the Record of the Western Regions, fascicle eight. The present sūtra lacks this one place. Second, Mathurā: Also called Moduoluo, translated here as Peacock, also called Dense Cover, both being based on ancient incidents; it is also in Central India. Regarding the Fulfill Cavern: That country has the stūpas of Śāriputra and others, and the stūpa of Mañjuśrī. Five or six li east of the royal city is a mountain monastery, which is the monastery built by Upagupta. To the north is a cliff, in the middle of which is a stone cave, which is the place where Upagupta placed tallies when delivering people, fully detailed in the Record of the Western Regions, fascicle four. Although placing tallies was a later event, they were mostly placed in the cave of the sage. Third, Kucināra: Fully called Kucinārāyana. Kucina is a clan name, translated here as Great Basin. Nārāyana is law/discipline. It means the pond's shape is like a great basin; formerly an ascetic cultivated the law beside it, and later generations took this as their clan name, hence using it as the city's name. Fourth, Pure Shore City: It is in Southern India. Mucilin, translated here as Liberation, is the name of a nāga. Tuo means place, that is, the place where the nāga resides. Fifth, Marandha Kingdom: Its location is not clear. The Jin sūtra has no country, only saying "wind land", meaning a place with a wind hole, which is where a nāga resides. Sixth, Kamboja Kingdom: Correctly called Ganpu, which is the name of a fruit. The fruit is red and white, round and plump, at first glance resembling the crabapple of this land, but having three horizontal band markings on its belly. This country has many shapely women whose bellies are marked with three bands like the ganpu fruit, so the country is named after the women. "Giving Birth to Compassion": In the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra it is simply named Compassion Cavern. Seventh, Kingdom of Cīnasthāna: That is our Great Tang. Also called Zhendan, or called Zhina (China), all being dialectal variations of the Sanskrit sound. Translated here as "Much Deliberation", because thoughts and deliberations are manifold. Previously, to establish the eight directions, Qingliang was directly stated as the northeast; now, being among the category of various countries, the country's name is mentioned. Nārāyaṇa: Translated here as Firm and Solid. Formerly it was said: That is Mount Donglao within the borders of Qing Prefecture. Currently there are sacred traces of an ancient Buddha, so this should be it. However, Mount Lao is actually in Deng Prefecture, which is also a domain of Qing Prefecture, and that mountain also has many miraculous traces. Yet nowadays, arriving at this mountain, which is east of Yu Prefecture, its miraculous traces are as prominently manifest as those of Qingliang; it is commonly called the dwelling place of Samantabhadra, where he is frequently seen. It also has five terraces; the southern terrace has a cavern whose depth is hard to fathom, commonly called the Nārāyaṇa Cavern, which is perhaps this one. Eighth, Kashgar (Śūlika) Kingdom: Fully called Kharoṣṭha, which is the name of a mountain in that country, named after the mountain. Or translated as Bad Nature, named after the people of the country. However, Oxhead Mountain is in the present country of Khotan, translated here as Earth Milk; only one hundred years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa was this country founded, fully detailed in the Record of the Western Regions. Because it had not yet been opened when the sūtra was compiled, it still belonged to Kashgar. The Jin translation merely says "border country", which is why some pointed to Oxhead south of the Yangtze River; since the present translation is clear, it is definitely not that. Ninth, Kaśmīra: In the Jin translation it was Jibin, translated here as "Who Enters?", that is, the place of Madhyāntika. It is briefly found in the Sounds and Meanings, and extensively appears in the Record of the Western Regions, fascicle three. Tenth, City of Increasing Joy: Ancient commentaries say: It is Southern India. The Venerable Cavern: That is the dwelling place of the Sthaviras (Elders). Eleventh, Āmralimā: Translated here as Stainless, which is the name of a fruit. This country is abundant and superior, so it is named after it; it is within the borders of Central India. Twelfth, Gandhāra Kingdom: Translated here as Earth-Upholding Kingdom, because many who attained the fruit of the Way protect and uphold it, preventing it from being harmed by other countries. Or called Pervasive Fragrance, because fragrant herbs bloom first throughout the country. Śambhara: It is the name of a fragrant flowering tree, differing from the zhanmolo of the first chapter only in light or heavy Sanskrit pronunciation; it grows abundantly around the cavern. Tradition says: It is the place where the Buddha left his shadow, fully detailed in the Record of the Western Regions and the Mahāsaṃnipāta's Candragarbha Division, fascicle ten. At the end of this text there is no concluding wrap-up at all, perhaps because the sūtra's transmission was incomplete. Since Jambudvīpa is like this, other directions, other realms, and different kinds of realms may be modeled upon it. The clouds of the dharmakāya's forms are nowhere absent.