大方廣佛華嚴經疏 49.23

49.23

Third, regarding the manifestation of physical speech actions, the prose has an opening presentation, an explanation, and a conclusion. Within the explanation there are three parts: first, explaining briefly in terms of the Dharma; second, explaining extensively by means of analogies; third, concluding comprehensively in terms of the Dharma. Earlier commentators also multiplied the first ten into the middle ten to make one hundred, and connected the latter ten to the preceding ten to make one thousand; this is also tenable. Now I offer another interpretation: the final conclusion may indeed comprehensively conclude the middle ten, and the middle ten specifically illustrate by analogy the initial ten, only slightly out of sequence. Now, on the first, the meaning of the round voice, I briefly open four gates: 1. recounting earlier views; 2. distinguishing contradictions; 3. reconciling and harmonizing; 4. correct explanation. The first three are not essential and are treated at length in a separate chapter; only the correct explanation of the text naturally embraces all subtle wonders. The text has ten voices to reveal the inexhaustible, each with the upper clause presenting it and the lower clause explaining it. First, the 'pervasive' [voice] is the voice that conforms to each class [of beings]. However, it has two meanings: first, in terms of its vast essence, there is no sound it does not reach; thus it says 'the pervasive, immeasurable voice.' This means that beings as different as humans, devas, and the myriad classes all hear it simultaneously; as stated above, 'Sentient beings each attain understanding according to their kind.' Second, each and every preceding sound can individually pervade everywhere, just as Maudgalyāyana could not fathom its limits. Second, the 'voice conforming to inclinations and desires' means that whenever any class-specific sound is raised, it can teach various Dharmas in accordance with what they like and desire. The preceding sūtra says: 'Within a single spoken word, the Tathāgata expounds an ocean of boundless sūtras'; it also says: 'With a single wondrous voice the Buddha is heard throughout the lands of the ten directions. All sounds are fully present, and the rain of Dharma completely pervades.' Both passages testify to the two preceding meanings. Third, the 'voice conforming to capacity and understanding' means that within the aforementioned exposition, whenever a single Dharma is spoken, the great and the small each hear it [according to their capacity]; hence it says 'in accordance with their faith and understanding.' The Ratnakūṭa says: 'The Buddha expounds the Dharma with a single voice, and sentient beings each understand it according to their capacity.' Fourth, the 'timely voice' means that with respect to the aforementioned great and small Dharmas, because making them heard or not heard is entirely sovereign, it is said 'not missing the proper time.' It also encompasses their differences in joy or sorrow upon hearing a single Dharma. The Ratnakūṭa says: 'Some feel fear, while others feel joy.' The above four mostly refer to the function that is identical to essence, which is the meaning of the round voice. The latter six mostly refer to the essence that is identical to function, revealing the meaning of the single voice. That is, fifth: externally it responds to conditioning impacts, yet my [voice] is without arising or cessation. Sixth: internally it is formed by a gathering of conditions, so how could there be a controlling agent? Seventh, 'profound': if one wishes to say it is one, myriad classes respond differently; if one wishes to say it is diverse, its single essence is unarisen. Furthermore, if one wishes to say it is one, within any single sound multiple sounds can be fully contained; hence it was stated above, 'The linguistic dharmas of all sentient beings are completely expounded without remainder in a single word.' If one wishes to say it is diverse, that very plurality of sounds causes only one to be heard; hence the analogy below states, 'Just as the heavenly drum produces various sounds, yet the indolent devas hear only the voice of impermanence that awakens them'; therefore it is profound. Eighth, purely matching the dharmadhātu. Ninth, horizontally entering without interruption. Tenth, vertically returning to the single ultimate. These ten are perfectly interpenetrating and of one flavor; this is the round voice of the Tathāgata. Hence we know that whether people claim there is no sound and that resonance merely issues upon impact, or claim there is only a single straight sound without the distinctions of musical pitches, these are each merely a single speck of dust of the great earth. Second, from 'Disciples of the Buddha, the bodhisattvas...' downward, is the extensive explanation by means of analogies, which has three parts: first, concluding the preceding and introducing what follows; next, raising the question; last, the explanation. Now, as for the first: gathering the above ten sounds, they do not exceed three [aspects]: in terms of marks, they are immeasurably vast; in terms of essence, they lack a controlling agent; in terms of function, they provide revelation. Now both pairs of extremes are negated to reveal the middle way: because its boundaries cannot be fathomed, it is not finite; because according to capacity and time it is heard by some and not heard by others, it is not infinite; because many conditions gather, it is not something possessing a master; because it is born of the purely unitary dharmadhātu, it is not masterless; because its intrinsic essence is unarisen, there is nothing capable of revealing; because it skillfully reveals meanings and principles, it is not without revelation. Furthermore, using four propositions to clarify the non-obstruction of essence and function: first, taking function from essence: because essence is nowhere absent, it can cause the above ten classes to all pervade everything; not only do they pervade sounds, but they also pervade all times, places, sentient beings, Tathāgatas, the dharmadhātu, and so forth. Although it also pervades forms and so on, it is always free of confusion. If it did not pervade equally, the voice would not be round; if by pervading equally it lost its tonal melody, what is round would not be a voice. Now, without destroying the melody it pervades equally, and without stirring its pervasiveness its rhythms vary; only then does it constitute the round voice. Second, taking essence from function: each and every sound fully contains the true nature. Third, function is essence: hence the above ten classes of sounds are all ungraspable, being solely the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya), perpetually free of what is grasped. The Dharma-conch ever resounds, yet the wondrous voice is ever tranquil; it is called the tranquil voice. Like an echo in an empty valley, it exists and is immediately empty; if it were not immediately empty, not only would the single voice be lost, but perfect interpenetration and sovereignty could not be attained. Fourth, essence is function: hence being tranquil it ever proclaims, just as the heavenly drum has no mind yet responds to all, or as a vast wind entering cavities produces myriad different blowings. If it did not pervade identically, not only would it lose the capacity to be round, it would also not be truly one. The Brahmā voice is sovereign according to conditions; it is called the round voice and wondrous voice of the Tathāgata, not a realm of mental conceptualization and reckoning. Second, the intent of raising the question is: previously it was said to be immeasurable and so forth, so why now negate both sides? Third, presenting analogies to explain extensively: the general import is that nature and marks are unobstructed and essence and function are mutually identical; thus, since it is difficult to clarify in terms of the Dharma, it relies on analogies to illuminate it. The ten analogies constitute ten sections. Each section has three parts: the analogy, the correlation, and the conclusion. Now, the first analogy of the sound proclaimed at the end of a kalpa illustrates the sixth [voice] above, 'lacking a controlling agent.' Regarding the term 'natural law' (dharmatā) in the analogy, the second fascicle of the Abhidharmakośa states: 'There are two causes for being born into the formless realm: first, the power of causes, namely through contiguous practice and repeated cultivation; second, the power of karma, namely the subsequent retribution of the higher realms, because the karmic fruit is about to arrive. If born into the form realm, there are three causes, with the addition of the power of natural law, because when the receptacle world is destroyed, by natural law there is a sound.' However, the four kinds of sounds do not occur at the same time: the first two pertain to the fire kalpa, when the desire realm and the first dhyāna are about to be destroyed; the third is the water disaster, when the second dhyāna is destroyed; the fourth is the wind disaster, when the third dhyāna is about to be destroyed. The four sounds are each distinct, so they are not unarisen. But because they arise from conditions, they do not possess a controlling agent. In the correlation, it clarifies that when the Buddha wishes to destroy the world of birth and death, there are also four sounds that preach the Dharmas of the five vehicles.