大方廣佛華嚴經疏 5.11

5.11

Tenth, interpreting the text. In the first assembly, the forty assemblies in all are broadly divided into two: first, one assembly of identical birth; the remainder are of different births. This is because the *Treatise* says: 'Muktacandra belongs to the assembly of identical birth.' It also says: 'The assembly of identical birth requested [the teaching],' which shows that it includes those before the stages; clearly this is not considered in terms of spiritual stages. Other explanations to the contrary do not conform to the meaning of the *Treatise*. Why are they called identical and different births? There are two meanings: First, the various classes take on diverse forms of different births, whereas the bodhisattvas attain the dharmatā-kāya and, identical with humans, assume a uniform bodhisattva form. Second, bodhisattvas are identical because they pervade all stages; spirits and the like are different because they represent the distinct virtues of the dharmadhātu. For each of these forty assemblies, the text has three parts: first, marking the count and distinguishing the class; second, listing the names and summarizing; third, subsuming virtues in their consummation. Now, within the first assembly of identical birth, in the first part marking the count and distinguishing the class, it first distinguishes the count. From 'Buddha-worlds' onward, it distinguishes the worlds, of which there are roughly three kinds: first, worlds; second, world systems; third, world oceans. Saying 'worlds' here means they are neither systems nor oceans, which is accepted by both provisional and real [teachings]. Because one trichiliocosm is the realm transformed by one Buddha, it is also called a Buddha-kṣetra or Buddha-land, all modeled on this. 'Paramāṇu' refers to the measure of seven infinitesimal particles (paramāṇu). This means grinding a trichiliocosm into paramāṇus, each speck of dust being one bodhisattva—the count is already difficult to measure, how much more so when the number ten is cited to express infinity. 'Bodhisattva-mahāsattva' distinguishes the class, setting them apart from other assemblies. Spoken fully, it is 'bodhicitta-sattva mahāsattva'; here it is abbreviated. Yet there are three explanations: First, bodhi is the sought Buddha fruit, and sattva means the sentient beings to be transformed; these are the objects of compassion and wisdom, so the name is established from the object, hence 'bodhisattva.' Second, bodhi is the sought fruit, and sattva is the person able to seek it; subject and object are designated together, hence 'bodhisattva.' Third, sattva is translated here as 'valiant,' meaning valiantly seeking great bodhi. 'Mahā' means great; 'great' has four meanings: first, greatness of vow, seeking great bodhi; second, greatness of practice, accomplishing the two benefits; third, greatness of time, passing through three incalculable aeons; fourth, greatness of virtue, fully possessing all virtues of the Ekayāna. The first two apply before the stages, and the latter two apply only upon the stages; any further forms of greatness do not go beyond these. These are all the inner retinue of Vairocana Buddha, constantly accompanying his movement and stillness, hence it is said, 'surrounded by them together.'