大方廣佛華嚴經疏 55.19

55.19

Second, within [the section] accomplishing those works of conversion, there are in general three assemblies: first, the assembly of bhikṣus, in order to reveal turning from the Small and entering the Great; second, the assembly of people of the various vehicles, in order to reveal comprehensively gathering the provisional into the one reality; third, the assembly of Sudhana, in order to reveal the capacity of the pure Ekayāna, accomplishing it in a single lifetime. Moreover, the first two assemblies represent those who have resided in faith not for long and are still indeterminate, whereas Sudhana's faith culminates in entering realization. Now for the first, there are two [parts]: 1. explaining assisting the conversion by gathering into the Great, and 2. directly explaining the benefits of conversion. As for the first, the wisdom of the Hīnayāna also assists the Great. Within the text there are also two [parts]: first, explaining that seeing conditions gives rise to thoughts, and second, from "Then the Venerable" downward, gathering the assembly to travel together. Within this there are also two [parts]: first, generally discerning the manner of gathering—abandoning the Small and tending toward the Great is "leaving one's own dwelling place and heading toward Mañjuśrī's place"; later, from "These six thousand" downward, specifically explaining those who were converted. Within this are three [points]: first, pointing out the number and discerning their station. "Bhikṣus"—the meaning is as usual. "Six thousand" represents that the nature of the six sense-faculties is pure, making them capable of entering the dharmadhātu. "Living together with oneself" means cohabiting in the provisional and Small, and cohabiting in the dharmadhātu. "Having gone forth not long ago" means that they had not yet realized the limit of reality and could easily be turned around; their faithful mind was still weak and required guidance and conversion. Second, from "namely" downward, their names are listed. Third, from "all having previously" downward, praising their virtues; the text has ten clauses: the first two praise their past causes, the next seven clarify their present virtues, and the last one concludes their virtues by attributing them to conditions. Since all are praised in terms of the Mahāyāna, this clarifies that they were originally vessels of the Great who relied on the traces of bhikṣus, revealing that gathering the various classes does not pertain to the Hīnayāna. Concluding by attributing them to Mañjuśrī, who now brings their goodness to fruition, shows that it was not without cause. Second, from "Then the Venerable Śāriputra" downward, directly explaining the benefits of conversion. Within this are two [parts]: first, gathering and benefiting them through physical demeanor, thereby ripening their faculties and giving rise to aspiration; second, from "Then Mañjuśrī addressed the" downward, gathering and benefiting them through vocal action, directly conferring the Dharma-gate. In the former are four: 1. showing the supreme object, 2. obtaining supreme benefit, 3. visiting the supreme person, and 4. receiving supreme gathering. As for the first, there are three [points]: first, indicating and addressing; second, from "Sāgarabuddhi, you may" downward, directly instructing them to observe, with ten supreme virtues: 1. the supreme bodily marks, 2. the supreme constant light, 3. the supreme emission of light, 4. the supreme assembly, 5. the supreme roadway, representing constant reliance on the eightfold noble path; 6. the supreme dwelling place, where raising and lowering one's foot is nowhere not the bodhimanda, because it turns in accordance with the mind; 7. the supreme adornment of merit, constantly contemplating the two extremes of emptiness and existence, beneath the ground of the mind being endowed with the tathāgatagarbha's myriad virtues numerous as the sands of the Ganges, manifesting spontaneously through tranquil awareness without intentionality, forgetting observation; 8. the supreme groves and trees, erecting myriad practices to adorn the Dharma-essence; 9. supreme sovereignty, attaining non-dual understanding regarding self and non-self, being the most honored among sovereign masters; 10. supreme upward gathering, which has two meanings: first, in terms of phenomena, the mind constantly gathers upward the dharmas of all Buddhas; second, in terms of representation, the manifestations of all Buddhas all rely on prajñā, ultimately reaching sarvajñā. Third, from "At that time" downward, concluding the brief and revealing the broad, which is understandable. Second, within "those bhikṣus" downward, obtaining supreme benefit: having previously encouraged contemplation, its meaning also implies cultivating contemplation, and the marks of benefit are understandable. Third, from "then addressed the Venerable" downward, clarifying visiting the supreme person, which is understandable. Fourth, from "Then Mañjuśrī" downward, receiving supreme gathering, within which are two: first, showing the mark of gathering, through turning around to contemplate the Dharma vessel. "Turning like an elephant king" means head and body turning together, without frivolous movement. Later, from "Then the bhikṣus" downward, showing respect and giving rise to vows, which serves as the cause for the subsequent direct preaching. Second, gathering and benefiting through vocal action has two [parts]: first, receiving the teachings of their own station; later, from "Then Mañjuśrī" downward, receiving the teachings of superior progress. The former also has two: first, receiving the Dharma; later, from "Then the bhikṣus" downward, obtaining benefit. The former has three: first, bringing up benefits and indicating addressing; second, from "What are they?" downward, specifically showing the practices. They all say "without weariness or fatigue" because Dharma-gates are endless and sentient beings are boundless; if one cultivates by grasping marks, weariness and fatigue will arise in many lives, and when fatigued one falls back into the two vehicles; if one cultivates free from craving and views, then there is no fatigue. When there is no fatigue, the fruit of Buddhahood is not far, how much less one's own body? The ten phrases are gathered into five pairs: 1. internal cause and external condition; 2. seeking the Dharma to accomplish practice; 3. deep samādhi and wondrous wisdom, because wisdom enters the three times; 4. adorning lands and taming sentient beings; 5. enduring time and vastness, vastness also being cultivation of superior progress. Third, from "Bhikṣus, if good sons" downward, bringing up benefits to encourage cultivation, also forming five pairs: 1. increasing goodness and transcending birth; 2. surpassing the ordinary and rising above the Small; 3. being born into the family and equipping oneself with karma; 4. habituating the fruit and cultivating the cause; 5. crushing the heterodox and entering realization. Second, obtaining benefit has two [parts]: first, specifically clarifying one samādhi; later, from "and immediately accomplished" downward, comprehensively revealing many gates. The former also has two: first, clarifying the essence of the obtained samādhi. "Unobstructed" has briefly three meanings: 1. the ability to see is free from hindrances; 2. what is seen is unimpeded, hence saying "seeing the realm of all Buddhas"; 3. the one is endowed with multiple functions. Although endowed with this capability, there is no mark of seeing, hence it is called samādhi. Second, from "having obtained this samādhi" downward, specifically clarifying the functions of samādhi, there are four: 1. directly clarifying the function of the divine eye; 2. from "and also heard" downward, the function of the divine ear; 3. from "also able to contemplate" downward, the function of knowing others' minds; 4. from "also able to remember" downward, the function of past lives. A single eye is endowed with these four functions, hence it is called unobstructed. Second, comprehensively revealing many gates: since the functions of the one samādhi above are like this, the endlessly manifold gates are the same by analogy. This reveals that when the Perfect Teaching gathers faculties and newly establishes the great mind, it attains the functions of the ten superknowledges after the ten stages, because the beginning encompasses the end, as discerned in the Chapter on the Merits of Generating the Aspiration, and so forth. Second, receiving the teachings of superior progress also has two: first, instructing and encouraging—above, it only clarified the great mind without fatigue, but now directs them to dwell broadly in practices and vows to advance toward universal cultivation; later, from "by accomplishing" downward, clarifying successively obtaining benefits. The above concludes the first assembly (the above enters the sixty-second fascicle of the sūtra).