大方廣佛華嚴經疏 56.4

56.4

In the second major section, from "Heading toward the country of Supreme Joy" onward, there are ten good friends, which, being assigned to the ten abodes, form ten sections. However, regarding the good friends below, ancient worthies made section divisions from one to ten; though all have reason, we briefly preserve one or two here. One follows Dharma Master Bian, dividing into three parts: 1. hearing the name and searching is the stage of preparatory application (prayoga); 2. receiving what is expounded is the direct realization of the dharmadhātu; 3. admiringly deferring to superior progress is the stage of subsequent attainment. Alternatively, it is divided into five parts: 1. presenting the Dharma and exhorting cultivation; 2. proceeding and entering according to instruction; 3. inquiring with reverence upon seeing; 4. directly revealing the dharmadhātu; 5. admiringly deferring to superior progress. Both of the above divide according to stages; hence they take the preceding section of pointing toward the subsequent friend as belonging to the expedients of the subsequent section, because the name of the subsequent friend belongs to the subsequent stage. In terms of meaning, this is very good, but in the text it is slightly awkward. Now, following Master Yi and the Treatise of Wutai, we divide according to the assemblies into six parts, with slightly different names: 1. proceeding and seeking according to instruction; 2. inquiring with reverence upon seeing; 3. praising and conferring the Dharma; 4. humbling oneself and deferring to the superior; 5. pointing toward the subsequent friend; 6. fondly venerating virtue and bowing in departure. Most passages have all of these; where there are additions or omissions, they will be classified as we reach the text.