大方廣佛華嚴經疏 56.40

56.40

Third, from "Xiu-she told him, saying: 'Good man...'" onward, praising and conferring the Dharma. It omits praise and merely directly points out the dharmadhātu. Within this are four: 1. presenting the essence and function of the Dharma door; 2. fathoming the depth of the cause; 3. revealing the duration of the fruit; 4. making known the name of the Dharma. In the first are two parts: first, generally presenting the essence and function—the function will be shown under the name as having not-in-vain [effect]; second, from "Good man, if there are..." onward, specifically clarifying the superior function. Within this are three: 1. clarifying the function of benefiting beings not in vain, first negatively and then positively—"those who see all attain non-retrogression" reveals that if one attains expedients, one reaches the Non-retrogression Abode; 2. from "Good man, in the eastern direction..." onward, the function of being benefited by all buddhas—because she abides together with the Triratna, abiding with me is entirely not in vain; 3. from "Good man, in this [palace] of mine..." onward, adducing proof of it being not in vain, because those presently abiding with her are all non-retrogressing. It also represents entering the mundane through expedients, so that the eighty thousand defilements all become pāramitās. In the second, fathoming the depth of the cause, first there is a question, then an answer. In the answer are two: first, answering in terms of causes and conditions—Varuṇa translates here as "water"; the total of thirty-six Ganges [sands] means that having been close to many buddhas, she brought forth the aspiration long ago. Specifying thirty-six reveals that she has already passed through the previous six stations, each station fully practicing the six perfections, six times six being thirty-six, all of which are nature-virtues like the sands of the Ganges, which is why it is stated thus; the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] also has this number. Next, from "Good man, when the bodhisattva first brings forth the mind..." onward, answering in terms of the capacity of mind, the intent being to show that bringing forth the mind matches the dharmadhātu. It is also equal to sentient beings: sentient beings also have no initial limit, having craving from delusion; yet when the bodhisattva brings forth the mind, delusion and craving have no beginning, and the mind also has no end. In the third, revealing the duration of the fruit, there is also first a question, then an answer. The answer clarifies that because it has no boundary, one ought not ask about duration. In the text are three parts: first, explaining the lack of boundary negatively. Within this, first it specifically clarifies twenty-four phrases: the first eight are transforming beings, the next six are making offerings to buddhas, the next four are purifying buddha-fields, and the last six are upholding the Dharma; next, from "summarily speaking in this way..." onward, it shows this generally. Second, from "wishing to educate and tame all sentient beings..." onward, explaining the lack of boundary positively; this also has specific and general [aspects], as can be known. Third, from "Good man, the bodhisattva's practice universally enters..." onward, concluding with endlessness. This is the same as the ten endless phrases of the first stage: because sentient beings are endless, attaining Buddhahood has no appointed time. If so, could it be that there is no attainment at all? Because of this, the meaning of attainment and non-attainment is briefly distinguished and formulated into four propositions: 1. Setting the previous depth of causes and conditions against the present endlessness, there is a beginning but no attainment; this is stated in terms of the gate of compassion, where one attains the fruit without abandoning the cause. 2. Because one brings forth the mind matching the dharmadhātu, not seeing an initial mark is precisely true attainment; thus there is no beginning but there is an end; this is stated in terms of wisdom. 3. Explaining compassion and wisdom together, because marks are not destroyed, beginning and end do not conflict; the instances in the preceding and following texts are more than one. 4. Speaking in terms of matching the nature, there is neither end nor beginning. Therefore the devī said: "It is only due to the reckoning of conventional words that the three times are said to exist, not that bodhi has past, future, or present." Hence, the night goddess Great Vow Vigour below says: "One cannot distinguish the bodhisattva's wisdom-wheel by long or short kalpas in birth and death," and so forth, illustrating that these four propositions are free of obstruction: wishing to attain, it is attained thought after thought; constantly attaining and constantly not attaining without obstruction. Fourth, making known the name of the Dharma, first there is a question, then an answer. The answer says "The Banner of Freedom from Sorrow and of Peace," which has two meanings: first, because it is lofty and prominent through great compassion, it is called a banner; whoever sees it departs from the suffering of karma and affliction and does not retrogress from bodhi—this is called "freedom from sorrow and peace." Second, compassion identical with wisdom traverses suffering with peace; wisdom identical with compassion is without sorrow for many kalpas, simultaneously crushing birth-and-death and nirvāṇa and standing out far beyond ordinary beings and Hinayāna; hence it is called a "banner."