大方廣佛華嚴經疏 56.7

56.7

Fourth, from 'Good man, I only...' onward, he humbles himself and defers to what is superior. Herein, first he humbles his own knowledge, which concludes his own share; then, from 'How could I know...' onward, he attributes superior and greater knowledge to others, which enhances advanced progress. First, as for 'the spheres of all buddhas', this concludes what is contemplated. Latitudinally it pervades the ten powers, and longitudinally it encompasses the three periods of time, hence 'all'. This is the One Practice Samādhi of universally contemplating spheres above: contemplating the dharmakāya of the buddhas of the ten directions, it also extends to the reward and transformation bodies, since various bodily forms are conjoined with the ocean of marks. Next, 'the radiance of wisdom' concludes that which contemplates, which is the above illumination by the light of wisdom. Next, 'the universal-vision teaching gate' collectively gathers the preceding two to conclude its designation, which is the aforementioned clarity and thoroughness of the universal eye. That the first good friend first clarifies the teaching gate of mindfulness of the Buddha is because it is the foremost of all practices. Therefore the *Upadeśa* says: 'A bodhisattva takes the perfection of wisdom as mother and the Pratyutpanna Samādhi as father'; it is because by relying on the Buddha, other superior practices are accomplished; also, because in the initial dwelling one resolves one's mind in dependence on the Buddha and delights in making offerings. Second, regarding deferring to the superior, there are three parts: first, a general statement; next, from 'namely' onward, specific expositions; finally, from 'and how could I...' onward, the conclusion. First, 'boundless wisdom' refers to the wisdom that contemplates in the various gates below and those not spoken of, because it takes boundless spheres as its object. 'Pure practice' refers to the mind free of hindrances in the various gates below. Speaking of 'gates', it is because through each one of them, one enters the buddha-realm. Second, in the specific exposition there are twenty-one gates, each first presenting the title and then explaining the characteristics, all named according to their activity and function. According to the Jin version of the sūtra, every single one is called a 'buddha-mindfulness samādhi gate'; here the word 'samādhi' is omitted for brevity, but in principle it should indeed be present. Ancient masters judged these as: the first ten being fully complete with the superior virtues of mindfulness of the Buddha, and the latter eleven being the sovereign, marvelous functions of mindfulness of the Buddha. This is also a valid interpretation. Strictly and finely speaking, each and every one is mindfulness of a buddha whose essence and function are unobstructed. Furthermore, each of these gates is already clear from the text's title and explanation, yet by scrutinizing their purport closely, the meanings are manifold. However, as for the buddha-mindfulness samādhi, its general characteristic is one, while specifically it encompasses the three bodies and ten bodies, each cultivated contemplation being distinct. Tentatively explaining in terms of the three bodies, it is divided broadly into three: mindfulness of the dharma, reward, and transformation bodies. Being distinct contemplations, each of the three bodies has its environmental and direct [retributions], thus becoming six contemplations: mindfulness of the dharmatā-body and land as the dharmakāya's direct and environmental retributions; mindfulness of the reward body's Padmagarbha world-realm and so on as environmental, and the ocean of marks of the ten bodies and so on as direct; mindfulness of other pure lands' waters, birds, trees, and groves as the transformation body's environmental, and the thirty-two marks and so on as the transformation body's direct retribution. Furthermore, the latter two direct retributions are each divided into two: mindfulness of internal virtues and external marks and signs. The ten powers, fearlessnesses, and so forth are the virtues of the transformation body; as in the chapter 'Inconceivable Qualities', they are the virtues of the reward body; the thirty-two marks and so forth are the marks and signs of the transformation body, while the ten Padmagarbha realms and so forth are the marks and signs of the reward body; thus making eight gates. The initial two gates of the dharmakāya serve as the essence of the subsequent six gates. If essence and marks are unobstructed, it forms the ninth gate. If one integrates the preceding gates into a single unity, seeing infinite buddhas in a single subtle spot, multiplied endlessly like the realm of Indra's net, one enters the gate of Samantabhadra's buddha-mindfulness samādhi. Now, these twenty-one gates all universally pertain to the latter one, yet because of distinct characteristics, there are multiple gates, which mutually expand or contract with the preceding ten gates. The first, the gate of the universal illumination of wisdom-light, broadly extends across the direct and environmental retributions of the dharma, reward, and transformation bodies, since this gate is general. 'All buddhas' extends horizontally and vertically and pervades all buddha-lands, hence it says 'variously adorned and pure'. Like the *Contemplation Sūtra of Amitāyus*, first contemplating the ground of sparkling lapis lazuli and groves of jewels and precious trees, as well as making the Padmagarbha contemplation, each sphere has inexhaustible adornment; only the land of no-land is true purity, and so forth. Second, it contemplates the form-body, enabling one to attain purity upon seeing it. In setting forth the title, the three words 'buddha-mindfulness gate' are already a common name; as for the words 'enabling all sentient beings', one does not yet know what they are caused to do. Therefore, according to the Jin translation, it should say 'causing all sentient beings to leave behind upside-down delusion', and only then is the meaning of the buddha-mindfulness gate fully complete. Third, mindfulness of internal virtue. Fourth, also internal virtue explained without error, imparting to bodhisattvas the vision of the Buddha's origin, in order to attain the Dharma. Fifth, pervading the three bodies' environmental and direct, internal virtues and external marks, because the Tathāgatas of the ten directions share the same single dharmakāya, a single mind, and a single wisdom, and the powers and fearlessnesses are likewise so; therefore, they can all transform sentient beings according to their original vows. The rest may be inferred accordingly. This is also the One Practice Samādhi, because through mindfulness of one buddha, all are equal. Sixth, this is the ninth contemplation of the non-obstruction between noumenon and phenomena, because noumenon fuses phenomena. Following any single subtle realm, one sees many supernormal powers; being the sphere solely of the wisdom-eye, it is called invisible. The seventh and eighth are both in terms of time, and both pervade all bodies and lands. The seventh is in terms of the ceaselessness of the buddha-work that is the object of mindfulness; the eighth is in terms of the uninterruptedness of the duration of the contemplating subject. The ninth is mindfulness of both environmental and direct retributions, also pervading reward and transformation. The tenth is mindfulness of the true in the responsive: the buddhas of the past abide in the realm of non-nirvāṇa, and the buddhas of the future are also already manifest and accomplished. As the *Mañjuśrī-prajñā* says: 'If the present Buddha abides in the world, then all buddhas abide, because they share the same single inconceivability.' Also, in terms of following marks, whatever buddha one wishes to contemplate, that buddha manifests. The eleventh is also the function that is identical to essence: because one understands that there is no realm that is not the Buddha's, in realm after realm the Buddha manifests. The twelfth is mindfulness of the responsive, and the thirteenth is also mindfulness of the responsive; however, in seeing buddhas within the eleven realms above, one might think the buddhas abide within the realms; now it is made clear that the buddhas have no abiding, and therefore, far leaving behind thoughts of time and place, one sees them depart moment by moment in a single day. The fourteenth is mindfulness of the reward body's marks and signs—eyes, ears, and so forth—all pervading the dharmadhātu. In the fifteenth, mindfulness is function identical to essence; the sixth subtlety above revealed that within the environmental there is the direct, while this is in terms of there being direct within the direct, and thus does not blur with the former. The sixteenth is mindfulness of the interpenetration of kalpas; the above two are both functions identical to essence. The seventeenth is mindfulness of internal virtues. The eighteenth and nineteenth are both mindfulness of bodily form. The twentieth is mindfulness of the environmental. The twenty-first pervades internal and external, true and responsive, and all clouds of bodies, as in the 'Manifestation Chapter' above and the context throughout. The above distinguishes differences according to what is contemplated, forming ten gates. If mutually expanded and contracted with the sūtra text, the gates are not just one; twenty-one is merely a brief explanation. However, in terms of the contemplating mind, it does not exceed five kinds: 1. The gate of mindfulness of the Buddha by taking objects as condition: contemplating the true or the responsive, the direct or the environmental, or even merely reciting the name, since it is also an object; hence most of the above gates are this gate. 2. The gate of mindfulness of the Buddha by gathering objects into mind-only: namely the eighteenth and nineteenth gates; the eighteenth is mind-only in general characteristics, for this mind is the buddha and this mind becomes the buddha; the nineteenth, although following one's own mind, involves many varieties of mental karma, whereby seeing the buddha is superior or inferior. 3. The gate of mindfulness of the Buddha where mind and object are both extinguished: namely the preceding gate of mindfulness of the Buddha by leaving far behind, part of the invisible gate, and the gate of being like space. 4. The gate of mindfulness of the Buddha of non-obstruction between mind and object: namely like the first gate, illuminating both noumenon and phenomena, preservation and extinction being unobstructed, hence called 'universal illumination'. 5. The gate of the inexhaustible multilayeredness: namely contemplating in accordance with the aforementioned tenth gate, like the subtle gate and others, which is also the overarching meaning of this gate. If classified by the ten bodies, each pair of gates forms one body, with the last one generally manifesting all: namely vow, wisdom, dharma, power, sustaining, mind-made, transformation, majesty, bodhi, and the body adorned with merit and marks. Because the gate of mindfulness of the Buddha is praised by all teachings, its principles are profound and far-reaching, and it is widely practiced in the world, it is explained briefly here without begrudging detailed exposition. Third, the conclusion can be understood.