大方廣佛華嚴經疏 58.20

58.20

Fourth, the night-goddess Sarvajagadr रक्षा (Pujiuzhongsheng Miaode), assigned to the Stage of Blazing Wisdom (Arcismatī). The text contains only five [sections], because the second and third are combined. In the first, 'Proceeding to Seek in Accordance with the Instruction', it first practices and enters into the previous teaching, and afterwards, from 'with single-minded desire to attain' onward, it proceeds to seek the subsequent spiritual friend. In the second, from 'At that time the two goddesses' onward, 'Hearing and Seeing the Dharmadhātu', this combines the second and third: from the perspective of Sudhana, it is seeing and showing respect; from the perspective of what the night-goddess manifests, it is the function of the activity of liberation, which silently confers the dharmadhātu. If analyzed according to the two texts, it first clarifies seeing and paying respect and making inquiries, and afterwards the response concerning causes and conditions constitutes the formal conferral of the dharmadhātu. Now, following the combined outline, it is divided overall into four: first, manifesting light to bestow empowerment; second, receiving the light and obtaining benefit; third, respecting and praising with the three karmas; fourth, questions and answers regarding causes and conditions. Now, the first: liberation that tames sentient beings is that on which the light relies, which is her own dharma-gate; its name and essence can be known. Second, from 'Sudhana at that time' onward, 'Receiving the Light and Obtaining Benefit' means that because he attains samādhi, he sees the great function. In this there are two: first, attaining concentration—because the three karmas and the six sense faculties are all freed from hindrances, it says 'ultimately pure', which is the perfection of pure wisdom; shattering hindrances to form a wheel, what is seen is unobstructed. Afterwards, from 'having attained this' onward, it clarifies seeing the great function. In this there are two: first, seeing the locus on which the function relies; afterwards, from 'in each and every dust mote' onward, it clarifies the events seen. In this there are three: 1. the places of transformation; 2. the benefits wrought by the transformer; 3. the intention behind the transformation. In the former, there are two: first, generally clarifying the categories of places; second, from 'also seeing' onward, separately clarifying the kṣetras within the dust motes. 'Tending toward defilement and impurity', etc., refers to turning and transforming toward defilement: [from] purity, hence defiled; 'pure' means defilements are many; the lower line is the reverse of this. 'Exclusively pure' is in contrast to the above two. The first two lines generally clarify this. Second, from 'such like' onward clarifies the benefits wrought by the transformer, also in two: first, generally clarifying; afterwards, from 'causing the hells' onward, distinctly revealing. In this, it first transforms the five destinies, and afterwards, from 'further seeing all sentient beings' onward, clarifies transforming the nine kinds [of beings]. Third, in 'in order to accomplish' onward, regarding the intention of transformation: accomplishing all dharmas applies to both the transformer and the transformed. Third, from 'At that time the youth Sudhana, seeing this' onward, 'Respect and Praise with the Three Karmas', has three parts: first, bodily and mental reverence; second, from 'At that time that night-goddess' onward, revealing the sovereignty of the spiritual friend; third, from 'At that time' onward, verbally praising in verses. There are twenty and a half verses, divided into two: the first verse is general, and the remaining verses are distinct. In the distinct, there are two: the first nine and a half verses clarify that the function of the light is boundless; afterwards, from 'I, receiving...' onward, relates the previous receiving of the light and obtaining of benefit. In this there are three: the first half-verse attributes the merit to the root; the next two and a half verses recount attaining samādhi; the remainder recounts seeing the great function. Fourth, in 'Questions and Answers regarding Causes and Conditions', there are two: first, the question; afterwards, the answer. In the question there are three: 1. asking the name—previously her name was indicated by the compiler of the sūtra, hence only now is it asked; 2. asking about the duration since attaining the Dharma, desiring to reveal that because of long cultivation her virtue is remote; 3. asking about the cultivation of causes to purify, seeking a path of entry. Afterwards, from 'The night-goddess said' onward, the answer has two parts: first, praising its depth as difficult to speak of; afterwards, from 'I, receiving the power...' onward, relying on the power to speak. Now, the first: what is the mark of depth? In terms of the time of attainment, because the time is so remote, it is not a matter of recent or long ago. In terms of cultivating the cause, because the causal practice is vast. If applying to both above, because it accords deeply with the noumenon. In terms of the name, because the name conforms to essence and function. As for the name, it is the guest of reality, and reality is difficult to fathom. The text has the presentation, the interrogation, and the explanation, which can be known. Afterwards, in relying on the power to speak, first comes the prose, and afterwards the gāthās. In the former, it first indicates consent, and afterwards, from 'Good son' onward, is the main exposition. In this there are two: first, generally answering the three questions; afterwards, separately answering the question on cultivation and purification. Now, the first is divided into three: 1. answering the duration since attaining the Dharma; 2. clarifying the beginning of giving rise to the mind [for bodhi]; 3. concluding by uniting past and present. Now the first has ten passages: 1. generally adducing the kalpa, kṣetra, and Buddha's arising, which already briefly answers the duration; 2. from 'that Buddha's world' onward, generally revealing the marks of the kṣetra; 3. from 'at the eastern border of this world' onward, separately revealing the birthplace; 4. from 'there was a cakravartin' onward, clarifying the parents of her original birth; 5. from 'who had a daughter' onward, clarifying the body of her original birth; 6. from 'at that time, sentient beings' onward, sentient beings giving rise to evil as the cause for the Buddha's appearance; 7. from 'at that time, to the north of that city' onward, the Buddha's arising to benefit beings; 8. from 'at that time Samantabhadra' onward, clarifying the guidance of the spiritual friend; 9. from 'at that time the daughter of the cakravartin' onward, clarifying the virtuous maiden cultivating the cause; 10. from 'Samantajñānaratanārcis' onward, hearing the sūtra and obtaining benefit. The first six can be known. Regarding the seventh, the Buddha's arising to benefit beings, there are three: 1. clarifying the site of attaining the Way; 2. from 'Mount Sumeru' onward, generally revealing the number of Buddhas; 3. from 'the first of them' onward, separately clarifying the first Buddha. In this there are seven: 1. generally clarifying the attainment of the Way; 2. from 'that Tathāgata' onward, the signs prior to attaining the Way, namely emitting light to adjust capacities in eleven stages, each stage having the activity and function of radiance to bring about benefit—matching the benefit to the name may be inferred accordingly; in terms of expressing the Dharma, the first ten are the lights of the sequential ten pāramitās, and the last one is the light of the interpenetrating ten pāramitās, by which illuminating the mind causes one's own wisdom to appear; 3. from 'having completed seven days' onward, shaking the kṣetras and assembling the assembly; 4. from 'at that time, in that world' onward, manifesting marks to reveal virtue; 5. from 'Good son, this universal illumination' onward, clarifying the dependent and proper [rewards] of attaining the Way; 6. from 'Good son, that Samantajñānaratanārcis' onward, first attaining sambodhi, because one attainment is all attainments; 7. from 'in accordance with the minds of sentient beings' onward, turning the wheel of the True Dharma. In this there are three: first, generally indicating the turning of the Dharma; second, from 'in each and every' onward, revealing its accomplishment of benefit, wherein it first benefits ordinary persons, next benefits the two vehicles, and afterwards benefits bodhisattvas—among the bodhisattvas, it first accomplishes practice, and afterwards, from 'arousing bodhicitta' onward, accomplishes the stations: bodhicitta is the station of abidance; the bodhisattva path is the station of practice; pure pāramitās is the station of pariṇāmanā, because through the ocean of great vows one purifies the previous pāramitās; the latter two lines are the station of equal enlightenment (samyak-sambodhi); third, from 'Good son, that Samantajñāna' onward, concluding without interruption. Eighth, 'The Guidance of the Spiritual Friend' has six parts: 1. knowing capacities and the arising of evil; 2. from 'manifested a wondrous body' onward, manifesting a body supremely transcendent; 3. from 'at that time the sentient beings' onward, the capacities of beings being astonished; 4. from 'at that time Samantabhadra' onward, announcing the Buddha's appearance; 5. from 'at that time the daughter of the holy king' onward, the maiden giving rise to the great mind, which is also the cause for entering the Dharma; 6. from 'Good son, at that time the cakravartin' onward, the father-king going to the Buddha. In this there are four: 1. his body dwelling in the sky; 2. leading by praise in verses, in which there are ten verses: the first generally encourages, the next five verses explain the encouragement, and the last four verses conclude the encouragement that because it is supreme one should go; 3. from 'at that time' onward, vastly raising clouds of offerings; 4. from 'having arrived' onward, arriving there and showing respect. Ninth, 'The Virtuous Maiden Cultivating the Cause'. In this there are three: 1. offering adornments to the Buddha, expressing the cultivation of the myriad practices directed toward the fruit of Buddhahood; 2. from 'at that time, adornment' onward, seeing the Buddha manifest transformations, expressing that the cause is small while the fruit is great; 3. from 'having seen this' onward, witnessing the transformations and obtaining benefit. Tenth, 'Hearing the Sūtra and Obtaining Benefit', has three parts: 1. the Buddha preaching the sūtra for her, named from its general mark; 2. from 'at that time that woman' onward, directly clarifying the benefit of hearing, wherein there are also three: first, the benefit of attaining samādhi, the text having general and distinct aspects; next, from 'attaining such like' onward, the benefit of attaining the great mind, namely the mind of compassion, wisdom, etc.; afterwards, from 'single-mindedly contemplating' onward, the benefit of accomplishing great vows—the above three benefits, namely taming sentient beings, are because the three matters of liberation are all dharmas of taming; 3. from 'at that time that Tathāgata again for' onward, revealing past causes. Second, from 'Good son, again prior to this' onward, clarifying the beginning of giving rise to the mind. 'Prior to this' means prior to the kalpa in which the Dharma was attained, revealing that the previous attainment of the Dharma was not without cause. Third, from 'Good son, what do you think?' onward, concluding by uniting past and present. In this there are three: first, uniting the body at the time of attaining the Dharma; next, from 'I at that time' onward, concluding the beginning of giving rise to the mind; afterwards, from 'next, further guiding' onward, directly concluding the attainment of the Dharma; this then answers her name, which is the previous three benefits. Second, from 'Good son, passing that Vairocana' onward, separately answers the question on cultivation and purification. Previously, hearing the Dharma and cultivating practice was prior to attaining the Dharma; this is after attaining the Dharma. In this there are two: 1. separately adducing the Kalpa of Great Light; 2. from 'Good son, in this world' onward, generally revealing all the kalpas. Now the first is divided into three: first, generally clarifying; next, from 'its very first Buddha' onward, separately revealing—the names of the sūtras within it should be elaborated by the speaker; afterwards, from 'Good son, like this' onward, revealing its final one. Second, generally revealing all the kalpas has three parts: first, generally indicating; next, from 'those Tathāgatas' onward, attaining the Dharma and cultivating practice; afterwards, from 'Good son, relying on me' onward, seeing the Buddhas and completing practice. Second, the gāthās, forty-one verses, are divided into three: the first two verses present the Dharma and admonish listening; the next thirty-eight verses praise the previous main exposition; the last verse presents the cause and encourages cultivation. Now, the first praises the previous indication of consent. Regarding the verses of the main exposition, they generally praise the duration since attaining the Dharma and the purification of cultivation, in which there are two: first, thirty-six verses praise the very first kalpa, expanding upon the previous prose. There are one hundred and ten Buddhas, expressing that the ten stages and equal enlightenment each take the first Buddha as primary and the remaining nine as companions. Ponder this. The last two verses praise the previous general revelation of all the kalpas, also expressing that when wisdom is fulfilled and practice is perfected, there is nothing that is not a Buddha.