大方廣佛華嚴經疏 59.11

59.11

Second, from “At that time, Sudhana accepted and practiced” downward, is seeing, paying respect, and inquiring: first seeing, next paying respect, and afterward inquiring. In the first part, he first beholds the dependent [environment], and afterward sees the primary [person]. In this first section, he first accepts and practices her teaching, connecting the preceding to initiate what follows—closely following the words of the rākṣasī, and distantly connecting to the three preceding excellent spiritual friends; because the previous two spirits had not yet given answers, it is precisely through the training of the previous three stations that he is able to behold this supreme recompense. Afterward, from “At that moment” downward, directly clarifies what is seen. In this there are three: First, it clarifies the lotus flower as the realized dharmadhātu. Because its self-nature is undefiled, it is called a lotus flower. Ignorance having opened, it is not separated from within the mind, like springing up from the ground. It also signifies the four [qualities] of the innately pure myriad practices, because they emerge from the ground of dharmatā. This is the flower of Samantabhadra among the ten samādhis. Second, from “Upon its terrace” downward, clarifies the multi-storied pavilions on the terrace. This means that the two wisdoms, expedient and real, which are capable of realization, are manifested anew relying upon what is realized. Wisdom encompasses all without an exterior, hence it is said to universally contain the ten directions. It gathers in a summary way the self-portion and superior progression of the five stations, hence it is said that a thousand pillars are arranged in rows. Each and every one of these phenomena has a symbolic meaning, but for fear of prolixity [I omit them]. Third, from “In that multi-storied pavilion” downward, clarifies the jeweled throne within the pavilion; that is, the essence of wisdom is itself empty, hence it says that there is a throne within the pavilion. Emptiness is endowed with the virtues of nature, hence it extensively displays adornments. Second, from “At that time Sudhana” downward, is seeing the primary recompense of the spiritual friend. In this there are two: First, concluding the preceding and marking what follows. The preceding only clarified the main seat; now it concludes both the master and the retinue. Afterward, from “namely” downward, specifically displays the cloud of bodies. In this there are also two: first clarifying the marks of the bodies, and afterward displaying the bodily activities. In the former there are also two: first clarifying the inconceivable bodies of myriad kinds, and afterward clarifying the single kind of exceedingly supreme body. In the former there are also two: first displaying the particular marks, and afterward clarifying the common essence. In this first part, there are forty bodies: among them, some are solely in terms of phenomena, such as the pervasive physical body; some are solely in terms of noumenon, such as the twelfth and thirteenth, the non-arising and non-ceasing bodies, because fundamentally there is no arising, and ceasing also does not constitute ceasing; some have noumenon and phenomena mutually penetrating, such as the thirty-second and thirty-fifth, the physical bodies of non-arising and non-birth, because phenomena reveal noumenon. Among these, “non-arising” is in terms of being accomplished by one's own vows, with no separate arising; “non-birth” means manifesting in accordance with others, where birth is itself non-birth. The rest can be understood by analogy. Afterward, from “Such bodies” downward, clarifies their common essence, meaning they are free from the aggregates with clinging. Second, from “At that time Sudhana” downward, clarifies the single kind of exceedingly supreme body, in terms of being exclusively female. Second, from “Manifesting such” downward, clarifies bodily activities. In this there are two: first, a general indication; afterward, from “Practicing in equality” downward, a specific display, which is also two: first, clarifying the practices of the ten perfections, where only diligence is placed before forbearance, and the rest follow their proper sequence. That is, first it clarifies dāna; next, from “producing” downward, śīla, because śīla can generate and foster; third, from “practicing” downward, vīrya; fourth, from “contemplating” downward, kṣānti; fifth, from “endowed with all” downward, dhyāna; sixth, from “constantly turning” downward, prajñā; seventh, from “seeing all Tathāgatas” downward, upāya; eighth, from “accomplishing great vows” downward, praṇidhāna; ninth, from “the mind constantly penetrating everywhere” downward, bala; tenth, from “attaining the light of the Buddha's wisdom” downward, jñāna. Afterward, from “cultivating all Tathāgatas” downward, clarifies the practices of the two adornments. Not yet being a Buddha's mother refers to her fundamental practices. Second, from “At that time Sudhana” downward, shows respect: because his own path is already profound, he manifests a body equal to hers. The above two both mean abiding in the essence while universally responding. Third, from “Addressing the Great Sage, he said” downward, inquires into the reasons. Recounting Mañjuśrī and the others: if in terms of equal enlightenment, it is because the causal station is at its utmost; if in terms of integrating conditions, from the initial resolve of bodhicitta, each and every good friend is a condition to be integrated, sharing in entering the comparable. Third, from “She replied, saying: ‘Son of the Buddha’” downward, reveals her own dharmadhātu. In this there are three: first, clarifying the essence; second, the functioning of activity; third, the root source. Now in the first, “great” has two meanings: first, greatness of vow, because she vows to be the mother of all Buddhas; second, greatness of wisdom. Wisdom also has two meanings: first, expedient wisdom, which is able to give rise to great vows and able to accomplish illusory phenomena; second, real wisdom, which is prajñā, giving birth to the true body of the Buddha. “Illusion” also has two meanings: first, because the essence of vow and wisdom is empty and takes its name as illusion corresponding to its marks. As the text above says, “Illusory wisdom is precisely the bodhisattva, and the bodhisattva is precisely illusory wisdom”; therefore it leaves nothing undone. Second, it is the meaning of giving birth to the Buddha as operated by wisdom; that is, within one's own body, not destroying the small while vastly accommodating, and with respect to the Buddha's body, having no arising yet manifesting arising. Furthermore, vows encompass Samantabhadra, and wisdom encompasses Mañjuśrī; both enter the great illusion, are together prajñā, and are also named the Mother of the Buddhas. Second, from “Therefore, constantly being” downward, is the functioning of activity. In this there are two: first, general; afterward, from “Son of the Buddha, just as I” downward, specific. In this there are four: first, being the mother of the present Vairocana; second, from “Good man, just as now” downward, being the mother of all past Buddhas; third, from “Just as in this world” downward, being the mother of the thousand Buddhas of the Bhadrakalpa, the meaning extending through the three periods of time; fourth, from “Just as in this trichiliocosm” downward, concluding that it extends horizontally and vertically without end. In the first part there are two: first, marking being the mother of Vairocana in the ocean of worlds; afterward, from “Furthermore, good man” downward, specifically displaying the marks of giving birth to the Buddha. In this there are four: First, the light from the pores as a preliminary sign, in which there are five: 1. the light entering the body; 2. the light manifesting transformations; 3. seeing the eight marks; 4. manifesting cause and effect; 5. causing the body to be inconceivable, meaning not large yet accommodating the ten directions. Second, from “At that time the bodhisattva” downward, directly clarifies entering the womb at will. In this there are also five: 1. retinue escorting; 2. the bodhisattva manifesting supernormal powers; 3. the light quelling suffering; 4. manifesting transformations and entering the womb; 5. strolling after having entered. Third, from “Moreover, in thought after thought” downward, the belly containing oceans of multitudes is inconceivable. Fourth, from “Good man, such” downward, adduces this to compare with a hundred million. “Fundamentally without duality” corresponds to the single nature. “Not abiding in one place” is because the essence is pervasive. “Not abiding in many places” is because it is not like phenomena. Furthermore, the upper phrase does not destroy the many, while the lower phrase does not destroy the one. Furthermore, in the upper phrase, noumenon is like phenomena; in the lower phrase, phenomena are like noumenon. Furthermore, the one and the many are mutually identical and mutually entering. These all explain the meaning of illusory wisdom within. The second, third, and fourth sections below are all easily understood. Third, from “At that time Sudhana” downward, distinguishes the root source of the Dharma: first inquiring, afterward answering. In the answer there are six: 1. The wheel-turning king in the distant past. The statement that this is not known by bodhisattvas of their final existence reveals that it is known only by Buddhas, not only because it is distant, but also to reveal that time has no mark of time, as the Buddha's wisdom accords with it. 2. From “In that king's city” downward, there being a Buddha and Māra arriving. 3. The sacred emperor assisting in subduing, signifying the king of wisdom assisting the essence, as original enlightenment appears. At this time she had already attained the supernormal powers of a bodhisattva, clarifying that she only now accomplished them, but not truly for the first time. 4. The spirit of the bodhimanda giving rise to the vow: wisdom relies on compassion to arise, hence the spirit gives rise to the thought of a son. 5. Concluding and integrating past and present. 6. Being the mother universally. The previous was being the mother at the time of birth, which is the mother of vows; this clarifies being the mother at the time of attaining the path, which is the mother of wisdom. Emitting light from the navel is the place where shared vital breath grows and develops, signifying that all Buddhas are born from the non-dual noumenon. The remaining three sections can be understood.