大方廣佛華嚴經疏 6.16

6.16

Second, in the main discourse, the ten verses in sequence each represent one dharma gate in the compilation, which took these to form the prose; it is not that these versify what came before. However, the prose and verses here have many differences: the characters in the verses are fixed, whereas the prose varies in length; moreover, the prose concerns the devas' attainment of the Dharma, while the verses praise the Buddha—this is necessarily so. If we compare the two texts, there are distinctions of cause and effect, differences between essence and function, mutual foreshadowing or omission, alternating presentation of difficult and easy points, differences between dharma and metaphor, or reciprocal mention of the active and passive. Therefore, those who transmit the teaching should discern this well; when the two texts illuminate each other, the meaning is easily understood. Now, in the first deva, the first two lines are the previously mentioned dharmadhātu and space that are pervaded, and also clarify the Buddha's body that pervades, so that all ten bodies pervade. "Inexhaustible": first, manifestation is inexhaustible, like clouds emerging from a high mountain; second, it is not a dharma that perishes, like the permanent abiding of space. The next line is quiescence: because it lacks self-nature, it cannot be grasped as one, different, both, or neither. The last line is skillful means, combining the two into power. This verse is the speaker's own dharma, hence the deva's name is not concluded here; the subsequent ones should all be understood accordingly. In the second, the first line is the aforementioned sovereign Buddha being the Dharma King, sovereign over dharmas; the next line is contemplation; the third line is universality; the last line attributes the dharma to the person, because it is spoken for others. However, since the concluding name has the same meaning as the dharma gate, to avoid prolixity it is not matched here; others follow this pattern. In the third, the first line is effortless; "inconceivable" is the label, "free from discrimination" is the explanation. The next line is non-arising and the rest; "marks" are arising and the rest, "without" means the negative. The third line is practice. The prose requires one first to know the non-arising of dharmas before being able to achieve effortless practice; the verse requires freedom from discrimination before being able to see the non-arising of dharmas. Inward realization and outward function occur simultaneously, which is why the two texts differ in sequence. In the fourth, the first line clarifies vastness; the next line clarifies depth, which is the aforementioned ocean of wisdom; the third line shows seeing the reality of dharmas for oneself, and thus being able to prevent beings from being confused about phenomena and noumenon. In the fifth, the first line is skillful concentration, and the next two lines are giving peace and joy. In the sixth, the first line is the aforementioned dark delusion, meaning perpetually confused about false realms and constantly veiling the true mind; the next line causes them to contemplate quiescence; the following line means that through extinguishing ignorance, one attains the blazing light of sambodhi, which is the aforementioned meaning of cessation. In the seventh, the first two lines mean skillfully entering the boundless realm, where the boundless realm is the place of response; "incomparable" means skillful. In the next line, "without nature" means responding upon resonance; "without reliance" means thoughts are quiescent. Through this, one can cause beings not to create karma. In the eighth, the first two lines mean universally going to the ten directions to speak the Dharma; the next line means unmoving and without reliance. In the ninth, the first line means entering the quiescent realm; the next two lines mean universally manifesting radiance. In the tenth, the first eleven characters take the boundless realm as the cognitive object, and "seeking bodhi" is the place of one's own awakening; the next line indicates that having taken that realm as object, spiritual transformations must arise, which was omitted in the previous text.