大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 1.25

1.25

疏「盡宏廓之幽宗，被難思之海會」者，五明所被眾也。然上句略明經義，以為能被義，在旨趣之中。今為成所被故，略舉能耳。宏者大也，廓者空也，幽者深也。下句所被。云被難思之海會者，以深廣故，謂普賢等眾行德齊佛、數廣剎塵，故稱為海。深超情表是不可思，數廣難量亦不可思。即深而廣不可作深思，即廣而深不可為廣思，真應權實類例多端又不可思，該徹果海尤不可思。故初會云「有十佛剎微塵數菩薩所共圍繞」，略列四十二眾，皆以剎塵無量而為其量。況口光所召，一一菩薩各領世界海微塵數菩薩以為眷屬來至此會，毛光重現周入剎塵，依正作用該攝三際，諸大菩薩尚不能思，豈況凡情測其涯際，故云難思之海會。

Regarding the commentary's phrase, 'Exhausting the profound tenets of vast openness, embracing the inconceivable ocean-like assembly': this fifth [point] clarifies the assembly that is embraced. Now, the preceding clause briefly clarifies the meaning of the sūtra as the embracing capacity, which pertains to the overarching purport. Here, in order to establish what is embraced, it briefly adduces the embracing capacity. 'Vast' (hong) means great; 'open' (kuo) means empty; 'profound' (you) means deep. The following clause is what is embraced. Saying 'embracing the inconceivable ocean-like assembly' is because of its depth and breadth: namely, the virtues and practices of Samantabhadra and the other assembly members equal those of the Buddha, and their numbers are as vast as dust motes of kṣetras, hence they are called an 'ocean.' Depth surpassing conceptual thought is inconceivable; vast numbers difficult to measure are likewise inconceivable. Being both deep and vast, it cannot be conceived merely as depth; being both vast and deep, it cannot be conceived merely as vastness. The absolute and responsive, the provisional and real, present diverse types and varieties, which are again inconceivable; and its comprehensive penetration into the ocean of the fruition is especially inconceivable. Therefore, the first assembly says: 'Surrounded by bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes in ten buddha-kṣetras,' briefly listing forty-two assemblies, all of which take the immeasurable dust motes of kṣetras as their measure. How much more so when summoned by the light from the Buddha's mouth: each individual bodhisattva brings as retinue bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of ocean-worlds to arrive at this assembly; the light from his pores repeatedly manifests, everywhere entering into the dust motes of kṣetras; and the operations of environment and sentient beings subsume the three times. When the great bodhisattvas themselves cannot fathom this, how much less could ordinary mundane sentiments measure its bounds? Hence it is called the 'inconceivable ocean-like assembly.'