大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 15.18

15.18

疏「二明傳通感應」下，此段疏文分三：初正辯感應、二出感應所以、三感慶逢遇。初中有六：一翻譯、二造論、三書寫、四讀誦、五觀行、六講說。今初。「晉譯微言雙童現瑞」者，謂初於道場寺譯經，堂前池內每日有二青衣童子從池中出，捧香散華，舉眾皆見。又以此經久在龍宮，龍王慶此傳通，故令龍子給侍，亦有善神護諸左右，故下云「冥衛昭然」。疏「唐翻至教甘露呈祥」，則天夢普天降甘露，故經序云「甘露流津，預夢庚申之夕；膏雨灑潤，後覃壬戌之辰。」以其十四日辛酉初譯，前後各有一日感微。疏「冥衛昭然」下，成上二譯。此句成上晉譯，如上已引，亦有善神執戟衛護左右故。言「親紆御筆」者，即成上唐譯。然事即因講，以則天序云「初譯之日，夢甘露以呈祥。」又是講新譯《華嚴經》，故入譯經之中。傳云「新經初譯之後，佛授記寺諸大德請藏和尚講，勅令十月十五日開講，便即入文。至十二月十二日晚上講，講至華藏世界海震動之文，其講堂內及寺院中忽然震動，于時道俗數千共覩，歎未曾有。三藏法師實叉難陀，及當寺大德明詮律師、德感法師，述茲靈應具以奏聞，都維那慧表署狀為首奏聞則天。以聖曆三年臘月十九日，則天后親運御筆批云『省狀具云：昨因敷演微言、弘揚祕賾，初譯之日，夢甘露以呈祥；開講之辰，感地動而標異。斯乃如來降跡，用符九會之文。豈朕庸虛敢當六種之應。披覽來狀，欣暢盈懷，宜付所司頒示天下。』」此批及狀具如《別錄》，故云親紆御筆。

Regarding the commentary's "Second, explaining the inspirational responses during transmission" and below: this section of the commentary has three parts: first, directly explaining the inspirational responses; second, presenting the reasons for the inspirational responses; third, rejoicing with gratitude over encountering [this teaching]. Within the first part, there are six [subsections]: 1. translating; 2. composing treatises; 3. copying; 4. reading and reciting; 5. meditative practice; 6. lecturing and explaining. Now for the first.

Regarding "In the Jin translation of the subtle words, twin boys manifested auspicious omens": when the sūtra was first translated at Daoyang Monastery, every day in the pond in front of the hall two boys in blue clothing emerged from the pond, holding incense and scattering flowers, which the entire assembly saw. Furthermore, because this sūtra had long remained in the dragon palace, the dragon king rejoiced over this transmission and thus had dragon youths attend [the translators]; there were also benevolent spirits protecting them on all sides; hence it is stated below, "unseen protectors were clearly manifest."

Regarding the commentary's "In the Tang translation of the supreme teaching, sweet dew manifested good omens": Zetian dreamt that sweet dew rained down throughout the realm, and so the sūtra preface states: "Sweet dew flowed with moisture, prefigured in a dream on the evening of the gengshen day; enriching rain poured down its dampness, subsequently extending on the date of the renxu day." Because the translation began on the fourteenth day, xinyou, before and after there was on each day an subtle inspirational sign.

Regarding the commentary's "unseen protectors were clearly manifest" and below: this concludes the discussion of the two translations above. This phrase concludes the Jin translation above; as already cited above, benevolent spirits bearing halberds also guarded them on the left and right. As for "personally wielded the imperial brush": this concludes the Tang translation above. However, the event actually occurred on account of a lecture, for Zetian's preface states: "On the day of initial translation, a dream of sweet dew manifested a good omen." Moreover, because it was a lecture on the newly translated Avataṃsaka Sūtra, it is included within the translation of the sūtra. The biography states: "After the new sūtra was initially translated, the venerable masters of Foshouji Monastery requested the Preceptor [Fazang] to lecture. By imperial order, he was commanded to inaugurate the lecture on the fifteenth day of the tenth month, whereupon he directly entered the text. On the evening of the twelfth day of the twelfth month, as he was lecturing, he reached the passage where the ocean of the Worlds of the Lotus Storehouse trembled: inside the lecture hall and within the monastery grounds, the ground suddenly quaked. At that time, several thousand monastics and laypeople all witnessed it and marvelled at what was unprecedented. The Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda, as well as Vinaya Master Mingquan and Dharma Master Degan, venerable elders of that monastery, described this miraculous response and reported it in full to the throne; the rector (karmadāna) Huibiao signed the memorial at the head and submitted it to Zetian. On the nineteenth day of the twelfth month of the third year of the Shengli era, Empress Zetian personally wielded the imperial brush to write an endorsement, stating: 'I have examined the memorial, which details: "Yesterday, on account of expounding the subtle words and propagating the secret depths—on the day of initial translation, a dream of sweet dew manifested a good omen; on the day the lecture commenced, the response of the earth quaking displayed a miraculous sign. This is indeed the Tathāgata descending his traces, in accord with the text of the Nine Assemblies. How could our humble and unworthy self dare take credit for a response of the six kinds [of shaking]? Looking over the memorial received, joy and delight fill our heart. Let it be delivered to the relevant office to be proclaimed to all under heaven."' This endorsement and memorial are detailed in full in the Separate Record; hence it says: 'personally wielded the imperial brush.'"