大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 19.14

19.14

疏「又從本流末」下，通妨。謂有難言：就先列中，既菩薩為本、雜類為末，先本後末，即合諸天之內，從自在天、次明廣果、次列三禪等，何以先明欲界、後列初禪二禪等耶？是則先小後大矣。故今答云：菩薩為本，猶如一乘。雜類為末，如流三乘。三乘之中，初於鹿苑轉於四諦，漸次歸大，故先列欲界、後列色界，如次而上，故云先小後大。故自在為末，末即末後耳。「攝末歸本」者，又有難言：讚德之中，表尋末歸本，後明菩薩者，則合先明日月天讚，末後方明自在天讚。何以雜類之中，先明自在讚耶？故今答云：攝末歸本，必從深至淺。謂菩薩是所歸之本，雜類是所攝之末，攝末必須從勝，是故先攝大乘權教。如海攝百川，必先攝江、次攝大河、次攝小河、次攝溝洫。故攝歸一乘，先攝權大、次攝緣覺、次攝聲聞、次攝人天，一毫之善無不皆攝。故先明自在天讚，表是所攝之中先攝勝也。後明日月天等，表所攝之中後收劣也。

From the Commentary's "Furthermore, flowing from the root to the branches" downward, it resolves an objection. An objection states: In the initial listing, since bodhisattvas are the root and the miscellaneous classes are the branches, putting the root first and the branches later, then among the various devas it should be that from the Maheśvara Deva (Paranirmitavaśavartin/Īśvara), next comes the Bṛhatphala, and next lists the third dhyāna, and so on; why does it first clarify the desire realm and later list the first dhyāna, second dhyāna, and so on? This would be putting the lesser first and the greater later. Therefore, it now answers: The bodhisattvas are the root, like the One Vehicle. The miscellaneous classes are the branches, like the flowing of the three vehicles. Among the three vehicles, initially at the Deer Park the Four Truths were turned, gradually returning to the Great; therefore it lists the desire realm first and the form realm later, ascending in proper sequence; hence it says "the lesser first and the greater later." Thus Īśvara is the branch, and "branch" means the very last. Regarding "gathering the branches to return to the root": another objection states: In the praises of virtues, to symbolize tracing the branches to return to the root, bodhisattvas are explained last, so it should be that the praises of the Sun and Moon devas are explained first, and only at the very end are the praises of the Īśvara devas explained. Why, among the miscellaneous classes, are the praises of Īśvara explained first? Therefore, it now answers: Gathering the branches to return to the root must proceed from the deep to the shallow. Bodhisattvas are the root to which one returns, and the miscellaneous classes are the branches that are gathered. Gathering the branches must proceed from the superior; for this reason, it first gathers the provisional teaching of the Mahāyāna. Just as the ocean gathers the hundred streams, it must first gather the Yangtze, next gather the great rivers, next gather the small streams, and next gather the ditches and gutters. Therefore, when gathering and returning to the One Vehicle, it first gathers the provisional Mahāyāna, next gathers the pratyekabuddhas, next gathers the śrāvakas, and next gathers humans and devas; not a single hair of goodness is left ungathered. Therefore, first explaining the praises of the Īśvara devas symbolizes that among those gathered, the superior are gathered first. Later explaining the Sun and Moon devas and so forth symbolizes that among those gathered, the inferior are collected later.