大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 86.14

86.14

第七休捨優婆夷，寄不退住，入於無生畢竟空理。心心常行空無相願，止觀雙運，緣不能壞，湛猶澄海故。疏「涅槃亦有此數」者，即第六經〈如來性品〉說四依義。後經云「迦葉菩薩白佛言：『世尊！如是經典正法滅時、正戒毀時、非法增長時、無如法眾生時，誰聽受奉持讀誦令其通利，供養恭敬、書寫解說？』下取意引。爾時佛讚迦葉：『善哉善哉。善男子！汝能問如是義。善男子！若有眾生，一恒河沙佛所發菩提心，乃能於惡世不謗是經，不能為人分別廣說。若二恒河沙佛所發菩提心，乃能於惡世不謗信樂受持讀誦，亦不能為人演說。若三恒河沙佛所發菩提心，具第二人德，雖為人說，未解深義。若四恒河沙佛所發心，亦具前德，為他廣說十六分中一分之義，雖復演說亦不具足。若五恒河沙佛所發心，能廣為人說十六分中八分之義。若六恒河沙佛所發心，能廣為人說十六分中十二分之義。若七恒河沙佛所發心，為他廣說十六分中十四分義。若有於八恒河沙佛所發心，然後乃能於惡世中不謗是法，受持讀誦書寫經卷，亦勸他人令得書寫，自能聽受亦勸他人令得聽受通利』」等。然經但有積一至八，三十六言乃是義取，一上加二為三，三上加三為六，六上加四為十，十上加五為十五，十五上加六為二十一，二十一上加七為二十八，二十八上加八為三十六。是則積於八人二三四等，共為三十六也。雖是義取，理必應然。疏「天女云」者，即《淨名經》，前已引竟。疏「故彼住文云出廣大遍滿音」者，即勝進十法中之一句耳。

The seventh [good friend], the upāsikā Āśā, is assigned to the Abode of Non-retrogression; she enters the principle of non-arising and ultimate emptiness. Mind-moment by mind-moment she constantly practices emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; calming and contemplation operate in tandem, and conditions cannot disrupt her, for she is profound like a clear ocean. Regarding the commentary's "the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] also has this number": this refers to the sixth fascicle, the 'Chapter on the Tathāgata Nature', which explains the meaning of the four reliances. Later in the sūtra it states: "Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One! When such scriptures and the true Dharma are destroyed, when the true precepts are ruined, when non-Dharma proliferates, and when there are no beings who conform to the Dharma, who will listen, receive, uphold, read, recite, and master them, make offerings, revere, transcribe, and explain them?' Below, the meaning is cited in summary. At that time, the Buddha praised Kāśyapa: 'Excellent, excellent! Good man, you are able to ask such a meaning. Good man! If there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of one Ganges River, they will be able not to slander this sūtra in an evil age, but will not be able to analyze and broadly explain it for others. If they have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of two Ganges Rivers, they will be able in an evil age not to slander it, but faithfully rejoice, receive, uphold, read, and recite it, yet still not be able to expound it for others. If they have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of three Ganges Rivers, they possess the virtues of the second person; although they explain it for others, they do not yet understand its profound meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of four Ganges Rivers, they also possess the previous virtues, and broadly explain for others one part out of sixteen parts of its meaning, yet in expounding it, they are not yet complete. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of five Ganges Rivers, they can broadly explain for others eight parts out of sixteen parts of its meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of six Ganges Rivers, they can broadly explain for others twelve parts out of sixteen parts of its meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of seven Ganges Rivers, they broadly explain for others fourteen parts of its meaning. If there are those who have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, only then can they avoid slandering this Dharma in an evil age, receive, uphold, read, recite, and copy the sūtra scrolls, also encourage others to transcribe them, personally listen and receive, and also encourage others to listen, receive, and master them,' and so on. However, the sūtra merely accumulates from one to eight; the count of thirty-six is derived through its underlying meaning: adding two onto one makes three; adding three onto three makes six; adding four onto six makes ten; adding five onto ten makes fifteen; adding six onto fifteen makes twenty-one; adding seven onto twenty-one makes twenty-eight; adding eight onto twenty-eight makes thirty-six. Thus, accumulating the two, three, four, and so on of the eight persons amounts to thirty-six in total. Although this is derived through meaning, the principle must necessarily be so. Regarding the commentary's "the heavenly maiden said": this refers to the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, which was already cited above. Regarding the commentary's "hence that text on the abode states 'emitting a vast, all-pervasive sound'": this is merely one line among the ten Dharmas of superior progress.