大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 1.27

1.27

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "Host and retinue in manifold layers chant in unison to the utmost bounds of the ten directions": this seventh point specifically demonstrates the ritual of expounding [the sūtra]. It means that this is an expounding that encompasses all regions, taking one as the host and the ten directions as the retinue. All Buddhas and bodhisattvas have hosts and retinues, mutually facing one another throughout the ten directions; whichever one is taken as host, the ten directions serve as the retinue, contiguous and overlapping, hence called "manifold layers." However, the characteristic is still difficult to understand, so it is now briefly indicated again. When it says that all Buddhas and bodhisattvas have hosts and retinues, there are roughly three propositions: First, fruition-host and fruition-retinue, meaning Vairocana is the host and the Buddhas of the ten directions are the retinue; or the Buddhas of the ten directions are the hosts and Vairocana is the retinue. Second, cause-host and cause-retinue, meaning the Bodhisattva Dharmamati of this world is the host and the Bodhisattvas Dharmamati of the ten directions are the retinue; or the bodhisattvas of the ten directions are the hosts and the bodhisattva of this world is the retinue. Third, fruition-host and cause-retinue, meaning the Tathāgata is the host and Samantabhadra and the others are the retinue. This case may also be called assisting attendants, and may also be termed a retinue. That Buddha is the host, and the bodhisattvas of this world are the retinue. As when Dharmamati expounds the Dharma and the Buddhas of the ten directions bear witness, they are merely called the Buddhas who bear witness to the Dharma, not cause-host and fruition-retinue. Even if it were so, as retinue they themselves face their root Buddha as host; therefore it is said that they are contiguous and overlap. Therefore, regarding "manifold layers," there are roughly two meanings: First, mutual perspective between this and that. For example, Vairocana is the host and the Buddhas of the ten directions are the retinue. To the east of this realm, Akṣobhya Tathāgata is the host, while Vairocana of this land and the Buddhas of the ten directions are the retinue. The second Buddha further to the east is the host, while Vairocana, the first Buddha to the east, and the Buddhas of the ten directions are the retinue; thus, along with any single Buddha, there are layers of all Buddhas of the dharmadhātu. Just as when ten people are host and retinue, mutually viewing one another results in ten layers of host and retinue. Since this is so for one Buddha, it is likewise for Buddha-host and bodhisattva-retinue. Since this is so for cause-host, it is likewise for cause-retinue. Within this single meaning, there are inherently three meanings. Second, Vairocana as a single Buddha is the host, and the bodhisattvas of the ten directions are the retinue. Since the host Buddha is omnipresent, the retinue is also omnipresent accordingly. That is to say, when Vairocana is in the Hall of Universal Light, from beyond realms numbering as many as the dust motes of ten Buddha-lands in the eastern direction, Mañjuśrī of the Golden World comes to be the retinue; bodhisattvas of the ten directions all come from ten lands away. If this host Buddha moves one realm to the east and sits upon a lotus seat, the Golden Mañjuśrī's coming is also not close at hand, remaining at a distance of dust motes of ten Buddha-lands away. It is like the bright moon in the vast sky surrounded by the constellations, with stars and moon radiantly appearing in myriad vessels and a hundred rivers. The moon is like the host Buddha and the constellations are like the retinue, both appearing near and far in each body of water. In principle, this corresponds to the Golden [World] approaching one realm to the east, while the Bodhisattva Dhanasirī of the Lotus-Color World in the west also shifts one realm closer to the east, and the remaining eight directions all shift one realm closer to the east. In this manner, when the host Buddha reaches beyond realms numbering as many as the dust motes of ten Buddha-lands to the east and sits upon the lion seat of the Lotus Treasury, he is located directly at the original Golden World. Because the host Buddha has reached there, that Golden World is also beyond realms numbering as many as the dust motes of ten Buddha-lands close to the east, while the western Lotus-Color World is located directly at the site of the Sahā realm. In this way, when the host Buddha reaches the utmost of the eastern direction, the companion lands such as the Golden [World] also reach the utmost of the east; one never sees Mañjuśrī coming from west to east to draw near to the host Buddha. In this way, when the host Buddha reaches the utmost of the western direction, one also does not see a western bodhisattva crossing from east to west to draw near to the host Buddha; it is like this in all ten directions. It is like someone laying ten coins on the ground: the center of the coin is the host, and the edge of the coin is the retinue. When the first coin is in the center, placing a second coin overlapping the first coin one edge's width toward the east, then the inscription Kaiyuan Tongbao and the rest also move one edge's width toward the east. In this manner, coin by coin overlapping in manifold layers, all gradually move east. Just as it is so moving east, taking ten more coins moving west is also like this. When expounding the single set of the Ten Faiths, it has already enveloped the ten directions in manifold layers. In this way, when the third assembly expounds the Ten Abodes, just like expounding the Faiths, it is also omnipresent in manifold layers throughout the ten directions; the Practices, Dedications, Grounds, and so forth are all like this. Thus the nine assemblies constitute nine manifold layers; just as the manifold layers of the first assembly pervade the dharmadhātu, the manifold layers of the second assembly reside again upon the manifold layers of the first assembly, so the nine assemblies inherently constitute nine manifold layers. If there are forty-eight assemblies, they constitute forty-eight manifold layers; if there are inexhaustible assemblies, there are inexhaustible manifold layers. This is how one Buddha is the host and the other bodhisattvas are the retinue in manifold layers like this. With the Buddhas of the ten directions as hosts and the bodhisattvas of the ten directions as the retinue, the manifold layers are also like this. In this way, the manifold layers of all Buddhas again mutually pervade one another; hence it says, "Host and retinue in manifold layers chant in unison to the utmost bounds of the ten directions." The remaining meanings will be analyzed in [the section on] the causes and conditions for the arising of the teaching. However, among the above seven pairs, there are six bodies: First, the oceanic reflection samādhi on which it relies is precisely the wisdom body, because the ocean of wisdom is serene. Second, the body that expounds the Dharma is the transformation body, meaning it is like water dividing a thousand moons. Third, the place where the sūtra is expounded is the mind-made body, because it pervades the locations of the dharmadhātu according to mind. Fourth, the time when the sūtra is expounded is the body sustained by power, because it sustains it to endure perpetually. Fifth, covering the inconceivable oceanic assembly is the awe-inspiring body, because in the assembly of bodhisattvas its majestic light is brilliantly radiant. Sixth, the round voice, and seventh, host and retinue, are both the body adorned with major and minor marks. The round voice is a single mark, and host and retinue means sitting on the lion seat of the Lotus Treasury, because it is complete with major and minor marks. This passage contains six; the previous [section on] the inconceivable host of expounding already had four bodies, so the ten bodies are complete. The meaning is: as soon as the ten bodies are perfected, this sūtra is expounded. However, the original intention of the commentary was precisely to demonstrate differences in the ritual of expounding and so forth, implicitly containing the ten bodies; hence the names of two or three bodies were not made explicitly prominent. Regarding the fifth [phrase], "Although it is empty of emptiness and devoid of traces, the stars and constellations in the sky of meaning shine brightly," the following text says it encompasses root and branch. The text has two levels of root and branch: first, discussing root and branch by viewing principle and phenomena in relation to each other; second, discussing root and branch by viewing the various teachings in relation to each other. Here it is the first, and it also fends off a hidden objection. Lest someone object, saying: Great form has no shape, great sound has no voice; being subtle and devoid of signs is indeed the inconceivable realm—how could there be form or words? Then, when the mind ceases wavering and words forget prapañca, one naturally enters the true path. What need is there to expound words and marks at length, which on the contrary merely disturbs people? Therefore it is now explained: Without words, how could one know the wordless? Without marks, how could one reveal the markless? The Ten Kṣāntis Sūtra says: "Understanding that phenomena do not lie in words, / One skillfully enters the realm of the wordless, / Yet is able to manifest speech / Like an echo pervading the world." This, then, uses words to reveal the wordless. It also says: "The Buddha takes the Dharma as his body, / Pure like empty space; / The forms of various colors he manifests / Cause [beings] to enter into this Dharma." This uses marks to reveal the markless. It also says: "The physical body is not the Buddha, / Nor is sound either; / Yet not apart from form and sound / Is the Buddha's supernatural power seen." This is complete with both of the above. The Lotus Sūtra also says: "The tranquil and extinguished mark of all phenomena / Cannot be expressed in words; / Through the power of upāya, / It was expounded for the five monks." This also uses words to reveal the wordless. The Diamond Sūtra says: "If one sees that all marks are non-marks, one sees the Tathāgata." This also uses marks to reveal the markless. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "As for expounding the Dharma, there is nothing expounded and nothing demonstrated, no words and no speech. Therefore it is said that one should expound according to the Dharma." It also says: "Without departing from words, speak of liberation." It also says: "Although knowing that all phenomena are unborn and unextinguished, yet with marks and characteristics he adorns his body. Although knowing that all Buddha-lands and sentient beings are empty, yet he constantly cultivates pure lands to teach and transform all living beings," and so forth. These all show that words and the wordless, marks and the markless, are not separated from one another. The "Chapter on the Ten Abodes" says: "Desiring with a single tranquil, wondrous voice / To respond universally to the ten directions, expounding according to type, / Causing them all to become pure and clearly understood— / With this, the bodhisattva first generates the mind [of bodhi]. / The verbal phenomena of all sentient beings / Are completely exhausted in a single word of exposition; / Desiring to fully know their intrinsic nature— / With this, the bodhisattva first generates the mind [of bodhi]. / Leaving no worldly sounds and voices unproduced, / Causing them all to understand and realize tranquility and extinction; / Desiring to attain such a wondrous tongue faculty— / With this, the bodhisattva first generates the mind [of bodhi]." All of these show that words are identical to the wordless; such passages are more than one. In the current text of the commentary, it merely clarifies this meaning of non-obstruction in brief. The text has two pairs: the first pair is that marklessness does not obstruct marks; the second pair is that wordlessness does not obstruct words. Now it is the first pair. "Although it is empty of emptiness and devoid of traces": the nature of all phenomena is originally empty, empty and devoid of any marks. Phenomena arisen from conditions are empty because they have no intrinsic nature; what further marks could there be? Borrowing emptiness to dismiss existence, when existence is gone, emptiness vanishes; hence it is called "empty of emptiness." The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa says: "There is only the illness of emptiness, and the illness of emptiness is also empty." The Madhyamakaśāstra says: "The Buddhas expounded the teaching of emptiness / In order to eliminate views of existence. / If one again sees that there is emptiness, / The Buddhas will not transform them." Therefore we know it is neither existent nor non-existent. Non-existence is emptiness; neither non-existence [nor existence] is empty of emptiness. The sūtra says: "In the middle there is no duality, / And non-duality is also non-existent. / The three realms are entirely empty; / This is the vision of all Buddhas." This is precisely empty of emptiness. Next it says: "Ordinary persons lack awakening and understanding; / The Buddha causes them to abide in the true Dharma. / All phenomena have no abode; / Awakening to this, one sees the sun-body." Then emptiness also has nowhere to abide. Furthermore, in the above "In the middle there is no [duality]," there is no duality is emptiness; "non-duality is also non-existent" is empty of emptiness; "the three realms are entirely empty" establishes true emptiness. Furthermore, the "Chapter on Pariṇāmanā" says: "The dharmatā is originally non-dual, / And non-duality is also non-existent." These are all empty of emptiness. Saying "devoid of traces": emptiness and existence are both severed, and the place of mental activity is extinguished. Because the place of activity is extinguished, traces cannot be sought. That is to say, if there were an existence that could exist, there would be a non-existence that could not exist. Now there is no existence that could exist, nor is there a non-existence that could not exist. Using non-existence to dismiss existence, non-existence is itself a trace. Using emptiness to dismiss emptiness, emptiness is also a trace. Because it is dismissed by means of existence, dismissing it and dismissing it again until there is nothing to dismiss. If one uses non-dismissal to dismiss, non-dismissal is also a trace; because there is something grasped, it is like a bird treading on sand. If there is nothing grasped, it is immediately severed at the statement itself. Therefore the "Chapter on the Manifestation [of the Tathāgata]" says: "Fully knowing that the nature of all phenomena is tranquil and extinguished, / It is like a bird flying through the sky leaving no trace." Hence it says, "empty of emptiness and devoid of traces." Because being empty of emptiness does not obstruct marks, the word "although" is used. The word "although" gives rise to the subsequent phrase, "the stars and constellations in the sky of meaning shine brightly." It means that relying on the clear sky does not obstruct the stars and constellations from shining brilliantly. The clear sky is precisely the sky of meaning; relying on the sky of supreme meaning does not obstruct the stars and constellations of the Dharma gates. Furthermore, because it does not obstruct the stars and constellations, one only then knows that this emptiness does not obstruct the Dharma gates, being the true emptiness of supreme meaning. The above takes emptiness as the root and the Dharma gates as the branches.