大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 1.5

1.5

Now for the first. From 'Going and returning without bounds' to 'Is it not solely the dharmadhātu?', the text has five phrases. The words contain many meanings, which can be briefly classified into four imports: first, explained according to the three greatnesses; second, explained according to root and branch; third, clarifying the classifications of the dharmadhātu; fourth, generally revealing the intention of establishing it. Now for the first. As for explaining according to the three greatnesses, the intention is to clarify that the dharmadhātu possesses the three greatnesses. The first phrase clarifies the function; the next phrase clarifies the essence; the next phrase clarifies the characteristic; the next phrase harmonizes and eliminates them; the final phrase concludes with their attribution. Now for the first, that is, 'going and returning without bounds'. 'Going' means departing, arising, moving. 'Returning' means coming, ceasing, resting in quiescence. 'Without bounds' has two [meanings]: first, in terms of vastness and multiplicity, having no limits or margins—this pertains to phenomenal functions; second, in terms of cutting off all extremes—this relies on phenomena being identical to the real. What phenomena go and return? There are briefly three meanings: first, spoken jointly of delusion and awakening; second, spoken solely of delusion; third, spoken of returning to the origin and reverting to the source. Now for the first: deluded about the dharmadhātu, one goes to the six destinies—this is departing and moving; awakened to the dharmadhātu, one returns to the one mind—this is coming and resting in quiescence. Both are functions of the dharmadhātu: when deluded, delusion arises; when awakened, delusion ceases. However, the real has two meanings: first, in terms of concordance with conditions. When deluded, the real accords with delusion, so that the real ceases and delusion arises; when awakened, delusion ceases and returns to the real, so that the real arises and delusion ceases. Second, in terms of the unchanging. Delusion and awakening, arising and ceasing, coming and going, are manifold, yet the realm of the real is as serene as space. Because its essence is beginningless, there is no initial boundary; because awakening cuts off beginning and end, there is no posterior boundary. Second, spoken solely of delusion, there are again two meanings: first, vertically speaking of departing and coming, the past is beginningless, the future endless, lacking initial and posterior boundaries; second, horizontally speaking, deluded thoughts cling to conditions, boundless and vast. Both of the above pertain to the boundlessness of vast multiplicity. If spoken of cutting off boundaries: delusion lacks a source of delusion, vertically lacking an initial boundary; since it has no beginning, how could it have an end? Therefore it cuts off the posterior boundary. The Madhyamakaśāstra states: 'That which the Great Sage has spoken: / the primal limit cannot be found. / Samsāra has no beginning, / nor does it have an end. / If it has neither beginning nor end, / how could there be a middle? / Therefore, herein, / prior, posterior, and simultaneous likewise do not exist.' Horizontally seeking the deluded mind, it is neither inside nor outside, hence it is also without bounds. Therefore, Master Yuan said: 'From whence does the original source ultimately come? / Arising and ceasing are without bounds. / A single speck entering a moving realm / produces this momentum of a collapsing mountain. / Since characteristics of confusion succeed one another, / encountering principle naturally brings stagnation. / Although causes and conditions have no master, / the paths opened are not merely one.' This is precisely its meaning. Third, spoken of returning to the origin and reverting to the source: in contrast to the first meaning, the first meaning is general. The second pertains to delusion, which is only going and not coming. Here it is solely returning, because it reverts to the original source; this is precisely the meaning of quiescence. Hence the Hexagram Fu in the Zhouyi states: 'In Returning, does one not see the heart of Heaven and Earth?' However, where there is going, there must be returning; the Hexagram Tai in the Yijing states: 'There is no going without a returning; such is the juncture of Heaven and Earth.' Within this single meaning, there is naturally going and returning. Thus, in the Mañjuśrī-nirdeśa-acintya-buddhaviṣaya-sūtra, the god Śubhaketu asked Mañjuśrī: 'How does one cultivate the bodhisattva path?' Mañjuśrī first spoke of the dual practices, and next said: 'Furthermore, Devaputra, to have going and returning is called cultivating the bodhisattva path. What is called having going and returning? Contemplating the desires of sentient beings is called going; preaching the Dharma to them according to what is appropriate is called returning. Entering samādhi oneself is called going; causing sentient beings to attain samādhi is called returning. Personally practicing the noble path is called going; being able to teach and transform all ordinary beings is called returning. In this manner, personally attaining anutpattikadharmakṣānti is going; causing sentient beings to attain anutpattikadharmakṣānti is returning. Personally using upāya to exit saṃsāra is going; causing sentient beings to escape saṃsāra is returning. The mind delighting in solitude and quiescence is going; constantly remaining in saṃsāra to teach and transform sentient beings is returning. Personally and diligently contemplating the practices of going and returning is going; expounding this Dharma for sentient beings is returning. Personally cultivating emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness is going; preaching the Dharma to cause sentient beings to sever the three kinds of discursive thinking is returning. Resolutely making vows is going; rescuing sentient beings in accord with those vows is returning. Generating the bodhicitta and vowing to sit at the bodhimaṇḍa is called going; fully cultivating the practices traversed by bodhisattvas is called returning. This is the path of going and returning for bodhisattvas.' Explanation: The ten pairs above all take the upper clause, self-benefit, as 'going', because one goes toward nirvāṇa; the lower clause, benefiting others, as 'returning', because one returns to saṃsāra to transform sentient beings. Although there are going and returning, together they constitute returning to the origin and reverting to the source, returning to the original mind. 'Without bounds' here also has two meanings: first, the ocean of bodhisattva practices is vast and without bounds; second, each and every one accords with principle, profoundly without bounds. Yet the three meanings above are all functions of the dharmadhātu.