大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 15.17

15.17

Regarding the commentary's phrase “the essence of its text will be explained below”: at the beginning of the eighty-fascicle version, it is fully elucidated in the commentary. The meaning is: at the end of the seventy-seventh fascicle, Sudhana himself says: “Because of Mañjuśrī, I have seen those who are difficult to see. May I quickly return to be near and behold that lord of great merit.” At the end of the seventy-ninth, Maitreya extensively reveals the subsequent friends, praises Mañjuśrī's virtues, and bids him go ask Mañjuśrī. He also says: “Good son! You should go to the kalyāṇamitra Mañjuśrī and ask him: ‘How does a bodhisattva study bodhisattva practice? How does one enter the gate of Samantabhadra's practice? How is it accomplished? How is it broadened? How is it complied with? How is it purified? How is it consummated?’ Good son! He will distinguish and explain it for you. Why? Because the great vows that Mañjuśrī possesses cannot be matched by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of other bodhisattvas,” and so forth. Having extensively praised him, he then concludes: “Good son! You should go to the place of Mañjuśrī and do not give rise to weariness.” Now, if that Mañjuśrī were absent, then according to the Ding shiwu hang jing, it would render Maitreya's predictive words false. Sudhana would not comply with Maitreya's instruction, and having previously intended to go, he would also contradict his former intention; furthermore, lacking the passage on the non-dual mark of cognitive illumination, the subsequent sight of Samantabhadra would also lack a causal arising. Therefore, now that it is present, all faults are avoided. Hence it is said: “the essence of its text: the text continues and the meaning connects.”