大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 17.2

17.2

From the Preface's words, "The Great and Expansive," onwards, the fourth [section] specifically praises the profound and subtle import and purport of this scripture. Within this there are two: first, a general praise; second, specific praises. In the first, the first two lines initially mark out its depth and breadth; thereafter, from "those who look at it" onwards, [the text] establishes the two preceding lines. Since it is a secret treasury, looking at it one does not see it. It is termed an ocean of nature; how could one measure its boundaries? Regarding "scooping up" (yi), the Zhucong states: "To draw and pour water using a vessel." Hence the "Stele for Dhūta Monastery" in the Wenxuan says: "I have heard that for those who scoop from the pools of the morning and evening, there is no way to fathom their shallowness or depth; for those who look up at the azure hue, it is difficult to know its distance." Therefore, those who would measure it today are peering at the sky through a tube, or ladling the ocean with a gourd ladle. From the Preface's words, "Those in training and beyond training abandon all aspirations of peering or coveting," onwards, the second [section] offers specific praise. Within this are three: first, praising in terms of persons; second, praising in terms of the Dharma; third, praising in terms of places. In the first are two: first, showing superiority by contrasting with the inferior; second, showing superiority in terms of the entity itself. In the former, the first phrase applies generally to the triyāna, while the subsequent phrase speaks specifically. For the two yānas are present in the assembly as if deaf and blind, and triyāna bodhisattvas accumulate practices over many kalpas yet cannot fathom it. Regarding "peering" (kui), the Zuozhuan states: "It means raising the feet to look." Regarding "coveting" (yu), the Zhucong states: "It means having hopes or desires." Thereafter, from "the supreme seed-wisdom" onwards, [the text] shows superiority in terms of the entity itself. The upper line concerns the fruition's fullness, achieving seed-wisdom through the fulfillment of the two adornments. The lower line's statement, "Samantabhadra, Mañjuśrī," and so forth, encompasses the perfection of the cause. Samantabhadra's practices and Mañjuśrī's vows are both perfected. Alternatively, both practice and vow may apply to both of the above two sages. From the Preface's words, "Within a single phrase," onwards, the second [section] praises in terms of the Dharma. Within this, the upper line concerns the depth and breadth of that which expresses, so that the meaning of a single phrase does not exhaust [even if using] the ocean as ink; thereafter, from "within a single tip of hair" onwards, it concerns the unobstructedness of phenomena with phenomena in that which is expressed, so that placing buddha-lands within a single tip of hair is not cramped. From the Preface's words, "The kingdom of Magadha," onwards, the third [section] praises in terms of places. Magadha is adduced because it is the base of the nine assemblies, and because without rising from the bodhimaṇḍa [the Buddha] is all-pervasive. Universal Light is adduced because it is close to the bodhimaṇḍa. Furthermore, the gate of faith is expounded as subsuming the ocean of fruition, hence it says, "Thereupon expounding the principle of quiescent extinction." From the Preface's words, "Reflecting upon the profound meaning," onwards, the fifth [section] concerns the transmission and translation across past and present, rejoicing in the encounter. Within this are two: first, explaining that previous translations had many deficiencies; second, explaining that the present translation is largely complete. In the first, "reflecting" (mian) means far. "Pondering" (wei) means thinking. The "Six Dynasties" are the Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, and Sui. As for the statement, "Only revealing half a pearl without having glimpsed the whole jewel," this refers to the "Chapter on Holy Practice" in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], where the Boy of the Snow Mountains heard a transformation-rākṣasa say: "All formations are impermanent; this is the dharma of arising and ceasing." Startled, he looked around and saw only the rākṣasa. He asked the rākṣasa: "Great Being! Where did you obtain this half-verse spoken by the one free from fear in the past? Great Being! Where did you obtain such half of a wish-fulfilling pearl?" The explanation says: lacking the lower half-verse, the meaning was not yet complete. If one gets to hear the continuation—"Arising and ceasing having been extinguished, quiescent extinction is bliss"—that is the whole jewel. Here it explains that since the earlier translation had many gaps and omissions, it was half a jewel. From the Preface's words, "I have heard that its Sanskrit original," onwards, the second [part] explains that the present translation is largely complete, which is the whole jewel. Within the text are six: first, inviting and receiving; second, the actual translation; third, auspicious verifications; fourth, completion of the task; fifth, praising the benefits; sixth, rejoicing in the encounter. The first is as detailed in the profound discussions. From the Preface's words, "Thereupon, in the first year of the Zhengsheng era," onwards, the second is the verification and translation. "The moon traveling through Guxi" refers precisely to the third month. Regarding the words "personally undertook the brush and scraper," Zetian herself personally excised and edited. Regarding "brush and scraper," the Biography of Wei Qing in the Hanshu states: "Where scraping was needed, it was scraped; where the brush was needed, it was brushed." "Scraping" means deleting; "brush" means adding. Some say: collating and checking texts, scraping off [errors] and noting [corrections]. This is indeed because the ancients wrote on bamboo and wooden slips and thus scraped them with a knife. From the Preface's words, "Thereupon the sweet dew flowed as moisture," onwards, the third [part] is the auspicious verifications. The fourteenth day was xinyou; gengshen was the thirteenth day, and renxu was the fifteenth day. The days immediately before and after each had auspicious verifications. That is, on the night of the thirteenth day, Zetian dreamt of sweet dew falling throughout the entire sky. On the fourteenth day, [the work of] translating the scripture was widely commenced; on the fifteenth day, sweet rain fell from heaven. Regarding "widely" (tan), the Erya says: "It means reaching and extending." Guo Pu's commentary says: "It means spreading and reaching across." From "duly opened" onwards, it establishes the preceding auspicious omens. These two lines may also apply to both of the above two portents, both being the moisture of a single flavor. Alternatively, "duly opening the true mark" establishes the aforementioned sweet dew as an elixir of immortality, comparing it to the permanence of the true mark; "the moisture of a single flavor" establishes the aforementioned enriching rain, since a single cloud and a single rain have no differing flavor. "Duly" (shi) means using. From the Preface's words, "In the second year of Shengli," onwards, the fourth is the completion of the task in the jihai year. Spanning from yiwei, bingshen, dingyou, and wuxu to jihai, the copying was only completed after entering the fifth year. Regarding "copying/repairing" (shan), the Shuowen says: "It means repairing." The Zhucong says: "Mending the old and producing the new are both called shan." From the Preface's words, "Adding waves and billows to the ocean of nature," onwards, the fifth praises the benefits. Within this are two: first, explaining the benefit to the teaching and principle. Great waves are called billows (lan). The Xuanyan says: "'Broadening' (kuo) means expanding the small to make it great." Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Liji says: "'Boundaries' (jiang) means borders." The Shuowen says: "'Domain' (yu) means a fiefdom." This means that with the profound words added, the ocean of nature is replenished and the dharmadhātu is expanded. Thereafter, from "the Great Vehicle's sudden teaching" onwards, the second distinguishes the benefit to sentient beings' capacities. From the Preface's words, "How could one have expected that in the final five hundred years," onwards, the sixth is rejoicing in the encounter. Within this, first is rejoicing in the encounter; second is making vows. In the first, the previous phrase concerns hearing it in an evil time, which is the first fortune; the subsequent phrase concerns hearing it in an evil place, which is the second fortune. At first, "final five hundred" means that after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa there are five periods of five hundred years, the first five hundred years being when liberation is steadfast, and so forth; the present falls into the fourth five hundred years, hence it is called "final," because it comes after the first three periods of five hundred. Therefore, in the Diamond Sūtra, those who believe and accept it in the final five hundred years are difficult to find. Regarding the words "suddenly opening the secret of the pearl casket," Fascicle 64 of the Treatise on the Great [Prajñāpāramitā] states: "Prajñā is the wish-fulfilling pearl; śarīra are like the casket. Although there is no prajñā inside the śarīra, because they are perfumed by prajñā, giving rise to an offering once brings rebirth in heaven a thousand times." Applying this matter now, the Tathāgata is like the casket, and the Avataṃsaka Sūtra is the wish-fulfilling pearl. From the Preface's words, "Hoping to propagate it throughout the sandy realms," onwards, the second is making vows. Within this are two: first, two lines on horizontal pervasiveness. "Sandy realms" means pervasiveness in coarse forms. "Dust-mote regions" shows subtle pervasiveness, because it pervades the regions within dust motes. Thereafter, the two lines from "hanging long alongside the two luminaries" onwards show vertical exhaustiveness, because it hangs long and is forever spread. The two luminaries are the sun and moon, metaphorically representing the Tathāgata's fundamental and subsequently attained cognitions. From the Preface's words, "Glimpsing the precious gāthās once," onwards, the sixth generally clarifies the intent of the preface, praising the principle while humbling oneself. Within this are three: first, two lines state the actual reason for composing the preface, due to the depth of joyful celebration in opening, studying, and savoring it. The commentary on the Mao Shi states: "'Repeating' (fu) means turning back and forth." The Zhucong states: "'Repeating' (fu) means repeated examination; that is, Nanrong repeating the white jade sceptre three times." The Commentary has already cited this. Second, from "although there is no speech and no demonstration" onwards, it praises the principle as transcending speech while necessarily relying on speech to be revealed. "No speech and no demonstration" is the text from the chapter on Maudgalyāyana in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa. "The gate of non-duality" is the "Chapter on the Dharma-Gate of Non-duality" in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, also as expounded in the Commentary. Regarding "revealing speech through speech": if there were not Mañjuśrī's words praising silence, how could one know the marvel of having no words? Therefore, the mark of quiescent extinction relies on verbal expression. Regarding "the meaning of a great trichiliocosm," this refers to the metaphor of the scripture roll contained within a dust mote in the "Chapter on the Appearance [of the Tathāgata]," which has already been cited in the Commentary. Thus, the scripture roll of a great trichiliocosm hidden in a dust mote brings no benefit; when a wise person opens it, it can benefit beings. Now, relying on words to reveal the meaning corresponds to opening the dust mote to display the scripture roll, accomplishing benefit. Third, from "presumptuously stating" onwards, [the author] humbles herself to conclude. Above, the brief explanation of the preface is concluded. Among these [points], those that correspond to principle may be adopted or set aside as appropriate.