大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 2.12

2.12

Regarding the commentary's statement, "As for its depth, it cannot be fathomed: thus the śrāvakas of superior virtue blocked their sight and hearing at the auspicious assembly": this is the second, demonstrating its depth and subtlety; that is, in the "Dharmadhātu Chapter." At the beginning there were the five hundred śrāvakas such as Śāriputra, whose virtues are praised therein: "All awakened to the true reality and all realized the bhūtakoṭi, entered deeply into the dharmatā and forever departed from the ocean of existence. Relying on the Buddha's merits, they abandoned the fetters of defilement and dwelt in the place free of hindrance. Their minds were tranquil like empty space. Toward all Buddhas they forever severed doubt and perplexity, and with deep faith they entered into the ocean of the Buddha's wisdom." Commentary: This refers to "superior virtue." Being present in the Jeta Grove at the Tathāgata's auspicious assembly and yet not seeing or hearing is called "blocking their sight and hearing." Du means to obstruct. What is in the eyes is called seeing; what is in the ears is called hearing. Although present in the assembly, they were like the deaf and blind; hence it says "blocked their sight and hearing." Thus the sūtra says: "At that time, the foremost great śrāvakas—Śāriputra, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Revata, Subhūti, Aniruddha, Nanda, Kapphiṇa, Kātyāyana, Pūrṇa, and other great śrāvakas in the Jeta Grove—all did not see the Tathāgata's spiritual power, the Tathāgata's adornments, the Tathāgata's realm, the Tathāgata's play, the Tathāgata's spiritual transformations, the Tathāgata's supreme nobility, the Tathāgata's subtle practices, the Tathāgata's awe-inspiring virtue, the Tathāgata's sustenance, the Tathāgata's pure lands; nor did they see the inconceivable realm of the bodhisattvas, the great assemblies of the bodhisattvas, the universal entry of the bodhisattvas, the universal arrival of the bodhisattvas, the universal visiting of the bodhisattvas, the spiritual transformations of the bodhisattvas, the play of the bodhisattvas, the retinue of the bodhisattvas, the locations of the bodhisattvas, the adorned lion thrones of the bodhisattvas, the palaces of the bodhisattvas, the abodes of the bodhisattvas, the mastery in samādhis entered by the bodhisattvas, the contemplation of the bodhisattvas, the lion's yawn of the bodhisattvas, the valor of the bodhisattvas, the offerings of the bodhisattvas, the vyākaraṇas of the bodhisattvas, the maturation of the bodhisattvas, the courage of the bodhisattvas, the purity of the bodhisattvas' dharmakāya, the perfection of the bodhisattvas' jñānakāya, the manifestation of the bodhisattvas' praṇidhānakāya, the achievement of the bodhisattvas' rūpakāya, the complete purity of all the bodhisattvas' marks, the adornment of the bodhisattvas' constant light of many colors, the great jewel nets of brilliant light emitted by the bodhisattvas, the clouds of transformations raised by the bodhisattvas, the bodhisattvas' bodies pervading the ten directions, the completion of all the bodhisattvas' practices. All such things they did not see. Why is this? Because their roots of goodness were different; because originally they had not cultivated the roots of goodness to see the Buddha's mastery; because originally they had not praised the pure merits of all the Buddha lands in the worlds of the ten directions; because originally they had not extolled the various spiritual transformations of the Buddhas, the World-Honoured Ones; because originally they had not generated the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi amidst the cycle of birth and death; because originally they had not caused others to dwell in the bodhicitta; because originally they were unable to keep the Tathāgata's lineage from being cut off; and so forth." Above, first the persons were listed, which refers to the śrāvakas of superior virtue. Next, it explained that they did not see and so forth, which is the blocking of sight and hearing. In the explanation from "Why is this?" downward of the inferiority of the causes for not seeing: not seeing is not yet considered deep; that those of superior virtue did not know is what truly constitutes the profound subtlety.