大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 20.3

20.3

Regarding the commentary's statement, "Second, universally revealing the causes and conditions of virtuous conduct": the commentary's text has two parts: first, universally displaying the general idea; second, structural division and explanation. Now, as for the first, it directly explains the heading text: why it is named universally revealing the causes and conditions of virtuous conduct. First, explaining "universally revealing": it naturally has two senses. First, looking back from the preceding, it is universal: the previous forty assemblies each revealed superior virtues according to what was appropriate, so what was revealed was restricted—such as revealing the ocean spirits by saying "the ocean of the Buddha's merits filled their bodies," and so forth—whereas now it universally reveals the virtues of all forty assemblies. Second, looking forward to what follows, it is universal: the subsequent forty assemblies each attain distinct dharmas, whereas now it universally reveals their possession of virtues. From "previously born together" onward, it follows the track to construct an objection. That is, someone objects: "The previous section revealing those born together stated that all gathered roots of goodness together with Vairocana—is this not universal?" Therefore, it now answers: "The previous was restricted to those born together, whereas this encompasses both the common and the distinct; only then can the virtues of the forty assemblies be called universal." Furthermore, previously it clarified their gathering together; below it resolves the objection again: not only are the universal and specific unequal, but there is also truly a difference in the textual purport. Previously it said gathering together, which is on par with the Buddha's virtue, hence they are the host and companions; now it says having been gathered and embraced, being exclusively gathered and embraced by the Buddha, hence they are retinue. In order to distinguish the two senses, the previous text omitted gathering and embracing, and this text omits gathering together; they may implicitly evoke each other, hence it says "the text mutually shadows and omits."