大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 20.30

20.30

Regarding the commentary's comparative analysis from "However, the prose here..." onwards: it shows the formal conventions for uttering verses. Having previously raised the four kinds to clarify the poetic forms of verses, it next clarifies eight meanings, which are the reasons for establishing verses; these apply both to reiterative verses (geya) and isolated verses (gāthā). The "Flower Treasury Chapter" also has ten instances and five pairs, which pertain solely to reiterative verses. This current analysis here is confined strictly to this passage. Although these are isolated verses, the compiler of the sūtra listed them extensively, and thus they must be integrated and interpreted. In all there are six pairs: First, cause and effect: as the tenth verse states, 'The Buddha, throughout ocean-like boundless great kalpas, sought bodhi for the sake of sentient beings.' This raises the cause, while the prose states 'the place of his own awakening', which manifests the effect. Second, essence and function: the second verse states, 'Able to light the wonderful Dharma lamp that illuminates the world'—this is function; the prose states, 'Universally viewing all things with complete mastery'—this is essence. Third, mutual implication and abbreviation: the prose states, 'Knowing all dharmas to be unarisen, unceasing, neither coming nor going', whereas the verse merely states, 'Fully understanding that characteristics do not exist'—this is abbreviation in the verse. The fourth verse states, 'Eternally extinguishing the dark minds of sentient beings' ignorance', while the prose only has 'Presently seeing all dharmas'—this is abbreviation in the prose. Fourth, difficulty and ease: as with the first heavenly king, the prose merely states, 'Attained the liberation of the power of quiescent upāya of the dharmadhātu and space realm'; without seeing the verse text, it would be difficult to interpret. Fifth, difference between dharma and metaphor: the second in the prose merely states, 'Viewing all dharmas', whereas the verse states, 'Able to light the wonderful Dharma lamp that illuminates the world'—this is it. Sixth, alternating presentation of subject and object: the first heavenly king merely states, 'The dharmadhātu and space realm are the pervasible spheres', while the verse states, 'The Buddha's body pervades all great assemblies'—thus the prose lacks the pervading agent. Considering merely the first section, it possesses all six pairs; how much more so for the lower sections, where explicit passages are very numerous! As for 'those who transmit it should assess it well': the Yijing's Feng hexagram states, 'The waxing and waning of heaven and earth diminish and grow in accord with time.' The commentary explains: 'Diminishing means exhausting; growing means generating.' That is, where something can be added, add it; where something can be reduced, reduce it; where it can be brought out, bring it out; where it can be submerged, submerge it; hence it is called 'assessing'.