大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 27.28

27.28

Regarding the Commentary's “If a long journey relies on taking the initial step”: this comes from Master Sengzhao's *Treatise on Things Not Shifting*. The treatise says: “Therefore, the Tathāgata's merits flow across ten thousand ages and constantly abide; the Way pervades a hundred kalpas and becomes all the firmer. A mountain is brought to completion by relying on the first basket of earth; a long journey depends on taking the initial step—this is truly because meritorious deeds cannot decay.” That treatise's meaning says: each phenomenon abides in its own nature, so there is no going or coming. Although the text is cited now, the application is slightly different. This saying originally stems from *Zhuangzi*: “A journey of a thousand leagues begins beneath one's feet”; it is also like a gushing river originating from an overflowing ladle. “A tree of many arm-spans grows from a tiny sprout”; since the later arises from the initial, it is said to reside in the beginning. In “The scholar's emolument lies therein,” the meaning is also the same as above; this is from the *Analects*: “Zizhang studied with a view to official emolument. The Master said: ‘Hear much, set aside doubts, and speak cautiously about the rest—then you will have few faults. See much, set aside perils, and act cautiously about the rest—then you will have few regrets. When words have few faults and actions have few regrets, official emolument lies therein.’” The commentary says: “To seek (*gan*) means to seek; emolument (*lu*) means rank. Although one has not yet attained emolument, it is the way to attain emolument; therefore attaining emolument comes later. Because it can be attained through study, it resides within study.” This preceding single meaning pervades various sūtras and treatises. As for the Commentary's “The straightforward mind of bodhi,” and so forth: this is the intention of the real teaching within the Dharmatā school of the *Awakening of Faith*. However, bodhicitta generally has three minds; here it is only subsumed within the straightforward mind, because the straightforward mind correctly contemplates tathatā. Tathatā is one of the two gates—arising-and-ceasing and tathatā—in the *Awakening of Faith*, hence it is called “within the gate of tathatā.” Now these two gates each completely subsume all dharmas; taking solely tathatā means that all dharmas and the subsequent various virtues all rely on tathatā. Tathatā is non-dual, universally serving as the essence of all dharmas. Now bodhicitta correctly contemplates tathatā, and therefore is able to subsume them.