大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 4.20

4.20

Regarding the commentary's phrase "Now, as for expounding this sūtra, is the Buddha true or responsive, one or multiple?" and below, the second part raises hypothetical questions and challenges. Within this, there are two: first, questioning to introduce what follows; second, from "If you say he is true" down, raising objections. Now for the first: there are only two pairs, which already encompass all the preceding and succeeding meanings. Within raising objections, it first questions true and responsive, and next questions one and multiple. Within the first, there are three: 1. in terms of name, 2. in terms of location, 3. in terms of faculties. Regarding "Is he one or multiple?": this is the second, questioning unity and multiplicity. Concerning "Distinctly manifesting in multiple locations": as the "Chapter on Illuminating Awakening" states: "Just as in this place one sees the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, sitting on the lion seat of the lotus treasury, surrounded by bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha-lands, so too in each of those worlds there are ten billion Jambudvīpas, ten billion Tathāgatas, and ten billion Buddha-lands, where he is seated likewise," and so forth. It also states: "Just as the Buddha is seen sitting in this place, / So it is in all dust motes. / The Buddha's body neither goes nor comes, / Yet clearly manifests in all lands," and so forth. As for the commentary's "Why does it further say that he does not divide his body?": the "Chapter on Appearance" states: "Just as the Brahmā king, abiding in his own palace, / Universally manifests throughout the three thousand Brahmā abodes, / And all humans and devas are able to see him, / Yet in truth he does not divide his body to go to them; / The manifestation of the bodies of the Buddhas is likewise so, / Leaving nowhere unpervaded in all the ten directions; / Their bodies are countless and unreckonable, / Yet they neither divide their bodies nor make discriminations."