大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 44.35

44.35

Regarding the commentary's "Exhausting the true characteristic of dharmas refers to such characteristics, natures, essences, powers," and so forth: this is based on the Lotus Sūtra's statement, "Only a Buddha together with a Buddha can exhaust the true characteristic of all dharmas—namely, such characteristics, such natures, such essences, such powers, such activities, such causes, such conditions, such effects, such retributions, and the ultimate equality of their root and branch." These ten phrases are applied by the Tiantai [school] across the ten dharmadhātus. Since each dhātu further contains the ten dhātus through mutual inclusion, the ten dhātus become one hundred dhātus. Each dhātu having ten suchnesses yields one thousand suchnesses. Further differentiating each dhātu as possessing three realms—first, the realm of sentient beings; second, the realm of the five aggregates; and third, the realm of the physical environment—this then forms the three thousand realms. That school takes this as the ultimate reality, the most profound pivot of the Lotus Sūtra. Subsequently explaining knowledge and vision merely adduces that which is capable of knowing. Great Master Si read these ten suchnesses in three ways: First, taking "such" (ru shi) as the beginning, saying "such characteristic" as one phrase, "such nature" as the second phrase, and so forth, which is observing the ten distinct characteristics from the standpoint of the contemplation of the provisional. Second, saying "namely, the suchness (ru) of all dharmas" as one phrase, "the suchness (ru) of this characteristic" as the second phrase, and so forth; taking the word "suchness" (ru) as emptiness forms the contemplation of emptiness. Third, taking the characters "such" (ru shi) at the end, saying "namely all dharmas are such" as one phrase, "characteristics are such" as the second phrase, and so forth; taking "such" forms the contemplation of the Middle Way. According to the meaning of this one school, the principle is entirely coherent.