大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 46.17

46.17

Regarding the commentary's "Second, wisdom..." below: within the second virtue, there are also two parts: first, quoting the sūtra to establish the name; second, from "Asabhāva" onward, citing the commentary (*śāstra*) to explain it. In this, there are again two parts: first, clarifying Asabhāva's introductory transition—the five characters "that is, apratiṣṭhita-nirvāṇa" belong to the commentary, while the rest is from the *śāstra*. Second, from "However, the signless dharma..." onward, the commentary draws on the explanatory *śāstra* to explain it. Now, the commentary employs both commentaries to elucidate the sūtra and the names in the root treatise, leaving no principle unexhausted, though the phrasing is selectively adopted or omitted. Asabhāva fully states: "This suchness has the fully accomplished nature (pariniṣpanna) and lacks the imaginary nature (parikalpita). By this principle, it is clarified as lacking the two signs: it lacks the sign of non-existence, because it is truly existent; it lacks the sign of existence, because what is conceptualized does not exist." Regarding "the virtue of the most supreme purity able to enter," it means that suchness is the most supreme purity because it is the foremost among all dharmas and is far removed from all adventitious defilements. Being able to enter into this suchness through self-realization, and also causing others to enter, it is therefore called the virtue of the most supreme purity able to enter. Vasubandhu's commentary states: "'Proceeding toward signless dharmas' means that pure suchness is called the signless dharma. 'Proceeding' means entering; that is, the virtue of the most supreme purity able to enter suchness which is free from the two signs of existence and non-existence. This means that this suchness does not have the sign of existence, because the lack of nature of all dharmas is taken as its sign; nor is it signless, because its own-characteristic exists; this is because one is able to enter into this signless suchness with the most supreme purity."

Explanation: Viewing the above two treatises to contrast with the commentary's text, it is clearly evident.

Regarding the commentary's "Pervasively abiding in the suchness-nature of the body and mind of beings": as a verse says: "I now comprehend the Tathāgata-nature; / the Tathāgata is now within my body. / Between me and the Tathāgata there is no distinction; / the Tathāgata is indeed my suchness."

Regarding the commentary's "In order to desire to obtain the supreme..." below: second, citing the explanatory treatise to explain it. It merely contains the transitional meaning, which is embedded within the explanatory text.

Regarding the commentary's "In the text..." below: explaining the text, which is twofold: generally speaking, the preceding passage explains the sūtra, and the subsequent passage explains the treatise, which is easy to understand in the text. As for taking the treatise's meaning, if one were to fully cite the explanatory treatise, Asabhāva's commentary states: "It means that without effort, one is able to unceasingly, in accordance with what is appropriate, constantly and correctly abide in the noble, divine, and Brahmā abidings among all Buddha-works and sentient beings. It is not like the śrāvakas who must exert effort before they can accomplish the task of benefiting sentient beings; nor is it like the non-Buddhists who, although having an abiding, do not have a supreme one. The divine abidings are the four dhyānas; the Brahmā abidings are the immeasurables such as compassion; the noble abidings are emptiness, signlessness, and so forth." Vasubandhu states: "It means abiding in the Buddha's abiding, the non-abiding place (nature of emptiness); it means that within this abiding, one constantly performs Buddha-works without rest (great compassion)." Now both treatises are used to explain the sūtra text.

Regarding the commentary's "Great compassion and nature of emptiness are the Buddha's home": great compassion is the home of benefiting others, and the nature of emptiness is the home of self-benefit. The *Lotus Sūtra* clarifies great compassion as the room, and Vimalakīrti says, "the room of ultimate emptiness and quiescence." How much more so when the two mutually guide each other as the true home; therefore, one abides in both. From "therefore able to not abide" onward, it is because of being aided by the aforementioned great compassion and prajñā.

Regarding the commentary's "As the above Buddha's abiding..." below: this is Asabhāva's introductory transition.

Regarding the commentary's "All Buddhas..." below: picking up on the previous transition to formulate the opening question. Thus it now answers: abiding in harmonious mingling. This also explains the sūtra. From "All Buddhas..." below: the explanatory treatise here merely designates the name, and the text separately explains three matters, each first raising the name and citing the explanatory treatise to explain it, and afterward separately explaining it according to the sūtra. In the first, from "radiating great..." onward is the commentary; in the second, below "the words 'universally causing'" is the commentary; in the third, below "first clarifying" is the commentary. Regarding this virtue, Vasubandhu merely matches and assigns it.

Regarding the commentary's "Within benefiting others..." below: Asabhāva's transition. Below "It means having habituated...": explaining the name of the virtue, which is entirely the text of Asabhāva's treatise. From "therefore the treatise designates it as cultivation and purification": this is the commentary's explanation. Below "Furthermore, having arrived...": this is again the explanation of Asabhāva's treatise. The commentary assigns it to the sūtra, hence concluding, "The two texts mutually illumine each other." From "In the text..." below: the commentary takes the meaning of the explanatory treatise to explain the sūtra text.

Regarding the commentary's "Due to having the above antidotes..." below: Asabhāva's transition. From "It means teaching and realization..." onward: this is Asabhāva's explanation.

Regarding the commentary's "Revealing the Tathāgata..." below: the transition. Below "It means the eight worldly winds...": the explanation. That is, the commentary takes the meaning to briefly explain and also harmonize with Śīlabhadra, because the five sense objects such as form are Māra's realm; only when reaching the explanatory text does it provide the explanatory treatise. The statement in the text, "He does not fail to manifest on account of the lack of faith of those born blind and the like," is the meaning within the first pariṇāmanā.

Regarding the commentary's "As a verse says": that is Asabhāva's treatise.

Regarding the commentary's "Due to relying on the previous upāya..." below: the transition. From "It means the twelve..." onward: this is the commentary taking the treatise's meaning to explain. Asabhāva fully states: "The twelve divisions of teaching such as the sūtras are called that which is established, because they establish their own-characteristics and common characteristics. Such establishment is not within the cognitive domain of fools, because it is supramundane. This which is established is inconceivable; that is the virtue."

Regarding the commentary's "By means of the above preparatory application..." below: the transition. Below "It means in the three times...": explaining the meaning, which is Asabhāva's explanation. However, prior to this there is further text that states: it means being able to pervasively roam within the equal dharmatā of the three times. Below "It means in the equal [dharmatā] of the three times...": entirely identical to that treatise. Below "Therefore the subsequent sūtra...": providing verification; because roaming in the three times is not obvious in the sūtra, it is fully provided in the text through other meanings.

Regarding the commentary's "Revealing the above benefit..." below: the transition. The meaning is in the text; because it is easy, it is not explained. Asabhāva states: "It means, in accordance with those to be converted, pervading all worlds, manifesting the two bodies to benefit and gladden them."

Regarding the commentary's "The eleventh..." below: below "Because in the above ten directions...": the transition. Below "It means with regard to all objects...": explaining the meaning, entirely Asabhāva's treatise. The two doubts in the text are also the treatise's text. The treatise only has two sentences, saying: "It is not that, being undecided oneself regarding all dharmas, one can resolve others' doubts (this is the negative explanation); nor is it that, apart from certitude, one can sever doubts (this is the affirmative explanation)." The commentary only uses the upper sentence. According to the Liang translation of the treatise, possessing the four unhindered cognitions one can resolve one's own doubts, and possessing the four unhindered eloquence-types one can resolve others' doubts.

Regarding the commentary's "The bodhisattva's moon of the light of wisdom": that is the verse in the fifty-ninth fascicle of the sūtra.

Regarding the commentary's "It may also belong to the above manifesting of the saṃbhogakāya": this text allows two readings: above, assigning it to the eleventh as severing one's own doubts, or it also connects to the tenth where his body is disseminated throughout all worlds, such that distinctly severing others' doubts only belongs to the eleventh. Taking the assignment to the latter as primary, it therefore says it may also belong to the former.

Regarding the commentary's "Deeply entering dependent origination, doubtful views perish": hence the *Vimalakīrti* states, "Deeply entering dependent origination, one severs all wrong views, the two extremes of existence and non-existence, without any remaining traces." The *Ratnakūṭa* verse states, "Teaching that dharmas neither exist nor do not exist, / because of causes and conditions all dharmas arise." It is because of seeing causes and conditions that one is able to sever doubts.

Regarding the commentary's "Because of the distinctions in the natures of the sentient beings to be converted": that is the transition. Below "It means entering various...": explaining the meaning; because the two treatises are easy, it merely matches the sūtra to the treatises. The meaning of the present commentary's explanation is that accomplishing great awakening belongs to what is to be known; that is, converting them in accordance with the distinctions of various mental activities, ultimately leading them to all-knowledge. As in the explanatory text, it is thus explained through the *Lotus Sūtra*'s meaning of opening, displaying, awakening, and entering.

Regarding the commentary's "Due to being right in the aforementioned..." below: the transition. Below "It means the noble śrāvakas...": explaining the meaning, all being Asabhāva's meaning.

Regarding the commentary's "Like the seeker of liberation who gathered firewood in an eon long past": this is from the ninth fascicle of the *Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra*. Because of explaining that making offerings to a śrāvaka attains immeasurable merit, how much more so the Tathāgata, it cites this causal background. In the past, a man, by the power of conditions, resolved to renounce the household life. He went to the monastery and happened upon the Buddha being away. He went to the place of Śāriputra, and Śāriputra observed that he did not possess the least root of goodness. He went to the various monks, and the monks first asked, "Who did not grant you ordination?" He said, "Śāriputra." Passing from one to another in this manner, none granted him ordination. Out of great compassion, the Tathāgata arrived at the monastery gate and spoke a verse for him: "The body of all-knowledge, / takes great compassion as its essence. / The Buddha, within the three realms, / sees all sons to be converted, / just as a cow seeks its calf, / cherishing them without rest." Stroking his head with his hand, the man wept and fully explained the circumstances of not being ordained. The Buddha spoke a verse: "Śāriputra, / he is not omniscient, / nor does he understand the essential nature, / nor does he fully know the middling and inferior. / His consciousness has limits; / he cannot deeply comprehend, / lacking the wisdom able to know / subtle karmic retributions." Thereupon he led him into the monastery, gave him ordination, and he attained the path. Śāriputra asked, "I observed that this man had not the least good cause; how is it that giving him ordination, he immediately attained the path?" The Buddha said: "Your wisdom is slight and shallow. Innumerable eons ago in the past, this man was a poor person who entered an araṇya mountain forest to gather firewood. Pressed by a tiger, out of terror he chanted 'Namo Buddhāya'. The seed has ripened today; therefore I ordained him, and he has merely attained arhatship." Therefore it was said above: "Accompanied by seeds of minute roots of goodness."