大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 48.16

48.16

As for the commentary's phrase "However, the Buddha is the superior condition for eradicating offenses" downward: this is the third [section], Critical Analysis. Within this, there are precisely three parts: first, clarifying the sequence; second, from "however, the five fruits of homage, etc." downward, distinguishing the karmic retributions; third, from "in terms of teachings" downward, selecting and determining according to the teachings. As for "may be contemplated": like the earlier ten layers of paying homage to the Buddha, the first two are not proper deportment, and are distinguished simply to let one know they are incorrect. The third applies to the expedient and Hīnayāna. The fourth is the initial teaching, because it accords with the meaning of emptiness. The fifth is the final teaching, because it encompasses both phenomena and principle. The sixth and seventh are the sudden teaching, because one only pays homage to the mind-Buddha and there is no homage within homage. The eighth applies to the final teaching, because of the One Vehicle of shared teaching. The latter three combine to form the perfect teaching. The eighth is the subject paying homage, because one contains all. The ninth harmonizes the profound and the shallow, because phenomena follow principle in harmonization, and phenomena and phenomena are unobstructed. And as for saying that it subsumes the former six: because two are improper deportment; one merely pays homage to the mind-Buddha; and the ten layers are endlessly layered. A lower sūtra passage says: "Within a single pore, one clearly sees / an inconceivable number of limitless buddhas. / All pores are also like this; / paying homage everywhere to all lamps of the world. / Raising the whole body, sequentially and reverently paying homage / to such boundless Supreme Ones; / also with words praising everywhere, / exhausting all future kalpas. / The offering implements at a single Tathāgata's place, / their number is limitless, equal to sentient beings", and so forth. Furthermore, the "Practices of Samantabhadra" says: "Within a single particle of dust, one sees all buddhas / surrounded by assemblies of bodhisattvas; / the dust of the dharmadhātu is also like this. / At the place of each and every Tathāgata, / paying homage with all the dust of kṣetras", and so forth. If one relies on this homage, a single homage has inexhaustible merit—how could it be measured? The other seven gates can be contemplated and calibrated accordingly. Without entering this contemplation, one exhausts oneself in vain.