大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 53.20

53.20

Regarding the commentary's: "Third, the culmination of practice," the treatise explains: "Because in the time of the stage of contemplation, one distinguishes, cultivates, and becomes aware of the characteristics of the untainted limbs of the path." In the treatise, the word "cultivates" explains the word "practice" in the heading; progressing in cultivation based on mindfulness is called practice, and practice here is the "cultivation and practice" of this sūtra; thus the commentary first explains the words "cultivation and practice." Regarding the commentary's: "Speaking of 'distinguishing untainted dharmas'" on downward, it quotes the sūtra to explain. That is, it clarifies that bodhisattvas prior to the bhūmis give rise to contemplative cultivation regarding dharmas of the bhūmis, but this is merely the conceptual discrimination of name and referent by the mental consciousness. Next, regarding "Because one has not yet realized" on downward, it explains that the "time of the stage of contemplation" in the treatise is precisely the stage of applied practices. However, the expression "stage of contemplation" is the treatise's explanation of the word "contemplate" in that sūtra, because the treatise's version of the sūtra says: "contemplating, penetrating, and distinguishing untainted dharmas." Afterward, from "bearing characteristics" on downward, it explains the word "distinguishing" in the sūtra, meaning that one bears the characteristic of suchness; hence the treatise calls it "cultivating the awareness of characteristics." This is just as the *Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi* says: "Presently positing a slight something before oneself, asserting it to be the nature of consciousness-only; because there is something grasped, one does not truly abide in consciousness-only." That treatise, in explaining the four applied practices, says: "Because they all bear characteristics, they are not yet able to realize the true reality. Therefore it is said that the bodhisattva in these four positions still sets up a slight something before oneself, asserting it to be the true ultimate nature of consciousness-only. Because the characteristics of emptiness and existence have not yet been eliminated, and the mind of contemplation that bears characteristics still has something grasped, one does not truly abide in the true nature of consciousness-only; only after those characteristics have ceased does one truly abide." Its commentary explains: "The mind's altering [an image of] suchness is called 'a slight something.' This is not without characteristics, so it is called 'bearing characteristics.' If, upon realizing the truth, those characteristics then cease, this is the emptiness of the imagined characteristic. There is the dependent characteristic; this is called the position of the characteristics of emptiness and existence. That is, having the characteristic of emptiness is the true ultimate nature of that consciousness-only. Because having this characteristic means one has not yet realized the true principle, only by eliminating the characteristics of emptiness and existence does one realize the truth." That treatise concludes: "Relying on this meaning, there is a verse: 'When the bodhisattva in the state of concentration / Contemplates that representations are mind alone, / The characteristics of external objects having been eliminated, / He carefully contemplates only self-characteristics. / Abiding thus within the internal mind, / He knows that the grasped does not exist; / Next, the grasper is also absent, / And finally he touches the ungraspable.'" Explanation: This concludes the four applied practices; that is, the first two lines correspond to the stage of Heat; the next two lines to the stage of Summit; the next two lines to the lower and middle stages of Patience; the next single line to the stage of Supreme Patience, with the preceding three lines combining as Supreme Mundane Dharmas; and the final line is the stage of seeing.