大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 6.21

6.21

In the third section establishing the three types of teaching: first, a general indication; then, from 'One, south of the Yangtze' downward, the three masters are explained separately. The first is established in common by various masters. In narrating the earlier [view], there are two parts: first, clarifying the meaning of the gradual in general; second, clarifying it in detail. The former is divided into three: first, the formal thesis; next, the rationale for establishing the three from 'Because within the gradual the small comes first' downward; finally, showing the indeterminate characteristics from 'Namely, there are distinct' downward. 'Local and peripheral' means that generally speaking, within the gradual the small comes first and the great later, yet while expounding the small, it does not preclude also expounding the great. Just as someone propagating the Vinaya for ten years is not precluded from occasionally expounding the Mahāyāna in their private chambers, it is called local, peripheral, and indeterminate. Pointing to sūtras such as the Śrīmālā and Suvarṇaprabhāsa: the beginning of the Śrīmālā-sūtra states, 'King Prasenajit and Queen Mallikā have not believed in the Dharma for long.' Since it says 'not long,' it clearly belongs to the initial teaching. Since the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra is neither the first sudden teaching nor the second gradual teaching, and yet elucidates eternal permanence at the end, it clearly is indeterminate. Regarding 'the eternal permanence of the buddha-nature,' the two kinds of tathāgatagarbha expounded in the Śrīmālā-sūtra are precisely the buddha-nature. Furthermore, praising the three bodies of the Buddha corresponds to the present Sanskrit phrasing: 'All dharmas are eternally permanent; therefore I take refuge,' which is precisely the meaning of eternal permanence. This is because the 'Three Bodies Chapter' of the Suvarṇaprabhāsa-sūtra extensively expounds the eternal permanence of the dharmakāya.