大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 66.2

66.2

Regarding the commentary's "Second, the gate of root and branch relying on each other": the text of the commentary has six parts: first, marking the scope of the gates, which is eight and a half gates; second, from "Characteristics of conditions" downward, posing a hypothetical question to raise the issue; third, from "The treatise says 'following along'" downward, citing the treatise to give the direct answer, which is entirely identical to the twelfth fascicle of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra], where the Buddha answers Mañjuśrī's meaning, as already seen in the introductory overview; fourth, from "The conventional is the signifier of the real" downward, where the commentary explains the meaning of the treatise; fifth, from "The Madhyamakaśāstra says" downward, citing another treatise for proof, which is the "Examination of the Four Noble Truths," also seen in the text above; sixth, from "This contemplation has six" downward, developing the specific from the general, meaning that within the eight and a half gates of conventional truth there are six contemplations. Within this there are three parts: first, listing and explaining; second, critical analysis; third, specifically explaining the initial gate. Now, for the first part: in the text of each contemplation, there are two occurrences of the word "contemplation." The above marks names based on the treatise. From the word "contemplation" downward, the commentary clarifies the meaning. Because causes have self and other, two gates are required: the dependence of defilement is called the other-cause. The second, "contemplation of cause," is called the self-cause; defilement has four positions, thus subsuming three gates. The other-cause is the third, "self-karma assisting in completion"; the self-cause is the fourth, "not abandoning one another"; hence both are defiled causes. "Subsuming faults" is the fifth gate, "uninterrupted succession of the three paths"—namely, afflictions, karma, and suffering—because afflictions and karma constitute accumulation. "Protecting against faults" is the sixth gate, "saṃsāric transmigration across the three times"; stating this can eliminate the three faults of non-Buddhists, which are explained below. "Contemplation of revulsion without revulsion" is the seventh gate, "accumulation of the three sufferings"; ordinary beings and Hīnayānists are not revulsed, while bodhisattvas are revulsed. "Profound contemplation" refers to the last three gates; because searching for arising through the four positions cannot be attained, it is arising without arising, hence called profound contemplation—how could it be the same as grasping with emotional attachment?