大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 76.20

76.20

In the commentary, under "However, Nāgārjuna...", is the third [part], citing sūtras and treatises to reconcile and explain. Therein, one treatise and two sūtras are cited. First, the four meanings from the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, which are briefly complete as in the text; second, the ten meanings from the Buddhabhūmi[-sūtra]; third, the ten meanings from the Eighth Stage. The texts of both of these two sūtras each have ten meanings, but their intents are different. The ten meanings of the Buddhabhūmi exclusively serve as metaphors for the Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu; the ten meanings of the Eighth Stage cognize the ten different characteristics of the space-body, namely: 1. the characteristic of being immeasurable, 2. the characteristic of being all-pervading, 3. the characteristic of being formless, 4. the characteristic of being undifferentiated, 5. the characteristic of being boundless, 6. the characteristic of manifesting the form-body. Although the text has only six, by analogy there ought to be ten. They speak only of space, without distinctively serving as metaphors for phenomena. Now we should cite in full the ten meanings from the Buddhabhūmi; they begin in the third fascicle of the treatise and end only in the fourth. The first meaning: The sūtra states, "O Subhūti, you should know: The pure dharmadhātu is, for example, like space; although it pervades the various characteristics of all forms, it cannot be said to have various characteristics, for its essence is solely of one flavor. Likewise, although the Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu pervades the realms of cognizable objects of various characteristics and classes, it cannot be said to have various characteristics, for its essence is solely of one flavor." The second states, "Furthermore, just as space, although it pervades all forms without mutually departing from them, is not defiled by the faults of form; likewise, although the Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu pervades the mind-natures of all sentient beings and does not mutually depart from them because it is real, it is not defiled by their faults." The third states, "Furthermore, just as space contains and tolerates all actions of body, speech, and mind, yet this space has no active initiating; likewise, the Tathāgata contains and tolerates all activities of benefiting sentient beings that are transformed by wisdom, yet the pure dharmadhātu has no active initiating." This corresponds to the beginning of the fourth fascicle, which hence states, "Furthermore, just as in space various characteristics of forms appear to arise and appear to cease, yet this space has no arising and no cessation; likewise, so on and so forth, the activities of benefiting sentient beings transformed by all wisdoms appear to arise and appear to cease, yet the pure dharmadhātu has no arising and no cessation." The fifth states, "Furthermore, just as in space various characteristics of forms appear to increase and appear to decrease, yet this space has no increase and no decrease; likewise, so on and so forth, it is displayed that the Tathāgata's holy teaching of the deathless has increase and decrease, yet the pure dharmadhātu has no increase and no decrease." The sixth states, "Furthermore, just as space: the characteristics of form in the ten directions are boundless and inexhaustible, and because this realm of space is boundless and inexhaustible, this space has no going, no coming, no motion, and no transformation; likewise, so on and so forth, the various functions that establish the benefit, peace, and happiness of all sentient beings in the ten directions are boundless and inexhaustible, and because the pure dharmadhātu is boundless and inexhaustible, the pure dharmadhātu has no going, no coming, no motion, and no transformation." The seventh states, "Furthermore, just as space: the trichiliocosms appear to form and appear to disintegrate, yet the realm of space has no disintegration and no formation; likewise, so on and so forth, manifesting immeasurable characteristics to attain equal and perfect awakening, or manifesting entrance into great nirvāṇa, yet the pure dharmadhātu does not attain equal and perfect awakening, nor does it enter cessation." The eighth states, "Furthermore, just as based upon space, various characteristics of forms can be found to decay, rot, burn, blaze, and undergo mutation, yet the realm of space is not mutated by them, nor does it suffer weariness or obstruction; likewise, based upon the Tathāgata's pure realm, within the realms of sentient beings various transgressions of the trainings and of actions of body, speech, and mind can be found, yet the pure dharmadhātu is not mutated by them, nor does it suffer weariness or obstruction." The ninth states, "Furthermore, just as based upon space, the great earth, great mountains, radiance, water, fire, Śakra's retinue, and even the sun and the moon can all be found, yet the realm of space does not have those characteristics; likewise, based upon the Tathāgata's pure realm, the aggregate of morality, the aggregate of concentration, the aggregate of wisdom, the aggregate of liberation, and the aggregate of the knowledge and vision of liberation can all be found, yet the pure dharmadhātu does not have those characteristics." The tenth states, "Furthermore, just as in space, through the mutual arising of various causes and conditions, the rotations of immeasurable trichiliocosms can be found, yet the realm of space has no active initiating; likewise, in the Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu, the circumambulating assemblies of Buddhas possessing immeasurable characteristics can be found, yet the pure realm has no active initiating." Exposition: The above ten meanings are fully drawn from the text of the sūtra. Beneath the phrase "likewise" there is always the phrase "the Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu"; the rest all follow the sūtra. The treatise, however, explains them all extensively, and their general import is similar; therefore, the commentary does not cite the treatise, nor does it fully list the sūtra text. Saying that "their general import is similar" means they universally share the sense of being neither identical with nor separate from all phenomena. The above directly distinguishes the one true dharmadhātu among the five dharmas, which is why it uses the ten meanings of space as a metaphor. If one briefly takes their distinct characteristics: 1. its essence is solely of one flavor, 2. its nature is pure and undefiled, 3. it has no active initiating, 4. it has no arising or cessation, 5. it has no increase or decrease, 6. it has no going, coming, motion, or transformation, 7. it has no formation or disintegration, 8. it has no mutation, weariness, or exhaustion, 9. it is not [any of] the characteristics, 10. it has nothing actively initiated. Examining the sūtra text, the tenth and the third are the same; but the third is containing and tolerating without active initiating, while the tenth is generating without active initiating; combining the two, they are called the absence of agent and object. If one examines the treatise's conclusion, the tenth should be called "free from conceptual differentiation" and the third should be called "free from mental orientation." Now we briefly cite the treatise's explanation. Explaining the first, it says: "Next we shall display the characteristic of the pure dharmadhātu, resolve objections, and determine the differentiations of the dharmadhātu. There is an objection that says: If all Tathāgatas have the dharmadhātu as their nature, then the dharmadhātu takes tathatā as its essence. Tathatā is the common characteristic of all phenomena. Since all phenomena have various differentiations, how can the dharmadhātu, in following them, be free from various differentiations? If the dharmadhātu has various differentiations, how is it pure? It is not like a crystal that mutually corresponds with various supports, so it lacks various characteristics. To resolve this objection, the initial metaphor of vast space is spoken." The intent is: although it pervades various things, it does not conform to take on shapes, because it does not abandon its own nature. From "solely of one flavor" onward, it cites the treatise according to its intent. The second objection says: If the dharmadhātu pervades everything, it must mutually correspond with greed and the like; why then does it not become impure, like defiled mental factors? Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: because its nature is pure and not of their essence, it is not defiled by them. The third objection says: The Tathāgata's pure dharmadhātu takes tathatā as its essence, so it is free from prapañca and free from active initiating; how then can it contain activities that benefit sentient beings? Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: by the power of past vows acting as a predominant condition, it performs activities of benefit and joy for sentient beings, abiding effortlessly, without conceptual differentiation and without prapañca. The fourth objection says: If the pure dharmadhātu pervades everything without mutually departing from it and unreservedly conforms with it, then the dharmadhātu ought to have arising and cessation. Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: although it pervades everything, according to conventional designations there are arising and cessation, but the essence of the ultimate truth neither arises nor ceases. The fifth objection says: If the pure dharmadhātu pervades everything without mutually departing from it, and the Tathāgata's holy teachings visibly have increase and decrease, then the dharmadhātu ought also to increase and decrease. Therefore, it is resolved by saying: while in all conventional principles there is said to be increase and decrease, it is not that the true dharmadhātu has increase and decrease. The sixth objection says: If all Tathāgatas take the dharmadhātu as their essence, and the Tathāgata's bestowing of benefit and joy upon sentient beings involves going and coming, then the dharmadhātu ought to have coming and going. Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: it is in terms of the enjoyment-body that going and coming are spoken of, not that the essence of the dharmadhātu has going and coming. The seventh objection says: If there is no going or coming, how can there be the attainment of equal and perfect awakening? Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: attaining is in terms of the conventional, whereas the ultimate has no formation or disintegration. The eighth objection says: If the dharmadhātu pervades all classes of sentient beings, how can sentient beings commit transgressions? Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: sentient beings have transgressions, but the dharmadhātu has no mutation. The ninth objection says: If the dharmadhātu pervades everything, there ought not to be the characteristics of the uncontaminated aggregates such as morality. Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: having predominant conditions that increase everything, it itself lacks all characteristics. The tenth objection says: If all Buddhas take the dharmadhātu as their essence, they ought to lack enjoyment; how then can there be differentiations among assemblies? Therefore, it is now resolved by saying: they are obtained in terms of distinct causes and conditions, not that the Tathāgata's body has prapañca, conceptual differentiation, and so forth. Given the above ten objections, comparing them with the sūtra text above makes them clearly easy to understand.