大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 77.29

77.29

Regarding the Commentary's passage starting from "Next, 'the Buddhas'…": this directly reveals what is kept in mind. The text of the Commentary has three parts: 1. It briefly indicates the essence of the Dharma. The clause "must not be [construed] exclusively..." concludes by refuting differing interpretations. 2. From "However, this..." downward, it correlates and encompasses them with what preceded. 3. From "These ten aspects and marks..." downward, it points to the previous explanation of the marks.

Concerning the second part, we should now first enumerate the twenty questions at the beginning of the second assembly:
1. The Tathāgata's stage,
2. The Tathāgata's sphere of cognition,
3. The Tathāgata's spiritual power,
4. The Tathāgata's practice,
5. The Tathāgata's ten powers,
6. The Tathāgata's fearlessnesses,
7. The Tathāgata's samādhis,
8. The Tathāgata's superknowledges,
9. The Tathāgata's mastery,
10. The Tathāgata's unhinderedness,
11. The Tathāgata's eye,
12. The Tathāgata's ear,
13. The Tathāgata's nose,
14. The Tathāgata's tongue,
15. The Tathāgata's body,
16. The Tathāgata's mind,
17. The Tathāgata's eloquence,
18. The Tathāgata's wisdom,
19. The Tathāgata's supremacy—
20. [The text] lacks "light," so there are only nineteen. Moreover, every phrase has the words "what is...."

The sequence of the ten phrases in the sūtra can be known. The way they are encompassed here does not follow that sequence, because relative to the preceding they form three categories: 1. the former opened and this one combined; 2. the former combined and this one opened; 3. neither opened nor combined—this is in order to use this small number to encompass that greater number.

First, explaining "the former opened and this one combined": within this, there are three phrases that encompass sixteen preceding phrases. Second, "the former combined and this one opened": using the former two phrases, it encompasses five phrases. The third section takes one of those phrases. Thus, here, the initial combination has three, the subsequent opening here has six, and the final non-opening here has one, fully constituting ten phrases. Afterward, the former's initial opening has sixteen, the subsequent combination has two, and the final non-opening and non-combination is also one, making nineteen phrases.

Regarding the first, "the former opened": first, "the body encompasses the six sense faculties"—"body" is one among the six, and it also encompasses the phrase lacking "light," so there are seven phrases. Second, "wisdom" encompasses three, and can also encompass wisdom itself, making four. Third, "mastery" encompasses five, and can also encompass mastery itself, making six; therefore they constitute sixteen.

Second, within "the former combined and this one opened," there are also three sections. First, "sphere of cognition" opens into "lands" without an encompassing phrase, because "sphere of cognition" has already been encompassed by the preceding "wisdom"; thus, although there are three sections, there are only two phrases. "Sphere of cognition" is the domain to be transformed; "lands" are the domain relied upon. In the second section, "practice" encompasses three, so there is an encompassing [phrase]; yet all three are practices. The statement "manifestation and practice mutually possess broader and narrower senses" fends off an objection. It is feared that someone might object: "Among those ten gates, manifestation-practice is one of them; how can this practice encompass that?" Thus it is resolved through their mutual breadth and narrowness. For example, if bodhi is taken as the gate, the nature of bodhi encompasses nirvāṇa; if nirvāṇa is taken as the gate, then nirvāṇa and prajñā encompass bodhi.

Regarding the Commentary's statement "the former's 'unhinderedness' opens here into 'liberation'": this is the third section; whereas the former had only one, this completely possesses unhindered liberation.

Regarding the Commentary's statement from "voice is eloquence" downward: this is the third, "neither opening nor combining"; each has one phrase before and after. A diagram is further established for this: