大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 78.2

78.2

Regarding the Commentary's line beginning with 'Second, Sons of the Buddha', the Commentary's text has three parts: first, stating the enumeration to provide a general classification; second, discriminating from 'Or briefly, they are incomplete' onward; third, setting out the major headings from 'Discussing in detail a single characteristic' onward. Within this, it first conditionally accepts and completes the scriptural sequence, and afterwards, from 'Now by analogy' onward, it establishes nineteen major headings. When it says, 'This then is the direct contemplation of the ocean of characteristics,' the *Guanfo sanmei hai jing* has two kinds of contemplation of the Buddha's ocean of characteristics: first, the general contemplation, having the thirty-two and so forth; second, the particular contemplation of each individual characteristic. Within the particular contemplation, there are again two meanings: first, from the uṣṇīṣa to the feet is called direct contemplation; second, from the wheel on the sole of the foot to the uṣṇīṣa is called reverse contemplation. Therefore it says that this is now direct contemplation. According to Samantabhadra's words, one ought to say 'direct exposition'; because the fundamental intention is the desire to accomplish contemplation, it is called 'direct contemplation'—namely, chapter nine, 'Contemplation of the Image', in the ninth fascicle of that sūtra. Regarding the Commentary's statement 'If so, then could the others not be like this?': above, it correctly expounded perfect interpenetration; from here onward, it resolves an objection. That is to say, an objection asks: 'If this expresses perfect interpenetration, why do all the characteristics not possess thirty-two each?' The intention of the answer is understandable. And that text also has three parts: first, the direct answer; second, adducing proof from 'Therefore the Sujāta...' onward; third, resolving a difficulty from 'This is stated by contrasting the characteristics with the secondary marks' onward. The difficulty says: 'Various sūtras and treatises say that the thirty-two characteristics are spoken of in order to subdue humans, while the eighty secondary marks are spoken of in order to subdue the devas. Therefore, wheel-turning kings among humans are allowed to possess the thirty-two characteristics, but not the eighty secondary marks; thus the secondary marks must be superior.' Therefore, it resolves this [as follows]: this [text] contrasts the essence of the characteristics with the essence of the secondary marks, where the characteristics are superior to the secondary marks; whereas that [other text] refers to what persons possess, where possessing the secondary marks is considered superior. It is also like an ordinary person whose one-foot-long face is not as valued as a three-inch nose, and whose three-inch nose is not as valued as a one-inch eye; thus, characteristic is compared against characteristic to distinguish superiority and inferiority. If someone had a three-inch nose and a one-inch eye, but lacked the other features, he would not be as noble a person as one whose body fully possessed many features.