大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 86.14

86.14

The seventh [good friend], the upāsikā Āśā, is assigned to the Abode of Non-retrogression; she enters the principle of non-arising and ultimate emptiness. Mind-moment by mind-moment she constantly practices emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; calming and contemplation operate in tandem, and conditions cannot disrupt her, for she is profound like a clear ocean. Regarding the commentary's "the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] also has this number": this refers to the sixth fascicle, the 'Chapter on the Tathāgata Nature', which explains the meaning of the four reliances. Later in the sūtra it states: "Bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One! When such scriptures and the true Dharma are destroyed, when the true precepts are ruined, when non-Dharma proliferates, and when there are no beings who conform to the Dharma, who will listen, receive, uphold, read, recite, and master them, make offerings, revere, transcribe, and explain them?' Below, the meaning is cited in summary. At that time, the Buddha praised Kāśyapa: 'Excellent, excellent! Good man, you are able to ask such a meaning. Good man! If there are sentient beings who have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of one Ganges River, they will be able not to slander this sūtra in an evil age, but will not be able to analyze and broadly explain it for others. If they have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of two Ganges Rivers, they will be able in an evil age not to slander it, but faithfully rejoice, receive, uphold, read, and recite it, yet still not be able to expound it for others. If they have aroused the bodhicitta before as many buddhas as the sands of three Ganges Rivers, they possess the virtues of the second person; although they explain it for others, they do not yet understand its profound meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of four Ganges Rivers, they also possess the previous virtues, and broadly explain for others one part out of sixteen parts of its meaning, yet in expounding it, they are not yet complete. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of five Ganges Rivers, they can broadly explain for others eight parts out of sixteen parts of its meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of six Ganges Rivers, they can broadly explain for others twelve parts out of sixteen parts of its meaning. If they have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of seven Ganges Rivers, they broadly explain for others fourteen parts of its meaning. If there are those who have aroused the mind before as many buddhas as the sands of eight Ganges Rivers, only then can they avoid slandering this Dharma in an evil age, receive, uphold, read, recite, and copy the sūtra scrolls, also encourage others to transcribe them, personally listen and receive, and also encourage others to listen, receive, and master them,' and so on. However, the sūtra merely accumulates from one to eight; the count of thirty-six is derived through its underlying meaning: adding two onto one makes three; adding three onto three makes six; adding four onto six makes ten; adding five onto ten makes fifteen; adding six onto fifteen makes twenty-one; adding seven onto twenty-one makes twenty-eight; adding eight onto twenty-eight makes thirty-six. Thus, accumulating the two, three, four, and so on of the eight persons amounts to thirty-six in total. Although this is derived through meaning, the principle must necessarily be so. Regarding the commentary's "the heavenly maiden said": this refers to the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa-sūtra, which was already cited above. Regarding the commentary's "hence that text on the abode states 'emitting a vast, all-pervasive sound'": this is merely one line among the ten Dharmas of superior progress.