大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 89.56

89.56

In the commentary, "*Jñeya* (eryan) is translated here as the object of cognition (suozhi)" and so forth: the commentary briefly cites the *Treatise on Entering the Mahāyāna* (*Mahāyānāvatāra-śāstra*). The treatise says: "A bodhisattva possesses immeasurable, boundless asaṃkhyeyas of merits; reaching the stage of *jñeya* and heading toward nirvāṇa, out of pity for sentient beings he re-enters saṃsāra, manifesting the endurance of toil and suffering for asaṃkhyeya kalpas, surpassing all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, fully endowed with all merits and wisdom. Therefore, he transcends the stage of *jñeya*..." up to where it says: "A bodhisattva resides in the ocean of saṃsāra: in the first asaṃkhyeya kalpa he cultivates the pure practices of purifying the stages seeking pure liberation; in the second asaṃkhyeya kalpa he cultivates the pure practices of dhyāna; in the third asaṃkhyeya kalpa he cultivates the pure practices of wisdom, eliminating the obstacles of the stage of *jñeya*. Therefore the bodhisattva is said to ride the vehicle of sovereignty, fulfilling the ten stages, attaining unimpededness and unobstructedness, completely endowed with everything; hence he attains anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Therefore, by means of *jñeya*-cognition, he attains the great fruit." Commentary: *Jñeya* is Sanskrit; here it is translated as the mother of cognition, also as the perfection of cognition, also as cognitive realm, also as the object of cognition—that is, the obstacle of the object of cognition (jñeyāvaraṇa) is also called *jñeya*. This is because the sūtra says "causing them to cross over the ocean of *jñeya*". The commentary employs only the single meaning of the object of cognition, which is crossing over the ocean of saṃsāra in the third kalpa in the treatise. The treatise also says: "Upon entering the ten stages, one can permanently sever it." Thus, when the ten stages speak of severing the two kinds of ignorance and their coarse heaviness, they all take *jñeya* as the object of cognition. If based on the initial statement of reaching the stage of *jñeya* and the concluding statement that by *jñeya*-cognition one achieves the great fruit, other meanings are encompassed. Now, taking the sūtra's intended meaning, only one is presented.