大華嚴經略策 1.27

1.27

第二十、文殊祖師。問：文殊菩薩現是因人，那稱佛母？既為法身菩薩，何以偏住清涼？或言親稟釋迦，復言來自金色，或言諸佛之祖，或說菩薩之師，仰盡源流彰其準的，使參玄之者不惑見聞。答：至聖至神難窮其本，憑教憑理略述見聞。示迹因人、久成正覺，體周法界應必有方。得果不捨因門，迹為釋迦弟子，昔為妙光菩薩，以為九世祖師，況無不從其發心，故為諸佛之祖。偏主摩訶般若，復為佛母之名，依不動之真源，言自金色世界，震旦之人有感，偏居清涼之山矣。《首楞嚴經》略陳其本曰龍種上尊王如來。《央崛經》說其現成即謂摩尼寶積。《處胎經》說十方皆證菩提，數越塵沙聖莫能計，同萬類之變化、入帝網之剎塵，湛一寂之真源無成無滅。口欲談而詞喪，心將緣而慮息。無相現相，清涼應現於多端；即身無身，金容煥目而無覩。執相者迷其至趣，觀空者惑其見聞，惑見聞者偏求有外之空，迷至趣者執水月為珠寶，故中人悅象或滯於二途，下士忽虛相以為妖異。妖異乍生於日夕，豈千秋萬歲之常然？況宣公上稟於諸天，神僧顯彰於靈境，高齊八州以傾俸，有唐十帝之迴光，清涼聖居理無惑矣，真源普遍復何疑焉。冀當仰其聖靈，無得測其深淺。謹對。

Twentieth: The Ancestral Master Mañjuśrī. Question: Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī is currently a person on the causal stage; how can he be called the Mother of Buddhas? Since he is a dharmakāya bodhisattva, why does he dwell exclusively on Mount Qingliang? Some say he received [teachings] directly from Śākyamuni; others say he came from the Golden World; some say he is the ancestor of all Buddhas; others say he is the teacher of bodhisattvas. I respectfully ask you to trace the source to the end and show the standard, so that those who investigate the profound will not be confused by what they see and hear. Answer: As he is supremely holy and supremely spiritual, it is difficult to fathom his origin; relying on the teaching and on principle, I will briefly state what is seen and heard. Manifesting traces as a person on the causal stage, he actually attained correct enlightenment long ago; his substance pervades the dharmadhātu, but his responses must have a location. Having attained the fruit, he does not abandon the causal gate; in trace, he is Śākyamuni's disciple. In the past he was Bodhisattva Prabhāpāla and served as the ancestral teacher of nine generations [of Buddhas]; moreover, as none [of the Buddhas] did not generate the aspiration [for enlightenment] from him, he is the ancestor of all Buddhas. Exclusively presiding over Mahāprajñā, he also has the name Mother of Buddhas. In accordance with the unmoving true source, it is said that he came from the Golden World; because the people of China had an affinity [with him], he dwells especially on Mount Qingliang. The Śūraṅgama Sūtra briefly sets forth his origin, calling him the Tathāgata Jñānaprabhāvaśrīrāja. The Aṅgulimāla Sūtra says that in his present attainment [of buddhahood] he is called Ratnacchatrakūṭa. The Chutai jing says that in the ten directions he has realized bodhi in numbers exceeding the sands of dust, which no sage can count; he adapts to the transformations of the myriad kinds of beings and enters the dust motes of the kṣetras of Indra's net, yet the pure and serene true source is without origination and without cessation. Words fail when the mouth wishes to speak of it; thoughts cease when the mind seeks to condition it. Without marks he manifests marks: on Qingliang his responsive manifestations are manifold; being the body yet without a body: his golden countenance blazes before the eyes yet cannot be seen. Those who cling to marks are deluded about his ultimate intent; those who contemplate emptiness are confused about what they see and hear. Those confused about what they see and hear exclusively seek an emptiness outside of existence; those deluded about the ultimate intent cling to the moon in the water as a jewel. Thus persons of medium capacity, delighting in imagery, may become stranded in the two extremes, while inferior persons dismiss the empty marks as phantom wonders. Phantom wonders arise suddenly in morning and evening—how could they be the constant reality of thousands of autumns and myriads of years? Furthermore, Master Daoxuan received revelations above from the devas, and divine monks made [him] manifest in this spiritual realm; the Northern Qi offered up the revenues of eight prefectures, and the ten emperors of the Tang turned their reverence toward him. There can be no doubt that Qingliang is his sacred abode; why suspect that his true source is all-pervading? It is to be hoped that you revere his holy spirit and do not attempt to fathom his depth. Respectfully answered.