大華嚴經略策 1.2

1.2

The Grand Preceptor of State once dwelt at the sacred realm of Qingliang and composed the Commentary on the Avataṃsaka Sūtra in several million words; its text is as deep as rivers and seas, and its meaning as high as mountain peaks, vast and towering, not something later scholars could easily fathom. These Brief Questions condense the Great Commentary into forty-two articles, covering nearly all of its essential outline—how could this be called abandoning the rod to settle for the foot? As for its structure, each article begins by presenting questions and answers and concludes with 'respectfully responded'; this is so for every single article. Examining its literary style, it clearly distinguishes the format of lectures on texts. There are three compositions by Su Shi of the Song dynasty, all of which begin by posing questions and answers and end with 'respectfully responded'. Commentators state: 'As for lecturers on texts, when the sovereign was fond of learning, he would peruse the classics and histories, and Confucian ministers would accordingly explain their meanings to present them to him.' The titles and opening lines contain the words 'question and answer', which were words spoken when being consulted and offering replies. The structure of this work is identical to that; was it not also recorded upon being consulted? According to the Biographies of Eminent Monks, the Preceptor of State lived through the reigns of nine sacred emperors under the Tang and served as the preceptor to seven emperors; this verifies that he received their consultations. It is titled 'Brief Questions (ce)'; perhaps it also takes the meaning of answering palace examination questions (duice)? This book has circulated for a long time, but it is regrettable that words have dropped out completely and many characters have become blurred. Now, comparing and emending it against the Great Commentary and consulting other books as well, I have collated it with meticulous care and carved it again on pear and jujube blocks, hoping that scholars of the world who peruse these brief questions may trace back to that comprehensive commentary, just as traveling far necessarily begins from nearby, and ascending high necessarily begins from below. So it is stated.