新譯華嚴經七處九會頌釋章 1.25

1.25

問曰：晉朝經唯有八會，何故唐經有九會耶？答曰：覺賢三藏不得〈十定品〉梵本，終不知說〈十明品〉等十品處，由此十品入於第六他化自在天會，是故唯八會耳。喜學三藏得〈十定品〉，即分明知〈十地品〉是他化天會，〈十定〉等十一品是普光重會，故開為九會耳。〈十定品〉首云「爾時，世尊在摩竭提國阿蘭若法菩提場中，始成正覺，於普光明殿入剎那際諸佛三昧，以一切智自神通力現如來身清淨無礙。」如此廣歎佛菩薩德及列名號，謂普眼菩薩摩訶薩等。

Question: The sūtra of the Jin dynasty had only eight assemblies; why does the Tang sūtra have nine assemblies? Answer: Tripiṭaka Master Buddhabhadra did not obtain the Sanskrit text of the "Chapter on the Ten Concentrations", and in the end did not know the location where the ten chapters, such as the "Chapter on the Ten Clarities", were preached; because of this, these ten chapters were included in the sixth assembly in the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, and therefore there were only eight assemblies. Tripiṭaka Master Śikṣānanda obtained the "Chapter on the Ten Concentrations", and thus clearly knew that the "Chapter on the Ten Stages" was the assembly in the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, and that the eleven chapters, including the "Ten Concentrations", were the reconvened assembly at Universal Light; hence it was expanded into nine assemblies. The beginning of the "Chapter on the Ten Concentrations" states: "At that time, the World-Honoured One was in the bodhimaṇḍa of the Dharma of wilderness in the country of Magadha, having just realized right awakening, and entered the samādhi of all Buddhas of the instant-limit in the Hall of Universal Light, manifesting the Tathāgata's pure and unimpeded body through the power of his own omniscient spiritual penetration." In this way, it extensively praises the virtues of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas and enumerates their names, referring to Bodhisattva Mahāsattva Samantacakṣus and others.