新譯華嚴經七處九會頌釋章 1.28

1.28

問曰：第二會歷後忉利等四處，復來普光，可名重會；今七八二會中間不曾暫起復來，何名重會耶？答曰：重會之名通於多種，謂時處人法皆有重義。前約處明，此據法說，謂前六會同顯生解因果，今重辨彼解所成行，故名重會。頌中舉本不論其末，是故唯說佛為主會，不說菩薩求法之會。理亦可說，如善財童子於覺城東沙羅林大塔廟處，文殊師利初為諸大眾及善財童子一會說法，如是次第乃至末後普賢菩薩於金剛藏道場所，為於大眾及善財等現法界身雲之法，為末後第五十四會，是故通前總六十三會。此據一方說。若論結通十方世界，是則塵數虛空法界等諸會處也。

Question: In the second assembly, [the teaching] traversed the subsequent four locations such as Trāyastriṃśa heaven and then returned to Universal Light; this may be called a repeated assembly. Now, between the seventh and eighth assemblies, without having ever briefly arisen and returned, why are they called repeated assemblies? Answer: The designation of a repeated assembly applies to many kinds; that is, time, place, person, and Dharma all possess the meaning of repetition. The previous explanation was based on place; this one is stated in terms of Dharma. That is, the previous six assemblies together manifested the causes and fruits of generating understanding, whereas now the practices accomplished by that understanding are newly distinguished; therefore, they are called repeated assemblies. The verses present the root and do not discuss its branches; therefore, they only speak of the assemblies where the Buddha was the host, and do not speak of the assemblies where the bodhisattva sought the Dharma. In principle, one could also speak of them: as when the youth Sudhana was at the Great Stūpa in the Śāla Grove to the east of Dhanyākara, and Mañjuśrī first taught the Dharma for the great assembly and the youth Sudhana in one assembly; sequentially proceeding in this manner up to the very end, where Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, at the site of the Vajragarbha bodhimaṇḍa, manifested the Dharma of clouds of bodies of the dharmadhātu for the great assembly and Sudhana, which was the final fifty-fourth assembly. Therefore, including the earlier ones, there are sixty-three assemblies in total. This is stated with respect to one direction. If one were to discuss their pervasive connection throughout the worlds of the ten directions, these assemblies would be as numerous as dust motes, empty space, and the dharmadhātu.