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Language: English
Extent: 61 passages, 17,051 words
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Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.1738 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

1 — 61 parts

Text

1.1

Preface to the Explanation of the Verses on the Seven Places and Nine Assemblies of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra

In the past, Chan Master Guifeng wrote the Threading the Avataṃsaka, but that text was lost and not transmitted. Fu'an's Threading was originally composed for practitioners of Chan; thus, although incisive and direct, it is inconvenient for students of the doctrinal teachings. I once wished to model a separate work on the Threading the Lotus Sūtra, but feeling ashamed of lacking the brush of Master Ouyi [Zhixu], I stopped. Last winter, at the Ruxin Hermitage on Huading Peak, I obtained the Explanation of the Verses on the Seven Places and Nine Assemblies; it was indeed authored by the Great Master Chengguan of Qingliang. That work contains only slightly more than thirteen thousand characters—not even one-hundredth compared to his Commentary and Subcommentary—yet it reveals virtually all the essential meanings of the entire sūtra. Moreover, its prose is plain and clear, comprehensible even to beginners, serving truly as a bridge into the doctrinal ocean of the Avataṃsaka! This was certainly not something Fu'an could achieve; and had Master Zhixu seen it, he would surely have sighed at being unable to equal it. Thereupon, after repeated proofreading and collation, I promptly committed it to the printing blocks to widen its circulation. In general, delighting in brevity and disliking prolixity is constant human nature; hence this book's circulation ought to have preceded the Commentary and Subcommentary, yet it awaited the present to be published. Alas! That things have their times of concealment and manifestation is truly so! The base text was transcribed by Shōdō in the kōshin year of the Hōei era (1704). That man loved antiquity and once collated such works as the Stone Wall Commentary on the Brahmajāla Sūtra for publication in the world.

1.3

Full moon of the fifth month, the yichou year, the second year of the Bunka era (1805).

1.4

Respectfully composed by the śramaṇa Tenshu.

1.5

Composed by the śramaṇa Chengguan of the Great Avataṃsaka Monastery on Mount Qingliang.

1.6

Bowing my head, I take refuge throughout the entire dharmadhātu,
In the immaculate, pure wheel of liberation,
The ten Buddha-bodies filling the dharmadhātu,
The ocean-assembly's teaching Lord and all the holy hosts.
Dwelling on the plane of fetters, yearning for the Great Dharma,
I pray only that your compassionate aid may increase my wisdom.
Now I unfold these summarized verses to benefit self and others,
Aspirating that great understanding arise to cross the ocean of delusion.

1.7

This sūtra has eighty fascicles and forty-five thousand gāthās,
Spoken in seven locations and nine assemblies, across thirty-nine chapters and sections.
Among humans are three locations: the bodhimaṇḍa, the Universal [Light Hall], and the Solitary Park;
In the heavens are four locations: Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, and Paranirmitavaśavartin.
The first assembly is at the bodhimaṇḍa; the second assembly, at the Hall of Universal Light;
The third assembly, in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven; the fourth assembly, in the Yāma heaven;
The fifth assembly, in the Tuṣita heaven; the sixth assembly, in the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven;
The seventh and eighth return to the Universal Light; the ninth assembly is at the park of Anāthapiṇḍada.
The first assembly: the ten worlds; the second assembly: the ten Buddha-lands;
The third assembly: the stages of the ten abodes; the fourth assembly: the stages of the ten practices;
The fifth assembly: the ten dedications of merit; the sixth assembly: the practice of the ten stages;
The seventh assembly: the stages of equal and sublime enlightenment; the eighth assembly: the two thousand practices;
The ninth assembly: the realm of the dharmadhātu—these are the dharma-paryāyas of the nine assemblies.
The first, second, and third each have six [chapters]; the fourth has four; the fifth has three chapters;
The sixth has one; the seventh has eleven; the eighth and ninth each have one chapter.
The first assembly: The World, The Tathāgata, Samantabhadra, The World, The Flower, and Rocana Chapters;
The second assembly: The Tathāgata, Four, Light, Bodhisattva, Pure, and Leader Chapters;
The third assembly: Ascending Sumeru, Ten, Brahmā, Initial, Clarifying, and Dharma Chapters;
The fourth assembly: Ascending Yāma, Ten, and Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries Chapters;
The fifth assembly: Ascending Tuṣita and Ten; the sixth assembly: Ten Stages Chapter;
The seventh assembly: Samādhi, Superknowledge, Patience, Asaṃkhyeya, Lifespan, and Abodes Chapters,
Buddha, Tathāgata, Tathāgata, Samantabhadra, and Tathāgata's Manifestation Chapters;
The eighth assembly: Transcendence of the World; the ninth assembly: Entry into the Dharmadhātu Chapter.
No, Vow, Karma, Abiding, Nirvāṇa, Dharma, Mind, Three, Nature, Thusness;
Peaceful, Arising, Faith, Accord, Eternal, Non-, Peace, Non-, Determination, Universal.
Initial, Cultivation, Practice, Birth, Endowed, Correct, Non-, Child, Prince, Coronation;
Joyful, Beneficial, Non-, Non-, Non-, Virtuous, Non-, Honored, Virtuous, True;
Faith, Precepts, Shame, Conscience, Much, Giving, Wisdom, Mindfulness, Retention, Eloquence;
Saving, Not, Equal, Reaching, Non-, Accord, Equal, Thus, Non-, Entering;
Extreme, Far, Arising, Blazing, Extreme, Manifest, Far, Unshakable, Virtuous, Dharma;
Universal, Sublime, Next, Pure, Knowing, Wisdom, Understanding, Many, Dharmas, Non-;
Other, Heaven, Past, Knowing, Accomplishing, Abiding, Virtuous, Emerging, One, One;
Sound, Accord, Non-, Thus, Thus, Thus, Thus, Thus, Thus, Thus;
Simultaneous, Indra, Secret, Subtle, Ten, Pure, One, Sovereign, Accord, Phenomenon.

1.8

This treatise has two parts: the verse part has already been stated; what is the explanatory part? The verse says:

1.9

This sūtra has eighty fascicles and forty-five thousand gāthās,
Spoken in seven locations and nine assemblies, across thirty-nine chapters and sections.

1.10

The explanation says: "This" expresses the meaning of specifying and selecting; to distinguish it from other sūtras, it is called "this sūtra." Furthermore, to distinguish it from the older sūtra—which in the Jin dynasty was in sixty fascicles—it is now called "this sūtra" to differentiate it from that one. This sūtra was translated and supplemented across four different versions at various times. The present one is the third: in the first year of the Zhengsheng era (695 CE), the Tripiṭaka master Śikṣānanda of the kingdom of Khotan—whose name translates as "Delighting in Learning"—re-translated the old text and supplied the various omissions at the Foshouji Monastery in the Eastern Capital, augmenting it by an estimated nine thousand verses, so that together with the old text a total of forty-five thousand verses were translated, compiled into a Chinese text of eighty fascicles. The six great virtues including Yijing translated it together, and Dharma Master Fuli edited the text. There are other explanations: as the Forest of Strategies states regarding the forty-five thousand gāthās, the sūtra translated in the Jin dynasty had thirty-six thousand gāthās, to which nine thousand verses were further added. Thus, if one speaks comprehensively of the sūtra texts, there are altogether six versions: first, the Constant Version; second, the Great Version; third, the Upper Version; fourth, the Middle Version; fifth, the Lower Version; and sixth, the Abridged Version. First, regarding the Constant Version: Master Fazang's Commentary, fascicle one, states: "This is constantly preached without cessation in every tip of a hair across diverse worlds shaped like trees and the like, from moment to moment. This is not something that could be compiled, nor can its chapters and verses be delimited in number; nor can it be received and maintained by those of lower ranks." This is detailed in the "Inconceivable Chapter." Second, regarding the Great Version: it is like the Universal Eye Sūtra received and maintained by the bhikṣu Sāgaramegha below, which, using Mount Sumeru as a pile of pens and the water of the four great oceans as ink to write, could not exhaust a single chapter of sūtra; and such chapters exceed the number of dust motes. This is received and maintained by the dhāraṇī power of great bodhisattvas, and likewise cannot be written upon palm leaves. Third, regarding the Upper Version: this is the Upper Version among the texts compiled. Thus, according to Western Regions tradition, when Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna went to the Dragon Palace, he saw that the Great Inconceivable Liberation Sūtra had three versions: the Upper Version had verses as numerous as the dust motes of thirteen great trichiliocosms and chapters as numerous as the dust motes of the four continents. Fourth, the Middle Version: it had four hundred ninety-eight thousand eight hundred gāthās and one thousand two hundred chapters. These upper two versions were both kept secret in the Dragon Palace and could not be received and maintained by the human strength of Jambudvīpa; therefore, they were not transmitted here. Fifth, the Lower Version: it has one hundred thousand verses and thirty-eight chapters. Nāgārjuna brought this version forth and transmitted it in India; the Record of the Western Regions states that this text is preserved in its entirety in the mountains of the kingdom of Cakkuka south of Khotan. Sixth, the Abridged Version: this is the sixty-fascicle version transmitted in this land, which was extracted as an essential summary from the first thirty-six thousand verses among those one hundred thousand verses. The present forty-five thousand gāthās are likewise subsumed under the Abridged Version among the six versions. It is detailed as stated there.

1.11

Question: "Gāthā" refers to verses, while "gadyakāya" refers to prose; are they combined to distinguish them from prose? Answer: From the initial "Thus have I heard" to the concluding "entertained doubts and thoughts," counting them constitutes gāthās.

1.12

Question: How many syllables are counted to make one gāthā? Answer: Thirty-two syllables make one gāthā. However, the number of syllables in the Sanskrit text is fewer, while the translated characters in the Chinese land are more in number; therefore, the Sanskrit text has forty-one thousand nine hundred eighty verses and ten-odd syllables, while the Tang text has forty-five thousand verses.

1.13

Question: How is this known to be so? Answer: Master Zhiyan's Miscellaneous Compendium states: "According to an examination of the Sanskrit text of the Avataṃsaka at the Great Cien Monastery, there are five hundred forty-one leaves, with fifty-seven syllables to a line and twenty lines to a leaf. The front and back of one leaf have two thousand two hundred eighty syllables; ten leaves correspond to twenty-two thousand eight hundred syllables. Thirty-two syllables make one verse; one hundred leaves correspond to two hundred twenty-eight thousand syllables, and three hundred twenty thousand syllables make ten thousand verses. Five hundred forty-one leaves correspond to an estimated one million two hundred thirty-three thousand four hundred eighty syllables; reckoning thirty-two syllables as a verse, this corresponds to forty-one thousand nine hundred eighty verses and ten-odd syllables." Examining this: from this it is clearly known that the text of the Sanskrit original is fewer in syllables, whereas upon translation in the Tang the number of characters increased; therefore, when calculating the number of verses according to the Sanskrit sūtra, there are forty-one thousand nine hundred eighty verses and ten-odd syllables; when calculating the number of verses according to the Tang translation, it totals forty-five thousand verses. Tradition says: "The Sanskrit text of the Diamond Prajñā consists of about one leaf, but upon translation in the Tang, it became many leaves and many characters." This is also like that. What is now called the Sanskrit sūtra is not the thirty-six-thousand-verse Sanskrit text obtained by Zhi Faling, but solely relies on the forty-five-thousand-verse Sanskrit sūtra obtained by Śikṣānanda.

1.14

Question: Prose constitutes the sūtra teaching among the twelve divisions of the teaching; why is it now said that combining prose and verse is named forty-five thousand gāthās? Answer: Master Fazang's Commentary, fascicle two, states: "Moreover, there are four kinds of verses: first, syllable-count verses, meaning that based on the Sanskrit original, thirty-two syllables constitute one verse, regardless of prose or verse. Second, gāthā verses, translated here as chanted verses or direct verses, meaning verses that do not versify prose. Third, geya verses, translated here as responding verses, meaning verses that reiterate in verse the prose teachings. Fourth, udāna verses, translated here as collected offerings, meaning that condensing many meanings in few words is called collecting, which is offered to people to make it easy to receive and maintain, hence called collected offerings." These latter three kinds of verses, whether in seven syllables, five, four, or three syllables, all take four lines as one verse. The prose being combined here and called verses is spoken according to the syllable-count verse among the four kinds of verses. The specific names of the locations and assemblies are fully explained below.

1.15

Regarding "thirty-nine chapters and sections": the Jin dynasty sūtra had thirty-four chapters; adding five more chapters, it is therefore named thirty-nine—namely, the "Tathāgata's Manifestation of Marks Chapter," the "Samantabhadra's Samādhi Chapter," the "Formation of the World Chapter," the "Flower Treasury World Chapter," and the "Ten Concentrations Chapter." The Jin dynasty sūtra combined the first four into the "Rocana Buddha Chapter," and additionally lacked the "Ten Concentrations Chapter"; therefore, it was named thirty-four chapters only. The chapter titles of the two sūtras replace each other respectively, as can be seen by examining the sūtras. Having explained the verses and chapters, what are the forms of the locations? The verse says:

1.16

Among humans are three locations: the bodhimaṇḍa, the Universal [Light Hall], and the Solitary Park;
In the heavens are four locations: Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita, and Paranirmitavaśavartin.

1.17

The commentary states: Among the four continents, the southern one is called the human realm. Because the country of Magadha contains three supreme places, they are called the three places. What are the three? Namely, the place of the bodhimaṇḍa under the bodhi tree, the place of the Dharma Hall of Universal Light, and the place of the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍada's park. Within the desire realm there are six heavens, four of which are called the celestial realm; because there are four distinctly supreme places atop Mount Sumeru, they are called the four places. Now, stating "atop the summit" refers to taking the space above the summit, and hence it is called "atop the summit". What are the four? Namely, the place of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven atop the summit of Sumeru, the place of the Yāma heaven above its summit, the place of the Tuṣita heaven, and the place of the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven. Here, the first one is earth-dwelling, and the latter three are space-dwelling. As for human locations and directions, when inquired, their specifics are known; but celestial locations and directions cannot be known without superknowledge. Therefore, we now explain the characteristics of the six heavens according to their difficulty. What are the six? First, the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings; second, the Trāyastriṃśa heaven; third, the Yāma heaven; fourth, the Tuṣita heaven; fifth, the Nirmāṇarati heaven; sixth, the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven. First, as for the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, it is on the fourth tier within Mount Sumeru, where the four great heavenly kings and their retinues reside together, each dwelling on one side, and hence they are called the Four Heavenly Kings. Their lifespan, garments, and so forth are as explained in the other treatises. As for the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, here translated as the "Thirty-Three Heavens", on each of the four sides of the Sublime High Mountain there are eight great heavenly kings, with Śakra Devānām Indra dwelling in the center; hence it is called the Thirty-Three Heavens. The height of the beings of that heaven is one yojana; their garments are two yojanas long and one yojana wide, weighing six zhu; their lifespan is one thousand years. As for the Yāma heaven, here translated as the "Heaven of Time", because the blooming and closing of seasonal flowers distinguishes the division of day and night, it is therefore called the Heaven of Time; furthermore, because they experience pleasure according to the time, it is called the Time Division. The height of the beings of this heaven is two yojanas; their garments are four yojanas long, weighing three zhu; their lifespan is two thousand years. As for the Tuṣita heaven, here translated as "Contentment", the Fodijing lun states: "Bodhisattvas in their final rebirth instruct and transform beings there, largely cultivating the practice of contentment; hence it is called Contentment." The Dīrgha Āgama states: "Their height is four yojanas; their garments are eight yojanas long and four yojanas wide, weighing one and a half zhu; they feed on nectar; their lifespan is four thousand years." As for the Nirmāṇarati heaven, they take pleasure in magically transforming and creating various objects of pleasure for their own entertainment, and are therefore called "Taking Pleasure in Transformations". The height of the beings of this heaven is eight yojanas; their garments are sixteen yojanas long and eight yojanas wide, weighing one zhu; they feed on nectar; their lifespan is eight thousand years. As for the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, they cause others to magically create various objects of pleasure to manifest their own sovereignty, and are therefore called "Sovereignty over Others' Transformations". The bodies, garments, and lifespan of this heaven are double those of the preceding one. These heavens are described in detail in texts such as the Yogācārabhūmi, Fodijing lun, Sanfadu jing, Dīrgha Āgama, Vibhāṣā, and Abhidharmakośa.

1.18

Question: Why, when ascending from the human realm to the heavens, is the Heaven of the Four Kings skipped? And when going from Tuṣita to Paranirmitavaśavartin, why is the Nirmāṇarati heaven skipped? Answer: Since antiquity there have been many explanations; here we will just state the correct one. The reason the Heaven of the Four Kings is skipped is that the ten faiths pertain to outer ordinary bodhisattvas, whereas the ten abodes pertain to non-retrogressing worthies; to demonstrate the profound separation between the worthy and the ordinary, it skips a tier in ascending to the heavens. The reason the Nirmāṇarati heaven is skipped is that dedication of merit is worldly practice, while the ten stages are supramundane practice. Furthermore, dedication of merit has outflow, while the ten stages are without outflow; to demonstrate the profound distinction between the worldly and supramundane, with outflow and without outflow, it skips a tier in going upward. The characteristics of the places have been explained; what are the characteristics of the assemblies? The verse says:

1.19

"The first assembly is at the bodhimaṇḍa, the second assembly in the Hall of Universal Light,
the third assembly in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, the fourth assembly in the Yāma heaven,
the fifth assembly in the Tuṣita heaven, the sixth assembly in the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven,
the seventh and eighth return to Universal Light, and the ninth assembly is in Anāthapiṇḍada's [park]."

1.20

The commentary states: Rocana's Dharma assemblies pervade the dust-mote realms and their boundaries are difficult to measure. Setting aside [the ultimate and] provisionally relying on the traces of differentiated characteristics to explain the assemblies in which the sūtra was preached, there are briefly four gates: first, the gate of determining the places of preaching; second, the gate of unimpeded harmonious integration; third, the gate of displaying the differences among the places; fourth, the gate of symbolizing the supremacy of the Dharma.

1.21

As for the gate of determining the places of preaching: Question: Is the place where this sūtra was preached a pure land, or is it an impure land? If it is a pure land, why does the sūtra mention the country of Magadha and so forth? If it is an impure land, why does the sūtra mention this Lotus Treasury Ocean of Worlds and so forth? Answer: As for the place where this sūtra was preached, the two lands—impure and pure—are fused and mutually contain each other; there are four gates: 1. The gate where the root accords with the branches: it is preached solely in the Sahā world. 2. The gate where the branches accord with the root: it is preached solely in the Lotus Treasury [world]. 3. The gate where both root and branches are simultaneously manifested: as when the sūtra says, "within the Lotus Treasury realm there is the Sahā realm," and so on. 4. The gate where both root and branches are mutually transcended: because, approaching the ocean of fruition, it cannot be spoken. The above four gates combine into one land, fused without impediment, valid however it is stated.

1.22

As for the gate of unimpeded harmonious integration, there are also three levels: 1. Under this tree of awakening, the seven places and nine assemblies in both the human and celestial realms are subsumed; therefore, they are all said not to leave this place. 2. Under this tree of awakening, the lands of the ten directions without remainder are subsumed; none of them leaves [the presence] under this king of trees. 3. Under this tree of awakening, the multiple layers of lands numbering like tip-of-a-hair dust motes are subsumed, inexhaustible like Indra's net, because they are all subsumed by this Lotus Treasury realm.

1.23

As for the gate of displaying the differences among the places, there are in general three kinds of places where the Buddha preached sūtras: 1. Places where the transformation body preached solely within the realm in the sixteen great countries; this pertains to both the Śrāvakayāna teachings and the Three Vehicles teachings. 2. Places where the reward Buddha preached solely beyond the realm in the various wonderful pure lands within the enjoyment lands; this pertains to the preaching of the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle. 3. Places where the ten Buddhas preached within the Lotus Treasury realm where impure and pure are completely integrated and inexhaustible like Indra's net, where the recompensed environment and primary body are fully fused and possess the three realms; this is solely the preaching place of the Distinct Teaching of the One Vehicle. What is identified here is precisely only the latter one while concurrently encompassing the former two, because their root and branches are not separated from each other.

1.24

As for the gate of symbolizing the supremacy of the Dharma: relying on these supreme places symbolizes the supremacy of the Dharma, as the Daśabhūmika-śāstra states, "Because this Dharma is supreme, it is preached in a supreme place," and so forth. From coarse to subtle, there are in total three levels: 1. Because bodhi was attained under this tree, he preached this without rising, clearly symbolizing that what is preached is just as what was attained, not changing or shifting according to diverse capacities, as with the preaching in the Deer Park and so on. 2. Relying on the completely integrated Lotus Treasury realm symbolizes that what is preached is completely fulfilled and supreme, its nature blossoming open. 3. Relying on this place of multi-layered Indra's net symbolizes that what is preached is also multi-layered and inexhaustible, like the inconceivable liberation and so on. Now, these nine assemblies encompass these three [levels], because coarse and subtle harmoniously contain each other, both without impediment. When preaching the Dharma in response to capacities, there are distinctly nine assemblies. What are the nine? The first assembly is under the king of trees at the bodhimaṇḍa in the country of Magadha (here translated as "the country of non-harm"); to symbolize the inexhaustible virtues of the Buddha fruition, it therefore relies on the place where the fruition was attained to symbolize them. The second assembly is in the Dharma Hall of Universal Light in the country of Magadha. According to tradition in the Western Regions, this hall is about two or three li southeast of the bodhi tree, inside a bend of the Nairañjanā River; it was built for the Buddha by the nāgas. The Tathāgata emitted the wheel-of-marks light therein, universally illuminating the boundless worlds of the ten directions; hence it is named the Hall of Universal Light. Here, it symbolizes that the preaching of the practices of faith is universal and complete, shading and protecting initial capacities. The third assembly is in the Hall of Sublime Supremacy within the palace of Śakra Devānām Indra atop Mount Sumeru. "Sumeru" is properly "Sumēru", which is translated here as "Sublime and High"; being formed of the four jewels, it is called "Sublime"; towering above all mountains, it is also called "High". This symbolizes that what is preached here—the non-retrogressing ten abodes—reaches to the mountain summit, transcending the ordinary and the small, relying on this supreme palace. The fourth assembly is in the Hall of Jewel Adornment within the Yāma Heavenly Palace. "Yāma" means "time", as explained above; to symbolize that the ten practices are progressively cultivated in accordance with time and adorned with supreme virtues, it therefore relies on this palace. The fifth assembly is in the Hall of All-Jewels Adornment within the Tuṣita Heavenly Palace. "Tuṣita" is translated here as "Contentment"; to symbolize that dedication of merit brings the worldly positions to fulfillment, achieving the practice of contentment, and gathering virtues through many gates, it relies on the Hall of All Jewels. The sixth assembly is in the Hall of the Mani Jewel Treasury within the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heavenly Palace; to symbolize that the suchness realized in the ten stages is not self-made, and also to symbolize that the cause is perfected, reaching the summit of the desire realm, and that the realized wisdom-maṇi radiates the Āgama light, it therefore relies on this palace. The seventh assembly returns to the Dharma Hall of Universal Light; to symbolize that the teachings of the six ranks preached here are roundly and completely gathered based on the preceding faiths and so on, the assembly is therefore convened again in this place. The eighth assembly returns to the Dharma Hall of Universal Light; to symbolize that the teachings of the two thousand practices preached here are also roundly and completely gathered based on the preceding faiths and so on, the assembly is therefore convened again in this place. The ninth assembly is in the two-storied lecture hall of the Jeta Grove in Anāthapiṇḍada's park in the country of Śrāvastī; to symbolize that the dharma-paryāya of the dharmadhātu revealed here is inherently wondrous in its very essence and aids sentient beings through its function, function arising from essence like a hall built in multiple stories, it still relies on this place.

1.25

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.

1.26

Question: If the place where Rocana Buddha preached the Avataṃsaka pervades the dharmadhātu, when the ten abodes were preached in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, were the ten abodes also preached in places such as Yāma or not? If they were not preached there, then the preaching was not pervasive; if they were also preached there, why does the sūtra only say that the abodes were preached in Trāyastriṃśa, the practices were preached in Yāma, and so forth? Answer: Since this Trāyastriṃśa heaven where the ten abodes were preached pervades all dust-mote paths of the ten directions, Trāyastriṃśa is present in places such as Yāma; and it is precisely in such a Trāyastriṃśa heaven that pervades Yāma and so forth that the Dharma of the ten abodes was preached. Therefore, Trāyastriṃśa is universally present everywhere, yet it is still not Yāma; and the preaching of the ten practices and so forth in places such as Yāma also pervades places such as Trāyastriṃśa, yet it is still not Trāyastriṃśa. One should understand the rest accordingly.

1.27

Question: Why was it necessary to reconvene the assembly? Furthermore, within the human realm there are three places; why did it return only to Universal Light? Answer: Universal Light is the beginning of generating faith, passing through the ranks up to Paranirmitavaśavartin. Now, in explaining the practices within the ranks, cultivation of practice begins from the head; in principle it is fitting to assemble here. It is only because the ranks are demarcated in relation to phenomena, projecting the rise and fall of the assemblies, whereas practices approach profound principle, where a single rank suddenly subsumes [all], that it convenes only in this place.

1.28

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.

1.29

Question: When the youth Sudhana sought the Dharma, in which stage did he initially abide, and in which stage did he seek it? Answer: According to Dharma Master Wonhyo of Silla in his Essentials of the Critical Links of the Avataṃsaka: "His first seeing Mañjuśrī explains the initial stage of Sudhana's faith; up to his finally not seeing him, which explains the stage of the fulfillment of Sudhana's wisdom," and so forth. Relying on this, one clearly knows that it was by abiding in the initial stage of the ten faiths that he only then sought the Dharma. Having already explained the dharma-paryāyas of each of the nine assemblies, what are their characteristics? A verse says:

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"The first assembly: ten worlds; the second assembly: ten Buddha-lands; / The third assembly: the stage of the ten abodes; the fourth assembly: the stage of the ten practices; / The fifth assembly: the ten dedications of merit; the sixth assembly: the practice of the ten stages; / The seventh assembly: the stages of equal and sublime [enlightenment]; the eighth assembly: the two thousand practices; / The ninth assembly: the realm of the dharmadhātu—these are the dharma-paryāyas of the nine assemblies."

1.31

Explanation: In the verse, the first nine lines directly versify the nine dharma-paryāyas, and the final line summarizes the previous nine. Except for the fifth assembly, the dharma-paryāyas of the remaining assemblies either have universal and particular [aspects] or broad and brief [aspects]. However, in the verse now, presenting the universal subsumes the particular, and the brief and broad mutually subsume one another, as will be understood below. The principal theme of the first assembly universally explains the gates of the ten kinds of oceans of worlds, and particularly reveals the Lotus Treasury Ocean of Worlds. The principal theme of the second assembly universally explains the characteristics of the ten Buddha-lands, and particularly explains the meanings of the Buddha's names, the names of the truths, and so forth. The principal theme of the third assembly universally explains the practice of the bodhisattva's stage of the ten abodes, and particularly reveals the virtues of brahmacarya, generating the mind [for enlightenment], and so forth. The principal theme of the fourth assembly universally explains the distinctions of practice in the stage of the ten practices, and particularly reveals the meaning of the ten inexhaustible treasuries. The principal theme of the fifth assembly broadly explains the vows and practices of the ten dedications of merit; because it is broadly explained, it does not reveal a universal practice. The principal theme of the sixth assembly has both a brief and a broad [aspect]: briefly, it explains the vows and practices of the causal portion of the ten stages; broadly, it explains the immeasurable stages of practice of cause and fruit. The principal theme of the seventh assembly has both a brief and a broad [aspect]: briefly, it explains the two stages of equal and sublime enlightenment; broadly, it explains the dharma-paryāyas of the ten superknowledges, ten patiences, and so forth. The principal theme of the eighth assembly is solely broad and without brevity, broadly explaining the two thousand practices and virtues of the bodhisattva. The principal theme of the ninth assembly is solely brief and without breadth, briefly explaining the Tathāgata's realm of entry into the dharmadhātu. In these nine assemblies, the extent of entering absorption and so forth are as explained in the General Outline. Having already explained the dharma-paryāyas, how many chapters are there in each to teach its dharma-paryāyas? A verse says:

1.32

"The first, second, and third have six each; the fourth has four; the fifth has three chapters; / The sixth has one; the seventh has eleven; the eighth and ninth have one chapter each. / In the first assembly: The World, Thus, Samanta, / The World, Flower, Rocana Chapters; / In the second assembly: Thus, Four, Light, / Bodhisattva, Pure, Chief Chapters; / In the third assembly: Ascending Sumeru, Ten, / Brahma, Initial, Clarifying the Dharma Chapters; / In the fourth assembly: Ascending Yāma, Ten, / Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries Chapters; / In the fifth assembly: Ascending Tuṣita, Ten; in the sixth assembly: Ten Stages Chapter; / In the seventh assembly: Samādhi, Superknowledge, Patience, / Asaṃkhyeya, Lifespan, Abodes Chapters, / Buddha, Thus, Thus, Samantabhadra, / Tathāgata's Manifestation Chapters; / In the eighth assembly: Transcendence of the World; in the ninth assembly: Dharmadhātu Chapter."

1.33

Explanation: In the verse, the first stanza universally presents the number of chapters, and the subsequent four stanzas individually list the names of the chapters; the verses maintain brevity and do not show the number of fascicles. The six chapters of the first assembly comprise eleven fascicles in full; the six chapters of the second assembly together comprise four fascicles in full; the six chapters of the third assembly together comprise three fascicles in full; the four chapters of the fourth assembly together comprise three fascicles in full; the three chapters of the fifth assembly together comprise twelve fascicles in full; the one chapter of the sixth assembly comprises six fascicles in full; the eleven chapters of the seventh assembly together comprise thirteen fascicles in full; the one chapter of the eighth assembly comprises seven fascicles in full; the one chapter of the ninth assembly comprises twenty-one fascicles in full. Regarding the six chapters of the first assembly: 1. Chapter on the Wondrous Adornments of the Leaders of the Worlds, comprising five fascicles in full; named Chapter on the Pure Eyes of the World in the Jin sūtra; 2. Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata's Marks, only the sixth fascicle; the chapter title was absent in the old [translation]; 3. Chapter on Samantabhadra's Samādhi, beginning of the seventh fascicle; the chapter title was absent in the old; 4. Chapter on the Formation of the Worlds, the middle of the seventh fascicle; the chapter title was absent in the old; 5. Chapter on the Flower Treasury World, the eighth, ninth, and tenth; the chapter title was absent in the old. The above four chapters were collectively named Chapter on Rocana under the Jin dynasty; 6. Chapter on Vairocana, the eleventh fascicle; the old lacked the character "Vai". Regarding the six chapters of the second assembly: 1. Chapter on the Names of the Tathāgata, beginning of the twelfth fascicle; the new and old share the same name; 2. Chapter on the Four Noble Truths, the middle of the twelfth fascicle; the old lacked the character "Noble"; 3. Chapter on Awakening through Light, beginning of the thirteenth fascicle; the old added the two characters "Tathāgata"; 4. Chapter on the Bodhisattvas Asking for Clarification, the middle of the thirteenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Difficulties Clarified by Bodhisattvas; 5. Chapter on Pure Conduct, beginning of the fourteenth fascicle; the new and old share the same name; 6. Chapter on the Chief of Worthies, the middle of the fourteenth through the fifteenth fascicles; the new and old share the same name. Regarding the six chapters of the third assembly: 1. Chapter on Ascending to the Peak of Mount Sumeru, beginning of the sixteenth fascicle; the old added the character "Buddha"; 2. Chapter on Verses of Praise on the Peak of Sumeru, next after the beginning of the sixteenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on Bodhisattvas Gathering like Clouds in the Wondrously Victorious Palace and Uttering Verses; 3. Chapter on the Ten Abodes, the middle of the sixteenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Bodhisattva's Ten Abodes; 4. Chapter on Brahmacarya, beginning of the seventeenth fascicle; the new and old share the same name; 5. Chapter on the Merit of First Generating the Mind, the middle of the seventeenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Merit of Bodhisattvas First Generating the Mind; 6. Chapter on Clarifying the Dharma, the entire eighteenth fascicle; the new and old share the same name. Regarding the four chapters of the fourth assembly: 1. Chapter on Ascending to the Yāma Deva Palace, beginning of the nineteenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Buddha's Sovereign Ascendance to the Yāma Deva Palace; 2. Chapter on Verses of Praise in the Yāma Palace, next after the beginning of the nineteenth fascicle; the old had Chapter on Bodhisattvas Uttering Verses in the Yāma Deva Palace; 3. Chapter on the Ten Practices, the middle of the nineteenth through the twentieth fascicles; the old had Chapter on the Bodhisattva Merit-Flower-Cluster's Ten Practices; 4. Chapter on the Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries, the entire twenty-first fascicle; the new and old share the same name. Regarding the three chapters of the fifth assembly: 1. Chapter on Ascending to the Tuṣita Deva Palace, the entire twenty-second fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Tathāgata's Ascendance to All the Jeweled Palaces of the Tuṣita Deva Palace; 2. Chapter on Verses of Praise in the Tuṣita Palace, beginning of the twenty-third fascicle; the old had Chapter on Bodhisattvas Gathering like Clouds in the Tuṣita Deva Palace and Praising the Buddha; 3. Chapter on the Ten Dedications of Merit, the middle of the twenty-third through the thirty-third fascicles; the old had Chapter on the Bodhisattva Vajradhvaja's Dedication of Merit. Regarding the one chapter of the sixth assembly: namely, Chapter on the Ten Stages, identical in name in the new and old, beginning at the thirty-fourth and ending at the thirty-ninth. In the Jin dynasty sūtra, from the Chapter on the Ten Stages through the Chapter on the Jeweled King Tathāgata's Nature-Origination, eleven chapters were combined as the sixth assembly. In the Tang dynasty sūtra, following the Chapter on the Ten Stages there is the Chapter on the Ten Samādhis, and so it is split into two assemblies, as has already been stated earlier. Regarding the eleven chapters of the seventh assembly: 1. Chapter on the Ten Samādhis, the fortieth through the forty-third, absent in the old and present now; 2. Chapter on the Ten Superknowledges, beginning of the forty-fourth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Ten Clarities; 3. Chapter on the Ten Patiences, the middle of the forty-fourth fascicle; the new and old share the same name; 4. Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya, beginning of the forty-fifth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Bodhisattva Mind King Asking About the Asaṃkhyeya; 5. Chapter on Lifespan, the end of the forty-fifth fascicle; the old had Chapter on Life; 6. Chapter on the Abodes of Bodhisattvas, next after the end of the forty-fifth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Bodhisattva Abodes; 7. Chapter on the Inconceivable Dharmas of the Buddha, the entire forty-sixth and forty-seventh; the old had Chapter on the Inconceivable of the Buddha; 8. Chapter on the Ocean of Marks of the Tathāgata's Ten Bodies, beginning of the forty-eighth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Ocean of Marks of the Tathāgata; 9. Chapter on the Light and Merit of the Tathāgata's Minor Marks, the middle of the forty-eighth fascicle; the old had Chapter on the Light and Merit of the Buddha's Minor Marks; 10. Chapter on Bodhisattva Samantabhadra's Practices, the entire forty-ninth fascicle; the new and old share the same name; 11. Chapter on the Tathāgata's Manifestation, the fiftieth through the fifty-second; the old had Chapter on the Jeweled King Tathāgata's Nature-Origination. Regarding the one chapter of the eighth assembly: namely, Chapter on Transcendence of the World, the fifty-third through the fifty-ninth, identical in name in the new and old. Regarding the one chapter of the ninth assembly: namely, Chapter on Entry into the Dharmadhātu, the sixtieth through the eightieth, identical in name in the new and old. Having already stated the number of chapters, what are the characteristics of the Buddhas who can speak the chapters? A verse says:

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"Non-vow, karma, abiding, nirvā[ṇa], / Dharma, mind, three, nature, thus, / Peaceful, arising, faith, following, eternal, / Non-peaceful, non-decisive, universal."

1.35

Explanation: In the verse, the first half lists the names of the ten Buddhas, and the second half sequentially explains the reasons for their names. The teaching lord who expounds the sūtra has ten kinds. What are the ten? First, the Non-Attachment Buddha, because of dwelling in the world and achieving correct enlightenment; second, the Vow Buddha, because of giving birth [to all Buddha activities]; third, the Karmic-Retribution Buddha, because of inspiring faith; fourth, the Sustaining Buddha, because of accordance; fifth, the Nirvāṇa Buddha, because of ultimate deliverance; sixth, the Dharmadhātu Buddha, because of reaching everywhere; seventh, the Mind Buddha, because of peaceful abiding; eighth, the Samādhi Buddha, because of being immeasurable and unattached; ninth, the Nature Buddha, because of certainty; tenth, the As-One-Wishes Buddha, because of universal coverage.

First, the Non-Attachment Buddha, who dwells in the world and achieves correct enlightenment, is also named the Correctly Enlightened Buddha. Attachment is the root of all afflictions; enlightenment is the source of all virtues. Being free from all faulty afflictions, he is named 'Non-Attachment'; being complete in all correct virtues, he is named 'Correct Enlightenment'. This is the universal Buddha, and the remaining nine are the particular Buddhas; since the particulars constitute the universal, the particulars are unfolded from the universal.

The Vow Buddha giving birth means that only when wisdom accordant with principle exhausts the bounds of non-arising can it give birth to immeasurable Buddha activities; this is the great vow, hence named 'the Vow Buddha, because of giving birth'.

The Karmic-Retribution Buddha inspiring faith means that the physical body adorned with immeasurable marks and signs is the retribution induced by immeasurable good karma, hence named 'karmic retribution'. The reason he obtains this retribution of a sublime physical body is to cause all who see him to take refuge with faith; setting forth the intended purpose to manifest the Karmic-Retribution Buddha, it is named 'inspiring faith'.

The Sustaining Buddha's accordance means that the Buddha's perfect voice encompasses the three times, sustaining the Buddhadharma inexhaustibly; because of according with all-knowledge without exhaustion, it is named 'the Sustaining Buddha, because of accordance'.

The Nirvāṇa Buddha's ultimate deliverance is, within the pedagogical teaching, named the transformation Buddha; he manifests cessation and deliverance through transformation, but not actual cessation. The reason his nirvāṇa is not actual cessation is that he eternally delivers [beings] from the conditioned dharmas of birth and death; hence named 'the Nirvāṇa Buddha, because of ultimate deliverance'.

The Dharmadhātu Buddha reaching everywhere means that the unobstructed dharmadhātu is the Buddha's essence, hence named the Dharmadhātu Buddha. The light of wisdom also, like the dharmadhātu, reaches everywhere; therefore he is also named the Dharmadhātu Buddha, 'because of reaching everywhere'.

The Mind Buddha's peaceful abiding means that the upright mind peacefully abides in its cognitive object, hence named 'the Mind Buddha, because of peaceful abiding'.

The Samādhi Buddha being immeasurable and unattached means that the Buddha's samādhi is the immeasurable and boundless, inconceivable liberation, hence named 'the Samādhi Buddha, because of being immeasurable and unattached'.

The Nature Buddha's certainty means that the Tathāgata-nature is original enlightenment; its fundamental nature is inherently enlightened, not accomplished through cultivation, hence named the Nature Buddha. In states of defilement or purity, it is decidedly unalterable and can generate the ten decisive dharmas, hence named 'certainty'.

The As-One-Wishes Buddha's universal coverage means that sovereign spiritual power is named 'as one wishes' (cintā); encompassing everything, it is named 'universal coverage'.

Among the above ten Buddhas, each possesses ten meanings, as extensively explained in the sūtra. The *Dharmasaṅgīti Sūtra* also names ten Buddhas, saying: 'When bodhisattvas enter ten dharmas, they can know the Buddhas. What are the ten? Namely, the Habit-Energy Buddha, the Retribution Buddha, the Samādhi Buddha, the Vow Buddha, the Mind Buddha, the Real Buddha, the Identical Buddha, the Transformation Buddha, the Offering Buddha, and the Image Buddha', and so on up to extensive explanations. Although the number ten is the same between that sūtra and the ten Buddhas expounded in this sūtra, their essence and characteristics differ greatly.

Now, analyzing the ten Buddhas in terms of the six characteristics, as the treatise states: 'All ten-phrase [teachings] possess the six characteristics. What are the six? First, the universal characteristic; second, the particular characteristic; third, the common characteristic; fourth, the distinctive characteristic; fifth, the integrative characteristic; sixth, the disintegrative characteristic.' Now, manifesting these six characteristics in terms of the ten Buddhas: the first single Buddha encompasses all Buddhas, hence named the universal characteristic; unfolding nine out of the one is named the particular characteristic; that all ten are equally free from attachment is named the common characteristic; that the functions of the ten are each different is named the distinctive characteristic; gathering the nine to form the one so that the single Buddha is complete is named the integrative characteristic; dividing the one into nine such that outside the nine there is no one is named the disintegrative characteristic.

Having thus explained the ten Buddhas in the expounded chapter, what are the characteristics of the enumerations of dharmas within the chapters? The verse says:

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