新譯華嚴經七處九會頌釋章 1.35

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: