新華嚴經論 17.24

17.24

夫以初發心之士功德難量，舉等虛空無以比其類，磨盡剎塵無以酬其匹。虛空但明無相之大，一切剎塵但明形礙之廣，焉能對其菩提心之、福智之境？其智也，於剎那之際滿十方，現身如雲狀，因陀羅網妙像相入光影重重，各各以一言音普周法界，說等眾生、教門如雨，灑眾生心得清淨樂爾。其福也，妙相莊嚴，與華藏而同其體。為初發心之際，與十方諸佛等住無盡劫海，在剎那之中延促相似，如一小流入大海中與大海等，以水體不別故。如初發心菩薩纔入諸佛大智慧流中，等佛功德故。為初入與究竟，時無延促。又智慧一故。為誓度眾生悉令成佛，志願等故。又如十方世界盡末為塵，一一塵中有無量佛剎、無量眾生。如菩提心大智慧身，於一剎那際等一切剎塵，供養諸佛、教化眾生，一時等遍。但以智慧力故，法如是故，智遍周故，亦不作神通變化之想。初發心菩薩志樂廣大，與佛界眾生界等無限量故。故今此品所歎初發菩提心，以十種功德廣大難量無比不可喻。於此佛果根本不動大智不思議法界乘而發心者，如輪王大子初生之時具足王相，如師子王之子威勢與父相似，體不異故。如初發菩提心菩薩，初生如來智慧種性家時，智慧所知不異佛故。三世時劫無延促，見不異佛故。志樂廣大，教化眾生，不異佛故。從初發心，乘如來一切智乘，不出剎那際成等正覺，教化眾生，不異佛故。設於三乘順世情教說三祇劫而成佛者，畢竟迴心入此一切智境界乘，方得成佛。如《法華經》即是所迴三乘入一切智境界之教，如龍女一剎那際三生成佛者是也。一切眾生總須悟此法方得成佛，不可取如來三乘中順世方便之言，以法如是故。如此品下文云「初發心菩薩纔發心時，即為十方一切諸佛所共稱歎，即能說法教化調伏一切世界所有眾生，乃至示現成佛」等，廣如此品下文所說。此品之內，長行總有四十段經意也。頌有二百四十二行，以歎初發心菩薩之功德。其文如下。將釋此品，約作三門分別：一釋品名目、二釋品來意、三隨文釋義。

Now, the merit of a person of initial aspiration is difficult to measure: to bring up empty space is insufficient to compare with its class; grinding down all world-dust is insufficient to match its equal. Empty space only clarifies the greatness of formlessness; all world-dust only clarifies the expansiveness of material obstruction. How could they match the realm of the blessing and wisdom of the bodhicitta? As for its wisdom: within the bound of a kṣaṇa it fills the ten directions, manifesting bodies like cloud formations; like the wondrous images of Indra's net mutually entering, with light and shadow layer upon layer, each with a single voice universally pervades the dharmadhātu, expounding teaching gates equal to sentient beings like rain, sprinkling the minds of sentient beings so they attain pure joy. As for its blessings: adorned with wondrous marks, it is identical in substance with the Lotus Treasury. Because at the moment of the initial aspiration, one abides equally with the Buddhas of the ten directions across an ocean of inexhaustible eons, within a kṣaṇa extension and contraction are alike. Just as a small stream entering the great ocean becomes equal to the great ocean because the substance of the water is no different, so when a bodhisattva of initial aspiration enters slightly into the great wisdom stream of the Buddhas, they are equal to the Buddhas' merits. Because between first entering and ultimate realization there is no extension or contraction of time, and because wisdom is one; because having vowed to liberate sentient beings and cause them all to attain Buddhahood, one's aspiration is equal. Furthermore, if all worlds in the ten directions were thoroughly ground into dust, in each individual speck of dust there would be immeasurable Buddha-kṣetras and immeasurable sentient beings. Just as the great wisdom body of the bodhicitta, in the span of a single kṣaṇa it equals all world-dust, offering to Buddhas and transforming sentient beings, equally and simultaneously pervasively. Solely by the power of wisdom, because the Dharma is just so, and because wisdom is universally pervasive, one also does not form notions of spiritual penetrations and transformations. This is because the bodhisattva of initial aspiration's aspiration and joy are vast, being unlimited and equal to the Buddha-realm and the sentient-being realm. Therefore, the initial arising of the bodhicitta praised in this chapter now is vast and difficult to measure through ten kinds of merits, incomparable and beyond metaphor. One who arouses the mind toward this Vehicle of the inconceivable dharmadhātu of the fundamentally unmoving great wisdom of the Buddha-fruit is like the eldest son of a wheel-turning king who, when first born, is fully endowed with the marks of royalty; like the cub of a lion king whose awe-inspiring power resembles that of his father, because their substance is not different. So it is with the bodhisattva who initially arouses the bodhicitta: when first born into the clan of the Tathāgata's wisdom nature, what is known by their wisdom is no different from the Buddha; the temporal eons of the three times have no extension or contraction, and their view is no different from the Buddha; their aspiration and joy are vast, transforming sentient beings without being different from the Buddha. From the initial aspiration, boarding the Tathāgata's Vehicle of all-knowledge, without leaving the bound of a kṣaṇa they attain equal, perfect awakening and transform sentient beings, no different from the Buddha. Even if in the Three Vehicles, accommodating worldly emotions and capacities, it is taught that one attains Buddhahood through three asaṃkhyeya eons, it is ultimately only by turning the mind and entering this Vehicle of the realm of all-knowledge that one can then attain Buddhahood. Just as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra is precisely the teaching that turns the Three Vehicles into the realm of all-knowledge, as shown by the dragon girl attaining Buddhahood across three lives in the span of a single kṣaṇa. All sentient beings must awaken to this Dharma to attain Buddhahood; one must not cling to the Tathāgata's words of worldly-accommodating expedients in the Three Vehicles, because the Dharma is just so. Thus it is said below in this chapter: 'When the bodhisattva of initial aspiration has just aroused the aspiration, they are praised together by all Buddhas of the ten directions, and can immediately expound the Dharma to teach and tame all sentient beings in all worlds, even manifesting the attainment of Buddhahood,' and so forth, as expounded extensively below in this chapter. Within this chapter, the prose comprises forty passages of sūtra meaning in total. The verses comprise two hundred and forty-two lines to praise the merit of the bodhisattva of initial aspiration. The text is as follows. In interpreting this chapter, it is differentiated into roughly three sections: first, explaining the name of the chapter; second, explaining the reason for the chapter's coming; third, explaining the meaning in accordance with the text.