新華嚴經論 8.25

8.25

答：從初第一卷「如是我聞一時佛在摩竭提國」，明初成佛處在蘭若之中。次第二會中，又「爾時世尊在摩竭提國阿蘭若法菩提場中始成正覺」，明不移本處而至報宅中居，為普光明殿，明理智之行報得之宅，寄同世間蘭若契證方詣宅居。自此以去上昇天宮，皆云「不離本處而身遍坐一切道場」，或云「而昇如是天」。上昇天者，明列位進修。不移本處者，明法界道理，以法性妙理無往來內外故、大智體自遍周故。次四十卷中，〈十定品〉又云「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三昧」，明以法界法身為定體，無三世性故。從兜率天下、降神及入涅槃，四十年住世，轉一切法輪，總不出剎那際，以此三昧圓通始終非三世古今故。如是序致，以總言之，一切過現未來諸佛皆盡一時成佛，并眾生生死亦不移剎那，但眾生妄繫有年歲長短。如佛所說，即生即死皆不移時。是故經云「一念普觀無量劫，無去無來亦無住，如是遍知三世事，超諸方便成十力。」如此一品經，總括前後始終之際，無去來，今古性盡。明從凡夫地一念發心忽然見道，進修十住、十行、十迴向、十地、十一地五位等法，成佛、轉法輪、入涅槃，總不移剎那，為以法界門為開示悟入故，明實教一乘法界之門法如是故，是故以三昧名目明之。此品都舉此一乘根本法界寂用之門，始終一際無本末時分，故以為成佛之頭。次〈離世間品〉亦然，序致「始成正覺乃至普光明殿」者，為普賢菩薩入佛華三昧。佛華者，是所修佛行故。三昧者，明寂用無礙也。還同前序致所在者，明修佛行體用，無始終，常圓滿，無三世也。此品明修以普賢行，還以法界體大智常隨眾行，圓該三世還不移剎那際等故，明其眾行即法界體用也故。如是序致，皆明時不移亦不移處，以菩提場無中邊故。所修眾行常等如，剎那三世無增減故、無去來故。次〈入法界品〉云「爾時世尊在室羅筏國逝多林給孤獨園」者，此舉正宗。如來所乘通前徹後，天上人間十方世界總以法界為體，非虛妄體故。為眾生隨迷不達故，此品之內都舉天上人間十方世界總不思議法界體寂用自在故，令眾生悟入。是故此之一品，如來但以不思議神力說，不藉口言，明世間總真總神無出沒故，以明法界普該，前後本一際故。不須同序菩提場，以菩提即法界故，前會總在法界會中故，故如是序致也。十會之體用，總以此品通括，一體一時一性一智之本母故。此五度序其始成正覺者，總明此法界一時無前後說。如此一部經內，〈世主妙嚴品〉、〈佛名號品〉、〈十定品〉、〈離世間品〉，四度皆重序致始成正覺普光明殿，〈入法界品〉但言給孤獨園。此五品經，大意有五種佛果遍周，總該餘品。此五品經意是重敘，但為此五種遍周法界因果，一剎那際五事頓彰，該收諸位總在其內，成法界大智果故。以此有五箇經題目相似，唯〈入法界品〉獨言給孤獨園。云何為五種遍周因果也？

Answer: From the very first fascicle, 'Thus have I heard: at one time the Buddha was in the country of Magadha...', it clarifies that the place where he first attained Buddhahood was within an araṇya. Next, in the second assembly, it also states: 'At that time, the World-Honoured One in the country of Magadha, in the bodhimaṇḍa of the Dharma of the araṇya, having first realized right awakening...', clarifying that without moving from his original place, he resided in the residence of reward, which is the Hall of Universal Light. This clarifies the residence attained as reward through the practice of principle and wisdom; it is provisionally equated with a worldly araṇya, so that only upon realization does one go to reside in this residence. From here on, in ascending to the heavenly palaces, it always states: 'without leaving the original place, his body sat universally in all bodhimaṇḍas,' or states: 'and ascended to such-and-such heaven.' Ascending to the heavens clarifies the advancing practice through the array of stages. Not moving from the original place clarifies the principle of the dharmadhātu, because the wondrous principle of the Dharma-nature has no coming or going, interior or exterior, and because the essence of great wisdom is naturally all-pervasive. Next, in the fortieth fascicle, the 'Chapter on the Ten Samādhis' also states: 'At that time, the World-Honoured One in the country of Magadha, in the bodhimaṇḍa of the Dharma of the araṇya, having first realized right awakening, in the Hall of Universal Light entered the samādhi of the limit of a kṣaṇa,' clarifying that it takes the dharmakāya of the dharmadhātu as the essence of samādhi, having no nature of the three times. From descending from Tuṣita heaven, descending his spirit, to entering nirvāṇa, dwelling in the world for forty years, and turning all wheels of the Dharma, it never departs from the limit of a kṣaṇa, because this samādhi completely penetrates beginning and end and is not the past and present of the three times. Speaking generally of such introductory presentations, all buddhas of past, present, and future attain Buddhahood simultaneously in a single moment, and the birth and death of sentient beings also do not depart from a kṣaṇa; it is only that due to the deluded attachments of sentient beings there are lengths of years. As the Buddha stated, instant birth and instant death do not depart from time. Therefore the sūtra states: 'In a single thought universally viewing immeasurable kalpas, / With no going, no coming, and no staying; / Thus comprehensively knowing the affairs of the three times, / Transcending all expedients to accomplish the ten powers.' In this way, this single chapter of the sūtra comprehensively encompasses the intervals of beginning and end, past and present: there is no coming or going, and the nature of present and past is exhausted. It clarifies that from the stage of an ordinary person, in a single thought generating the resolve, suddenly seeing the Path, advancing to cultivate the dharmas of the five stages—the ten abodes, the ten practices, the ten dedications of merit, the ten grounds, and the eleventh ground—attaining Buddhahood, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and entering nirvāṇa, all do not depart from a kṣaṇa. Because it uses the gate of the dharmadhātu for opening, demonstrating, awakening, and entering, it clarifies that the dharma of the One Vehicle dharmadhātu gate of the ultimate teaching is thus. Therefore, it is elucidated under the name of a samādhi. This chapter entirely brings forth this gate of the quiescence and function of the fundamental dharmadhātu of the One Vehicle; beginning and end are a single interval, with no time-divisions of root and branch, and it is therefore taken as the head of attaining Buddhahood. Next, the 'Chapter on Transcending the World' is also like this: the introductory presentation stating 'having first realized right awakening, up to the Hall of Universal Light' is because Samantabhadra Bodhisattva entered the Buddha-Flower Samādhi. 'Buddha-flower' is the Buddha-practice that is cultivated; 'samādhi' clarifies that quiescence and function are unobstructed. Again being identical to the location of the previous introductory presentation clarifies that the cultivation of the essence and function of Buddha-practice has no beginning or end, is constantly consummate, and has no three times. This chapter clarifies that cultivating with the practices of Samantabhadra also takes the great wisdom of the essence of the dharmadhātu to constantly accompany all practices, completely encompassing the three times while still not departing from the limit of a kṣaṇa, clarifying that all practices are precisely the essence and function of the dharmadhātu. Introductory presentations such as these all clarify that time does not move, nor does place move, because the bodhimaṇḍa has no middle or edge. The myriad practices cultivated are always equally such, with the kṣaṇa and the three times neither increasing nor decreasing, having no going and no coming. Next, the 'Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu' states: 'At that time, the World-Honoured One was in Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada's Park...'—this brings forth the main principle. What the Tathāgata rides penetrates front and back; the heavens, the human realm, and the worlds of the ten directions all take the dharmadhātu as their essence, not an unreal essence. Because sentient beings follow delusion and do not comprehend it, this chapter entirely brings forth the sovereign quiescence and function of the essence of the completely inconceivable dharmadhātu in the heavens, the human realm, and the worlds of the ten directions, causing sentient beings to awaken and enter. Therefore, in this single chapter, the Tathāgata expounds solely by means of inconceivable spiritual power without relying on spoken words, clarifying that the world is entirely true and entirely spiritual, with no arising or disappearing, in order to clarify that the dharmadhātu universally encompasses all, and that front and back are fundamentally a single interval. It need not introduce the bodhimaṇḍa identically [to the others], because bodhi is precisely the dharmadhātu, and because the previous assemblies are entirely within the assembly of the dharmadhātu; therefore, it is introduced in this manner. The essence and function of the ten assemblies are comprehensively encompassed entirely by this chapter, because it is the fundamental matrix of a single essence, a single time, a single nature, and a single wisdom. Introducing his first realization of right awakening five times comprehensively clarifies that this dharmadhātu is expounded at one time without before or after. In this way, within this single sūtra, the 'Chapter on the Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the World', the 'Chapter on the Names of the Buddha', the 'Chapter on the Ten Samādhis', and the 'Chapter on Transcending the World' four times reiteratively introduce first realizing right awakening in the Hall of Universal Light, while the 'Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu' only speaks of Anāthapiṇḍada's Park. As for the general import of these five chapters of the sūtra, there are five kinds of pervasion of the Buddha fruition, which comprehensively encompass the remaining chapters. The import of these five chapters is a reiterative narration, simply because for these five kinds of pervasion of the cause and effect of the dharmadhātu, within the limit of a single kṣaṇa the five affairs are manifested at once, encompassing and subsuming all stages entirely within them, accomplishing the great wisdom fruition of the dharmadhātu. Because of this, there are five chapter headings that resemble one another, and only the 'Chapter on Entering the Dharmadhātu' speaks uniquely of Anāthapiṇḍada's Park. What are the five kinds of pervasive cause and effect?