新華嚴經論 22.5

22.5

In the twenty-fourth section, from "O sons of the Buddha" onwards, all ten kinds of dedications of merit are set forth, fully explained as in the text. In the section on the quaking of the earth, quaking has three meanings: first, quaking moved by the awe-inspiring authority of expounding the teaching; second, quaking from the joy and delight of the great assembly upon hearing the Dharma; third, quaking caused by attributing it to the spiritual power of the Buddha. The devas offering worship has two meanings: first, an offering elicited by each gate of the Buddha's teaching; second, an offering made by the devas rejoicing upon hearing the Dharma. As for the variety and number of the offerings, they are understood from the sūtra, just as all Buddha realms display the immeasurable, asaṃkhyeya states of all Buddhas. That the Tathāgata's nirmāṇakāya surpasses all devas is the manifestation of virtue in expounding the Dharma; it appears because the Dharma and its sphere correspond, not due to the devas' offerings. In all worlds, the palaces of the Tuṣita heaven are also all like this, concluding collectively that the ten directions are identical to this. At that time, due to the Buddha's spiritual power, that each of the ten directions is said to exceed the atoms of a million Buddha realms signifies: a hundred for the ten abodes, a hundred thousand for the ten practices, and a million in this stage, illuminating the advancing of knowledge and vision, and the measure of knowledge's expansive increase being like this. Coming from beyond the atoms of a million worlds: being in delusion and unable to reach is called "beyond"; advancing in awakening and understanding to enter the stage is called "coming". That bodhisattvas as numerous as the atoms of a million Buddha realms, all named Vajradhvaja, come and praise, saying "Well done!", praising Vajradhvaja Bodhisattva, explains that because their wisdom converges and their Path is identical, their names are also identical, and also explains that the wisdom of the present moment converges with past and present alike. It is also that having realized such realms of world-atoms, all is adamantine wisdom without delusion. The world is named Vajra, and its light is also like this. From "at that time" onwards, there are six lines of the sūtra text explaining the virtue of praising Vajradhvaja Bodhisattva speaking the verses, as can be known from the text. Below that are ninety-four lines of verse, with two lines making one verse, fully present in the text itself. Among these, the conferral of prophecies of attaining Buddhahood according to each stage, gradually spanning vast kalpas, clarifies that it is because wisdom and great compassion expand according to the advancement through the stages, not that there is an extension or shortening of kalpa-measures of days, months, and years; these are all established as names of the Buddha-fruit in accordance with the stages of cultivation.