新華嚴經論 32.2

32.2

As for the ten immeasurable dharmas of the Tathāgata's appearance above, each dharma has ten metaphors, as explained in full in the sūtra. Such as Mount Khadiraka: it is the name of a tree. Nemindhara is translated here as 'Edge-Holding Mountain'. Mount Mucilinda is translated here as 'Liberation'; this is the dwelling place of the Nāga of Liberation. The upaniṣad fraction was already explained previously. Or musāragalva, translated here as 'purple jewel'. As above, there are one hundred metaphors in all; the realms of the ten immeasurable matters of the Tathāgata's appearing body, mind, and wisdom are all briefly shown in small measure using non-metaphors as metaphors, because the path of mental cognition is cut off, according with the inconceivable, devoid of nature and devoid of contrivance, and according with the functioning of limitless mastery, which cannot be reached or represented by verbal measures and metaphors. As in this chapter's entrustment and propagation, when it says that this Dharma-door does not enter into the hands of other sentient beings: those who delight in studying the Lesser Vehicle and Three Vehicles, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, and those who delight in emptiness and selflessness wishing to be born in a pure land—these are 'other sentient beings', because not having turned their minds around, they abide in the saṃsāra of transformation and are 'other sentient beings'. If there are ordinary beings with the great mind and those of the Three Vehicles who have turned their minds around, to them the Buddha entrusts it, which is called 'propagation'. Even supposing that bodhisattvas in noble stages themselves expound this Dharma, if there are no ordinary beings delighting in studying it, it is not called entrustment and not called propagation. This shows that this sūtra is entrusted to ordinary beings and those of the Three Vehicles who have turned their minds around, causing them to delight in studying it, and having studied it to realize and enter it—this is called propagation. It is not entrusted to those who have already been born into the Buddha's house, bodhisattvas who have entered the stages from the tenth ground onward. If one considers the bodhisattvas from the tenth ground onward who have entered the Buddha's realm, their measure in the ten directions and this land is difficult to calculate; why would the Tathāgata need to worry that no one would believe and delight in it, or that no one would propagate it? Therefore, one should know that entrusting it to ordinary beings with the great mind and those of the Three Vehicles who have turned their minds around, causing them to realize and enter it, is called entrustment and propagation; it is not entrusted to great bodhisattvas from the tenth ground onward. The sūtra's intention is solely to speak this Dharma-door for bodhisattvas advancing toward and mounting the inconceivable vehicle, clarifying that it advances ordinary beings of the two vehicles who turn their minds around to realize and enter the dharmadhātu vehicle, mounting the inconceivable vehicle of the ten faiths and ten abodes so that they advance upward. Furthermore, it brings up the metaphor: 'When the crown prince of a wheel-turning king is fully endowed with the royal marks, after the king's life ends, all the seven treasures do not disperse or perish, because this son is capable of administering the king's proper position. If there were no such son, after the king's life ends, these treasures would all disperse and perish within seven days. Sons of the Buddha! The treasures of this sūtra are also like this: they do not enter into the hands of any other sentient beings, with the sole exception of the true sons of the Tathāgata, the Dharma King, who are born into the Tathāgata's house and plant all the good roots of the Tathāgata's marks. If there were no such true sons of the Buddha, such a Dharma-door would soon disperse and perish.' This clearly shows that it merely causes ordinary beings to generate the mind and realize and enter it, not entrusting it to bodhisattvas from the tenth ground onward. If one considers bodhisattvas who have entered the grounds onward and previously attained the path, their number is like the atoms of the ocean of worlds and even beyond comparison; why worry that no one would propagate it? The meaning is that even if noble ones were always preaching it, if no ordinary beings delight in practicing and realizing and entering it, the Dharma itself perishes. Saying that without ordinary beings practicing it the Dharma perishes is speaking of perishing; the Dharma [itself] is free from arising and perishing. The sūtra says: 'With the sole exception of the true sons of the Tathāgata, the Dharma King, who are born into the Tathāgata's house and plant all the good roots of the Tathāgata's marks.' This clarifies that the Tathāgata takes liberation and wisdom as his house. As in a single thought without thought, when all views of body and mind have perished, one is immediately born into the house of the Tathāgata's correct wisdom of the wondrous principle without nature; therefore, the Abode of Initial Generation of the Mind among the ten abodes is called first being born into the Buddha's house. On the fourth ground, exhausting the dharmas of the three realms is also called first being born into the Buddha's house. On the eighth ground, attaining a fraction of non-contrivance manifesting before one is also called first being born into the house of the Tathāgata's forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas, as has already been said before. As for 'planting all the good roots of the Tathāgata's marks': the Tathāgata sees all dharmas as having no nature as their nature, having no characteristic as their characteristic, not destroying characteristics yet being without characteristics; clarifying that the characteristics of the wisdom-realm are inherently true is called 'planting the Tathāgata's marks'. This clarifies that the realm of one's own mental wisdom is free from arising, abiding, and ceasing, which is the Tathāgata's mark. It clarifies that one's own mental wisdom is equal to the wisdom of all Buddhas and of all sentient beings: all are of one nature that is natureless, of one characteristic that is characteristicless, without exterior, interior, or middle, like the realm of space; it can manifest according to the dispositions, desires, and inclinations of sentient beings like a shadow following a form, its arising having no place from which it comes, its cessation having no place to which it goes; understanding mind and realm as like an illusion is the Tathāgata's mark. One who understands such a dharma is born in the Buddha's house. Regarding 'planting all the good roots of the Tathāgata's marks': 'planting' clarifies that one cultivates and trains in such a true wisdom-seed of the Tathāgata. When ordinary beings, having heard this Dharma, cultivate and train in such a true wisdom-seed of the Tathāgata, this is called the Buddha-seed being uninterrupted, and is called entrustment and propagation. Therefore, one should know that this teaching is not entrusted to bodhisattvas who have already entered the stages and attained the path. The sūtra says: 'Supposing there were a bodhisattva who for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of nayutas of kalpas practiced the six pāramitās and cultivated and gathered various factors of awakening, if he has not heard this Dharma-door of the Tathāgata's inconceivable great awe-inspiring virtue, or upon hearing it does not believe, does not understand, does not accord, and does not enter, he cannot be called a true bodhisattva, because he cannot be born into the Tathāgata's house.' Such a bodhisattva is one in the provisional teaching who contemplates emptiness and selflessness, solely aspiring for transcendence of the world; although cultivating the six pāramitās, generating the mind out of revulsion toward suffering and delighting in seeking a pure land, he has not realized that his own ignorance is the fundamental Tathāgata wisdom. This bodhisattva cultivates pure practices, contemplates emptiness and selflessness, and generates the mind out of revulsion toward suffering: grasping and rejecting fully remain, and dualistic views constantly persist; he is not like this teaching, which generates the mind based on wisdom, realizing that one's own mind and realm are fundamentally inconceivable, without a mind of aspiration or revulsion, and without obstacles of purity or defilement. The realm of sentient beings is the realm of the Tathāgata; the mind of sentient beings is the mind of the Tathāgata, exactly as spoken in this chapter. When this chapter was spoken, the earth shook in six ways and eighteen signs; whereas when the 'Chapter on Samantabhadra's Practice' was spoken it merely said shaking in six ways, in order to directly express the substance of practice. This chapter, on the other hand, clarifies the principle and wisdom of the dharmakāya together with the perfection of the compassion and wisdom of Samantabhadra's practice, bringing up the shaking of lands of the ten directions; even the raising of offerings is likewise perfected. It says that in each of the ten directions, past worlds numbering the atoms of eighty ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, there are Tathāgatas numbering the atoms of eighty ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, all named Samantabhadra, who all manifest their bodies to come and bear witness, praise, and so forth, all using eighty as the measure. The Buddhas being identical in the name Samantabhadra clarifies that the eightfold noble path is the practice of the Buddha, establishing the Buddha's name by the practice that is practiced. This clarifies that the awakening-practice of the eightfold noble path is equally perfected, pervading the ten directions; hence, Buddhas numbering the atoms of eighty ineffable nayutas of Buddha-lands share the name Samantabhadra. This awakening-practice is perfected, taking the eight noble practices as its substance. In this assembly, bodhisattva-mahāsattvas numbering the atoms of Buddha-lands of the ten directions, who attained all supernormal powers and samādhis, all received the prediction of [attainment in] one lifetime; this clarifies that having themselves cultivated the practice and fruition, these are the assembly being transformed, and thus they also receive the prediction in one lifetime. 'One lifetime' means that because they do not see arising in the three times, it is called the meaning of 'one lifetime'. This completely gathers ordinary beings and noble ones as originally of one substance and characteristic, without any distinct nature. Entering this stage with an arising in a single kṣaṇa is called 'one lifetime', because they no longer see the nature of arising in the three times. The real Dharma is like this; other views are all incorrect. Furthermore, when sentient beings numbering the atoms of a Buddha-land generate the mind toward anuttarasaṃyaksambodhi, and 'I also confer upon them the prediction that in future ages, passing through kalpas numbering the atoms of ineffable Buddha-lands, they will all attain Buddhahood, all titled Distinctive Realm'—this clarifies that when, in a single kṣaṇa, the expedient samādhi reveals the manifestation of the ocean of correct wisdom before them, the delusions of boundless kalpas are instantly eradicated all at once, and mind and realm are liberated; this is called the Buddha's 'distinctive realm'. It is not as when bound by emotional clinging, gradually accumulating practice over so many dust-mote kalpas. Those who make this interpretation fruitlessly generate speculative thoughts, and there will be no time of their becoming Buddhas. In the true Dharma it has never been like this. Below, it clarifies that the sentient beings saved in this four-continent world are vastly numerous, and generally concludes that the ten directions are the same as this. Below, when it says that beyond worlds numbering the atoms of ten ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands, in each direction there are bodhisattvas numbering the atoms of ten ineffable hundreds of thousands of kotis of nayutas of Buddha-lands who all come to this place, filling the ten directions, this clarifies that Samantabhadra's practice is universally pervasive, coming together to bear witness to the Dharma of Samantabhadra. When they say: 'All of us are named Samantabhadra, each coming from the World of Universal Light and from the Buddha Universal Banner Mastery'—this clarifies that all come from the fundamentally inherently pure universal light wisdom of the dharmakāya, called 'Universal Banner'; upon this wisdom they arouse differentiated practices equal to the dharmadhātu, the realm of space, and the number of sentient beings, practicing the practice of Samantabhadra; therefore it says that they come from the World of Universal Light and the Buddha Universal Banner. The remaining meanings are as fully clarified in the sūtra. All of this treats fundamental wisdom as the world and discriminating wisdom as Samantabhadra, comprehensively uniting the perfection of awakening-practice, compassion, and kindness, to manifest that the Dharma-door of this chapter is like this. Because it clarifies the practice of Samantabhadra's discriminating wisdom within the Tathāgata's fundamental wisdom, the Buddhas are named Samantabhadra Buddhas. All of this symbolizes using the Buddha's wisdom to perform all practices; because the eightfold noble path and the ten pāramitās are not separate from fundamental wisdom and pervade all practices, it is cited as the number. Saying eighty ineffable nayutas of Buddha-land atoms is entirely a symbolic representation of the Dharma. This teaching is spoken for those of great mind, not something to be known through the fabricated distortions of those of inferior understanding. One must deeply penetrate the earlier and later sūtra texts from root to branch, and the meaning of general and specific, sameness and difference, according to the gradations of the stages. This chapter marks the end of one's own progressive practice having passed through the five stages, the completion of principle, wisdom, myriad practices, and great compassion; it is the door of one's own Tathāgata appearing in the world to benefit sentient beings without attachment. This chapter is like the great ocean, the ultimate vastness into which the rivers of expedients of the five stages flow. This chapter is like Mount Sumeru: among the kings of jeweled mountains, none is higher. This chapter is like the great earth, because great compassion nurtures and sustains all sentient beings. This chapter is like space, because the dharmakāya and wisdom-body fill the dharmadhātu. Just as a round, pure mani-jewel mirror has a measure that pervades all around, and the forms and images of all worlds of the ten directions all appear within it manifesting unobstructed, this Dharma-door of the Tathāgata's appearance likewise, through the mirror of the great, round, luminous wisdom that is the colorless, formless, universal light, fundamentally pure wondrous principle of the dharmakāya, universally manifests the ocean of Samantabhadra's practices and the karma of all sentient beings of the ten directions, with the bodies and lands of all Buddhas all dwelling within it, none not being masterly. Therefore, when there are those who generate the bodhi-mind, they should believe that their own minds and the minds of all sentient beings all possess such Tathāgata wisdom, virtue, and mastery, and should know that before long they will return to being identical with the Buddha's body. Because of self-faith in having it, as this chapter says: 'A sūtra roll equal in measure to a great trichiliocosm is contained within a single atom, and all atoms are likewise'—the intention is to cause one to believe and know that all minute sentient beings possess the ocean of the sūtra roll of the Tathāgata's four wisdoms. Saying that one breaks open that atom to extract the sūtra roll clarifies that after a bodhisattva has attained this himself, and sees that all sentient beings equally possess it, he dwells in the ocean of saṃsāra with expedient wisdom, raising up bodies and practices numbering as many as sentient beings to expediently guide them, causing their minds to open and awaken, realizing that their own wisdom-realm is no different from the Buddha's; hence it says breaking open this atom to extract this sūtra roll. As the sūtra says: 'Just as the water of the great ocean secretly flows beneath the earth of the four continents and eighty kotis of small islands, so that wherever one digs there are none who do not obtain water.' The metaphor clarifies that if all sentient beings have the power of self-contemplation, there are none who do not obtain the mind-water of the great ocean of Tathāgata wisdom. Furthermore, the sūtra says: 'A bodhisattva-mahāsattvas should know that in his own mind, thought after thought, there is constantly a Buddha realizing true awakening', in order to clarify that all Tathāgata Buddhas do not realize true awakening apart from this mind. Furthermore, the text below says: 'The minds of all sentient beings are also like this: in all of them there is a Tathāgata realizing true awakening.' This clarifies that the self-nature of the minds of ordinary beings and noble ones is pure and without difference; there is only delusion and awakening, without a fraction of an inch of separation. As long as a single deluded thought does not arise, so that mind and realm are attained as boundless, their nature inherently without arising, without attainment, and without realization, then one immediately realizes true awakening. Then, broadly benefiting sentient beings with this Dharma is the practice of Samantabhadra. The wondrous wisdom of the wondrous principle of the nature free of mind, which distinguishes the One Vehicle, Three Vehicles, cause and effect of humans and gods, and the karmic retributions of the evil destinies, is named Mañjuśrī. Following discriminating wisdom, acting together with others, knowing their faculties, and benefiting sentient beings without cessation is named Samantabhadra. Rescuing and protecting all sentient beings with great compassion is named Avalokiteśvara. Cultivating and learning these three minds simultaneously is named Vairocana. When habitual training of the mind is accomplished, it is called mastery. When no dharma is not understood, it is called unobstructedness. Wisdom responding to faculties, universally pervading the ten directions, its nature free of coming and going, is called supernormal power. Cultivation lies at the beginning; through habitual training, all is attained. Though deluded arisings span many kalpas, the sun of wisdom does not move. This is entirely not difficult; why must one not do it? If one studies yet does not attain it, one's merit still surpasses humans and gods; if one does not believe and does not cultivate, when will suffering and destitution ever end? The general meaning is that this door of the Buddha-fruition of the Tathāgata's appearance—the wondrous principle of Mañjuśrī, the wondrous practice of Samantabhadra, and so forth—is equally shared by all sentient beings; it is neither ancient nor modern, its nature inherently of one substance, causing later students to believe and cultivate like this. Profound sincerity is not far off; do not generate difficulties for yourself. As the verse of this chapter says: 'Just as the ocean-seal reflects the bodies of sentient beings, / For this reason it is called the great ocean, / Bodhi universally imprints all mental actions, / Therefore it is named True Awakening.' The meaning is that bodhi is the wondrous principle of being free of mind-nature, devoid of substance and characteristic, and devoid of attainment and realization; one who thoroughly penetrates this Dharma is called having wondrous wisdom. Using this wondrous wisdom of bodhi to universally imprint wrong thoughts and deluded actions as inherently having no place of arising is called True Awakening. The treatise master's verse says: