新華嚴經論 35.36

35.36

In the second section, on deferring virtue and advancing upward, there are four points: first, deferring virtue and advancing upward; second, indicating the kalyāṇamitra's location by stating that in the south is a city named Siṃhavikrīḍita; third, giving the kalyāṇamitra's name as the maiden Maitrāyaṇī; fourth, bowing to the feet of the brāhmaṇa Jayoṣmāyatana, taking leave, and departing. The meaning of 'the south' is as explained in the initial stage above. That the city is named Siṃhavikrīḍita indicates that it is the city where King Siṃhadhvaja resides; that king is the father of the maiden Maitrāyaṇī. This symbolizes that wisdom's mastery is the king, while the far-reaching practice of great compassion is the daughter, showing that compassion is born from wisdom. Residing amid the defilements of saṃsāra yet being equal to the undefiled signifies the exhaustion of karmic habit-energies. In the earlier seventh abode, the upāsikā Vasumitrā demonstrated intentionally preserving habitual love to accomplish the approach of compassion; because she had not yet severed the habitual love of delivering sentient beings through love, she was called an upāsikā, and through this she perfected the practice of great kindness and compassion, whereupon in the eighth abode effortless wisdom was finally achieved—which demonstrated that wisdom is born from compassion. In this stage, because compassion is born from wisdom, the daughter of King Siṃhadhvaja is a maiden. This symbolizes this stage's effortless benefiting of sentient beings, completely free of defiled habit-energies.

In the first section, on directly entering the teaching of the stage itself, the meaning of the sūtra text is divided into twenty-two points: first, giving rise to supreme reverence toward the kalyāṇamitra; second, recollecting the instruction and advancing upward; third, gradually journeying to the south; fourth, arriving at the city of Siṃhavikrīḍita; fifth, inquiring after and seeking the maiden Maitrāyaṇī; sixth, hearing that the maiden belongs to the royal clan; seventh, having five hundred maidens as her attendants; eighth, explaining the palace where the maiden dwells; ninth, explaining the throne on which the maiden sits; tenth, Sudhana proceeding thither upon hearing this; eleventh, Sudhana entering and beholding the maiden's circumstantial and primary fruition adornments; twelfth, Sudhana beholding this and presenting what he seeks; thirteenth, the maiden having Sudhana observe the karmic fruition of her dwelling and primary retribution so that he may know the causes of her practice; fourteenth, Sudhana, having observed this, joining his palms and gazing up at the maiden Maitrāyaṇī; fifteenth, the maiden telling Sudhana that the Dharma-door is named 'Universal Adornment of Prajñāpāramitā'; sixteenth, the maiden telling Sudhana the number of Buddhas she saw while cultivating this Dharma-door; seventeenth, specifically stating that the number of Buddhas seen is thirty-six Ganges sands, with different names for each Buddha; eighteenth, explaining that when the maiden received this Dharma-door, each Buddha entered through a different door; nineteenth, that each Buddha expounded it once and never repeated it; twentieth, Sudhana speaking to ask about the realm of this Dharma-door; twenty-first, specifically stating that while cultivating and contemplating this Dharma-door, she attained the universal dhāraṇī-doors, their number being one million asaṃkhyeyas of dhāraṇī Dharma-doors, with their major categories being one hundred and seventeen; twenty-second, from 'I know only this Universal Adornment of Prajñāpāramitā door' onward, explaining the deferral of virtue and advancing upward.

'Gradually journeying to the south' means advancing in excellence. 'Arriving at the city of Siṃhavikrīḍita and everywhere inquiring after and seeking the maiden Maitrāyaṇī' means converging wisdom and compassion into an indivisible essence. 'Hearing that this maiden is the daughter of King Siṃhadhvaja, with five hundred maidens as her attendants' makes clear that one has faith that within these ten abodes, the Abode of Coronation universally encompasses the two doors of wisdom and compassion across the five stages; all are cultivated precisely within these ten abodes, with no other path—hence she is called the daughter of King Siṃhadhvaja. The five hundred attendants who listen to the Dharma are the practitioners within this very stage. To have faith that this single stage completely subsumes the wisdom and compassion of the five stages, and that all are fully present in this door—only then is it called this door of the ten abodes, called 'dwelling where the Buddhas dwell'. One should understand it in this way.

Because the circumstantial retribution realm of the kalyāṇamitra in this abode is entirely identical in name and essence to the realm attained as the fruit of Buddhahood, it fully possesses the Buddha-realms, bodies, and lands of mutual interpenetration like Indra's net, layer upon layer containing one another, with periods of eons, years, and months having neither extension nor brevity, each and every door fully possessing all immeasurable Dharma-doors. As the sūtra text itself fully explains, this is what Sudhana was instructed to observe. That the palace where the maiden Maitrāyaṇī dwells is named 'Vairocana Garbha Palace' signifies that the Buddha fruit embraces all virtues, and the practices of the five stages containing the doors of the Buddha's cause and effect are entirely within this stage. That she expounds the wondrous Dharma seated upon a celestial garment seat with dragon-conquering sandalwood legs and a golden thread net explains that with the body of great compassion she sits upon the throne of all-knowledge, which is 'dragon-conquering'. The fragrant, pure teaching net of the fivefold dharmakāya—morality, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation—protects, covers, and guides all sentient beings, serving as her seat.

'Sudhana, having heard this, went to the gate of the royal palace seeking to see her, and saw immeasurable multitudes entering the palace' makes clear that this palace of wisdom and mansion of compassion is the common place of entry for all sentient beings and the common capital where the bodhisattvas of the five stages dwell. Sudhana asked: 'Where are you all going now?' They all replied: 'We wish to go to the maiden Maitrāyaṇī to hear and receive the wondrous Dharma.' This illustrates faith without doubt. 'The youth Sudhana then thought: "Since this royal palace gate has no barriers, I too should enter"' means that having generated faith within himself, he felt he ought to enter. 'Having entered, he saw the Vairocana Garbha Palace' means that the myriad practices of his own mind's wisdom and compassion simultaneously converged with and entered into the cause and effect, wisdom and compassion of the five stages. That the ground was made of sphaṭika illustrates that this jewel resembles crystal, yet differs in red, white, crimson, and lapis, all being of the pure and luminous sort, attained as the fruition of the dharmakāya. That the pillars were of vaiḍūrya means that pure practice sustains the myriad virtues. That the walls were of vajra means the protection of pure wisdom. That the ramparts were of Jambūnada gold symbolizes the outer adornment of pure precepts. That hundreds of thousands of luminous beams served as windows is the fruition of the light of teaching illuminating the mundane. That asaṃkhyeyas of maṇis served as decorative latticework is the fruition of pure, untainted practices. That treasure-garbha maṇi mirrors adorned the surroundings on all sides is the fruition of fundamental wisdom giving rise to discriminating wisdom that illuminates the root of sentient beings. That it was adorned with the most supreme maṇi jewels of the world is the fruition of pure practice untainted by mundane conduct. That countless jewel nets covered it above is the fruition of being able to set up the net of teaching. That hundreds of thousands of golden bells produced wondrous sounds is the fruition of the sounds of expounding the Dharma resounding throughout the ten directions. Below, the adornment of primary retribution is explained.

The maiden Maitrāyaṇī's skin was golden-colored, signifying the fruition of the dharmakāya's pure white mind free of defilement; golden color corresponds to truth, and all bodhisattvas are golden-colored. Her eyes and hair were all dark blue, due to pure wisdom illuminating, protecting, and covering the phenomena of sentient beings. Her 'brahma-voice' means it was clear, resounding, and heard far off in the ten directions. That she instructed Sudhana to observe her circumstantial retribution makes clear that by knowing the fruition, one recognizes her Dharma-door. The mutual containment of all Buddha realms manifested in each mirror is fully as the sūtra explains.

Regarding the statement, 'This is the Universal Adornment of Prajñāpāramitā door; I sought and attained this Dharma from thirty-six Ganges sands of Buddhas,' thirty signifies the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit. The Dharma sought and attained from 'six Ganges sands of Buddhas' generally encompasses the six stages—the practices of the ten faiths, the ten grounds, the eleventh ground, and the Buddha fruit are entirely contained within the dharmas of the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit, accomplishing the dharmas of those preceding and succeeding six stages. This is because the preceding stage of faith possesses faith, yet does not constitute actual entry into the abodes; while the causal and fruition practices of the ten grounds and eleventh ground merely rely on the dharmas of the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit. Once the principle, wisdom, compassion, vows, and practice-doors are fused and unified, they are fully prepared, and the ten grounds and eleventh ground merely follow and emulate them to become habitual and perfected, with no new dharmas. Therefore, in the subsequent ten grounds and eleventh ground, no names for progressively cultivating the Buddha fruit according to stage are established, nor is there seeing the Buddha come from afar, nor any ceremonial rituals of welcoming the Buddha. If one looks through the text above and below, the meaning will naturally become apparent. Because the two practices of wisdom and compassion in this tenth Abode of Coronation fully contain the wisdom, compassion, vows, and practices of the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit within them, it says 'thirty'.

Although the teaching has textual traces of sequential establishment, when considered in terms of wisdom, compassion, vows, and practices, the years, months, days, and eons are all a single dharma, all a single time—and this extends equally to the minds of the ten faiths, and equally to the ten grounds and eleventh ground, because in this single stage, all dharmas of totality and particularity, identity and difference, integration and disintegration, are entirely contained within it. Thus, in the sūtra text of this stage, the youth Sudhana is instructed to observe the adorned realm, and within every wall, every pillar, every mirror, every characteristic, every form, down to every jewel, he sees throughout the dharmadhātu. All Tathāgatas, from their initial aspiration to cultivate the bodhisattva path, perfecting their great vows, completing their merits, realizing equal and perfect awakening, turning the wondrous Dharma-wheel, down to manifesting their entry into nirvāṇa—every such image without exception appears, just as all forms of the stars, constellations, sun, and moon in the sky universally appear in water, fully as the sūtra explains. Using this realm to make clear that a single stage fully contains all stages and that all eons, days, months, and divisions of time never shift, it is therefore said: 'I sought this Dharma-door from thirty-six Ganges sands of Buddhas; once spoken, it was never spoken again, and I fully received and comprehended it all.' Thus one must understand that these three kinds of tenfold dharmas—the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit—are all practiced within a single abode among the ten abodes. Furthermore, because there are thirty such Dharma-doors within wisdom and thirty such Dharma-doors within compassion, this also makes sixty Ganges sands of Buddhas. Because each and every stage has practice-doors pervading the dharmadhātu, 'Ganges sands' briefly indicates this pervasive meaning. It also signifies that a single stage universally covers six stages, and symbolizes that all wisdom and liberation are not separate from the three emptinesses and the six pāramitās. Because within each stage there are six stages, and each of the six stages possesses inexhaustible practices and vows.

Below, the citation of one hundred and seven dhāraṇī-doors makes clear that this single stage fully encompasses the cause and effect of the ten faiths, ten abodes, ten practices, ten dedications of merit, ten grounds, and the eleventh ground, which do not go beyond this stage, being subsumed by these one hundred and seven dhāraṇīs. These one hundred and seven great dhāraṇī-doors do not go beyond the practices within the ten pāramitās, which mutually interpenetrate to form one hundred pāramitās. These one hundred pāramitās do not go beyond the thirty-seven limbs of awakening serving as mutually interpenetrating accompaniments to accomplish the six stages of the three grades of worthies, the ten sages, equal awakening, and wondrous awakening—collectively named as seeking this Universal Adornment of Prajñāpāramitā door from thirty-six Ganges sands of Buddhas. Because this 'Ganges sands' is the initial small number in this sūtra, it is cited to show that within the door of the ten abodes of the initial aspiration, it universally covers the sixty dharmas within the six stages, excluding the ten faiths which do not enter the stages. One can understand this by thinking deeply and carefully. The general meaning is to know that these three worthy stages—the ten abodes, the ten practices, and the ten dedications of merit—each contain the dharmadhātu doors of the ten grounds, the eleventh ground, and the ground of wondrous awakening, universally subsuming the single dharmadhātu. One wisdom, one compassion, one liberation, one eon, one year, one month, one day, one moment—there is neither earlier nor later, and no distinct doors; yet, as various differentiated Dharma-doors are established according to the mundane, in the end one must never give rise to views of extension or brevity, length or shortness.

As initially, the youth Sudhana generated the utmost supreme reverence toward the kalyāṇamitra, gave rise to vast, pure understanding, constantly recollected the Buddha Vehicle, single-mindedly sought the Buddha's wisdom, vowed to see all Buddhas and contemplate the realm of dharmas, and had unhindered wisdom constantly present before him. It should not say 'constantly recollected the Great Vehicle', because this sūtra is the door of the Buddha fruit of the dharmadhātu, having no point of comparison with the two vehicles. Nor can it be compared to the Great Vehicle of the provisional teaching where the Buddha fruit is established after the ten grounds; how could it say 'single-mindedly recollecting the Great Vehicle'? For 'great' is spoken in comparison to 'small'. All aspirations generated in this Dharma-door are based upon the Buddha fruit. All realms of mental capacity, vows, practice, wisdom, and compassion are beyond comparison. One must not confuse the door of the Buddha Vehicle with vehicles of comparative greatness and smallness, causing people to lose the sūtra's meaning and falsely transmit the teaching. This is an erroneous statement due to the translator's lack of penetration. As later, one should single-mindedly seek the Buddha Vehicle, the All-Knowledge Vehicle, the Inconceivable Vehicle, and the Buddha-Fruit Vehicle, because the dharmadhātu of the Buddha fruit, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra is entered entirely at the very first aspiration. Furthermore, from beginning to end there is no distinction of time or eons; it cuts off what ordinary sentiments can measure and is solely wisdom. The rest is as in the sūtra text.

In this stage of the Abode of Coronation, the wisdom pāramitā is the primary, with the other nine as accompaniments. This stage uses wisdom to remedy the hindrance of sequential differences in cultivation and the imbalance between wisdom and compassion, entering the non-dual door where wisdom and compassion are fully perfected and sequence is mastered with effortless ease.