新華嚴經論 36

English (machine translation) 36

Language: English

In the second [section], the gate of praising virtues and advancing upward, from "All bodhisattva-mahāsattvas" downward to "took his leave and departed" comprises twenty-one and a half lines of the sūtra text. In terms of meaning, this is divided into roughly five gates: first, praising virtues and advancing upward; second, showing the region and country of the kalyāṇamitra; third, showing the dwelling place of the kalyāṇamitra located on a river islet; fourth, bringing forward the name of the kalyāṇamitra as Aniketasūri (Master of Self-Mastery); fifth, bowing in reverent homage, taking leave, and departing. From "As all bodhisattvas..." downward is the praising of virtues and advancing upward. Therein, the meaning of the south is as explained initially. The country named Renown is designated in reference to the master of the teaching, because the master of the teaching possesses renown. Dwelling on a river islet signifies that the precepts are like a river's current, which must inevitably enter the ocean of wisdom. Being a boy (kumāra) clarifies that the precepts are pure and unstained, hence he is called a boy. Being named Aniketasūri (Master of Self-Mastery) clarifies that having already entered the mundane world from the fruit of wisdom of the Tathāgata's dharmakāya to benefit living beings, his emerging from the world and entering worldly entanglements to lead sentient beings are all sovereign and free, and the name is established on this basis.

36.3

The first [section], the gate of directly entering the appropriate stage, runs from "At that time the youth Sudhana..." downward to "I only know this dharma gate of the radiant light of wisdom of the great supernormal power of technical arts." In this section it is roughly divided into seven gates: first, receiving the instruction, mindfully holding it, and advancing upward; second, being surrounded by a host of devas, nāgas, and yakṣas; third, arriving in the country of Renown and seeking everywhere for the youth Aniketasūri; fourth, the devas and nāgas indicating his whereabouts; fifth, Sudhana going to his place and seeing him surrounded by ten thousand youths; sixth, piling up sand in play, Sudhana seeing this, bowing in homage, and requesting the dharma he seeks; seventh, Aniketasūri telling Sudhana the practices he cultivates. Within the practices cultivated here, there are roughly ten gates: first, writing; second, mathematics and calculation; third, seals—seals being hand mudrās, talismans, and the like; fourth, realms—realms meaning world-realms; fifth, locations—locations meaning dwelling places where sentient beings of the world-realms abide; sixth, curing illnesses; seventh, technical arts; eighth, compounding and refining elixir medicines of the immortals; ninth, agriculture and commerce; tenth, knowing the roots of sentient beings for transcending the world, and so on. Among these, calculation is briefly set forth in the "Chapter on Incalculables," and here it is also like that. This is the bodhisattva practice, knowing through calculations in accordance with the Dharma. In that "Chapter on Incalculables," the Buddha's wisdom is fully realized, and the eye of wisdom knows naturally without needing calculation methods. The rest is self-evident from the text. This is the practice of beneficial action, where the precept pāramitā is primary and the remaining nine are its companions. If considered in terms of the dharma gates of wisdom and objects, a single stage universally cultivates the ten practices; if considered within the gate of stages, within this practice of beneficial action, taking writing, mathematics, seals, agriculture, commerce, physiognomy, together with transcending the world, is only then called the essence of the precepts. In the preceding ten abodes, only the principle-wisdom of the dharmakāya and dharma-nature served as the essence of the precepts—that is, the monk contemplating the ocean of birth and death of the twelve links of existence as the ocean of the Buddha's wisdom; in the ten dedications of merit, the master mariner skillfully entering the ocean of birth and death serves as the essence of the precepts; as in the ten faiths, fearing misdeeds, cultivating blessings, and renouncing mundane actions serve as the essence of the precepts; in the ten grounds, cultivating great compassion serves as the essence of the precepts, which is the night goddess Pramuditanayanajagadvirocanā (Joyful Eyes Observing Sentient Beings). She is on the Buddha's right side; the left is wisdom and the right is compassion. Furthermore, "Joyful Eyes Observing Sentient Beings" is a name of loving-kindness and compassion, which serves as the precepts. In each case, following the five stages, the advancement of the essence of the precepts differs, yet wisdom universally encompasses them, so that within a single stage, all five stages are completely present. Regarding the ten kalyāṇamitras above and below here, discussing them according to the substance of their practice, worldly skills, medical recipes, offerings, and the like, are as the sūtra explains in detail.

36.4

In the second [section], praising virtues and advancing upward, from "As all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas..." downward to "took his leave and departed" comprises seventeen lines of sūtra text. In terms of meaning, this is divided into roughly five gates: first, praising virtues and advancing upward; second, showing the dwelling and location of the kalyāṇamitra; third, bringing forward the name of the city where the kalyāṇamitra dwells as Samudrapratiṣṭhāna (Abiding in the Ocean); fourth, bringing forward the name of the kalyāṇamitra upāsikā as Prabhūtā (Complete); fifth, paying homage, taking leave, and departing. In "from 'As all bodhisattvas...' downward is praising virtues and advancing upward," the city being named Abiding in the Ocean signifies that this upāsikā can contain all virtues just like an ocean. The upāsikā's name being Complete clarifies that the name is established in reference to virtue. It signifies that this upāsikā, by abiding in this patience pāramitā, is complete in the ten pāramitās: through constantly being able to practice great renunciation, she is complete in the dāna pāramitā; her simple clothing being clean and pure is called keeping the precepts; disheveled hair and an unadorned appearance are called patience; the mind constantly not conforming to mundane minds is called vigor; wisdom and compassion benefiting the world without being accompanied by sensory consciousness is called dhyāna; having already stepped into the marvelous supramundane wisdom of the Buddha-fruit is called prajñā; constantly residing in birth and death to guide and receive sentient beings, and having a mind free of female karma yet manifesting a female body, clarifies the practice of great compassion, which is called expedient means; constantly following the original vow to deliver beings in the six destinies is called the great vow; not fearing birth and death and constantly turning the wheel of the Dharma is called power; manifesting through wisdom illusory births in all oceans of realms to constantly perform Buddha-works is called wisdom. Because she is complete in such ten pāramitās, the four means of embracing, and the four immeasurables, she is therefore named Complete. Sudhana's hair standing on end all over his body upon hearing this is because, having heard the name Complete, his mind was filled with joy and thrilled with wonder.

36.5

In the first [section], the gate of directly entering the dharma gate of the appropriate stage, from "At that time the youth Sudhana..." downward to "I only know this liberation gate of the inexhaustible treasury of merit and virtue" is roughly divided into twenty gates: first, contemplating the kalyāṇamitra's teaching gate as vast as an ocean, reflecting and advancing upward; second, gradually traveling south; third, arriving at the city of Samudrapratiṣṭhāna and seeking the good friend; fourth, the people telling him that she is in this city; fifth, Sudhana going to the gate, joining his palms and standing; sixth, the observed circumstantial fruition, with her residence being vast and adorned in diverse ways; seventh, Sudhana, having entered, seeing the upāsikā seated on a jeweled throne; eighth, observing her primary fruition, with her physical marks and deportment worthy of veneration; ninth, seeing ten billion marvelous seats arranged inside her residence; tenth, seeing her small vessel placed before her seat, with ten thousand young maidens as attendants, and having no other clothing, food, or drink; eleventh, Sudhana, having seen her, paying homage and making his request; twelfth, the upāsikā telling Sudhana the dharma gate she cultivates; thirteenth, bringing forward the name of her dharma gate as the Bodhisattva's Inexhaustible Treasury of Merit and Virtue; fourteenth, that by means of her small vessel, whatever food, drink, and diverse flavors sentient beings of the ten directions and six destinies require are all fully provided; fifteenth, that bodhisattvas bound to one [more] birth, having eaten, all attain buddhahood beneath the bodhi tree; sixteenth, bringing forward the community of one million asaṃkhyeyas of fellow practitioners whose three karmas are all identical; seventeenth, Sudhana seeing immeasurable sentient beings enter through the four gates; eighteenth, that in accordance with whatever vows are requested and whatever food is required, all are completely satisfied; nineteenth, bringing forward her [statement], "I only know this gate of the Bodhisattva's Treasury of Merit and Virtue"; twentieth, praising virtues and advancing upward to accomplish the subsequent practice. The ten thousand young maidens signify that the myriad practices are complete. Entering through the four gates signifies the four immeasurable minds. Using a single small vessel to bestow food and drink universally filling and satisfying limitless sentient beings clarifies that although the vessel's capacity is small, when considered through the wisdom of giving of the dharmadhātu entering the Indra gate, the small contains the inexhaustible. Furthermore, added to the vast mind of the power of wisdom-vows of the dharmadhātu, with food the size of a single fine dust mote, she causes all sentient beings born in the ten directions who eat it to be fully satisfied, while from the outset it is not diminished by the slightest fraction. This is because food the size of a single fine dust mote is identical to the measure of the dharmadhātu, unobstructed by limitations of interior, exterior, middle, or edge. The dharma gate being named the Bodhisattva's Treasury of Merit and Virtue clarifies that the vows of giving are vast. This is the third practice, the practice of non-opposition, where the patience pāramitā is primary and the remaining nine are its companions. In terms of the wisdom gate, the ten practices are universally cultivated across the five stages; in terms of the gate of stages, it takes patience as its substance. Taking patience as the small vessel, because no practice is not fully present, through humility there is nothing that is not beneficial.

36.6

In the second [section], praising virtues and advancing upward, from "As all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas..." downward to "took his leave and departed" comprises eight and a half lines of sūtra text. In terms of meaning, this is divided into roughly four gates: first, praising virtues and advancing upward; second, showing the kalyāṇamitra's location and the city where he dwells; third, bringing forward the city's name as Great Flourishing and the good friend's name as the householder Vidvān (Clear Wisdom); fourth, Sudhana bowing in homage, taking leave, and departing. From "As all bodhisattvas..." downward is called praising virtues and advancing upward. The city being named Great Flourishing is established in reference to the master of the teaching. Because the vigor pāramitā greatly flourishes in benefiting [others], the city's name is established. The householder being named Vidvān (Clear Wisdom) refers to the fourth practice, the practice of non-flinching: perceiving capacities and benefiting beings, he looks up into empty space and immediately bestows both material wealth and the Dharma; therefore he is named Clear Wisdom. This corresponds to the abode of noble birth among the ten abodes. In the fourth ground among the ten grounds, supramundane wisdom is attained and becomes manifest, and karma of the three realms is exhausted, so that one is to be born into the house of the Buddha. In these ten practices, being the householder Vidvān signifies that while residing in the mundane world, he cherishes the Way and benefits living beings, and is therefore called a householder.

36.7

First, within properly entering the Dharma door of the present stage, from "At that time, the youth Sudhana" down to "I only know this liberation door of the treasury of merit produced at will," the meaning in this section is divided into ten doors: 1. mindfulness of the teachings imparted by the spiritual friend, reflecting and advancing; 2. traveling gradually southward to the city of Dāxing and seeking out the householder Mingzhi; 3. generating thirsty longing in his mind toward the spiritual friend; 4. resolving that he must attend upon the spiritual friends with a mind free of weariness and fatigue; 5. seeing the householder atop a seven-jeweled terrace at the crossroads within the city marketplace, seated upon an adornment seat of countless jewels; 6. Sudhana requesting what he seeks; 7. the elder praising him for being able to generate the great bodhicitta and seek the bodhisattva path; 8. the elder revealing to Sudhana the assembly able to generate the great bodhicitta; 9. the elder telling Sudhana the Dharma door he practices, called the liberation door of the treasury of merit produced at will, where whatever is required is entirely fulfilled; 10. waiting for the assembly to gather to demonstrate his method of giving: looking up into space, whatever they require falls down from the sky and completely satisfies them all, after which he expounds the Dharma. From "I only know this liberation door of the treasury of merit produced at will" downward is the advancement by deferring virtue. The upāsikā in the preceding stage, by means of her small vessel, illustrated the door of patience leaving behind arrogance, laxity, and pride, giving food and drink that filled [all]. In this stage, it symbolizes the mind of vigor and the practice free from despondence, constantly practicing the contemplation of emptiness to eliminate afflictions and attain the supreme mind of wisdom, wherein all circumstantial and primary fruitions, Dharma and reward [bodies], and human and heavenly roots of goodness are entirely subsumed. When the householder says that he was born into the family of the Tathāgata and increases the pure Dharma, this clarifies that this stage is the practice of the fourth abode, the Abode of Noble Birth, and also corresponds to the fourth ground among the ten grounds, where the karma of the three realms is exhausted and one is born into the family of the Tathāgata. There is only the fulfillment of worldly wisdom; in the fifth abode and the fifth ground one studies the six abodes and six grounds, where both ultimate and conventional wisdom are brought to completion, attaining the samādhi of tranquil extinction and the manifestation of the three emptinesses, spontaneously exercising supernormal powers to teach and transform throughout the ten directions. After that, from the seventh abode and the seventh ground onward, one enters into the conventional world and undertakes practices identical to ordinary beings, practicing the gate of great compassion. On the eighth ground one partially attains non-effort. On the tenth ground the Buddha's ten powers are only then perfected. On the eleventh ground one spontaneously benefits sentient beings. Therefore, looking up into space here represents the practiced cultivation of vigor: all karmic suffering is entirely eradicated, and all Buddha-dharmas as well as human and heavenly merits are entirely contained within it. Merely by cultivating the single door of the emptiness of phenomena and understanding the tranquility of dependent origination, all afflictions naturally do not appear, and all luminous wisdom naturally manifests before one. This briefly outlines the main essentials; the full meaning is self-evident as in the sūtra. This fourth practice, the practice free from despondence, takes vigor as the principal and the other nine [pāramitās] as its companions. Within the door of wisdom, the five stages and ten practices are practiced in common; within the door of stages, contemplating the door of the emptiness of phenomena and thoroughly understanding liberation from conditionally arisen phenomena is superior, curing the remaining habitual propensities of the three realms, so that the wisdom of the dharmakāya manifests and one is born into the Tathāgata's family. In the initial mind of the ten abodes, one first opens Buddha-wisdom and is born into the Tathāgata's family; in the fourth abode, one cures the delusions of the three realms, and pure Buddha-wisdom manifests, being born into the Tathāgata's family; in the eighth abode, non-effort wisdom manifests and one is born into the family of the Tathāgata's non-effort wisdom; in the tenth abode, wisdom and compassion universally save [beings] and one receives the Buddha's office, which is also being born into the Tathāgata's family; the stages of the ten grounds are established in complete accordance with this model. The ten abodes are the model for the superior progression of the ten grounds; this is unlike the provisional teachings where the fruit of Buddhahood is placed after the ten grounds, with the forty minds of the three vehicles before the grounds being preliminary application, and the ten grounds being the path of seeing. In this Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the ten abodes are the path of seeing; the ten practices, ten dedications of merit, and eleventh ground are preliminary application, cultivating practices to make them habituated and mastered. The fruit of Buddhahood manifests first at the beginning, so that through Samantabhadra's compassionate vows the great functioning of wisdom and compassion may become habituated, mastered, and unhindered. This is because the fundamental, universal light wisdom of one's own Tathāgata manifests first, and because from beginning to end, root to branch, there is absolutely no division or measure of extended or shortened time, days, or months. Speaking in accord with reality regarding the fundamental wisdom of the dharmakāya, it is not what is understood by the conceptual graspings of the provisional teachings of the three vehicles; all must be viewed with reference to the root: ultimately the habituation of the fruit of Buddhahood has already been accomplished, and Samantabhadra's practices have already been fulfilled. Universally, one simply takes teaching and transforming all sentient beings as eternal and constant; from beginning to end there is no beginning and no end, no creation and no destruction; one merely takes manifesting wisdom universally in response throughout the six destinies of all the ten directions to benefit sentient beings as one's perpetual enterprise. From the time of first giving rise to the mind, generating faith, and cultivating practice, one generates such faith and joy, generates such aspirations, gives rise to such earnest pursuits, and sees such a path. From the Abode of First Aspiration, through the power of samādhi contemplation, one tallies with the dharmakāya and reveals the fundamental, universal light wisdom, illuminating and knowing that the nature of all ocean of saṃsāra of oneself and others is inherently liberated. It is solely to teach and transform sentient beings so that their delusions are resolved and they are freed from the suffering of false thoughts, not seeing whether one's own body attains Buddhahood or does not attain Buddhahood. If one gives rise to a thought scheming to attain Buddhahood, know that this person is far from the Buddha path. If, solely by the power of the naturelessness of the dharmakāya, oneself and others are free of intrinsic nature without any mind of creation or destruction, one gives rise to the power of skillful means, arouses the power of great vows, initiates the door of great compassion, unconditioned yet giving rise to boundless aspirations, to teach and transform all natureless sentient beings in the dharmadhātu so as to resolve their delusions, causing them in turn to awaken to the principle that their own minds are without intrinsic nature, so that false thoughts and attachments naturally disappear—speaking neither of attaining Buddhahood nor of not attaining Buddhahood—one must not produce such calculating and conceiving sentiments. In this way, the five stage teachings established in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra are solely to guide and receive those who claim to have attained what they have not attained, claim to have reached what they have not reached, claim to be fulfilled when they are not fulfilled, and who are stagnant in the defiled and pure obstacles to the bodhi path, as well as those who have a mind of contentment and thoughts of resting in the bodhisattva practices. Thus it establishes fifty tiers of cause and effect and one hundred and ten Dharma doors, so that they will not abide in a mind of stagnation, stopping, or cessation, fulfilling Samantabhadra's vows and practices to the inexhaustible limit.

36.8

Second, within the door of advancing by deferring virtue, from "As all the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas" down to "taking his leave and departing," there are fifteen and a half lines of the sūtra text, which are divided roughly into five doors: 1. Advancing by deferring virtue, which is from "As all the bodhisattvas" downward. 2. Indicating the spiritual friend's direction and place: it says "the south," as explained previously. 3. Indicating the city where the spiritual friend resides: the city is named Lion Palace (Siṃhaprāsāda); this establishes the name with reference to the transforming master. "Lion" has the meaning of fearlessness, clarifying that within this fifth practice, the practice of freedom from confusion and distraction, dhyāna-concentration is taken as the palace. 4. There is an elder named Jewel Topknot of Dharma (Dharmaratnacūḍa): this symbolizes that the dhyāna practice cultivated by this elder is the dhyāna of unhindered mastery of the essence and function of the dharmadhātu, which completely gathers the practices of the ten pāramitās, with the eightfold noble path entirely contained within it. As described below, the residence where the elder dwells is a ten-story pavilion with eight gates; this clarifies that the essence of concentration universally encompasses all practices. The name Dharmaratnacūḍa symbolizes that it gathers and crowns all stages, reaching the summit of Dharma. 5. Paying homage, taking leave, and departing.

36.9

First, within properly entering the Dharma door of the present stage, from "At that time, Sudhana" down to "I only know this bodhisattva liberation door of the inexhaustible jewel treasury of merit," the meaning in this section is divided into ten doors: 1. mindfulness of the spiritual friend's teaching increasing the ocean of merit; 2. traveling gradually southward toward the city of Siṃhapura; 3. searching everywhere for the elder Ratnacūḍa; 4. seeing him in the marketplace, paying homage, and properly presenting his request; 5. the elder taking Sudhana by the hand and leading him to his dwelling; 6. having Sudhana view the residential mansion of his karmic retribution, made of various jewels with ten stories and eight gates; 7. Sudhana, having viewed it, asking about the causes he had cultivated; 8. the elder explaining to him the causes he cultivated in the past; 9. together with setting forth the three locations of dedication; 10. advancing by deferring virtue. Explaining the meaning in accordance with the text: Searching everywhere for the elder Ratnacūḍa clarifies universally contemplating whether mind and objects are empty or existent, concentration and distraction in the three realms, and the door of concentration that advances without reliance, attainment, or realization. Seeing him in the marketplace clarifies the equality of tranquility and distraction. If compared with the elder Vimukta in the ten abodes who immediately entered samādhi, clarifying the door of the body containing the Buddha-lands, that symbolized the initial abiding essence. In the concentration of these ten practices, it clarifies that the practice-essence is constantly concentrated, symbolizing that dwelling in the market stalls of saṃsāra to gather and transform sentient beings does not diminish the essence of concentration, clarifying that dynamic functioning is entirely tranquil because nature is inherently detached. Promptly going to pay homage means quickly tallying with that essence of concentration without delay. In properly presenting the request below: taking Sudhana by the hand means guiding and receiving him. Leading him to his dwelling to show him the mansion and having Sudhana observe it is to make him know the underlying causes. The pure, radiant mansion made of genuine gold means that in terms of the stage, dhyāna-pāramitā is taken as the principal, and the other nine are companions. This clarifies that the essence of concentration is pure and undefiled, and its fruition becomes radiance. Genuine gold as the main substance of the mansion and white silver as the walls: using the essence of dhyāna to accomplish precepts carries the meaning of defense and protection. Crystal as the halls: using the essence of dhyāna to reveal wisdom accomplishes patience. This jewel resembles quartz crystal, luminous and pure, yet possessing various different colors. Lapis lazuli as the pavilions: using the essence of dhyāna to practice vigor, contemplative illumination increases in radiance, clarity, and purity. Musāragalva as its pillars: taking dhyāna as practice supports and maintains all dharmas. The remaining adornments below are arranged in succession according to the ten pāramitās. The ten-story pavilion also follows these ten pāramitās, arranged in sequence from bottom to top. The mansion having eight gates: each side has two gates, totaling eight for the four directions, illustrating the practice of the eightfold noble path. Within the tenth story, it clarifies the tenth wisdom pāramitā, which perfectly brings together the causes and effects of the Buddhas of the three times, fulfilled in a single thought-moment, teaching and transforming sentient beings and entering nirvāṇa without ever shifting. Because when wisdom relates to its object, it is naturally like this. In the nine stories below, the first corresponds to the perfection of giving, the second to precepts, and the third to patience, possessing their own sequence; all represent Dharma through karmically produced manifestations. In explaining his original causes to Sudhana, he says: "I recall in the past, beyond eons as numerous as dust motes in Buddha-lands, there was a world named Perfectly Adorned, and a Buddha named King of Universal Adornment of the Boundless Light Dharmadhātu. When that Buddha entered the city, I played musical sounds and burned a single pellet of incense, offering this and dedicating it to three places, thereby attaining this realm's retribution where my residential mansion is like this." This clarifies attaining the essence of concentration, because in the stage of the ten abodes one had already attained the essence of concentration. Speaking of dust motes in Buddha-lands as the count clarifies that concentration transcends the dust of delusion, one's own wisdom manifests, and one enters this dhyāna door of the ten practices; thus it symbolizes wisdom manifesting beyond the dust of delusion. Taking skillful explanation of the Dharma as musical sounds symbolizes wisdom arising due to concentration. Burning only a single pellet of concentration incense fully provides the fivefold dharmakāya. Dedicating to three places: merely entering this door of concentration of unhindered tranquility and function following practices, one can forever leave poverty behind, constantly see all Buddhas and spiritual friends, and constantly hear the true Dharma; these are the three places, as fully stated in the sūtra. "I only know this bodhisattva liberation door of the inexhaustible jewel treasury of merit" clarifies that this door of concentration of unhindered tranquility and function following practices can gather merit and wisdom, as well as great kindness, great compassion, the four means of embracing, and the four immeasurables within it; therefore this elder is called Ratnacūḍa (Jewel Topknot), symbolizing that this door of concentration following practices serves as a topknot gathering the meaning of all dharmas. The rest is fully evident in the text. This section is the fifth practice, the practice of freedom from confusion and distraction, taking dhyāna-pāramitā as principal and the other nine as companions. In the door of wisdom, it cures [afflictions] in common with all stages; in the door of stages, this stage cures worldly and world-transcending concentration and distraction. Just as this elder's ten-story pavilion completely subsumes the ten abodes, ten practices, ten dedications of merit, ten grounds, eleventh ground, and the Buddha fruit, universally gathering them all, it takes the dhyāna of non-reliance and naturelessness of the dharmadhātu as its essence, and thus takes the ten pāramitās within the essence of dhyāna of inherent non-reliance and non-abiding as its adornment. The treatise author explains in verse:

36.10

The unconditioned innate dhyāna is the park and garden,
Universal radiant wisdom serves as the great mansion,
Discriminating contemplation adorns the multistoried pavilions,
Charity with the food of Dharma satisfies all sentient beings,
The jeweled robes of pure morality are ever worn everywhere,
Vigor and a mind of loving-kindness are the maidservants,
Dhyāna skillfully masters worldly wisdom,
Where bodhisattvas of the five stages abide with penetrating clarity;
The quiescent prajñā is the sixth story,
The seventh story is skillful means abiding in birth-and-death,
The eighth story is effortlessness with free and unhindered functioning,
The ninth story is where the Dharma King bound to one more birth abides,
In the tenth story the fruit of buddhahood is fulfilled.
Studying and cultivating according to such a sequence,
Ultimately one does not abide in beginning, middle, or end;
Benefiting the multitude of living beings by means of these many Dharmas,
The two fruitions—circumstantial and primary—are attained therein.

36.11

This briefly explains the general outline; the extensive meaning is as in the text. The intention is to clarify that within one practice, the ten practices are carried out concurrently, without beginning and without end; all other cases are likewise.

36.12

In the second section, "Praising virtue and advancing," from "Just as all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas..." down to "bid farewell and departed," there are ten and a half lines of the sūtra, divided summarily into six headings: 1. Praising virtue to cause one to advance; 2. Indicating the direction and location of the kalyāṇamitra, saying it is to the south; 3. Indicating the country of the kalyāṇamitra, named Rattan Root (Ténggēn); 4. Indicating the city where the kalyāṇamitra dwells, named Universal Gate; 5. Giving the name of the kalyāṇamitra, called Universal Eye; 6. Paying respects and departing. To explain the meaning following the text: Praising virtue to cause Sudhana to advance is as found in the praise of virtues spanning eight lines of the sūtra, fully clarified as in the text. The country being named Rattan Root represents that this sixth kalyāṇamitra's prajñā is deeply rooted and penetrates to the very source of sentient beings, just as rattan roots are deeply rooted, penetrating through the great earth down to the water boundary. Taking the meaning of solid piercing and penetration, it is likened to the wisdom that contemplates and penetrates both worldly and supramundane dharmas, thoroughly reaching their source and base. The city being named Universal Gate clarifies that with the universal eye one comprehensively knows all dharmas; the name is established based on the lord of the Dharma. The elder being named Universal Eye: wisdom surpassing humans and devas warrants the name "elder"; worldly and supramundane phenomena being known everywhere without exception warrants the name "Universal Eye." The subsequent exhortation to proceed there is self-contained as in the text.

36.13

In the first section, "Directly entering the Dharma door of the current stage," from "At that time..." down to "I only know this gate of joy that causes all sentient beings to universally see all buddhas," within this passage it is divided summarily into eight headings: 1. Directly being mindful of the kalyāṇamitra's teaching and contemplating advancement; 2. Going to the country of Rattan Root, inquiring and searching for the city of Universal Gate; 3. Seeing the elder on the thoroughfare and directly stating what is sought; 4. The elder conferring upon Sudhana the practices he performs. The practices he performs are four: (1) skillfully curing all diseases; (2) skillfully explaining the Dharma doors to remedy the various faculties; (3) skillfully blending various incenses to make offerings and universally see all buddhas; (4) praising virtue and advancing. To explain the meaning following the text: the city's battlements and parapets are towering and steep in multiple layers—the highest is called a battlement (zhì), double battlements are called parapets (dié), a high city wall is called towering (chóng), and one difficult to ascend is called steep (jùn)—clarifying that this kalyāṇamitra abides in the sixth practice where wisdom is layered without end, exalted and difficult to enter. The thoroughfare being broad and level means that the wisdom of the three kinds of emptiness is vast and boundless, and worldly and supramundane wisdom are everywhere complete. Skillfully curing all diseases: worldly diseases caused by the disharmony of the four great elements are treated with decoctions and medicines; as for diseases of affliction, they are cured with the five meditations for settling the mind and the ten pāramitās. Skillfully blending various incenses means using the fragrances of morality, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, the dharmakāya, and the jñānakāya to perfume everywhere according to capacities, whereupon one's own Buddha appears. The matters mentioned above all represent Dharma through concrete phenomena; containing both phenomena and Dharma, they encompass both worldly and supramundane meanings. For instance, in the sixth abode of the ten abodes—the Abode of the Upright Mind—the monk Sāgaradhvaja enters quiescent samādhi and emits clouds of transformation from his body to widely benefit beings, representing the gate of the unhindered quiescence and function of prajñā in the sixth abode. Now, in this stage of the ten practices, the sixth practice of skillful manifestation (prajñā) presents the principle that pure functioning is quiescence, enabling the accomplishment of tranquil bodily, verbal, and mental actions. As for being able to cure all diseases as mentioned above, such practices actually exist. To interpret their symbolic meaning: wind diseases signify those with excessive conceptual thoughts, which are remedied through the counting of breaths, leading them to inner stillness, expediently letting what is focused upon become stilled, conforming to unconditioned samādhi to reveal the superknowledges of wisdom's functioning to benefit and transform all. Jaundice represents those with excessive greed, which is remedied with the contemplation of impurity. Phlegm and fever diseases represent those with excessive delusion, which are remedied with the contemplation of the twelve links of dependent origination. Diseases caused by ghosts and specters represent clinging to wondrous marks without leaving behind māra-karmas and heavenly-retribution superknowledges, which is remedied with the contemplation of emptiness. Poisoning by black magic (gǔ) represents all minds with attachment that can generate all fettering and harmful karmas—the karma of craving is likened to water, and the karma of anger is likened to fire—all such diseases can be remedied. As for blending various incenses, there are also actually such practices. Interpreting the symbolic meaning, it clarifies the incense of the teaching skillfully spoken by wisdom, causing it to perfume and destroy all evil karmic retributions; foulness corresponds to evil karma, and fragrance corresponds to the practices of wisdom. For example, regarding Sindhuvara incense: Sindhu is the great river issuing from the mouth of the golden ox on the western side of Lake Anavatapta, flowing into the country of Saindhava. Vāra (bōluó) here means "shore" or "bank," clarifying that this incense comes from the banks of this river. This represents that in this sixth practice of skillful manifestation, the wisdom of the three kinds of emptiness and the four unhindered eloquence are like that great lake gushing forth four rivers that moisten the great earth and again become the great ocean, wherein the incense of the fivefold dharmakāya—morality, samādhi, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation—all arises. If there are sentient beings who hear it and enter into faith, they all attain deliverance and ascend to the other shore. The sūtra raises one, and the other three rivers are to be understood by analogy with it. Aruṇavatī incense: here translated as "bright red-colored incense"; red represents the correct color of the south, and further represents the lí trigram as emptiness, the sun, brightness, and the mind, because the mind relies upon the Dharma. Lí also means adherence; it resembles the unconditioned radiant light of the wisdom of the three kinds of emptiness and the four unhindered eloquence of this stage, adhering to the mind-realm of all sentient beings so that they all obtain the incense of wisdom and liberation. Uragasāra-candana incense: Uraga is the name of a snake; candana is the incense tree. It means that this snake is most poisonous and constantly suffers from toxic heat; by wrapping its body around this incense tree, its poisonous vapors instantly subside. This represents that if there are sentient beings who hear the incense of the teaching that mind and objects are both empty, fundamentally without substantial marks, without any location, and without a single dharma that can be grasped, and who faithfully comprehend and enter it, the toxic heat of all afflictions is naturally purified. The remaining incenses can be understood according to their names. Such eight kinds of wisdom incenses perfume the consciousness-seeds of wrong views in sentient beings, causing them to practice according to the Eightfold Noble Path and enter the Tathāgata's incense of wisdom. "Good man, I only know this Dharma door of joy that causes all sentient beings to universally see all buddhas": this clarifies that the above wisdom of remedies opens the expedient means of the buddhas' wisdom, causing all sentient beings to enter the buddhas' wisdom and all rejoice. Below clarifies praising virtue and advancing. This is named the kalyāṇamitra in the sixth practice of skillful manifestation, who takes prajñāpāramitā as primary and the remaining nine as companions. If considered from the perspective of wisdom, all stages are cured alike; if considered from the perspective of the stage, it cures the obstruction of lacking freedom in the quiescence and function accompanying practice, causing one's accompanying practice to accomplish tranquil bodily, verbal, and mental actions that are purely clean.

36.14

In the second section, "Praising virtue and advancing," from "Just as all bodhisattvas..." down to "bid farewell and departed," there are nine and a half lines of the sūtra, divided summarily into four headings: 1. Praising virtue and advancing; 2. Indicating the location where the kalyāṇamitra dwells and the city where he resides, named Tāradhvaja; 3. Giving the name of its king, Anala (Inappeasable); 4. Respectfully bidding farewell and departing. The city being named Tāradhvaja: here translated as "luminous and pure," the name is established based on the teaching master. This is because in the seventh practice, non-attachment, with supramundane pure wisdom one skillfully enters the world to act as a master of compassion, skillfully knowing all faculties, and with transformation bodies practicing identical actions without forgetting to receive and guide living beings. The king being named Anala (Inappeasable): because he benefits sentient beings insatiably, his name is formed from his causal practice. The rest is self-contained as in the text.

36.15

In the first section, "Directly entering the stage's own door," from "At that time the youth Sudhana..." down to "I only have attained this illusion-like liberation," this section of the sūtra is divided summarily into fourteen headings: 1. Directly being mindful of the kalyāṇamitra and advancing; 2. Going to the city of Tāradhvaja; 3. Inquiring of the people where the king is; 4. The people answering that he is now in the main hall; 5. Sudhana proceeding there and seeing from afar the king situated on a Nārāyaṇa-vajra throne; 6. Seeing that the king's karmically adorned body and palace are entirely made of various jewels; 7. Seeing the king painfully punishing evildoers with excruciating and unbearable severity; 8. Sudhana giving rise to doubts in his mind; 9. Devas in the air announcing, using the words of the kalyāṇamitra, to remove his doubts; 10. Sudhana, his doubts removed, going to the king's place, prostrating, and directly stating what he seeks; 11. The king holding Sudhana's hand, leading him into the palace, and having him observe his fruitional realm; 12. The king presenting the illusion-like liberation door, manifesting his body to commit evil karmas himself and undergo various sufferings, causing actual sentient beings to feel fear and terror, raise all good roots, and generate the bodhimind; 13. The king stating his own conduct: constantly toward bodily, verbal, and mental actions, not even toward a single mosquito or ant does he generate a mind of torment or harm, how much less toward humans; 14. Praising virtue and advancing. King Anala: translated here as "Inappeasable." Just as the seventh abode of the ten abodes, the stage of loving-kindness and compassion, is represented by the upāsikā Acyutā, this seventh practice of the ten practices—the practice of loving-kindness and compassion—is represented by King Anala, to clarify the practice of punishing evil people: he himself transforms and commits evil, and subjects himself to painful punishment, causing actual sentient beings to become weary of the world, cultivate virtue, and accomplish the path of bodhi. The seventh dedication of merit is presided over by Avalokiteśvara; in the seventh ground, Far-Going, it is presided over by the night deity named Sarvanagararakṣāsaṃbhavatejaḥśrī (Flower Blooming on Trees). All these are distinct names of loving-kindness and compassion accomplished in accordance with their respective stages. The rest is fully clarified as in the sūtra. This is the kalyāṇamitra of the seventh practice, Skillful Manifestation (Upāya), taking the pāramitā of skillful means as primary and the remaining nine as companions. From the perspective of wisdom, all stages are universally cured; from the perspective of the stage, it cures the obstruction of lacking freedom in the two practices of defilement and purity while abiding in birth-and-death, causing one to abide in birth-and-death with great wisdom and great compassion attaining freedom.

36.16

In the second section, "Praising virtue and advancing," from "All bodhisattvas..." down to "bid farewell and departed," there are eight and a half lines of the sūtra, divided summarily into four headings: 1. Praising virtue and advancing; 2. Indicating the kalyāṇamitra's location and the city where he resides, named Wondrous Light; 3. Giving the kalyāṇamitra king's name, Great Light; 4. Prostrating and bidding farewell. The sūtra saying "the city is named Wondrous Light": this is identical to the effortless wondrous functioning of wisdom in the eighth abode and eighth ground; it is the fulfillment of discriminating wisdom within one's own stage. The king being named Great Light designates fundamental wisdom. The rest is self-contained as in the text.

36.17

In the first section, on directly entering the Dharma-gate of the current stage, from "At that time the youth Sudhana" down to "I only know this bodhisattva samādhi gate of great compassion taking the lead and according with the worldly realm," this passage of the sūtra is divided into roughly fifteen headings: first, recollecting the kalyāṇamitra's teaching, contemplating, and advancing; second, gradually traveling through the cities and towns of the human world; third, then reaching the great city of Wondrous Light; fourth, inquiring of people to seek out his dwelling, and all the people replying that this very city is it; fifth, Sudhana, upon hearing of the city where he dwells, rejoices and leaps with joy; sixth, explaining Sudhana's entry into the city of Wondrous Light, where the circumstantial fruitional realm he beholds is adorned with myriad jewels; seventh, explaining that Sudhana, beholding the aforementioned wondrous realm and the six sense-realms of men and women, feels no clinging attachment to any of them, but single-mindedly contemplates the ultimate Dharma; eighth, gradually journeying and beholding the place where King Mahāprabha dwells; ninth, beholding the king's circumstantial and primary fruitions, the adornments of his body and land; tenth, Sudhana throwing his five limbs to the ground and prostrating at his feet; eleventh, directly presenting what he seeks; twelfth, the king informing Sudhana that the practice he carries out is named the bodhisattva practice of the banner of great compassion; thirteenth, the city of Wondrous Light being seen as pure or defiled differently according to the mind; fourteenth, the king entering the samādhi gate of great compassion taking the lead and according with the worldly realm, at which time all the fruitional adornments, the jeweled ground, palaces, and halls, all shake in six ways, the groves of trees bow their heads, the gushing springs flow toward the king, the ten thousand commoners, gods, humans, dragons, and spirits show reverence, the yakṣas and rākṣasas all give rise to minds of compassion, and none among the kings of the eight classes fails to bow in reverence—all give rise to joy and generate wholesome roots, because by the power of this samādhi of great compassion taking the lead, the principle of things is naturally thus; fifteenth, deferring virtue and bidding Sudhana to advance.

To explain the meaning following the text: "Gradually traveling, sometimes reaching human cities, towns, villages, wildernesses, crags, and valleys, and then reaching the great city of Wondrous Light" explains traversing and contemplating to remedy the habit of inferior wisdom and unfulfilled great compassion from the preceding stage, remedying them so that wisdom and compassion are equalized and wisdom and compassion attain mastery, only after which does he reach the city of the practice of effortless wondrous function in the eighth [stage].

Inquiring of the crowd, "Where is the city of Wondrous Light now?" explains that through the power of contemplation, wisdom and compassion are equalized, yet he still does not recognize it himself; therefore, he must ask long-standing residents, symbolizing that in the stage of effortlessness, wisdom and compassion are difficult to integrate. The crowd all replying, "The city of Wondrous Light—this very city is where King Mahāprabha dwells," explains Sudhana's accord and union with the mastery of wisdom and compassion, like [entering] the king's gate.

Sudhana's joy represents entering the joy of the Dharma. From "Having had such a thought" onward, he reflects to himself that he must surely hear further superior Dharmas and the practices of bodhisattvas. Having had these ten kinds of thoughts, he enters the city of Wondrous Light; this explains that having previously cultivated worldly compassion in the seventh practice, he now enters the city of the effortless wisdom of the eighth, which is called entering the city of Wondrous Light, because his understanding of wisdom is brilliant and his great compassion is vastly expanded.

From this point onward, his entry into the city and the jeweled adornments of the ground, trees, palaces, pavilions, terraces, towers, ponds, and pools he beholds all clarify that entering this practice-gate concerns wisdom rather than karmic rebirth: none of it is in vain, all being adorned with the palace of compassion, the hall of wisdom, the tower of contemplation, the pavilions of diverse wisdoms, the flowers of dharmatā practices, the moat of the seven factors of enlightenment, the water of the eightfold noble path, the trees of practicing in accord with bodhi, and the defensive wall of protecting the physical, verbal, and mental karma of all sentient beings, exactly corresponding to the beginning of the ten dedications of merit. The "crenels" (pīnī) are the openings on top of the wall through which to lean and look out, all adorned with jewels. These seven layers are the karmic fruition of the practices of the seven factors of enlightenment; citing the number seven is modeled on this.

The city is ten yojanas in length and breadth. As for a yojana, according to fascicle twelve of the Fo benxing ji jing, it says: "Seven subtle dust particles make one dust particle in a window's lattice-light; seven window-dust particles make one dust particle on the tip of a hare's hair; seven hare-hair dust particles make one dust particle on the tip of a sheep's hair; seven sheep-hair dust particles make one dust particle on the tip of an ox's hair; seven ox-hair dust particles make one nit; seven nits make one louse; seven lice make one mustard seed; seven mustard seeds make one barley grain; seven barley grains make one finger-joint; seven finger-joints make half a foot; two half-feet make one cubit; four cubits make one bow; five bows make one zhang; twenty zhang are called one breath (xi); eighty breaths make one krośa; eight krośas make one yojana." Calculating by the standard of local feet, two li and eighty-odd paces correspond to one krośa. Eight krośas make one yojana; one yojana amounts to seventeen li. That this city is ten yojanas means it measures one hundred and seventy li east, west, south, and north. If, according to the text, the city has one billion avenues, and between every single avenue there are immeasurable myriad kotis of sentient beings dwelling within, then this is not something that the measure of the small yojanas of this worldly realm can accommodate; that is, taking fundamental wisdom as the great city, because the one is the ten, essence and function penetrate completely. Discriminating wisdom serves as the avenues; within the ten wisdoms, each contains one hundred million identical and distinct functions, continuing thus to infinity. The eightfold noble path serves as the eight gates: four times eight is thirty-two, explaining that the ten pāramitās, the seven factors of enlightenment, and the eightfold noble path together constitute the progressive cultivation of the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit, harmoniously fusing the two practices of wisdom and compassion and rendering them sovereign, which is called fundamental wisdom. It is called King Mahāprabha; according to how sentient beings of superior, middling, and inferior faculties perceive it, it is called the great city of Wondrous Light, differing in breadth and narrowness, purity and defilement. All its jewels, adornments, grounds, trees, and palaces are generally the fruitional production of wisdom and compassion, as the text itself fully sets forth.

In this city there is a multistoried pavilion named Repository of the True Dharma, and King Mahāprabha constantly abides therein: this is the fruitional realm of discriminating wisdom, in which the sovereign king of fundamental wisdom constantly abides. Sudhana sees King Mahāprabha not far from the pavilion where he dwells, seated on a vast and adorned lion throne of the lotus treasury of wish-fulfilling maṇi jewels in the midst of a crossroads: this explains that the four wisdoms, four immeasurables, and four means of embracing guide and receive sentient beings as the four thoroughfares. Because the great roads passing through from south to north and east to west are called the four thoroughfares, this single crossroads gathers many paths, up to hundreds of thousands, all subsumed under the single crossroads, because it receives beings at will and causes them all to become undefiled. It takes the wish-fulfilling undefiled jewel as its seat, and because practice is unstained, it is called a lotus. Lapis lazuli serving as the legs of the throne explains that wisdom follows myriad practices, brilliantly pure and unobstructed. The canopy of gold silk symbolizes wisdom following compassion to nurture sentient beings. The jeweled net represents the fruitional production of the net of teachings through wondrous exposition. Heavenly garments serving as the cushion takes wisdom's lack of reliance as the substance of the seat. The cushion (yīnru) is a mat with patterned colors; because wisdom has no reliance, it possesses the patterned elegance of the four unobstructed eloquences, so as to guide and receive sentient beings. The king sitting cross-legged upon it means the two karmas of wisdom and compassion interpenetrate with sovereignty.

The twenty-eight marks of a great man explain that the wisdom and compassion of the two stages of the ten abodes and ten practices have already been cultivated, but the ten dedications of merit are not yet fulfilled; because of this, he does not yet possess the thirty-two marks, explaining that only when the stage of the three stages of sagehood is brought to the utmost does one achieve the thirty-two marks of a wheel-turning king. This harmonizes the shared, distinct, general, and specific meanings of the various stages without stirring a thought regarding the realm of wisdom. One must never assess them with ordinary temporal notions of lengthening and shortening; to do so would entirely undermine the sūtra's intent in establishing this sūtra teaching.

A gold wheel-turning king is like the gold-net wheel-turning king described in the "Chapter on the Merit of the Radiance of the Secondary Characteristics." This wheel-turning king transforms and guides sentient beings in worlds as numerous as the dust particles of hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of Buddha lands; this king emits pure radiance from the maṇi topknot, and if any sentient beings encounter this light, they all attain the bodhisattva stage of the ten grounds, accomplish immeasurable radiance of wisdom, and attain ten kinds of pure eyes and ten kinds of pure minds. As for the eighty secondary characteristics, because the secondary characteristics are attained in common with the Brahmā kings of the upper realms, they are worldly marks, unlike the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics that are fulfilled at the culmination of the three stages of sagehood. Kings such as Māndhātṛ are wheel-turning kings who, because of slighting Śakra, promptly lost their supernatural powers and still fell back. This is the minor gold wheel-turning king of a single world of four continents within the Three Vehicles; he also possesses the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary characteristics, all complete with marks of blessing. Among them there are differences: King Mahāprabha here in the ten practices is a human king whose realm of embracing and transforming beings fills the worlds of the ten directions across hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of nayutas, manifesting everywhere to generally nourish, guide, and receive them. A gold wheel-turning king in the Three Vehicles transforms only the humans of the four continents, not reaching the various heavens. Here, the eighth practice, the practice difficult to attain, acts as a human king, embracing and transforming the boundless realms of the ten directions, the heavenly kings of the upper realms, and the six destinies of gods and humans—there is none he does not embrace everywhere, because he has attained the Buddha's wisdom. Below, the text praises the king's two karmas of blessing and wisdom, as fully explained in the text.

The sūtra says: "Also, like space, it manifests constellations and asterisms of various Dharma-gates": this explains that the spirits who preside over the directions establish Dharmas according to the directions, which are the eight trigrams and nine palaces. In the celestial Qian imagery above, the twenty-eight lunar lodges, the twelve earthly branches and heavenly stems, the sun, moon, five planets, and various clustered stars all have their standard patterns. Worldly human kings emulate them to dispense virtuous orders, while the Buddha adopts them to symbolize expounding the Dharma to dispel [delusion], as the text itself fully sets forth.

The various precious jewels filling the avenues before his seat are the items distributed by the king, as the sūtra broadly explains. The king's body being like a mountain of gold accords with the true color, evoked by inner clarity of pure wisdom and the practice of compassion to protect beings. The graceful women all possess the sixty-four arts—[this is] not yet clear. "I purely cultivate the bodhisattva practice of the banner of great compassion": this explains that from the beginning of the ten practices up to the sixth practice, one cultivates the gate of supramundane wisdom; from the seventh practice up to this eighth practice, one previously cultivated worldly compassion to arouse wisdom; reaching this eighth practice, effortless wisdom abiding in the world appears before one, constantly taking great compassion as the lead, with wisdom following to smash delusions, which is called a banner. From this point forward up to the tenth practice, one walks universally among non-Buddhists, using the practice of great compassion, even assuming the bodies of ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists—all of which I manifest to receive those with erroneous views, because this represents the full completion of a practice. The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra states: "Whatever the six non-Buddhist masters fall into, you fall into as well; only then may you take food."

The king says: "At the places of immeasurable hundreds of thousands of Buddhas, I inquired about and examined this Dharma, contemplating, observing, cultivating, and adorning it": the intent is to sever Sudhana's doubts. Previously, in the eighth abode of the ten abodes, the Youthful Abode, when he saw the ṛṣi Bhīṣmottaranirghoṣa, he also cast his five limbs to the ground; why does he also cast his five limbs to the ground here in this eighth practice upon seeing King Mahāprabha? The intent is to explain that in this stage, cultivating compassion reaches wisdom, universally covering all five stages, so as to symbolize that wisdom and compassion are all-pervading; therefore, he symbolizes it thus. The eighth stage within each of the five stages always explains that the bodhisattva practices are perfected, and from this eighth stage onward, one always cultivates the sovereign power and function of the Tathāgata's ten powers, because the tenth stage in each of the five stages always takes the wisdom pāramitā as primary and the other nine as companions. From here onward, the subsequent stages are naturally accomplished on their own.

King Mahāprabha enters the bodhisattva samādhi of great compassion taking the lead, displaying the sovereignty of his compassionate karma and function in benefiting beings, so that later students may emulate it. This explains that wisdom without reliance enters equally into the minds of sentient beings, being of the same essence with them without any distinct nature; sentient and insentient beings are all of the same essence, and through the karma evoked by entering this samādhi, he causes all sentient beings, as well as the groves of trees and gushing springs, to flow toward him, bow their branches, and prostrate their heads. The yakṣas and rākṣasas all cease their evil, explaining that wisdom follows all sentient beings, sharing the same karma and function with them, one nature without duality. Just as worldly emperors who possess compassion toward people cause dragon spirits to submit in obedience, and phoenixes and auspicious qilin to gather, how much more so would humans not return in reverence? How much more so this King Mahāprabha, whose wisdom penetrates the true source and whose practice equals the dharmadhātu, with a compassionate mind taking the lead and his spirit communing with living beings, sharing light with myriad things and serving as the root of all existence! Like a maṇi jewel sharing the color of things without contravening its original color, like sage wisdom being mindless and taking the minds of things as its mind without things contravening it. This explains that the great compassionate mind of identical essence shares the same function with things, manifesting bodily forms before them to enlighten them. The mountains, plains, and all grasses and trees all turn toward the king to pay homage, and the ponds, springs, wells, rivers, and oceans all surge and flow before the king, because in the realm of wisdom, great compassion is naturally like this. If it were a realm transformed by the emotional consciousness of sentient beings, sentient beings could not do it. Just as in the Lotus Treasury World all realms perform Buddha-work because it is a realm of wisdom and not made of ordinary emotion, the sage, by returning wisdom to emotion, causes the insentient grasses, trees, mountains, springs, rivers, and oceans karmically received by sentient beings to all turn in accord, turning them through wisdom, taking the branches as the root. Just as in the world, when there is utmost filial piety in the mind, fish surge from an icy pond and winter bamboo shoots sprout—even such things occur, how much more so when true wisdom proceeds from compassion? In this eighth practice, it explains that wisdom proceeds from the functional application of compassion; therefore, among the assembled crowd, ten thousand dragon kings are first designated as the leaders of the assembly, symbolizing that wisdom constantly roams space and bestows the Dharma rain of compassion, symbolized by dragons roaming space, raising clouds, and pouring rain. Next, the multitudes from the Paranirmitavaśavartin heavenly kings downward all explain the assemblies drawn by the karma and function of the samādhi of great compassion taking the lead, as the text itself fully sets forth.

From "Prostrating to the king" downward, there are four and a half lines of the sūtra explaining the breadth and narrowness of his embracing and transforming beings, and deferring virtue to bid Sudhana advance. This is the kalyāṇamitra of the eighth practice, the practice difficult to attain, who takes the vow pāramitā as primary and the other nine as companions. In terms of wisdom, it universally remedies all stages; in terms of stages, it remedies the obstacle of lack of mastery in wisdom and compassion in the eighth practice, enabling one to attain mastery. Great compassion takes the lead, and wisdom acts as the guide: prior to this, one cultivated wisdom through compassion; from here on, in the ninth and tenth stages, one practices compassion through wisdom. It was also like this previously in the ten abodes, and the subsequent ten dedications of merit and ten grounds are also modeled on this, meaning that using effortless wisdom to accomplish the karmic function of compassion toward sentient beings requires no self-effort to accomplish; the Tathāgata's ten powers and four fearlessnesses arrive naturally on their own.

First 17 of 23 passages. Read on

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新華嚴經論 — Classical Chinese