新華嚴經論 36.3

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.