新華嚴經論 37

English (machine translation) 37

Language: English

Regarding the kalyāṇamitras of the stage of the ten dedications of merit for the youth Sudhana: from the commendation of virtue and advancement, starting with "Just as all bodhisattva-mahāsattvas..." down to "taking his leave and departing," all are arranged into five divisions; all subsequent stages follow this pattern. 1. Commending virtue to cause Sudhana to advance; 2. indicating the location of the kalyāṇamitra and the country's name, Vast; 3. presenting the kalyāṇamitra's name, the incense-selling elder named Utpalabhūti; 4. encouraging Sudhana to go and ask; 5. paying respects and departing. Explaining the meaning according to the text: In praising his virtue, that "by unhindered vows he dwells in all kalpas and attains all peerless practices like Indra's net" refers to the expedients of vows and practices within the ten dedications of merit. Furthermore, that he expertly understands the Dharma-gate of various incenses and compounds fragrant medicines to sell them represents that dedication of merit harmonizes wisdom and compassion, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, and thoughts and discriminations of defilement and purity, wholly forming a single pill of the incense of concentration, wisdom, liberation, and liberated knowledge and vision, so that saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are completely sovereign. Such compound incense: because its various incenses are combined into a single pill, they mutually benefit each other, are all devoid of own-nature yet do not lose their own virtues, with identity and difference sovereign. Here, using the incense-selling elder Utpalabhūti represents that the ten dedications of merit harmonize principle and wisdom, great compassion, great vows, and the sovereignty of the universal and particular of the myriad practices into a single pill, because their meaning is unattached. The meaning of the south is as explained at the beginning of the previous ten abodes. That the country is named Vast means that he broadly arouses great vows and raises boundless practices, universally gathering in all kinds of beings. These vows are the wind of the myriad practices, causing practice to be boundless. Furthermore, vows are the wind of wisdom, causing all thoughts to become the sovereign function of great wisdom and supernatural powers. Vows are the wind of concentration that unfolds all samādhis, inspiring sentient beings who cling to defilement and purity to have nothing to rely on, attaining wisdom without reliance, serene and functional with sovereignty, pervading all sentient beings. Just as the head of the ten abodes uses Mount Sugopita to represent formless wisdom, and the head of the ten practices uses the monk of the Country of Three Eyes to represent bright practice emerging from entanglements, the head of the ten dedications of merit uses the incense-compounding elder to represent that dedication of merit harmonizes wisdom and compassion, the myriad practices, and nirvāṇa and saṃsāra. This is the purport according to the stage; reflecting on it, one can understand its meaning in detail. These fifty-three kalyāṇamitras are all purports of advancing in cultivation; one must understand them well and not study them in vain. This selling of incense represents that the ten dedications of merit, through great vows, harmonize the principle, wisdom, compassion, and kindness of the ten abodes and ten practices, entering the gate of the dharmadhātu wherein all within saṃsāra is unhindered; his name is Utpalabhūti (Blue Lotus). This represents that his practice is untainted by saṃsāra and untainted by nirvāṇa, being non-dual with respect to the two and undefiled in the middle—just as a blue lotus must grow from muddy silt and turbid water, yet is untainted by the nature of mud and water, its color and fragrance being foremost. This illustrates that because of the power of this great vow and dedication of merit, the bodhisattva dwells in the silt of saṃsāra, and only then accomplishes the retribution of the merits of Samantabhadra's myriad practices and the Buddha-fruit of the dharmadhātu, with its color and fragrance foremost, unsurpassed by any other. Among all flowers, the blue lotus is superior in color and fragrance; just as among all practices, using the ten dedications of merit to harmonize saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, wisdom, compassion, and the myriad practices into one dharmadhātu, teaching and transforming all sentient beings so that all are without suffering and manifesting the incense of great wisdom, is superior, and all others who separately seek the supramundane are inferior to it. Therefore, it is represented by the blue-lotus incense-compounding elder, in order to make it easy to understand.

37.3

In the first section, which is properly entering the Dharma door of the current stage, from "At that time, Sudhana..." down to "I only know this method of blending incense," five gates are established within this passage, and the remaining stages below also follow this model. First, mindfully recollecting the kalyāṇamitra's teaching and contemplating advancement; second, journeying by degrees to the elder's dwelling; third, paying homage and bowing at his feet; fourth, properly stating what is sought; fifth, the elder speaking of his own practice and conferring it upon Sudhana. In explaining the meaning according to the text: from "At that time, the youth Sudhana..." downward, there are ten doors of great vows, which clarify the entry into dedication of merit, using vows to harmonize and blend all ultimate and conventional, defiled and pure, wisdom and compassion, in an unhindered gate. Journeying by degrees indicates advancement. Reaching the vast land means giving rise to wisdom by means of vows, initiating boundless practices to guide and receive sentient beings. This extends to how, within the dust-mote lands of the worlds of the ten directions, in every single dust-mote there are boundless Buddha Dharmas and bodily activities to guide and receive sentient beings; all the dust-motes of the realms of the ten directions are like this, multi-layered and boundless like Indra's net. Because vows and practices are vast, the land is named Vast. In the fourth gate, properly stating what is sought, the elder answers, "I skillfully distinguish and know all incenses," which has two meanings: first, truly knowing worldly incenses; second, using incense to symbolize the Dharma. Truly knowing incenses means what the sūtra states, namely the general essence of all incenses, with burnt, applied, and powdered incenses set out in detail. From the origins of the king of incenses downward, it follows the types of karmic generation. As for the incenses generated: below, there are five kinds of incense among humans, one kind among rākṣasas, and four kinds among devas, making ten kinds of incense in total; their functions are fully set forth in the sūtra itself. Using the above incenses to symbolize the incense of the ten dedications of merit clarifies that the nature of incense is unattached and can generate all goods and extinguish all evils. It clarifies that great vows are unattached and can initiate immeasurable roots of goodness, raising clouds of immeasurable great wisdom, raining down immeasurable rain of pure Dharma, practicing immeasurable conduct of great kindness and compassion, and transforming immeasurable sentient beings to cause them to eliminate suffering and generate the supreme resolve. If there are no great vows, the generation of the great bodhicitta is not accomplished; even if one cultivates liberation, all belongs to the two vehicles. Among humans there is an incense named Elephant Treasury; this incense is produced through the fighting of dragons. When a single pill of it is burned, it raises a great cloud of incense that covers the royal capital, and for seven days it rains down a fine rain of fragrance; if it touches a body, that body becomes golden in color. This symbolizes how, at the time of initial resolve in the stage of the ten abodes, using the fragrance of the seven limbs of awakening to raise the cloud of great vows, one broadly undertakes compassionate practices to universally cover all sentient beings, seeking all-knowledge. With the dragon of śamatha-vipaśyanā fighting against the afflictions of the twelve links of dependent origination, penetrating emptiness boundlessly, one generates the fire of wisdom and burns the incense of great wisdom, raising clouds of kindness and compassion and raining down the rain of pure Dharma; sentient beings who are touched by it attain right awakening at the very time of initial resolve. If it touches clothes, palaces, and multistoried pavilions, they also turn golden in color; this clarifies that by giving rise to the incense of the dedication of merit through great vows, all forbearance, kindness, compassion, and contemplative wisdom of the world are united in the dharmadhātu's sovereign, pure Dharma. If it is blown by the wind into the palaces, and sentient beings smell it, for seven days and seven nights they are freed from all sorrow and suffering, not startled, not frightened, not disordered, not angry, turning to one another with loving hearts and pure intentions; this clarifies that hearing it progressively, they all rejoice, giving rise to the gate of great vows and producing the intention of the seven limbs of awakening. "Having known this, I expound the Dharma for them" clarifies that if one wishes to encourage sentient beings to generate the supreme mind of awakening, one must first encourage them to make vast vows and dedication of merit, giving rise to a heart of firm and sincere commitment, first blossoming the flowers of the thirty-seven limbs of awakening practices; only then is one fit to speak to them of the truly ultimate Way. Encouraging cultivation like this, not one in ten thousand is lost. Mount Malaya is located in the realm of the country of Malakūṭa in South India; this country takes its name from this mountain. This mountain produces much white sandalwood; the sandalwood produced on this mountain is called ox-head. If one rubs it on one's body, even if one enters a pit of fire, the fire cannot burn one. This clarifies that in the abode of cultivating the ground, one gives rise to the power of great vows and the power of dedication of merit, taking the principle of the essencelessness of the dharmakāya of the uppermost ten good deeds to form the essence of the precepts, applying it to one's body; dedicating merit to enter the fire-pit of birth and death, the fire of greed, anger, and affection cannot burn or harm one. In the ocean there is an incense called Invincible; if it is smeared on drums, conches, and horns, when their sound sounds forth, all enemy armies naturally retreat and disperse. This clarifies that in the abode of practice, having perfected forbearance toward phenomena, one returns and enters the ocean of birth and death to teach and transform sentient beings. With a mind of forbearance, hearing the drum of all good and evil sounds, evil and heterodox enemies naturally retreat and disperse. Beside Lake Anavatapta there is an aloeswood incense called Lotus Treasury; a single pill of it is as large as a hemp seed. If it is burned, the fragrance of that single pill universally perfumes the realm of Jambudvīpa, and sentient beings who smell it are freed from all sins, their precepts pure. This clarifies that in the abode of noble birth, one penetrates the karma of the three realms without hindrance, constantly born into the house of the Buddha, stainless and pure. This is identical to the stage of the fourth ground where one transcends the karma of the three realms, and with the mind of one's original four universal vows, returns and enters the great lake of the four currents of birth and death to teach and transform all sentient beings drowning in birth and death, without any defilement; hence it is named Lotus Treasury. Expounding the fragrance of the subtle Dharma universally perfumes the ten directions; those who smell it have their sins eradicated and their precepts purified. On the Snowy Mountains there is an incense called Aruṇa, which is a red incense. It can be used to dye crimson; if sentient beings smell this incense, their minds are definitively freed from all defilements. This is the door of the dhyāna-pāramitā in the abode of endowed skillful means: by dedicating merit through great vows to birth and death, one causes all sentient beings to leave all defilements, practicing the dhyāna-pāramitā and attaining entry into the stainless samādhi. The Snowy Mountains symbolize that the essence of meditative concentration is intrinsically white, pure, and stainless. In the realm of rākṣasas there is an incense called Ocean Treasury, which is used only by wheel-turning kings; if a single pill is burned to perfume them, the king and his four armies all soar into the air. This clarifies and symbolizes that in the sixth abode of the upright mind, taking the wisdom of the three emptinesses, one enters the ocean of birth and death as a rākṣasa; taking the wheel-turning king of prajñā, one burns the wisdom Ocean Treasury incense, perfuming the king of the ocean of birth and death. The four kinds of māras all ascend into the emptiness of phenomena. From here downward, it generally symbolizes that the ten dedications of merit take the vows and practices of the ten abodes and ten practices, harmonizing birth and death with nirvāṇa, the two wisdoms of ultimate and conventional, and the two gates of compassion and wisdom, rendering them sovereign. The ten grounds cultivate according to this, accomplishing the principle of the unconditioned pratītyasamutpāda of the dharmadhātu's own nature; this is symbolized by burning incense, applying incense, and blending incense, so that learners may easily understand; all should follow this model to know it. If in the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten grounds there were not the power of the great wisdom of dedication of merit, one would only attain the path of the two vehicles, and there could be no becoming a Buddha. Therefore, cultivators must fully understand its meaning and clearly contemplate the six characteristics of the teaching's intention: general and particular, identical and different, integration and disintegration. From "I only know this method of blending incense," it clarifies the incense of sovereignty over the two truths of ultimate and conventional, wisdom and compassion, vows and practices, birth and death and nirvāṇa, and defilement and purity, and symbolizes this by the name Blue Lotus Flower. Below, praising virtue and advancing. The remaining meanings are clear in the text itself.

37.4

In the second section, praising virtue and advancing, from "all bodhisattvas..." down to "taking his leave and departing," there are ten lines of sūtra text, divided into five gates: first, praising virtue and advancing; second, showing the kalyāṇamitra's location; third, presenting the name of the city where the kalyāṇamitra dwells, Pavilions; fourth, presenting the helmsman named Vairāma; fifth, prostrating and departing. In explaining the meaning according to the text: the meaning of the south is as explained initially. As for the city named Pavilions: being close to the southern sea and low and damp, people mostly build pavilions to dwell in. It also concerns discriminating wisdom, establishing the city's name on the basis of harmonizing the manifold phenomena in their general, particular, identical, different, and multi-layered aspects within the ten dedications of merit. The helmsman Vairāma: here translated as Sovereign, clarifying that he attains sovereignty in the ocean of birth and death. This means that in the ten dedications of merit, being able to enter the ocean of birth and death and practice great kindness and compassion is taken as the essence of the precepts. In the ten abodes, contemplating the twelve links of dependent origination in the ocean of birth and death is taken as the fundamentally pure nature itself, and only Buddha-wisdom is taken as the essence of the precepts. In the ten practices, manual arts, physiognomy, mathematics, and worldly crafts are clarified to benefit sentient beings, being taken as the essence of the precepts. In these ten dedications of merit, entering the conventional from the ultimate, residing in the ocean of birth and death to guide sentient beings and accomplish compassionate practice is taken as the essence of the precepts. In cultivating the precepts across these three stages, each has its similarities, differences, and rules of advancement. As for the helmsman: the master takes great kindness and compassion as the essence of the precepts, constantly dwelling in the ocean of birth and death, going back and forth to ferry sentient beings across, as fully clarified in praising his virtues. The general meaning is that he fully accomplishes the unattached precepts, like a helmsman ferrying people across, abiding neither on this shore nor on the other shore.

37.5

In the first [part], directly entering the Dharma-gate of the present stage, from "At that time, Sudhana..." down to "I only know this practice of the banner of great compassion; if there are any who see me, hear me, live together with me, or remember me, none are ever in vain," within this passage there are five divisions: first, being mindful of the kalyāṇamitra's teaching and contemplating advancement; second, gradually journeying to reach that city; third, seeing the ship captain staying on the seashore outside the city gate; fourth, paying homage with joined palms and declaring what he seeks; fifth, the ship captain imparting to Sudhana the Dharma-gate of his own practice. Explaining the meaning following the text: seeing the ship captain staying on the seashore outside the city gate, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of merchants and other multitudes, has two meanings: first, such an activity truly exists, guiding merchants entering the sea and treasure-seekers, for the sea is perilous, and without noble wisdom one cannot know it. Second, it expresses the Dharma: having attained the true gate oneself, emerging from entanglements and parting from suffering, through one's vows and practices one forms the ocean of great compassion, constantly overlooking the shore of the ocean of birth-and-death to guide and receive sentient beings. The hundreds of thousands of merchants represent the full perfection of the myriad practices within the morality pāramitā. The immeasurable great multitude represents the practice being everywhere pervasive, fulfilling all practices. The sūtra says, "The cause of going to the great jewel-island of omniscience, bringing to accomplishment the indestructible cause of the Mahāyāna": 'mahā' means great, and 'yāna' means vehicle; the teaching upon which one mounts is collectively called the Great Vehicle teaching. Far removed from the two vehicles' fear of birth-and-death, abiding in the tranquil samādhi and turning back—this praises Sudhana's practice, showing that by means of tranquil samādhi he abides in birth-and-death, turning back to benefit sentient beings without departing. [The sūtra says:] "Good son! I know in this ocean all jewel-islands, all jewel-places, all jewel-categories, all jewel-species, and all jewel-vessels." Such jewels are all worldly phenomena known by noble wisdom. As for expressing the Dharma: "I know all jewel-islands in the ocean" explains arriving at the island of omniscience. "All jewel-places" means being skilled at distinguishing the sharp and dull faculties of the worthy and able. "All jewel-categories" means being skilled at knowing the categories of shared practices and distinctive practices. "All jewel-species" means being skilled at knowing the distinct lineages of the Great and Lesser Vehicles. "I know all jewel-vessels" means knowing the capacities of sentient beings' large and small faculties, and what Dharma they can be given to bring them to accomplishment. "All jewel-uses" means responding to faculties and giving the Dharma, enabling them to exercise their function. "All jewel-realms" means the realms of the Three Vehicles and the Three Jewels. "All jewel-radiance" means the large and small radiances of wisdom of the Three Vehicles and the One Vehicle. "I know the purification of all jewels" refers to the expedients of the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment, the ten pāramitās, and the contemplations of the fivefold stilling of the mind. As for the expedient of purifying the jewel of omniscience, "boring into all jewels" refers to the two gates of śamatha and vipaśyanā; "producing all jewels" means being skilled at causing the jewel of wisdom to appear according to faculties and instructions; "making all jewels" means arising discriminating wisdom from signless wisdom, and through the wind of great vows stirring up the cloud of great benevolence to rain down all jewel-rains, transforming all sentient beings, harmonising mind and object so that they are without reliance, so that they can naturally manifest all jewels of omniscience. "Perilous places of all dragon palaces": pure-land bodhisattvas are like dragons, possessing partial benevolence and compassion, wandering in the air with supernatural feet and partial mastery. Yakṣas are a metaphor for śrāvakas being able to destroy the three poisons and also attaining supernormal powers. "The perilous places of rākṣasas' harm" is a metaphor for pratyekabuddhas dwelling in the ocean of nirvāṇa, because they can harm ignorance and cause all the Buddha-seeds of omniscience not to manifest. Such perils as these are all shared with them in birth-and-death through the vow-power of dedication of merit. Not destroying ignorance and the twelve links of becoming, penetrating ignorance to accomplish manifold wisdoms, dwelling in the gate of sovereignty of dependent origination in the dharmadhātu—this is termed completely evading and avoiding those perils. "Also skilled in distinguishing the depth of whirlpools" refers to the depth of the karma of craving, grasping, and becoming. "The distance of billows" refers to the greater or lesser extent of sensory cognition, thinking, and mental clinging. "The good and bad colours of water" refers to the good and bad in the mind of craving. "Also skilled in distinguishing the movements, degrees, and calculations of the sun, moon, and stars, and the expansion and contraction of day and night, dawn and dusk, sundials and waterclocks": in understanding worldly affairs, he completely knows the mysterious signs of yin and yang, the degrees of the five planets' courses, the times winds arise, and the expansion and contraction of the waterclock across the four seasons. In expressing the Dharma, this explains the cultivation and progress through the three stages, as well as the practice gates of the distinct teachings of the Three Vehicles, completely knowing the rules of shifting according to practices and faculties, the methods and times of maturity, the days, months, years, and kalpas traversed, and their extent. "The strength and fragility of the ship's iron and wood, the stiffness and smoothness of the mechanisms, the volume of water, and the favorability or adversity of the wind—all such signs of safety and peril are completely understood": he truly knows these matters. In expressing the Dharma, this explains being skilled at knowing whether those of the Three Vehicles who have turned their minds are capable of entering birth-and-death or incapable of entering birth-and-death, and whether the grades of their faculties are mature or not yet mature. In the One Vehicle, when a bodhisattva reaches the sixth abode and sixth ground, dwelling in birth-and-death, they attain the mind that departs from birth-and-death and the wisdom-mind of the three emptinesses, with the quiescent wisdom of the three emptinesses manifesting before them. Bodhisattvas of the seventh abode and seventh ground, while departing from birth-and-death, constantly dwell in birth-and-death. At the eighth abode and eighth ground, attaining the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas manifests before them, and the bodhisattva's effortless wisdom manifests before them, spontaneously benefiting sentient beings. At the ninth abode and ninth ground, they train in the Buddha's ten powers and four fearlessnesses. At the tenth abode and tenth ground, they are fully on par with the Tathāgata's supramundane wisdom and knowledge-and-vision of liberation, abiding in the stage of the Buddha's consecration. Only at the eleventh ground do they learn Samantabhadra's wonderful supernormal practices, which conclude only with the "Chapter on Samantabhadra's Practices". In the "Chapter on the Appearance of the Tathāgata", the three dharmas of the Buddha-fruit, Mañjuśrī, and Samantabhadra—the dharmakāya, fundamental wisdom, and discriminating wisdom—only then do principle and wisdom, great benevolence and compassion, fulfill their prior vows and achieve complete fruition according to their aspirations. Just as in the Three Vehicles teaching there is post-attainment wisdom that uses Samantabhadra's practices to edify sentient beings, the teaching in this One Vehicle speaks of these as if they were before and after, yet such advancement does not depart from the span of a single kṣaṇa. In the Three Vehicles, cause comes before and effect comes after, the path taking three asaṃkhyeya kalpas to complete; in the One Vehicle, seeing the path is in the abode of the first generating of the aspiration, while the practices of application and the causal practice are in the ten practices, the ten dedications of merit, the ten grounds, and the eleventh ground. Thus, he completely knows the safety, peril, stiffness, and smoothness of the ship's iron and wood, even down to knowing whether faculties are slow or fast, stopping where one should stop. Within the Three Vehicles and the human and heavenly dharmas, down to the contemplations of the fivefold stilling of the mind, if faculties are mature, one should proceed where one should proceed, enabling them to advance into the One Vehicle Dharma, because the twelve links of the nature of birth-and-death are taken directly as the grand wisdom-function of Dharma activities. Such is the general meaning below. [The sūtra says:] "Good son! I take a good ship to transport the merchant hosts to the peaceful path, and lead them to the jewel-island, giving them precious jewels to make them all fully satisfied, and then guide them back to Jambudvīpa": this is the phenomenon. In expressing the Dharma, this explains that from the abode of the first generating of the aspiration one attains the Buddha's fundamental wisdom, and from this point onward through the subsequent stages, one expounds the wondrous Dharma to them, until at the tenth ground the precious jewels of omniscience are complete, and at the eleventh ground one must bring them back to their original, former dwelling within the ocean of birth-and-death, widely benefiting inexhaustible sentient beings with these attained precious jewels of omniscience. This is spoken in terms of cultivation and advancement to make it easy to understand, yet without departing from the ocean of birth-and-death one becomes the great jewel-island. The rest is fully detailed in the text itself. These are all explained in terms of phenomena, relying on phenomena to express the Dharma, in order to make sentient beings easily understand. This is the kalyāṇamitra of the second, indestructible dedication of merit, the ship captain, who says: "I take a great ship and travel back and forth like this without letting a single one be damaged; if any sentient beings see my body and hear my Dharma, I cause them never to fear the ocean of birth-and-death, and they will certainly enter the ocean of omniscience." This is the meaning of indestructible dedication, taking the morality pāramitā as primary and the other nine as accompaniments. In terms of wisdom, it applies across all stages; in terms of stages, it accomplishes the morality of great compassion, because the ship captain in the ocean represents travelling back and forth without ever departing from the ocean of birth-and-death. From accomplishing the practice of the banner of great compassion downward, it recommends his virtues and directs advancement.

37.6

In the second [part], recommending his virtues and directing advancement, from "Just as all bodhisattvas..." down to "took his leave and departed," there are ten lines of sūtra text, divided broadly into five gates: first, recommending his virtues and directing advancement; second, indicating the direction where the kalyāṇamitra dwells; third, citing the name of the city where the kalyāṇamitra resides, called "Delightful"; fourth, citing the name of the kalyāṇamitra, called Anupamaśrī; fifth, paying homage and taking leave. The city being named "Delightful" is because the elder is skilled at adjudicating the various affairs of the human world and can also preach the supramundane Dharma, so that sentient beings take delight in him and do not abandon him; hence the city is named Delightful. The elder is named Anupamaśrī: this is the gate of the patience pāramitā; among the myriad practices, patience is supreme, and furthermore his virtues and arts surpass the worldly, so he is named Anupamaśrī. The remaining practices are explained in accordance with what was said above in praising his virtues.

37.7

First, within properly entering the teaching gate of the stage at hand, from "At that time the youth Sudhana" below down to "the pure teaching gate of cultivating bodhisattva practice in all places, through the unattached and unconditioned power of spiritual penetrations," within this passage five sections are established: first, recollecting the instructions of the kalyāṇamitra and contemplating advancement; second, gradually traveling and arriving at that city; third, seeing the elder Anupamarāga in the Sorrowless Grove east of that city, surrounded by immeasurable merchant retinues and hundreds of thousands of householders; fourth, prostrating his body upon the ground in veneration and rising; fifth, properly presenting what he sought. As for explaining the meaning in accordance with the text: 'gradually traveling and arriving inside that city and seeing Anupamarāga inside that city'—advancing and entering into the stage is called 'inside'. 'Seeing Anupamarāga to the east of the city' clarifies that benefiting sentient beings with wisdom constitutes the east, indicating that he does not abide in his original stage. The eastern direction represents wisdom; descending to the secular to guide sentient beings reveals the stage of arising. The western direction represents kindness and compassion, as below where Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva abides on the western slope of Mount Vajra, representing the stage of kindness and compassion. Because of the pariṇāmanā that equals all Buddhas—'Buddha' meaning awakening—and because the mansion Spica (Jiao) is a lunar mansion of the east, Spica governs the assembly of monks, nuns, Daoists, and the gates of all goods; what worldly custom counts as this 'horn' (jiao), according to what it governs and pertains to, properly matches this 'awakening' (jue). Because it is the master of all gates of good, Spica is the heavenly gate of all goods. Because this takes place east of the city, Samantabhadra's practice of wisdom is represented by the east, showing that it produces the foremost among all goods. Avalokiteśvara's practice of great kindness and compassion is represented by the western direction, because the west is metal; metal is the White Tiger, governing autumn and governing destruction. Hence the sūtra says: 'the direction-ruling spirits who are well versed in the rituals of the ten directions.' Furthermore, the direction-ruling spirits turn in accordance with the directions, the intention being to clarify turning in accordance with the method of each direction to save sentient beings. Yet in reality the great image is by nature formless; its essence is empty and interfused, not a trace; it represents phenomena according to the directions, and phenomena follow their appropriate conditions. The sage bestows teachings amidst worldly entanglements, and conversely relies on things and events within worldly conditions to represent phenomena. It is simply that the principle beyond words cannot be used to guide the naive, and the genuine source cut off from images cannot benefit the worldly; therefore, regions and quarters are used to represent phenomena. Those who grasp at them will fail to benefit the worldly and open the deluded; those who discard them will likewise forfeit this benefiting of the worldly and opening of the deluded. Since east of the city means guiding the deluded, it clarifies the meaning of generating all goods; also, because the mansion Room (Fang) is the Azure Dragon, it is the position of worldly blessed virtues. 'In the Sorrowless Grove': this governs the kṣāntipāramitā; where forbearance is perfected and fulfilled, one's practice is without sorrow. As for 'grove', because this elder's practices pervade the ten directions, broadly overshadowing all categories according to their forms, because of the vastness of his practices giving widespread shelter, it is called a 'grove'. Also, because he transforms others and frees them from sorrow, it is the 'Sorrowless Grove'. 'Surrounded by immeasurable merchants and hundreds of thousands of householders' are the assembly being transformed, representing exchanging foolishness for wisdom, exchanging wisdom for foolishness, and exchanging evil for good. Also, because merchants constantly abide in birth and death, practicing humaneness and virtue to transform and benefit all categories, they are called householders. This is an explanation based on practice. The youth Sudhana, having observed the elder expounding the Dharma for the assembly, threw his body to the ground, which represents the ten dedications generally turning from the genuine and entering into the secular, taking great kindness and compassion and good forbearance as the ground. Saying again, 'I am Sudhana,' represents the gravity of seeking the Dharma. It also clarifies thoroughly realizing self and selflessness in order to accomplish forbearance. Below, the elder tells Sudhana that the practice he cultivates is called 'bodhisattva practice that accomplishes reaching everywhere', to clarify that, like the pariṇāmanā of all Buddhas toward all worlds and all sentient beings in the ten directions, there is nowhere his practice does not pervade, as fully clarified in the text below. Just as in the ten abodes, from the first to the third abode he met three monks, representing cultivating the world-transcending Dharma from within the mundane, here, from the first dedication he meets three elders who are purely secular—the incense-blender, the ship's captain, and Anupamarāga—to clarify that entering the secular from the genuine is called pariṇāmanā. This is the kalyāṇamitra in the Dedication That Equals All Buddhas, taking kṣāntipāramitā as primary and the other nine as accompaniment. In terms of the gate of wisdom, it comprehensively cures all stages; in terms of the gate of stages, it cures the obstruction of not being at ease in forbearance when entering the ocean of birth and death, causing one to attain ease in the forbearance of dharmas. The preceding ten abodes and ten practices cultivate the forbearance of transcending the world and leaving behind suffering; this stage clarifies entering the mundane to accomplish kindness, compassion, and the forbearance of abundant benefit. Thus, within these ten dedications, when one renounces body, flesh, hands, feet, kingdoms, cities, wives, and children, if someone comes to beg for them, one has no weariness or resentment, but redoubles one's joy.

37.8

Second, within extolling virtues and advancing, from 'Just as all bodhisattvas...' down to 'he took his leave and departed', there are ten and a half lines of the sūtra, divided into five sections: first, extolling virtues and advancing; second, pointing out the country where the good friend resides; third, pointing out the city where the kalyāṇamitra dwells; fourth, citing the name of the kalyāṇamitra; fifth, paying homage and taking leave. The city is named Kaliṅgavana, translated here as 'Mutual Contention'. Because this nun's stage is identical to the fourth abode among the ten abodes and the fourth ground among the ten grounds, she transcends the entanglements of the three realms and is born into the house of the Tathāgata; by turning from the genuine to enter the secular, she accomplishes untainted kindness. This clarifies that 'monk' has the sense of leaving the secular, while 'nun' conveys the sound of kindness, demonstrating that within the gate of the dedication stages of practice, there is no male or female nature, and characteristics are displayed to represent the Dharma. In terms of reality, because this nun is the Dharma of this stage, she represents entering the secular by means of the genuine, harmonizing and unifying the contentions over the two views of right and wrong, defilement and purity regarding the genuine and the secular, thereby accomplishing the untainted kindness of the principle and wisdom of the dharmatā abiding in the secular while remaining constantly genuine, so as to eradicate the fighting and contention between the two views of genuine and secular, existence and nonexistence, defilement and purity, thus accomplishing the fourth dedication, the Dedication Reaching Everywhere, practicing the kindness of vigor. That this city is named 'Forest of Contention' clarifies that her practice of kindness pervades everywhere, providing vast and extensive shade, hence called a 'forest'. It is also in reference to this nun's karmic retribution of obtaining an adornment of vast and numerous jeweled groves and trees that it is designated a 'forest'. The country is named Śuṇa, translated here as 'Valiant', which has the sense of vigor. Because this is the fourth, the vīryapāramitā, this teaching everywhere entrusts places and matters to represent phenomena. The nun is named Siṃhavijṛmbhitā, named after the accomplishment of her virtues and practices. 'Siṃhavijṛmbhitā' (lion's stretch) clarifies that her kindness and compassion are pleasant and joyful; her practice pervades the ten directions to teach and transform sentient beings without fatigue, which has the meaning of Dharma joy, like a person whose body and mind are comfortable, pleasant, and joyous. This represents that although the nun's practice pervades the ten directions and she skillfully harmonizes contentions, her mind constantly transcends the secular, on account of untainted kindness dwelling in entanglement within pariṇāmanā.

37.9

First, within properly entering the teaching gate of the stage at hand, from 'At that time the youth Sudhana...' below down to 'I know only this liberation gate of accomplishing all-knowledge', within this section there are roughly five divisions: first, gradually traveling to that country and city; second, seeking this nun everywhere; third, the multitude informing him of the nun's whereabouts; fourth, Sudhana proceeding to King Prabhootarāja's Sūryaprabha Garden to observe, seeing all the circumstantial fruitions belonging to the nun; fifth, Sudhana joining his palms and presenting his request, and the nun conferring upon Sudhana the teaching of her own practice. As in the fourth, Sudhana proceeding to King Prabhootarāja's Sūryaprabha Garden to observe, where among the circumstantial fruitions belonging to the nun and the adornments of the great assembly there are thirteen kinds: first, adornment of jeweled trees; second, adornment of seven-jeweled flowing springs, ponds, and flowers; third, adornment of the lion throne beneath the jeweled trees; fourth, adornment of the ground with various jewels; fifth, adornment of the grove raining flowers and incense; sixth, adornment of music trees and harmonious chiming of various jeweled bells; seventh, adornment of heavenly garments; eighth, adornment of hundreds of thousands of jeweled towers and jeweled canopies; ninth, light adornment like the peak of Mount Sumeru; tenth, adornment of palaces; eleventh, praising all the nun's merits and world-transcending roots of goodness produced from making offerings to all Buddhas; twelfth, praising the nun's aspiration, virtue, and three karmic activities manifesting responsive functions everywhere, so that those who see her do not do so in vain; thirteenth, clarifying the encirclement by the great assembly. Below this, the thirty kinds of assemblies all clarify that this nun's practice of gathering beings is all-pervading, conferring teachings differently in accordance with their capacities, up to the vajra-like wisdom of the eleventh ground; assemblies bordering upon the Buddha stage and below are all gathered and transformed by her, showing that a single stage pervades the practices of the five stages. Every single stage is like this, all pervading the dharmadhātu. Refining and tempering through successive layers with the fifty-three teachings and the teachings of the one hundred and ten cities in this way, one only then accords with the inexhaustible and unobstructed teachings of the general and specific, sameness and difference, integration and disintegration; within each stage, every other stage is pervaded. This is to reveal that one dharma pervades many dharmas, because a single stage pervades all practices. It is to reveal that many dharmas enter into one dharma, because the five hundred teaching gates of the five stages enter into one dharma. This clarifies that the general is not different from the specific, and the specific is not different from the general, interpenetrating like a net. As for what was relinquished and given above by King Prabhootarāja, that is an event. As for representing phenomena: this clarifies that all wisdom, forbearance, and kindness—these three dharmas—completely converge. A monk leaving home and abandoning ornamentation is the meaning of forbearance; a nun is the meaning of kindness and compassion; King Prabhootarāja is wisdom. This clarifies that by the power of vows one dedicates merit to enter the secular, cultivating the practice of vigor to harmonize forbearance, wisdom, and kindness, comprehensively gathering the practices of the five stages as the essence and function of the single dharmadhātu, because the lion's stretch is the joy of the Dharma within the gate of the dharmadhātu. From within this practice of vigor, converging these three dharmas of forbearance, wisdom, and kindness, only upon reaching Avalokiteśvara and Ananyagāmin Bodhisattva in the seventh and eighth dedication stages do they finally become equal. The subsequent two stages cultivate the functions of the Buddha's ten powers. It is not that the previous three elders lacked this wisdom, forbearance, and kindness; this is spoken in terms of advancement and relative superiority. The elders represent much wisdom and inferior compassion; the nun represents a mind of compassion abiding in the world untainted; the maiden represents being in defilement without being sullied. The pārijāta tree is translated here as 'pervading fragrance'; the trunk, branches, and leaves of this tree thoroughly perfume all the Trāyastriṃśa heavens; this refers to practice thoroughly perfuming the dharmadhātu. Kālindī garments are translated here as fine cotton garments. The deva Varuṇa is translated here as the Water Deva. The ten prajñā gates, such as Universal Eye and Renunciation-Attainment, as fully clarified in the sūtra, are the teachings expounded by the nun, such countless millions of prajñā gates. As for the Sūryaprabha Garden, it takes forbearance, wisdom, and kindness as the garden's essence. Sudhana joined his palms and stood to make his request without offering prostrations, merely circumambulating all the trees in the garden to the right; this demonstrates that the various trees are produced from the retribution of practice, clarifying that the park of diverse practices is fully endowed with the three dharmas of forbearance, wisdom, and kindness. To represent the perfection of the three practices, he merely circled with the practices; because this was the revered Dharma, there was no separate bowing. Circling together with the various trees clarifies converging into the three practices of forbearance, wisdom, and kindness; this is the meaning of vigor in this stage. When Sudhana requested the teaching from the nun, it was named 'accomplishing all-knowledge'; this refers to forbearance, wisdom, kindness, and compassion within fundamental wisdom, from which three dharmas all discriminating wisdom is fully generated. The assembly she gathers and transforms extends up to the spiritual penetrations of vajra-like wisdom after the tenth ground. Sudhana also asked what the realm of this teaching gate was like, as the sūtra states: 'Good man, when I enter this gate of wisdom radiance, I attain the king of samādhis that gives rise to all dharmas, and because of this samādhi I attain the mind-made body...' and so forth; this is the realm of karmic function operated by this teaching gate, as fully clarified in the sūtra. The general meaning is that, relying on fundamental wisdom, one gives rise to the unobstructed discriminating teaching gates of the vast functions of forbearance, wisdom, kindness, compassion, and the myriad practices, according with the realm of the dharmadhātu. Cultivating in conformity with this model, one is called Avalokiteśvara, and also called Ananyagāmin Bodhisattva, because unconditioned wisdom and kindness and compassion are equal. Therefore, in the seventh dedication, Avalokiteśvara and Ananyagāmin meet in the same place. 'Good man, I see all sentient beings without differentiating the marks of sentient beings, because I clearly see with the eye of wisdom; ... up to hearing words, sounds, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha without any attachment, because of what is seen by the eye of wisdom and known by the Dharma eye...' and so forth, extols virtues to cause Sudhana to advance.

37.10

Second, from "As all the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas..." downward, is the praising of virtue and advancing forward. Within this section of advancing forward, there are twelve lines of sūtra text, divided into five gates: first, praising virtue and advancing forward; second, showing the kalyāṇamitra's location and the country she lives in; third, presenting the name of the city she lives in as Jewel Adornment; fourth, indicating the kalyāṇamitra's name; fifth, bowing in reverence and taking leave. "Southward" is as explained at the beginning. The country is named Perilous and Difficult (Xiangnan) because this woman practices the gate of the dhyāna-pāramitā. In praising her virtues, [it says that] sitting upright in a single body she fills the dharmadhātu; within her own body she manifests all realms; she completely and universally encompasses both good and evil objects with the dhyāna-essence of the dharmadhātu; she universally embraces all practices, universally gathers all sentient beings, and universally shares the same pursuits with them, thoroughly filling all objects throughout the ten directions. Because there are worldly people who, seeing her conduct of defilement, find it difficult to believe upon seeing it, the country is named Perilous and Difficult. The city is named Jewel Adornment because, while seeing and hearing it is difficult to believe and thus called perilous and difficult, if one believes and awakens into it, mind and objects are both void, passions are eliminated in accord with nature, saṃsāra is forever exhausted, and one attains one's own supernormal powers; hence it is called Jewel Adornment. This explains that the [practitioners of the] two vehicles and the bodhisattvas who have escaped the entanglement [of worldly defilement] separate themselves from it and do not engage in it, calling that liberation. Within these ten dedications of merit, this is the practice of escaping entanglement in the fifth dedication of merit: the fifth pure, undefiled dhyāna enters the world to engage together in secular affairs, and in the midst of universally practicing the benefit of sentient beings, even manifests practices of defilement while never having a single thought of defilement in mind; hence she is called a woman. Yet in true essence, there is neither male nor female. Taking the original reality of the principle and nature of wondrous wisdom, the essence of great compassion is like a woman; it is not that male and female views arise as in worldly sentiment. If one retains worldly sentiments and gives rise to views of male and female, one will also naturally fail to see this Dharma gate. This concerns the bodhisattva's giving rise to compassionate practice through the function of wondrous wisdom: it is fitting to assimilate to worldly conduct, being fully prepared to manifest physical bodies across the ten directions to establish teaching according to suitability. In this stage, it expresses that the bodhisattva possesses such virtues: abiding in the real without realizing [its cessation], residing in entanglement without defilement. Since the Dharma gate completely encompasses the dharmadhātu, what is right and what is wrong? This is not something that worldly sentiment can fathom, nor is it the conduct of worldly delusion and ignorance. Unless one's wisdom thoroughly penetrates the true source and one's practice equals the dharmadhātu, so that one responds appropriately to what must be done, knowing the faculties [of beings] and being fully versed in worldly [ways], how could one comprehend this path? As for the woman Vasumitrā: here it is translated as 'Friend of the World', or 'Friend of the Devas', because she universally serves as a teacher and friend to devas and humans. Or it is translated as 'Exchanging Possessions for Jewels', or manifesting worldly conduct of lustful defilement. Exchanging through material goods—these are all worldly actions; they are difficult to fathom, for throughout the three realms and six destinies, among humans, devas, and hells, there is no conduct she does not possess. This is being defiled while undefiled, which only the wisdom of Samantabhadra can attain.

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新華嚴經論 — Classical Chinese