新華嚴經論 4.11

4.11

Fifth, as for the gate of progressive cultivation by gradually seeing the Buddha-nature: as the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra says, "Bodhisattvas of the ten abodes see the nature to a slight degree, and up to the tenth ground they are not yet able to see it clearly." The Awakening of Faith says, "Bodhisattvas of the ten abodes obtain a slight vision of the dharmakāya, and by transformation [manifest] the eight aspects of accomplishing the Way." As that treatise explains, this is effected through the power of vows. Since it is through the power of vows, it is not the actual reward [body]. In general, gradually seeing the Buddha-nature belongs entirely to the doctrine of gradual guidance within distinct stages in the provisional teaching; it is not the perfect [teaching]. In cases such as these, from the initial generating of the mind to the realization of the Buddha fruit, the asaṃkhyeya kalpas are not fixed. Why is this? As the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra predicts, the butcher Broad Forehead (Guang'e) will achieve Buddhahood in the Bhadrakalpa. When an icchantika first generates the mind, he possesses the efficacy of leaping over kalpas; how much more so for those endowed with faculties of faith who can also see the nature to a slight degree—how could there be [a fixed limit of] asaṃkhyeya kalpas? There are venerable teachers in the world who interpret the butcher Broad Forehead as a magical apparition. This is merely bending to human sentiments and failing to comprehend the Buddha's intention. When gradually guiding the provisional toward the ultimate, how could one cause [practitioners] to perceive kalpas and retain sentiment, making them go against the fundamental? Only when gradually leading up to the dragon maiden and Sudhana attaining Buddhahood in a single thought-moment does it become the ultimate exposition. The inferior view of the three vehicles only contemplates lengthy spans of time; with their wisdom-nature originally absent, they vainly lament while longing and looking upward, binding themselves without ropes—when could there ever be an end? Above, three kinds of ten grounds were briefly explained. Moreover, when deliberating according to scriptural principles, there are six kinds of ten grounds: as within the teachings of the three vehicles there are three kinds of ten grounds, within the ultimate teaching there are [also] three kinds of ten grounds. As in the Renwang jing, the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, and the Pañcaviṃśati (Dapin jing): the ten grounds expounded in these three scriptures mostly establish the gate of nominal suchness to form the practices and characteristics of the ten grounds; these are the three kinds of ten grounds within the provisional teaching. Fourth, as in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, bodhisattvas of the ten abodes see the nature to a slight degree, and bodhisattvas of the tenth ground have not yet seen the nature clearly: this clarifies taking the Buddha-nature as the vehicle to be mounted, cultivating and realizing the ten grounds part by part. Fifth, further in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, just as when cows eat the rich and unctuous grass of the Snow Mountains they obtain purely clarified butter (sarpirmaṇḍa), right upon initially generating the mind one is identical to the Buddha's correct awakening. Sixth, the ten grounds of the One Vehicle: as in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, by expounding the gate of the dharmadhātu, its profound upon profound, immeasurable and inexhaustible dharmas, the ten grounds are formed. These are the six kinds of ten grounds. The butcher and the dragon maiden in the Mahāparinirvāṇa and Saddharmapuṇḍarīka attaining Buddhahood in a kṣaṇa both serve to guide the provisional toward the ultimate teaching. However, the realm of the Buddha fruit aspired to by bodhisattvas of the ten grounds in the three vehicles is merely aspiring to the three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world as the fruit of the reward Buddha; this is just the third nirmāṇakāya within the ultimate teaching, not the actual saṃbhogakāya. As for the three kinds of nirmāṇakāya: the first nirmāṇakāya transforms and creates the bodies of various sentient beings; the second nirmāṇakāya transforms and creates the Buddha who transforms a single four-continent world and the twenty-eight heavens; the third nirmāṇakāya transforms and creates the Buddha of a three-thousandfold great-thousandfold world. The actual saṃbhogakāya is the realm of profound upon profound in which the ten-body Vairocana mutually fuses and penetrates, its measure being equal to the dharmadhātu and penetrating into fine motes of dust, where within every single dust mote it is equal to the dharmadhātu, fully as expounded in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. Since the teaching of the three vehicles is provisional, the Dharma gates and the realm of the Buddha's reward that it expounds are altogether not yet the ultimate exposition. Therefore, in the Pañcaviṃśati it is called the common teaching of the three vehicles, where the three vehicles commonly practice the ten grounds. Second, as for the ten grounds expounded in the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra: it is directly for the sake of explaining the profound and hidden meaning that Bodhisattva Viśālamati, Bodhisattva Vipulamati, Bodhisattva Viśuddhamati, and others together serve as the principal and companions in question and answer to expound the gate of the ten grounds; they do not have Śrāvakas as the principal and companions in question and answer, because the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra redirects those of the Prajñā[pāramitā] who are overly attached to emptiness. These sūtras, such as the Pañcaviṃśati and the Saṃdhinirmocana, merely speak of the names of the ten grounds, lacking the stages of the ten faiths, the three grades of worthies, and the four requisites prior to the grounds. Third, as in the Renwang jing, the practices, characteristics, and Dharma gates of the five stages are fully present. In this way, the three grades of worthies and ten grades of sages expounded in the provisional teaching for the most part speak of nominal suchness; only after progressively becoming finer do they clarify the Buddha-nature, and only then can one be said to mount the Tathāgata vehicle straight to the bodhimaṇḍa. One should know that the provisional teaching is not the true, and the sequence of stages it expounds is not ultimate. Fourth, within the Tathāgata vehicle: as expounded in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra that the ten abodes see the nature to a slight degree and bodhisattvas of the tenth ground have not fully clarified it; and as in the Awakening of Faith that bodhisattvas of the ten abodes see the nature to a slight degree and through the power of vows are able to manifest Buddhahood in eight aspects—this is of that stream. Although not yet complete, because of the power of seeing the nature to a slight degree, their capacity is like this. It is just like a crown prince whose father the king, due to certain circumstances, orders him to assume control of the governance of the realm: because he is the king's true son, his capacity is sufficient for this. Because of seeing the nature to a slight degree and being born into the Buddha's household as a true son of the Tathāgata, it is unlike other teachings of nominal suchness and nominal wisdom, which wait until the first ground to speak of being born into the Buddha's household; this clarifies that the power of seeing the nature truly excels the other traditions. If a slight degree is like this, how much more so when fully obtained? Fifth, clarifying the ten grounds of the perfect teaching: in a single thought-moment one embodies the Way, wisdom being entirely the Buddha, because by converging ignorance its substance is entirely wisdom. A sūtra says: "When one is accomplished, all are accomplished; when one is ruined, all are ruined." This will be explained in detail below. These are called the five kinds of ten grounds. The sequential practices and characteristics of these four kinds of ten grounds are broadly similar though slightly different within the gates of transforming and receiving beings of lower and middling faculties. As for the fundamental teaching, the three kinds of nominally established suchness as contemplative wisdom within the provisional teaching are entirely different from the two gates, gradual and sudden, established upon the substance of the dharmakāya Buddha-nature. For instance, within the provisional teaching, although it still starts from the first ground, counteracting the defiling obstructions of the evil destinies, afflictions, and karmic rebirth, up to counteracting the active manifestation of subtle marks in the seventh ground, there are still obstructions; they obstruct signless wisdom so that it is not yet fully sovereign. Reaching the signless and effortless exertion of the eighth ground, one is also not yet sovereign with regard to exertions involving signs. Because in this way one lacks sovereignty in ground after ground, obstructions exist in all of them. The above was spoken according to the Dharma gate of the stages and sequence of severing delusions in the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra. As in the three vehicles, the ten grounds are invariably like this, descending through stages to sever delusions across three asaṃkhyeyas and cultivating the karma of the marks and characteristics for a hundred kalpas. As for the sequence of the various grounds established within the gate of Buddha-nature in the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra and so forth, it has already been clarified above. As the Benye yingluo jing says: "Bodhisattvas of the ten abodes wear copper-jewel necklaces, become copper wheel-turning kings, have one hundred sons of merit as their retinue, are born in one Buddha land, receive the Buddha's study and practice, and teach two continents. Bodhisattvas of the ten practices wear silver-jewel necklaces, become silver wheel-turning kings, have five hundred sons of merit as their retinue, are born in three Buddha lands to receive the Buddha's teaching, and practice transforming three continents. Bodhisattvas of the ten dedications wear adamantine-jewel necklaces, become gold wheel-turning kings, have one thousand sons of merit as their retinue, enter Buddha lands of the ten directions, transform all sentient beings, and dwell in four continents. From the first ground upward, there are hundred-jewel necklaces; on the second ground, thousand-jewel; on the third ground, ten-thousand-jewel; bodhisattvas of the fourth ground have incalculable jewels as necklaces; up to the tenth ground, the jewel necklaces gradually increase and expand. And on the tenth ground and eleventh ground, they thoroughly become Buddha Dharma Kings." Together with the bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies, there are in total fifteen ranks of wheel-turning kings, fully as expounded in the Yingluo jing. It also says that the bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies subdue the coarse paths of karma and coarse continuous fruits of the afflictions of the three realms, and also do not give rise to coarseness, [which is] the path of seeing. Joyous forbearance subdues the three karmic paths; stainless forbearance subdues the karmic paths of the hells, hungry ghosts, animals, and humans; luminous forbearance subdues the karmic paths of the six heavens; flaming forbearance subdues all karmic paths; victorious forbearance subdues the karmic paths of doubt and views; manifesting forbearance subdues the karmic paths of causes and conditions; unproduced forbearance subdues the karmic paths of fruition; immovable forbearance subdues the karmic paths of causes of form; illuminating forbearance subdues the karmic paths of causes of mind; quiescent extinction forbearance subdues the karmic paths of latent habits of both mind and form; immaculate forbearance subdues the karmic paths of fruitions of latent habits, where prior latent habits are eliminated while the fruition is not destroyed. Therefore, O sons of the Buddha, the three grades of worthies are called subduing and severing; from joyous forbearance upward, they both subdue and sever all afflictions; when awakening forbearance manifests, all ignorance in the dharmadhātu is suddenly severed without remainder. As stated above, eleven kinds of forbearance are expounded, because the bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies use them to eliminate the coarse afflictions of the three realms, and also because they subdue and sever them. It is explained: the three grades of worthies are bodhisattvas—the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications, which are the three stages prior to the grounds. Furthermore, the Yingluo jing says: "O sons of the Buddha! On the first ground, the signless dharmakāya wisdom of a single thought-moment achieves a million asaṃkhyeyas of merits, dual-illuminating the two truths, thought after thought being quiescent and extinguished; within the stream of the Dharma, one cannot measure the two kinds of dharmakāya with the ordinary mind and consciousness." It is explained: as for the two kinds of body, the first is the dharma-nature body, and the second is the reward and transformation body. As for the stream of the Dharma, it means that bodhisattvas of the first ground, directly within the stream of wisdom of the dharma-nature, spontaneously arrive at the Buddha stage without any deliberate cultivation or fabrication; how much more so for the second and third grounds! Therefore the sūtra also says: "Bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies prior to the grounds enter the rank of the sages; merely within the stream of the dharma-nature, thought after thought being quiescent and extinguished, they naturally flow into the great ocean of marvelous awakening. O sons of the Buddha! Even the names of the three grades of worthies and the ten grounds are also called signless; it is merely due to responsive transformation." In the path and Dharma of ancient Buddhas, there are the names of the ten grounds. This scripture, after the preaching of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, transforms beings of the three vehicles, and at another time, beneath the bodhi tree where Buddhahood was initially attained, reiterates and briefly recounts the Dharma gates of the Avataṃsaka. In this Yingluo jing it repeatedly states: "I once preached the Dharma gate of the pure land in the Universal Light Hall, and up to the Trāyastriṃśa heaven where I preached the ten abodes; now I shall briefly expound them again," fully as the sūtra says. Based on this sūtra, after sequentially preaching the ten grounds, the Dharma gate of the eleventh ground was preached in the third dhyāna heaven; that scripture remains in the Western regions and has not arrived here. The sūtra says: "O sons of the Buddha! Formerly, in the third dhyāna, I gathered the assemblies of the eight dhyānas and expounded to bodhisattvas in their final rebirth before Buddhahood, entering the Buddha-flower samādhi, expounding one million koṭis of verses. Now, by briefly expounding the meaning of a single verse, I shall open the minds of sentient beings; you should accept and uphold it." Furthermore, relying on the Yingluo jing, the Dharma-characteristic gate of the ten grounds' severing of delusions is established. The sūtra says: "O sons of the Buddha! The former three grades of worthies subdue the ignorance of the three realms and use it to eliminate coarse karma. Why is this? When undergoing rebirth, they skillfully take them as condition-sons." It is explained: when the bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies initially receive the wisdom of the dharma-nature and are born into the Buddha's household, their compassionate mind increases in strength. Because they view all sentient beings of the three realms entirely as their sons, their vows are without abandonment; for the sake of kindness and compassion, and in order to moisten the karma of the three realms, they undergo rebirth in the three realms. The sūtra further says: "Because of moistening karma, they receive future fruitions; therefore it is called resting the function." It is explained: within the three realms they do not create new karma; hence it is resting the function. The sūtra further says: "Yet they do not sever the function of love." It is explained: although the karma of the three realms is extinguished, undergoing rebirth through the karma of compassion is not extinguished. The sūtra says: "There are eleven persons who also subdue the karmic fruits of the three realms within the dharmadhātu." It is explained: as for the eleven persons, the ten grounds together with the stage of equal awakening constitute the eleven persons. The sūtra further says: "From the first ground up to the seventh ground, the karmic fruits of the three realms are all subdued and exhausted without remainder; they are only fully exhausted on the eighth ground." It is explained: prior to the seventh ground they are subdued and exhausted; on the eighth ground they are exhausted in accordance with the Dharma. "From this upward, they manifest attaining Buddhahood, undergoing rebirth in the royal palace, leaving home and attaining the Way, turning the wheel of the Dharma, and passing into extinction; because they manifest all the realms of transformation Buddhas, they have no retribution of sons in the three realms, and only the latent habits of ignorance remain." It is explained: on this eighth ground, effortless wisdom becomes manifest; although they deliver sentient beings, they have no notion of sentient beings. Prior to the seventh ground, compassion is predominant; from the eighth ground upward, signless wisdom becomes manifest and wisdom is predominant. Although they have no rebirth, they deliver people spontaneously; because they are not devoid of the latent habits of attachment to the Dharma, these are only fully exhausted at the Buddha stage, and through the power of original vows they are born through transformation. "Therefore, formerly in the heavens I expounded the meaning of birth and non-birth: karmic rebirth and transformational rebirth. O sons of the Buddha! Within the stage of the sages there are two kinds of karma: first is wisdom-karma, where wisdom arises without thought, thought after thought conditioning the Dharma while arising without illuminating [an object]—this is called wisdom-karma. Second is merit-karma, where true wisdom emerges in the truth of existence, conditioned yet undefiled, accumulating a million asaṃkhyeyas of merits—therefore it is called merit-karma. From the initial sage upward, they manifest undergoing rebirth; because it is mutable, they do not create new [karma], and through the power of vows they dwell and undergo transformational rebirth for hundreds and thousands of kalpas." The above are all expounded based on the Benye yingluo jing; these are precisely the two gates, both sudden and gradual, within the perfect teaching. As for "also sudden": this scripture says, "Bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies immediately enter the stage of the sages; entering into the stream of the dharma-nature, they spontaneously arrive at the ocean of Buddhahood, without any further deliberate fabrication." As for "also gradual": the severing of delusions has progressive stages, advancing in cultivation one by one. According to this Yingluo jing, the three grades of worthies and the ten abodes immediately enter the stream of the dharma-nature, unlike the provisional teaching where the first ground is the path of seeing and delusions are subdued prior to the path. If viewed in relation to the "Chapter on the Ten Grounds" in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, the first ground directs ordinary persons to practice; it does not say that one must be a sage to begin studying it, as that scripture has its own explicit text. Furthermore, clarifying regression: as the Yingluo jing says: "O sons of the Buddha! As for those who regress or advance: prior to the ten abodes, among all ordinary dharmas they generate the bodhicitta; there are sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges who study and practice the Buddha Dharma, but those who practice within a mind of faith and conceptual thought belong to the wholesome roots of regression. Good sons! For one kalpa, two kalpas, or up to practicing the ten faiths to enter the ten abodes: at that time, from the first abode to the sixth abode, if this person cultivates the sixth prajñāpāramitā and correct contemplation manifests, and they are further protected and recollected by Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and kalyāṇamitras, they emerge and reach the seventh abode, constantly abiding in non-retrogression and sovereignty; prior to the seventh abode it is called the stage of regression. O sons of the Buddha! As for those who do not regress: entering the sixth prajñā, practicing emptiness, selflessness, absence of person, and absence of a master, they ultimately do not take birth and ultimately enter the determined rank. O sons of the Buddha! If they do not encounter a kalyāṇamitra, for one kalpa or two kalpas they will regress from bodhicitta; just as in my first assembly there were eighty thousand people who regressed. Like the Deva Pure Eyes (Jingmu), the Prince of the Dharmakāya, Śāriputra, and others, who wished to enter the seventh abode, but encountering evil conditions therein, regressed into ordinary unwholesomeness and were not called persons of the acquired lineage nature. Regressing into non-Buddhist paths, for one kalpa, or ten kalpas, or up to a thousand kalpas, they adopt great wrong views and commit the five heinous sins, leaving no evil undone."