新華嚴經論 40.2

40.2

Regarding the eleventh ground stage of the youth Sudhana's kalyāṇamitras, within the second [section], 'Praising Virtues to Advance', four gates are established. From this point downward, the kalyāṇamitras of the eleventh ground are explained: first, praising virtues to advance; second, pointing out where the good friend resides, stating that she is in this world; third, presenting the good friend's name, named Māyā; fourth, paying homage and taking leave. Stating that she is 'in this world' refers to the realm of the Buddha. Because Sudhana went to Lady Māyā's dwelling and obtained the wisdom that observes the Buddha's realm, 'this world' is the realm of the Buddha's wisdom. As for being named 'Māyā', here it is translated as 'Heavenly Queen' and also called 'Lady'; she is the great lady of the state. This is the eleventh ground, constantly abiding in the world, taking effortless great loving-kindness and compassion as its essence, and giving rise to the gate of Samantabhadra's practices.

First, for example, among the five stages, within the ten abodes: starting from the seventh abode stage with the upāsikā Āśā, who presides over cultivating the gate of wisdom from loving-kindness and compassion, up to the eighth abode where a portion of effortless wisdom manifests before one.
Second, arriving at the tenth abode with Princess Maitrāyaṇī, daughter of King Siṃhadhvaja, who presides over the gate of wisdom and compassion being completely interfused and fully equipped.
Third, in the ten practices, the seventh practice is King Anivartanaśrīsaṃbhava (Wuyanzu), who within the ten practices presides over the gate of loving-kindness, compassion, and skillful means for benefiting sentient beings.
Fourth, the eighth practice is King Mahāprabhā, who presides over the gate of practicing compassion through effortless action.
Fifth, in the ten dedications of merit, in the seventh and eighth dedications, Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara and Bodhisattva Ananyagāmin appear in the same assembly, presiding over the non-dual gate of the interfusion of compassion and wisdom.
Sixth, in the ten grounds, the seventh ground is the night goddess Vasantī (Kaifushuhua), who presides over the gate of generating practices with great compassion that universally pervade and manifest fruits.
Seventh, in the tenth ground is Gopā, who presides over the gate of the perfection of great compassion and wisdom universally conforming with the dharmadhātu.
Eighth, at the beginning of this eleventh ground, Lady Māyā is taken as the foremost of great loving-kindness, which is the perfection of effortless loving-kindness and compassion, in order to clarify that loving-kindness and compassion give rise to wisdom, illusory birth, the attainment of buddhahood, and all practice gates for teaching and transforming all sentient beings. Because this stage's Dharma-gate is named the Bodhisattva's Liberation Gate of Great Vows, Wisdom, and Illusory Manifestation, it clarifies that great compassion is foremost in this eleventh ground, and that relying on the compassionate mind of original vows, one gives rise to wisdom and illusory birth, manifesting the attainment of buddhahood, the work of benefiting sentient beings, and all the gates of all practices, pervading the dharmadhātu and the realm of empty space. The above eight gates harmonize and synthesize the differences and commonalities among the gradual cultivation, progressive advancement, and skillful means of cultivating loving-kindness and compassion across the five stages.

Furthermore, within this eleventh ground, ten gates are laid out in an extended outline to provide a general understanding of the sequence of practice aspects of this ground:
1. Lady Māyā, clarifying the gate of giving rise to wisdom from compassion, illusory birth in all practices, attaining buddhahood, and benefiting sentient beings;
2. The king of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven named Samyag-smṛti (Zhengnian) and his daughter named Surendrābhā (Tianzhuguangming), possessing mastery in wisdom and compassion, [clarifying] the gate of correct mindfulness manifesting all dharmas of the ten directions without error;
3. The teacher of children, clarifying the gate of acting as a model in worldly teachings throughout the ten directions;
4. Muktaka (Shanzhi Zhongyi), clarifying the gate of the wisdom of letters pervading the ten directions;
5. The upāsikā Bhadrottamā (Xiansheng), clarifying the gate of presiding over worldly auspicious and inauspicious matters, both orthodox and heterodox, and mastering the crafts, sorcery, divination, and lore of all directions in order to benefit sentient beings;
6. The elder Dṛḍha (Jiangu), clarifying the gate of pristine liberation through dwelling in the world without clinging thought;
7. The elder Candramukha (Miaoyue), clarifying the gate of the radiant light of pure wisdom while dwelling in the world;
8. Aparājita (Wushengjun), clarifying the gate of attaining the exhaustiveness of characteristics amidst unconditioned phenomena;
9. The brāhmaṇa Sarvaśamanta (Zuijijing), clarifying the gate of speech of sincere vows;
10. The youth Śrīsaṃbhava (Desheng) and the maiden Śrīmatī (Youde), clarifying the gate of dwelling in the world like an illusion with perfection in wisdom and compassion, like the equal status of Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra in the 'Chapter on Manifestation', signifying the equal fullness of the dharmakāya's wisdom and compassion.

The above ten gates are the practices of the eleventh ground. From this point down to Maitreya Tathāgata, it clarifies the completion of the fruit of buddhahood in a single lifetime. 'A single lifetime' means being born amidst the unborn; it is not birth in the sequence of the three times.