新華嚴經論 6.49

6.49

Tenth, now relying on this Avataṃsaka dharmadhātu approach, [I, Li] Tongxuan do not rely at all on what was stated above. Because this sūtra takes the fundamental reality of the dharmadhātu's intrinsic wisdom, nature, self-essence and function, principle and phenomena, and great compassion as its overarching principle, it does not rely on statements concerning emotional calculations and temporal periods; the views of past and present are entirely exhausted. It ever turns the wheel of the Dharma without beginning and without end; the Dharma is intrinsically thus. The explanations given above all accord with the faculties [of beings] who perceive temporal periods themselves; it is not that the Tathāgata has these discrepancies. The Tathāgata's fundamental Dharma-wisdom essence has no temporal periods whatsoever that could be established. Simply causing the mind to have faith in and understand that the dharmadhātu is timeless is itself the time of the Tathāgata's preaching of the Dharma. When sentiment vanishes and mentation is exhausted, spontaneous wisdom benefiting people is itself the time of the Tathāgata's attaining buddhahood and turning the wheel of the Dharma. If emotional views are maintained and opinions established, claiming that the Tathāgata appeared in the world at such-and-such a time and preached the Dharma at such-and-such a time, these do not rely at all on the Buddha's perspective, but are entirely one's own sentiment. Such a doctrinal gate of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra takes beginninglessness and endlessness as its gateway; one must not follow sentiment and forcibly establish temporal periods. This sūtra is indeed [preached at] the time of no-time, preached at all times. Just as the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra says, "Since I attained buddhahood, immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas have passed," since measurement is fundamentally non-existent, what could one possibly take as the time of preaching the Dharma? All of this is due to the Tathāgata's single function of wisdom, single perfect voice, and single kṣaṇa, taking the time of no-time as the time of preaching the Dharma.