新華嚴經論 7

English (machine translation) 7

Language: English

Eighth, clarifying the realms of gathering and transforming. Indeed, the Buddha's realm is boundless; according with capacities, it varies, and in accordance with the breadth and narrowness of sentiment, the perceptions differ; it is not that the Tathāgata divides its measurement or number. When sentiment is petty, the realm is narrow; when capacity is broad, the realm is vast. If wisdom tallies with the true source, the Buddha's realm completely encompasses the dharmadhātu. Some see Jambudvīpa as the realm of transformation, or see the four continents as the sphere for saving sentient beings; some see his form filling the trichiliocosm, or see the saṃbhogakāya's ten oceans—such are the various forms. The capacities of beings are myriad, and the established teachings are disparate in a thousand ways and ten thousand variations; on what can a novice student rely? I shall briefly present five gates to distinguish the provisional and the ultimate, enabling them to abandon the branches and cleave to the root, to return from the periphery back to the source, and swiftly realize bodhi without delay or hindrance. 1. The Buddha's realm as seen among humans; 2. The Buddha's realm as seen by the devas; 3. The realm of the Buddha's gathering and transforming as seen by arhats among the two vehicles; 4. The Buddha's realm as seen by bodhisattvas of the provisional teaching; 5. The Buddha's realm as seen by bodhisattvas of the ultimate teaching.

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First, regarding the Buddha's realm as seen among humans: they only see him transforming the sentient beings of a single Jambudvīpa.

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Second, regarding the Buddha's realm as seen by the devas: they merely correspond to their own seen realm, and seeing the Buddha is likewise so, according with the breadth or narrowness of their own perception. For instance, Śakra, the Brahmā King, and the various deva kings are themselves bodhisattva stages; thus one assigns the breadth or narrowness of the realm of the Buddha's gathering and transforming that they see in accordance with their bodhisattva stages, not according with ordinary celestial beings and humans. For example, Śakra is at the stage of a second-ground bodhisattva, up to gradually ascending to the Brahmā Heavenly King who is at the stage of a tenth-ground bodhisattva. Sometimes, by the Buddha's supernatural power to bring sentient beings to fruition, ordinary beings among devas and humans, as well as the two vehicles and lesser bodhisattvas, are all caused to see the realm of the Buddha's reward land, just as in the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa Sūtra where the pure land is revealed when the Buddha presses the earth with his toe. Sometimes, by the Buddha's supernatural power, devas and humans are also caused to see one another mutually, just like the Place of Jeweled Workshops spoken of in the Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra, where the great assembly of devas and humans above the desire realm and below the form realm are all gathered within it, as described in that sūtra.

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Third, regarding the realm of the Buddha's gathering and transforming as seen by arhats within the two vehicles: a great arhat, through the power of the divine eye, is able to see the realm of a great trichiliocosm gathered and transformed by the Buddha. This is just as Aniruddha said: "With my divine eye, I see the great trichiliocosm of Śākyamuni Buddha's land as though looking at an āmalaka fruit in the palm of my hand." With lesser arhats it is variable; some see the Buddha gathering and transforming a single Jambudvīpa. This is because having long subdued [defilements] through the power of forbearance, they are able to sever the fetters; yet without the power of dhyāna-concentration, it is also termed severing the fetters, though they do not yet have the power of spiritual transformations and the like. Thus, taking such an arhat, some see the Buddha gathering and transforming the four continents and the realm of the three realms above. This is explained at length in the various treatises of the Śrāvakayāna.

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Fourth, regarding the realm of the Buddha's gathering and transforming as seen by bodhisattvas of the provisional teaching: the first ground is a realm of one hundred buddhas, the second ground a thousand buddhas, the third ground ten thousand buddhas, gradually increasing in this manner, as explained in the Mahāyāna teachings of the three vehicles.

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Fifth, as for the ultimate teaching bodhisattvas' perception of the sphere of the Buddha's transforming embrace: a bodhisattva on the first ground sees multiple hundreds of Buddhas—which means an inexhaustible hundred, not a hundred of a single hundred. A bodhisattva on the second ground sees multiple thousands of Buddhas and so forth, precisely because it is an inexhaustible thousand. A bodhisattva on the third ground is said to see multiple tens of millions, and so on. To discuss it in terms of the ultimate, bodhisattvas of all grounds see equally and completely, like Indra's net and so forth. Bodhisattvas of the three stages of worthies are also like this. It is not merely that the Lotus Treasury [world system] of dust motes of ten Buddha-lands is their retributive sphere; the entire dharmadhātu and space are completely equal. Because upon first seeing the Way at the initial mind of the ten abodes, they are already free from views of large and small, they completely see the Buddha's transforming sphere as identical to the dharmadhātu, without distinguishing large and small, provisionally assigning hierarchical gradations of stages within progressive practice. In this sūtra, when it is said that the first ground sees the sphere of multiple hundreds of Buddhas, it illustrates the meaning of perfection, unlike the single hundred of a hundred in the three vehicles. This 'multiple hundreds' is equal to an inexhaustible number. In the three vehicle teachings, a transformation Buddha embraces one world system of four continents, and a saṃbhogakāya Buddha is said to embrace and transform a hundred billion four-continent worlds as the retributive sphere of a single Śākyamuni, as expounded in the Brahmajāla Sūtra. As for the sphere embraced and transformed by Vairocana expounded in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, it provisionally establishes a great Lotus Treasury world-ocean, vast and boundless, equal to space and the dharmadhātu. Yet, solely for the sake of transforming sentient beings, forms and appearances are provisionally delineated, in order to make sentient beings' minds vast and to expand their narrow and inferior minds. Within this great lotus, it is generally said that there are world-seeds numbering the dust motes of ten ineffable Buddha-lands. Because the scriptural text is limited, it provisionally establishes one hundred and twenty-one world-seeds: in the center there are eleven world-seeds, each having provisionally twenty tiers of Lotus Treasury worlds from bottom to top. In the lowest tier, it is surrounded by vast worlds numbering the dust motes of one Buddha-world; in the next, second tier above, the dust motes of two Buddha-worlds; in the next, third tier above, the dust motes of three Buddha-worlds. These eleven world-seeds are all like this, progressively multiplying from bottom to top. In the topmost tier, it is fully endowed with vast lands numbering the dust motes of twenty Buddha-worlds, each land surrounded by minor lands numbering the dust motes of ten Buddha-lands. Outside these eleven twenty-tiered worlds, there are one hundred single-tiered world-seeds surrounding the eleven twenty-tiered worlds. Outside these one hundred world-seeds, near the Diamond Mountains, there are further ten four-tiered world-seeds, within whose central lands tier upon tier are as described above. Surrounding the aforementioned world-seeds within the Diamond Mountains, they dwell distributed like the divine net of Indra. That which the Tathāgata transforms pervades entirely among these pure, defiled, unmixed, and mixed world-oceans and so forth. As for the world-seeds described in the three vehicles, one counts three-thousand-great-thousand lands up to the sands of one Gaṅgā River to make one world-nature; one counts world-natures up to the sands of the Gaṅgā River to make one world-ocean; one counts ocean-worlds up to the sands of the Gaṅgā River to make one world-seed. In this sūtra, worlds are uniformly counted by dust motes of one Buddha-land, dust motes of two Buddha-lands, and dust motes of three Buddha-lands, thus multiplying up to worlds numbering the dust motes of twenty Buddha-lands in the topmost tier; thus, counting through from bottom to top, only when there is a total of vast lands numbering the dust motes of two hundred and ten Buddha-lands does it constitute a single world-seed, not limiting its number by the sands of the Gaṅgā. Within the three vehicles, they mostly take the number of the sands of the Gaṅgā River as the measure. In this sūtra, it constantly takes the dust of one Buddha-land and the dust of ten Buddha-lands as its numbers to express inexhaustibility. Expanding in this way causes minor, narrow, and inferior sentient beings to know the sphere of the Buddha's transforming embrace and generate the bodhicitta. The sphere of that Buddha's transforming embrace—the sphere within each single dust mote is equal to the dharmadhātu and the realm of space; it is not said that he solely transforms a three-thousand-great-thousand world. The expression of the Dharma within this will be extensively clarified below in the explanation of the 'Chapter on the Flower-Store World.'

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Ninth, on clarifying the length and brevity of cause and effect: The dharmadhātu is consummate and quiescent, without beginning or end; principle and wisdom are like space, being neither cause nor effect. Yet, because sentient beings maintain conceptual measures, names are provisionally ascribed to it. When passions are discarded and conceptual measures end, what name could be established? Names do not apply themselves; they fundamentally arise from conceptual measures. When conceptual measures end and passions are exhausted, names also become inherently true. Now, by means of the true name that is nameless, we discuss the true fruit that has no fruit; by means of the true discourse that has no discourse, we expound the true cause that has no cause. Initiates should not be stuck on these names; beginning students should not discard these discourses. Being stuck on names, names become established; discarding discourses, verbal expressions are generated. One should let them accord with sentiments and follow conditions: what arises is merely phenomena arising; where there are no conditions, what ceases is merely phenomena ceasing. Those who possess these phenomena do not inherently know one another. Now in discussing the length and brevity of cause and effect, they are like bird tracks in the sky, like the child of a barren woman; it is merely that sentient beings' sentiments have foolishness and wisdom, illuminating the meaning in accordance with their minds. They may differ in slowness or speed, splitting bamboo or climbing a ladder according to their distinct capacities; due to these sorts of things their length and brevity differ, not that the sun and moon make the time periods. Teachings do not apply themselves; they arise on account of capacities. Teachings respond according to faculties; where there are faculties, teachings arise. Now, relying on faculties, we provisionally establish ten gates regarding the length and brevity of cause and effect, so that initiates and subsequent students will have no doubts.

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First, in the Hīnayāna, one attains the fruit of an arhat by 'come, monk!'

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Second, in the Hīnayāna, one attains the fruit of an arhat in a single lifetime.

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Third, in the Hīnayāna, one attains the fruit of an arhat in three lifetimes.

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Fourth, in the Hīnayāna, one attains the fruit of an arhat in sixty kalpas.

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Fifth, a pratyekabuddha attains the fruit of a pratyekabuddha in four lifetimes.

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Sixth, a pratyekabuddha slowly undergoes a hundred kalpas to attain the fruit of a pratyekabuddha.

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Seventh, according to the provisional teaching, a bodhisattva definitely undergoes three asaṃkhyeya kalpas to attain the fruit of Buddhahood.

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Eighth, according to the ultimate teaching of the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, converging the three into the one, it causes the dragon girl to attain Buddhahood in a single kṣaṇa, refuting the three vehicles' requirement of passing through many kalpas before attaining Buddhahood.

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Ninth, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra expounds that the son of heaven in Tuṣita attains the fruit of the ten grounds in three lifetimes.

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Tenth, the youth Sudhana attains Buddhahood in a single lifetime.

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Those expounded above are all what the sacred teachings of the three vehicles and the One Vehicle expound distinctively according to faculties and capacities; according to the sacred teachings, they naturally harmonize. If one wished now to cite various meanings extensively, the text would become overly cumbersome. Faculties have myriad variations, and teachings differ according to faculties. Now, by briefly dividing into ten general points concerning the differences in length and brevity of attaining the fruit, the intention is to lead one to know the provisional and turn toward the ultimate, not lingering in vain vehicles, and to enter the gate of reality to swiftly accomplish the Buddha Way. Like the dragon girl, who shattered the fixed kalpas of the three vehicles and accomplished the real gate of a kṣaṇa. The Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra's bestowing the prophecy of attaining Buddhahood within the Bhadrakalpa upon the butcher Guāṅ'é refutes the teaching that icchantikas lack the [Buddha-]nature, surpassing the labor of three asaṃkhyeya kalpas. The son of heaven in Tuṣita illustrates the supreme power of the teaching of the One Vehicle: hearing it, he produced faith; because he did not cultivate, even though he fell into hell, it could still form a seed; touched by the radiance on his body, he came to be reborn in the Tuṣita heaven and ascended to the rank of the ten grounds, just as expounded in the 'Chapter on the Merits of the Radiance of the Minor Marks.' Citing this single matter is intended to cause one to have faith in this Vehicle of all the Buddhas. Because it is difficult to believe, having faith definitely forms a seed; since the internal perfuming of faithful understanding will definitely lead to attaining Buddhahood, even if one momentarily clings to pleasure, upon encountering suffering one will immediately cultivate. If one reaches the initial mind of the ten abodes, one's rank is equal to the ten grounds, without any further retrogression. As for the youth Sudhana attaining Buddhahood in a single lifetime, this clarifies that at the initial mind of the ten abodes, within a single kṣaṇa sentiments are discarded and thoughts exhausted; with the three times [collapsed into] a single thought, nothing further is produced, which is called 'a single lifetime'—not taking a lifetime of time divisions where sentiments are maintained and kalpas established. Such non-production immediately completes the Buddha-fruit. Because it is like the original birth, it is called 'a single lifetime.' It is just like the dragon girl: when sentiments are exhausted and time vanishes in a single kṣaṇa, that is termed 'Buddha.'

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Tenth, on clarifying the harmonization of the teaching from beginning to end: The World-Honoured One, the Sun of Wisdom, shines everywhere in accord with the dharmadhātu; his wisdom encompasses all beings, sharing the same reality with ordinary people and sages; principle and phenomena interpenetrate, and essence and function are mutually identical. The supreme scripture of forty chapters is interwoven from beginning to end; the wondrous words of a million verses reflect and illuminate one another throughout. Ten places and ten assemblies are manifold like Indra's net; ten lands and ten bodies interpenetrate like images in mirrors. Raising one gate, all gates open together; expounding one chapter, all chapters point in unison. When [enlightenment] was first accomplished at the Tree of the Way, nine heavens were reached at once; with a single gathering at Universal Light, all ten places were ascended. Past and present do not differ; old and new are a single thought. Without departing from one stage, the gates of the five stages are differentiated; within a single practice, an ocean of practices numerous as dust and sand is established. Upon the substance of the dharmadhātu, explanations that instruct worldly conventions are set forth; while the nature of the fruition virtue is equal, teachings that guide sentient beings are deployed. Mañjuśrī praises and clarifies the Dharma-substance; Samantabhadra completes and prepares the cultivation of practice. As the compassion and wisdom of the two luminaries join in radiance, clouds nurture and precious moisture descends; within the 'Chapter on the Dharmadhātu,' Sudhana is further made to cultivate anew. Modeling upon this entire sūtra, each and every practice manifests its practical aspects; the tracks by which bodhisattvas receive sentient beings are distinct and clear in each case. Generating the mind to seek progress, the distinctions of masters and teachers are fully set forth in rules, so that novices may easily understand and students will not waste their effort; when a single thought accords with the Way, one is immediately able to transcend eternal kalpas. Now ten dharmas are divided to outline the general principles, so that the varying aspects of the teaching substance may be briefly understood in their proper scopes.

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First, clarifying Vairocana's initial attainment of correct awakening; second, clarifying the indication of the fruit to encourage practice; third, clarifying the complete fulfillment of faithful mind; fourth, clarifying entry into real realization; fifth, clarifying the generation of practice and cultivating practice; sixth, clarifying the mutual entry of principle and phenomena; seventh, clarifying the accumulation of cultivation into virtue; eighth, clarifying unobstructedness in according with conditions; ninth, clarifying the culmination of the stages of cause and effect; tenth, clarifying causing ordinary persons to attain real realization.

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First, explaining Vairocana's initial realization of correct awakening: this refers to the single chapter, the "Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the World". "Initial realization of correct awakening" means that through his own body and mind he has fully verified all dharmas equally throughout the three periods of time, past and present. Within a single thought-moment there is no mark of long or short duration; yet within a single thought-moment he also does not destroy sentient beings' cognition of long or short kalpas across the three periods of time, nor the cognition of sentient beings' various distinct views and understandings—as the sūtra says: "Wisdom enters the three periods of time without coming or going." There are ten such kinds of wisdom, all fully explained in the sūtra. All of the forty chapters of this sūtra, from beginning to end, were universally and simultaneously sealed in an instant at the time of the initial realization of correct awakening through the samādhi-gate of the wisdom-seal of the dharmadhātu ocean: displaying physical forms and uttering vocal sounds to preach the dharmas of all buddhas; universally proclaiming and diffusing them throughout the ocean of lands in all dust motes; and entering nirvāṇa—without departing from one time, one juncture, and one nature, all are just this, because reality is thus. The past buddhas and future buddhas, past and present, are just like this: entirely within a single time, manifesting distinct dharmas in accordance with sentient beings. Past and present penetrating one another is called "initial". Conforming to reality being thus is called "realization". Relying on reality being thus, not fabricated by the mind, is called "correct". Wisdom penetrating this principle is called "awakening". This sūtra had thirty-four chapters in the Jin dynasty translation, and now in the Tang dynasty it has been translated again into thirty-nine chapters. Furthermore, examining the Pusa yingluo benye jing, it says: "Disciples of the Buddha! Formerly, in the sixth heaven, I preached the path of the ten grounds to transform gods and humans; now I therefore briefly open up the mind-ground of sentient beings for you to receive and practice." Furthermore, a later passage says: "Disciples of the Buddha! The mind of the forty-first ground is called the mind entering the dharmadhātu." Furthermore, a passage following that says: "Disciples of the Buddha! Formerly, in the third dhyāna, I gathered the assemblies of the eight dhyāna heavens and preached for the bodhisattvas in the position of succession to buddhahood in one life on entering the samādhi-absorption of the Buddha-flower, expounding a hundred myriad kotis of verses. Now, by briefly explaining the meaning of a single verse, I open up the minds of sentient beings for you to receive and uphold." This chapter comes right after the "Chapter on the Ten Grounds" and represents the stage of virtual awakening of the eleventh ground. Calculating the name of this chapter, it should again be titled "Chapter on the Buddha-Flower", as it is named according to reality. Furthermore, a later passage says: "Disciples of the Buddha! Formerly, when I preached the ocean of the dharmadhātu beneath this tree, eighty thousand immaculate bodhisattvas manifested physical bodies and attained buddhahood. Therefore now, for this great assembly, I briefly open up the sphere of practice of the buddha fruit for you to reverently receive on your crowns." According to the Yingluo benye jing, this refers to having finished preaching the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, transforming sentient beings of the three vehicles, and proceeding beneath the bodhi tree to reiterate in two tiers the Dharma-gates of the five stages of the Avataṃsaka preached at the time of the initial realization of correct awakening, fully as stated in that sūtra. Because the Avataṃsaka Sūtra lacks the single chapter on the eleventh ground, we now collate and cross-check it with that text, and only then is the sequence understood. Those who hear this later need not give rise to doubt; simply consult that sūtra for verification, and black and white will become clear. Now, by counting the "Buddha-Flower Chapter" on the eleventh ground preached in the third dhyāna, there are altogether ten locations, ten assemblies, and forty chapters, all spoken simultaneously within an instant through the ocean-seal Dharma-gate at the time of the initial realization of correct awakening. Because, relying on the fundamental reality, there is no before or after; because reality is fundamentally thus; and because the fundamental body and fundamental wisdom reveal the fundamental reality, there is no such thing as repeatedly gathering at the Universal Light Hall or having three assemblies. If one speaks of layer upon layer of endless tiers, one does not speak of three assemblies, because the gate of the dharmadhātu ocean subsumes all three periods of time; before and after in a single thought-moment are entirely a single time, nor is there going thither and returning here. The Tathāgata merely reveals everything simultaneously through the ocean-seal gate of manifesting the physical body in response by means of fundamental wisdom. Now, to say that there are three repeated assemblies in the Universal Light Hall is not so; it is entirely a teaching sealed simultaneously at one time. As the sūtra says: "The Tathāgata, within a single utterance, expounds an ocean of boundless sūtras." It is merely according to the categories of Dharma-gates, to symbolize the Dharma, that the names of the bodhisattvas differ; they are not assemblies that arrived earlier or later. Within the ocean of the dharmadhātu, one must not mentally conceptualize before and after, for that violates the fundamental reality. Manifesting the affairs of the three periods of time within a single thought-moment is for the sake of sentient beings; it is not that the fundamental reality has three periods of time. This is to clarify the fundamental reality, which cannot be judged from the branches. The carts in front having already overturned, those behind must change their track; one cannot simply defer to earlier authorities as a mirror for reflection. Examining the intention of the sūtra, there is no mention anywhere of "repeated assemblies"; it is because of the textual narrative that the Dharma-gates seem to have the sense of repetition. Without examining the sūtra's meaning within the chapters, one misses that all of them narrate, before and after, Dharma-gates of the wisdom-function that comprehensively encompass one time, one juncture, and one dharmadhātu. For instance, the "Chapter on the Ten Samādhis" and the "Chapter on Transcending the World" both say, "At that time, the World-Honoured One was in the bodhimaṇḍa in the kingdom of Magadha, having newly realized correct awakening, and in the Universal Light Hall entered the samādhi of the instant." This is merely that the names of the bodhisattvas differ according to the Dharma stages; it is not that the Tathāgata left and returned again, for the Universal Light Hall is the essence of the fruit-wisdom of the dharmadhātu. At the juncture of a single time, principle and phenomena are unified without departing from the gate of unconditioned concentration, because the gate of the ten concentrations is the essence of the dharmadhātu. The practice of Samantabhadra is the function of the dharmadhātu, which is the "Chapter on Transcending the World". Unifying these two chapters, they do not depart from the Universal Light Hall, the great mansion of the virtues of the fruit and the primary capital of wisdom. Preaching three times in this way is entirely a preaching at one place, at one time, in one dharmadhātu, and in one assembly; it is not coming and going before and after as seen by everyday sentiments. Extending to the remaining nine assemblies, they are all within one assembly, at one time, in one dharmadhātu, and in one ocean of wisdom; the tiers of Dharma-gates appear and disappear simultaneously without obstacle or hindrance. Now, within the one dharmadhātu, in accordance with the gates of the aspects of practice used as expedients in progressive cultivation, places are lodged to symbolize the Dharma in order to divide into the ten locations. The ten assemblies are:

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First, the assembly at the bodhimaṇḍa;

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Second, the assembly at the Universal Light Hall;

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Third, the assembly ascending to the summit of Mount Sumeru;

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Fourth, the assembly ascending to the Yāma heaven;

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Fifth, the assembly ascending to the Tuṣita heaven;

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Sixth, the assembly ascending to the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven;

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Seventh, the assembly ascending to the heaven of the third dhyāna;

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Eighth, the assembly at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park;

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Ninth, the assembly at the great stūpa shrine east of the city of awakening;

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Tenth, the assembly in all lands and in all empty space of the dharmadhātu within dust motes.

7.33

These are called the ten locations and ten assemblies. As for the assembly in the Universal Light Hall, the Dharma-gates of the five stages and six stages in this sūtra, the wondrous principle of the ten samādhis, and the essence and function of Samantabhadra's myriad practices from beginning to end—the ten locations and ten assemblies are entirely contained within the Universal Light Hall, the mansion where the reward-body abides, with the causes perfected and the fruits fulfilled in the one true dharmadhātu. The worlds of the ten directions are all gathered from the branches back to the root within one dharma, one location, one time, and one juncture of essence and function; one must not divide them separately into an account of three assemblies coming and going before and after, nor obscure the true teaching with the dust and clouds of one's own sentiments. Furthermore, all dharmas in this sūtra take ten as the number of perfection; one must not merely speak of seven locations and eight assemblies or nine assemblies.

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Question: Why is it that, reaching the seventh assembly, it only goes as far as the third dhyāna to gather the assemblies of the eight heavens to preach the Dharma-gate of the eleventh ground, and does not go to the fourth dhyāna heaven?

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Answer: It is because the heaven of the fourth dhyāna, according to its sequential order, is the place of the Buddha-fruit. At the bodhimaṇḍa, when the Buddha directly realized the Buddha-fruit, he comprehensively gathered the fourth dhyāna and the worlds of the ten directions into a single Universal Light Hall of the Dharma—the mansion of the dharmadhātu and the capital of his saṃbhoga residence. There are no longer any marks of ascending or descending, coming or going, or places for progressive cultivation that can be apprehended. This explains that in the Buddha's fourth dhyāna, mental conception has nothing to rely upon and has no locus for progressive cultivation; thus there is no coming or going. When affection is severed, response accords with truth, for it is identical with the dharmadhātu. This is the Buddha's fourth dhyāna: by being under the bodhi tree, it is lodged in common with an araṇya hermitage; the Universal Light Hall is then the original mansion of saṃbhoga residence; and by these three, the beginning and end of cause and effect are explained. Recapitulating the previous time of first achieving Buddhahood makes clear that earlier and later are not separate from the essence of bodhi, the ocean of fundamental wisdom. Perfectly fusing beginning and end, cause and effect in this way establishes the single-boundary Dharma door. In this sūtra, there are six places where this integration occurs: there are two places in the door of demonstrating the fruit to encourage practice, and four places in the door of cultivating practice having already aroused faith. First, as in the initial assembly, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra entered the samādhi of the Tathāgata's Matrix Body, and through the Dharma door of the turning of the ocean of worlds, demonstrated the gate of the fruition obtained throughout the beginning and end of cause and effect in the ocean of worlds of the ten lotus-treasuries of the Buddha's source-dharmadhātu. That is, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is the practice and the Tathāgata's Matrix Body is the essence; this clarifies entering the essence by means of function, because principle and phenomena completely penetrate each other. Second, the throne upon which Vairocana sits possesses various adornments, which also clarifies that cause and effect, beginning and end, essence and function completely penetrate each other. That is, taking Vairocana Buddha as the fruition of saṃbhoga, the fundamental wisdom of the emptiness of all phenomena as the essence of the throne, and the myriad practices of Samantabhadra as the adornment of function. Through all these instruments of adornment—namely, the pedestals, doors, and windows—there emerge hosts of bodhisattvas, who, like the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds, rain down treasures to make offerings to the Buddha. This clarifies that the Tathāgata's fruition virtues constantly abide on the throne of the emptiness of all phenomena, and the wondrous functions of Samantabhadra's manifold practices constantly evoke the adornments of circumstantial fruition, because principle and phenomena, cause and effect, essence and function constantly benefit one another. Furthermore, in the door of cultivating practice having already aroused faith, there are four instances of integrating cause and effect as non-dual: [First,] in the Universal Light Hall, when the initial realization of correct awakening is spoken three times, gathering the branches back to the root into a single-boundary dharmadhātu, this is one instance of integration. Second, the thirty-seventh chapter is named the 'Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata', where the Tathāgata emits light from between his eyebrows to consecrate the crown of Mañjuśrī's head, and emits light from his mouth to consecrate Samantabhadra's mouth, causing these two individuals to mutually engage in question and answer, explaining the gate of the fruition virtues of the Buddha's manifestation. That is, Mañjuśrī is the Dharma-essence of fundamental wisdom, and Samantabhadra is practice, clarifying that the integration of essence and function completely penetrates; this locus of penetration is called 'Buddha'. The Buddha in the initial assembly demonstrates the Buddhahood attained by the Buddha himself. The Buddha in the thirty-seventh chapter demonstrates that which is reached through the bodhisattva's own power. Relying on the initial Buddha, one gives rise to faith and advances in cultivation; by faith and advancing in cultivation, one's own power reaches one's own Buddha-fruit. Because one's own Buddha-fruit is no different from what was previously believed, [this is the second]. Third, in the Jeta Grove, the Tathāgata, through the door of the lion's roar (siṃhavikrīḍita) samādhi, puts forward the cause and effect of the five stages to guide and benefit humans and devas. Fourth, in Sudhana's [visit to] Maitreya's tower, the cause and effect of beginning and end of Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, as well as the cause and effect of beginning and end of Bodhisattva Maitreya, are integrated as a single boundary, because essence and function completely penetrate. Together with the two places of integration in the door of demonstrating the fruit to encourage practice—Bodhisattva Samantabhadra and Vairocana—and the subsequent four places in the Universal Light Hall's 'Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata', Anāthapiṇḍada's Park, and Maitreya's tower, there are altogether six places that integrate the single-boundary Dharma door of the non-duality of essence and function, cause and effect. For this reason, Maitreya's tower is called the Vairocana Adornment Matrix, and the samādhi entered by Bodhisattva Samantabhadra in the initial assembly is called the Tathāgata's Matrix Body; earlier and later names are mutually similar in this way. One need only investigate and verify this according to the intent and context of the sūtra's chapters, and it can be seen: the Tathāgata's integration is entirely a single time and a single boundary; through the gate of the mansion of fundamental wisdom at the boundary of a kṣaṇa, his emergence, cessation, and constant abiding in the world to turn the wheel of the True Dharma are entirely without departing from the time of achieving correct awakening in a single thought-moment. Therefore the sūtra says: 'Wisdom enters the three periods of time without coming or going.' This sūtra contains altogether ten places, ten assemblies, and forty chapters. Throughout nine assemblies, the clouds of assemblies gathered together total three hundred and forty-two types of assemblies, and the eight types of assemblies in the single gathering in the third dhyāna are also included within this number. Each of these assemblies is said to equal the dust motes of a Buddha-world, or the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds. These assemblies all gather simultaneously at the single kṣaṇa boundary of first achieving correct awakening, like a great ocean pervading the ten directions, mutually reflecting one another without obstruction or hindrance. If one considers the tenth assembly, in which assemblies take place in all lands, inside every dust mote, and throughout the empty space of the dharmadhātu, then within the empty space and dharmadhātu of the worlds of the ten directions, within tiny dust motes, and within the ocean-like assemblies of the dust motes of pores on the bodies of all sentient beings, like the ocean of the ten directions without gap, they are layer upon layer, inexhaustible and endless. The oceans of assemblies of Buddhas and bodhisattvas are constantly so: the three periods of time are in a single thought-moment, past and present are both identical to the boundary of the present moment, and the inexhaustible kalpas of past and future are simultaneously without departure from the time of achieving correct awakening in a single thought-moment. Such is the essence of time: at the time of becoming a Buddha or not becoming a Buddha, awakening or non-awakening, the Dharma is just so.

7.36

Second, explaining the demonstration of the fruit to encourage practice: this consists of five chapters, namely, the 'Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata's Marks', 'Chapter on Samantabhadra's Samādhi', 'Chapter on the Formation of Worlds', 'Chapter on the Flower-Treasury World', and 'Chapter on Vairocana'. In the 'Chapter on the Manifestation of Marks', the Tathāgata emits light from between his teeth within his mouth, and with the sounds in the light announces to the assemblies in the ten directions, causing them all to gather. Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, as the eldest son of the Buddha, governs the Buddha's household Dharma and enters the Buddha's samādhi; he puts forward the Buddha's fruition virtues to cause the assemblies to revere and love them, and to give rise to faith and joyfully cultivate. The Tathāgata, in his own body and throne, puts forward the door of essence, function, cause, and effect to cause the assemblies to know completely: taking the Buddha's own body as the great wisdom body of the dharmadhātu, taking the various adornments as the fruition of saṃbhoga of Samantabhadra's active practice, and taking the emptiness of all phenomena as the body of the throne. With these three dharmas equally arousing the door of compassion and wisdom, he demonstrates and awakens sentient beings without beginning or end, and this is named 'Buddha'. The Tathāgata also emits light from the curl of white hair between his eyebrows, named 'the treasury of the light of wisdom of all bodhisattvas illuminating the ten directions', shaped like clouds of jewel-colored lamps. Having universally illuminated the worlds of the ten directions, it circumambulates the Buddha to the right and enters beneath his feet. And from within the white hair mark between his eyebrows, there emerge bodhisattva hosts equal to the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds, who sit together on a single lotus throne before that Buddha and praise the profound sphere of the Buddha. This clarifies that cause and effect are non-dual. The light entering beneath his feet clarifies using the fruit to accomplish the cause. The light between the eyebrows is the light of the fruition of wisdom of the ten grounds; now entering beneath the Buddha's feet, it uses the fruit to accomplish the cause. In the stages of the ten faiths, this light again emerges from the wheels beneath his feet; in the ten abodes, it sequentially emerges from the tips of his toes; in the ten practices, it emerges from the tops of his feet; in the ten dedications of merit, it emerges from above his knees; and in the ten grounds, it returns to emerge from between his eyebrows, ending and beginning again. The light from the white hair mark is the fruition light of the ten grounds, and the bodhisattvas emerging from within it are its causal practice, clarifying that cause emerges from fruit. This clarifies that the five chapters above demonstrate the Buddha's fruition virtues to cause the assemblies to have faith and rejoice.

7.37

Third, explaining the complete equipping of the mind of faith: this consists of the six chapters in the second assembly, namely, the 'Chapter on the Tathāgata's Names', 'Chapter on the Four Noble Truths', 'Chapter on Awakening through Light', 'Chapter on Bodhisattvas Asking for Clarification', 'Chapter on Pure Practice', and 'Chapter on the Chief of the Worthy'. These six chapters together complete the single stage of the ten faiths. First, the 'Chapter on the Tathāgata's Names': one believes in the Buddha's names, which vary in the worlds of the ten directions in accordance with beings. Second, the 'Chapter on the Four Noble Truths': one believes and knows that although the names of Dharma doors in the worlds of the ten directions differ, they all take the four noble truths as their root. Third, the 'Chapter on Awakening through Light': one knows that light originally comes from the fruit and enters beneath the Buddha's feet, and now again emits that fruition light from beneath the feet to accomplish the stage of faith. Fourth, the 'Chapter on Bodhisattvas Asking for Clarification': one believes in the Dharma doors questioned by the bodhisattvas. Fifth, the 'Chapter on Pure Practice': it clarifies faith in the pure practice of bodhisattvas arising from the power of great vows. Sixth, the 'Chapter on the Chief of the Worthy': one believes and knows that attaining Buddhahood takes faith as its chief. Believing in the Dharma doors of these six chapters together completes the stage of faith. These six chapters were spoken in the Universal Light Hall, because the Universal Light Hall is the original mansion where the Buddha's wisdom, function, and fruition of saṃbhoga are fully resided in. Preaching the Dharma doors of faith from within it again clarifies preaching the fruit to accomplish faith. Once one has faith in the fruition virtues, from here onwards up through the ten grounds, eleventh ground, and the Chapter on the Buddha's Flowers, it only then clarifies entering the path, advancing in cultivation, and the stages, distinctions, identity, and difference of the five stages' complete fulfillment—one penetrating, all penetrate. Because from cause to fruit there is no temporal separation, they all take the ten Buddhas, such as the fundamental immovable wisdom, as the gate of what is believed, and return to taking the fundamental immovable wisdom Buddha of one's own mind as the essence and function of integration.

7.38

Fourth, explaining the entry into true realization: ascending from the third assembly to the summit of Mount Sumeru, light is emitted from the tips of the Tathāgata's two toes, within which six chapters are spoken: first, the 'Chapter on Ascending to the Summit of Mount Sumeru'; second, the 'Chapter on Verses of Praise on the Summit of Mount Sumeru'; third, the 'Chapter on the Ten Abodes'; fourth, the 'Chapter on Brahmacarya'; fifth, the 'Chapter on the Merit of the Initial Aspiration'; and sixth, the 'Chapter on Clarifying the Dharma'. Among these six chapters, two chapters—the 'Chapter on the Summit of Mount Sumeru' and the 'Chapter on Verses of Praise'—concern Śakra and the devas welcoming and praising the Tathāgata, praising the Buddha's virtues and the excellence of the place. Four chapters—the 'Chapter on the Ten Abodes', 'Chapter on Brahmacarya', 'Chapter on the Merit of the Initial Aspiration', and 'Chapter on Clarifying the Dharma'—clarify newly realizing the Dharma door, dwelling where the Buddha dwells, being born and dwelling in the Buddha's house, sharing the Buddha's nature of wisdom, merit, understanding, and practice, with principle and wisdom like the Buddha, achieving correct awakening at the very moment of initial aspiration. In this assembly, emitting light from the tips of the two toes clarifies the beginning of setting foot upon the newly realized Dharma door. Ascending to the summit of Mount Sumeru clarifies that, based on the previous mind of faith, one now ascends to the summit of the Mount of the Dharma King of the ten abodes; arriving at the boundary of Dharma, wisdom shines without obstruction, like climbing a high mountain to the place where marks are exhausted. Furthermore, the mountain signifies that samādhi is able to give rise to wisdom. From this point forward, according with the Dharma without effort, beginning and end are both Buddha, and one does not wait until the eighth ground to first possess effortless action. The Yingluo jing says: 'Bodhisattvas of the three grades of worthies effortlessly reach Buddhahood within the flowing stream of Dharma. That the initial water and later water are water of one single nature is because the causal Buddha and fruition Buddha are a Buddha of one single nature. In between, there is no beginning, middle, or end, because thought-moments are not separated, and because it relies on the fundamental Dharma. With no thoughts that can separate them, cause and effect are straightway completed, for one thought-moment corresponding is one thought-moment of Buddha.' It does not discuss the marks and signs or supernatural powers; marks, signs, and supernatural powers are obtained from within this correct awakening. If one realizes correct awakening, one is not attached to marks; simply because one is constantly in accord with the path of awakening, transformative powers and marks and signs arrive of themselves without being sought. Even when arriving at the end of merit and wisdom later on, the three periods of time are a single time, because thought-moments are not separated.

7.39

Fifth, explaining the arising and cultivating of practice: this consists of the four chapters preached in the fourth assembly upon ascending to the palace of the Yāma heaven, where light was emitted from the tops of the Tathāgata's two feet—namely: 1. the 'Chapter on Ascending to the Palace of the Yāma Heaven', 2. the 'Chapter of Verses of Praise in the Palace of the Yāma Heaven', 3. the 'Chapter on the Ten Practices', and 4. the 'Chapter on the Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries'. In this assembly, the two chapters—the 'Chapter on Ascending to the Palace of the Yāma Heaven' and the 'Chapter of Verses of Praise in the Palace of the Yāma Heaven'—describe the devas welcoming the Buddha, praising the Buddha's virtues, and extolling the excellence of the place. The two chapters—the 'Chapter on the Ten Practices' and the 'Chapter on the Ten Inexhaustible Treasuries'—explain that the wisdom-body is endowed with the practices of Samantabhadra, fully equipped with compassion and wisdom, and possesses the practice gates of principle and wisdom, so that the circumstantial and primary fruitions of merit and wisdom thereby achieved are inexhaustible. That this stage involves emitting light from the tops of the Tathāgata's two feet and preaching upon ascending to the Yāma heaven is to explain that from the peak of Mount Sumeru, reaching where marks are extinguished, one realizes the Buddha's wisdom-body; and upon reaching the Yāma heaven, based on the fundamental wisdom of the emptiness of phenomena, one gives rise to the myriad practice gates of Samantabhadra. The place is used to express the Dharma so as to make it easy to understand, just as those devas are separated from the level of the earth. The devas dwell relying on empty space, which explains that the ten practices are practiced relying on fundamental wisdom and the emptiness of phenomena.

7.40

Sixth, explaining the mutual interpenetration of principle and phenomena: this consists of the three chapters preached in the fifth assembly upon ascending to the Tuṣita heaven palace, where light was emitted from the Tathāgata's knees to teach the ten dedications of merit—namely: 1. the 'Chapter on Ascending to the Palace of the Tuṣita Heaven', 2. the 'Chapter of Verses of Praise in the Palace of the Tuṣita Heaven', and 3. the 'Chapter on the Ten Dedications of Merit'. The preceding two chapters describe the devas welcoming and praising the Tathāgata, reverently extolling the Buddha's virtues, and extolling the excellence of the place. The subsequent one chapter is the actual teaching of the Dharma gates of the ten dedications of merit. 'Dedication of merit' (pariṇāmanā) means causing all phenomenal dharmas to enter into principle. It is called 'dedication of merit' because the phenomenal dharmas of the ten practices enter into the preceding ten abodes so that principle and phenomena are unhindered. The preceding ten abodes are Mañjuśrī's fundamental wisdom of the dharmakāya, and the subsequent ten practices are Samantabhadra's myriad practices; explaining the mutual interpenetration of the essence and function of these two figures is called 'dedication of merit'. Emitting light from the knees explains that principle and phenomena roll up and unfold with ease, just as a person's knees bending, stretching, and turning about all depend upon the knees. Why is this stage taught in the Tuṣita heaven? Because this heaven occupies the middle position within the desire realm, and also sits in the middle among the five stages, five places, and five assemblies in the heavens. Below it are the two assemblies of Indra and Yāma, and above it are the two assemblies of Paranirmitavaśavartin and the Third Dhyāna; since this heaven is in the middle of the desire realm, the ten dedications of merit are taught here to bring about the unhindered integration of principle and phenomena, where fundamental wisdom and discriminating wisdom, wisdom and compassion, are equally harmonized and abide in the Middle Way. Because the place expresses the Dharma, the gate of the ten dedications of merit had to be taught in this place.

7.41

Seventh, explaining the accumulation of cultivation into perfected virtue: this is the single chapter, the 'Chapter on the Ten Grounds', preached in the sixth assembly upon ascending to the palace of the Paranirmitavaśavartin heaven, where light—named 'The Bodhisattva's Blazing Radiance of Power'—was emitted from between the Tathāgata's eyebrows. This light returned to the original locus, completing a cycle with the light emitted from between the Tathāgata's eyebrows in the first assembly. That there is no 'Chapter on Ascending to the Palace of the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven' and no 'Chapter of Verses of Praise' is to explain that at the culmination of the fruit of the ten grounds, one abides in the original palace of the Dharma, eternally pervading everything; the work is finished, practice has reached its utmost, and there is no further ascent or advancement. This is likewise true even up to the Third Dhyāna and the worlds of the ten directions. This is to signify that with the culmination of the fruit, the wisdom of the ten grounds is complete and there is no further cultivation, that one is constantly before all Buddhas manifested before oneself, and that because it is not a new arrival, there is no praise. In this gate of the ten grounds, one merely accumulates merit within the ten abodes, ten practices, and ten dedications of merit to make it seasoned and mature; there is nothing further to dwell on, it is accomplished spontaneously, and it naturally brings all dharmas to complete fullness. Why is the Dharma gate of the ten grounds taught in this heavenly place? Because this heaven takes creations transformed by others to create its own pleasure, it is named the Heaven of Mastering Transformations by Others (Paranirmitavaśavartin). The bodhisattva of this stage acts with compassion and wisdom for the sake of sentient beings, raising clouds of various practices and raining down rains of various dharmas to make this their joy, without any mark of self-mind while performing all marks of practice. Because the place expresses the Dharma, the Dharma gate of the ten grounds had to be taught in this place. According to Master Zang (Fazang), when this chapter was taught there were three empowerments and five requests. Examining the meaning of the sūtra, however, the Buddha granted thirteen kinds of empowerment, and Bodhisattva Vimukticandra and the other bodhisattvas made four requests. That the Buddha granted thirteen kinds of empowerment to Bodhisattva Vajragarbha consists of: first, the Buddhas of other directions gave twelve kinds of empowerment to Bodhisattva Vajragarbha, bidding him to speak; second, Vairocana Tathāgata emitted light from between his eyebrows that illuminated Bodhisattva Vajragarbha's body, and within the light uttered verses urging him to speak. This is the empowerment of light, making thirteen in total. The twelve kinds of empowerment given by the Buddhas of the ten directions are: 1. all Buddhas manifested before him and, with words of praise and comfort, bidded him preach the Dharma; 2. they bestowed ten kinds of wisdom and their own roots of goodness, which is the empowerment according with the Dharma; 3. the Buddhas of the ten directions stroked his crown with their hands, granting permission for him to preach. The praise and comfort with words is the empowerment of vocal karma; the bestowal of the ten kinds of wisdom is the empowerment of wisdom karma; stroking the crown with their hands is the empowerment of bodily karma; Vairocana's illumination from between the eyebrows and preaching the Dharma within the light is the empowerment of Dharma power. In all, combining the vocal praise, the ten wisdoms, the stroking of the crown, and the illumination of light, there are thirteen kinds of empowerment. Bodhisattva Vajragarbha's fourfold request consists of: 1. Vimukticandra raising the doubts of the assembly; 2. requesting Bodhisattva Vajragarbha to preach the Dharma for the assembly; 3. the repeated request; and 4. all the great bodhisattvas requesting together simultaneously, making four requests in all. It is unknown where the 'three empowerments and five requests' came from. If one merely took bodily, vocal, and mental karma as the three empowerments, then when combined with the ten wisdoms, the illumination of Vajragarbha's body from between the eyebrows, and the preaching within the light, those empowerments would be redundant. If one took all the words of praise from the Buddhas of the ten directions bidding him to speak as five requests, the Buddha's station is supremely honored, and according to proper propriety it is inappropriate for him to be considered as making a request. By this principle, there are altogether thirteen kinds of empowerment and a fourfold request. Although the bestowed karma of the ten kinds of wisdom does not differ in wisdom-essence, in order not to be confused about the characteristics of phenomena and to form discriminating wisdom, their functions at the time of application are distinct, and one cannot simply take them as an identical category. Because within the one sameness there are thirteen distinct empowerments and the four repeated requests are all different, the meaning of ascending has already been explained above.

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新華嚴經論 — Classical Chinese