新華嚴經論 7.44

7.44

Tenth, to explain causing ordinary beings to attain actual realization: from the eighth assembly in the Jetavana, the Tathāgata enters the lion-stretch samādhi gate, once again presenting the fruitional virtues of the dharmadhātu to manifest in all worlds, causing them to generate faith and joy and hear the real mark of the Buddha. The five hundred śrāvakas, Maudgalyāyana, and Śāriputra manifested as not hearing, metaphorically conforming with the Two Vehicles in having faith or lack of faith. Just as in the first assembly with the fifty groups, and the ten Bodhisattvas of 'Head' such as Bodhisattva Chief of Awakening, the ten Bodhisattvas of 'Forest' such as Forest of Merit, the ten Bodhisattvas of 'Banner' such as Vajradhvaja, and the thirty-seven Bodhisattvas of 'Treasury' such as Vajragarbha, each having bodhisattvas as numerous as dust motes in ten Buddha-fields gathered together, doubling according to the stage to metaphorically establish the various stages and enable humans, devas, and ordinary beings to attain this dharma-gate. Just as in this assembly, the six thousand bhikṣus were clearly ordinary beings who, in the presence of Mañjuśrī, instantaneously understood the ten ears and ten eyes. Although this assembly gave rise to the aspiration while on the road, their sphere did not depart from the Buddha's assembly. Giving rise to the aspiration on the road symbolizes advancing cultivation, not that they were separate from the Buddha's assembly. Furthermore, in the ninth assembly, to the east of Awakening City, ten thousand dragons, five hundred upāsakas, five hundred upāsikās, five hundred boys, and five hundred girls were all clearly ordinary beings who simultaneously realized the Buddha stage; hence it is now said to cause ordinary beings to attain actual realization. In the ninth assembly, at the site of the great stūpa of an ancient Buddha to the east of Awakening City, Mañjuśrī preached the sutra-gate of universally illuminating the dharmadhātu, whereupon immeasurable dragons attained birth in the human realm, and ten thousand dragons gave rise to the bodhi-mind. The five groups of Awakening City all ascended to the Buddha-fruit, with Sudhana alone mentioned as the leader, and the number five hundred is fundamentally identical in meaning. 'Five hundred' symbolizes the five stages. 'Six thousand' symbolizes the six stages, in which faith is also included. 'Ten thousand dragons' symbolizes the gate of myriad practices; because nothing is established arbitrarily, they all symbolize dharma-gates. The assembly being held at the site of the great stūpa of ancient buddhas clarifies that the path and traces of ancient buddhas and the present Buddha do not differ, being fundamentally the same as within the Tathāgata's assembly. Sudhana's journey south to seek kalyāṇamitras also clarifies advancing cultivation, and further clarifies the characteristic conduct of bodhisattvas in gathering and transforming sentient beings. The tenth assembly is the assembly of all lands, dust motes, empty space, and the dharmadhātu; this pervasion of all lands, dust motes, empty space, the dharmadhātu, and the dust motes and pore-openings of the bodies of sentient beings, creates such endlessly multiplying oceanic assemblies without end. Regarding such dharma-gates of the Buddha-fruit of the dharmadhātu, those who have faith-understanding and initially aspire and realize entry are like the newly born cub of a lion king: although not yet able to exercise sovereign power like the lion king, its lion characteristics are entirely indistinguishable in essence, and all beasts fear it. Those who have faith-understanding and initially aspire and realize entry into this dharma-gate of the Buddha-fruit of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra are also like this: they are able to believe that the nature and marks of their own body and mind are completely identical with the fundamentally true, primordial great wisdom of the Buddha-fruit's own essence. And those who realize entry are identical with the gate of the Buddha-fruit of all tathāgatas; fundamentally without fabrication, their own essence is fully the Buddha. Relying on this true gate, they fully cultivate the differentiated myriad practices, perpetually without beginning or end, in the single true fruitional virtue. Although not yet able to exercise functional power like a Buddha, this is termed the 'seed Buddha'. The seed resides in the field of the body, beginning with faith. Those who realize entry through the power of concentration and wisdom, at the time of initial aspiration at the head of the ten abodes, enter the Buddha's wisdom; this is termed being born into the family of the Buddha as a true child of the Buddha. Because they are identical with the Buddha's wisdom and endowed with all the Tathāgata's good roots, they immediately transcend the Three Vehicles and attain the view of bodhisattvas with superknowledges on the ninth ground and beyond. It is beyond the reach of the wisdom of all beings of the Three Vehicles, humans, devas, and non-Buddhists. Therefore, capable persons of appropriate capacity should single-mindedly receive and practice it.