新華嚴經論 9.6

9.6

In expounding this entire sūtra from beginning to end, the forms and appearances of the assemblies total two hundred and twenty-eight groups; the bodily types of the retinues adorning the bodhimaṇḍa each differ in kind. The events and intentions in each assembly all signify something, which will become clear when reaching each stage, and cannot be captured in a mere outline. For now, the first chapter contains forty-five assemblies, whose symbolic meanings are given below and will be explained upon reaching the text. The scriptural text is vast, and explaining it in advance is difficult to understand; it can only be pointed out in relation to the specific matter, so that the Dao is preserved where the eyes see. As in the previous six-section division of the sūtra's meaning: in the first assembly on first attaining right awakening, there are six chapters in total, comprising eleven fascicles. Among them, the chapter titles are: first, Chapter on the Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the World; second, Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata's Marks; third, Chapter on Samantabhadra's Samādhi; fourth, Chapter on the Formation of the World; fifth, Chapter on the Floral Treasury World; sixth, Chapter on Vairocana. These six chapters have six purposes in the initial assembly. In this initial assembly, from 'Thus have I heard' onward, there are the introductory section, the main exposition section, and the dissemination section; it is the same for the remaining assemblies. From the six characters 'Thus have I heard: At one time' up to 'first attained right awakening' is the introductory section. From 'The ground was solid, made of diamond' onward is the main exposition section. Up to 'the earth shook and flowers rained down' is the dissemination section. From within the main exposition section, the cause and effect of the Tathāgata's attainment of Buddhahood are expounded, and the fifty assemblies of bodhisattvas, spirits, and devas represent the assemblies of the Buddha's own practice and benefit to sentient beings, enabling the assembled bodhisattvas to see and know cause and effect, and displaying the attainment of the path and entry into the Dharma, which is identical to the Dharma known and seen by the Buddha, serving as a model for later practitioners. This is because from the ordinary person's entry into the Dharma, it is identical to the Buddha's knowledge and vision. The meaning of 'at the moment of initial aspiration, one immediately attains right awakening' arises from this. The subsequent assemblies each have their own introductory sections, which will be clarified when reaching the text. The general section on entrustment and dissemination is in the Chapter on the Manifestation of the Tathāgata, which was already described earlier, like the simile of the wheel-turning king's eldest son.