淨名玄論 7.38

7.38

次明雖有四會但有三時。從經初至〈不二法門〉，明食前說法利物。次〈香積品〉初，食時益物。三從食香積飯竟經，食後益物。次明會雖有四，合為三門。從初會至〈菩薩品〉，破三種病門。二從〈問疾〉竟〈香積〉，示修行門。三從菴園重會，辨行成德立門。此三門即次第三病，妨菩薩道，故須先破。三病既息，始得修菩薩行，故有第二修行門。三病既息，二慧又成，則菩薩因圓、法身果滿，故有第三門。此三門，無教不收、無病不破，無行不立、無果不圓。就此三門，又各開三。初門三者，第一〈佛國〉及〈方便〉二品，破凡夫病。次〈弟子品〉，破二乘病。第三〈菩薩品〉，破菩薩病。三人具三病，亦得一人始終具有三病也。第二修行門有三者，初從〈問疾〉至〈佛道品〉，明二慧門。方便實慧則離凡夫行，實慧方便則離二乘行。第二〈不二法門〉，明此二慧由不二而成，即辨二慧之本。第三從〈香積品〉既了不二之本，便有不二觀而二，明二慧之用。後門三者，〈菩薩行品〉，明十方佛土無礙，即無礙行。二從不盡不住，明善巧行。三〈見阿閦佛品〉，明本跡二身果，初破凡夫病。二會不同，初會說淨土因果，令凡夫捨於穢因、修淨土之業。次會說法身因果，令凡夫捨生死之因、修法身之因。故二會破凡夫依正兩因，令求如來依正兩果。問：此二會並化二乘菩薩，云何獨為凡夫？答：通而為論，具為三人。望三品次第，後既破聲聞及菩薩，故前破凡夫也。問：經但有四會，無三章之文，何故橫生穿鑿？答：《華嚴》七處八會，不依會處科文，而別束會處自為章段。今亦然矣。義有條例，幸勿疑之。問：《華嚴》從地昇天，表五十二位階級不同，可得分淺深為異。今無此事，何故例同？答：《華嚴》從地昇天、從天還地，既得約處以表法門。今從菴園以至方丈、方丈還至菴園，何故不得辨其階級？問：《華嚴》前地處會，明依正二果；次昇天，明三十心十地因行；從天還地，重明果門。今可得爾不？答：亦有此意。初二會明佛依正二果，〈弟子品〉去始明修因。後還菴園，還須明果。又問：《華嚴》辨性起，正明收前因果歸正法，從正法更起因果。此經亦有不？答：亦有此義。如不二法門，收前二歸不二，從不二更起二用。問：《華嚴》明二乘不見聞，此經亦有不？答：亦爾。聞是不可思議，如盲人見色，亦有此意。問：《華嚴》辨因，有三十心、十地果、有法身淨土。此經具不？答：《華嚴》別論階級，故諸位不同。此經但明二慧，不判淺深。若就文辨之，亦總相明位。如破凡夫二乘令入十信，破菩薩令從內凡以登初地，初地進行乃至進佛果。問：何故二經相似？答：二經同名不可思議解脫，又同佛菩薩說之。如肇公云「命文殊於異方、召維摩於他土，爰集毘耶，共弘斯道。」即遠加之義，故大格相似。舊經師既無此釋，希熟思之，勿驚疑也。初七科正釋所說法門，後總束四會科為三章。經意多含，一塗不盡，希鑽味之徒勿咎其煩而不要耶。

Next, to explain that although there are four assemblies, there are only three times. From the beginning of the sūtra up to the "Dharma Gate of Nonduality" [Chapter], it explains preaching the Dharma before the meal to benefit beings. Next, the beginning of the "Gathering of Fragrances Chapter" [explains] benefiting beings during the meal. Third, from after eating the fragrant rice to the end of the sūtra, it [explains] benefiting beings after the meal. Next, to explain that although there are four assemblies, they are combined into three gates. From the first assembly to the "Bodhisattva Chapter" is the gate of refuting the three kinds of illness. Second, from "Inquiring about Illness" to the end of the "Gathering of Fragrances", it reveals the gate of cultivation and practice. Third, from the reassembly in the Āmrapālī Grove, it distinguishes the gate of practice completed and virtue established. These three gates follow this order: the three illnesses obstruct the bodhisattva path, so they must first be refuted. Once the three illnesses have ceased, one can begin to cultivate bodhisattva practice; hence there is the second gate of cultivation and practice. Once the three illnesses have ceased and the two wisdoms are also achieved, then the bodhisattva's cause is fulfilled and the fruition of the dharmakāya is perfected; hence there is the third gate. These three gates subsume all teachings, refute all illnesses, establish all practices, and perfect all fruitions. Regarding these three gates, each again divides into three. As for the three of the first gate: first, the two chapters, "Buddha Land" and "Upāya", refute the illness of ordinary worldlings. Next, the "Disciples Chapter" refutes the illness of the two vehicles. Third, the "Bodhisattva Chapter" refutes the illness of bodhisattvas. The three types of persons possess the three illnesses, and a single person from beginning to end may also possess all three illnesses. As for the three of the second gate of cultivation and practice: first, from "Inquiring about Illness" to the "Buddha Path Chapter", it explains the gate of the two wisdoms. Expedient real wisdom transcends the practice of ordinary worldlings; real expedient wisdom transcends the practice of the two vehicles. Second, the "Dharma Gate of Nonduality" explains that these two wisdoms are achieved through nonduality, which distinguishes the root of the two wisdoms. Third, from the "Gathering of Fragrances Chapter", once one understands the root of nonduality, there is then the nondual contemplation that manifests duality, explaining the function of the two wisdoms. As for the three of the final gate: the "Bodhisattva Practice Chapter" explains the unobstructedness of the buddha lands of the ten directions, which is unimpeded practice. Second, from non-exhaustion and non-abiding, it explains skillful practice. Third, the "Seeing Akṣobhya Buddha Chapter" explains the fruition of the two bodies of root and trace, initially refuting the illness of ordinary worldlings. The two assemblies differ: the first assembly expounds the cause and fruition of the pure land, causing ordinary worldlings to abandon defiled causes and cultivate the karma of the pure land. The next assembly expounds the cause and fruition of the dharmakāya, causing ordinary worldlings to abandon the cause of saṃsāra and cultivate the cause of the dharmakāya. Therefore, the two assemblies refute both the environmental and personal causes of ordinary worldlings, leading them to seek the Tathāgata's two fruitions of environment and person. Question: Both of these assemblies transform the two vehicles and bodhisattvas; why are they solely for ordinary worldlings? Answer: Speaking generally, they are provided for all three types of persons. In view of the sequence of the three chapters, since the śrāvakas and bodhisattvas are refuted later, ordinary worldlings are refuted first. Question: The sūtra only has four assemblies and has no text dividing it into three sections; why fabricate distinctions arbitrarily? Answer: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra has seven places and eight assemblies, but it does not divide the text according to the assemblies and places, instead grouping the assemblies and places independently to form sections and passages. Here it is also like this. There are rules and principles for this meaning, so please do not doubt it. Question: In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, ascending from earth to heaven signifies the differences among the fifty-two stages, so one can distinguish differences of shallow and deep. Here there is no such thing; why make an analogy to it? Answer: In the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, ascending from earth to heaven and returning from heaven to earth can indeed express Dharma gates in relation to place. Here, going from the Āmrapālī Grove to the ten-foot-square room, and from the ten-foot-square room returning to the Āmrapālī Grove, why should one not distinguish stages thereby? Question: The earlier assemblies in earthly places in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra explain the two fruitions of environment and person; next, ascending to heaven explains the causal practices of the thirty minds and the ten grounds; returning from heaven to earth again explains the gate of fruition. Can it be so here? Answer: There is also this intention. The first two assemblies explain the Buddha's two fruitions of environment and person, and only from the "Disciples Chapter" onward does it begin to explain the cultivation of causes. Returning to the Āmrapālī Grove later must again explain fruition. Another question: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra distinguishes nature-origination, directly explaining the subsumption of the preceding cause and fruition into the true Dharma, and from the true Dharma again generating cause and fruition. Does this sūtra also have this? Answer: It also has this meaning. Like the Dharma gate of nonduality, it subsumes the preceding duality back into nonduality, and from nonduality again generates the two functions. Question: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra explains that the two vehicles do not see or hear; does this sūtra also have this? Answer: It is also like that. Hearing this inconceivable [Dharma] is like a blind person seeing color; there is also this intention. Question: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra distinguishes causes as having the thirty minds and the ten grounds, and fruitions as having the dharmakāya and the pure land. Does this sūtra have these completely? Answer: The Avataṃsaka Sūtra treats stages separately, so the various stages differ. This sūtra only explains the two wisdoms and does not divide shallow and deep. If distinguished according to the text, it also explains stages in a general way. For instance, refuting ordinary worldlings and the two vehicles causes them to enter the ten faiths; refuting bodhisattvas causes them to ascend from internal ordinary beings to the first ground; and on the first ground they advance in practice all the way to the buddha fruition. Question: Why are the two sūtras similar? Answer: Both sūtras are named inconceivable liberation, and both are spoken by buddhas and bodhisattvas. As Master Sengzhao said, 'Commanding Mañjuśrī from a different region, summoning Vimalakīrti from another land, they gathered in Vaiśālī to propagate this path together.' That is the meaning of being remotely empowered, so their broad frameworks are similar. Since previous sūtra masters did not have this explanation, I hope you will ponder it deeply and not be startled or skeptical. The first seven headings properly explain the Dharma gates preached, and later the four assemblies are summarized into three sections. The sūtra's meaning is manifold and cannot be exhausted by a single path; let those who delve into its flavor not fault it for being detailed and unnecessary!