淨名玄論 7.8

7.8

問：《華嚴》不起寂滅道場，現身七處。此經四會，可得然乎？答：《華嚴》明不起、此經明起，起與不起皆不思議，故《華嚴》稱不思議解脫，此經亦稱不思議解脫也。問：《華嚴》不起道場現身七處，可不思議。此經既四處往反，何名莫測？答：此經四會雖有去來，實無往反，故文殊去而不往、淨名來而不至。來而不至，故無所從來；去而不往，實無所去。故「善來文殊！不來相來」。來既不來相來、去亦不去相去，故來去宛然而實無往反，故名不思議也。問：此經既有二處四會，為有序、正、流通以不？答：准例《華嚴》具含二意，如是六事可兩望之。以初攝初，則屬初會；望於一部，屬序分經。流通亦然。從阿閦佛品歎法美人，以後攝後，屬於後會；若望大段，則屬流通。問：如是六事，蓋是序菴園時應事，但屬初會，云何為序分耶？答：如是六事雖序菴園時處，而為成一經，復得屬大序；流通亦然。

Question: In the Avataṃsaka, without rising from the bodhimaṇḍa of quiet extinction, [the Buddha] manifests his body in seven places. In this sūtra's four assemblies, can that be so? Answer: The Avataṃsaka clarifies not rising; this sūtra clarifies rising. Both rising and not rising are inconceivable; therefore the Avataṃsaka is called the inconceivable liberation, and this sūtra is also called the inconceivable liberation. Question: That the Avataṃsaka manifests bodies in seven places without rising from the bodhimaṇḍa is indeed inconceivable. But since this sūtra goes and comes among four places, how can it be called unfathomable? Answer: Although the four assemblies of this sūtra involve going and coming, in reality there is no traversing back and forth; hence Mañjuśrī departs without going, and Vimalakīrti arrives without coming. Because he arrives without coming, there is nowhere from which he comes; because he departs without going, there is nowhere he goes. Thus: 'Welcome, Mañjuśrī! You have come with the characteristic of not coming.' Since coming is coming with the characteristic of not coming, and going is also going with the characteristic of not going, coming and going are apparent yet in reality there is no back and forth; therefore it is named inconceivable. Question: Since this sūtra has two locations and four assemblies, does it have an introduction, main body, and dissemination section, or not? Answer: Following the precedent of the Avataṃsaka, it contains both meanings; the six items can be viewed in two ways. Considering the beginning to subsume the beginning, it belongs to the first assembly; looking at the entire work, it belongs to the introductory section of the sūtra. Dissemination is also like this. From praising the Dharma and extolling persons in the Akṣobhya Buddha Chapter onward, considering the end to subsume the end, it belongs to the later assembly; looking at the major sections, it belongs to dissemination. Question: The six items merely introduce the responsive events at Āmrapālī's garden, belonging solely to the first assembly; how can they be the introductory section [of the whole]? Answer: Although the six items introduce the time and place of Āmrapālī's garden, in order to complete the whole sūtra, they may also belong to the grand introduction; dissemination is also like this.