淨名玄論 7.14

7.14

In the initial assembly in the ten-foot square room, there were only the near congregation of Vaiśālī and no distant congregation from other directions; only a human congregation and no heavenly congregation; only a lay congregation and no renunciant congregation; only a Dharma-listening congregation and no debate-provoking congregation. Therefore, he expounded the Dharma gates in brief, the benefit was still small, and it did not vent the great being's purpose in manifesting illness. In the initial assembly in the Āmrapālī grove, all congregations were complete: ordinary and noble, near and far, lay and renunciant, hidden and manifest, great and small. In the repeated gathering in the ten-foot square room and the repeated assembly in the Āmrapālī grove, the congregations were all the same; therefore he was able to expound the Dharma gates extensively, bringing abundant benefits and venting the intention of manifesting illness. Question: This sūtra is subsumed under the Bodhisattva Piṭaka. Furthermore, it explains the Dharma gate of inconceivable liberation, which transcends the sphere of the two vehicles; thus it should only instruct bodhisattvas. Why is there also a śrāvaka congregation? Furthermore, the Dazhidulun says, "The Buddha expounded the Sūtra of Inconceivable Liberation in one hundred thousand gāthās for the great bodhisattvas," which is the Avataṃsaka Sūtra. The Hīnayāna sitting in the Avataṃsaka [assembly] could neither see nor hear, because they had not planted the causes and conditions to hear this Mahāyāna. This sūtra is also called [a teaching of] inconceivable liberation; why could the śrāvakas in the assembly see and hear it? Answer: The Fahua xuanlun has already explained this fully. What remains incomplete will now be further explained. According to the meaning of the Dazhidulun, it clarifies that the Avataṃsaka was spoken for the great bodhisattvas, and the Hīnayāna did not hear it; Vimalakīrti and others were spoken universally for persons of the great and small, shallow and deep, so the two vehicles were able to hear it. Thus the Avataṃsaka clarifies inconceivable events that are profound, whereas Vimalakīrti explains inconceivable events that are shallow; although both are inconceivable, there are shallow and deep, hence there are hearing and not hearing. By analogy, although both are prajñā, some are spoken in common with the three vehicles, while some are spoken exclusively for great bodhisattvas, which even those of the ninth bhūmi do not hear, let alone the two vehicles. Question: The treatise says, "Among all sūtras, Prajñā is the greatest"; why do the three vehicles get to hear Prajñā, yet do not hear the Avataṃsaka? Answer: Although Prajñā is great, it mostly expounds the exceedingly profound principles and phenomena of upāya and real wisdom; persons of the two vehicles possess a small share, so they are able to hear it. The Avataṃsaka mostly explains real wisdom and upāya, explaining the inconceivable in terms of phenomena; then the two vehicles are utterly devoid of a share, so they are unable to hear it. Furthermore, in broadly classifying śrāvakas, there are two kinds: first, actual practitioners; second, provisional practitioners. Among the actual practitioners there are again two kinds: first, those who retreated from the great and studied the small; second, those who originally studied the Hīnayāna. As for those who retreated from the great and studied the small, regarding the beginning and end of a single teaching career, there are in all four periods: first, the great capacity is not yet ripe; second, the small faculty is already matured; third, the small attachment is about to shift and the great capacity is stirred from afar; fourth, the small attachment is directly overturned and the great capacity is directly ripe. In the beginning and end of a single teaching career, there are only these four. As for the great capacity not yet being ripe: when the Buddha first attained the Way, he expounded the Avataṃsaka Sūtra for the bodhisattvas, wishing to convert them with the great Dharma. But the small capacity was not capable, and therefore he ceased teaching. As the Lotus Sūtra says: "The elder sat on the lion throne, surrounded by attendants, with precious objects arrayed; he then dispatched a bystander to pursue and catch the impoverished son. The impoverished son was terrified, and his father thereupon released him." This refers to the events of the Avataṃsaka period. Because the great capacity was not yet ripe, although they were in the Avataṃsaka assembly, they could neither see nor hear.