淨名玄論 7.38

7.38

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!