天台菩薩戒疏 3.22

3.22

Regarding "The Chapter on King Tianguang": the chapter is titled after the bodhisattva's name. Question: Why is the sequential list of the ten places repeated multiple times? Answer: The first sequence generally recounts both the central dais and petals, listing the ten places together. Next, from "At that time" down to "was also like this," it demonstrates the eight aspects [of attaining enlightenment] and the ten places of the first life: entering the celestial palace is ascending to Tuṣita; preaching at the ten places is turning the wheel of the Dharma; entering the womb, abiding in the womb, and emerging from the womb are all subsumed under descending to be born; leaving home and attaining enlightenment constitute seven aspects, while nirvāṇa is omitted. Next, from "I now" down to "purity," it briefly lists the remaining lives. The ten places specifically clarify the converting methods of this world; thus we know that in repeatedly manifesting the attainment of true enlightenment, he successively traverses the ten places to embrace those with karmic affinity, goes to the dwelling of [Rocana] to receive the bodhisattva treasury, and expounds the Buddha's mind-ground for others up above, until at last entering nirvāṇa, which is called returning to the sudden [teaching]. Because this text belongs to the initial [period], the four flavors are omitted. Question: This conclusion does not match the assemblies and locations in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra; why is that? Answer: The transmission of the sūtras was not exhaustive, and there are differences in breadth and brevity. Thus, the present text adds five places beyond that [sūtra]: the heaven of delighting in transformations, and the first, second, third, and fourth dhyāna heavens. The Avataṃsaka Sūtra says "without rising from the original seat," whereas this text speaks of arising and expounding; the sacred transformations are difficult to fathom, being manifested and recounted according to the capacities of beings, and so forth.