華嚴一乘教義分齊章 4.55

4.55

The explanations of the above ten approaches and the ten meanings in the root text above all converge and fuse simultaneously, forming a single approach of the complete endowment of virtues in the dependent origination of the dharmadhātu. When attentively observing the realm of the universal eye, at other times it lies entirely within the mind of great understanding, great practice, and great hearing and seeing. Yet, any one of these ten approaches gathers the remaining approaches, leaving none unexhausted; one should harmonize them through the upāya of the six characteristics. This should be followed as a standard. All that has been explained above merely demonstrates briefly the meaning of dependent origination of the distinct teaching of the One Vehicle. Furthermore, the other phenomenal characteristics therein, the questions and answers resolving doubts, and whether they are identical with or distinct from the Three Vehicles, as well as what they designate and establish as upāya, are fully explained in the sūtras, treatises, commentaries, Kongmu [zhang], and Q&As, being entirely distinct from those Three Vehicles. One should broadly reflect according to the realm of the universal eye in the Avataṃsaka-sūtra. Question: 'That the principles above are distinct from the meanings of the Three Vehicles is indeed believable. But by what textual authority is it proven that there is a One Vehicle distinct from the Three Vehicles?' Answer: 'This sūtra itself contains explicit text. Thus a verse says: 'Among the types of living beings in all worlds, / Few seek the path of the śrāvakas; / Those who seek the pratyekabuddha [path] are even fewer; / Those who seek the Mahāyāna are extremely rare. / Yet seeking the Mahāyāna is still easy; / Being able to believe in this Dharma is exceedingly difficult.' Truly because this Dharma surpasses conceptual thought and is difficult to believe, the Holy One made a comparative determination with the Three Vehicles. Again, a verse says: 'If sentient beings are inferior and base, / And their minds are dejected in revulsion, / They are shown the path of the śrāvakas / To lead them out of all suffering.' This is the Hīnayāna. 'If there are again sentient beings / Whose faculties are somewhat sharp and clear, / Who delight in the dharma of causes and conditions, / For them the pratyekabuddha [path] is spoken.' This is the Middle Vehicle. 'If a person's faculties are sharp and clear, / Having great loving-kindness and compassion, / Benefiting all sentient beings, / For them the bodhisattva path is spoken.' This is the Mahāyāna. 'If they have the supreme mind, / Decisively aspiring to the great matter, / For them the buddha-body is manifested, / And the inexhaustible buddha-dharmas are spoken.' This is the One Vehicle. Because this One Vehicle cannot be received by inferior capacities, the Great Sage skillfully spoke a little expediently within the stages of the Three Vehicles in accordance with their capacities and desires. Because they did not exhaust the source of the dharmadhātu, he provisionally manifested the two bodies, three bodies, and other buddhas. Only now, for those with such supreme-minded capacities who delight in the great matter, does he begin to manifest the realm of the ten bodies of the Buddha and speak the inexhaustible buddha-dharmas; this is called manifesting the buddha-body and speaking the inexhaustible buddha-dharmas. The Three Vehicles merely follow capacities and have not yet manifested the self-realm of the ten bodies of the buddhas; hence they do not 'manifest the buddha-body'. Moreover, they merely speak briefly in accordance with capacities of the principle of one characteristic, one tranquility, one taste, and so forth, rather than speaking exhaustively. Why? Because the Three Vehicles take this endlessness as a fault, whereas this One Vehicle takes endlessness as real virtue. Furthermore, this sūtra says: 'In a single world, those who hear the One Vehicle spoken / May be two, three, four, five, / Or even an immeasurable number of vehicles.' This is spoken based on the divisions between root and branch. The textual meaning of the holy teaching is evident; one must not cling to emotional attachments and be alarmed.'