華嚴五十要問答 1.2

1.2

As for the Fifty Essential Questions and Answers in two fascicles, the Venerable of Yunhua, the Second Patriarch of the Avataṃsaka [tradition], gathered the essential meanings of the Flower Adornment and engaged in repeated examination and inquiry to resolve its vital points in over fifty topics; it may truly be called a paragon for doctrinal study. Now, Master [Zhi]yan received the teaching of accord with the nature from the Great Master Dixin. His compositions are quite numerous: the so-called Souxuan, Kongmu, Shixuan, this work, and others; those among later students who take these as their path are not few. Nevertheless, according to the customs of our country, secret books are not lightly permitted to be printed and engraved, causing lovers of antiquity to scratch their heads in frustration. Formerly, passing through a famous monastery, I searched and obtained this work. Although I thought to disseminate it, the majority of the text had omissions and errors and was insufficient to rely upon, so it lay discarded at the bottom of my book-box for a long time. This year, fortunately obtaining a good edition, I collated and checked them, supplemented its missing slips, corrected its errors, appended Japanese reading marks (kunten) alongside, and then committed it to the woodblocks. It is hoped that to the farthest regions and for all time the great teaching may spread everywhere, causing students to see the interfusion [of phenomena] in a sea of hair-tips and to realize the dharmadhātu in the present moment.