華嚴五十要問答 1.26

1.26

Question: What are the temporal limits of all the general and particular karmas in the cultivation of the path across the teachings? Answer: According to the Hīnayāna teaching, all the general retribution karmas of the factors of awakening are cultivated successively from the initial arising of the mind [of awakening]; at the verge of becoming a buddha, in the final mind of the tenth ground, one separately cultivates the karma of the marks and signs for one hundred kalpas, which is real and not illusory. According to the triyāna, in the initial teaching it is illusory and not real. According to the final teaching and direct advancement bodhisattvas, all are cultivated together from the arising of the mind onward; after the end of the tenth ground, there is no separate cultivation of the karma of the marks and signs for one hundred kalpas. According to the Ekayāna teaching, in part it is identical to the final teaching: since one achieves buddhahood and accomplishes the bodhisattva practice already from the ten faiths onward, there is also no separate time to cultivate separate karma for the marks and signs. Why is this? The manifestation of cultivating the karma of the marks and signs after the tenth ground is done to convert the śrāvakas, because śrāvakas cultivate the wisdom-portion exclusively and do not cultivate the merit-portion. Now, manifesting separate cultivation is in order to reveal their faithful mind, reverence, and love free from pride.