華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 1.4

1.4

Regarding the ten gates critically distinguishing the purport of the entire sūtra in the first assembly: critically distinguishing the meanings indicated in the subsequent text at the beginning of "Thus have I heard" in the first assembly, there are roughly ten gates, namely: persons and dharmas, principle and phenomena, meanings and texts, understanding and practice, [and] causes and effects. First, host and retinue are established to clarify the main objective. "Persons" refers to the transforming master and those assisting the transformation, etc.; their depth and shallowness, breadth and narrowness can be universally inferred accordingly. "Persons" are precisely the Buddhas and bodhisattvas. As for "depth and shallowness," it refers to [the differences] from the three wretched destinies, humans and devas, the two vehicles, to the bodhisattvas. In evoking and accomplishing the Buddhas and bodhisattvas through the gradual teaching, sudden teaching, and perfect teaching, their depth and shallowness are not identical; the breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of dharmas, in terms of stages, from the initial non-retrogression up to the various stages of the ultimate ten stages (daśabhūmi), the differences in seeing the dharmas are all not identical; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of principle, from the truth known to the world at the outset, up to the ultimate realization of the dharmadhātu's liberation and mastery, they are all not identical; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of phenomena, from ordinary beings and the extreme icchantikas, up to the places of the glowing, radiant heavenly light, unhindered liberation, the Dharma hall, and the pure land, their phenomenal characteristics are not identical; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of understanding, teachings have the differences of esoteric and revealed, which cause the arising of understanding, non-understanding, and so forth; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of practice, just as the hare and horse [cross the river] with their respective distinct divisions, causing their karmic practices to also differ; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of meanings, the distinctions between the Triyāna and Ekayāna are not identical, causing the meanings expressed to be diverse in depth and shallowness; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of texts, because the expressing texts have the differences of spoken words and wordlessness, their depth and shallowness are not one; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of causes, in terms of their nominal categories, from the initial six causes and four conditions, next the currently arising and drawing forth, up to the twenty causes, etc., to finally mutually acting as causes, etc. If distinguishing the depth and shallowness of causes in terms of principle, from the initial realm of attachment to dharmas, up to the true causes and conditions of dharma-selflessness, the six meanings of the cause of dharma-selflessness, etc., depth and shallowness are not identical; breadth and narrowness are also like this. As for the depth and shallowness of effects, from the initial outflow-congruent fruit, conditioned fruit, virile fruit, liberation fruit, and ripening fruit and retribution of the mundane and supramundane, to the supramundane, up to the ultimate Buddha, they are not identical; breadth and narrowness are also like this. The meanings of the above ten gates are skillfully harmonized and merged by all Buddhas within the roundly pervasive and unfettered dharmadhātu, and are not separated from seeing, hearing, realizing, and attaining the subtle and minute Indra's liberation, clairvoyance, and illumination of Samantabhadra before they are ultimate.