華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 1.8

1.8

When the text of the sūtra speaks of 'entering the unsurpassable path,' it corresponds to the gradual teaching. 'The stage of inexhaustible merit and wisdom' corresponds to the mature teaching division. 'Within the sea of the nature of vows' corresponds to the sudden teaching division. This is stated in terms of the demarcation where parikalpita is extinguished. Furthermore, 'entering the unsurpassable path' refers to the final teaching and its doctrine within the sudden and mature teachings. 'The stage of inexhaustible merit and wisdom' refers to the doctrine and meaning of Samantabhadra's understanding and practice division. 'Within the sea of the nature of vows' corresponds to the perfect teaching, which applies from the realized division onward, and may also be understood as Samantabhadra's practices and vows. The names and teachings of these vehicles are explained fully in questions and answers. Now, regarding the following sūtra text, in terms of the meaning of the five vehicles, there are three types: First, humans and devas together make one; second, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas together make the second; third, the initial and final gradual teachings together make the third; fourth, the sudden teaching alone makes one; fifth, the Ekayāna alone makes one—amounting to five vehicles in all. Second, humans are one, devas are one, śrāvakas are one, pratyekabuddhas are one, and the Mahāyāna is one. Third, devas are one, Brahmā is one, śrāvakas are one, pratyekabuddhas are one, and Tathāgatas are one. Converging those five vehicles to form the non-conceptual, mark-free Ekayāna is set forth in the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. As for ordinary beings in the vehicle of humans and devas, the Buddha condescends to ordinary beings, conforming with those humans and devas, leading ordinary beings to cultivate human and deva merit. Since it lacks the undefiled (anāsrava), it does not distinguish [the paths of] seeing and cultivation, but merely discusses worldly dhyāna, achieving worldly cultivation. With respect to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas and those of the two vehicles who turn their minds, both are discussed in terms of seeing and cultivation, thereby reaching the ultimate, becoming Buddhas or becoming arhats. From the twelve abodes of the Hīnayāna position, combining the four fruits and so forth, together they constitute twelve abodes. The twelve abodes are: 1. the abode of the śrāvaka's own gotra; 2. the abode of skillful means for entering correctness without skipping stages to attain realization; 3. the abode of skipping stages to attain realization; 4. the abode of obtaining indestructible purity, relishing the noble precepts, and proceeding upward to the exhaustion of outflows; 5. the abode of generating [qualities] relying on the training in higher morality and higher thought; 6, 7, and 8. the abodes of obtaining the cognition of the ultimate truth and training in higher wisdom; 9. the abode of contemplation generating the markless samādhi; 10. the abode of ultimate marklessness; 11. the abode of training in liberation; 12. the abode of the arhat of all modes. For direct-advancing bodhisattvas, a single person has the ten bhūmis, and only after passing through [the paths of] seeing and cultivation does one attain Buddhahood; the Mahāyāna twelve abodes are also taught. The twelve abodes are: 1. the gotra abode; 2. the abode of understanding and practice; 3. the pure-mind abode; 4. the higher-morality abode; 5. the higher-thought abode; 6. the higher-wisdom abode; 7. the abode of wisdom conforming to the truths; 8. the abode of wisdom conforming to pratītyasamutpāda; 9. the markless abode with activity and initiation; 10. the markless abode without activity and initiation; 11. the unimpeded-wisdom abode; 12. the abode of the supreme bodhisattva. The position of the mature teaching does not share the previous meaning: prior to the first bhūmi there is samsaric death in portions, and those who have previously attained the undefiled also have inconceivable transformation death; from the first bhūmi upward through the completion of the tenth bhūmi there is inconceivable transformation death; only after completing the ten bhūmis does one initially become a Buddha. In the sudden teaching, all stages of practice are ineffable, because they are devoid of marks. This is stated according to the skillful means of the Triyāna. If one relies on the all-pervading teaching of the Ekayāna, because meanings are unfettered and the universal and particular mutually complete each other, there are no distinctions of prior and subsequent, initial and final, shallow and deep, near and far, etc.; once one does not retrogress, one clearly attains that Dharma of Samantabhadra. Comparing it to the mature teaching, it is the stage from the fulfillment of the ten faiths onward. In that stage of Samantabhadra, regarding that dharma of understanding and practice and the meaning attained, there are only the two distinct meanings of intrinsic capacity and superior progress: his body resides in the stage of a cakravartin of the pure jewel net, possessing realms such as the ten eyes and ten ears. If strictly determined according to the demarcation of the dharma of understanding and practice, he has only not yet attained the vimalasamādhi. That vimalasamādhi is the concentration prior to receiving the abhiseka; his body abides in the realm of the nature of world-systems and above, while in the position of the fleshy eye of universal vision he sees the realms of the ten directions. If one realizes the stage of Samantabhadra, it resides in the stage of the ten bhūmis of the skillful means of the six characteristics. Why? Because relying on the realized meaning of the ten bhūmis, one converges with the universal Dharma. If one realizes that body upon which Samantabhadra's understanding and practice relies, one may also become the body of devaputras in that Tuṣita heaven, emerging from the three evil destinies to be born in that heaven, obtaining a body free from adversities, and accomplishing Samantabhadra's dharma of understanding and practice. Like the body of the nāga girl in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, its meaning corresponds to a body born together through the retention of defilements. Why? Because such persons have all planted many good roots in the past. Nor is it identical to a phantom body. Why? Because the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra adduces her swift accomplishment of rare, superior practice to witness to the supremacy of its teaching; if it were a phantom body, it would not be rare. If discussed according to the demarcation of eradicating defilements, according to the 'Samantabhadra Chapter', one obstacle is all obstacles. According to the 'Minor Characteristics Chapter', in the demarcation of severing defilements, one severance is all severances. As the text of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra states, 'Internally and externally there are each five hundred afflictions and eighty-four thousand afflictions; their universal extinction is not differentiated.' Hence one knows this. Why? Because it is stated with respect to the limit of saṃsāra. Furthermore, at the stage of the cakravartin of the pure jewel net, there is a fixed-light crystal mirror whose radiance shines upon worlds as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha lands. Testing by this, one should know that the merit-portion of the stage of the cakravartin of the pure jewel net is not small. If its functioning is initiated, it causes immeasurable sentient beings to generate the irreversible bodhicitta and generate anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi, and abide in the stage of anutpattika-dharma-kṣānti across the ten bhūmis; it only lacks a small portion of the vimalasamādhi. The remaining virtues, functions, realms, and demarcations of seeing the Buddha of this stage are fully contained in the text of the sūtra. Furthermore, the meaning of the Ekayāna has two distinctions: first, the true vehicle; second, the expedient vehicle. The true vehicle is as taught in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra and distinguished previously. As for the expedient vehicle, there are ten distinctions: 1. Distinguishing with respect to the Three Jewels: The Buddha Jewel is the Ekayāna Dharma, while the Saṅgha belongs to the Triyāna. Why? Because the Buddha is equally inexhaustible, whereas the Dharma and Saṅgha are indeterminate. 2. Distinguishing with respect to the four truths: Nirodha-satya is the Ekayāna, and the other three truths are the Triyāna. Why? Because nirodha is equally inexhaustible, whereas the three truths are indeterminate. 3. Distinguishing with respect to the two truths: The ultimate truth is the Ekayāna, and saṃvṛti-satya is the Triyāna. Why? Because paramārtha-satya is equally inexhaustible, whereas saṃvṛti-satya is indeterminate. 4. Distinguishing with respect to faults: That which has no terror is the Ekayāna, and that which has terror is the Triyāna. Why? Because like the tathāgatagarbha and so forth, relying upon it is faultless, being identical to the inexhaustible. The six consciousnesses, mental factors, and cognition—these seven dharmas do not abide for an instant; they do not plant multiple sufferings, nor can they weary of suffering and happily seek nirvāṇa, because they are conventional truth and unfreely depend upon conditions. 5. Distinguishing with respect to persons and wisdom: There are three kinds of persons who achieve three kinds of wisdom. The three kinds of wisdom are: first, a good man or good woman who achieves profound dharma-wisdom is one person; second, a man or woman who achieves conforming dharma-wisdom is the second person; third, a man or woman who does not personally understand the profound dharmas, but looks up and defers to the World-Honoured One, [thinking] 'this is not my realm, it is known only to the Buddha,' is the third person. The first person possesses Ekayāna wisdom, while the latter two persons possess Triyāna wisdom. Why? The first wisdom is realized cognition, and this realized cognition is equally inexhaustible; the latter two wisdoms have not realized the true Dharma, and are indeterminate. This is based on the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra. 6. Distinguishing with respect to whether the understood dharma is false or accords with reality without discrimination: Understanding the meaning by following the letter is the Triyāna Dharma; knowing falsity and according with non-discrimination is the Ekayāna Dharma. Why? Because according with non-discrimination is equally inexhaustible, whereas grasping according to the letter is indeterminate. This is based on the doctrine of the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra. 7. Distinguishing with respect to the Ekayāna, Triyāna, and Hīnayāna: The Ekayāna is the Ekayāna, while the Triyāna and so forth are the Triyāna. Why? Because the Ekayāna is inexhaustible, whereas the Triyāna and so forth are indeterminate. 8. Distinguishing with respect to the Mahāyāna, Madhyamayāna, and Hīnayāna: The Mahāyāna is the Ekayāna. Why? Because the Mahāyāna is supreme and therefore inexhaustible; the meanings of the Madhyamayāna and Hīnayāna are indeterminate, as the sūtra converges the three back to the one. 9. Distinguishing with respect to the worldly, transworldly, and super-transworldly: The super-transworldly is the Ekayāna, while the rest are the Triyāna. Why? Because the super-transworldly is superior, being equally inexhaustible, while the other two are indeterminate. As in the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra, demanding a distinct cart in the open ground outside the burning house illustrates this. 10. Distinguishing with respect to parables: The bright pearl in the king's topknot and the great king are the Ekayāna precious pearl; tying it inside the clothing, the impoverished son, and so forth are the Triyāna. Why? Because the king's topknot pearl is secret and extremely profound, whereas the rest are indeterminate. This is based on the Saddharmapuṇḍarīka Sūtra. What has been distinguished above aims to reveal the Ekayāna teaching and meaning of the inexhaustible dharmadhātu treasury within the affiliated sūtras; therefore, the name of Ekayāna is indicated at the locus of skillful means, so that those who advance may easily understand it—hence it is explained in this manner. If one horizontally relies on the dharma-gates of skillful progression, there are two senses in which Ekayāna is spoken of generally: 1. It is accomplished by relying on the ultimate Ekayāna teaching. Why? Because it flows from the Ekayāna, and is also designated by the Ekayāna teaching. 2. Because it serves as an expedient for that ultimate, perfect Ekayāna, it is called Ekayāna, but it is not the meaning of all-pervading sovereignty itself. The rest can be understood by analogy. The aforementioned dharma-gates subsume the teachings below: the sudden belongs to the meaning of the root teaching of the upper division, while the gradual, proceeding from its branch meanings, extends generally to the Ekayāna, Triyāna, and Hīnayāna. Why? Because they are designated by that perfect teaching. Furthermore, the quiescent-illumination and illumination-quiescence of the single mark of tathatā in the Triyāna final teaching, together with the defilement and purity being empty in the initial teaching, and the tenets of conditioned, unconditioned, and other real dharmas explained by the Hīnayāna teaching of the truth of suffering for fools—these tenets are all distinct and their doctrinal principles are individually different.