華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 2.73

2.73

Regarding the ten dedications: first, the dedication to saving and protecting all sentient beings while being free from the mark of sentient beings; second, the indestructible dedication; third, the dedication equal to all Buddhas; fourth, the dedication reaching all places; fifth, the dedication of the inexhaustible treasury of merit; sixth, the dedication according with the equality of good roots; seventh, the dedication according with observing all sentient beings equally; eighth, the dedication to the mark of suchness; ninth, the unattached and unbonded liberated dedication; and tenth, the immeasurable dedication to the dharmadhātu. What is the meaning of dedication? Non-dedication is dedication. Dedication has three meanings: first, dedication toward the limit of reality; second, dedication toward anuttara-bodhi; and third, dedication toward sentient beings. Among these three meanings, one dedicates because one recognizes the original phenomena, not because one newly dedicates and gives now. Why is this so? The limit of reality has two meanings: first, the dharmas practiced by a bodhisattva flow from suchness and are fundamentally dharmas of suchness; second, what the bodhisattva cultivates is to reveal the original nature, which is inherently possessed of the path-factors of suchness—since it is inherently possessed, it is also not a new dedication. Bodhi also has two kinds: first, the practices undertaken by a bodhisattva flow from the cognition of the fruition-virtue, so all persons and dharmas flow from the fruition-virtue; second, being able to accomplish the factors of fruition immediately enters into the auxiliary path, which again derives from the fruition-virtue. Third, dedication toward sentient beings also has two meanings: first, all the persons and dharmas accomplished by a bodhisattva are completely given by sentient beings. Why is this so? Because if there were no sentient beings, they could not be accomplished; therefore they belong to sentient beings. Second, the persons and dharmas accomplished by a bodhisattva—their virtuous conduct serves as the path-factors for sentient beings, thus belonging to sentient beings; hence it is not a new dedication. Dedication is wisdom. This meaning pervades the three vehicles: in the initial teaching it is emptiness, in the final teaching it is suchness, and it is that which is designated by the Ekayāna teaching as well as the expedient means for progressing toward the Ekayāna. Furthermore, the number ten manifests the immeasurable; hence it is subsumed under the Ekayāna. The remaining meanings are as in the separate chapter.