華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 2.93

2.93

The meanings of 'abodes' and 'grounds' are either identical or different. As for being identical, they are identically a single abode, meaning the causal stage of the Buddha. As for being different, the abodes are assigned to the initial stage, meaning the stage of the ten understandings; the grounds are assigned to the final stage, meaning the stage of realization. In terms of broadness and narrowness, the ten grounds are broad and the ten abodes are narrow. Why? The ten grounds host more dharmas. In terms of mutual inclusion, the ten grounds include the ten abodes. Why? Because they are the substance of realization. In terms of subtlety, the ten grounds constitute subtlety, whereas the ten abodes are not subtle. Question: If the meaning is like this, subtlety relies on the Dharma of Samantabhadra, and at the culminating mind of the stage of faith it is already attained; why then do the ten understandings still not constitute subtlety? Answer: In terms of the general and specific meanings, the culminating mind of the stage of faith directly attains the Dharma of Samantabhadra; but in terms of the initial and final, only at the stage of realization is it obtained. Thus there is such a difference, not the same as the Indra[-net] and so forth. By this it can be known.