華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 3.6

3.6

The six certainties are: first, the good certainty of contemplating the characteristic, because the contemplation of tathatā has the characteristic of a single taste, as the sūtra says: 'because of being unmixed.' Second, the good certainty of reality, because it is supramundane and not within the realm of all mundane worlds, as the sūtra says: 'because of being invisible.' Third, the good certainty of excellence, which has six meanings: 1. excellent because of being the great dharmadhātu; 2. excellent because of being the root of all buddhas; 3. excellent because the distinctions in dharma characteristics are naturally so; 4. excellent because the contemplation of tathatā surpasses the cognition of ordinary persons and the two vehicles; 5. excellent because of according with the great teaching; 6. excellent because of being outflow-free. Therefore the *Daśabhūmika-śāstra* says: 'Because of the great dharmadhātu; because of being the root of all buddhas; because of the meaning of dharma characteristics; because the contemplation of tathatā surpasses the cognition of all ordinary persons and the two vehicles; because expounding the Mahāyāna dharma is naturally so; and because of the pure dharmadhātu.' Fourth, the good certainty of the cause; causes are of two kinds: 1. the good certainty of the cause that accomplishes impermanent, agreeable fruits—this cause is like empty space, relying on sight to generate all forms without form being exhausted; 2. the good certainty of the cause of permanent fruit, which attains the path to nirvāṇa, as the sūtra says: 'because of exhausting the future limits.' Fifth, the good certainty of greatness, which accords with performing practices that benefit others, as the sūtra says: 'because of covering and protecting all realms of sentient beings.' Following the preceding good certainty, this vows not to dwell exclusively in either the mundane world or nirvāṇa. Sixth, the good certainty of not being timid, because of not being timid upon entering the wisdom ground of all buddhas, as the sūtra says: 'Sons of the Buddha! All these bodhisattvas, up to entering the wisdom ground of all buddhas of the present.' These six certainties are the essence of the ten grounds, because they permeate the ten grounds. They also permeate from the ten abodes onward, which is why the sūtra says: 'In the ten abodes there are five certainties; the ten practices are likewise, excluding greatness. In the ten dedications there are three certainties, namely contemplating the characteristic, greatness, and not being timid.' This setting aside and taking up reveals the elevation, inferiority, increase, and decrease of stages; thus their general meaning can be understood. This meaning permeates both cultivated origination and fundamental existence; it is not something known by the Triyāna or Hīnayāna. Samantabhadra's emergence of nature is located in this stage. Why is this? Because it is identically realization. The remaining points are as in the separate chapter.