華嚴經旨歸 1.96

1.96

Ninth, "because of the power of the mutual dependence of conditioned arising" means that the one and the many are conditioned arisings for each other, established through mutual dependence, and therefore there are such mutual identity and interpenetration. This has two aspects: First, regarding function, there being efficaciousness and inefficaciousness, mutually upholding and relying on each other, there is therefore mutual interpenetration. Second, regarding essence, the entire essence possessing emptiness and being both maker and made, the entire essence being mutually identified, there is therefore mutual identity. These two again have two meanings: First, viewed in terms of different essences, there are the subtle and the concealed/manifest: that is, different essences mutually accommodating possess the meaning of the subtle, and different essences being mutually identical possess the meaning of the concealed/manifest. Second, being possessed within the same essence, there can be the one and many, breadth and narrowness: that is, because the same essence mutually enters, there is the non-obstruction of the one and many; because the same essence is mutually identical, there is the non-obstruction of breadth and narrowness. Furthermore, because different essences subsume the identical, there is the meaning of the non-obstruction of Indra's net; because it manifests in time, there can be the meaning of the ten periods; because conditioned arising has no intrinsic nature, there can be the meaning of the non-obstruction of nature and marks; because of mutual relation and mutual inclusion, there can be the meaning of the non-obstruction of host and companion. Therefore, this single gate of conditioned arising completely possesses the preceding ten meanings, as can be seen upon reflection. Later in the text it says: "Bodhisattvas skillfully contemplate the phenomena of conditioned arising, / Understanding manifold phenomena within a single phenomenon, / And completely understanding a single phenomenon within manifold phenomena." It also says: "In one, understanding the immeasurable; / In the immeasurable, understanding the one. / Arising in mutual dependence is not real; / The wise have no fear." The explanation says: "Arising in mutual dependence" is mutual conditioned arising, pointing out the cause.