華嚴經明法品內立三寶章 1.43

1.43

第七、業用優劣者，三三寶中別相最勝，餘二漸劣。於中同相業用者，此中既不分三相，但平等為用。此有三義：謂依持資成別相用故、隨緣顯現別相用故、稱諸菩薩觀智現故。別相中，佛寶利益業用最勝，法次、僧劣，故《涅槃經》云「譬如人身，頭最為上，非餘支節手足等也。佛亦如是，最為尊上，非法、僧也。」餘義可知。住持用僧最勝，以能秉持佛法，益眾生故；法次，但作境界，資成三慧故；佛寶最劣，形像但為生信境故。若一乘三寶，業用皆齊，以普賢等亦盡佛境故、法界起用法如是故。又諸乘三寶益用分齊，各望本宗，准可知耳。

Seventh: on the superiority and inferiority of activities and functions. Among the three sets of Three Jewels, the distinct characteristics are supreme, and the other two are progressively inferior. Regarding the activity and function of the common characteristic among them: since the three characteristics are not distinguished here, they merely function in equality. This has three senses: functioning as the support and enhancement of the distinct characteristics; functioning as the manifestation of the distinct characteristics according to conditions; and functioning as the manifestation corresponding to the contemplative wisdom of the bodhisattvas. Among the distinct characteristics, the beneficial activity and function of the Buddha Jewel is supreme, the Dharma is next, and the Saṅgha is inferior. Thus the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra states: "Just as in a human body the head is topmost, not the other limbs, hands, feet, and so forth, the Buddha is likewise the most honorable and supreme, not the Dharma or the Saṅgha." The remaining meanings can be understood. In terms of perpetuating representation, the function of the Saṅgha is supreme, because it can uphold the Buddhadharma and benefit sentient beings; the Dharma is next, merely serving as an object-sphere to foster the three wisdoms; the Buddha Jewel is the most inferior, its physical image merely serving as an object-sphere to give rise to faith. If it is the Three Jewels of the one vehicle, their activities and functions are all equal, because Samantabhadra and the others also exhaust the realm of the Buddha, and because the dharmadhātu giving rise to function is thus as a dharma. Furthermore, the demarcations of benefit and function for the Three Jewels of the various vehicles can each be understood by analogy when viewed with respect to its own tenet.