華嚴經明法品內立三寶章 2.29

2.29

Second, the gate of the interpenetration of the dharma-nature: however, time in these nine times has no separate essence; it is merely conventionally established upon the phenomena of dependent origination. These phenomena of dependent origination, again, lack intrinsic nature and are established based on the real. Therefore, the interpenetration and unobstructedness of principle and phenomena in dependent origination has four levels: 1. eliminating characteristics so that both are entirely exhausted; 2. co-existing together with characteristics; 3. mutually subsuming by following one another; 4. mutually identifying as being each other. In the first, taking the root to follow the branch, there are only phenomena and no principle; taking the branch to return to the root, the reverse can be understood from the above. When the sūtra says, 'Non-kalpas enter kalpas, and kalpas enter non-kalpas,' this is the meaning. In the second, the principle that is entirely phenomena is not phenomena, and the phenomena that are entirely principle are not principle; thus both exist without commingling. When the sūtra states, 'The various kalpas mutually identify without destroying the original kalpas,' this is the meaning. In the third, because principle conforms to phenomena, the whole of one phenomenon can contain all; because phenomena conform to principle, all phenomena follow principle to enter into the one. The reverse of the above is that the one enters into all, which can be understood. In the fourth, because phenomena are identical to principle, the entirety of the one is identical to all; because principle is identical to phenomena, the entirety of all is identical to the one. Therefore, principle alone cannot be identified with or entered into, and phenomena alone cannot be identified with or entered into; it requires principle and phenomena to conform to each other and be mutually identified; therefore there is identification and interpenetration. Because temporal kalpas rely on this unobstructed dharma, they likewise follow this dharma in freely identifying and interpenetrating; the remaining meanings can be understood upon reflection.