華嚴一乘法界圖 1.48

1.48

Question: In the teachings of the Three Vehicles there are also meanings such as 'while quiescent constantly functioning' and 'while functioning constantly quiescent'; why was it said above that they lean exclusively toward the gate of identity with principle and are not unhindered within phenomena? Answer: Because principle and phenomena are mutually identical, such meanings exist; it does not mean that phenomena and phenomena are mutually identical. Why is this? Because the teachings of the Three Vehicles aim to cure the disease of conceptual discrimination, taking the convergence of phenomena into principle as their tenet. If one relies on the Distinct Teaching of the One Vehicle, principle and principle are mutually identical, phenomena and phenomena may also be mutually identical, principle and phenomena may also be mutually identical, each may also not be mutually identical, and they may also be mutually identical. Why is this? Because identity within the center is distinct. Also because it possesses such Dharma gates as the dhāraṇī of principle and the dhāraṇī of phenomena. Within the dharmadhātu dwelling of the ten Buddhas and Samantabhadra, there are such unobstructed dharmadhātu Dharma gates, which are utterly sovereign. The other Dharma gates, such as forward and reverse, primary and attendant mutually completing each other, and so forth, are subsumed by analogy, adapting to the meaning as appropriate. If one wishes to contemplate the dhāraṇī dharma of the true characteristic of conditioned arising, one should first understand the method of counting ten coins, that is, from one coin up to ten coins. Why ten are spoken of is because of wishing to reveal the immeasurable. Within this there are two: first, one is ten, and within ten is one; second, one is identical to ten, and ten is identical to one. Within the first gate there are two: first, proceeding upward; second, proceeding downward. Within what is called proceeding upward, there are ten distinct gates: first is one. Why is this? Because it is formed through conditions, it is the fundamental number. Up to the tenth: within one is ten. Why is this? If there is no one, ten is not established, yet ten is not one. The other gates are also like this; they can be understood by analogy. Within what is called proceeding downward, there are also ten gates: first is ten. Why is this? Because it is formed through conditions. Up to the tenth: within ten is one. Why is this? If there is no ten, one is not established, yet one is not ten. The others are also like this. The transformations of arising are like this; examine them and you will know. Each and every coin possesses the ten gates, just as the two coins of root and branch possess the ten gates. In the remaining eight coins, this can be understood by analogy.