法界圖記叢髓錄 1.36

1.36

The Zhigui zhang states: Now, the Lord of the Teaching is perfectly interfused, exhausting empty space in the dust-mote lands; the Indra's net jewels are vast and boundless, encompassing the dharmadhātu on the tip of a single hair. Unimpeded and fused, it is the wondrous realm of Rocana; all boundaries being obliterated, it is the profound insight of Samantabhadra's eye. The vast and subtle words indeed cannot be traced to their ultimate purport; the magnificent and deep ocean of Dharma is especially difficult to fathom in its ancestral source. Now, briefly raising the grand outline, I open these ten meanings to gather their essential points, entitled "The Intended Purport" (Zhigui), in the hope that those who explore the profound may roughly know its principles. First: The place of expounding the sūtra. When the perfect teaching arises, it must pervade dust-mote [realms]; since directions are exhausted, how could discourse on the dharmadhātu distinguish separate places? Now, from the narrow to the wide, ten places are briefly opened: 1. This Jambudvīpa; 2. Pervading the ten billion [worlds]; 3. Exhausting the ten directions; 4. Pervading the paths of dust motes; 5. Reaching into different realms; 6. Discourse in distinct dust motes; 7. Returning to the Lotus Treasury; 8. Repeatedly subsuming lands; 9. Like Indra's net; 10. Identical with other Buddhas, and so on. Second: The time of expounding the sūtra. As the eternal expounding has neither a beginning nor an end, how much less could the perfect interfusion of a single thought-moment and kalpas allow its divisions of time to be distinguished? Now, briefly raising the measures of long and short, it is divided into ten tiers: 1. Only a single thought-moment; 2. Exhausting seven days; 3. Pervading the three periods of time; 4. Subsuming the same kind; 5. Gathering different kalpas; 6. A thought-moment subsuming kalpas; 7. Repeatedly subsuming again; 8. Time in different realms; 9. Mutually entering into one another; 10. The root subsuming the branch, and so on. Third: The Buddha who expounds the sūtra. Question: Since the Rocana-body of the Buddha who expounds this sūtra is in inexhaustible times and places as described above, is this Buddha a single body, or is he multiple bodies, and so on? Now, in manifesting this meaning, ten tiers are briefly distinguished: 1. Unimpeded pervasion of function; 2. Unimpeded pervasion of characteristics; 3. Unimpeded tranquility and function; 4. Unimpeded dependent arising; 5. Unimpeded truth and response; 6. Unimpeded parts and perfection; 7. Unimpeded cause and effect; 8. Unimpeded dependent and primary [retributions]; 9. Unimpeded covert entry; 10. Unimpeded perfect interfusion. Fourth: The assembly of the expounded sūtra. How could the vast and multitude-like ocean of the assembly be known by calculating dust motes? Now, summarily outlining the essentials, ten positions are also manifested: 1. The assembly of fruition virtues; 2. The assembly of constant followers; 3. The assembly that adorns the gathering; 4. The assembly of offerings; 5. The assembly of extraordinary qualities; 6. The assembly of resonance; 7. The assembly representing the Dharma; 8. The assembly realizing the Dharma; 9. The assembly receiving benefit; 10. The assembly manifesting the Dharma. Fifth: The etiquette of expounding the sūtra. With boundless great compassion pervasively filling the realm of sentient beings, the forms and ceremonies for transforming the myriad kinds are difficult to measure. Now, according to the general and the particular, ten examples are opened for each. Discussing them generally: whether by sounds, by manifesting wondrous forms, by extraordinary fragrances, by supreme tastes, by wondrous touches, by realms of phenomena, by the six internal sense faculties, by the four deportments, by disciples and people, or by all actions, all are capable of gathering sentient beings. Next, manifesting spoken sounds in particular also has ten examples: 1. The Tathāgata's vocal action expounding by itself with the perfect voice; 2. Sounds emerging from the Tathāgata's pore to expound the Dharma; 3. The Tathāgata's light emitting sound to proclaim the Dharma; 4. Causing bodhisattvas' vocal action to expound the Dharma; 5. Causing sounds to emerge from bodhisattvas' pores to expound the Dharma; 6. Causing bodhisattvas' light also to emit sound to expound the Dharma; 7. Causing oceans of lands to emit sound to expound the Dharma; 8. Causing all sentient beings to expound the Dharma; 9. Expounding the Dharma with sounds of the three periods of time; 10. Expounding the Dharma through all phenomena emitting sound. Sixth: Revealing the scriptural teaching. The subtle words of the perfect teaching must exhaust the dharmadhātu; having exhausted the Tathāgata's inexhaustible powers of eloquence, each pervades empty space, hair-tips, and oceans of lands; furthermore, each completely exhausts the future boundary, expounding suddenly and constantly across boundless times and places. How could such a teaching be restricted to specific volumes and ranks? Now, following the scriptural text, it is analyzed into ten classes: 1. The sūtra of varied expounding; 2. The sūtra of identical expounding; 3. The sūtra of universal vision; 4. The upper version of the sūtra; 5. The middle version of the sūtra; 6. The lower version of the sūtra; 7. The abridged version of the sūtra; 8. The ruler-and-retinue sūtra; 9. The kindred sūtra; 10. The perfect sūtra. Seventh: Manifesting the meaning of the sūtra. Since the ocean of meanings is vast and deep, and the true source is boundless and remote, two categories are briefly opened, each distinguishing ten gateways. First, explaining the designated phenomena as vast and boundless, they are gathered into ten pairs to subsume them synthetically: 1. The pair of teaching and meaning; 2. The pair of principle and phenomena; 3. The pair of object and wisdom; 4. The pair of practice and stage; 5. The pair of cause and effect; 6. The pair of dependent and primary [retributions]; 7. The pair of substance and function; 8. The pair of person and Dharma; 9. The pair of adverse and accordant; 10. The pair of response and stimulus. Next, explaining the principles and purports that are manifested: skillful eloquence is sovereign, and tendencies and transformations are multifaceted; ten examples are also raised to manifest non-obstruction: 1. Non-obstruction of nature and characteristics; 2. Non-obstruction of breadth and narrowness; 3. Non-obstruction of the one and the many; 4. Non-obstruction of mutual entering; 5. Non-obstruction of mutual identity; 6. Non-obstruction of concealment and manifestation; 7. Non-obstruction of the subtle; 8. Non-obstruction of Indra's net; 9. Non-obstruction of the ten times; 10. Non-obstruction of ruler and retinue. Eighth: Explaining the intention of the sūtra. That phenomenal characteristics are perfectly interfused indeed has its causes; the causes and conditions being immeasurable, ten kinds are briefly distinguished: 1. To clarify that phenomena have no fixed characteristics; 2. Because they are manifested by mind only; 3. Because they are like illusory events; 4. Because they appear like a dream; 5. Because of the power of superior supernormal penetrations; 6. Because of the function of deep samādhi; 7. Because of the power of liberation; 8. Because causes are boundless; 9. Because pratītyasamutpāda is mutually supportive; 10. Because the dharmatā is interfused and penetrating. Ninth: Clarifying the benefit of the sūtra. Through faith and inclination, entering this Dharma of Samantabhadra yields perfect and sudden benefits that are vast and boundless; briefly gathering the scriptural text, ten kinds are manifested: 1. Benefit of seeing and hearing; 2. Benefit of producing the aspiration; 3. Benefit of initiating practice; 4. Benefit of encompassing the stages; 5. Benefit of swift realization; 6. Benefit of extinguishing obstacles; 7. Benefit of transformative advantage; 8. Benefit of cultivating practice; 9. Benefit of sudden attainment; 10. Benefit of according with the nature. Tenth: Manifesting the perfection of the sūtra. As the dharmadhātu is perfectly interfused, there is no condition it does not accord with; that is, the phenomena manifested in the above nine gateways are synthesized into the one Dharma of the great pratītyasamutpāda: wherever there is one place, there are all, unimpeded, perfectly interfused, inexhaustible, and sovereign. If divided according to meaning, there are also ten gateways: 1. Perfection of place; 2. Perfection of time; 3. Perfection of the Buddha; 4. Perfection of the assembly; 5. Perfection of etiquette; 6. Perfection of teaching; 7. Perfection of meaning; 8. Perfection of intention; 9. Perfection of benefit; 10. Universal perfection. Because it is the same unimpeded great pratītyasamutpāda, sovereign, immeasurable, and inconceivable, this is called the inexhaustible ocean of the Avataṃsaka Dharma, exhausting the dharmadhātu and transcending empty space, which only the wisdom of Samantabhadra can fathom to the bottom.