華嚴一乘成佛妙義 1.24

1.24

Regarding the stages of the direct-progressing [practitioners] in the Initial Teaching, there are seven gates: First, in terms of stage: beginning from the stage of the ten faiths and so forth, up to fulfilling the ten stages from the Joyful Stage onward, beyond these one immediately attains Buddhahood; this is because the Buddha-realm is a body of delimited Samsaric existence. The Commentary says: This is the intention of the Benye jing, meaning that because it is produced by hundred kalpas of cultivating karma for the marks and signs, from the perspective of being produced by karma, it is termed delimited existence. It is not like the body of delimited Samsaric existence obtained in the causal stage with defiled karma as the cause and the four graspings as the condition. Second, again in terms of stage: traversing from the Joyful Stage through the ninth stage, in the tenth stage one immediately steps back to attain Buddhahood. This is also spoken in contrast to the lower stage of the Śrāvaka, attaining Buddhahood in a lower body; hence this is said. Third, in terms of principle: through the non-conceptual emptiness of tathatā, in a single thought-moment one immediately attains Buddhahood. Fourth, in terms of directly realizing the fruit in a single thought-moment after the ten stages: one immediately attains Buddhahood. The Xuanmen says: If the Mahāyāna explains the meaning of attaining Buddhahood in a single thought-moment, there are generally two kinds: first, converging conditions to enter the true nature, where there is no much or little; hence it explains attaining Buddhahood in a single thought-moment. This is like the meaning in the Chapter on the Single Thought-Moment of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra. Second, when the practices are fulfilled, taking the final thought-moment is called attaining Buddhahood, just as when a person journeys far, the final step constitutes arriving. This also differentiates causes and conditions in dependent origination to explain three asaṃkhyeya kalpas: cultivating the path before the stages is one asaṃkhyeya kalpa; from the first stage to the seventh stage is the second asaṃkhyeya; from the eighth stage to the tenth stage is the third asaṃkhyeya. However, it is also not fixed; because there is attainment of Buddhahood in a single thought-moment, it is clearly known to be for people of unfixed [capacity]. The Zhongnan Questions and Answers says: First, due to awakening to principle, when the stages are fulfilled, there is only a single thought-moment. Second, when converging conditions to follow reality, the dharma-nature has no multiplicity and is neither long nor short; when one is accomplished, all are accomplished, and when all are accomplished, one is accomplished. This reverses the order of the previous two meanings: the former corresponds to the previous meaning in the Kongmu; the latter meaning corresponds to this meaning in the Kongmu. Fifth, in terms of time: after the three asaṃkhyeyas of the Mahāyāna, one immediately attains Buddhahood. Sixth, in terms of practice: at the ultimate non-learning, one immediately attains Buddhahood. Seventh, in terms of the twelve abodes of the Mahāyāna: after the twelfth, the supreme bodhisattva abode, one immediately attains Buddhahood. The Zhongnan Questions and Answers says: If relying on the Initial Teaching of the Three Vehicles, then half attain Buddhahood and half do not attain Buddhahood. If the two persons, the direct-progressing and the diverted-mind, cultivate practice to fulfill ten thousand kalpas and abide in the ground of capability, they all attain Buddhahood. If they have not reached this stage, they are then identical in stage to an icchantika; all such persons do not attain Buddhahood. This is stated according to stage. As for the Buddha's mother: all the Buddhas in a single trichiliocosm are nirmāṇabuddhas, and Māyā's retinue and so forth are likewise not real. In various places throughout the trichiliocosms, there are also the transformative modes of other Buddhas, just as in the aforementioned pure lands. Where there is the Buddha's mother and various members of her retinue, they are also solely nirmāṇabuddhas, being Dharma-gates, not the transformations of the eight aspects. If speaking of the hundred kalpas of cultivating karma for the marks and signs, it is transformative, not real. (The above is solely in terms of the Initial Teaching.) If speaking of all sentient beings becoming Buddhas before or after: because there are Buddhas of the ten directions, one can attain Buddhahood at the same time in another place. In transforming sentient beings, the transforming agent and the transformed can also attain Buddhahood simultaneously, because advancement and retreat are unfixed. As for the manifestations of other Buddhas in other directions: all Buddhas in the pure lands of the ten directions are true saṃbhoga[kāyas], without transformation. If provisional arisings are unfixed, causing the faculties of sentient beings to recognize transformation from beginning to end, then they belong to the category of transformation. As for the confrontation between the two Buddhas in Akaniṣṭha and under the bodhi tree, there are two meanings: first, using the transformation to reveal the saṃbhoga: that is, under the tree reveals the Buddha within the Lotus Treasury Ocean of Worlds, because it is the saṃbhoga; second, using the saṃbhoga to reveal the transformation: citing the attainment of the tall and vast body in Akaniṣṭha reveals that beneath the bodhi tree is the meaning of transformation. The above passage applies generally to both the Initial and Final Teachings. Now, the beginning of this passage applies to the two meanings in both teachings; from here onward, it is explained by viewing the saṃbhogakāya of the Initial Teaching against the transformation through the saṃbhoga of the One Vehicle. Therefore the Commentary, fascicle three, states: If in the Initial Teaching, it is at the summit of the form realm, spoken within the same realm in order to guide the Hīnayāna; if relying on the Final Teaching, it is not within the triple realm. As the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: “To the west, past as many Buddha-lands as the sands of thirty-two Ganges Rivers, there is a world named Invincible; it is the pure land of Śākyamuni Buddha's saṃbhogabuddha.” If speaking of the mutual interpenetration of the various faculties, there are two meanings: first, based on original nature, there are Mahāyāna bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas; if based on present awakening, they are all collectively named Mahāyāna bodhisattvas. Now, subsuming original nature under the Mahāyāna is an ellipsis; thus the two meanings of transformation and alteration of nature are both established. As for cultivating the path to attain Buddhahood or not attain Buddhahood: those who cultivate the path with real practice all attain Buddhahood; if manifested toward different faculties, they do not attain Buddhahood; if speaking in terms of correct principle, there is neither attainment nor non-attainment. As for the Buddha's characteristics: they are both virtuous and human marks; these are the Buddha's characteristics. The meaning of these texts applies generally to both the Initial and Final Teachings. Regarding the differentiation of gotras, the Wujiao says: First, in terms of the Initial Teaching: since gotras are established based on conditioned, impermanent dharmas, they cannot pervade all sentient beings; thus among the five lineages there is a portion of sentient beings without gotra. Therefore the Xianyang lun says: “How is there a differentiation of gotras? Through five kinds of reasoning, differences in all realms are obtainable,” up to saying, “it is unreasonable for non-parinirvāṇa to occur only in the present world,” and so forth at length. Therefore one should know that by the nature of things (dharmatā), from beginningless time all sentient beings have five gotras. The fifth gotra lacks the cause of supramundane merit; therefore they never pass into extinction. By this reasoning, the merits of the Buddhas in benefiting and bringing joy to sentient beings are without exhaustion. For those who possess gotra, as the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra says: “Gotras also have two kinds: first, abiding in original nature; second, accomplished through habituation,” as explained there at length. It also says: If in the Initial Teaching of the Three Vehicles, by gradually differing from the Hīnayāna, it is said that many people possess gotra; yet not fully differing from it, it therefore admits that a portion lacks gotra. Therefore, in the treatises it is judged as an expedient, non-definitive teaching.