華嚴一乘成佛妙義 1.4

1.4

In the first section, the attainment of Buddhahood is threefold: Buddhahood according to stage, practice, and principle. Thus the third fascicle of the Commentary says: Following the intent of the entire sūtra from beginning to end, there are three kinds of attainment of Buddhahood: first, in terms of stage; second, in terms of practice; third, in terms of principle. Regarding the first, in terms of stage, this attainment of Buddhahood is explained by relying provisionally on the five stages such as the ten abodes of the Three Vehicles in the Final Teaching. Therefore, the Root Commentary says: Using the skillful means of the six characteristics, at the final mind of the ten faiths, after the stage of superior advancement, one enters the initial stage of the ten understandings and immediately attains Buddhahood. Because this is the stage of non-retrogression in the Final Teaching of the Three Vehicles, by means of the six characteristics of the One Vehicle interfusing and subsuming [all stages], it possesses all stages up to the fruit of Buddhahood. The meaning is that the abode of the initial arousal of the aspiration is the universal characteristic, the second abode and the rest are the particular characteristics. Because the second abode and the rest equally bear the meaning of arousing the aspiration, they are called the common characteristic. Because the second abode and the rest are mutually distinct, they are called the distinctive characteristic. Because the universal arousal of the aspiration is accomplished based on the second abode and the rest, they are called the integrating characteristic. Because the second abode and the rest each abide in their own phenomena and constantly do not act [as the others], they are called the disintegrating characteristic. Therefore, when the particular second abode and the rest subsume the universal stage of the arousal of the aspiration, that is the attainment of Buddhahood. Thus the second fascicle of the Daśabhūmika-śāstra says: "The bodhisattvas of the faith stage up to the inconceivable Buddha-dharma form a single dependent origination, and it is encompassed by the meanings of the six characteristics—universal, particular, and so forth." The Treatise says: We clearly know that cause and effect are simultaneously mutually accommodating; each subsumes all, mutually serving as host and companion. One must ponder this deeply; there is no doubt about this matter. "The faith stage" refers to the stage of faith-practice, which is the stage of the three classes of worthies prior to the [ten] stages (this is one of the two explanations in the ninth fascicle of the Commentary). Question: Why does it not speak of attaining [Buddhahood] on the basis of the stage of faith? Answer: The fourth fascicle of the Commentary says: In terms of the Final Teaching, this faith is merely the skillful means for the stage of the ten abodes, and has no separate stage of its own. Thus the Benye jing says: "Before ascending to the stages, there are these ten minds." Furthermore, the Renwang jing speaks only of the three classes of worthies and the ten classes of sages, and does not speak of a fourth. Moreover, in this sūtra, in the subsequent four stages, all involve entering samādhi and, upon emerging, listing ten names and distinguishing ten meanings, etc.; only within faith is this absent. Thus it can be known. Question: When one attains Buddhahood at the stage of the initial arousal of the aspiration, is it accomplished by the mutual subsumption of five stages, or is it accomplished by the mutual subsumption of six stages? Answer: If unfolded, it is accomplished by the mutual subsumption of six stages. The ten faiths subsume the initial abode, and it is accomplished by the mutual subsumption of five stages. As for its being accomplished by the mutual subsumption of six stages when unfolded, the second fascicle of the Wujiao zhang says: First, it is revealed by relying provisionally on the stages: that is, from the ten faiths up to the fruit of Buddhahood there are six distinct stages; whenever one obtains one stage, one obtains all stages. Why is this? Because they are mutually taken up through the six characteristics, because they are host and companion, because of mutual interpenetration, because of mutual identity, and because of perfect interfusion. The meaning is that when the stage of the initial arousal of the aspiration is the host, the other preceding and succeeding stages are the companions, up to when the fruit of Buddhahood is the host, the other preceding stages are the companions. Mutual interpenetration concerns function; mutual identity concerns substance; perfect interfusion is the non-obstruction of substance and function. In stating that these stages mutually subsume one another, the fifth fascicle of the Commentary gives three reasons: first, because the dependent origination of the dhāraṇī doors mutually subsumes [them]; second, because Samantabhadra's bodhicitta universally encompasses the six stages; third, because the dharma-nature has neither beginning nor end. These three reasons are general, while the five reasons in the second fascicle are specific. The general and specific together make eight reasons. "Dhāraṇī" is total retention: stage by stage they mutually subsume one another, hence it is named total retention. Samantabhadra's sixty practices are indeed the practices of the six stages, as recorded before; hence it says it encompasses the six stages. The meaning is that although they are the Samantabhadra practices of the One Vehicle, one practice is all practices, and so forth. Viewing this provisionally through the stages of the Final Teaching, one stage is all stages, and so forth. When this practice is provisionally relied upon as the perfection of faith and the completion of practice, it is called the attainment of Buddhahood according to practice; when provisionally relied upon as the completion of the stages such as the abodes, it is called the attainment of Buddhahood according to stage. These are the essential points. Question: Now, when the stage of the initial arousal of the aspiration is called Buddha, is it because the underlying principle relied upon is equal, and therefore we say that the initial arousal of the aspiration is immediately Buddha? Answer: The fifth fascicle of the Commentary says: As for being immediately Buddha, someone explained: some say the fruit is spoken of in the cause; some say the understanding is the same as the Buddha's realm; some say it is in terms of the equality of principle. If in terms of the Three Vehicles teaching, it can also be explained as above. Now examining the context, in terms of the Perfect Teaching of the One Vehicle, the beginning and the end mutually subsume one another in perfect interfusion without obstruction: to attain the beginning is indeed the end, and only by exhausting the end does one reach the source of the beginning (thus the three reasons above were stated). Therefore, we know that principle and wisdom, practice and stage, are altogether perfectly interfused without obstruction. Question: Now, when the initial arousal of the aspiration encompasses and subsumes the preceding and succeeding stages to attain Buddhahood, is it called Buddha according to what is subsumed, or is it called Buddha as that which subsumes? Answer: It is as in the essential notes. Question: In establishing this attainment of Buddhahood according to stage, is there textual authority relied upon? Answer: The proof texts are not one. In the Wujiao zhang there are seven texts: the first three texts and the fifth text are general proofs, and the remaining three texts are specific proofs. Concerning the seven texts for attaining Buddhahood at the stage of the initial arousal of the aspiration: [The first is] being in the first stage, etc. The second is knowing that the one is the many and the many are the one. The third is the thirty-first fascicle of the Sūtra, which says: "The ineffable of the ineffable fills all spoken ineffables; spoken throughout all kalpas, the ineffable cannot be exhausted (the same in the new [translation's] fascicle forty-five)." The fourth is the tenth fascicle of the Sūtra (the new seventeenth), which says: "The minds of all sentient beings can all be individually known (the mental actions of sentient beings can be counted and known); the dust motes of all lands can also be numbered (the dust motes of countries are also like this)." The fifth is the Daśabhūmika-śāstra, which says: "The bodhisattvas of the faith stage up to the inconceivable Buddha-dharma form a single dependent origination, and it is encompassed by the meanings of the six characteristics—universal, particular, and so forth." This is a text expressing the meaning; pointing to the direct text, some say it is the text on the comparative measurement of practice in the third fascicle, because that text says: "The sūtra says: 'Faith means having faith in that which the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, originally practiced and entered, up to the inconceivable Buddha-dharma, giving rise to immeasurable doors of practice in the Tathāgata-realm that has neither middle nor boundary, entering the realms of all Tathāgatas.'" Pointing out the matter to refute it, [one says:] this is an extreme error. Why? Because within that comparative measurement of practice, it does not speak of the six characteristics. Furthermore, it only speaks of faith-practice, and does not speak of the faith stage. Moreover, citing this proof is for proving the meaning of the stage of the initial arousal of the aspiration reaching the fruit of Buddhahood, not the meaning of the initial bhūmi realizing the fruit of Buddhahood. Therefore, it is completely wrong. Some say that the text explaining the ten entrances in the first fascicle is what is cited by the Treatise, because that text says: "All bodhisattvas' inconceivable Buddha-dharma," and so on, extensively. Then it is examined: The bodhisattvas of the faith stage prior to the [ten] bhūmis up to the inconceivable Buddha-dharma of the Buddha fruit form a single dependent origination, and because of the mutual identity of the six characteristics' skillful means in perfect interfusion, within each individual stage the six stages are each subsumed, and when each individual stage is fulfilled, all reach the fruit of Buddhahood. The sixth is because the bodhisattva of the initial arousal of the aspiration is immediately Buddha, etc. The seventh is the ninth fascicle of the Sūtra (the new seventeenth), which says: "One who observes in this way, with minor skillful means, swiftly attains all virtues of the Buddhas. Always delighting in observing the non-dual mark of dharmas, this is possible (if bodhisattvas can correspond with such contemplative practice and do not give rise to dualistic understandings among dharmas, all Buddha-dharmas swiftly appear before them), at the time of the initial arousal of the aspiration, they immediately realize right awakening (they immediately attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi), know the true nature of all dharmas (the mind's own nature), are endowed with the body of wisdom (accomplish the body of wisdom), and are not awakened by another." Question: As for observing in this way, what kind of observation is it? Answer: The text immediately preceding says: "Being fully endowed with and nurturing the mind of great compassion, fully discriminating sentient beings yet not abandoning sentient beings, nor abandoning quiescence, performing supreme deeds without seeking retribution, observing all dharmas as like an illusion, like a dream, like lightning, like an echo, like a phantom." The fifth fascicle of the Commentary says: The main questions are three: first, asking about cultivating pure conduct; second, accomplishing the stages; third, obtaining the fruit. That is, the sūtra says: "How, by what skillful means, does one cultivate pure conduct, become endowed with the path and stages of the bodhisattva's ten abodes, and swiftly attain supreme, equal bodhi?" Within the third [question's answer] there are two parts: first the Dharma, then the analogy, up to answering the third question, which has two parts: first repeating the preceding, second initiating the subsequent. Within initiating the subsequent there are two layers, showing small cause obtaining great fruit. Within that each has two parts: first stating, then explaining. In first stating, taking minor skillful means is the cause, and swiftly attaining, etc., is the fruit. In explaining why one swiftly attains great fruit from a minor cause, it explains that because one constantly delights in observing compassion and wisdom, emptiness and existence, etc., as non-dual dharmas, therefore one swiftly attains it, saying "this is possible." The rest is as cited in the extensive record.