華嚴一乘成佛妙義 1.6

1.6

Third, the attainment of Buddhahood according to principle. Volume three of the Commentary states: "Third, according to principle, then all sentient beings have already completed [attainment] and do not become [Buddhas] anew, because other characteristics are completely exhausted." The meaning is: all sentient beings have the real as their essence; if one discusses differentiated characteristics in accordance with their essential nature, those characteristics are completely exhausted in a single flavor of equality; therefore, all are fundamentally Buddhas. Question: A Buddha is an awakened one, whereas sentient beings are in a deluded stage; how could it be that, because of having the one single flavor of the real as their essence, all are fundamentally Buddhas? Answer: Because they have the one real principle as essence, sentient beings also have no differentiation whatsoever in their characteristics upon that [real]; therefore, all sentient beings are manifested by the Buddha-body of the awakened one, and those manifested sentient beings are identical to the Buddha-body capable of manifesting [them]; hence, there are no sentient beings that do not attain Buddhahood. Question: Is this One Vehicle attainment of Buddhahood explained solely according to principle, or does it also encompass phenomena? Answer: It encompasses both principle and phenomena. The meaning is that the principle upon which the Buddha relies is termed "principle", and the various virtues such as the wisdom that is able to rely [upon it] are all termed "phenomena"; these principle and phenomena together are termed the "Buddha-body". Because it is manifested by this Buddha-body, the capable [manifestor] is identical to the manifested, and thus possesses both principle and phenomena completely. Question: If so, do all sentient beings attain [it] through arousing the aspiration and practicing? Answer: They attain [it] through arousing the aspiration and practicing. Let us consider Śākyamuni Buddha for a moment. When Śākyamuni initially aroused the aspiration, he gathered all sentient beings so that they all completely aroused the aspiration; he also gathered the gateways of practice through difficult and austere practices over innumerable great kalpas so that they all completely practiced; he gathered the gateway of attaining Buddhahood beneath the bodhi tree so that they all completely attained Buddhahood; and down to nirvāṇa it was also like this. As it is with one Buddha, so it is with the gateways gathering the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times. Therefore, earlier and earlier they have completed [attainment], and later and later, anew and anew, they also attain [it]. This is just as there is not a single aspect missing between the Buddha capable of manifesting and the sentient beings manifested; therefore, the various stages are also fully possessed. Question: How is it known that the gateway gathering the Buddhas sees that all sentient beings have already completed arousing the aspiration, practicing, and so on, and also that later and later they arouse the aspiration, practice, and down to attaining Buddhahood? Answer: Fascicle thirty-seven of the sūtra states: "Sons of the Buddha! Within the body of the Tathāgata, one sees all sentient beings arousing the bodhi-mind, practicing the bodhisattva path, attaining equal and right awakening, down to seeing all sentient beings entering peaceful extinction and nirvāṇa—it is also like this." Furthermore, fascicle thirty-two states: "Because all Buddhas tame and transform all sentient beings, in thought-moment after thought-moment they attain equal and right awakening; not that they did not previously awaken to the correct Dharma of all Buddhas, nor do they abide in the stage of learning to attain right awakening." Fascicle sixteen of the Commentary, explaining the first passage, says: "Below, the gateway of manifesting cause and effect is clarified (this states the passage's intent); because the bodhi-body is equal to sentient beings, it is completely manifested within it; because that which is manifested is identical to that which is capable of manifesting, therefore there are no sentient beings that do not attain Buddhahood. According to the Perfect Teaching, all sentient beings have already, from the very beginning, finished arousing the aspiration, finished practicing, and finished attaining Buddhahood; there is no new attainment, and principle and phenomena are fully possessed." Saying "down to nirvāṇa" is because, among the eight aspects, it cites from the beginning down to the end. Question: How many causes are there explaining this first passage? Answer: The sūtra explains it with ten causes. Therefore the sūtra text says: "All are of one nature, because of being without nature, without characteristics, inexhaustible, unborn, and unceasing; because of the nature of self and non-self; because of the nature of sentient beings and non-sentient-beings; because of awakening having nothing to be awakened to; because the dharmadhātu has no intrinsic nature; and because the realm of space has no intrinsic nature." The Commentary says: "Why are sentient beings of the same nature as bodhi? This meaning is explained and established briefly with ten causes: first, because sentient beings rely upon bodhi and have no intrinsic nature, they are therefore identical to bodhi in attaining right awakening and so forth; second, because they have no intrinsic defiled characteristics; third, because there is nothing to be exhausted; fourth, because originally unborn; fifth, because also without new cessation—the above four together make one clause; sixth, because the nature of the self is intrinsically empty; seventh, because the arising of multiple conditions is not [true] arising; eighth, because even if awakening wisdom arises, there is nothing to be awakened to; ninth, because the dharmadhātu upon which they rely also has no nature; tenth, because the original nature of the realm of space has no essential nature." Question: Why does one equally awaken to all having no nature like this? Answer: Next, the sūtra concludes: "Equally awakening to all having no nature like this, with inexhaustible wisdom and natural wisdom, all Tathāgatas liberate sentient beings with boundless great compassion." The Commentary says: "In the general conclusion below, 'inexhaustible wisdom' is because its illumination and function are limitless. 'Natural wisdom' is because it does not depend on effort. 'Boundless great compassion' is because it gathers and transforms with the same body [of reality]. Regarding gathering and transforming with the same body, the Awakening of Faith says: 'There are two kinds of external conditions for sentient beings: first, differentiated conditions; second, equal conditions. Regarding the equal, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas vow to liberate all sentient beings, naturally perfuming and never abandoning them, and by the power of the wisdom of identical body, they manifest actions according to what should be seen and heard. That is to say, because sentient beings rely upon samādhi, they are then able to see all Buddhas equally.'" The Commentary says: "Among these, 'vowing to liberate sentient beings' is the equal mind. 'Naturally' and so forth is constantly functioning in response to capacities. 'By the power of the wisdom of identical body' explains and establishes constant function. 'According to what should...' and so forth reveals its functional characteristics. Second, it clarifies the meaning of equality displayed toward capacities. That is, bodhisattvas from the ten abodes onward, by the power of samādhi, completely see that the physical measure of all Buddhas is equal, without any characteristics of demarcation between this and that; therefore it is said 'to see equally'." Question: If all sentient beings have all attained Buddhahood, why are there currently sentient beings who are not identical to Buddhas? Answer: This is because what is seen by expedient [teachings] is different; for the capacity of the Perfect Teaching, they have attained Buddhahood from the very beginning. Question: What capacities see differently? Answer: For those at the stage of humans and devas, there are truly real entities of the two selves of person and dharmas. If looked at within the teachings of the Hīnayāna, this sentient being is merely an aggregation of the real dharmas of the five aggregates, and originally there is no person. In the Initial Teaching of the Mahāyāna, they are manifested by consciousness-only, like an illusion, seeming to exist, but in their immediate aspect they are empty, without person and without dharmas. According to the Final Teaching, they are entirely the dependent origination of the tathāgatagarbha; their whole essence is identical to tathatā, possessing virtues like the sands of the Ganges, which constitutes sentient beings; hence the Buzeng bujian jing states: "Sentient beings are identical to the dharmakāya; the dharmakāya is identical to sentient beings. Sentient beings and dharmakāya are one in meaning and different in name." The explanation says: this school takes it according to principle, that sentient beings are identical to Buddhas. According to the Sudden Teaching, the characteristics of sentient beings are originally exhausted in principle, their nature is originally manifest, towering and self-evident, waiting for nothing further; hence one cannot speak of being identical to Buddha or not identical, and so on. This is like the intention of Vimalakīrti's remaining silent, etc. (commentary text); therefore, what is seen is different. Now, if you, even within the initial stage of humans and devas, contemplate that those sentient beings are empty in their immediate aspect, you still cannot [succeed]; how much less could you see the matters in the Perfect Teaching? Therefore you see currently existing sentient beings. I do not explain this attainment of Buddhahood according to those [lesser teachings]; I only hold that if emotional views are broken and the dharmadhātu is completely manifested, the attainment of Buddhahood by all sentient beings is called ultimate teaching and transformation, unlike other schools; therefore in the conclusion below it is called "all Tathāgatas liberate sentient beings with boundless great compassion." Question: Judging by the explanation of the concluding passage, it seems to be explained according to principle; why then does the opening statement have the causes of the five stages such as arousing the aspiration, and the results of the eight aspects such as attaining Buddhahood? Answer: This is explained through the gateway of the interfusion of the dharma-nature, meaning that phenomena interfuse in accordance with principle; therefore they are able to be mutually identical and mutually interpenetrating. Furthermore, in other teachings, contemplating non-arising only illuminates the nature of principle; in this Perfect Teaching, it fully possesses all dharmas of Buddhas and bodhisattvas. Reflect on this according to the school. Fascicle fifteen of the Commentary, explaining the latter sūtra, says: "In the seventh, the mastery of right awakening, there are two explanations: first, explaining according to the text, meaning each Buddha transforms what is to be transformed by oneself, and each displays attaining right awakening; hence it says 'thought-moment after thought-moment'. It is not that a single Buddha, since each displays attainment, was not previously awakened and only now begins to awaken; hence it says 'not that they did not previously awaken' and so forth. This is the function of manifesting nirmāṇakāyas. Second, explaining with respect to meaning: one Buddha pervades all sentient beings, extends throughout the dust motes of the ten directions, and exhausts the three times, attaining right awakening simultaneously in thought-moment after thought-moment, earlier and later alike. This then is actual attainment, not transformation; it is just that if one does not attain, then that is that, but when one attains, one has attained from the very beginning; hence it says 'not that they did not previously awaken' and so forth. Because it gathers the three times completely, there is no fault of non-attainment; hence it says 'not abiding in the stage of learning' and so forth." Reflect on this according to the school. Question: Are these three kinds of attainment of Buddhahood mutually applicable, or are they distinct? Answer: Attainment of Buddhahood according to principle can apply to the prior two, but the prior two do not apply [to it]. Question: Why does attainment of Buddhahood according to principle apply to the prior two attainments of Buddhahood? Answer: The fulfillment of faith gathers the various stages, which is also explained according to the interfusion of principle and phenomena; the abodes and so forth gathering the various stages are also like this. Hence the text of the essay states: "Yet these inexhaustible [aspects] are all within the first gateway; therefore this sūtra says: 'The ocean of merits of a single thought-moment of a bodhisattva who has initially aroused the aspiration...', down to saying: 'At the time of initially arousing the aspiration, one immediately attains right awakening.'" Question: It was said above that in a single thought-moment one immediately becomes a Buddha; this meaning already exists in the Three Vehicles, so what difference is there with this? Answer: In the Three Vehicles, looking toward principle, one becomes a Buddha in a single thought-moment; now in this One Vehicle, one immediately obtains the full possession of all teachings, meanings, principles, phenomena, causes, and effects. Like all the dharma-gateways above, together with all sentient beings, all simultaneously become Buddhas at the same time. Afterwards, one is able anew and anew to sever delusions, and also does not abide in the stage of learning to attain right awakening; one is fully endowed with the ten Buddhas to reveal inexhaustible contrary and conforming virtues; therefore, and down to Indra's subtle net, the nine times and ten times, and so on, it pervades and penetrates all stages. That is, from the final mind of the ten faiths onward, the ten understandings, ten practices, ten dedications, ten stages, and the Buddha stage and so forth are all simultaneously and pervasively accomplished without before and after, fully possessing all things. Moreover, this single thought-moment is not different from hundreds of thousands of kalpas. Question: If so, one could establish two [kinds of] attainment of Buddhahood; why establish three attainments of Buddhahood? Answer: The first two are narrow, and the last one is broad, therefore they are separately established. Why? Attainment of Buddhahood according to principle also applies to all ordinary stages prior to the fulfillment of faith, whereas the first two are limited to the fulfillment of faith and the abodes and so forth; hence there is this broadness and narrowness.