一切經音義 21.4

21.4

原夫第一勝義寔離言之法性等流真教誠有海之方舟故以名句字聲作別相之本質色香味觸為住持之自體嗟乎超絕言慮之旨洽悟見聞之境。莫不以法王弘造權道之力者歟。大方廣佛花嚴經者。實可謂該通法界之典。盡窮佛境之說也。若乃文言舛謬正義難彰真見不生尋源失路故涉近以逕遠從淺而暨深去來今尊何莫由斯大道且夫音義之為用也鑒清濁之明鏡釋言誥之指歸匡謬漏之楷模闢疑管之鈴鍵者也。至如彽徊誤為遲廻。彷徨乃成稽返。俾倪代乎隦堄。軾環遂作女牆橋書矯形正斜翻覆幹存榦體樹木參差。若斯之徒紊亂聲義不加踳駮何所指南慧苑不涯菲薄少翫茲經索隱從師十有九載。雖義旨攸邈難以隨迎而音訓梵言聊為注述。庶使披文了義弗竢疇咨紐字知音無勞負𧙯且螻蟻之量司已穴而疏冥豈霆雷之資開蟄戶於遐邇英達君子希無誚焉。

Consider that the primary, ultimate truth (paramārtha) is indeed the Dharmatā that transcends words; the true teaching that flows equally [from it] is truly a raft upon the ocean of existence. Therefore, it takes names, sentences, words, and vocal sounds as the substance of its distinct marks, and forms, smells, tastes, and tangibles as the self-nature of its maintenance. Alas! The purport that transcends words and thoughts harmoniously awakens the realms of seeing and hearing: how could this not be through the power of the Dharma King's grandly fashioned expedient paths? The *Buddhāvataṃsaka-sūtra* may truly be said to be a scripture that encompasses the Dharma-realm and an exposition that exhausts the Buddha-realm. Yet if the words of the text are errant, the correct meaning is hard to manifest; true insight does not arise, and one loses the way when searching for the source. Thus by traversing the near one reaches the far, and progressing from the shallow one reaches the deep: which of the Honoured Ones of past, present, and future has not followed this Great Path? Furthermore, the function of sounds and meanings is to serve as a bright mirror distinguishing clear from turbid, to interpret the purport of words and edicts, to provide a standard correcting errors and omissions, and to open the lock of narrow doubts. As when 彽徊 is erroneously written as 遲廻, or 彷徨 turns into 稽返; 俾倪 replaces 隦堄, and 軾環 ends up as 女牆; the characters for a bridge (橋) deform into 矯, with correct and oblique reversed; or the body of 幹 is written as 榦, and tree trunks become confused: cases like these corrupt sounds and meanings, and if not critically scrutinized, what direction would there be? Huiyuan, disregarding his own meager abilities, has studied this scripture since youth, seeking its subtleties under masters for nineteen years. Although its lofty and remote import is difficult to anticipate or meet, I have ventured to annotate and explain the pronunciations and Sanskrit terms. I hope that when opening the text and comprehending its meaning, readers need not wait to consult others, and when parsing characters to know their sounds, they will not toil to carry heavy loads. As an ant's measure suffices only to burrow its own hole in the dark, how could it have the thunder's capacity to awaken the dormant far and wide? I hope noble and discerning gentlemen will refrain from ridiculing it.