一切經音義 21.4

21.4

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.