本業瓔珞經疏 1.3

1.3

"The great assembly of bodhisattvas all bound to one last birth" explains that the thirty worthies in the womb of subduing forbearance and the eleven noble beings of the holy stages and above are endowed with complete internal virtue and outwardly manifest a pure demeanour to transform living beings.
Question: "Bound to one last birth" refers to a bodhisattva of the eleventh ground whose thirty-one births are exhausted, with only one birth remaining, transitioning immediately to buddhahood, and thus may be termed "bound to one last birth." Now in this great assembly, could there not be higher and lower distinctions among the 1.4 billion people? Why is it said that they are all bound to one last birth?
Answer: Although their stages have distinctions, each attains becoming bound to the next stage. A person of the initial lineage of practice, when their faith is exhausted and later scrutinized, also attains buddhahood; this is Dharmamati Buddha. A person of the lineage of nature, when their understanding is exhausted and later scrutinized, becomes Guṇaprabha Buddha. A person of the lineage of the path, when their practice is exhausted and later scrutinized, becomes Vajradhvaja Buddha. Those of the first ground and above, when their realization is exhausted and later scrutinized, become Vajragarbha Buddha. Although the stages differ, each penetrates to the singular [truth], exhausts the final limit, and accords with the dharmadhātu; therefore they are said to be all bound to one last birth. Alternatively, it may be that [the text] omits the lesser to praise the supreme, exclusively praising the final adamantine mind.
"Whose supernatural penetration wondrously reaches and pervades the ten directions" explains that they extensively manifest the five supernatural powers, seizing every occasion to respond and transform; the places where their response bodies manifest transformation are considered pervasive, hence it is said "pervades the ten directions."
"Whose dharmakāya is boundless": the great beings have no physical form, taking suchness as their substance; hence it is said "their dharmakāya is boundless."
"Who guide and benefit sentient beings": they always abide in nirvāṇa yet do not abandon worldly deeds.
"Hearing the treasury of the Buddha's teachings": hearing the profound Mahāyāna twelvefold scriptures is called hearing the treasury of the Buddha's teachings.
"Manifesting buddha-nature": having heard the true, eternal, and intrinsically self-nature revealed in the Mahāyāna twelvefold scriptures, it is called manifesting [buddha-nature]. Another explanation is: beginning from subduing forbearance up to cessation forbearance, because the lower causal stage is profound and wondrous, it is said to manifest buddha-nature.
"The wondrous fruit is quiescence and cessation": nirvāṇa is hollow, profound, subtle, and without characteristics; this is called the wondrous fruit of quiescence and cessation. Thus a sūtra says: "The cessation that is the Buddha's domain of action cannot be reached by speech; the practices of the grounds are also like this: difficult to speak of and difficult to hear." This is the textual proof.
"The essential teaching of the unconditioned": removing the conditioned nature of saṃsāra is called the unconditioned; discerning the principle thoroughly and comprehensively is termed the essential teaching.
"Knowing sentient beings' roots and desires, understanding everything": hence it is said "completely penetrating human faculties."
"Gradually instructing and transforming them with the knowledge of past lives": using the knowledge of the supernatural power of past lives, they clearly observe the inclinations of beings, discern the severity of their sicknesses, and adapt the medicine of the Dharma to preach to sentient beings according to depth. Thus a sūtra says: "Dispensing medicine according to the sickness to enable them to ingest and practice it." This is the textual proof.
"Their minds enter the limitless": using true wisdom, they contemplate the profundity of the principle; hence it is said "their minds enter the limitless."
"Understanding the essentials of internal and external": according with the principle is the internal essential; running contrary to the principle is the external essential.
"Boundless from beginning to end": the subtle cause and the wondrous fruit are both boundless; hence it is said "boundless from beginning to end."
"Equal to all buddha-lands": the principles of the ultimate and conventional are equal; hence it is said "equal to all buddha-lands."
"Without any discrimination": no characteristics can be apprehended; hence it is said "without discrimination."
"Praising the Buddha's name with a mouth of great compassion": this third part praises vocal karma. "Praising the Buddha's name with a mouth of great compassion" means that with great compassion of the same substance, their mouths constantly preach the Dharma; hence it is said "praising the Buddha's name with a mouth of great compassion."
"Insurmountable and boundless": the principle is lofty, profound, and distant; hence it is insurmountable and boundless.
"Perceiving and penetrating every matter of the six realms": clearly illuminating the inclinations and faculties of all beings in the various destinies; hence it is said "perceiving and penetrating every matter of the six realms."
"The places where they transform": stating the places where they transform living beings.
"Up to all praising, saying: 'The Buddha is mindful of us and establishes our great resolve'": praising the Buddha, who, for the sake of all of us sentient beings, manifests entry into the six realms to teach and transform us, causing us to eliminate evil and give rise to good. "Establishes our great resolve": generating the resolve wishing to proceed toward bodhi together with all sentient beings to be transformed in the dharmadhātu; hence it is said "up to all praising, saying: 'The Buddha is mindful of us and establishes our great resolve.'"
From "even manifesting everything to me" up to "broadly expanding the transformation of the path": explaining that these bodhisattvas use mouths of great compassion to praise and expound the Tathāgata's truly pure buddha-land.
"Whose radiant light and supernatural feet instruct us" down to "and all doubts and delusions": explains that all the bodhisattvas praise the radiant light of the Tathāgata's prajñā, which can instruct and transform us and open up our minds. True practice adorns: from the thirty worthies and the stainless ten grounds up to the stage of wondrous enlightenment, producing good and destroying evil, this completes the contemplative practice of seeking [the pure] and turning away [from the defiled] for those of our kind.
"Severing my flaws and blemishes": subtle ignorance and delusion obscuring the true dharmakāya is a flaw; coarse delusion obscuring the shallow [faculties] is a blemish.
"Doubts and delusions": karmic predispositions (vāsanā).
"Manifesting all buddha-lands for me": manifesting the body of the lands; bodies of broad or narrow, defiled or pure, and so forth.
"The buddha-body": there is no body that is not the body, and in places without a body, [the Buddha] can manifest a body everywhere; hence it is said "the buddha-body."
"Buddha's divine powers and buddha's strengths": covering beings with majesty is called the buddha's divine powers; extensively manifesting the six supernatural powers and transformations is called the buddha's strengths.
"The buddha's concentration": completely tranquil and clear, without any distinction between concentration and distraction; hence it is said "the buddha's concentration."
"Incalculable transformations": manifesting unfathomable transformations without alteration; hence it is said "incalculable transformations."
"The four immeasurables": loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Loving-kindness can bestow joy, compassion can eradicate suffering, sympathetic joy can rejoice in beings, and equanimity can let go of attachment. Each relates to incalculable sentient beings, so they are called the four immeasurables.
"Fearlessnesses": the four fearlessnesses. It is precisely internal wisdom having no fear regarding the four situations that constitutes the four fearlessnesses. What are the four? First, 'I am a person of all-knowledge (sarvajña)': expounding what one knows oneself to instruct and train for the Buddha. An outsider clings to an affair and comes to challenge, [saying that] when the Tathāgata has an inquiry toward a disciple, it seems as if he does not know. The Tathāgata answers, saying: 'I accord with conventional appropriateness, not that I fail to understand.' In the face of this challenge there is no sign of fear, and he abides peacefully in the noble state; this is the fearlessness of all-knowledge. Second, the fearlessness regarding the exhaustion of defilements. An outsider challenges, saying: 'The Tathāgata scolded Devadatta as if he had anger, and stroked the head of Rāhula as if he had affection.' The Buddha says: 'Seeing those who are stubborn and hard to transform, one should scold Devadatta; seeing those who should be nourished with compassion to produce good, one should [stroke] Rāhula; it is not to say that there is anger or affection.' In the face of this challenge there is no sign of fear; this is the second fearlessness. Third, the fearlessness regarding the afflictions obstructing the path. An outsider challenges, saying: 'A srotāpanna attains the path of the first fruit, yet still has afflictions; thus we know afflictions do not obstruct the path.' The Tathāgata answers, saying: 'The points of obstruction differ. The eighty-eight fetters obstruct only the srotāpanna; the four fetters of reflection obstruct the latter three fruits; it is not to say that they do not obstruct.' In these words there is no sign of fear; this is the third fearlessness. Fourth, the fearlessness regarding the path of escape. An outsider challenges, saying: 'The uncontaminated is not the path of escape. How is this known? Although a srotāpanna attains the uncontaminated, they still undergo seven births and seven deaths.' The Tathāgata answers, saying: 'It is not that it is not an escape. But worldlings have incalculable births and deaths, whereas the srotāpanna cuts them down to seven; hence it is called an escape.' In these words there is no sign of fear; this is called the fourth fearlessness. Having not the slightest sign of fear in these four situations, they are called the four fearlessnesses.
"The faultless three karmas": precisely because guilt is exhausted, there is nothing; the three karmas spontaneously do not give rise to evil, hence they are called the faultless three karmas.
"The three-times-six unshared": the eighteen unshared dharmas. The first six are: no fault in the body, no fault in speech, no fault in mindfulness, no sign of fear, no scattered mind, and no abandoning mind without awareness. These first six clarify self-practice. The middle six are: no decline in zeal, no decline in intention, no decline in vigor, no decline in wisdom, no decline in liberation, and no decline in the knowledge and vision of liberation. Because these [relate to] the fulfillment of [removing] the six hindrances, they are all said to have no decline. The final six are: bodily karma following the practice of wisdom, mental karma following the practice of wisdom, vocal karma following the practice of wisdom, and wisdom knowing the past, future, and present without hindrance or obstruction. These latter six block outer transformations. These eighteen dharmas are not shared with inferior people; hence they are called unshared.
"All merit and supreme path dharmas": the merits of all buddhas are incalculable and boundless, and cannot be completely spoken of; hence this summarizes them. From "manifesting everything to me" down to this point, it specifically reveals the merits of the buddha-stage.
From "various matters are taught and flow into the ten directions" down: clarifies all the bodhisattvas praising the radiant light of the Tathāgata's prajñā flowing into the ten directions, pervading all buddha-lands without exception.