華嚴經 品一 世主妙嚴品 · 異生眾二·八部及五神眾Avataṃsaka Sūtra · The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds · The Assemblies of Different Birth, Part Two: The Eight Classes and the Five Spirit Hosts
一百三十一位，一百三十一道門，沒有一道是台階。
讀來像名單，跳過去就把眼丟了。八部之王與五類神，一人報一句「得……解脫門」，上首再承佛威力替全眾說一偈，偈末多把名字結回去（十三眾之首頌不結名，餘一百一十八首結名）。門與證大體對榫。
要緊的是門從哪裡開。好爭的阿脩羅，首門是「現為大會尊勝主」——他所爭的那個勝，被移到佛身上，爭心才息。搏取為性的迦樓羅，首門是「無著無礙眼」。以樂為業的緊那羅，第二門把世樂換成法喜。性格不必先毀掉再修行，是就地換方向。
主夜神七位，澄觀說正是後文善財所參的地上善友。地上的功德不必等路走完才出現——它在最初的法會上就已在座。
且從你今天走得進去的那一道進去。
One hundred and thirty-one figures, one hundred and thirty-one gates, and not one of them a step.
It reads like a roster, and to skip it is to throw away the eye. The kings of the eight classes and the five kinds of spirits — each reports a single clause, ‘gained the … gate of liberation’, and then the foremost one, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, speaks a verse on behalf of the whole host, the verse mostly returning the name at the end (the opening verse of each of the thirteen hosts concludes with no name; the remaining one hundred and eighteen do). Gate and realization are broadly mortised together.
What matters is where the gate opens. For the contentious asuras, the first gate is ‘manifesting as the foremost and surpassing lord within the great assembly’ — the surpassing they contend for is moved onto the body of the Buddha, and only then does the contending die down. For the garuḍas, whose nature is to seize, the first gate is ‘an eye that neither clings nor is obstructed’. For the kiṃnaras, whose work is joy, the second gate exchanges worldly joy for joy in the Dharma. One’s disposition need not be destroyed first and practice taken up after; it is turned around on the spot.
Of the seven night-spirits, Chengguan says they are precisely the good friends on the grounds whom Sudhana visits in the later text. The merits of the grounds need not wait until the road is walked to appear — they were already seated at the very first assembly.
Go in, then, by whichever gate you can walk into today.
〔T10 0010〕
復次，持國乾闥婆王，得自在方便攝一切眾生解脫門；樹光乾闥婆王，得普見一切功德莊嚴解脫門；淨目乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生憂苦出生歡喜藏解脫門；華冠乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生邪見惑解脫門；喜步普音乾闥婆王，得如雲廣布普蔭澤一切眾生解脫門，樂搖動美目乾闥婆王，得現廣大妙好身令一切獲安樂解脫門；妙音師子幢乾闥婆王，得普散十方一切大名稱寶解脫門；普放寶光明乾闥婆王，得現一切大歡喜光明清淨身解脫門；金剛樹華幢乾闥婆王，得普滋榮一切樹令見者歡喜解脫門；普現莊嚴乾闥婆王，得善入一切佛境界與眾生安樂解脫門。
爾時，持國乾闥婆王，承佛威力，普觀一切乾闥婆眾而說頌言：
「諸佛境界無量門，一切眾生莫能入，
善逝如空性清淨，普為世間開正道。
如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿，
一切世間咸利樂，此樹光王所能見。
世間廣大憂苦海，佛能消竭悉無餘，
如來慈愍多方便，淨目於此能深解。
十方剎海無有邊，佛以智光咸照耀，
普使滌除邪惡見，此樹光王所入門。
佛於往昔無量劫，修習大慈方便行，
一切世間咸慰安，此道普音能悟入。
佛身清淨皆樂見，能生世間無盡樂，
解脫因果次第成，美目於斯善開示。
眾生迷惑常流轉，愚癡障蓋極堅密，
如來為說廣大法，師子幢王能演暢。
如來普現妙色身，無量差別等眾生，
種種方便照世間，普放寶光如是見。
大智方便無量門，佛為群生普開闡，
入勝菩提真實行，此金剛幢善觀察。
一剎那中百千劫，佛力能現無所動，
等以安樂施群生，此樂莊嚴之解脫。」
〔T10 0011〕
復次，增長鳩槃荼王，得滅一切怨害力解脫門；龍主鳩槃荼王，得修習無邊行門海解脫門；莊嚴幢鳩槃荼王，得知一切眾生心所樂解脫門；饒益行鳩槃荼王，得普成就清淨大光明所作業解脫門；可怖畏鳩槃荼王，得開示一切眾生安隱無畏道解脫門；妙莊嚴鳩槃荼王，得消竭一切眾生愛欲海解脫門；高峯慧鳩槃荼王，得普現諸趣光明雲解脫門；勇健臂鳩槃荼王，得普放光明滅如山重障解脫門；無邊淨華眼鳩槃荼王，得開示不退轉大悲藏解脫門；廣大面鳩槃荼王，得普現諸趣流轉身解脫門。
爾時，增長鳩槃荼王，承佛威力，普觀一切鳩槃荼眾而說頌言：
「成就忍力世導師，為物修行無量劫，
永離世間憍慢惑，是故其身最嚴淨。
佛昔普修諸行海，教化十方無量眾，
種種方便利群生，此解脫門龍主得。
佛以大智救眾生，莫不明了知其心，
種種自在而調伏，嚴幢見此生歡喜。
神通應現如光影，法輪真實同虛空，
如是處世無央劫，此饒益王之所證。
眾生癡翳常蒙惑，佛光照現安隱道，
為作救護令除苦，可畏能觀此法門。
欲海漂淪具眾苦，智光普照滅無餘，
既除苦已為說法，此妙莊嚴之所悟。
佛身普應無不見，種種方便化群生，
音如雷震雨法雨，如是法門高慧入。
清淨光明不唐發，若遇必令消重障，
演佛功德無有邊，勇臂能明此深理。
為欲安樂諸眾生，修習大悲無量劫，
種種方便除眾苦，如是淨華之所見。
神通自在不思議，其身普現遍十方，
而於一切無來去，此廣面王心所了。」
復次，毘樓博叉龍王，得消滅一切諸龍趣熾然苦解脫門；娑竭羅龍王，得一念中轉自龍形示現無量眾生身解脫門；雲音幢龍王，得於一切諸有趣中以清淨音說佛無邊名號海解脫門；焰口龍王，得普現無邊佛世界建立差別解脫門；焰龍王，得一切眾生瞋癡蓋纏如來慈愍令除滅解脫門；雲幢龍王，得開示一切眾生大喜樂福德海解脫門；德叉迦龍王，得以清淨救護音滅除一切怖畏解脫門；無邊步龍王，得示現一切佛色身及住劫次第解脫門；清淨色速疾龍王，得出生一切眾生大愛樂歡喜海解脫門；普行大音龍王，得示現一切平等悅意無礙音解脫門；無熱惱龍王，得以大悲普覆雲滅一切世間苦解脫門。
爾時，毘樓博叉龍王，承佛威力，普觀一切諸龍眾已，即說頌言：
「汝觀如來法常爾，一切眾生咸利益，
能以大慈哀愍力，拔彼畏塗淪墜者。
一切眾生種種別，於一毛端皆示現，
神通變化滿世間，娑竭如是觀於佛。
佛以神通無限力，廣演名號等眾生，
隨其所樂普使聞，如是雲音能悟解。
無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔，
如來安坐彼會中，此焰口龍之所見。
一切眾生瞋恚心，纏蓋愚癡深若海，
如來慈愍皆滅除，焰龍觀此能明見。
一切眾生福德力，佛毛孔中皆顯現，
現已令歸大福海，此高雲幢之所觀。
佛身毛孔發智光，其光處處演妙音，
眾生聞者除憂畏，德叉迦龍悟斯道。
三世一切諸如來，國土莊嚴劫次第，
如是皆於佛身現，廣步見此神通力。
我觀如來往昔行，供養一切諸佛海，
於彼咸增喜樂心，此速疾龍之所入。
佛以方便隨類音，為眾說法令歡喜，
其音清雅眾所悅，普行聞此心欣悟。
眾生逼迫諸有中，業惑漂轉無人救，
佛以大悲令解脫，無熱大龍能悟此。」
復次，毘沙門夜叉王，得以無邊方便救護惡眾生解脫門；自在音夜叉王，得普觀察眾生方便救護解脫門；嚴持器仗夜叉王，得能資益一切甚羸惡眾生解脫門；大智慧夜叉王，得稱揚一切聖功德海解脫門；焰眼主夜叉王，得普觀察一切眾生大悲智解脫門；金剛眼夜叉王，得種種方便利益安樂一切眾生解脫門；勇健臂夜叉王，得普入一切諸法義解脫門；勇敵大軍夜叉王，得守護一切眾生令住於道無空過者解脫門；富財夜叉王，得增長一切眾生福德聚令恒受快樂解脫門；力壞高山夜叉王，得隨順憶念出生佛力智光明解脫門。
〔T10 0012〕
爾時，多聞大夜叉王，承佛威力，普觀一切夜叉眾會而說頌言：
「眾生罪惡深可怖，於百千劫不見佛，
漂流生死受眾苦，為救是等佛興世。
如來救護諸世間，悉現一切眾生前，
息彼畏塗輪轉苦，如是法門音主入。
眾生惡業為重障，佛示妙理令開解，
譬以明燈照世間，此法嚴仗能觀見。
佛昔劫海修諸行，稱讚十方一切佛，
故有高遠大名聞，此智慧王之所了。
智慧如空無有邊，法身廣大不思議，
是故十方皆出現，焰目於此能觀察。
一切趣中演妙音，說法利益諸群生，
其聲所暨眾苦滅，入此方便金剛眼。
一切甚深廣大義，如來一句能演說，
如是教理等世間，勇健慧王之所悟。
一切眾生住邪道，佛示正道不思議，
普使世間成法器，此勇敵軍能悟解。
世間所有眾福業，一切皆由佛光照，
佛智慧海難測量，如是富財之解脫。
憶念往劫無央數，佛於是中修十力，
能令諸力皆圓滿，此高幢王所了知。」
復次，善慧摩睺羅伽王，得以一切神通方便令眾生集功德解脫門；淨威音摩睺羅伽王，得使一切眾生除煩惱得清涼悅樂解脫門；勝慧莊嚴髻摩睺羅伽王，得普使一切善不善思覺眾生入清淨法解脫門；妙目主摩睺羅伽王，得了達一切無所著福德自在平等相解脫門；燈幢摩睺羅伽王，得開示一切眾生令離黑闇怖畏道解脫門；最勝光明幢摩睺羅伽王，得了知一切佛功德生歡喜解脫門；師子臆摩睺羅伽王，得勇猛力為一切眾生救護主解脫門；眾妙莊嚴音摩睺羅伽王，得令一切眾生隨憶念生無邊喜樂解脫門；須彌臆摩睺羅伽王，得於一切所緣決定不動到彼岸滿足解脫門；可愛樂光明摩睺羅伽王，得為一切不平等眾生開示平等道解脫門。
爾時，善慧威光摩睺羅伽王，承佛威力，普觀一切摩睺羅伽眾而說頌言：
「汝觀如來性清淨，普現威光利群品，
示甘露道使清涼，眾苦永滅無所依。
一切眾生居有海，諸惡業惑自纏覆，
示彼所行寂靜法，離塵威音能善了。
佛智無等叵思議，知眾生心無不盡，
為彼闡明清淨法，如是嚴髻心能悟。
無量諸佛現世間，普為眾生作福田，
福海廣大深難測，妙目大王能悉見。
一切眾生憂畏苦，佛普現前而救護，
法界虛空靡不周，此是燈幢所行境。
佛一毛孔諸功德，世間共度不能了，
無邊無盡同虛空，如是廣大光幢見。
如來通達一切法，於彼法性皆明照，
如須彌山不傾動，入此法門師子臆。
佛於往昔廣大劫，集歡喜海深無盡，
是故見者靡不欣，此法嚴音之所入。
了知法界無形相，波羅蜜海悉圓滿，
大光普救諸眾生，山臆能知此方便。
汝觀如來自在力，十方降現罔不均，
一切眾生咸照悟，此妙光明能善入。」
復次，善慧光明天緊那羅王，得普生一切喜樂業解脫門；妙華幢緊那羅王，得能生無上法喜令一切受安樂解脫門；種種莊嚴緊那羅王，得一切功德滿足廣大清淨信解藏解脫門；悅意吼聲緊那羅王，得恒出一切悅意聲令聞者離憂怖解脫門；寶樹光明緊那羅王，得大悲安立一切眾生令覺悟所緣解脫門；普樂見緊那羅王，得示現一切妙色身解脫門；最勝光莊嚴緊那羅王，得了知一切殊勝莊嚴果所從生業解脫門；微妙華幢緊那羅王，得善觀察一切世間業所生報解脫門；動地力緊那羅王，得恒起一切利益眾生事解脫門；威猛主緊那羅王，得善知一切緊那羅心巧攝御解脫門。
爾時，善慧光明天緊那羅王，承佛威力，普觀一切緊那羅眾而說頌言：
「世間所有安樂事，一切皆由見佛興，
導師利益諸眾生，普作救護歸依處。
出生一切諸喜樂，世間咸得無有盡，
能令見者不唐捐，此是華幢之所悟。
佛功德海無有盡，求其邊際不可得，
光明普照於十方，此莊嚴王之解脫。
如來大音常演暢，開示離憂真實法，
眾生聞者咸欣悅，如是吼聲能信受。
我觀如來自在力，皆由往昔所修行，
大悲救物令清淨，此寶樹王能悟入。
如來難可得見聞，眾生億劫時乃遇，
眾相為嚴悉具足，此樂見王之所覩。
汝觀如來大智慧，普應群生心所欲，
一切智道靡不宣，最勝莊嚴此能了。
業海廣大不思議，眾生苦樂皆從起，
如是一切能開示，此華幢王所了知。
諸佛神通無間歇，十方大地恒震動，
一切眾生莫能知，此廣大力恒明見。
處於眾會現神通，放大光明令覺悟，
顯示一切如來境，此威猛主能觀察。」
〔T10 0013〕
復次，大速疾力迦樓羅王，得無著無礙眼普觀察眾生界解脫門；不可壞寶髻迦樓羅王，得普安住法界教化眾生解脫門；清淨速疾迦樓羅王，得普成就波羅蜜精進力解脫門；不退心莊嚴迦樓羅王，得勇猛力入如來境界解脫門；大海處攝持力迦樓羅王，得入佛行廣大智慧海解脫門；堅法淨光迦樓羅王，得成就無邊眾生差別智解脫門；妙嚴冠髻迦樓羅王，得莊嚴佛法城解脫門；普捷示現迦樓羅王，得成就不可壞平等力解脫門；普觀海迦樓羅王，得了知一切眾生身而為現形解脫門；龍音大目精迦樓羅王，得普入一切眾生歿生行智解脫門。
爾時，大速疾力迦樓羅王，承佛威力，普觀一切迦樓羅眾而說頌言：
「佛眼廣大無邊際，普見十方諸國土，
其中眾生不可量，現大神通悉調伏。
佛神通力無所礙，遍坐十方覺樹下，
演法如雲悉充滿，寶髻聽聞心不逆。
佛於往昔修諸行，普淨廣大波羅蜜，
供養一切諸如來，此速疾王深信解。
如來一一毛孔中，一念普現無邊行，
如是難思佛境界，不退莊嚴悉明覩。
佛行廣大不思議，一切眾生莫能測，
導師功德智慧海，此執持王所行處。
如來無量智慧光，能滅眾生癡惑網，
一切世間咸救護，此是堅法所持說。
法城廣大不可窮，其門種種無數量，
如來處世大開闡，此妙冠髻能明入。
一切諸佛一法身，真如平等無分別，
佛以此力常安住，普捷現王斯具演。
佛昔諸有攝眾生，普放光明遍世間，
種種方便示調伏，此勝法門觀海悟。
佛觀一切諸國土，悉依業海而安住，
普雨法雨於其中，龍音解脫能如是。」
復次，羅睺阿脩羅王，得現為大會尊勝主解脫門；毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王，得示現無量劫解脫門；巧幻術阿脩羅王，得消滅一切眾生苦令清淨解脫門；大眷屬阿脩羅王，得修一切苦行自莊嚴解脫門；婆稚阿脩羅王，得震動十方無邊境界解脫門；遍照阿脩羅王，得種種方便安立一切眾生解脫門；堅固行妙莊嚴阿脩羅王，得普集不可壞善根淨諸染著解脫門；廣大因慧阿脩羅王，得大悲力無疑惑主解脫門；現勝德阿脩羅王，得普令見佛承事供養修諸善根解脫門；善音阿脩羅王，得普入一切趣決定平等行解脫門。
爾時，羅睺阿脩羅王，承佛威力，普觀一切阿脩羅眾而說頌言：
「十方所有廣大眾，佛在其中最殊特，
光明遍照等虛空，普現一切眾生前。
百千萬劫諸佛土，一剎那中悉明現，
舒光化物靡不周，如是毘摩深讚喜。
如來境界無與等，種種法門常利益，
眾生有苦皆令滅，苫末羅王此能見。
無量劫中修苦行，利益眾生淨世間，
由是牟尼智普成，大眷屬王斯見佛。
無礙無等大神通，遍動十方一切剎，
不使眾生有驚怖，大力於此能明了。
佛出於世救眾生，一切智道咸開示，
悉令捨苦得安樂，此義遍照所弘闡。
世間所有眾福海，佛力能生普令淨，
佛能開示解脫處，堅行莊嚴入此門。
佛大悲身無與等，周行無礙悉令見，
猶如影像現世間，因慧能宣此功德。
希有無等大神通，處處現身充法界，
各在菩提樹下坐，此義勝德能宣說。
如來往修三世行，諸趣輪迴靡不經，
脫眾生苦無有餘，此妙音王所稱讚。」
復次，示現宮殿主晝神，得普入一切世間解脫門；發起慧香主晝神，得普觀察一切眾生皆利益令歡喜滿足解脫門；樂勝莊嚴主晝神，得能放無邊可愛樂法光明解脫門；華香妙光主晝神，得開發無邊眾生清淨信解心解脫門；普集妙藥主晝神，得積集莊嚴普光明力解脫門；樂作喜目主晝神，得普開悟一切苦樂眾生皆令得法樂解脫門；觀方普現主晝神，得十方法界差別身解脫門；大悲威力主晝神，得救護一切眾生令安樂解脫門；善根光照主晝神，得普生喜足功德力解脫門；妙華瓔珞主晝神，得聲稱普聞眾生見者皆獲益解脫門。
〔T10 0014〕
爾時，示現宮殿主晝神，承佛威力，普觀一切主晝神眾而說頌言：
「佛智如空無有盡，光明照耀遍十方，
眾生心行悉了知，一切世間無不入。
知諸眾生心所樂，如應為說眾法海，
句義廣大各不同，具足慧神能悉見。
佛放光明照世間，見聞歡喜不唐捐，
示其深廣寂滅處，此樂莊嚴心悟解。
佛雨法雨無邊量，能令見者大歡喜，
最勝善根從此生，如是妙光心所悟。
普入法門開悟力，曠劫修治悉清淨，
如是皆為攝眾生，此妙藥神之所了。
種種方便化群生，若見若聞咸受益，
皆令踊躍大歡喜，妙眼晝神如是見。
十力應現遍世間，十方法界悉無餘，
體性非無亦非有，此觀方神之所入。
眾生流轉險難中，如來哀愍出世間，
悉令除滅一切苦，此解脫門悲力住。
眾生闇覆淪永夕，佛為說法大開曉，
皆使得樂除眾苦，大善光神入此門。
如來福量同虛空，世間眾福悉從生，
凡有所作無空過，如是解脫華瓔得。」
復次，普德淨光主夜神，得寂靜禪定樂大勇健解脫門；喜眼觀世主夜神，得廣大清淨可愛樂功德相解脫門；護世精氣主夜神，得普現世間調伏眾生解脫門；寂靜海音主夜神，得積集廣大歡喜心解脫門；普現吉祥主夜神，得甚深自在悅意言音解脫門；普發樹華主夜神，得光明滿足廣大歡喜藏解脫門；平等護育主夜神，得開悟眾生令成熟善根解脫門；遊戲快樂主夜神，得救護眾生無邊慈解脫門；諸根常喜主夜神，得普現莊嚴大悲門解脫門；示現淨福主夜神，得普使一切眾生所樂滿足解脫門。
爾時，普德淨光主夜神，承佛威力，遍觀一切主夜神眾而說頌言：
「汝等應觀佛所行，廣大寂靜虛空相，
欲海無涯悉治淨，離垢端嚴照十方。
一切世間咸樂見，無量劫海時一遇，
大悲念物靡不周，此解脫門觀世覩。
導師救護諸世間，眾生悉見在其前，
能令諸趣皆清淨，如是護世能觀察。
佛昔修治歡喜海，廣大無邊不可測，
是故見者咸欣樂，此是寂音之所了。
如來境界不可量，寂而能演遍十方，
普使眾生意清淨，尸利夜神聞踊悅。
佛於無福眾生中，大福莊嚴甚威曜，
示彼離塵寂滅法，普發華神悟斯道。
十方普現大神通，一切眾生悉調伏，
種種色相皆令見，此護育神之所觀。
如來往昔念念中，悉淨方便慈悲海，
救護世間無不遍，此福樂神之解脫。
眾生愚癡常亂濁，其心堅毒甚可畏，
如來慈愍為出興，此滅怨神能悟喜。
佛昔修行為眾生，一切願欲皆令滿，
由是具成功德相，此現福神之所入。」
復次，遍住一切主方神，得普救護力解脫門；普現光明主方神，得成辦化一切眾生神通業解脫門；光行莊嚴主方神，得破一切闇障生喜樂大光明解脫門；周行不礙主方神，得普現一切處不唐勞解脫門；永斷迷惑主方神，得示現等一切眾生數名號發生功德解脫門；遍遊淨空主方神，得恒發妙音令聽者皆歡喜解脫門；雲幢大音主方神，得如龍普雨令眾生歡喜解脫門；髻目無亂主方神，得示現一切眾生業無差別自在力解脫門；普觀世業主方神，得觀察一切趣生中種種業解脫門；周遍遊覽主方神，得所作事皆究竟生一切眾生歡喜解脫門。
爾時，遍住一切主方神，承佛威力，普觀一切主方神眾而說頌言：
「如來自在出世間，教化一切諸群生，
普示法門令悟入，悉使當成無上智。
神通無量等眾生，隨其所樂示諸相，
見者皆蒙出離苦，此現光神解脫力。
佛於闇障眾生海，為現法炬大光明，
其光普照無不見，此行莊嚴之解脫。
具足世間種種音，普轉法輪無不解，
眾生聽者煩惱滅，此遍往神之所悟。
一切世間所有名，佛名等彼而出生，
悉使眾生離癡惑，此斷迷神所行處。
若有眾生至佛前，得聞如來美妙音，
莫不心生大歡喜，遍遊虛空悟斯法。
佛於一一剎那中，普雨無邊大法雨，
悉使眾生煩惱滅，此雲幢神所了知。
一切世間諸業海，佛悉開示等無異，
普使眾生除業惑，此髻目神之所了。
一切智地無有邊，一切眾生種種心，
如來照見悉明了，此廣大門觀世入。
佛於往昔修諸行，無量諸度悉圓滿，
大慈哀愍利眾生，此遍遊神之解脫。」
〔T10 0015〕
復次，淨光普照主空神，得普知諸趣一切眾生心解脫門；普遊深廣主空神，得普入法界解脫門；生吉祥風主空神，得了達無邊境界身相解脫門；離障安住主空神，得能除一切眾生業惑障解脫門；廣步妙髻主空神，得普觀察思惟廣大行海解脫門；無礙光焰主空神，得大悲光普救護一切眾生厄難解脫門；無礙勝力主空神，得普入一切無所著福德力解脫門；離垢光明主空神，得能令一切眾生心離諸蓋清淨解脫門；深遠妙音主空神，得普見十方智光明解脫門；光遍十方主空神，得不動本處而普現世間解脫門。
爾時，淨光普照主空神，承佛威力，普觀一切主空神眾而說頌言：
「如來廣大目，清淨如虛空，
普見諸眾生，一切悉明了。
佛身大光明，遍照於十方，
處處現前住，普遊觀此道。
佛身如虛空，無生無所取，
無得無自性，吉祥風所見。
如來無量劫，廣說諸聖道，
普滅眾生障，圓光悟此門。
我觀佛往昔，所集菩提行，
悉為安世間，妙髻行斯境。
一切眾生界，流轉生死海，
佛放滅苦光，無礙神能見。
清淨功德藏，能為世福田，
隨以智開覺，力神於此悟。
眾生癡所覆，流轉於險道，
佛為放光明，離垢神能證。
智慧無邊際，悉現諸國土，
光明照世間，妙音斯見佛。
佛為度眾生，修行遍十方，
如是大願心，普現能觀察。」
復次，無礙光明主風神，得普入佛法及一切世間解脫門；普現勇業主風神，得無量國土佛出現咸廣大供養解脫門；飄擊雲幢主風神，得以香風普滅一切眾生病解脫門；淨光莊嚴主風神，得普生一切眾生善根令摧滅重障山解脫門；力能竭水主風神，得能破無邊惡魔眾解脫門；大聲遍吼主風神，得永滅一切眾生怖解脫門；樹杪垂髻主風神，得入一切諸法實相辯才海解脫門；普行無礙主風神，得調伏一切眾生方便藏解脫門；種種宮殿主風神，得入寂靜禪定門滅極重愚癡闇解脫門；大光普照主風神，得隨順一切眾生行無礙力解脫門。
爾時，無礙光明主風神，承佛威力，普觀一切主風神眾而說頌言：
「一切諸佛法甚深，無礙方便普能入，
所有世間常出現，無相無形無影像。
汝觀如來於往昔，一念供養無邊佛，
如是勇猛菩提行，此普現神能悟了。
如來救世不思議，所有方便無空過，
悉使眾生離諸苦，此雲幢神之解脫。
眾生無福受眾苦，重蓋密障常迷覆，
一切皆令得解脫，此淨光神所了知。
如來廣大神通力，克殄一切魔軍眾，
所有調伏諸方便，勇健威力能觀察。
佛於毛孔演妙音，其音普遍於世間，
一切苦畏皆令息，此遍吼神之所了。
佛於一切眾剎海，不思議劫常演說，
此如來地妙辯才，樹杪髻神能悟解。
佛於一切方便門，智入其中悉無礙，
境界無邊無與等，此普行神之解脫。
如來境界無有邊，處處方便皆令見，
而身寂靜無諸相，種種宮神解脫門。
如來劫海修諸行，一切諸力皆成滿，
能隨世法應眾生，此普照神之所見。」
〔卷4〕
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
乾闥婆眾：尋香作樂的一族，各得一道門
（承前，經家接著敘列與會的各類眾生所得的法門。乾闥婆，是以香為食、常為諸天作樂的一類眾生。）
再者，持國乾闥婆王，得到了「以自在的方便攝受一切眾生」這一道解脫門（解脫門，是一道能從繫縛裡出去的門徑，一人得一門）；樹光乾闥婆王，得到了「讓人普遍見到佛一切功德莊嚴」這一道解脫門；淨目乾闥婆王，得到了「永遠斷除一切眾生的憂苦、出生歡喜之藏」這一道解脫門；華冠乾闥婆王，得到了「永遠斷除一切眾生的邪見與迷惑」這一道解脫門；喜步普音乾闥婆王，得到了「像雲一樣廣布、普遍蔭覆潤澤一切眾生」這一道解脫門；樂搖動美目乾闥婆王，得到了「示現廣大美好的身相、令一切眾生獲得安樂」這一道解脫門；妙音師子幢乾闥婆王，得到了「向十方普遍散布一切大名稱之寶」這一道解脫門；普放寶光明乾闥婆王，得到了「示現一切大歡喜的光明清淨之身」這一道解脫門；金剛樹華幢乾闥婆王，得到了「普遍滋養榮茂一切樹木、令見到的人歡喜」這一道解脫門；普現莊嚴乾闥婆王，得到了「善巧地進入一切佛的境界、給與眾生安樂」這一道解脫門。
那時候，持國乾闥婆王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切乾闥婆眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「諸佛的境界有無量道門，一切眾生沒有誰能自己進得去；善逝（佛的德號，善巧而去、去而不返生死者）如同虛空，體性清淨，普遍為世間開出一條正道。
「如來的每一個毛孔之中，功德的大海全都充滿其中；一切世間都因此得到利益安樂——這是樹光王所能見到的。
「世間廣大如海的憂苦，佛能夠把它消竭得一點不剩；如來的慈悲哀愍有種種方便——淨目王在這裡能夠深入理解。
「十方的剎海（無量無邊的佛國世界）沒有邊際，佛以智慧之光全都照耀；普遍使人洗除邪惡之見——這是樹光王所入的門。
「佛在往昔無量劫中，修習大慈的方便之行；一切世間都因此得到安慰——這一條路，普音王能夠悟入。
「佛身清淨，人人都樂於見到，能夠出生世間無有窮盡的安樂；解脫的因與果次第成就——美目王對此善於開示。
「眾生迷惑，常在生死裡流轉，愚癡的障蓋極其堅固緊密；如來為他們宣說廣大之法——師子幢王能夠演說暢達。
「如來普遍示現微妙的色身，有無量的差別，與眾生的根器相等；以種種方便照亮世間——普放寶光王就是這樣見到的。
「大智慧的方便有無量道門，佛為眾生普遍開示闡明；進入殊勝菩提的真實之行——這是金剛幢王所善於觀察的。
「一剎那之中含著百千劫，佛的力量能夠如此示現而毫無動搖；平等地把安樂布施給眾生——這是樂莊嚴王的解脫。」
鳩槃荼眾：守在南方的一族，十道門都從「除害」上開
（鳩槃荼，是南方天王所領的一類眾生。）
再者，增長鳩槃荼王，得到了「滅除一切怨害之力」這一道解脫門；龍主鳩槃荼王，得到了「修習無邊行門之海」這一道解脫門；莊嚴幢鳩槃荼王，得到了「了知一切眾生心裡所愛樂的」這一道解脫門；饒益行鳩槃荼王，得到了「普遍成就清淨大光明所作的事業」這一道解脫門；可怖畏鳩槃荼王，得到了「為一切眾生開示安隱無畏之道」這一道解脫門；妙莊嚴鳩槃荼王，得到了「消竭一切眾生愛欲之海」這一道解脫門；高峯慧鳩槃荼王，得到了「普遍示現諸趣（眾生輪迴所往的種種去處）的光明之雲」這一道解脫門；勇健臂鳩槃荼王，得到了「普放光明、滅除如山一般的重重障礙」這一道解脫門；無邊淨華眼鳩槃荼王，得到了「開示不退轉的大悲之藏」這一道解脫門；廣大面鳩槃荼王，得到了「普遍示現在諸趣中流轉之身」這一道解脫門。
那時候，增長鳩槃荼王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切鳩槃荼眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「成就了忍力的世間導師，為了眾生修行無量劫；永遠離開了世間的憍慢與迷惑，所以他的身相最為莊嚴清淨。
「佛在往昔普遍修習種種行海，教化十方無量的眾生；以種種方便利益眾生——這一道解脫門是龍主王所得。
「佛以大智慧救度眾生，沒有一個心念不被他明明白白地知道；以種種自在的方式調伏他們——嚴幢王見到這一點而生歡喜。
「神通的應現如同光影，法輪的真實如同虛空；就這樣處在世間無央之劫——這是饒益王所證的。
「眾生被癡翳常常蒙蔽迷惑，佛的光明照現出安隱之道；為他們作救護、令苦除滅——可畏王能夠觀入這一法門。
「欲海裡漂流沉淪，備受眾苦，智慧之光普照而滅得一點不剩；除苦之後又為他們說法——這是妙莊嚴王所悟的。
「佛身普遍應現，沒有見不到的，以種種方便化度眾生；聲音如雷震動、降下法雨——這樣的法門是高慧王所入。
「清淨的光明不會白發，若是遇上了，必定令重障消除；演說佛的功德沒有邊際——勇臂王能夠明白這一層深理。
「為了安樂諸位眾生，修習大悲無量劫；以種種方便除去眾苦——這是淨華王所見的。
「神通自在不可思議，其身普遍示現遍滿十方；而在一切處都無來無去——這是廣面王心裡所了達的。」
龍眾：十一位龍王，十一道門
（龍，是西方天王所領的一類眾生。此一眾王數十一，與其餘各眾之十不同。）
再者，毘樓博叉龍王，得到了「消滅一切龍趣熾然之苦」這一道解脫門；娑竭羅龍王，得到了「在一念之中轉去自己的龍形、示現無量眾生之身」這一道解脫門；雲音幢龍王，得到了「在一切諸有之趣中以清淨的音聲宣說佛無邊的名號之海」這一道解脫門；焰口龍王，得到了「普遍示現無邊佛世界的建立差別」這一道解脫門；焰龍王，得到了「一切眾生的瞋與癡所成的蓋纏，如來以慈悲哀愍令其除滅」這一道解脫門；雲幢龍王，得到了「為一切眾生開示大喜樂的福德之海」這一道解脫門；德叉迦龍王，得到了「以清淨的救護之音滅除一切怖畏」這一道解脫門；無邊步龍王，得到了「示現一切佛的色身以及住世劫數的次第」這一道解脫門；清淨色速疾龍王，得到了「出生一切眾生大愛樂的歡喜之海」這一道解脫門；普行大音龍王，得到了「示現一切平等悅意而無障礙的音聲」這一道解脫門；無熱惱龍王，得到了「以大悲普遍覆蓋之雲滅去一切世間之苦」這一道解脫門。
那時候，毘樓博叉龍王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切諸龍之眾以後，就說出這樣的偈頌：
「你們看如來的法常是如此，對一切眾生全都給與利益；能夠以大慈哀愍之力，把那些墮在可畏險途裡沉淪的人拔出來。
「一切眾生種種差別，在一根毛端上全都示現；神通變化充滿世間——娑竭羅王就是這樣觀佛的。
「佛以神通無限的力量，廣泛演說名號與眾生相應；隨他們所愛樂的普遍使他們聽聞——這是雲音王所能悟解的。
「無量無邊的國土與大眾，佛能夠讓它們進入一個毛孔；如來安坐在那個法會之中——這是焰口龍所見到的。
「一切眾生的瞋恚之心，纏蓋與愚癡深得像海一樣；如來慈悲哀愍全都為他滅除——焰龍觀察這一點而能明見。
「一切眾生的福德之力，在佛的毛孔之中全都顯現；顯現以後又令他們歸入大福之海——這是高雲幢王所觀的。
「佛身的毛孔發出智慧之光，那光在處處演出妙音；眾生聽到的就除去憂畏——德叉迦龍悟入了這條道。
「三世的一切如來，國土的莊嚴、劫數的次第，就這樣全都在佛身上示現——廣步王見到了這種神通之力。
「我看如來往昔的修行，供養了一切諸佛之海；在那裡面全都增長歡喜樂心——這是速疾龍所入的。
「佛以方便隨著各類眾生的言音，為大眾說法令他們歡喜；那聲音清雅、人人愛悅——普行王聽到這個而心裡欣然開悟。
「眾生在諸有之中被逼迫，被業與惑漂流輾轉而沒有人救；佛以大悲令他們解脫——無熱大龍能夠悟入這一點。」
夜叉眾：守護的一族，十道門都落在「救」字上
（夜叉，是北方天王所領的一類眾生。）
再者，毘沙門夜叉王，得到了「以無邊的方便救護作惡的眾生」這一道解脫門；自在音夜叉王，得到了「普遍觀察眾生而以方便救護」這一道解脫門；嚴持器仗夜叉王，得到了「能夠資助益養一切極羸弱與極惡的眾生」這一道解脫門；大智慧夜叉王，得到了「稱揚一切聖者功德之海」這一道解脫門；焰眼主夜叉王，得到了「普遍觀察一切眾生的大悲之智」這一道解脫門；金剛眼夜叉王，得到了「以種種方便利益安樂一切眾生」這一道解脫門；勇健臂夜叉王，得到了「普遍契入一切諸法之義」這一道解脫門；勇敵大軍夜叉王，得到了「守護一切眾生令他們安住於道、沒有一個空過」這一道解脫門；富財夜叉王，得到了「增長一切眾生的福德聚、令他們恆常受安樂」這一道解脫門；力壞高山夜叉王，得到了「隨順憶念而出生佛力的智慧光明」這一道解脫門。
那時候，多聞大夜叉王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切夜叉眾會，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「眾生的罪惡深重得可怕，在百千劫中見不到佛；漂流在生死裡受種種苦——為了救這些人，佛才出興於世。
「如來救護諸多世間，全都示現在一切眾生面前；止息他們在可畏險途中輪轉之苦——這樣的法門，音主王所入。
「眾生的惡業成為重重障礙，佛開示微妙之理令他們開解；譬如以明燈照亮世間——這一法，嚴仗王能夠觀見。
「佛在往昔劫海中修習諸行，稱讚十方一切諸佛；所以才有高遠的大名聞——這是智慧王所了知的。
「智慧如同虛空沒有邊際，法身廣大不可思議；所以在十方全都出現——焰目王對此能夠觀察。
「在一切趣中演出妙音，說法利益眾多眾生；那聲音所到之處眾苦消滅——入這一方便的是金剛眼王。
「一切甚深廣大之義，如來用一句話就能演說；這樣的教理與世間相等——這是勇健慧王所悟的。
「一切眾生住在邪道上，佛開示不可思議的正道；普遍使世間眾生成為法器——這是勇敵軍王所能悟解的。
「世間所有的種種福業，一切都由佛光照耀而生；佛的智慧之海難以測量——這樣的解脫是富財王的。
「憶念往昔無央數劫，佛在那當中修習十力；能令諸力全都圓滿——這是高幢王所了知的。」
摩睺羅伽眾：大蟒之形的一族，十道門從「清涼」開始
（摩睺羅伽，是八部之中大腹行者的一類眾生。）
再者，善慧摩睺羅伽王，得到了「以一切神通方便令眾生積集功德」這一道解脫門；淨威音摩睺羅伽王，得到了「使一切眾生除去煩惱、得清涼悅樂」這一道解脫門；勝慧莊嚴髻摩睺羅伽王，得到了「普遍使一切有善念與不善念的眾生都進入清淨之法」這一道解脫門；妙目主摩睺羅伽王，得到了「了達一切無所執著的福德自在平等之相」這一道解脫門；燈幢摩睺羅伽王，得到了「開示一切眾生令他們離開黑闇怖畏之道」這一道解脫門；最勝光明幢摩睺羅伽王，得到了「了知一切佛的功德而生歡喜」這一道解脫門；師子臆摩睺羅伽王，得到了「以勇猛之力作一切眾生的救護之主」這一道解脫門；眾妙莊嚴音摩睺羅伽王，得到了「令一切眾生隨其憶念而生無邊喜樂」這一道解脫門；須彌臆摩睺羅伽王，得到了「對一切所緣決定不動、到達彼岸而滿足」這一道解脫門；可愛樂光明摩睺羅伽王，得到了「為一切不平等的眾生開示平等之道」這一道解脫門。
那時候，善慧威光摩睺羅伽王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切摩睺羅伽眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「你們看如來的體性清淨，普遍示現威光利益眾生；示以甘露之道使他們清涼，眾苦永遠滅盡而無所依附。
「一切眾生住在有海之中，被種種惡業與迷惑自己纏縛覆蓋；示給他們所應行的寂靜之法——離塵威音王能夠善加了達。
「佛的智慧無可比等、不可思議，知道眾生的心沒有一點遺漏；為他們闡明清淨之法——這樣的事，嚴髻王心裡能夠悟入。
「無量諸佛出現世間，普遍為眾生作福田；福海廣大深不可測——妙目大王能夠全都見到。
「一切眾生的憂畏之苦，佛普遍現前而救護他們；遍於法界虛空無所不周——這是燈幢王所行的境界。
「佛一個毛孔中的種種功德，世間眾生一起量度也不能了知；無邊無盡如同虛空——這樣的事，廣大光幢王見到了。
「如來通達一切法，對那法性全都明照；如同須彌山一樣不曾傾動——入這一法門的是師子臆王。
「佛在往昔廣大之劫中，積集歡喜之海深而無盡；所以見到的人沒有不欣悅的——這一法是嚴音王所入的。
「了知法界沒有形相，波羅蜜（到彼岸之行）之海全都圓滿；以大光普遍救度諸眾生——山臆王能夠了知這一方便。
「你們看如來的自在之力，在十方降臨示現沒有不均等的；一切眾生都被照亮而覺悟——這一門，妙光明王能夠善入。」
緊那羅眾：以歌詠為業的一族，十道門都在「喜樂」上
（緊那羅，是形貌似人而頭有角、以歌詠為業的一類眾生。）
再者，善慧光明天緊那羅王，得到了「普遍出生一切喜樂之業」這一道解脫門；妙華幢緊那羅王，得到了「能夠出生無上法喜、令一切眾生受安樂」這一道解脫門；種種莊嚴緊那羅王，得到了「一切功德滿足的廣大清淨信解之藏」這一道解脫門；悅意吼聲緊那羅王，得到了「恆常發出一切悅意之聲、令聽到的人離開憂怖」這一道解脫門；寶樹光明緊那羅王，得到了「以大悲安立一切眾生、令他們覺悟所緣」這一道解脫門；普樂見緊那羅王，得到了「示現一切微妙色身」這一道解脫門；最勝光莊嚴緊那羅王，得到了「了知一切殊勝莊嚴之果所從而生的業」這一道解脫門；微妙華幢緊那羅王，得到了「善於觀察一切世間之業所生的果報」這一道解脫門；動地力緊那羅王，得到了「恆常發起一切利益眾生之事」這一道解脫門；威猛主緊那羅王，得到了「善於了知一切緊那羅之心而巧妙攝受統御」這一道解脫門。
那時候，善慧光明天緊那羅王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切緊那羅眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「世間所有的安樂之事，一切都由見到佛的出興而來；導師利益諸眾生，普遍作他們的救護與歸依之處。
「出生一切種種喜樂，世間全都得到而無有窮盡；能令見到的人不空過——這是華幢王所悟的。
「佛的功德之海沒有窮盡，尋求它的邊際不可得；光明普照於十方——這是莊嚴王的解脫。
「如來的大音常常演說暢達，開示離憂的真實之法；眾生聽到的全都欣悅——這樣的法，吼聲王能夠信受。
「我看如來的自在之力，全都由往昔所修之行而來；以大悲救度眾生令他們清淨——這是寶樹王所能悟入的。
「如來難得見到、難得聽聞，眾生要億劫之久才能遇上一次；種種相好莊嚴全都具足——這是樂見王所看到的。
「你們看如來的大智慧，普遍應合眾生心裡所欲；一切智之道沒有不宣說的——最勝莊嚴王對此能夠了達。
「業海廣大不可思議，眾生的苦與樂全都從此生起；這樣的一切都能開示——這是華幢王所了知的。
「諸佛的神通沒有間歇，十方大地恆常震動；一切眾生沒有誰能知道——這一點，廣大力王恆常明見。
「處在大眾之中示現神通，放大光明令人覺悟；顯示一切如來的境界——這是威猛主王所能觀察的。」
迦樓羅眾：以翅搏海的一族，十道門都在「取」與「捨」之間
（迦樓羅，是金翅之鳥，八部之一。）
再者，大速疾力迦樓羅王，得到了「以無著無礙之眼普遍觀察眾生界」這一道解脫門；不可壞寶髻迦樓羅王，得到了「普遍安住法界而教化眾生」這一道解脫門；清淨速疾迦樓羅王，得到了「普遍成就波羅蜜的精進之力」這一道解脫門；不退心莊嚴迦樓羅王，得到了「以勇猛之力進入如來境界」這一道解脫門；大海處攝持力迦樓羅王，得到了「進入佛行廣大的智慧之海」這一道解脫門；堅法淨光迦樓羅王，得到了「成就無邊眾生差別之智」這一道解脫門；妙嚴冠髻迦樓羅王，得到了「莊嚴佛法之城」這一道解脫門；普捷示現迦樓羅王，得到了「成就不可壞的平等之力」這一道解脫門；普觀海迦樓羅王，得到了「了知一切眾生之身而為他們現形」這一道解脫門；龍音大目精迦樓羅王，得到了「普遍契入一切眾生死歿與受生之行的智慧」這一道解脫門。
那時候，大速疾力迦樓羅王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切迦樓羅眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「佛眼廣大沒有邊際，普遍見到十方諸多國土；其中的眾生不可計量，示現大神通全都加以調伏。
「佛的神通之力沒有障礙，遍坐在十方的覺樹之下；演說法如同雲一般全都充滿——寶髻王聽聞而心不違逆。
「佛在往昔修習種種行，普遍清淨廣大的波羅蜜；供養一切諸如來——這是速疾王所深信理解的。
「如來每一個毛孔之中，一念之間普遍示現無邊之行；這樣難以思議的佛境界——不退莊嚴王全都明白看到。
「佛行廣大不可思議，一切眾生沒有誰能測度；導師功德智慧之海——這是執持王所行之處。
「如來無量的智慧之光，能夠滅去眾生的癡惑之網；對一切世間全都救護——這是堅法王所持而說的。
「法城廣大不可窮盡，它的門種種而無數量；如來處在世間大加開闡——這一點，妙冠髻王能夠明白契入。
「一切諸佛同一法身，真如平等而無分別；佛以這樣的力量常住不動——普捷現王對此具足演說。
「佛在往昔於諸有之中攝受眾生，普放光明遍滿世間；以種種方便示現而調伏——這一殊勝法門，觀海王悟入了。
「佛觀察一切諸國土，全都依著業海而安住；在其中普降法雨——龍音王的解脫就是這樣。」
阿脩羅眾：好諍的一族，十道門都從「尊勝」轉成「平等」
（阿脩羅，是有天之福而無天之德、性好爭鬥的一類眾生。）
再者，羅睺阿脩羅王，得到了「示現為大會中的尊勝之主」這一道解脫門；毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王，得到了「示現無量之劫」這一道解脫門；巧幻術阿脩羅王，得到了「消滅一切眾生之苦令他們清淨」這一道解脫門；大眷屬阿脩羅王，得到了「修一切苦行而自莊嚴」這一道解脫門；婆稚阿脩羅王，得到了「震動十方無邊境界」這一道解脫門；遍照阿脩羅王，得到了「以種種方便安立一切眾生」這一道解脫門；堅固行妙莊嚴阿脩羅王，得到了「普遍積集不可壞的善根、淨去種種染著」這一道解脫門；廣大因慧阿脩羅王，得到了「以大悲之力作無疑惑之主」這一道解脫門；現勝德阿脩羅王，得到了「普遍令人見佛、承事供養而修諸善根」這一道解脫門；善音阿脩羅王，得到了「普遍契入一切趣的決定平等之行」這一道解脫門。
那時候，羅睺阿脩羅王承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切阿脩羅眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「十方所有的廣大會眾，佛在其中最為殊特；光明遍照等同虛空，普遍示現在一切眾生面前。
「百千萬劫中的諸佛國土，在一剎那之中全都明明現前；舒放光明化度眾生沒有不周遍的——這樣的事，毘摩王深深讚歎歡喜。
「如來的境界無可比等，種種法門常常給與利益；眾生有苦全都令其滅除——苫末羅王對此能夠見到。
「在無量劫中修習苦行，利益眾生、清淨世間；由此牟尼（寂默者，佛之德稱）之智普遍成就——大眷屬王就這樣見佛。
「無礙無等的大神通，遍動十方一切剎土；卻不使眾生有所驚怖——大力王對此能夠明了。
「佛出現於世救度眾生，一切智之道全都開示；使他們全都捨去苦而得安樂——這一義理是遍照王所弘揚闡明的。
「世間所有的種種福海，佛力能夠生起、普遍使之清淨；佛能開示解脫之處——堅行莊嚴王進入了這一門。
「佛的大悲之身無可比等，周遍而行、無所障礙，令人人得見；猶如影像顯現世間——因慧王能夠宣說這一功德。
「希有無等的大神通，處處現身充滿法界；各各在菩提樹下安坐——這一義理，勝德王能夠宣說。
「如來往昔修三世之行，諸趣的輪迴沒有一處不曾經歷；把眾生之苦解脫得一點不剩——這是妙音王所稱讚的。」
主晝神眾：管晝的一族，十道門從「普入」開始
（以下五眾是神眾，不屬八部。主晝神，是主司白晝的一類。）
再者，示現宮殿主晝神，得到了「普遍契入一切世間」這一道解脫門；發起慧香主晝神，得到了「普遍觀察一切眾生、全都給與利益令他們歡喜滿足」這一道解脫門；樂勝莊嚴主晝神，得到了「能放出無邊可愛樂的法光明」這一道解脫門；華香妙光主晝神，得到了「開發無邊眾生清淨的信解之心」這一道解脫門；普集妙藥主晝神，得到了「積集莊嚴的普光明之力」這一道解脫門；樂作喜目主晝神，得到了「普遍開悟一切在苦在樂的眾生、全都令他們得到法樂」這一道解脫門；觀方普現主晝神，得到了「十方法界的差別之身」這一道解脫門；大悲威力主晝神，得到了「救護一切眾生令他們安樂」這一道解脫門；善根光照主晝神，得到了「普遍出生喜足的功德之力」這一道解脫門；妙華瓔珞主晝神，得到了「聲名普遍傳聞、眾生見到的都獲得利益」這一道解脫門。
那時候，示現宮殿主晝神承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切主晝神眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「佛的智慧如同虛空沒有窮盡，光明照耀遍滿十方；眾生的心行全都了知，一切世間沒有一處不能契入。
「知道諸眾生心裡所愛樂的，就相應地為他們宣說種種法海；句與義廣大而各各不同——具足慧神能夠全都見到。
「佛放光明照亮世間，見到聽到的人歡喜而不空過；示給他們深廣的寂滅之處——這一點，樂莊嚴神心裡悟解了。
「佛降下法雨無邊無量，能令見到的人大生歡喜；最殊勝的善根從此而生——這樣的事，妙光神心裡所悟。
「普遍契入法門而開悟眾生之力，曠劫修治全都清淨；這樣做全都是為了攝受眾生——這是妙藥神所了達的。
「以種種方便化度眾生，若見若聞全都得到利益；都令他們踊躍大歡喜——妙眼晝神就是這樣見到的。
「十力應現遍滿世間，十方法界全無遺餘；體性既不是無、也不是有——這是觀方神所契入的。
「眾生在險難之中流轉，如來哀愍而出現世間；全都令他們除滅一切苦——這一解脫門，悲力神安住其中。
「眾生被黑闇覆蓋、沉淪在長夜裡，佛為他們說法而大加開曉；全都使他們得樂而除去眾苦——大善光神進入了這一門。
「如來的福量等同虛空，世間的種種福全都由此而生；凡有所作沒有一件空過——這樣的解脫，華瓔神得到了。」
主夜神眾：管夜的一族，十道門從「寂靜」開始
（主夜神，是主司夜分的一類。）
再者，普德淨光主夜神，得到了「寂靜禪定之樂的大勇健」這一道解脫門；喜眼觀世主夜神，得到了「廣大清淨可愛樂的功德之相」這一道解脫門；護世精氣主夜神，得到了「普遍示現世間而調伏眾生」這一道解脫門；寂靜海音主夜神，得到了「積集廣大歡喜之心」這一道解脫門；普現吉祥主夜神，得到了「甚深自在的悅意言音」這一道解脫門；普發樹華主夜神，得到了「光明滿足的廣大歡喜之藏」這一道解脫門；平等護育主夜神，得到了「開悟眾生令他們成熟善根」這一道解脫門；遊戲快樂主夜神，得到了「救護眾生的無邊慈心」這一道解脫門；諸根常喜主夜神，得到了「普遍示現莊嚴的大悲之門」這一道解脫門；示現淨福主夜神，得到了「普遍使一切眾生所愛樂的全都滿足」這一道解脫門。
那時候，普德淨光主夜神承著佛的威神之力，遍觀一切主夜神眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「你們應當觀察佛所行的，是廣大寂靜如同虛空之相；欲海無涯而全都治理清淨，離垢端嚴照耀十方。
「一切世間都樂於見到他，無量劫海之久才遇上一次；大悲念著眾生沒有不周遍的——這一解脫門，觀世神看到了。
「導師救護諸多世間，眾生全都見他在自己面前；能令諸趣全都清淨——這樣的事，護世神能夠觀察。
「佛在往昔修治歡喜之海，廣大無邊不可測度；所以見到的人全都欣樂——這是寂音神所了達的。
「如來的境界不可計量，寂然而能演說遍於十方；普遍使眾生的心意清淨——尸利夜神聽了踊躍歡悅。
「佛在無福的眾生之中，以大福莊嚴而甚為威曜；示給他們離塵的寂滅之法——普發華神悟入了這條道。
「十方普遍示現大神通，一切眾生全都被調伏；種種色相都令他們見到——這是護育神所觀的。
「如來往昔在念念之中，全都清淨方便的慈悲之海；救護世間沒有不周遍的——這是福樂神的解脫。
「眾生愚癡常常昏亂濁重，他們的心堅執毒害甚可畏懼；如來慈悲哀愍而為此出興——這一點，滅怨神能夠悟入而歡喜。
「佛在往昔修行是為了眾生，一切願欲全都令其滿足；由此具足成就功德之相——這是現福神所入的。」
主方神眾：管方位的一族，十道門從「救護」開始
（主方神，是主司方位處所的一類。）
再者，遍住一切主方神，得到了「普遍救護之力」這一道解脫門；普現光明主方神，得到了「成辦化度一切眾生的神通事業」這一道解脫門；光行莊嚴主方神，得到了「破除一切闇障、出生喜樂的大光明」這一道解脫門；周行不礙主方神，得到了「普遍示現於一切處而不徒勞」這一道解脫門；永斷迷惑主方神，得到了「示現與一切眾生數目相等的名號而發生功德」這一道解脫門；遍遊淨空主方神，得到了「恆常發出妙音、令聽的人全都歡喜」這一道解脫門；雲幢大音主方神，得到了「如龍一般普降大雨、令眾生歡喜」這一道解脫門；髻目無亂主方神，得到了「示現一切眾生之業無有差別的自在之力」這一道解脫門；普觀世業主方神，得到了「觀察一切趣中受生的種種業」這一道解脫門；周遍遊覽主方神，得到了「所作之事全都究竟、出生一切眾生的歡喜」這一道解脫門。
那時候，遍住一切主方神承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切主方神眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「如來自在地出現世間，教化一切諸眾生；普遍開示法門令他們悟入，全都使他們當來成就無上之智。
「神通無量與眾生相等，隨他們所愛樂的示現種種相；見到的人都蒙受而出離苦——這是現光神的解脫之力。
「佛在被闇障覆蓋的眾生海裡，為他們現出法炬的大光明；那光普照沒有見不到的——這是行莊嚴神的解脫。
「具足世間種種音聲，普遍轉動法輪沒有不解的；眾生聽到的煩惱就滅——這是遍往神所悟的。
「一切世間所有的名字，佛的名號與那些相等而出生；全都使眾生離開癡惑——這是斷迷神所行之處。
「若有眾生來到佛前，得以聽聞如來美妙之音；沒有不心生大歡喜的——遍遊虛空神悟入了這一法。
「佛在每一剎那之中，普降無邊的大法雨；全都使眾生的煩惱滅盡——這是雲幢神所了知的。
「一切世間的種種業海，佛全都開示而等無差異；普遍使眾生除去業與惑——這是髻目神所了達的。
「一切智之地沒有邊際，一切眾生種種心念；如來照見全都明了——這一廣大之門，觀世神契入了。
「佛在往昔修習諸行，無量的度法全都圓滿；以大慈哀愍利益眾生——這是遍遊神的解脫。」
主空神眾：管虛空的一族，十道門與十首五言偈
（主空神，是主司虛空的一類。此一眾之十首偈皆五言，與其餘十二眾之七言不同。）
再者，淨光普照主空神，得到了「普遍了知諸趣一切眾生之心」這一道解脫門；普遊深廣主空神，得到了「普遍契入法界」這一道解脫門；生吉祥風主空神，得到了「了達無邊境界的身相」這一道解脫門；離障安住主空神，得到了「能除一切眾生的業障與惑障」這一道解脫門；廣步妙髻主空神，得到了「普遍觀察思惟廣大的行海」這一道解脫門；無礙光焰主空神，得到了「以大悲之光普遍救護一切眾生的厄難」這一道解脫門；無礙勝力主空神，得到了「普遍契入一切無所執著的福德之力」這一道解脫門；離垢光明主空神，得到了「能令一切眾生之心離開諸蓋而清淨」這一道解脫門；深遠妙音主空神，得到了「普遍見到十方的智慧光明」這一道解脫門；光遍十方主空神，得到了「不動本處而普遍示現世間」這一道解脫門。
那時候，淨光普照主空神承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切主空神眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「如來廣大的眼目，清淨如同虛空；普遍見到諸眾生，一切全都明了。
「佛身的大光明，遍照於十方；處處現前而住——普遊神觀入了這條道。
「佛身如同虛空，無生而無所取；無得而無自性——吉祥風神所見到的就是這個。
「如來在無量劫中，廣泛宣說種種聖道；普遍滅去眾生之障——圓光神悟入了這一門。
「我看佛在往昔，所積集的菩提之行；全都是為了安穩世間——妙髻神所行的就是這個境界。
「一切眾生界，在生死海裡流轉；佛放出滅苦之光——無礙神能夠見到。
「清淨的功德之藏，能作世間的福田；隨機以智慧開示覺悟——力神在這裡悟入了。
「眾生被愚癡覆蓋，流轉在險道之中；佛為他們放出光明——離垢神能夠親證。
「智慧沒有邊際，全都顯現諸國土；光明照亮世間——妙音神就這樣見佛。
「佛為了度眾生，修行遍於十方；這樣的大願之心——普現神能夠觀察。」
主風神眾：管風的一族，十道門從「普入」到「無礙」
（主風神，是主司風的一類。此為本卷之末眾。）
再者，無礙光明主風神，得到了「普遍契入佛法以及一切世間」這一道解脫門；普現勇業主風神，得到了「無量國土中有佛出現而全都廣大供養」這一道解脫門；飄擊雲幢主風神，得到了「以香風普遍滅去一切眾生之病」這一道解脫門；淨光莊嚴主風神，得到了「普遍出生一切眾生的善根、令重障之山摧滅」這一道解脫門；力能竭水主風神，得到了「能破無邊的惡魔之眾」這一道解脫門；大聲遍吼主風神，得到了「永遠滅去一切眾生的怖畏」這一道解脫門；樹杪垂髻主風神，得到了「契入一切諸法實相的辯才之海」這一道解脫門；普行無礙主風神，得到了「調伏一切眾生的方便之藏」這一道解脫門；種種宮殿主風神，得到了「進入寂靜禪定之門、滅去極重的愚癡黑闇」這一道解脫門；大光普照主風神，得到了「隨順一切眾生之行的無礙之力」這一道解脫門。
那時候，無礙光明主風神承著佛的威神之力，普遍觀察一切主風神眾，而說出這樣的偈頌：
「一切諸佛之法甚深，以無礙的方便普遍能夠契入；在所有的世間常常出現，卻無相、無形、無影像。
「你們看如來在往昔，一念之間供養無邊之佛；這樣勇猛的菩提之行——這是普現神所能悟達的。
「如來救世不可思議，所有的方便沒有一個空過；全都使眾生離開諸苦——這是雲幢神的解脫。
「眾生沒有福而受種種苦，重重的蓋與密密的障常常迷惑覆蓋；卻一切都令他們得到解脫——這是淨光神所了知的。
「如來廣大的神通之力，克伏殄滅一切魔軍之眾；所有調伏的種種方便——勇健威力神能夠觀察。
「佛在毛孔中演出妙音，那音聲普遍於世間；一切苦與畏全都令其止息——這是遍吼神所了達的。
「佛在一切眾多的剎海中，於不可思議之劫常常演說；這如來之地的微妙辯才——樹杪髻神能夠悟解。
「佛在一切方便之門中，以智慧契入其中全無障礙；境界無邊無可比等——這是普行神的解脫。
「如來的境界沒有邊際，處處以方便全都令人得見；而身寂靜沒有諸相——這是種種宮神的解脫門。
「如來在劫海中修習諸行，一切的力全都成就圓滿；能夠隨順世法而應接眾生——這是普照神所見到的。」
The Gandharva Host: A Class That Seeks Fragrance and Makes Music, Each Gaining One Gate
(Continuing from before, the compiler of the sūtra goes on to set out the Dharma-gates gained by the various classes of beings present at the assembly. Gandharvas are a class of beings who feed on fragrance and constantly make music for the gods.)
Furthermore, the gandharva king Upholder of the State gained this one gate of liberation: “taking in all sentient beings by sovereign skillful means” (a gate of liberation is a doorway by which one can get out from bondage; one person gains one gate); the gandharva king Tree Light gained this one gate of liberation: “causing all the merit and adornment of the Buddha to be universally seen”; the gandharva king Pure Eye gained this one gate of liberation: “forever cutting off the sorrow and suffering of all sentient beings and giving birth to the treasury of joy”; the gandharva king Flower Crown gained this one gate of liberation: “forever cutting off the wrong views and delusions of all sentient beings”; the gandharva king Joyful Step and Universal Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “spreading wide like a cloud, universally shading and moistening all sentient beings”; the gandharva king Delighting in Swaying, Beautiful Eyes gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting a vast and wondrously fine body, causing all sentient beings to gain ease”; the gandharva king Wondrous Sound Lion Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “universally scattering to the ten directions the jewel of every great renown”; the gandharva king Universally Emitting Jewel Radiance gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting a pure body of the radiance of all great joy”; the gandharva king Vajra Tree-Flower Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “universally nourishing all trees into flourishing, causing those who see them to rejoice”; the gandharva king Universally Manifesting Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “skillfully entering the realms of all buddhas and giving ease to sentient beings.”
At that time the gandharva king Upholder of the State, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole gandharva host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The realm of the buddhas has measureless gates, and among all sentient beings there is none who can enter it by himself; the Well-Gone One (an epithet of the Buddha: one who has gone skillfully, and having gone does not come back into birth-and-death) is like space, his nature pure, and he opens up a right path for the world universally.
“Within each and every pore of the Tathāgata, the great ocean of merit is wholly filled; all the worlds thereby gain benefit and ease — this is what King Tree Light is able to see.
“The world’s sorrow and suffering, vast as an ocean, the Buddha can dry up without remainder; the Tathāgata’s compassion and pity have all kinds of skillful means — here King Pure Eye is able to understand deeply.
“The seas of lands in the ten directions have no border, and the Buddha with the light of wisdom illumines them all; he universally causes evil views to be washed away — this is the gate King Tree Light entered.
“In measureless kalpas of the past the Buddha cultivated the practice of great kindness by skillful means; all the worlds are thereby consoled — this road King Universal Sound is able to awaken into.
“The Buddha’s body is pure, and everyone delights to see it, and it can give rise to ease in the world without end; the cause and the fruit of liberation are accomplished in due order — King Beautiful Eyes is good at disclosing this.
“Sentient beings are deluded and turn constantly within birth-and-death, and the covering of folly is exceedingly firm and close; the Tathāgata proclaims the vast Dharma for them — King Lion Banner is able to expound it fluently.
“The Tathāgata universally manifests subtle and wondrous form-bodies, with measureless distinctions, matched to the faculties of beings; with all kinds of skillful means he lights up the world — this is just how King Universally Emitting Jewel Radiance sees it.
“The skillful means of great wisdom have measureless gates, and the Buddha discloses and clarifies them for sentient beings universally; entering the true practice of surpassing awakening — this is what King Vajra Banner is good at contemplating.
“Within a single kṣaṇa a hundred thousand kalpas are held, and the Buddha’s power can manifest so without the least stirring; equally he bestows ease upon sentient beings — this is the liberation of King Delighting in Adornment.”
The Kumbhāṇḍa Host: A Class That Guards the South, Whose Ten Gates All Open from “Removing Harm”
(Kumbhāṇḍas are a class of beings led by the Heavenly King of the South.)
Furthermore, the kumbhāṇḍa king Increase gained this one gate of liberation: “the power that extinguishes all enmity and harm”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Dragon Lord gained this one gate of liberation: “cultivating the ocean of boundless gates of practice”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Adornment Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “knowing what all sentient beings delight in within their minds”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Beneficial Practice gained this one gate of liberation: “universally accomplishing the work done by the pure great radiance”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Fearsome gained this one gate of liberation: “disclosing to all sentient beings the path of security and fearlessness”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Wondrous Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “drying up the ocean of the craving and desire of all sentient beings”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Lofty Peak Wisdom gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting the cloud of radiance of the destinies (the various places to which beings go as they turn in the round of rebirth)”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Valiant Arm gained this one gate of liberation: “emitting radiance universally and extinguishing obstructions piled up like a mountain”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Boundless Pure Flower Eye gained this one gate of liberation: “disclosing the treasury of great compassion that is non-retrogressive”; the kumbhāṇḍa king Vast Face gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting a body that turns within the destinies.”
At that time the kumbhāṇḍa king Increase, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole kumbhāṇḍa host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The guide of the world who has perfected the power of patience practiced for measureless kalpas for the sake of sentient beings; he has forever left behind the arrogance and delusion of the world, and therefore his bodily form is the most adorned and pure.
“In the past the Buddha universally cultivated all kinds of oceans of practice, teaching and transforming the measureless sentient beings of the ten directions; with all kinds of skillful means he benefits sentient beings — this one gate of liberation is what King Dragon Lord gained.
“The Buddha rescues sentient beings with great wisdom, and there is not one thought of theirs that he does not know clearly; with all kinds of sovereign ways he tames them — King Adornment Banner sees this and gives rise to joy.
“The responsive manifestations of his spiritual penetration are like light and shadow, and the reality of the wheel of Dharma is like space; thus does he dwell in the world through kalpas without number — this is what King Beneficial realized.
“Sentient beings are constantly covered and deluded by the film of folly, and the Buddha’s radiance shines forth the path of security; making himself a rescue and protection for them, causing suffering to be extinguished — King Fearsome is able to contemplate his way into this Dharma-gate.
“Drifting and sinking in the ocean of desire they undergo every suffering, and the light of wisdom shines universally and extinguishes it without remainder; and having removed their suffering he further preaches the Dharma to them — this is what King Wondrous Adornment awakened to.
“The Buddha’s body responds and manifests everywhere, so that there is none who does not see it, and with all kinds of skillful means he transforms sentient beings; his voice quakes like thunder and rains down the rain of Dharma — such a Dharma-gate is what King Lofty Wisdom entered.
“Pure radiance is never emitted in vain; if one meets with it, heavy obstructions are certainly caused to melt away; he expounds the Buddha’s merit, which has no border — King Valiant Arm is able to understand this deep principle.
“In order to bring ease to all sentient beings he cultivated great compassion for measureless kalpas; with all kinds of skillful means he removes the sufferings of beings — this is what King Pure Flower saw.
“His spiritual penetration and sovereignty are inconceivable, and his body manifests everywhere, filling the ten directions; and yet in every place there is no coming and no going — this is what King Broad Face understood within his mind.”
The Dragon Host: Eleven Dragon Kings, Eleven Gates
(Dragons are a class of beings led by the Heavenly King of the West. This one host has eleven kings, unlike the other hosts, which have ten.)
Furthermore, the dragon king Virūpākṣa gained this one gate of liberation: “extinguishing all the blazing suffering of the destiny of dragons”; the dragon king Sāgara gained this one gate of liberation: “in a single thought turning away his own dragon form and manifesting the bodies of measureless sentient beings”; the dragon king Cloud-Sound Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “within all the destinies of existence, proclaiming with a pure voice the ocean of the Buddha’s boundless names”; the dragon king Flaming Mouth gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting the differences in the establishing of boundless buddha-worlds”; the dragon king Flame gained this one gate of liberation: “the coverings and entanglements formed of the anger and folly of all sentient beings, which the Tathāgata in his compassion and pity causes to be extinguished”; the dragon king Cloud Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “disclosing to all sentient beings the ocean of merit of great joy and ease”; the dragon king Takṣaka gained this one gate of liberation: “extinguishing all terrors with a pure voice of rescue and protection”; the dragon king Boundless Stride gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting the form-bodies of all buddhas together with the sequence of the kalpas of their dwelling in the world”; the dragon king Pure-Colored and Swift gained this one gate of liberation: “giving birth to the ocean of joy in which all sentient beings greatly delight”; the dragon king Universally Coursing Great Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting a voice that is everywhere equal, pleasing to the mind and unobstructed”; the dragon king Free from Burning Distress gained this one gate of liberation: “extinguishing all the suffering of the world with the cloud of great compassion that covers universally.”
At that time the dragon king Virūpākṣa, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of dragons universally, and then spoke verses such as these:
“You should look: the Dharma of the Tathāgata is always thus, giving benefit to all sentient beings without exception; with the power of great kindness, compassion, and pity he is able to pull out those who have fallen and are sinking on the fearful road.
“All the various distinctions among sentient beings are all manifested upon the tip of a single hair; his spiritual penetration and transformations fill the world — this is just how King Sāgara contemplates the Buddha.
“With the limitless power of his spiritual penetration the Buddha extensively proclaims names that answer to sentient beings; according to what they delight in he universally causes them to hear — this is what King Cloud-Sound is able to awaken into.
“Measureless, boundless lands and their assemblies the Buddha can cause to enter into a single pore, and the Tathāgata sits at ease within that assembly — this is what the dragon Flaming Mouth saw.
“The angry minds of all sentient beings, their entanglements, coverings, and folly, are deep as an ocean; the Tathāgata in his compassion and pity extinguishes them all for them — the dragon Flame contemplates this and is able to see it clearly.
“The power of the merit of all sentient beings is entirely displayed within the Buddha’s pores; having displayed it he further causes them to return into the ocean of great merit — this is what King Lofty Cloud Banner contemplated.
“From the pores of the Buddha’s body the light of wisdom shines forth, and that light expounds wondrous sounds in place after place; sentient beings who hear it are freed of sorrow and fear — the dragon Takṣaka awakened into this road.
“All the tathāgatas of the three times, the adornment of their lands and the sequence of their kalpas, are all in this way manifested upon the Buddha’s body — King Broad Stride saw this power of spiritual penetration.
“I contemplate the practice of the Tathāgata in the past: he made offerings to an ocean of all the buddhas; within that, joy and a delighting mind were all increased — this is what the Swift Dragon entered.
“The Buddha with skillful means, following the speech of every kind of being, preaches the Dharma for the assembly and causes them to rejoice; that voice is clear and refined, and everyone delights in it — King Universally Coursing heard this and awakened with a glad mind.
“Sentient beings are pressed and hemmed in within the destinies of existence, drifting and tumbling along by karma and delusion with no one to rescue them; the Buddha with great compassion causes them to be liberated — the Great Dragon Free from Burning Distress is able to awaken into this.”
The Yakṣa Host: A Class That Guards, Whose Ten Gates All Come Down to the Word “Rescue”
(Yakṣas are a class of beings led by the Heavenly King of the North.)
Furthermore, the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa gained this one gate of liberation: “rescuing and protecting evildoing sentient beings by boundless skillful means”; the yakṣa king Sovereign Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “contemplating sentient beings universally and rescuing and protecting them by skillful means”; the yakṣa king Bearer of Weapons in Array gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to sustain and nourish all sentient beings who are utterly feeble and utterly evil”; the yakṣa king Great Wisdom gained this one gate of liberation: “extolling the ocean of merit of all noble ones”; the yakṣa king Lord of Flaming Eyes gained this one gate of liberation: “the wisdom of great compassion that contemplates all sentient beings universally”; the yakṣa king Vajra Eye gained this one gate of liberation: “benefiting and bringing ease to all sentient beings by all kinds of skillful means”; the yakṣa king Valiant Arm gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering into the meaning of all dharmas”; the yakṣa king Valiant Foe of Great Armies gained this one gate of liberation: “guarding all sentient beings and causing them to abide in the path, with not one of them passing in vain”; the yakṣa king Rich in Wealth gained this one gate of liberation: “increasing the accumulation of merit of all sentient beings and causing them constantly to receive ease and joy”; the yakṣa king Strength That Shatters High Mountains gained this one gate of liberation: “in accord with mindful recollection, giving birth to the light of wisdom of the Buddha’s powers.”
At that time the great yakṣa king Much-Heard, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole assembly of the yakṣa host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The sins and evils of sentient beings are deep enough to be dreadful, and for a hundred thousand kalpas they do not see a buddha; they drift in birth-and-death and undergo every suffering — it is to rescue these that the Buddha arises in the world.
“The Tathāgata rescues and protects the many worlds, and manifests himself before all sentient beings without exception; he brings to rest their suffering of turning round on the fearful road — such a Dharma-gate is what King Lord of Sound entered.
“The evil deeds of sentient beings become obstruction upon obstruction, and the Buddha discloses the subtle principle and causes them to understand; it is like lighting up the world with a bright lamp — this Dharma is what King Bearer of Weapons is able to contemplate and see.
“In the ocean of kalpas past the Buddha cultivated all practices and praised all the buddhas of the ten directions; that is why he has so lofty and great a renown — this is what King Wisdom understood.
“His wisdom is like space and has no border; his dharma-body is vast and inconceivable; that is why he appears in all ten directions — King Flaming Eyes is able to contemplate this.
“Within every destiny he sends forth wondrous sounds, preaching the Dharma and benefiting the many kinds of sentient beings; wherever that voice reaches, every suffering is extinguished — the one who entered this skillful means is King Vajra Eye.
“Every profound and vast meaning the Tathāgata can expound in a single phrase; such teaching and principle are a match for the world — this is what King Valiant Wisdom awakened to.
“All sentient beings dwell upon wrong paths, and the Buddha discloses the inconceivable right path; he universally causes the beings of the world to become vessels of the Dharma — this is what King Valiant Foe of Armies is able to awaken into.
“All the various works of merit in the world are without exception born from the shining of the Buddha’s light; the ocean of the Buddha’s wisdom is hard to fathom — such is the liberation of King Rich in Wealth.
“Recollecting kalpas past without number, within them the Buddha cultivated the ten powers; he can cause all the powers to be entirely fulfilled — this is what King Lofty Banner understood.”
The Mahoraga Host: A Class in the Form of Great Serpents, Whose Ten Gates Begin from “Coolness”
(Mahoragas are the class among the eight that crawl upon their great bellies.)
Furthermore, the mahoraga king Good Wisdom gained this one gate of liberation: “causing sentient beings to amass merit by every skillful means of spiritual penetration”; the mahoraga king Pure Majestic Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “causing all sentient beings to be rid of affliction and to gain cool and joyful ease”; the mahoraga king Surpassing Wisdom Adorned Topknot gained this one gate of liberation: “universally causing all sentient beings, whether their thoughts are good or not good, to enter the pure Dharma”; the mahoraga king Lord of Wondrous Eyes gained this one gate of liberation: “fully understanding the sovereign and equal characteristic of the merit that clings to nothing at all”; the mahoraga king Lamp Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “disclosing to all sentient beings and causing them to leave the path of darkness and terror”; the mahoraga king Most Surpassing Radiant Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “knowing the merit of all buddhas and giving rise to joy”; the mahoraga king Lion’s Breast gained this one gate of liberation: “being, by the power of valor, the rescuer and protector and lord of all sentient beings”; the mahoraga king Sound of Manifold Wondrous Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “causing all sentient beings, in accord with their mindful recollection, to give rise to boundless joy and ease”; the mahoraga king Sumeru’s Breast gained this one gate of liberation: “being decidedly unmoved with respect to every object of mind, reaching the far shore and being fulfilled”; the mahoraga king Lovable Radiance gained this one gate of liberation: “disclosing the path of equality to all unequal sentient beings.”
At that time the mahoraga king Good Wisdom and Majestic Light, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole mahoraga host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“You should look: the nature of the Tathāgata is pure, and he universally manifests majestic light and benefits sentient beings; he shows them the path of ambrosia and makes them cool, and every suffering is forever extinguished with nothing left to lean on.
“All sentient beings dwell in the ocean of existence, bound and covered over by their own evil deeds and delusions of every kind; he shows them the tranquil Dharma that they ought to practice — King Majestic Sound Free of Dust is able to understand this well.
“The Buddha’s wisdom is beyond compare and inconceivable; he knows the minds of sentient beings without the least omission; he clarifies the pure Dharma for them — such a matter King Adorned Topknot is able to awaken to within his mind.
“Measureless buddhas appear in the world and universally make themselves a field of merit for sentient beings; the ocean of merit is vast and unfathomably deep — Great King Wondrous Eyes is able to see it all.
“The sorrow, fear, and suffering of all sentient beings the Buddha universally comes before them to rescue and protect; he pervades the Dharma realm and space, leaving nothing unreached — this is the realm in which King Lamp Banner practices.
“The various merits within a single pore of the Buddha the beings of the world could not know even if they measured them together; boundless and inexhaustible, the same as space — such a matter King Vast Radiant Banner saw.
“The Tathāgata fully penetrates all dharmas, and upon that nature of dharmas he shines clearly throughout; like Mount Sumeru he has never tilted or stirred — the one who entered this Dharma-gate is King Lion’s Breast.
“In the vast kalpas of the past the Buddha amassed an ocean of joy, deep and inexhaustible; that is why there is none who sees him and is not gladdened — this Dharma is what King Adorned Sound entered.
“Knowing that the Dharma realm has no form, the ocean of pāramitās (the practices of reaching the far shore) is wholly fulfilled; with great light he universally rescues the many sentient beings — King Mountain’s Breast is able to know this skillful means.
“You should look at the sovereign power of the Tathāgata: he descends and manifests in the ten directions, and there is nothing uneven in it; all sentient beings are illumined and awakened — this gate King Wondrous Radiance is able to enter well.”
The Kiṃnara Host: A Class Whose Work Is Song, Whose Ten Gates Are All upon “Joy and Ease”
(Kiṃnaras are a class of beings whose form is like a human’s but with horns upon the head, and whose work is song.)
Furthermore, the kiṃnara king Good Wisdom Radiance of the Gods gained this one gate of liberation: “universally giving birth to every deed of joy and ease”; the kiṃnara king Wondrous Flower Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to give birth to unsurpassed joy in the Dharma and to cause all sentient beings to receive ease”; the kiṃnara king Manifold Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “the treasury of vast, pure faith and understanding in which all merit is fulfilled”; the kiṃnara king Roaring Voice That Pleases the Mind gained this one gate of liberation: “constantly sending forth every sound that pleases the mind, causing those who hear to leave sorrow and fear behind”; the kiṃnara king Radiance of the Jewel Tree gained this one gate of liberation: “settling all sentient beings by great compassion and causing them to awaken to what they take as their object”; the kiṃnara king Universally Delighted to Be Seen gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting every subtle and wondrous form-body”; the kiṃnara king Most Surpassing Radiant Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “knowing the deeds from which every surpassing adorned fruit is born”; the kiṃnara king Subtle Wondrous Flower Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “contemplating well the retribution born of the deeds of all the world”; the kiṃnara king Power That Shakes the Earth gained this one gate of liberation: “constantly setting in motion every affair that benefits sentient beings”; the kiṃnara king Majestic and Fierce Lord gained this one gate of liberation: “knowing well the minds of all kiṃnaras and skillfully taking them in and governing them.”
At that time the kiṃnara king Good Wisdom Radiance of the Gods, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole kiṃnara host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“Every matter of ease and joy in the world comes entirely from seeing the arising of a buddha; the guide benefits the many sentient beings and universally makes himself their rescue, their protection, and their place of refuge.
“Giving birth to every kind of joy and ease, the world gains it all and it is never used up; he can cause those who see him not to pass in vain — this is what King Flower Banner awakened to.
“The ocean of the Buddha’s merit has no end, and one who seeks its border cannot find it; his radiance shines universally throughout the ten directions — this is the liberation of King Adornment.
“The great voice of the Tathāgata constantly expounds fluently, disclosing the true Dharma that is free of sorrow; sentient beings who hear it are all gladdened — such a Dharma King Roaring Voice is able to receive in faith.
“I contemplate the sovereign power of the Tathāgata: it comes entirely from the practice he cultivated in the past; with great compassion he rescues sentient beings and makes them pure — this is what King Jewel Tree is able to awaken into.
“The Tathāgata is hard to see and hard to hear of, and sentient beings must wait a koṭi kalpas to meet him once; the various marks and signs of adornment are all complete in him — this is what King Delighted to Be Seen looked upon.
“You should look at the great wisdom of the Tathāgata: he universally accords with what sentient beings desire in their minds; there is nothing of the path of omniscience he does not proclaim — Most Surpassing King Adornment is able to understand this.
“The ocean of deeds is vast and inconceivable, and the suffering and ease of sentient beings all arise from it; all this he is able to disclose — this is what King Flower Banner understood.
“The spiritual penetration of the buddhas has no pause, and the earth of the ten directions quakes constantly; among all sentient beings there is none who can know it — this is what King Vast Power constantly sees clearly.
“Standing within the great assembly he manifests spiritual penetration, emitting great radiance and causing beings to awaken; he displays the realms of all tathāgatas — this is what King Majestic and Fierce Lord is able to contemplate.”
The Garuḍa Host: A Class That Beats the Ocean with Its Wings, Whose Ten Gates All Lie Between “Seizing” and “Letting Go”
(Garuḍas are the golden-winged birds, one of the eight classes.)
Furthermore, the garuḍa king Power of Great Swiftness gained this one gate of liberation: “universally contemplating the realm of sentient beings with an eye that neither clings nor is obstructed”; the garuḍa king Indestructible Jewel Topknot gained this one gate of liberation: “universally abiding in the Dharma realm and teaching and transforming sentient beings”; the garuḍa king Pure and Swift gained this one gate of liberation: “universally accomplishing the power of vigor of the pāramitās”; the garuḍa king Adorned with a Mind That Does Not Retreat gained this one gate of liberation: “entering the realm of the Tathāgata by the power of valor”; the garuḍa king Power to Hold Fast in the Great Ocean gained this one gate of liberation: “entering the vast ocean of wisdom of the practice of the buddhas”; the garuḍa king Pure Radiance of the Firm Dharma gained this one gate of liberation: “accomplishing the wisdom of the distinctions among boundless sentient beings”; the garuḍa king Wondrously Adorned Crown and Topknot gained this one gate of liberation: “adorning the city of the Buddha’s Dharma”; the garuḍa king Universal and Nimble Manifestation gained this one gate of liberation: “accomplishing the indestructible power of equality”; the garuḍa king Universal Contemplation of the Ocean gained this one gate of liberation: “knowing the bodies of all sentient beings and manifesting a form for them”; the garuḍa king Dragon Sound and Great Eye-Pupil gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering the wisdom of the courses of dying and of taking birth of all sentient beings.”
At that time the garuḍa king Power of Great Swiftness, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole garuḍa host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The Buddha’s eye is vast and without border, and he universally sees the many lands of the ten directions; the sentient beings within them cannot be counted, and he manifests great spiritual penetration and tames them all.
“The power of the Buddha’s spiritual penetration is unobstructed, and he sits everywhere beneath the trees of awakening in the ten directions; he expounds the Dharma like a cloud and fills all things — King Jewel Topknot heard this and his mind did not go against it.
“In the past the Buddha cultivated all kinds of practices and universally purified the vast pāramitās; he made offerings to all the tathāgatas — this is what King Swift understood with deep faith.
“Within each and every pore of the Tathāgata, in a single thought, boundless practices are universally manifested; such an inconceivable realm of a buddha — King Adorned Not Retreating saw it all clearly.
“The Buddha’s practice is vast and inconceivable; among all sentient beings there is none who can fathom it; the ocean of the guide’s merit and wisdom — this is where King Holding Fast practices.
“The measureless light of the Tathāgata’s wisdom can extinguish the net of folly and delusion of sentient beings; he rescues and protects all the worlds without exception — this is what King Firm Dharma upholds and proclaims.
“The city of Dharma is vast and cannot be exhausted, and its gates are of many kinds and beyond number; the Tathāgata stands in the world and greatly opens them out — this King Wondrous Crown and Topknot is able to understand and enter.
“All the buddhas are one dharma-body; suchness is equal and without discrimination; by such power the Buddha abides constantly unmoved — of this King Universal Nimble Manifestation expounds fully.
“In the past, within the destinies of existence, the Buddha took in sentient beings, emitting radiance universally to fill the world; with all kinds of skillful means he manifests and tames them — this surpassing Dharma-gate King Contemplating the Ocean awakened into.
“The Buddha contemplates all the lands, and they all abide in dependence upon an ocean of deeds; within them he universally rains down the rain of Dharma — such is the liberation of King Dragon Sound.”
The Asura Host: A Contentious Class, Whose Ten Gates All Turn “Being Foremost” into “Equality”
(Asuras are a class of beings who have the merit of gods but not the virtue of gods, and whose nature is fond of quarreling and fighting.)
Furthermore, the asura king Rāhu gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting as the foremost and surpassing lord within the great assembly”; the asura king Vemacitrin gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting measureless kalpas”; the asura king Skilled in Illusion’s Arts gained this one gate of liberation: “extinguishing all the suffering of sentient beings and making them pure”; the asura king Great Retinue gained this one gate of liberation: “cultivating every ascetic practice as his own adornment”; the asura king Bali gained this one gate of liberation: “shaking the boundless realms of the ten directions”; the asura king Universal Illumination gained this one gate of liberation: “settling all sentient beings by all kinds of skillful means”; the asura king Firm Practice and Wondrous Adornment gained this one gate of liberation: “universally amassing indestructible roots of goodness and purifying every defiling attachment”; the asura king Vast Wisdom of Causes gained this one gate of liberation: “being, by the power of great compassion, a lord in whom there is no doubt or confusion”; the asura king Manifesting Surpassing Virtue gained this one gate of liberation: “universally causing beings to see the Buddha, to serve and make offerings to him, and to cultivate every root of goodness”; the asura king Good Voice gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering the decidedly equal practice of all the destinies.”
At that time the asura king Rāhu, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole asura host universally and spoke verses such as these:
“Among all the vast assemblies of the ten directions the Buddha is the most singular and surpassing; his radiance shines everywhere, a match for space, and he manifests universally before all sentient beings.
“The buddha-lands of a hundred thousand myriad kalpas are all clearly manifest within a single kṣaṇa; he sends forth radiance and transforms beings without leaving anything unreached — such a matter King Vemacitrin deeply praises and rejoices in.
“The realm of the Tathāgata is beyond compare, and his manifold Dharma-gates constantly give benefit; whatever suffering sentient beings have he causes to be extinguished — King Śambara is able to see this.
“Through measureless kalpas he cultivated ascetic practice, benefiting sentient beings and purifying the world; thereby the wisdom of the Muni (the Silent Sage, an epithet of the Buddha) is universally accomplished — thus does King Great Retinue see the Buddha.
“His unobstructed and unequaled great spiritual penetration shakes all the lands of the ten directions everywhere; and yet it does not cause sentient beings any alarm — of this King Great Strength is able to be clear.
“The Buddha appears in the world to rescue sentient beings, and he discloses the whole path of omniscience; he causes them all to cast off suffering and to gain ease — this meaning is what King Universal Illumination proclaimed and clarified.
“Every ocean of merit in the world the Buddha’s power can give rise to and universally make pure; the Buddha can disclose the place of liberation — King Firm Practice and Adornment entered this gate.
“The Buddha’s body of great compassion is beyond compare, coursing everywhere unobstructed so that all may see it; like a reflected image it appears in the world — King Wisdom of Causes is able to proclaim this merit.
“His rare and unequaled great spiritual penetration manifests bodies in place after place, filling the Dharma realm; each sits beneath a tree of awakening — this meaning King Surpassing Virtue is able to proclaim.
“In the past the Tathāgata cultivated the practice of the three times, and there is no destiny in the round of rebirth he has not passed through; he liberates the suffering of sentient beings without remainder — this is what King Wondrous Voice praised.”
The Host of Day-Spirits: A Class That Presides over the Day, Whose Ten Gates Begin from “Universal Entry”
(The five hosts that follow are spirit hosts and do not belong to the eight classes. The day-spirits are the class that presides over the daytime.)
Furthermore, the day-spirit Manifesting Palaces gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering all the worlds”; the day-spirit Setting in Motion the Fragrance of Wisdom gained this one gate of liberation: “universally contemplating all sentient beings, giving benefit to them all and causing them to rejoice and be fulfilled”; the day-spirit Adorned with the Joy of Surpassing gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to emit the boundless and lovable radiance of the Dharma”; the day-spirit Wondrous Radiance of Flower Fragrance gained this one gate of liberation: “opening up the pure minds of faith and understanding of boundless sentient beings”; the day-spirit Universally Gathering Wondrous Medicine gained this one gate of liberation: “amassing the power of the adorned universal radiance”; the day-spirit Joyful Eyes That Delight in Action gained this one gate of liberation: “universally awakening all sentient beings, whether in suffering or in ease, and causing them all to gain the joy of the Dharma”; the day-spirit Contemplating the Directions and Manifesting Universally gained this one gate of liberation: “the body of the distinctions of the Dharma realm of the ten directions”; the day-spirit Power of Great Compassion gained this one gate of liberation: “rescuing and protecting all sentient beings and causing them ease”; the day-spirit Illumined by the Light of Roots of Goodness gained this one gate of liberation: “universally giving birth to the power of merit of contentment”; the day-spirit Wondrous Flower Garland gained this one gate of liberation: “his renown being universally heard, so that sentient beings who see him gain benefit.”
At that time the day-spirit Manifesting Palaces, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of day-spirits universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The Buddha’s wisdom is like space and has no end, and his radiance shines throughout the ten directions; the mental activity of sentient beings he knows entirely, and there is not one place in all the worlds he cannot enter.
“Knowing what the many sentient beings delight in within their minds, he proclaims for them, accordingly, oceans of every kind of Dharma; the phrases and the meanings are vast and each is distinct — the Spirit of Complete Wisdom is able to see it all.
“The Buddha emits radiance and lights up the world, and those who see and hear rejoice and do not pass in vain; he shows them the deep and wide place of quiescence — this the Spirit Adorned with Joy understood within his mind.
“The Buddha rains down the rain of Dharma boundless and measureless, and can cause those who see it to give rise to great joy; the most surpassing roots of goodness are born from this — such a matter the Spirit of Wondrous Radiance awakened to within his mind.
“The power of universally entering the Dharma-gates and awakening sentient beings, cultivated and refined through kalpas past until wholly pure; all of this is done for the sake of taking in sentient beings — this is what the Spirit of Wondrous Medicine understood.
“With all kinds of skillful means he transforms sentient beings, and whether they see or hear they all gain benefit; he causes them all to leap up in great joy — this is just how the Day-Spirit Wondrous Eyes saw it.
“The ten powers respond and manifest, filling the world, and the Dharma realm of the ten directions is left with no remainder; the nature of it is neither non-existent nor existent — this is what the Spirit Contemplating the Directions entered into.
“Sentient beings turn about amid peril and hardship, and the Tathāgata in pity appears in the world; he causes them all to extinguish every suffering — in this gate of liberation the Spirit of Compassionate Power abides.
“Sentient beings are covered over by darkness and sunk in the long night, and the Buddha preaches the Dharma for them and greatly opens their understanding; he causes them all to gain joy and to be rid of every suffering — the Spirit of Great Goodness and Light entered this gate.
“The measure of the Tathāgata’s merit is a match for space, and every kind of merit in the world is born from it; whatever he does, not one thing of it is in vain — such a liberation the Spirit of Flower Garland gained.”
The Host of Night-Spirits: A Class That Presides over the Night, Whose Ten Gates Begin from “Quiescence”
(The night-spirits are the class that presides over the divisions of the night.)
Furthermore, the night-spirit Pure Radiance of Universal Virtue gained this one gate of liberation: “the great valor of the joy of quiescent meditative concentration”; the night-spirit Joyful Eyes Contemplating the World gained this one gate of liberation: “the vast, pure, and lovable characteristic of merit”; the night-spirit Guarding the Vital Essence of the World gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting in the world and taming sentient beings”; the night-spirit Quiescent Ocean Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “amassing a vast mind of joy”; the night-spirit Universally Manifesting Auspiciousness gained this one gate of liberation: “profound and sovereign speech that pleases the mind”; the night-spirit Universally Opening Tree Blossoms gained this one gate of liberation: “the vast treasury of joy in which radiance is fulfilled”; the night-spirit Equal Protection and Nurture gained this one gate of liberation: “awakening sentient beings and causing their roots of goodness to ripen”; the night-spirit Playful Delight gained this one gate of liberation: “the boundless kindness that rescues and protects sentient beings”; the night-spirit Whose Faculties Are Always Joyful gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting the adorned gate of great compassion”; the night-spirit Manifesting Pure Merit gained this one gate of liberation: “universally causing everything all sentient beings delight in to be fulfilled.”
At that time the night-spirit Pure Radiance of Universal Virtue, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of night-spirits throughout and spoke verses such as these:
“You should contemplate what the Buddha practices: it is the vast and quiescent characteristic that is like space; the ocean of desire is shoreless and he governs and purifies it all; free of stain, upright and adorned, he shines upon the ten directions.
“All the worlds delight to see him, and only after measureless oceans of kalpas is he met once; his great compassion is mindful of sentient beings, leaving none unreached — this gate of liberation the Spirit Contemplating the World looked upon.
“The guide rescues and protects the many worlds, and sentient beings all see him before them; he can cause all the destinies to be made pure — such a matter the Spirit Guarding the World is able to contemplate.
“In the past the Buddha cultivated and refined an ocean of joy, vast and boundless and beyond fathoming; that is why all who see him are gladdened — this is what the Spirit of Quiescent Sound understood.
“The realm of the Tathāgata cannot be measured; quiescently he is able to expound it throughout the ten directions; he universally causes the minds of sentient beings to be purified — the Night-Spirit Śrī heard this and leapt with delight.
“Among sentient beings without merit the Buddha, adorned with great merit, is exceedingly majestic and shining; he shows them the quiescent Dharma that is free of dust — the Spirit Universally Opening Blossoms awakened into this road.
“Throughout the ten directions he universally manifests great spiritual penetration, and all sentient beings are tamed by it; he causes them to see form and appearance of every kind — this is what the Spirit of Protection and Nurture contemplated.
“In the past the Tathāgata, in thought after thought, wholly purified the ocean of kindness and compassion of skillful means; he rescues and protects the world, leaving nothing unreached — this is the liberation of the Spirit of Merit and Delight.
“Sentient beings in their folly are constantly muddled and turbid, and their minds are stubbornly poisonous and greatly to be feared; the Tathāgata in compassion and pity arises for this — this the Spirit Who Extinguishes Enmity is able to awaken into with joy.
“In the past the Buddha practiced for the sake of sentient beings, and he causes every wish and desire to be fulfilled; thereby the characteristics of merit are fully accomplished — this is what the Spirit Manifesting Merit entered.”
The Host of Direction-Spirits: A Class That Presides over the Quarters, Whose Ten Gates Begin from “Rescue and Protection”
(The direction-spirits are the class that presides over the quarters and the places within them.)
Furthermore, the direction-spirit Abiding Everywhere gained this one gate of liberation: “the power of universal rescue and protection”; the direction-spirit Universally Manifesting Radiance gained this one gate of liberation: “bringing to completion the work of spiritual penetration that transforms all sentient beings”; the direction-spirit Adorned with the Coursing of Light gained this one gate of liberation: “the great radiance that breaks through every obstruction of darkness and gives birth to joy and ease”; the direction-spirit Coursing Everywhere Unobstructed gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting in every place and not laboring in vain”; the direction-spirit Forever Cutting Off Delusion gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting names equal in number to all sentient beings and thereby giving rise to merit”; the direction-spirit Roaming Everywhere in the Pure Sky gained this one gate of liberation: “constantly sending forth wondrous sounds and causing all who hear to rejoice”; the direction-spirit Great Sound of the Cloud Banner gained this one gate of liberation: “raining down great rain universally like a dragon and causing sentient beings to rejoice”; the direction-spirit Topknot and Eyes Without Confusion gained this one gate of liberation: “manifesting the sovereign power in which the deeds of all sentient beings are without distinction”; the direction-spirit Universally Contemplating the World’s Deeds gained this one gate of liberation: “contemplating the various deeds by which one takes birth within the destinies”; the direction-spirit Roaming and Surveying Everywhere gained this one gate of liberation: “bringing everything he does to completion and giving birth to the joy of all sentient beings.”
At that time the direction-spirit Abiding Everywhere, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of direction-spirits universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The Tathāgata sovereignly appears in the world and teaches and transforms all the many sentient beings; he universally discloses the Dharma-gates and causes them to awaken and enter, and causes them all to accomplish unsurpassed wisdom in time to come.
“His spiritual penetration is measureless and a match for sentient beings, and according to what they delight in he manifests forms of every kind; those who see him all receive it and come out of suffering — this is the power of liberation of the Spirit of Manifesting Light.
“Within the ocean of sentient beings covered over by the obstruction of darkness the Buddha manifests for them the great radiance of the Dharma-torch; that light shines universally, and there is none who does not see — this is the liberation of the Spirit Adorned with Coursing.
“Complete in every kind of sound within the world, he universally turns the wheel of Dharma so that none fail to understand; sentient beings who hear it have their afflictions extinguished — this is what the Spirit of Coursing Everywhere awakened to.
“All the names there are in the world, the Buddha’s names arise as a match for them; he causes all sentient beings to leave folly and delusion behind — this is where the Spirit of Cutting Off Delusion practices.
“If there are sentient beings who come before the Buddha and get to hear the Tathāgata’s fine and wondrous voice, there is none whose mind does not give rise to great joy — the Spirit Roaming Everywhere in the Sky awakened into this Dharma.
“Within each and every kṣaṇa the Buddha rains down boundless great rain of Dharma; he causes the afflictions of all sentient beings to be exhausted — this is what the Spirit of the Cloud Banner understood.
“Every ocean of deeds in all the worlds the Buddha discloses as equal and without difference; he universally causes sentient beings to be rid of deeds and delusions — this is what the Spirit of the Topknot and Eyes understood.
“The ground of omniscience has no border, and all sentient beings have thoughts of every kind; the Tathāgata sees them all and is entirely clear — this vast gate the Spirit Contemplating the World entered into.
“In the past the Buddha cultivated all practices, and the measureless means of crossing over are wholly fulfilled; with great kindness and pity he benefits sentient beings — this is the liberation of the Spirit Roaming Everywhere.”
The Host of Space-Spirits: A Class That Presides over Space, Ten Gates and Ten Verses in Five Syllables
(The space-spirits are the class that presides over space. The ten verses of this one host are all in five syllables, unlike the seven-syllable verses of the other twelve hosts.)
Furthermore, the space-spirit Pure Radiance Shining Universally gained this one gate of liberation: “universally knowing the minds of all sentient beings within the destinies”; the space-spirit Roaming Everywhere Deep and Wide gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering the Dharma realm”; the space-spirit Giving Birth to the Auspicious Wind gained this one gate of liberation: “fully understanding the bodily forms of boundless realms”; the space-spirit Abiding Free of Obstruction gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to remove the obstruction of deeds and the obstruction of delusion of all sentient beings”; the space-spirit Broad Stride and Wondrous Topknot gained this one gate of liberation: “universally contemplating and pondering the vast ocean of practice”; the space-spirit Unobstructed Blaze of Light gained this one gate of liberation: “universally rescuing and protecting all sentient beings from calamity and hardship with the light of great compassion”; the space-spirit Unobstructed Surpassing Power gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering the power of merit that clings to nothing at all”; the space-spirit Radiance Free of Stain gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to cause the minds of all sentient beings to leave the coverings behind and be pure”; the space-spirit Deep and Far Wondrous Sound gained this one gate of liberation: “universally seeing the light of wisdom of the ten directions”; the space-spirit Light Pervading the Ten Directions gained this one gate of liberation: “universally manifesting in the world without stirring from his own place.”
At that time the space-spirit Pure Radiance Shining Universally, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of space-spirits universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The vast eyes of the Tathāgata, pure as space; universally he sees the many sentient beings, and all is entirely clear.
“The great radiance of the Buddha’s body shines throughout the ten directions; in place after place it manifests and abides — the Spirit Roaming Everywhere contemplated his way into this road.
“The Buddha’s body is like space, unborn and taking nothing; without gain and without a nature of its own — this is what the Spirit of the Auspicious Wind saw.
“Through measureless kalpas the Tathāgata extensively proclaims the noble paths; he universally extinguishes the obstructions of sentient beings — the Spirit of Encircling Light awakened into this gate.
“I contemplate the Buddha in the past, the practice of awakening he amassed; all of it was to bring the world to security — this is the realm in which the Spirit of the Wondrous Topknot practices.
“The whole realm of sentient beings turns about in the ocean of birth-and-death; the Buddha emits the light that extinguishes suffering — the Unobstructed Spirit is able to see it.
“The pure treasury of merit can be made a field of merit for the world; according to the occasion he discloses and awakens with wisdom — here the Spirit of Power awakened.
“Sentient beings are covered over by folly and turn about upon perilous roads; the Buddha emits radiance for them — the Spirit Free of Stain is able to realize it directly.
“Wisdom has no border, and it wholly displays all the lands; its radiance lights up the world — thus does the Spirit of Wondrous Sound see the Buddha.
“The Buddha, for the sake of crossing sentient beings over, practices throughout the ten directions; such a mind of great vows — the Spirit of Universal Manifestation is able to contemplate.”
The Host of Wind-Spirits: A Class That Presides over the Wind, Whose Ten Gates Run from “Universal Entry” to “Unobstructedness”
(The wind-spirits are the class that presides over the wind. This is the last host of the present fascicle.)
Furthermore, the wind-spirit Unobstructed Radiance gained this one gate of liberation: “universally entering the Buddha’s Dharma and all the worlds”; the wind-spirit Universally Manifesting Valiant Deeds gained this one gate of liberation: “making vast offerings wherever buddhas appear in measureless lands”; the wind-spirit Cloud Banner Tossed by the Wind gained this one gate of liberation: “universally extinguishing the illnesses of all sentient beings with a fragrant wind”; the wind-spirit Adorned with Pure Radiance gained this one gate of liberation: “universally giving birth to the roots of goodness of all sentient beings and causing the mountain of heavy obstruction to be shattered”; the wind-spirit Power to Dry Up the Waters gained this one gate of liberation: “being able to break the boundless hosts of evil Māras”; the wind-spirit Great Voice Roaring Everywhere gained this one gate of liberation: “forever extinguishing the terrors of all sentient beings”; the wind-spirit Topknot Hanging from the Treetops gained this one gate of liberation: “entering the ocean of eloquence of the true character of all dharmas”; the wind-spirit Coursing Everywhere Unobstructed gained this one gate of liberation: “the treasury of skillful means that tames all sentient beings”; the wind-spirit Palaces of Every Kind gained this one gate of liberation: “entering the gate of quiescent meditative concentration and extinguishing the exceedingly heavy darkness of folly”; the wind-spirit Great Radiance Shining Universally gained this one gate of liberation: “the unobstructed power that accords with the practice of all sentient beings.”
At that time the wind-spirit Unobstructed Radiance, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole host of wind-spirits universally and spoke verses such as these:
“The Dharma of all the buddhas is profound, and by unobstructed skillful means one is universally able to enter it; within all the worlds it constantly appears, and yet it is without form, without shape, and without image.
“You should look at the Tathāgata in the past: in a single thought he made offerings to boundless buddhas; such valiant practice of awakening — this is what the Spirit of Universal Manifestation is able to awaken into.
“The Tathāgata rescues the world inconceivably, and not one of all his skillful means passes in vain; he causes all sentient beings to leave every suffering behind — this is the liberation of the Spirit of the Cloud Banner.
“Sentient beings lack merit and undergo every suffering, and coverings upon coverings and dense obstructions constantly delude and cover them; and yet he causes them all to gain liberation — this is what the Spirit of Pure Radiance understood.
“The vast power of the Tathāgata’s spiritual penetration subdues and destroys all the armies of Māra; all the skillful means of taming there are — the Spirit of Valiant Majestic Power is able to contemplate.
“Within his pores the Buddha sends forth wondrous sounds, and that voice reaches everywhere in the world; it causes every suffering and fear to be brought to rest — this is what the Spirit Roaring Everywhere understood.
“Within all the many seas of lands, through inconceivable kalpas the Buddha constantly expounds; this subtle and wondrous eloquence of the ground of a tathāgata — the Spirit of the Treetop Topknot is able to awaken into.
“Within every gate of skillful means the Buddha enters with wisdom wholly unobstructed; his realm is boundless and beyond compare — this is the liberation of the Spirit Coursing Everywhere.
“The realm of the Tathāgata has no border, and in place after place by skillful means he causes all to see; and yet his body is quiescent and without any characteristics — this is the gate of liberation of the Spirit of Palaces of Every Kind.
“Through oceans of kalpas the Tathāgata cultivated all practices, and every power is entirely accomplished and fulfilled; he is able to accord with the ways of the world and meet sentient beings — this is what the Spirit Shining Universally saw.”
先看清楚這一段在做什麼
這一卷從頭到尾只做一件事：一眾一眾地報上名字，一位一位地說他得了哪一道解脫門，然後由該眾的一位上首承著佛的威神之力，替本眾說一組偈頌。十三眾如此，十二組各十頌、龍王一組十一頌，合一百三十一頌，沒有一句廢話，也沒有一句總結。
先要問的是：為什麼要這樣寫？一個現代讀者翻到這裡，最容易生的念頭是『這只是名單』，於是跳過去。跳過去就把這一品的眼給丟了。品名叫世主妙嚴——世間之主以其所得之德來莊嚴這場法會。莊嚴不是排場，是每一位主各自帶著自己那一道真實的入處來。名單之所以長，正因為門真的有那麼多；門之所以要一一列出，正因為沒有哪一道能代替另一道。
第二個要排除的誤讀是次第。這裡的十道門不是十個階段。經文的句式是「得……解脫門」，一人一句，句與句之間沒有『復從此起』『次第增進』一類的連接。澄觀科前八眾為八部四王眾，科後五眾入諸神眾，他所給的科目也只是分段，不是判高下。所以讀法應當是：任何一道門，只要你今天走得進去，就是你的門。
第三，說者要分清楚。長行是經家的敘述，敘某王某神各得何門；偈頌才是那一位上首親口說的，而且他說之前必定有「承佛威力」四個字。這四個字不是客套。它表示這些偈裡所稱歎的佛德，不是這些世間之主憑自己的見地量出來的，是佛力加持之下他們才說得出來。讀偈時把這一層帶著，偈就不是讚美詩，是被加持之後的如實報告。
還有一個小處要先交代。每首偈的末句幾乎都會結出一個名字——「此樹光王所能見」「德叉迦龍悟斯道」之類。澄觀於阿修羅一段通言其例說「此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋」。實計則是：十三眾各自的首頌——那是上首自說的一首——皆不結名，其餘一百一十八首各結歸其名。所以偈與長行大體是對榫的：長行說某王得某門，偈就用四句把那一門的義理演一遍，末句多把名字結回去。看懂這個榫，一百三十一句就不再是名單，是一百三十一組『門與證』的對照。
乾闥婆眾：從「攝」開始的十道門
乾闥婆是以香為食、為諸天作樂的一類。法藏釋其名說「此云尋香」，又說「亦名食香，唯食細香」，並說他們「居十寶山中，常為諸天作樂」。以作樂者為首眾，本身就在提示一件事：法會裡最先報到的不是修行相最莊嚴的，而是與世間之樂最相近的。
先問：首王持國得的「自在方便攝一切眾生」，自在在哪裡？澄觀答得很切：「謂攝受折伏逆順多端，善巧應機故名自在。」自在不是隨心所欲，是順也用、逆也用，攝受與折伏兩手都在手上，隨機器而變——不被自己的一套手法綁住，才叫自在。
第二門普見一切功德莊嚴。澄觀說「謂令眾生見佛一切功德嚴。佛一毛而為利益，一一皆爾，故云普見」。要點在「一一皆爾」：不是把佛的功德總合起來給人看，是每一毛孔都是全的，所以隨你從哪裡看進去，看到的都是全德。偈說「如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿」，正是此意。
其下八門逐一點開。第三門「永斷一切眾生憂苦出生歡喜藏」——斷苦與生喜是一件事的兩面，苦不斷則喜是浮的，故名為藏，是能出生而不竭的。第四門「永斷一切眾生邪見惑」——前門斷的是受，此門斷的是見；受苦人人肯離，邪見卻常被當作自己的主張，所以要另立一門。第五門「如雲廣布普蔭澤一切眾生」——雲的德在不揀擇，蔭與澤同時，遮日與降雨是一事。第六門「現廣大妙好身令一切獲安樂」——以身相為門，是因為許多人先安於見，然後才安於法。第七門「普散十方一切大名稱寶」——名稱在此不是虛譽，是把佛的名號當作寶散出去，使未曾聞者得聞。第八門「現一切大歡喜光明清淨身」——與第六門看似重出，別在一個「歡喜」：前門令安，此門令悅。第九門「普滋榮一切樹令見者歡喜」——取樹為喻，是就眾生善根說，滋榮者不揠苗。第十門「善入一切佛境界與眾生安樂」——前九門都在利他一邊，末門把入佛境界與與眾生安樂綰成一句：自己不入，給不出東西。
落地一句：這十門若要自檢，可問自己在攝人的時候是否只有一種手法；問自己是不是要等到功德聚齊了才肯示人；問自己說法時是安人還是悅人。三處都答得出來，這一眾的門就不是別人的門。
鳩槃荼眾：十道門都從『除害』上開
鳩槃荼是南方天王所領的一類。首王名增長，正是南方天王毘樓勒叉之義譯——智儼引古論說「南方天名毘樓勒叉，此云增長」。
先問：這一眾的門為何多帶除滅之相？看十門便知。首門「滅一切怨害力」，是總；其下九門是把怨害拆開來各給一道對治。第二門「修習無邊行門海」——怨害無邊，故行門亦須無邊，不能以一法應萬機。第三門「知一切眾生心所樂」——除害的第一步不是動手，是先知道對方要什麼。第四門「普成就清淨大光明所作業」——所作之業要清淨，否則除害之舉本身又成新害。第五門「開示一切眾生安隱無畏道」——怖畏本身就是害，故安隱即除害。第六門「消竭一切眾生愛欲海」——外害易見，愛欲之害在內，故別立一門。第七門「普現諸趣光明雲」——照見自己正在哪一趣裡，害的來處才明。第八門「普放光明滅如山重障」——障重如山，非漸除可了，故取光明頓照之相。第九門「開示不退轉大悲藏」——除害之心若會退，害終不除，故要不退。第十門「普現諸趣流轉身」——這一門最要緊：不是站在岸上除害，是現流轉之身入諸趣中。
排一個誤：偈說「成就忍力世導師」，容易讀成佛能忍。忍力在此是能不還手，是把怨害之鏈在自己這一節斷掉。偈接著說「永離世間憍慢惑，是故其身最嚴淨」——莊嚴清淨的因不在相好，在憍慢已離。落地：你所遇的「怨害」若總是同一種，多半不是外面的問題，是第三門與第六門還沒開。
龍眾：十一位龍王，十一道門
這一眾與眾不同：其餘十二眾各十位，唯此眾十一位，故偈亦十一首。這不是抄寫之失，是經文本來的實數，讀者不必替它湊整。
首王毘樓博叉即西方天王，智儼引古論說「西方天名毘樓博叉，此云雜語，領二部鬼神：一諸龍、二富多那」。首門「消滅一切諸龍趣熾然苦」——先除自趣之苦。龍趣以熾然為苦，故所得之門直對其苦；這是一條通則：門常常從自己最切的痛處開。
第二門「一念中轉自龍形示現無量眾生身」——轉自身之形，是不執自類。第三門「於一切諸有趣中以清淨音說佛無邊名號海」——以音聲入諸趣，是取龍能致雨之德而轉用。第四門「普現無邊佛世界建立差別」——見世界之差別而不亂，故偈說「無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔」。第五門「一切眾生瞋癡蓋纏如來慈愍令除滅」——瞋與癡是龍趣之習，此門把自習說成所度之境。第六門「開示一切眾生大喜樂福德海」——福德說成海，是說它可積而不可竭。第七門「以清淨救護音滅除一切怖畏」——救護之音要清淨，帶著怒氣的救護仍是怖。第八門「示現一切佛色身及住劫次第」——色身與劫數並示，是把空間之相與時間之相一併給出。第九門「出生一切眾生大愛樂歡喜海」——愛樂在此不是貪，是見佛而生的悅。第十門「示現一切平等悅意無礙音」——悅意而平等，故無礙；只悅一類人的音是有礙的。第十一門「以大悲普覆雲滅一切世間苦」——以雲覆之相收束全眾，回應首門之熾然。
還有一處體例上的別：這一眾的說偈句作「普觀一切諸龍眾已，即說頌言」，餘十二眾皆作「而說頌言」。逐字如是，並錄不判。
夜叉眾：十道門都落在「救」字上
夜叉是北方天王所領的一類。長行首王作毘沙門夜叉王，而說偈時稱多聞大夜叉王；智儼引古論釋毘沙門正是「此云多聞」，二稱同義而經文兩形並存，逐字照錄。
首門「以無邊方便救護惡眾生」——特別標一個惡字。先問：為何要標？因為救護易於施諸可愛者，難於施諸作惡者；門開在難處，才是門。第二門「普觀察眾生方便救護」——救之前先觀，觀而後救才不誤。第三門「能資益一切甚羸惡眾生」——羸與惡並舉，一是無力，一是有力而用錯，兩類都須資益。第四門「稱揚一切聖功德海」——以稱揚為救，是使人生欣慕之心。第五門「普觀察一切眾生大悲智」——悲與智合為一門，悲無智則濫，智無悲則冷。第六門「種種方便利益安樂一切眾生」——利益與安樂分說：益是與其所無，樂是除其所苦。第七門「普入一切諸法義」——救護到底要靠法義，故此門是前六門的底。第八門「守護一切眾生令住於道無空過者」——一個「無空過」極重，守護不是看著，是保證不落空。第九門「增長一切眾生福德聚令恒受快樂」——恒字要緊，一時之樂不算。第十門「隨順憶念出生佛力智光明」——以憶念佛力作結，救人之力終究不是自己的力。
排一個誤：偈說「眾生罪惡深可怖，於百千劫不見佛」，不是說佛藏起來了。不見的因在罪惡所障，佛出興於世正為此。落地：這一眾十門可以當一張救人的次第表來用——先觀、再資、再稱揚、再悲智並運、最後回到憶念佛力，中間任何一步跳過，救就會變成擾。
摩睺羅伽眾：十道門從「清涼」開始
摩睺羅伽是八部之中大腹行地的一類。首門「以一切神通方便令眾生集功德」——以神通作門而落點在集功德，神通只是手段。第二門「使一切眾生除煩惱得清涼悅樂」——清涼二字是這一眾的眼，偈亦說「示甘露道使清涼」；煩惱之相是熱，故對治之相是涼。
第三門「普使一切善不善思覺眾生入清淨法」——善念與不善念的人一併攝入，這是排誤處：清淨法不是只給善人的獎賞。第四門「了達一切無所著福德自在平等相」——福德而能無所著，才叫自在；著了福德的人最不自在。第五門「開示一切眾生令離黑闇怖畏道」——闇與怖是一事，見不明故怕。第六門「了知一切佛功德生歡喜」——知而後喜，不是先喜後知。第七門「勇猛力為一切眾生救護主」——救護要力，故別立勇猛一門。第八門「令一切眾生隨憶念生無邊喜樂」——喜樂繫於憶念，故不待外境。第九門「於一切所緣決定不動到彼岸滿足」——偈說「如須彌山不傾動」，不動不是硬，是所緣現前而心不隨轉。第十門「為一切不平等眾生開示平等道」——收在平等，回應第三門之善不善並攝。
長行首王作善慧摩睺羅伽王，說偈時稱善慧威光摩睺羅伽王，逐字兩形，照錄不判。落地：這十門若要挑一門今日就用，是第九門——今天有哪一個所緣讓你動了，就在那裡試不動。
緊那羅眾：十道門都在「喜樂」上
緊那羅以歌詠為業，故其十門幾乎門門帶喜樂之相。先問：喜樂何以能成解脫之門？因為苦與樂都是入處，從苦入者多，從樂入者少而更難——樂容易停在樂上。這一眾的十門正是把樂一層一層往上推。
首門「普生一切喜樂業」——先從業說，喜樂有其因。第二門「能生無上法喜令一切受安樂」——把世間之樂換成法喜，是這一眾的轉折點。第三門「一切功德滿足廣大清淨信解藏」——喜之所依是信解，信解不清淨則喜必變。第四門「恒出一切悅意聲令聞者離憂怖」——以聲為門，本業所長。第五門「大悲安立一切眾生令覺悟所緣」——喜到此處轉出悲，否則喜只是自娛。第六門「示現一切妙色身」——以色相攝人，仍是本業。第七門「了知一切殊勝莊嚴果所從生業」——見果知因，這是排誤的一門：莊嚴不是天生的。第八門「善觀察一切世間業所生報」——前門觀善果之因，此門觀一切業之報，兼觀苦報。第九門「恒起一切利益眾生事」——一個恒字，把喜落成事。第十門「善知一切緊那羅心巧攝御」——最後收回自類：先能攝自己這一族的心，才談得上普攝。
落地：偈說「世間所有安樂事，一切皆由見佛興」。這句不必讀成信仰宣告，可讀成一條檢查：你所謂的安樂，若離了見道之樂還剩多少。
迦樓羅眾：十道門在「取」與「不取」之間
迦樓羅是金翅之鳥，以搏取為性。這一眾的門偏偏多在無著、平等、廣大上——這正是門之所以為門：從自己的習性反面開。
首門「無著無礙眼普觀察眾生界」——先把搏取之眼換成無著之眼。第二門「普安住法界教化眾生」——安住與飛搏相對，故別立。第三門「普成就波羅蜜精進力」——精進是本性之長，此處被收編為度法。第四門「勇猛力入如來境界」——勇猛之力轉向如來境界，不再向下取物。第五門「入佛行廣大智慧海」——以海為所入，回應其翅搏海之相。第六門「成就無邊眾生差別智」——知差別是化他之要。第七門「莊嚴佛法城」——偈說「法城廣大不可窮，其門種種無數量」，城有門而門無數，是本卷一貫之意。第八門「成就不可壞平等力」——平等而說力，是說它經得起衝擊。第九門「了知一切眾生身而為現形」——現形隨機，非現己所樂之形。第十門「普入一切眾生歿生行智」——死與生一併觀，故名歿生。
排一個誤：偈說「一切諸佛一法身，真如平等無分別」，不是說諸佛只有一尊。是說所證之法身無二，示現之相有多。落地：這一眾教人把自己最強的那個習性交出去改用途，而不是壓下去。
阿脩羅眾：從「尊勝」轉成「平等」的十道門
阿脩羅有天之福而好爭鬥。首門「現為大會尊勝主」——這一門若不看到底，最像是縱其習氣。澄觀釋得極明白：「一修羅尊勝等須彌之高，如來威光蔽十方大眾，眾生各見真勝主也。」尊勝之相現在佛身上，修羅所爭的那個「勝」被移到真正該在的位置，眾生各見真勝之主，爭心自息。
第二門「示現無量劫」——以時間之長對治其急。第三門「消滅一切眾生苦令清淨」——由爭轉悲。第四門「修一切苦行自莊嚴」——把爭鬥之力轉為堪忍。第五門「震動十方無邊境界」——偈特別說「不使眾生有驚怖」，這是排誤處：震動而不驚人，力才是善用。第六門「種種方便安立一切眾生」——安立與震動相對成雙。第七門「普集不可壞善根淨諸染著」——善根不可壞，正對修羅福大而易壞之病。第八門「大悲力無疑惑主」——澄觀說「悲用智故普令無疑」，悲若無智，人不能信它。第九門「普令見佛承事供養修諸善根」——澄觀說「供事修善有勝德故」，勝德二字仍不離其本性，而所勝者已異。第十門「普入一切趣決定平等行」——澄觀說「普入諸趣，明處無不遍」，末門以平等收，與首門之尊勝恰成一對。
落地：這一眾是全卷最清楚的一個示範——性格不必先毀掉再修行，是就地換方向。
主晝神眾：從「普入」開始的十道門
以下五眾不屬八部，澄觀別科為諸神眾，本卷得其首五。
首門「普入一切世間」，澄觀連下三喻：「一智了物心，如空入色；光照身器，如日合空；身遍器中，如像在鏡。」三喻各說一分——知心如空之入色，無所不到而不相礙；照身如日之合空，遍而不留痕；身遍如像之在鏡，現而非有。他又說「所入之處即為宮殿」，正解此神之名：宮殿不在別處，所入之處就是。
第二門「普觀察一切眾生皆利益令歡喜滿足」，澄觀說「義圓稱機，故滿心成益」——所說之義要圓，又要稱機，兩者缺一則不滿。第三門「能放無邊可愛樂法光明」，澄觀說「身法二光皆可愛樂」，身相之光與法之光同可愛樂。第四門「開發無邊眾生清淨信解心」，澄觀取雨潤種為喻：「法雨潤種，已含實者解開善，未芽者信發」——同一場雨，熟者開解，生者發信。第五門「積集莊嚴普光明力」，澄觀說「無法不悟名普明力，曠劫修集成智莊嚴」。第六門「普開悟一切苦樂眾生皆令得法樂」，澄觀說「方便開示世樂亦苦，令其悟入，見理法樂」——樂中人須先知樂亦是苦，才肯入法樂。
第七門「十方法界差別身」是本卷義理最深的一門，澄觀之釋當逐句讀：「如來身雲，就體則非有無，約機則差別遍於十方，不可謂之無；約佛則稱真法界，不可謂之有。」既不可說無，也不可說有——所以他接著說「隨緣非有之法身，恒不異事而顯現，以化寂滅非無之眾生，恒不異真而成立，即無差別之差別也」。這是說：法身隨緣顯現而不離事相，眾生本自寂滅而不離真性，兩頭都不落一邊，差別是在無差別上的差別。經文的偈與此正相印：「體性非無亦非有，此觀方神之所入。」
第八門「救護一切眾生令安樂」，澄觀說「處危者護之令安，有苦者救之令樂」，護與救、安與樂各有所對。第九門「普生喜足功德力」，澄觀說「眾生闇於多欲，故沈淪長夜。以法開曉，喜足為先」——這一門正應主晝之名：長夜之對治是曉，曉之入手是喜足。第十門「聲稱普聞眾生見者皆獲益」，澄觀說「有覺德行，故名稱普聞。既福廣名高，故不虛其益」——名高而益不虛，才算得此門。
主夜神眾：十道門，前七位即後文善財所參的地上善友（澄觀）
這一眾在全經之中位置特別。澄觀直說：「第二主夜神十法。初七夜神是善財十地善友，見解深廣，彌顯眾海法門難思。」也就是說，這一卷序分裡一晃而過的七位夜神，正是後文入法界一段中善財所歷參的地上善知識。序分之眾不是配角，是後文正宗的預告。
逐一如澄觀所配：首位普德淨光，即善財所參離垢地之善友，他說「彼名全同法門，名寂靜禪定樂普游步」；第二喜眼觀世，「即發光地善友」；第三護世精氣，「即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德」，他解此名說「護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也」；第四寂靜海音，「即難勝地善友」；第五普現吉祥，「即現前地善友」，偈中稱之為尸利，澄觀說「以梵音含於二義：一云吉祥、二翻為守故」；第六普發樹華，「即遠行地善友」，其名之義他說「一切開敷，即普發也」；第七平等護育，「即不動地善友」。
第八遊戲快樂主夜神，澄觀不強配：「此與善財歡喜地善友似同，而文多異，又非其次，故但直釋。」這一句值得記住——古德在配位時，遇到對不上的就明說對不上，不硬湊。第九諸根常喜，其門是「普現莊嚴大悲門」，澄觀說「於三毒難壞眾生，以大悲門現莊嚴身」，並舉留影與化龍之古事說明相之能化人。第十示現淨福，其門是「普使一切眾生所樂滿足」，澄觀說「本為眾生，故成自德，令他樂滿」——自德之成，因在本為眾生。
排一個誤：夜神主夜，容易讀成幽暗之神。經文十門所說卻在淨、在喜、在慈悲、在樂——第一門「寂靜禪定樂大勇健」、第二門「廣大清淨可愛樂功德相」、第四門「積集廣大歡喜心」、第六門「光明滿足廣大歡喜藏」、第八門「救護眾生無邊慈」、第九門「普現莊嚴大悲門」、第十門「普使一切眾生所樂滿足」；『福』字不在門名，只在示現淨福主夜神之名。夜之義在此不是黑，是眾生沉睡之時仍有守護者不睡。落地一句：這七位既是序分之眾又是後文的十地善友，說明一件事——地上的功德不必等到行程末端才出現，它在最初的法會裡就已經在座。
主方神眾：十道門在「所在」與「所行」之間
主方神主司方位處所，其十門大體在說：處所不礙普遍。
首門「普救護力」，澄觀說「現身說法令悟得果，皆救護力」——救護不是別事，現身說法而令人得果就是。第二門「成辦化一切眾生神通業」，澄觀分能所：「神通示相，是能成辦業。眾生出苦，是所成辦業。」第三門「破一切闇障生喜樂大光明」，澄觀說「法光破闇，闇斷智生。智與法喜俱生，斷以寂滅為樂」。第四門「普現一切處不唐勞」，澄觀說「普現說法，聞必惑滅，故不唐勞」——不空過的判準在聞者惑滅，不在說者辛苦。
第五門「示現等一切眾生數名號發生功德」，澄觀給了一句要緊的話：「聖人無名，隨物立名，貴在生德及滅惑耳。」名號多至與眾生數相等，不是名相繁瑣，是隨物而立；立名之貴只在能否生德滅惑。第六門「恒發妙音令聽者皆歡喜」與第七門「如龍普雨令眾生歡喜」，一以音、一以雨，同歸歡喜。
第八門「示現一切眾生業無差別自在力」，澄觀說「業同性空，並不失報，俱無差異」，又說「說能感報令除惡業，說業性空善業亦亡」——這是排誤的一門：說業性空不是撥無因果，兩說各有所治。第九門「觀察一切趣生中種種業」，澄觀說「前約說業性相，令物絕業；此約知業差別，擬隨機化」，與第八門恰成一對。第十門「所作事皆究竟生一切眾生歡喜」，澄觀之釋最見情味：「世人靡不有初、鮮克有終，今聖人有志有能，故所作究竟。世人以人隨欲，不能兼亡；今有慈有愍，故令物喜」有始無終是人之常，有志又有能才叫究竟。
主空神眾：十道門，十首五言偈
這一眾之偈全作五言，與其餘十二眾之七言不同——逐字如是，不必替它整齊。
首門「普知諸趣一切眾生心」，澄觀說「智慧造理則十眼廣照，日月合空則萬像歷然」。第二門「普入法界」，澄觀只八字：「身智二光遍入法界。」第三門「了達無邊境界身相」，澄觀說「佛身如空是無邊境，無生無染為吉祥風」，正解此神之名。這一門他另有詳釋，判空有四義而含五法：「一離能取生，即絕妄想。二離所取相，無相無名。三境無自性，即是如如。四心無所得，是為正智。」四義兩兩相收，他接著說「如外無智，智體即如，此二猶空，寂照無礙。如斯見佛，是曰吉祥」——吉祥不是徵兆，是如智不二而見佛。
第四門「能除一切眾生業惑障」，澄觀說「廣說聖道，則離三障、安住二空」。第五門「普觀察思惟廣大行海」，澄觀說「上求下化名廣大行，為安眾生如妙髻焉」——廣大之義在上下兩頭都有。第六門「大悲光普救護一切眾生厄難」，澄觀說「沈生死之厄難，悲智光以濟之」，並引古論說生死所以名海有五義：處無邊、甚深、難度、不可飲、大寶所依；前四義是眾生流轉之相，第五義卻是菩薩入海之由。第七門「普入一切無所著福德力」，澄觀說「不礙福智相導，是謂勝力」。第八門「能令一切眾生心離諸蓋清淨」，澄觀四字：「惑由智遣。」第九門「普見十方智光明」，澄觀四字：「妙音善說。」第十門「不動本處而普現世間」，澄觀說「不壞本處而稱周十方」——這是本卷最能代表華嚴讀法的一句：遍不是離開本處去到處，是不動而遍。
主風神眾：十道門，六門取風為譬
本卷之末一眾。澄觀釋此十門，第一·二·三·四·七·十，六門逐字以風取譬，第六門以百竅異吹狀風之象，第五·八·九三門則不涉風；取譬之處讀來如一篇小賦，可逐門對看。
首門「普入佛法及一切世間」，澄觀說「以方便風合智日光，智入深法而無障礙，身入世間而無影像」——入法與入世並行，一深而無礙，一遍而無跡。第二門「無量國土佛出現咸廣大供養」，澄觀說菩薩「以全法之身一念供無邊之佛，如彼風力無不成也」。第三門「以香風普滅一切眾生病」，澄觀對得極美：「長風忽來，浮雲散滅；慈風忽起，惑苦病亡。」第四門「普生一切眾生善根令摧滅重障山」，澄觀說「福智莊嚴之風，摧壞如山之障」。第五門「能破無邊惡魔眾」，澄觀說「十力降魔，十軍皆殄」，又解此神何以獨名竭水：「欲愛為初故」——魔軍以欲愛為首，故取竭水之相。
第六門「永滅一切眾生怖」，澄觀說「毛孔慈音滅除五怖，若百竅異吹，遍吼悅機」——百竅所出之聲各異而皆風，佛音遍吼而各各悅其機。第七門「入一切諸法實相辯才海」，澄觀說「智入實相故妙辯如海，如風擊樹故能下垂」，正解樹杪垂髻之名。第八門「調伏一切眾生方便藏」，澄觀說「調生方便為智所入，故名為藏」。第九門「入寂靜禪定門滅極重愚癡闇」，澄觀說「禪定宮殿必定慧雙游，故能滅癡闇」，又補一句「約佛則動寂無二，見必滅癡」——排一個誤：入定不是止住不動，定慧雙行才滅得了癡。第十門「隨順一切眾生行無礙力」，澄觀說「日月明照，非風不運」——日月之明再大，沒有風就轉不起來；隨順眾生之行，正是那陣使明能運的風。
承衍
這一段之後，經文接著開出主火神以下諸神眾，仍是同一體例，直至同生眾菩薩得法讚佛為止。異生之眾先集，同生之眾後至，這是澄觀所科的次第。
三家讀法在此段分途，並錄不判。澄觀依八十本逐文科釋，前八眾統為八部四王眾，後五眾入諸神眾之首五，逐門配義而不出經文之外。法藏與智儼所疏的是晉譯六十本，他們並取四天王領二部鬼神之古說，把乾闥婆等四眾之名解為「從所領為名」，重心在名之所從來——智儼說得直截：「次下乾闥婆等四眾即四天王是也，從所領為名故作此說。」李通玄則另出一軌，他不在本品逐文釋這些王，而是到十迴向一段裡把八部之王取作託事表法的喻體，一一配入十迴向與十波羅蜜：夜叉王配無盡功德藏迴向而主禪度，乾闥婆王配真如相迴向，取其尋香之義說菩薩以五分法身無染之香娛樂眾生。三軌所依之本不同、所科之處不同、所取之義不同，皆古德成說，誌錄之，不判高下。
還有一條線值得往下讀。這一卷的十三眾，人人所得皆名解脫門；到了全經之末的入法界一段，善財歷參善知識，所求的仍是解脫門，定型的求法句作「示我解脫門」。序分裡是已得者各報其門，正宗裡是未得者一處一處去求。同一個名目，一頭是果相，一頭是因行。而主夜神一眾更把兩頭直接接上——澄觀所配的七位夜神，正是善財在地上所參的善友。所以這一卷不是名單，是一張後文將要一站一站走過的地圖，先在法會上一次攤開。
First, See Clearly What This Section Is Doing
From beginning to end this fascicle does only one thing: host by host it reports the names, one by one it states which gate of liberation each has gained, and then one foremost figure of that host, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, speaks a set of verses on behalf of the host. So it goes for all thirteen hosts — twelve sets of ten verses each and one set of eleven for the dragon kings, one hundred and thirty-one verses in all, without one wasted sentence and without a single line of summing up.
The first thing to ask is why it should be written this way. A modern reader who turns to this page most readily has the thought, ‘this is only a roster,’ and skips it. To skip it is to throw away the eye of this chapter. The chapter is called The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds — the rulers of the worlds adorn this assembly with the virtue each of them has gained. Adornment is not display; it is that each ruler comes bearing his own real place of entry. The roster is long precisely because the gates really are that many; and the gates have to be listed one by one precisely because not one of them can stand in for another.
The second misreading to rule out is sequence. These ten gates are not ten stages. The formula of the sūtra is ‘gained the … gate of liberation’, one clause to one person, and between clause and clause there is no connective such as ‘and from this he then went on’ or ‘advancing in due order’. Chengguan outlines the first eight hosts as the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings, and places the latter five hosts among the spirit hosts; but the headings he gives are only divisions, not a judgment of high and low. So the way to read is this: whichever gate you can walk into today is your gate.
Third, the speaker has to be kept straight. The prose is the narration of the compiler of the sūtra, telling which king or which spirit gained which gate; the verses are what that one foremost figure says with his own mouth, and before he says them there are always the four graphs ‘sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power’. Those four graphs are not a courtesy. They mean that the virtues of the Buddha praised in these verses are not measured out by these rulers of the worlds from their own insight; it is under the sustaining power of the Buddha that they are able to say them at all. Read the verses carrying this, and they stop being hymns of praise: they are reports made faithfully by one who has been sustained.
There is one small matter to settle first as well. The last line of nearly every verse brings out a name — ‘this is what King Tree Light is able to see’, ‘the dragon Takṣaka awakened into this road’, and the like. Chengguan states the pattern generally in the asura section: ‘this section above and the night-spirits below all conclude by returning to a name; it is the same pattern throughout, and for fear of prolixity it is not explained.’ By actual count it comes to this: the opening verse of each of the thirteen hosts — the one the foremost figure speaks of himself — concludes with no name, and the remaining one hundred and eighteen each conclude by returning to their name. So the verses and the prose are broadly mortised together: the prose says that a certain king gained a certain gate, and the verse takes four lines to set out the meaning of that gate, mostly returning the name at the end. Once you see that joint, the one hundred and thirty-one clauses stop being a roster: they are one hundred and thirty-one paired sets of ‘gate and realization’.
The Gandharva Host: Ten Gates That Begin from “Taking In”
Gandharvas are a class that feeds on fragrance and makes music for the gods. Fazang explains their name by saying ‘it means here seeking fragrance’, and further that ‘they are also named eaters of fragrance, feeding only on subtle fragrance’, and that ‘they dwell among the ten jewel mountains and constantly make music for the gods.’ That the makers of music should be the first host is itself a hint: the first to report in at this assembly are not those whose marks of practice are most adorned, but those nearest to the pleasures of the world.
Ask first: the first king, Upholder of the State, gained ‘taking in all sentient beings by sovereign skillful means’ — where is the sovereignty in it? Chengguan answers to the point: ‘taking in and subduing, going against and going along, are of many kinds, and because he skillfully answers to the capacity of beings it is named sovereign.’ Sovereignty is not doing as one pleases; it is using the grain and using the counter-grain, keeping both taking-in and subduing in hand and shifting with the vessel before one — it is only when one is not tied down by one’s own single method that it is called sovereign.
The second gate is the universal seeing of all merit and adornment. Chengguan says it ‘means causing sentient beings to see all the merit and adornment of the Buddha. A single hair of the Buddha makes for benefit, and each and every one is so; therefore it says universally seen.’ The point is in ‘each and every one is so’: it is not that the Buddha’s merits are summed up and then shown to people; it is that every single pore is whole, so that from wherever you look in, what you see is the whole of that virtue. The verse says ‘within each and every pore of the Tathāgata, the great ocean of merit is wholly filled’ — just this sense.
The remaining eight gates are opened one by one below. The third, ‘forever cutting off the sorrow and suffering of all sentient beings and giving birth to the treasury of joy’ — the cutting off of suffering and the giving birth to joy are two faces of one thing: if suffering is not cut off, joy floats; hence it is called a treasury, one that can give birth without being used up. The fourth, ‘forever cutting off the wrong views and delusions of all sentient beings’ — the former gate cuts off feeling, this one cuts off views; everyone is willing to be parted from suffering, but wrong views are commonly taken to be one’s own position, and so a separate gate has to be set up. The fifth, ‘spreading wide like a cloud, universally shading and moistening all sentient beings’ — the virtue of a cloud lies in not picking and choosing, and the shading and the moistening come at once, the blocking of the sun and the falling of rain being one act. The sixth, ‘manifesting a vast and wondrously fine body, causing all to gain ease’ — a bodily form is made a gate because many people first grow easy in what they see, and only then in the Dharma. The seventh, ‘universally scattering to the ten directions the jewel of every great renown’ — renown here is not empty repute; it is taking the Buddha’s names as a jewel and scattering them, so that those who have not yet heard get to hear. The eighth, ‘manifesting a pure body of the radiance of all great joy’ — it looks like a repetition of the sixth, and the difference lies in the one word ‘joy’: the former makes people secure, this one makes them glad. The ninth, ‘universally nourishing all trees into flourishing, causing those who see them to rejoice’ — the tree is taken as a simile, and it is said with respect to the roots of goodness of sentient beings: one who nourishes them into flourishing does not tug at the seedlings. The tenth, ‘skillfully entering the realms of all buddhas and giving ease to sentient beings’ — the first nine gates are all on the side of benefiting others, and the last gate mortises entering the realms of the buddhas together with giving ease to sentient beings into a single clause: if you do not go in yourself, you have nothing to hand out.
One line to put it to ground: if you want to check yourself against these ten gates, ask whether you have only one method when you take people in; ask whether you are waiting until your merits are all gathered before you are willing to be seen; ask whether, when you speak the Dharma, you are making people secure or making them glad. Answer all three and this host’s gate is no longer somebody else’s gate.
The Kumbhāṇḍa Host: Ten Gates That All Open from ‘Removing Harm’
Kumbhāṇḍas are a class led by the Heavenly King of the South. The first king is named Increase, which is exactly the translation of the sense of Virūḍhaka, the Heavenly King of the South — Zhiyan cites an ancient treatise saying ‘the god of the south is named Virūḍhaka, which here means Increase.’
Ask first: why do the gates of this host so largely carry the aspect of extinguishing? Look at the ten gates and you will see. The first, ‘the power that extinguishes all enmity and harm’, is the general one; the nine below take enmity and harm apart and give each piece its own counteragent. The second, ‘cultivating the ocean of boundless gates of practice’ — enmity and harm are boundless, and therefore the gates of practice must be boundless too; one method cannot answer to ten thousand capacities. The third, ‘knowing what all sentient beings delight in within their minds’ — the first step in removing harm is not to raise a hand but to know first what the other wants. The fourth, ‘universally accomplishing the work done by the pure great radiance’ — the work done must be pure, or else the very act of removing harm becomes a fresh harm. The fifth, ‘disclosing to all sentient beings the path of security and fearlessness’ — terror is itself a harm, and so security is precisely the removing of harm. The sixth, ‘drying up the ocean of the craving and desire of all sentient beings’ — outer harm is easy to see, while the harm of craving and desire is within, and so it gets a gate of its own. The seventh, ‘universally manifesting the cloud of radiance of the destinies’ — only when one sees which destiny one is standing in does the source of the harm become clear. The eighth, ‘emitting radiance universally and extinguishing obstructions piled up like a mountain’ — obstruction heavy as a mountain cannot be finished off by gradual removal, and so the aspect taken is that of radiance illumining all at once. The ninth, ‘disclosing the treasury of great compassion that is non-retrogressive’ — if the mind that removes harm can retreat, the harm will never be removed, and so it must not turn back. The tenth, ‘universally manifesting a body that turns within the destinies’ — this gate matters most: it is not standing on the bank and removing harm, but manifesting a body that turns and entering into the destinies.
Rule out a misreading. The verse says ‘the guide of the world who has perfected the power of patience’, and it is easy to read this as the Buddha being able to endure. Patience here is being able not to strike back; it is cutting the chain of enmity and harm at one’s own link. The verse goes on, ‘he has forever left behind the arrogance and delusion of the world, and therefore his bodily form is the most adorned and pure’ — the cause of that adorned purity is not in the marks and signs but in arrogance already being gone. To put it to ground: if the ‘enmity and harm’ you meet is always of one and the same kind, most likely the trouble is not outside; it is that the third gate and the sixth are not yet open.
The Dragon Host: Eleven Dragon Kings, Eleven Gates
This host is unlike the rest: the other twelve hosts have ten apiece, and this one alone has eleven, so that its verses too are eleven. This is no copyist’s slip; it is the number the sūtra actually has, and the reader need not round it off for it.
The first king, Virūpākṣa, is the Heavenly King of the West; Zhiyan cites an ancient treatise saying ‘the god of the west is named Virūpākṣa, which here means Varied Speech; he leads two divisions of ghosts and spirits, the first the dragons and the second the pūtanas.’ The first gate, ‘extinguishing all the blazing suffering of the destiny of dragons’ — first the suffering of one’s own destiny is removed. The destiny of dragons has blazing as its suffering, and so the gate gained faces that suffering directly; this is a general rule: a gate very often opens at the place where one’s own pain is sharpest.
The second gate, ‘in a single thought turning away his own dragon form and manifesting the bodies of measureless sentient beings’ — to turn away the form of one’s own body is not to cling to one’s own kind. The third, ‘within all the destinies of existence, proclaiming with a pure voice the ocean of the Buddha’s boundless names’ — to enter the destinies by voice is to take the dragon’s power of bringing rain and turn it to another use. The fourth, ‘universally manifesting the differences in the establishing of boundless buddha-worlds’ — seeing the differences among worlds without being thrown into confusion, and so the verse says ‘measureless, boundless lands and their assemblies the Buddha can cause to enter into a single pore.’ The fifth, ‘the coverings and entanglements formed of the anger and folly of all sentient beings, which the Tathāgata in his compassion and pity causes to be extinguished’ — anger and folly are the habits of the destiny of dragons, and this gate makes one’s own habit the very field of the beings one crosses over. The sixth, ‘disclosing to all sentient beings the ocean of merit of great joy and ease’ — merit is spoken of as an ocean, which is to say it can be accumulated and cannot be used up. The seventh, ‘extinguishing all terrors with a pure voice of rescue and protection’ — the voice of rescue must be pure, for a rescue carried out in anger is still a terror. The eighth, ‘manifesting the form-bodies of all buddhas together with the sequence of the kalpas of their dwelling in the world’ — form-bodies and the number of kalpas displayed together, which is to hand over the aspect of space and the aspect of time at once. The ninth, ‘giving birth to the ocean of joy in which all sentient beings greatly delight’ — delight here is not craving; it is the gladness born of seeing a buddha. The tenth, ‘manifesting a voice that is everywhere equal, pleasing to the mind and unobstructed’ — pleasing and yet equal, and therefore unobstructed; a voice that pleases only one sort of person is obstructed. The eleventh, ‘extinguishing all the suffering of the world with the cloud of great compassion that covers universally’ — it gathers the whole host up under the aspect of a covering cloud, answering back to the blazing of the first gate.
There is one further difference of pattern here: the sentence introducing this host’s verses reads ‘having contemplated the whole host of dragons universally, he then spoke verses saying’, whereas the other twelve hosts all read ‘and spoke verses saying’. So it stands word for word, and it is set down together without adjudication.
The Yakṣa Host: Ten Gates That All Come Down to the Word ‘Rescue’
Yakṣas are a class led by the Heavenly King of the North. In the prose the first king is given as the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa, while at the speaking of the verses he is called the great yakṣa king Much-Heard; Zhiyan, citing an ancient treatise, explains Vaiśravaṇa as precisely ‘which here means Much-Heard’ — the two designations are the same in sense, and both forms stand together in the text of the sūtra, recorded word for word.
The first gate, ‘rescuing and protecting evildoing sentient beings by boundless skillful means’ — it marks out the one word ‘evildoing’ in particular. Ask first: why mark it? Because rescue is easy to extend to the lovable and hard to extend to the doer of evil; a gate opened at the hard place is what makes it a gate. The second, ‘contemplating sentient beings universally and rescuing and protecting them by skillful means’ — observe before rescuing, and only a rescue that follows observation will not go wrong. The third, ‘being able to sustain and nourish all sentient beings who are utterly feeble and utterly evil’ — the feeble and the evil are named together: the one has no strength, the other has strength and uses it wrongly, and both kinds must be sustained and nourished. The fourth, ‘extolling the ocean of merit of all noble ones’ — to extol is to rescue, since it causes people to give rise to a mind of glad longing. The fifth, ‘the wisdom of great compassion that contemplates all sentient beings universally’ — compassion and wisdom joined in one gate: compassion without wisdom is indiscriminate, wisdom without compassion is cold. The sixth, ‘benefiting and bringing ease to all sentient beings by all kinds of skillful means’ — benefit and ease are stated separately: benefit is to give what they lack, ease is to remove what pains them. The seventh, ‘universally entering into the meaning of all dharmas’ — a rescue must in the end rely on the meaning of the Dharma, and so this gate is the floor beneath the previous six. The eighth, ‘guarding all sentient beings and causing them to abide in the path, with not one of them passing in vain’ — the words ‘not one passing in vain’ weigh a great deal: to guard is not to keep watch but to guarantee that it does not come to nothing. The ninth, ‘increasing the accumulation of merit of all sentient beings and causing them constantly to receive ease and joy’ — the word ‘constantly’ matters; a moment’s joy does not count. The tenth, ‘in accord with mindful recollection, giving birth to the light of wisdom of the Buddha’s powers’ — it closes with the recollection of the Buddha’s power, for the strength by which one rescues others is in the end not one’s own.
Rule out a misreading. The verse says ‘the sins and evils of sentient beings are deep enough to be dreadful, and for a hundred thousand kalpas they do not see a buddha’ — it does not say the Buddha has hidden himself. The cause of not seeing is the obstruction of sin and evil, and the Buddha arises in the world precisely for this. To put it to ground: the ten gates of this host can be used as a table of the order in which one rescues people — first observe, then sustain, then extol, then bring compassion and wisdom to bear together, and at the last come back to the recollection of the Buddha’s power; skip any step in the middle and rescuing turns into meddling.
The Mahoraga Host: Ten Gates That Begin from ‘Coolness’
Mahoragas are the class among the eight that crawl upon the ground on their great bellies. The first gate, ‘causing sentient beings to amass merit by every skillful means of spiritual penetration’ — spiritual penetration is made the gate, and yet it comes down on the amassing of merit; spiritual penetration is only a means. The second, ‘causing all sentient beings to be rid of affliction and to gain cool and joyful ease’ — the two words ‘cool and clear’ are the eye of this host, and the verse too says ‘he shows them the path of ambrosia and makes them cool’; the aspect of affliction is heat, and therefore the aspect of its counteragent is coolness.
The third gate, ‘universally causing all sentient beings, whether their thoughts are good or not good, to enter the pure Dharma’ — those with good thoughts and those with thoughts not good are taken in together, and this is the place where a misreading is ruled out: the pure Dharma is not a reward handed only to good people. The fourth, ‘fully understanding the sovereign and equal characteristic of the merit that clings to nothing at all’ — merit that is able to cling to nothing is what is called sovereign; the person who clings to his merit is the least sovereign of all. The fifth, ‘disclosing to all sentient beings and causing them to leave the path of darkness and terror’ — darkness and terror are one thing, for it is because one does not see clearly that one is afraid. The sixth, ‘knowing the merit of all buddhas and giving rise to joy’ — knowing, and then rejoicing, not rejoicing first and knowing after. The seventh, ‘being, by the power of valor, the rescuer and protector and lord of all sentient beings’ — rescue requires strength, and so valor is set up as a gate of its own. The eighth, ‘causing all sentient beings, in accord with their mindful recollection, to give rise to boundless joy and ease’ — joy and ease are tied to recollection, and so do not wait upon outer circumstance. The ninth, ‘being decidedly unmoved with respect to every object of mind, reaching the far shore and being fulfilled’ — the verse says ‘like Mount Sumeru he has never tilted or stirred’; the unmovedness is not rigidity, it is that the object stands before one and the mind does not turn with it. The tenth, ‘disclosing the path of equality to all unequal sentient beings’ — it closes on equality, answering back to the third gate’s taking in of the good and the not good together.
In the prose the first king is given as the mahoraga king Good Wisdom, and at the speaking of the verses he is called the mahoraga king Good Wisdom and Majestic Light — two forms word for word, recorded without adjudication. To put it to ground: if one gate out of these ten is to be picked up and used today, it is the ninth — whichever object has moved you today, try being unmoved right there.
The Kiṃnara Host: Ten Gates That All Rest upon ‘Joy and Ease’
Kiṃnaras have song as their work, and so nearly every one of their ten gates carries the aspect of joy and ease. Ask first: how can joy and ease constitute a gate of liberation? Because suffering and joy are both places of entry, and those who enter by suffering are many while those who enter by joy are few and find it harder — joy easily comes to rest in joy. The ten gates of this host are exactly a pushing of joy upward, layer by layer.
The first gate, ‘universally giving birth to every deed of joy and ease’ — it speaks first of deeds: joy and ease have their causes. The second, ‘being able to give birth to unsurpassed joy in the Dharma and to cause all sentient beings to receive ease’ — exchanging worldly joy for joy in the Dharma is the turning point of this host. The third, ‘the treasury of vast, pure faith and understanding in which all merit is fulfilled’ — what joy rests on is faith and understanding, and if faith and understanding are not pure the joy is bound to alter. The fourth, ‘constantly sending forth every sound that pleases the mind, causing those who hear to leave sorrow and fear behind’ — sound is made the gate, which is what their own calling is best at. The fifth, ‘settling all sentient beings by great compassion and causing them to awaken to what they take as their object’ — at this point joy turns out into compassion, for otherwise joy is only self-amusement. The sixth, ‘manifesting every subtle and wondrous form-body’ — taking people in by form is still their own calling. The seventh, ‘knowing the deeds from which every surpassing adorned fruit is born’ — seeing the fruit and knowing the cause; this is the gate that rules out a misreading: adornment is not something one is born with. The eighth, ‘contemplating well the retribution born of the deeds of all the world’ — the previous gate observes the causes of good fruit, this one observes the retribution of all deeds, and so takes in the retribution of suffering as well. The ninth, ‘constantly setting in motion every affair that benefits sentient beings’ — the one word ‘constantly’ brings joy down into deeds. The tenth, ‘knowing well the minds of all kiṃnaras and skillfully taking them in and governing them’ — at the end it comes back to one’s own kind: only when one can take in the minds of one’s own people is there anything to be said about taking in all.
To put it to ground: the verse says ‘every matter of ease and joy in the world comes entirely from seeing the arising of a buddha.’ This line need not be read as a declaration of faith; it can be read as a test: of what you call ease, how much is left once the joy of seeing the path is taken away?
The Garuḍa Host: Ten Gates Between ‘Seizing’ and ‘Not Seizing’
Garuḍas are the golden-winged birds, and seizing is their nature. And yet the gates of this host lie mostly upon non-clinging, upon equality, upon vastness — and this is exactly what makes a gate a gate: it opens from the reverse side of one’s own disposition.
The first gate, ‘universally contemplating the realm of sentient beings with an eye that neither clings nor is obstructed’ — first the eye that seizes is exchanged for an eye that does not cling. The second, ‘universally abiding in the Dharma realm and teaching and transforming sentient beings’ — abiding stands opposite to flying and seizing, and so is set up separately. The third, ‘universally accomplishing the power of vigor of the pāramitās’ — vigor is the strength of their own nature, and here it is taken over into the dharmas of crossing to the far shore. The fourth, ‘entering the realm of the Tathāgata by the power of valor’ — the power of valor is turned toward the realm of the Tathāgata, and no longer downward to seize a thing. The fifth, ‘entering the vast ocean of wisdom of the practice of the buddhas’ — an ocean is what is entered, answering back to their beating of the ocean with their wings. The sixth, ‘accomplishing the wisdom of the distinctions among boundless sentient beings’ — knowing distinctions is essential to transforming others. The seventh, ‘adorning the city of the Buddha’s Dharma’ — the verse says ‘the city of Dharma is vast and cannot be exhausted, and its gates are of many kinds and beyond number’; the city has gates and the gates are without number, which is the consistent sense of this whole fascicle. The eighth, ‘accomplishing the indestructible power of equality’ — to speak of equality as a power is to say that it can stand up to being struck. The ninth, ‘knowing the bodies of all sentient beings and manifesting a form for them’ — the form manifested follows the capacity, and is not the form one likes oneself. The tenth, ‘universally entering the wisdom of the courses of dying and of taking birth of all sentient beings’ — death and birth are contemplated together, hence the name ‘dying and taking birth’.
Rule out a misreading. The verse says ‘all the buddhas are one dharma-body; suchness is equal and without discrimination’ — it does not say there is only one buddha. It says that the Dharma realized is not two, while the aspects manifested are many. To put it to ground: this host teaches one to hand over one’s own strongest disposition and put it to another use, rather than to press it down.
The Asura Host: Ten Gates That Turn ‘Being Foremost’ into ‘Equality’
Asuras have the merit of gods and are fond of quarrelling and fighting. The first gate, ‘manifesting as the foremost and surpassing lord within the great assembly’ — if this gate is not read through to the end, it looks most of all like indulging their habit. Chengguan explains it with perfect clarity: ‘the asura’s being foremost and surpassing is a match for the height of Sumeru; the Tathāgata’s majestic radiance eclipses the great assemblies of the ten directions, and sentient beings each see the true surpassing lord.’ The aspect of being foremost now appears on the body of the Buddha; the ‘surpassing’ that the asuras contend for is moved to the place where it truly belongs, sentient beings each see the true surpassing lord, and the contending mind of itself dies down.
The second gate, ‘manifesting measureless kalpas’ — the length of time counteracts their haste. The third, ‘extinguishing all the suffering of sentient beings and making them pure’ — contending turns into compassion. The fourth, ‘cultivating every ascetic practice as his own adornment’ — the strength of contending is turned into the capacity to bear. The fifth, ‘shaking the boundless realms of the ten directions’ — the verse says in particular ‘it does not cause sentient beings any alarm’, and this is the place where a misreading is ruled out: to shake without frightening people is what makes strength well used. The sixth, ‘settling all sentient beings by all kinds of skillful means’ — settling stands paired against shaking. The seventh, ‘universally amassing indestructible roots of goodness and purifying every defiling attachment’ — that the roots of goodness cannot be destroyed answers precisely to the asuras’ disease of great merit easily destroyed. The eighth, ‘being, by the power of great compassion, a lord in whom there is no doubt or confusion’ — Chengguan says ‘because compassion employs wisdom, it universally causes there to be no doubt’; if compassion has no wisdom, people cannot trust it. The ninth, ‘universally causing beings to see the Buddha, to serve and make offerings to him, and to cultivate every root of goodness’ — Chengguan says ‘because serving and making offerings and cultivating goodness have surpassing virtue’; the two words ‘surpassing virtue’ still do not leave their own nature behind, and yet what is surpassed has changed. The tenth, ‘universally entering the decidedly equal practice of all the destinies’ — Chengguan says ‘universally entering the destinies, making clear that there is no place he does not pervade’; the last gate closes with equality, which stands exactly paired with the ‘being foremost’ of the first.
To put it to ground: this host is the clearest demonstration in the whole fascicle — one’s disposition need not be destroyed first and practice taken up after; it is turned around on the spot.
The Host of Day-Spirits: Ten Gates That Begin from ‘Universal Entry’
The five hosts that follow do not belong to the eight classes; Chengguan outlines them separately as the spirit hosts, and this fascicle has the first five of them.
For the first gate, ‘universally entering all the worlds’, Chengguan brings down three similes in a row: ‘wisdom understanding the minds of beings, like space entering into form; radiance illumining bodies and the vessel-world, like the sun merging with space; the body pervading the vessel-world, like an image within a mirror.’ Each simile states one part — knowing minds as space enters into form, reaching everywhere without obstructing anything; illumining bodies as the sun merges with space, pervading and leaving no trace; the body pervading as an image is in a mirror, appearing and yet not existent. He further says ‘the place entered is precisely the palace’, which explains this spirit’s name exactly: the palace is not somewhere else; the place entered is it.
For the second gate, ‘universally contemplating all sentient beings, giving benefit to them all and causing them to rejoice and be fulfilled’, Chengguan says ‘the meaning being complete and answering to capacity, therefore the mind is filled and benefit accomplished’ — the meaning stated must be complete and must also answer to capacity, and if either is lacking there is no fulfilment. For the third, ‘being able to emit the boundless and lovable radiance of the Dharma’, Chengguan says ‘the two radiances, of the body and of the Dharma, are both lovable’ — the radiance of bodily form and the radiance of the Dharma are equally lovable. For the fourth, ‘opening up the pure minds of faith and understanding of boundless sentient beings’, Chengguan takes rain moistening a seed as the simile: ‘the rain of Dharma moistens the seed — in one that already holds fruit, understanding opens goodness; in one not yet sprouted, faith is set forth’ — one and the same fall of rain, and the ripe one opens into understanding while the green one puts forth faith. For the fifth, ‘amassing the power of the adorned universal radiance’, Chengguan says ‘there being no dharma he does not awaken to is named the power of universal brightness, cultivated and gathered through vast kalpas into the adornment of wisdom.’ For the sixth, ‘universally awakening all sentient beings, whether in suffering or in ease, and causing them all to gain the joy of the Dharma’, Chengguan says ‘by skillful means disclosing that worldly joy is also suffering, so as to cause them to awaken and enter and to see the joy of the Dharma of principle’ — one who is in the midst of joy must first know that joy too is suffering before he will consent to enter the joy of the Dharma.
The seventh gate, ‘the body of the distinctions of the Dharma realm of the ten directions’, is the deepest gate for doctrine in this fascicle, and Chengguan’s explanation should be read clause by clause: ‘the cloud of the Tathāgata’s body — taken as to its substance it is neither existent nor non-existent; taken with respect to the capacities of beings it is differentiated and pervades the ten directions, so it cannot be called non-existent; taken with respect to the Buddha it answers to the true Dharma realm, so it cannot be called existent.’ It cannot be said to be non-existent, and it cannot be said to be existent either — and so he goes on to say ‘the dharma-body, which accords with conditions and is not existent, constantly manifests without differing from phenomena, in order to transform sentient beings, who are quiescent and are not non-existent and are constantly established without differing from the true; and this is precisely differentiation within non-differentiation.’ Which is to say: the dharma-body manifests according to conditions and does not depart from the aspects of phenomena, and sentient beings are of themselves quiescent and do not depart from the true nature, so that neither end falls to one side, and the differentiation is a differentiation upon non-differentiation. The verse of the sūtra seals this exactly: ‘the nature of it is neither non-existent nor existent — this is what the Spirit Contemplating the Directions entered into.’
For the eighth gate, ‘rescuing and protecting all sentient beings and causing them ease’, Chengguan says ‘those in peril he protects and makes secure; those who have suffering he rescues and makes joyful’ — protecting and rescuing, security and joy, each answering to its own. For the ninth, ‘universally giving birth to the power of merit of contentment’, Chengguan says ‘sentient beings are in darkness through many desires, and therefore sink in the long night. Opening their understanding with the Dharma, contentment comes first’ — this gate answers precisely to the name of the day-spirits: the counteragent of the long night is daybreak, and the way into daybreak is contentment. For the tenth, ‘his renown being universally heard, so that sentient beings who see him gain benefit’, Chengguan says ‘having the virtue and conduct of awakening, therefore his renown is universally heard; and since his merit is broad and his name lofty, his benefit is therefore not in vain’ — only when the name is lofty and the benefit is not empty does one count as having gained this gate.
The Host of Night-Spirits: Ten Gates, the First Seven Being the Good Friends of the Grounds Whom Sudhana Later Visits (Chengguan)
This host holds a particular place in the sūtra as a whole. Chengguan states it outright: ‘Second, the night-spirits, ten dharmas. The first seven night-spirits are Sudhana’s good friends of the ten grounds; their insight is deep and wide, which all the more displays how inconceivable are the Dharma-gates of the ocean of the assembly.’ That is to say, the seven night-spirits who pass by in a flash in the prologue of this fascicle are precisely the good friends on the grounds whom Sudhana visits one by one in the later section on the entry into the Dharma realm. The assembly of the prologue is no supporting cast; it is the announcement of the main exposition to come.
Matched one by one as Chengguan has it: the first, Pure Radiance of Universal Virtue, is the good friend of the Ground of Freedom from Defilement whom Sudhana visits, and he says ‘there the name is entirely the same, and the Dharma-gate is named Universally Roaming in the Joy of Quiescent Meditative Concentration’; the second, Joyful Eyes Contemplating the World, is ‘the good friend of the Ground of Brightness’; the third, Guarding the Vital Essence of the World, is ‘the good friend of the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, whose name there is Wondrous Virtue That Universally Rescues Sentient Beings’, and he explains that name by saying ‘guarding the vital essence of the world is precisely rescuing the living, and it is by guarding the living that the wondrousness of the virtue is displayed’; the fourth, Quiescent Ocean Sound, is ‘the good friend of the Ground Difficult to Conquer’; the fifth, Universally Manifesting Auspiciousness, is ‘the good friend of the Ground of Manifestation’, and in the verse he is called Śrī, of which Chengguan says ‘because the Sanskrit sound holds two senses: first it means auspicious, and second it is rendered as guarding’; the sixth, Universally Opening Tree Blossoms, is ‘the good friend of the Far-Reaching Ground’, and of the sense of that name he says ‘all opening is precisely universally opening’; the seventh, Equal Protection and Nurture, is ‘the good friend of the Immovable Ground’.
The eighth, the night-spirit Playful Delight, Chengguan does not force into the match: ‘this seems the same as Sudhana’s good friend of the Joyful Ground, but the text differs in many places, and moreover it is not in that order; therefore it is simply explained directly.’ This sentence is worth remembering — when the ancient worthies are matching positions and come upon something that does not fit, they say plainly that it does not fit, and do not force it. The ninth, Whose Faculties Are Always Joyful, has for its gate ‘universally manifesting the adorned gate of great compassion’, of which Chengguan says ‘for sentient beings hard to break down by the three poisons, through the gate of great compassion he manifests an adorned body’, and he cites the ancient stories of the shadow left behind and the dragon transformed to show that an aspect can transform people. The tenth, Manifesting Pure Merit, has for its gate ‘universally causing everything all sentient beings delight in to be fulfilled’, of which Chengguan says ‘it is for the sake of sentient beings, and therefore his own virtue is accomplished, and the delight of others is fulfilled’ — the cause of one’s own virtue being accomplished lies in its being for the sake of sentient beings.
Rule out a misreading. Night-spirits preside over the night, and it is easy to read them as spirits of gloom. Yet what the ten gates of the sūtra speak of lies in purity, in joy, in kindness and compassion, in delight — the first gate ‘the great valor of the joy of quiescent meditative concentration’, the second ‘the vast, pure, and lovable characteristic of merit’, the fourth ‘amassing a vast mind of joy’, the sixth ‘the vast treasury of joy in which radiance is fulfilled’, the eighth ‘the boundless kindness that rescues and protects sentient beings’, the ninth ‘universally manifesting the adorned gate of great compassion’, the tenth ‘universally causing everything all sentient beings delight in to be fulfilled’; the word ‘merit’ does not occur in the names of the gates, only in the name of the night-spirit Manifesting Pure Merit. The sense of night here is not blackness; it is that at the hour when sentient beings lie sunk in sleep there are still guardians who do not sleep. One line to put it to ground: that these seven are both the assembly of the prologue and the good friends of the ten grounds in the later text shows one thing — the merits of the grounds need not wait until the end of the journey to appear; they are already seated at the very first assembly.
The Host of Direction-Spirits: Ten Gates Between ‘Where One Is’ and ‘Where One Goes’
The direction-spirits preside over the quarters and the places within them, and their ten gates broadly say this: a place does not obstruct pervading everywhere.
For the first gate, ‘the power of universal rescue and protection’, Chengguan says ‘manifesting a body and preaching the Dharma, causing beings to awaken and gain the fruit — all of this is the power of rescue and protection’ — rescue and protection are not some other matter: manifesting a body and preaching the Dharma so that people gain the fruit is just that. For the second, ‘bringing to completion the work of spiritual penetration that transforms all sentient beings’, Chengguan distinguishes the active and the passive: ‘spiritual penetration displaying appearances is the work that brings to completion; sentient beings coming out of suffering is the work that is brought to completion.’ For the third, ‘the great radiance that breaks through every obstruction of darkness and gives birth to joy and ease’, Chengguan says ‘the light of the Dharma breaks through darkness; darkness is cut off and wisdom is born. Wisdom and the joy of the Dharma are born together, and the cutting off takes quiescence as its joy.’ For the fourth, ‘universally manifesting in every place and not laboring in vain’, Chengguan says ‘universally manifesting and preaching the Dharma — those who hear must have their delusions extinguished, and therefore it is not labor in vain’ — the test of not passing in vain lies in the hearer’s delusions being extinguished, not in the speaker’s toil.
For the fifth gate, ‘manifesting names equal in number to all sentient beings and thereby giving rise to merit’, Chengguan gives a line that matters: ‘a noble one has no name, and names are set up in accord with beings; what is precious lies only in giving birth to virtue and in extinguishing delusion.’ That the names are as many as sentient beings is not a proliferation of names and forms; it is that they are set up in accord with beings, and the preciousness of setting up a name lies solely in whether it can give birth to virtue and extinguish delusion. The sixth gate, ‘constantly sending forth wondrous sounds and causing all who hear to rejoice’, and the seventh, ‘raining down great rain universally like a dragon and causing sentient beings to rejoice’, come to the same rejoicing, the one by sound and the other by rain.
For the eighth gate, ‘manifesting the sovereign power in which the deeds of all sentient beings are without distinction’, Chengguan says ‘deeds are alike empty of nature, and yet retribution is not lost, and in both respects there is no difference’, and further ‘speaking of how they can call forth retribution causes evil deeds to be removed, and speaking of the emptiness of the nature of deeds means that good deeds too fall away’ — this is the gate that rules out a misreading: to speak of the emptiness of the nature of deeds is not to sweep away cause and effect, and each of the two statements has its own ailment to treat. For the ninth, ‘contemplating the various deeds by which one takes birth within the destinies’, Chengguan says ‘the foregoing was in terms of speaking of the nature and characteristic of deeds, so as to cause beings to have done with deeds; this is in terms of knowing the distinctions among deeds, so as to be ready to transform beings according to their capacity’, which stands exactly paired with the eighth gate. For the tenth, ‘bringing everything he does to completion and giving birth to the joy of all sentient beings’, Chengguan’s explanation has the most feeling in it: ‘among people of the world there is none who lacks a beginning, but few who can have an end; now a noble one has both resolve and ability, and therefore what he does is brought to completion. People of the world let others follow their own desires and cannot let both go; now, having kindness and having pity, he causes beings to rejoice.’ To begin and not to finish is the common way of people; only having both resolve and ability is called bringing a thing to completion.
The Host of Space-Spirits: Ten Gates, Ten Verses in Five Syllables
The verses of this host are all in five syllables, unlike the seven syllables of the other twelve hosts — so it stands word for word, and there is no need to make it tidy.
For the first gate, ‘universally knowing the minds of all sentient beings within the destinies’, Chengguan says ‘when wisdom reaches the principle, the ten eyes illumine widely; when sun and moon merge with space, the myriad images stand out one by one.’ For the second, ‘universally entering the Dharma realm’, Chengguan gives eight graphs only: ‘the two radiances of body and wisdom pervade and enter the Dharma realm.’ For the third, ‘fully understanding the bodily forms of boundless realms’, Chengguan says ‘the Buddha’s body being like space is the boundless realm, and being unborn and undefiled is the auspicious wind’, which explains this spirit’s name exactly. On this gate he has a further detailed explanation, adjudicating that emptiness has four senses and embraces five dharmas: ‘first, being free of the arising of the grasper, which is the cutting off of deluded conception; second, being free of the characteristic of the grasped, which is without characteristic and without name; third, the object having no nature of its own, which is precisely suchness; fourth, the mind gaining nothing, and this is right wisdom.’ The four senses gather each other up two by two, and he goes on to say ‘outside suchness there is no wisdom, and the substance of wisdom is precisely suchness; these two are like space, quiescent and illumining without obstruction. To see the Buddha in this way — this is called auspicious’ — the auspicious is not an omen; it is seeing the Buddha with suchness and wisdom not two.
For the fourth gate, ‘being able to remove the obstruction of deeds and the obstruction of delusion of all sentient beings’, Chengguan says ‘extensively proclaiming the noble path means leaving the three obstructions and abiding in the two emptinesses.’ For the fifth, ‘universally contemplating and pondering the vast ocean of practice’, Chengguan says ‘seeking above and transforming below is named vast practice, and it is for the security of sentient beings, as with the wondrous topknot’ — the sense of ‘vast’ lies in both directions, above and below. For the sixth, ‘universally rescuing and protecting all sentient beings from calamity and hardship with the light of great compassion’, Chengguan says ‘sunk in the calamity and hardship of birth-and-death, they are relieved by the light of compassion and wisdom’, and he cites an ancient treatise for the five senses in which birth-and-death gets the name of an ocean: that its extent is boundless, that it is exceedingly deep, that it is hard to cross, that it cannot be drunk, that it is what great treasures depend on; the first four senses are the aspect of sentient beings turning round in it, while the fifth is the very reason a bodhisattva enters the ocean. For the seventh, ‘universally entering the power of merit that clings to nothing at all’, Chengguan says ‘not obstructing the mutual leading of merit and wisdom — this is called surpassing power.’ For the eighth, ‘being able to cause the minds of all sentient beings to leave the coverings behind and be pure’, Chengguan gives four graphs: ‘delusion is dispelled by wisdom.’ For the ninth, ‘universally seeing the light of wisdom of the ten directions’, Chengguan gives four graphs: ‘a wondrous voice that speaks well.’ For the tenth, ‘universally manifesting in the world without stirring from his own place’, Chengguan says ‘without destroying his own place he answers to being everywhere throughout the ten directions’ — this is the one line in this fascicle that best represents the Huayan way of reading: to pervade is not to leave one’s own place and go everywhere; it is to pervade without stirring.
The Host of Wind-Spirits: Ten Gates, Six of Them Taking the Wind as Simile
This is the last host of the fascicle. In explaining these ten gates Chengguan takes the wind as his simile in so many words in six of them — the first, second, third, fourth, seventh, and tenth; in the sixth he depicts the aspect of wind with the hundred hollows blowing differently; and the fifth, eighth, and ninth do not involve wind. The places where the simile is taken read like a small rhapsody, and may be read gate against gate.
For the first gate, ‘universally entering the Buddha’s Dharma and all the worlds’, Chengguan says ‘with the wind of skillful means joined to the sunlight of wisdom, wisdom enters the deep Dharma without obstruction, and the body enters the world without leaving an image’ — entering the Dharma and entering the world proceed together, the one deep and unobstructed, the other pervading and leaving no trace. For the second, ‘making vast offerings wherever buddhas appear in measureless lands’, Chengguan says that the bodhisattva ‘with a body wholly of Dharma makes offerings in a single thought to boundless buddhas, just as that power of wind accomplishes all.’ For the third, ‘universally extinguishing the illnesses of all sentient beings with a fragrant wind’, Chengguan matches it most beautifully: ‘a long wind suddenly comes and the floating clouds scatter and vanish; the wind of kindness suddenly rises and the sickness of delusion and suffering dies away.’ For the fourth, ‘universally giving birth to the roots of goodness of all sentient beings and causing the mountain of heavy obstruction to be shattered’, Chengguan says ‘the wind of the adornment of merit and wisdom shatters obstructions that are like mountains.’ For the fifth, ‘being able to break the boundless hosts of evil Māras’, Chengguan says ‘the ten powers subdue Māra, and the ten armies are all destroyed’, and further explains why this spirit alone is named Drying Up the Waters: ‘because craving desire comes first’ — the armies of Māra have craving desire at their head, and so the aspect of drying up the waters is taken.
For the sixth gate, ‘forever extinguishing the terrors of all sentient beings’, Chengguan says ‘the kindly sound from his pores extinguishes the five terrors; like the hundred hollows blowing differently, it roars everywhere and gladdens each capacity’ — the sounds issuing from the hundred hollows are each different and are all wind, and the Buddha’s voice roars everywhere and gladdens each capacity in its own way. For the seventh, ‘entering the ocean of eloquence of the true character of all dharmas’, Chengguan says ‘because wisdom enters the true character, his wondrous eloquence is like an ocean; as the wind strikes a tree, so it can hang down’, which explains the name Topknot Hanging from the Treetops exactly. For the eighth, ‘the treasury of skillful means that tames all sentient beings’, Chengguan says ‘the skillful means of taming beings is what wisdom enters, and therefore it is named a treasury.’ For the ninth, ‘entering the gate of quiescent meditative concentration and extinguishing the exceedingly heavy darkness of folly’, Chengguan says ‘the palace of meditative concentration must have concentration and wisdom roaming as a pair, and therefore it can extinguish the darkness of folly’, and adds a further line, ‘taken with respect to the Buddha, stirring and quiescence are not two, and to see him must extinguish folly’ — ruling out a misreading: to enter concentration is not to come to a halt and stop moving; it is concentration and wisdom coursing as a pair that can extinguish folly. For the tenth, ‘the unobstructed power that accords with the practice of all sentient beings’, Chengguan says ‘the brightness of sun and moon does not revolve without wind’ — however great the brightness of sun and moon, without wind they will not turn; and to accord with the practice of sentient beings is precisely that wind which makes the brightness revolve.
Lineage
After this passage the sūtra goes on to open out the spirit hosts from the fire-spirits onward, still on the same pattern, until the bodhisattvas of the assembly of the same birth gain the Dharma and praise the Buddha. The assemblies of different birth gather first and the assembly of the same birth arrives after; this is the order in Chengguan’s outline.
Three readings part ways at this passage, and they are set down together without adjudication. Chengguan follows the eighty-fascicle text and outlines and explains it phrase by phrase, gathering the first eight hosts under the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings and placing the latter five as the first five of the spirit hosts, matching sense to each gate and never going outside the text of the sūtra. Fazang and Zhiyan comment on the sixty-fascicle Jin translation, and both take up the ancient account that the four heavenly kings each lead two divisions of ghosts and spirits, explaining the names of the gandharvas and the other three hosts as ‘named after what they lead’, their weight falling on where the names come from — Zhiyan says it most bluntly: ‘the four hosts that follow, the gandharvas and the rest, are precisely the four heavenly kings; they are named after what they lead, and therefore this is said.’ Li Tongxuan takes yet another track: he does not explain these kings phrase by phrase in the present chapter, but in the section on the ten dedications takes the kings of the eight classes as the vehicles of symbolic import attached to things, matching them one by one into the ten dedications and the ten perfections — the yakṣa kings matched to the dedication of the inexhaustible treasury of merit and presiding over the perfection of meditation, the gandharva kings matched to the dedication of the characteristic of suchness, taking the sense of seeking fragrance to say that the bodhisattva delights sentient beings with the undefiled fragrance of the five-part dharma-body. The three tracks rest on different texts, outline different places, and take up different senses; all are settled sayings of the ancient worthies, and they are set down here without adjudication of which is higher.
There is one further thread worth following on. What the thirteen hosts of this fascicle have gained is in every case named a gate of liberation; and by the section on the entry into the Dharma realm at the end of the whole sūtra, when Sudhana visits one good friend after another, what he seeks is still a gate of liberation, his set formula for seeking the Dharma being ‘show me the gate of liberation’. In the prologue those who have already gained one each report their gate; in the main exposition one who has not yet gained one goes place after place to seek. One and the same designation, and at the one end it is the aspect of a fruit, at the other the practice of a cause. And the host of night-spirits joins the two ends directly — the seven night-spirits that Chengguan matches are precisely the good friends on the grounds whom Sudhana visits. So this fascicle is no roster: it is a map of the road that the later text will walk station by station, spread open once and for all at the assembly.
考據Apparatus
本節為異生眾稱揚讚德之第二段，凡十三眾：乾闥婆·鳩槃荼·龍·夜叉·摩睺羅伽·緊那羅·迦樓羅·阿脩羅八部王眾，繼以主晝·主夜·主方·主空·主風五神眾。體例十三眾全同：先長行列一眾諸王／神各得一解脫門，後由該眾上首承佛威力普觀本眾而說頌，頌數與王數相應，一王一頌；十三眾之首頌皆不結歸其名，餘一百一十八頌各結歸其名（一百一十八／一百三十一），內華冠乾闥婆王之頌結作樹光王。十二眾各十王，唯龍王眾十一王，故長行得法句實計一百三十一、頌一百三十一。澄觀科前八段為「八部四王眾」〔T35n1735 0549b07〕，科後五眾入「諸神眾，有十九眾」之首五〔0551b19〕；八部之四王眾義出四天王領二部鬼神之古說，法藏《探玄記》科同其軌，智儼《搜玄記》引《大論》為據。晉譯六十本〈世間淨眼品〉唯乾闥婆·鳩槃荼·龍·夜叉四眾有相當之得法段，餘四部及五神眾〔60 闕〕。
一、科判定位
| 科判系統 | 此段之位 |
|---|---|
| 底本 T279 三十九品 | 品一 世主妙嚴品·異生眾第二段（第一會 菩提場·卷三〔T10n0279 0010c02〕–〔0015c24 前〕）；起句「復次，持國乾闥婆王，得自在方便攝一切眾生解脫門」〔T10n0279 0010c06〕，訖句「能隨世法應眾生，此普照神之所見」〔0015c20〕；次段主火神眾起於〔0015c24〕，即次節之界 |
| 澄觀《華嚴經疏》（八部段） | 「自下第二，有八段，明八部四王眾。初四段皆初一是天，義如前釋。今初，乾闥婆王長行十法」〔T35n1735 0549b07〕；逐段科起：乾闥婆〔0549b07〕·鳩槃荼〔0549c21〕·龍〔0550a14〕（「第三龍王眾。準偈及梵本皆有十一，長行脫第五，但有十法。」〔T35n1735 0550a14〕）·夜叉〔0550b20〕·摩睺羅伽〔0550c06〕（「第五摩睺羅伽眾十法。」〔T35n1735 0550c06〕）·緊那羅〔0550c22〕·迦樓羅〔0551a02〕·阿脩羅〔0551a27〕（「第八阿修羅王十法」〔T35n1735 0551a27〕）；八段訖〔0551b18〕 |
| 澄觀《華嚴經疏》（五神眾段） | 「自下第三諸神眾，有十九眾。今初，主晝神十法」〔T35n1735 0551b19〕；逐段科起：主晝神〔0551b20〕·主夜神〔0551c09〕（「第二主夜神十法」）·主方神〔0552b07〕（「第三主方神十法」）·主空神〔0552b20〕（「第四主空神長行十法」〔T35n1735 0552b20〕）·主風神〔0552c16〕（「第五主風神十法」）；本節五神眾之疏訖於卷界〔0553a01〕 |
| 法藏《探玄記》（六十華嚴疏） | 依晉譯本科為四天王眾：「第十三東方天王眾有十」〔T35n1733 0142c28〕起，續十四南方天王（鳩槃荼主）·十五西方天王（龍主）·十六北方天王（夜叉主）〔0143b08 起〕。摩睺羅伽·緊那羅·迦樓羅·阿脩羅及五神眾——晉譯本原無相當之得法段，故《探玄記》亦無逐段釋文，〔查無〕 |
| 智儼《搜玄記》（六十華嚴疏） | 「次下乾闥婆等四眾即四天王是也，從所領為名故作此說」〔T35n1732 0018b17〕，引《大論》立四天王領二部鬼神之說〔0018b19〕–〔0018b26〕 |
| 李通玄《新華嚴經論》 | 本段無逐文直釋。其八部之釋在〈十迴向品〉以託事表法配十度十向〔T36n1739 0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕，體系別出，入目七承衍誌錄 |
| 六十華嚴 T278 對位 | 〈世間淨眼品第一〉乾闥婆眾起〔T09n0278 0402a17〕，四眾（乾闥婆·鳩槃荼·龍·夜叉）訖〔0403c04 前〕；八部餘四眾及五神眾〔60 闕〕 |
| 四十華嚴 T293 | 唯出品三十九，本品不涉 |
「八部四王眾」之名所從來——澄觀科名取四天王領二部鬼神之古說，故八段之前四段「皆初一是天」：
「自下第二，有八段，明八部四王眾。初四段皆初一是天，義如前釋。」〔T35n1735 0549b07〕
其所謂「初一是天」，指乾闥婆眾之首持國王、鳩槃荼眾之首增長王、龍眾之首毘樓博叉王、夜叉眾之首毘沙門王，四者本是四天王之名，而經以其所領之部類為眾名。智儼引《大論》詳之：
「東方天名提頭賴吒，此云治國，領二部鬼神：一名乾闥婆、二名毘舍闍。南方天名毘樓勒叉，此云增長，領二部鬼神：一名鳩槃荼、二名辟荔多。西方天名毘樓博叉，此云雜語，領二部鬼神：一諸龍、二富多那。北方天名毘沙門，此云多聞，領二部鬼神：一夜叉、二羅剎。」〔T35n1732 0018b19〕
「此所領即是經中八部鬼神，此即二十八天中一天。」〔T35n1732 0018b25〕
法藏所科同軌，而詳其名之所從來：
「第十三東方天王眾有十。梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名。」〔T35n1733 0142c28〕
五神眾之位——澄觀不以之屬八部，別開一科：
「自下第三諸神眾，有十九眾。今初，主晝神十法。」〔T35n1735 0551b19〕
十九眾之中，本節得其首五（主晝·主夜·主方·主空·主風），餘十四眾在次段。經文本身無『八部』『四王眾』『諸神眾』之名，皆疏家科目。
二、術語
| 漢 | 古德傳音寫·所釋 | 所徵 | 精義 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 乾闥婆 | 法藏：「乾闥婆，此云尋香」「亦名食香，唯食細香」〔T35n1733 0143a07〕 | 「持國乾闥婆王」〔T10n0279 0010c06〕 | 八部之一；為諸天作樂者。法藏云「居十寶山中，常為諸天作樂」〔T35n1733 0143a07〕 |
| 提頭賴吒·持國 | 法藏：「梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名」〔T35n1733 0142c28〕；智儼引《大論》作「此云治國」〔T35n1732 0018b20〕 | 「持國乾闥婆王」〔T10n0279 0010c06〕 | 東方天王；領乾闥婆·毘舍闍二部 |
| 毘樓勒叉·增長 | 智儼引《大論》：「南方天名毘樓勒叉，此云增長」〔T35n1732 0018b21〕 | 「增長鳩槃荼王」〔T10n0279 0011a12〕 | 南方天王；領鳩槃荼·辟荔多二部 |
| 毘樓博叉·雜語 | 智儼引《大論》：「西方天名毘樓博叉，此云雜語」〔T35n1732 0018b22〕 | 「毘樓博叉龍王」〔T10n0279 0011b17〕 | 西方天王；領諸龍·富多那二部 |
| 毘沙門·多聞 | 智儼引《大論》：「北方天名毘沙門，此云多聞」〔T35n1732 0018b24〕 | 長行作「毘沙門夜叉王」〔T10n0279 0011c25〕，說頌句作「多聞大夜叉王」〔0012a08〕 | 北方天王；領夜叉·羅剎二部。二稱之並見，誌於目八 |
| 娑竭羅·德叉迦·婆稚·毘摩質多羅 | 音寫從闕（所檢諸疏未見逐名之釋） | 「娑竭羅龍王」〔T10n0279 0011b18〕·「德叉迦龍王」〔0011b23〕·「婆稚阿脩羅王」〔0013b24〕·「毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王」〔0013b21〕 | 諸王本名之音寫，經逐字存之 |
| 尸利 | 澄觀：「偈云尸利，以梵音含於二義：一云吉祥、二翻為守故」〔T35n1735 0552a02〕 | 頌句「尸利夜神聞踊悅」〔T10n0279 0014b23〕 | 即長行之普現吉祥主夜神；澄觀以梵音二義會其名 |
| 解脫門 | — | 十三眾長行句末皆作「解脫門」 | 一門一入處。經不作階次說，故各王各神一人一門，門門獨立 |
| 承佛威力 | — | 「爾時，持國乾闥婆王，承佛威力」〔T10n0279 0010c19〕 | 說頌之所依。十三眾之頌皆冠此四字，明所說非自智所立 |
| 結歸名 | 澄觀：「此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋」〔T35n1735 0551b17〕 | 頌末句如「此樹光王所能見」〔T10n0279 0010c24〕 | 一頌之末結出所配之王／神名，通例如是 |
三、譬喻·修辭
(一) 經文之喻——十三眾長行與頌所用，皆取世間可見之相而顯佛德：
- 雲雨：「得如雲廣布普蔭澤一切眾生解脫門」〔T10n0279 0010c11〕；「音如雷震雨法雨」〔0011b10〕；「得如龍普雨令眾生歡喜解脫門」〔0014c12〕。
- 重山：「得普放光明滅如山重障解脫門」〔T10n0279 0011a20〕；「得普生一切眾生善根令摧滅重障山解脫門」〔0015b20〕；「如須彌山不傾動」〔0012c02〕。
- 虛空：「智慧如空無有邊」〔T10n0279 0012a18〕；「佛身如虛空，無生無所取」〔0015a29〕；「如來廣大目，清淨如虛空」〔0015a25〕。
- 影像：「神通應現如光影」〔T10n0279 0011b03〕；「猶如影像現世間」〔0013c20〕；「無相無形無影像」〔0015c02〕。
- 毛孔含剎：「如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿」〔T10n0279 0010c23〕；「無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔」〔0011c09〕；「一切眾生福德力，佛毛孔中皆顯現」〔0011c13〕。
(二) 澄觀釋文之喻——疏家為顯門義而別立之喻，逐條繫屬：
- 主晝神初門，三喻並下：「一智了物心，如空入色；光照身器，如日合空；身遍器中，如像在鏡。」〔T35n1735 0551b20〕
- 主夜神第九門，取昔事為喻：「九於三毒難壞眾生，以大悲門現莊嚴身，故石室留影、毒龍革心，況現身耶。」〔T35n1735 0552a22〕
- 主空神第一門：「一智慧造理則十眼廣照，日月合空則萬像歷然。」〔T35n1735 0552b21〕
- 主風神十門中六門逐字以風取譬（一·二·三·四·七·十），第六門以『百竅異吹』狀風之象，第五·八·九三門不涉風：「一以方便風合智日光，智入深法而無障礙，身入世間而無影像。」〔T35n1735 0552c16〕；「三長風忽來，浮雲散滅；慈風忽起，惑苦病亡。」〔0552c21〕；「四福智莊嚴之風，摧壞如山之障。」〔0552c22〕；「六毛孔慈音滅除五怖，若百竅異吹，遍吼悅機。」〔0552c24〕；「七智入實相故妙辯如海，如風擊樹故能下垂。」〔0552c25〕；「十日月明照，非風不運」〔0552c29〕。
(三) 生死海喻——澄觀釋主空神第六門，引《瑜伽》為喻依：
「五法相似生死，得大海名：一處無邊相似故、二甚深故、三難度故、四不可飲故、五大寶所依故。」〔T35n1735 0552c08 引〕
「由前四義眾生流轉，由第五義菩薩入之，且約分喻。」〔T35n1735 0552c11〕
復引其別：
「由三相故不同水海：一自性不同，分謂水海，唯色一分。二淪沒不同，唯人畜故、唯沒身故。三超度不同，未斷欲者亦能度故。」〔T35n1735 0552c12 引〕
四、異譯對勘
(一) 有對位之四眾——晉譯六十本〈世間淨眼品〉次序與八十本前四眾全同（乾闥婆→鳩槃荼→龍→夜叉），起〔T09n0278 0402a17〕，訖〔0403c04 前〕。乾闥婆一眾逐字對勘如次：
「復有持國乾闥婆王，於攝一切眾生娛樂方便法門，而得自在；樂樹光乾闥婆，於佛功德莊嚴法門，而得自在；起淨眼乾闥婆，於眾生離憂喜法門，而得自在；華樹乾闥婆，於滅結使法門，而得自在；樂遊行乾闥婆，於調伏希望法門，而得自在；妙眼乾闥婆，於一切樂喜光藏正住法門，而得自在；師子幢乾闥婆，於一切方雨寶法門，而得自在；寶光解脫乾闥婆，於現一切妙身廣智法門，而得自在；金剛樹乾闥婆，於長養諸樹喜光法門，而得自在；現諸莊嚴乾闥婆，於一切佛諸境界行悉令眾生受樂法門，而得自在。」〔T09n0278 0402a17〕
「爾時，持國乾闥婆王承佛神力，遍觀乾闥婆眾，以偈頌曰：」〔T09n0278 0402a29〕
「如來境界無量門，一切眾生莫能思，世尊清淨如虛空，開示眾生見正道。」〔T09n0278 0402b02〕
八十本相當處：
「復次，持國乾闥婆王，得自在方便攝一切眾生解脫門；樹光乾闥婆王，得普見一切功德莊嚴解脫門；淨目乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生憂苦出生歡喜藏解脫門；華冠乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生邪見惑解脫門」〔T10n0279 0010c06〕
「爾時，持國乾闥婆王，承佛威力，普觀一切乾闥婆眾而說頌言：」〔T10n0279 0010c19〕
「諸佛境界無量門，一切眾生莫能入，善逝如空性清淨，普為世間開正道。」〔T10n0279 0010c21〕
逐項差異（全錄不判）：
| 項 | 六十本 T278 | 八十本 T279 |
|---|---|---|
| 起句式 | 「復有」 | 「復次」 |
| 得法句式 | 「於……法門，而得自在」 | 「得……解脫門」 |
| 眾名之王字 | 首王作「持國乾闥婆王」，餘九但作「乾闥婆」 | 十王皆作「……乾闥婆王」 |
| 王名之異 | 樂樹光·起淨眼·華樹·樂遊行·妙眼·師子幢·寶光解脫·金剛樹·現諸莊嚴 | 樹光·淨目·華冠·喜步普音·樂搖動美目·妙音師子幢·普放寶光明·金剛樹華幢·普現莊嚴 |
| 法門之名 | 攝一切眾生娛樂方便·佛功德莊嚴·眾生離憂喜·滅結使·調伏希望·一切樂喜光藏正住·一切方雨寶·現一切妙身廣智·長養諸樹喜光·一切佛諸境界行悉令眾生受樂 | 自在方便攝一切眾生·普見一切功德莊嚴·永斷一切眾生憂苦出生歡喜藏·永斷一切眾生邪見惑·如雲廣布普蔭澤一切眾生·現廣大妙好身令一切獲安樂·普散十方一切大名稱寶·現一切大歡喜光明清淨身·普滋榮一切樹令見者歡喜·善入一切佛境界與眾生安樂 |
| 說頌句式 | 「承佛神力，遍觀乾闥婆眾，以偈頌曰」〔T09n0278 0402a29〕 | 「承佛威力，普觀一切乾闥婆眾而說頌言」〔T10n0279 0010c19〕 |
| 首偈第二句 | 「一切眾生莫能思」 | 「一切眾生莫能入」 |
| 首偈第三句 | 「世尊清淨如虛空」 | 「善逝如空性清淨」 |
| 首偈第四句 | 「開示眾生見正道」 | 「普為世間開正道」 |
鳩槃荼·龍·夜叉三眾之對位段同在〔T09n0278 0402b〕–〔0403c04 前〕，體例與上同（十王／十一王之得法句＋一群偈），逐王之名與法門名亦多歧，其例已見上表。
(二) 無對位之四眾及五神眾——摩睺羅伽·緊那羅·迦樓羅·阿脩羅四眾，六十本此段無相當之得法段；該四類唯於本品更前之與會眷屬列名處以『復與無量○○俱』句式一筆列出，非得法讚佛之段，故不構成對位，〔60 闕〕。主晝·主夜·主方·主空·主風五神眾，所錄六十本對位段內未見此五眾之得法段（場景結構比對限於所錄範圍，範圍外未及），〔60 闕〕。
(三) 開合之異——八十本八部次第作乾闥婆·鳩槃荼·龍·夜叉·摩睺羅伽·緊那羅·迦樓羅·阿脩羅；六十本唯前四眾成段。四十本 T293 唯出品三十九，本段不涉。全錄不判。
五、宗義之經據〔眼〕
(一) 一多相入之經句——本段頌中屢見一毛孔容無邊剎、一剎那含多劫之文，皆出經文直說：
「如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿」〔T10n0279 0010c23〕
「無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔，如來安坐彼會中」〔T10n0279 0011c09〕
「一切眾生種種別，於一毛端皆示現」〔T10n0279 0011c05〕
「一剎那中百千劫，佛力能現無所動」〔T10n0279 0011a10〕
「百千萬劫諸佛土，一剎那中悉明現」〔T10n0279 0013c07〕
(二) 不動而遍之經句——
「得不動本處而普現世間解脫門」〔T10n0279 0015a22〕
「而於一切無來去，此廣面王心所了」〔T10n0279 0011b16〕
「處處現身充法界，各在菩提樹下坐」〔T10n0279 0013c21〕
澄觀釋主空神此門，唯十字：「十不壞本處而稱周十方。」〔T35n1735 0552b28〕
(三) 事理無礙之疏文——澄觀釋主晝神第七門（十方法界差別身），為本段義理之最要處：
「七如來身雲，就體則非有無，約機則差別遍於十方，不可謂之無；約佛則稱真法界，不可謂之有。此則隨緣非有之法身，恒不異事而顯現，以化寂滅非無之眾生，恒不異真而成立，即無差別之差別也。」〔T35n1735 0551b28〕
經文相應之頌：「十力應現遍世間，十方法界悉無餘，體性非無亦非有，此觀方神之所入。」〔T10n0279 0014a22〕
(四) 一法身平等之經句——
「一切諸佛一法身，真如平等無分別，佛以此力常安住」〔T10n0279 0013b14〕
(五) 空之四義五法——澄觀釋主空神第三門，判空義：
「三中，空有四義，含於五法：一離能取生，即絕妄想。二離所取相，無相無名。三境無自性，即是如如。四心無所得，是為正智。」〔T35n1735 0552b29〕
「迷如以成名相，妄想是生；悟名相之本，如執翻成智。如外無智，智體即如，此二猶空，寂照無礙。如斯見佛，是曰吉祥。」〔T35n1735 0552c03〕
(六) 判教綱領之闕——《五教章》T45n1866·《十玄門》T45n1868·《法界玄鏡》T45n1883·《還源觀》T45n1876 四檔，本段之眾名與品名皆無命中，〔查無〕。故本目所列唯經句與逐文疏語，不以宗論之名目相配。
六、諸家異釋（古德·標宗）
澄觀《華嚴經疏》T35n1735（八十華嚴逐文·主）
八部之科與乾闥婆首門：
「今初，乾闥婆王長行十法。初一即東方天王，謂攝受折伏逆順多端，善巧應機故名自在。」〔T35n1735 0549b08〕
「二普見等者，謂令眾生見佛一切功德嚴。佛一毛而為利益，一一皆爾，故云普見。」〔T35n1735 0549b10〕
阿脩羅眾首門：
「第八阿修羅王十法。一修羅尊勝等須彌之高，如來威光蔽十方大眾，眾生各見真勝主也。」〔T35n1735 0551a27〕
八部段之結：
「八悲用智故普令無疑，主斯事者廣大因慧。九供事修善有勝德故。十普入諸趣，明處無不遍。」〔T35n1735 0551b13〕
「不宣實義，非善音也。此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋。」〔T35n1735 0551b17〕
主晝神十門：
「一智了物心，如空入色；光照身器，如日合空；身遍器中，如像在鏡。世間主力能攝此身，此身之性等世間故，皆入觀機，故名普入。所入之處即為宮殿。二義圓稱機，故滿心成益。三身法二光皆可愛樂。四法雨潤種，已含實者解開善，未芽者信發。五無法不悟名普明力，曠劫修集成智莊嚴。六方便開示世樂亦苦，令其悟入，見理法樂，如歡喜地也。」〔T35n1735 0551b20〕
「八處危者護之令安，有苦者救之令樂。九眾生闇於多欲，故沈淪長夜。以法開曉，喜足為先。喜足智俱是功德力，能令離苦得安樂故。十有覺德行，故名稱普聞。既福廣名高，故不虛其益。」〔T35n1735 0551c04〕
主夜神十門·與善財十地善友之對配（本段之最特出者）：
「第二主夜神十法。初七夜神是善財十地善友，見解深廣，彌顯眾海法門難思。」〔T35n1735 0551c09〕
「一普德淨光，即善財離垢地善友，彼名全同法門，名寂靜禪定樂普游步。」〔T35n1735 0551c11〕
「二即發光地善友，彼名喜目觀察眾生，解脫名大勢力普喜幢。」〔T35n1735 0551c17〕
「三即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德。護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也。」〔T35n1735 0551c22〕
「四即難勝地善友，彼名寂靜音海，法門名念念出生廣大喜莊嚴。」〔T35n1735 0551c25〕
「五即現前地善友，彼云守護一切城增長威力，偈云尸利，以梵音含於二義：一云吉祥、二翻為守故。」〔T35n1735 0552a01〕
「六即遠行地善友，彼云開敷一切樹華。一切開敷，即普發也。」〔T35n1735 0552a08〕
「七即不動地善友，彼名大願精進力救護一切眾生，法門名教化眾生令生善根。」〔T35n1735 0552a14〕
第八門則明言其不與善財次第相當：
「八念念久修恒遍救護，是無邊慈也。此與善財歡喜地善友似同，而文多異，又非其次，故但直釋。」〔T35n1735 0552a19〕
主方神十門：
「第三主方神十法。一現身說法令悟得果，皆救護力。二神通示相，是能成辦業。眾生出苦，是所成辦業。三法光破闇，闇斷智生。智與法喜俱生，斷以寂滅為樂。四普現說法，聞必惑滅，故不唐勞。五聖人無名，隨物立名，貴在生德及滅惑耳。」〔T35n1735 0552b07〕
「八業同性空，並不失報，俱無差異。性相無礙為自在力，說能感報令除惡業，說業性空善業亦亡。九前約說業性相，令物絕業；此約知業差別，擬隨機化。十世人靡不有初、鮮克有終，今聖人有志有能，故所作究竟。」〔T35n1735 0552b13〕
主空神十門：
「第四主空神長行十法。一智慧造理則十眼廣照，日月合空則萬像歷然。二身智二光遍入法界。三佛身如空是無邊境，無生無染為吉祥風。四廣說聖道，則離三障、安住二空。五上求下化名廣大行，為安眾生如妙髻焉。六沈生死之厄難，悲智光以濟之。七不礙福智相導，是謂勝力。八惑由智遣。九妙音善說。十不壞本處而稱周十方。」〔T35n1735 0552b20〕
主風神十門：
「第五主風神十法。一以方便風合智日光，智入深法而無障礙，身入世間而無影像。二菩薩以求菩提之大心，持稱真之供具，等虛空之廣大，不礙事之繁多，而以全法之身一念供無邊之佛，如彼風力無不成也。三長風忽來，浮雲散滅；慈風忽起，惑苦病亡。四福智莊嚴之風，摧壞如山之障。五十力降魔，十軍皆殄。獨名竭水者，欲愛為初故。六毛孔慈音滅除五怖，若百竅異吹，遍吼悅機。七智入實相故妙辯如海，如風擊樹故能下垂。八調生方便為智所入，故名為藏。九禪定宮殿必定慧雙游，故能滅癡闇。約佛則動寂無二，見必滅癡。」〔T35n1735 0552c16〕
法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十華嚴疏）
依所領立名：
「第十三東方天王眾有十。梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名。」〔T35n1733 0142c28〕
乾闥婆釋名：
「此王領二部鬼：一名乾闥婆、二名毘舍闍。乾闥婆，此云尋香，謂諸樂兒尋於他家飲食之香，即便往彼為他作樂而得彼食，故以為名。亦名食香，唯食細香。居十寶山中，常為諸天作樂，時身有異相即飛上天。」〔T35n1733 0143a04〕
首門之釋：
「法門中，初者以法音樂巧攝眾生，又令見正道法樂自娛。」〔T35n1733 0143a09〕
續釋十四南方天王（鳩槃荼主）·十五西方天王（龍主）·十六北方天王（夜叉主）三段，體例與此同（先釋天王本名·所領二部鬼名·十法門逐條配釋·十頌逐條配釋），起〔T35n1733 0143b08〕。
智儼《搜玄記》T35n1732（六十華嚴疏）
「次下乾闥婆等四眾即四天王是也，從所領為名故作此說。」〔T35n1732 0018b17〕
其下引《大論》四天王領二部鬼神之文，已錄於目一。
李通玄《新華嚴經論》T36n1739（表法異軌）
八部之王於〈十迴向品〉被借作託事表法之喻體，配十度十向：
「第五夜叉王，明無盡功德藏迴向，主禪波羅蜜。以禪定守護一切眾生心，令心不妄，得大功德藏故。夜叉者，此云苦活、或名伺察，明以禪門守護伺察一切眾生苦活心不妄。」〔T36n1739 0791c18〕
「又毘沙門夜叉，因主所管，得名毘沙門天王，領夜叉眾，在須彌山北面。第六毘樓博叉龍王，亦依所管得名。」〔T36n1739 0791c24〕
「第八真如相迴向，寄乾闥婆王以表法。此云尋香，有香氣處以作娛樂而求其食。託事表真，如相位菩薩，常以真如法界戒定慧解脫解脫知見五分法身無染之香娛樂眾生，令其愛樂。」〔T36n1739 0792b23〕
誌錄不判：本段八部之讀法，古德凡三軌——澄觀依八十本逐文科釋，以「八部四王眾」統之，逐門配義而不出經文之外；法藏·智儼依六十本並取四天王領二部鬼神之古說，重在名之所從來；李通玄則於〈十迴向品〉取八部王為託事表法之喻體，配十度十向，非本段之逐文釋。三軌所依之本不同、所科之處不同、所取之義不同，皆古德成說，並錄之，不判高下。五神眾一段，唯澄觀有逐文釋〔T35n1735 0551b19〕–〔0553a01〕，餘家因所依本無此段而無釋，據實標闕。
七、互讀·承衍
- 主夜神眾 ⇄〈入法界品〉善財十地善友——澄觀明本段前七主夜神即〈入法界品〉中善財所參之十地善友，一一配位：普德淨光配離垢地、喜眼觀世配發光地、護世精氣配焰慧地、寂靜海音配難勝地、普現吉祥配現前地、普發樹華配遠行地、平等護育配不動地〔T35n1735 0551c09〕–〔0552a19〕。此為本品序分之眾與後文行位之最直接一繫。第八遊戲快樂主夜神，澄觀明言「與善財歡喜地善友似同，而文多異，又非其次，故但直釋」〔0552a20〕，不強配。
- 「解脫門」一語於〈入法界品〉之用——品三十九內「解脫門」一詞首見於〔T10n0279 0330a14〕「修諸三昧禪定解脫門」；善財求法定型句「示我解脫門」首見於〔0333a11〕。本段十三眾之「得……解脫門」句式，與彼品善財歷參所求之「解脫門」同名，而一在序分之眾德，一在正宗之求法，繫錨如上，不作一判。
- 李通玄〈十迴向品〉託事表法——八部之王於〔T36n1739 0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕被配入十迴向與十波羅蜜，是本段八部眾在華嚴宗論內最直接之承衍取用（見目六）。
- 華嚴宗判教綱領——《五教章》T45n1866·《十玄門》T45n1868·《法界玄鏡》T45n1883·《還源觀》T45n1876：本段眾名與品名所檢未見，〔查無〕，不虛列。
- 世親《十地經論》T26n1522——唯釋〈十地品〉，本段不涉。
八、校本定位
- 實叉 T279（底本）：本節〔T10n0279 0010c02〕起–〔0015c24 前〕訖（卷三）。十三眾長行起行逐眾：乾闥婆 0010c06·鳩槃荼 0011a12·龍 0011b17·夜叉 0011c25·摩睺羅伽 0012b01·緊那羅 0012c09·迦樓羅 0013a16·阿脩羅 0013b20·主晝神 0013c25·主夜神 0014b01·主方神 0014c05·主空神 0015a11·主風神 0015b16。
- 佛馱 T278（晉譯主對校）：〈世間淨眼品第一〉乾闥婆眾起〔T09n0278 0402a17〕，首偈起〔0402b02〕，四眾訖〔0403c04 前〕。
- 澄觀《疏》T35n1735：八部段〔0549b07〕–〔0551b18〕；五神眾段〔0551b19〕–〔0553a01〕（卷界）。逐段科起見目一。
- 法藏《探玄記》T35n1733：東方天王眾〔0142c28〕起–〔0143b08 前〕；十四至十六段〔0143b08〕起。
- 智儼《搜玄記》T35n1732：四天王段〔0018b17〕–〔0018b26〕。
- 李通玄《論》T36n1739：〈十迴向品〉託事表法段〔0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕。
- 數目定位（對底本實計）：十三眾；十二眾各十王、龍王眾十一王，得法句合一百三十一；頌合一百三十一。十三眾之首頌（上首自說者）皆不結歸其名，餘一百一十八頌各結歸其名（一百一十八／一百三十一）；華冠乾闥婆王之頌結作樹光王，與第二頌重名，誌錄不判。十二眾之頌皆七言四句，唯主空神一眾十頌皆五言四句〔T10n0279 0015a25〕起。
- 句式之異（逐字誌錄·不判）：
- 龍王眾之說頌句作「普觀一切諸龍眾已，即說頌言」〔T10n0279 0011c01〕，餘十二眾皆作「而說頌言」。
- 主夜神眾作「遍觀一切主夜神眾而說頌言」〔T10n0279 0014b13〕，餘十二眾皆作「普觀」。
- 名之異形（逐字誌錄·不判）：
- 夜叉眾長行首王作「毘沙門夜叉王」〔T10n0279 0011c25〕，說頌句作「多聞大夜叉王」〔0012a08〕；智儼引《大論》釋毘沙門「此云多聞」〔T35n1732 0018b24〕。
- 摩睺羅伽眾長行首王作「善慧摩睺羅伽王」〔T10n0279 0012b01〕，說頌句作「善慧威光摩睺羅伽王」〔0012b16〕。
- 頌中結歸之名與長行之名多有省稱，如「力壞高山夜叉王」〔T10n0279 0012a07〕之頌作「此高幢王所了知」〔0012a29〕；「巧幻術阿脩羅王」〔0013b22〕之頌作「苫末羅王此能見」〔0013c10〕；「普現吉祥主夜神」〔0014b05〕之頌作「尸利夜神聞踊悅」〔0014b23〕；「諸根常喜主夜神」〔0014b10〕之頌作「此滅怨神能悟喜」〔0014c02〕；「遊戲快樂主夜神」〔0014b09〕之頌作「此福樂神之解脫」〔0014b29〕；「周行不礙主方神」〔0014c08〕之頌作「此遍往神之所悟」〔0014c27〕。澄觀於阿修羅一段通言其例：「此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋。」〔T35n1735 0551b17〕
- 乾闥婆眾第四頌配「華冠乾闥婆王」〔T10n0279 0010c09〕而結句作「此樹光王所入門」〔0010c28〕，與第二頌結句「此樹光王所能見」〔0010c24〕同名。逐字照錄，不判。
- 異讀：本單元 T279 範圍〔0010c02〕–〔0015c23〕內大正校記 17 條，逐條照錄不判（底本【大】｜他本異讀；多本異讀以／分列）：〔0010c07〕見【大】｜現【宮】 · 〔0010c25〕消【大】＊｜銷【宮】＊（＊同校並繫〔0013b22〕之消字） · 〔0010c27〕耀【大】｜曜【宋】 · 〔0010c28〕光【大】｜華【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0011a12〕荼【大】＊｜茶【宋】【元】【明】＊（＊同校並繫〔0011a13〕〔0011a14〕〔0011a15〕〔0011a16〕〔0011a18〕〔0011a19〕〔0011a20〕〔0011a21〕〔0011a24〕之荼字） · 〔0011c02〕即【大】｜而【明】 · 〔0011c12〕滅除【大】｜除滅【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0012a13〕塗【大】｜途【宮】 · 〔0012a13〕主【大】｜王【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0012a28〕力【大】｜方【北藏-CB】（明註曰力北藏作方） · 〔0012b12〕憶【大】｜億【宮】 · 〔0012b17〕言【大】｜曰【宮】 · 〔0014a10〕耀【大】＊｜曜【宋】【元】【明】【宮】＊ · 〔0014c02〕怨【大】｜冤【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0014c27〕往【大】｜住【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0015a05〕悉【大】｜昔【明】 · 〔0015b05〕境【大】｜道【宮】。（＊＝大正星號同校，該校並繫本文其餘同字處；T279 XML 於此類未出 corresp 重出位，故只呈星號、不另造錨）夾注已於原典層剝除誌錄。
- 異讀補記：CBETA 回改 6 條（不入上列大正校記之數）：〔0011a07〕普放寶光如是見【CB】｜妙音如是觀於佛【大】／普放寶光如是見【明】 · 〔0011b22〕門；焰龍王，……滅解脫門（凡23字）【CB】｜門【大】／門焰龍王得一……滅解脫門（凡23字）【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0013a21〕門；大海處攝……海解脫門（凡23字）【CB】｜門【大】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡22字）【元】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡22字）【南藏】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡23字）【明】【宮】（明註曰南藏亦同） · 〔0013c10〕苫【CB】｜苦【大】 · 〔0014c06〕辦【CB】｜辨【大】／辦【明】 · 〔0015c06〕生【CB】【麗-CB】｜行【大】。
This section is the second passage in which the assemblies of different birth extol and praise virtue, comprising thirteen hosts: the gandharvas, kumbhāṇḍas, dragons, yakṣas, mahoragas, kiṃnaras, garuḍas, and asuras — the royal hosts of the eight classes — followed by the five spirit hosts of the day, the night, the directions, space, and the wind. The pattern is identical in all thirteen hosts: first the prose sets out, for one host, the single gate of liberation gained by each of its kings or spirits; then the foremost one of that host, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplates his own host universally and speaks verses, the number of the verses answering to the number of the kings, one verse to one king. The opening verse of each of the thirteen hosts concludes with no name; the remaining one hundred and eighteen verses each conclude by returning to a name (one hundred and eighteen out of one hundred and thirty-one), and among them the verse of the gandharva king Flower Crown concludes with King Tree Light. Twelve of the hosts have ten kings each, only the host of dragon kings having eleven, and therefore the clauses in the prose stating what Dharma was gained come to one hundred and thirty-one by actual count, and the verses to one hundred and thirty-one. Chengguan outlines the first eight sections as 「八部四王眾」 tr. “the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings” 〔T35n1735 0549b07〕, and places the latter five hosts as the first five within 「諸神眾，有十九眾」 tr. “the spirit hosts, of which there are nineteen” 〔0551b19〕; the sense of the four royal hosts within the eight classes comes from the ancient account by which the four heavenly kings each lead two divisions of ghosts and spirits, and Fazang’s Tanxuan ji follows the same outline, and Zhiyan’s Souxuan ji cites the Da lun (the Great Treatise) as its ground. In the sixty-fascicle Jin translation, in the chapter The Pure Eye of the World, only the four hosts of gandharvas, kumbhāṇḍas, dragons, and yakṣas have a corresponding passage on the Dharma gained; for the remaining four classes and the five spirit hosts there is no such passage there 〔60 闕〕.
I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement
| Outline system | The place of this section within it |
|---|---|
| The base text T279, in thirty-nine chapters | Chapter 1, The Wondrous Adornments of the Rulers of the Worlds · the second passage on the assemblies of different birth (the first assembly, the site of awakening · fascicle 3 〔T10n0279 0010c02〕–〔0015c24 前〕); the opening sentence 「復次，持國乾闥婆王，得自在方便攝一切眾生解脫門」 tr. “Furthermore, the gandharva king Upholder of the State gained the gate of liberation of taking in all sentient beings by sovereign skillful means” 〔T10n0279 0010c06〕, and the closing sentence 「能隨世法應眾生，此普照神之所見」 tr. “he is able to accord with the ways of the world and meet sentient beings — this is what the Spirit Shining Universally saw” 〔0015c20〕; the next passage, the host of fire-spirits, begins at 〔0015c24〕, which is the boundary of the next section |
| Chengguan, Huayan jing shu (the section on the eight classes) | 「自下第二，有八段，明八部四王眾。初四段皆初一是天，義如前釋。今初，乾闥婆王長行十法」 tr. “From here down is the second part, which has eight sections, setting forth the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings. In the first four sections, in each case the first one is a god, the sense being as explained above. Now the first: the prose of the gandharva kings, ten dharmas” 〔T35n1735 0549b07〕; the opening of each section in the outline: gandharvas 〔0549b07〕 · kumbhāṇḍas 〔0549c21〕 · dragons 〔0550a14〕 (「第三龍王眾。準偈及梵本皆有十一，長行脫第五，但有十法。」 tr. “Third, the host of dragon kings. Going by the verses and by the Sanskrit text, in both there are eleven; the prose has dropped the fifth and has only ten dharmas.” 〔T35n1735 0550a14〕) · yakṣas 〔0550b20〕 · mahoragas 〔0550c06〕 (「第五摩睺羅伽眾十法。」 tr. “Fifth, the mahoraga host, ten dharmas.” 〔T35n1735 0550c06〕) · kiṃnaras 〔0550c22〕 · garuḍas 〔0551a02〕 · asuras 〔0551a27〕 (「第八阿修羅王十法」 tr. “Eighth, the asura kings, ten dharmas” 〔T35n1735 0551a27〕); the eight sections close at 〔0551b18〕 |
| Chengguan, Huayan jing shu (the section on the five spirit hosts) | 「自下第三諸神眾，有十九眾。今初，主晝神十法」 tr. “From here down is the third part, the spirit hosts, of which there are nineteen. Now the first: the day-spirits, ten dharmas” 〔T35n1735 0551b19〕; the opening of each section in the outline: day-spirits 〔0551b20〕 · night-spirits 〔0551c09〕 (「第二主夜神十法」 tr. “Second, the night-spirits, ten dharmas”) · direction-spirits 〔0552b07〕 (「第三主方神十法」 tr. “Third, the direction-spirits, ten dharmas”) · space-spirits 〔0552b20〕 (「第四主空神長行十法」 tr. “Fourth, the space-spirits, ten dharmas in the prose” 〔T35n1735 0552b20〕) · wind-spirits 〔0552c16〕 (「第五主風神十法」 tr. “Fifth, the wind-spirits, ten dharmas”); the commentary on these five spirit hosts closes at the fascicle boundary 〔0553a01〕 |
| Fazang, Tanxuan ji (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka) | Following the Jin translation, he outlines them as the hosts of the four heavenly kings: 「第十三東方天王眾有十」 tr. “Thirteenth, the host of the Heavenly King of the East, having ten” 〔T35n1733 0142c28〕 onward, continuing with the fourteenth, the Heavenly King of the South (lord of the kumbhāṇḍas) · the fifteenth, the Heavenly King of the West (lord of the dragons) · the sixteenth, the Heavenly King of the North (lord of the yakṣas), from 〔0143b08 起〕. For the mahoragas, kiṃnaras, garuḍas, and asuras and for the five spirit hosts, the Jin translation originally has no corresponding passage on the Dharma gained, and therefore the Tanxuan ji likewise has no section-by-section exegesis of them, 〔not found〕 |
| Zhiyan, Souxuan ji (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka) | 「次下乾闥婆等四眾即四天王是也，從所領為名故作此說」 tr. “The four hosts that follow, the gandharvas and the rest, are precisely the four heavenly kings; they are named after what they lead, and therefore this is said” 〔T35n1732 0018b17〕, citing the Da lun for the account that the four heavenly kings each lead two divisions of ghosts and spirits 〔0018b19〕–〔0018b26〕 |
| Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun | There is no direct exegesis of the present passage phrase by phrase. His treatment of the eight classes is in the chapter The Ten Dedications, where by way of symbolic import attached to things he matches them to the ten perfections and the ten dedications 〔T36n1739 0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕; it is a system of its own and is entered under heading VII, Cross-Reading and Lineage, for the record |
| Correspondence in the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, T278 | In the chapter The Pure Eye of the World the gandharva host begins at 〔T09n0278 0402a17〕, and the four hosts (gandharvas · kumbhāṇḍas · dragons · yakṣas) close at 〔0403c04 前〕; for the remaining four of the eight classes and for the five spirit hosts, there is no corresponding passage 〔60 闕〕 |
| The forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, T293 | It gives only chapter 39, and this chapter is not involved |
Where the name 「八部四王眾」 tr. “the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings” comes from — Chengguan takes his outline heading from the ancient account by which the four heavenly kings each lead two divisions of ghosts and spirits, and therefore of the first four of the eight sections he says 「皆初一是天」 tr. “in each case the first one is a god”:
「自下第二，有八段，明八部四王眾。初四段皆初一是天，義如前釋。」 tr. “From here down is the second part, which has eight sections, setting forth the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings. In the first four sections, in each case the first one is a god, the sense being as explained above.” 〔T35n1735 0549b07〕
What he means by 「初一是天」 tr. “the first one is a god” is the first of the gandharva host, King Upholder of the State; the first of the kumbhāṇḍa host, King Increase; the first of the dragon host, King Virūpākṣa; and the first of the yakṣa host, King Vaiśravaṇa — these four are in fact the names of the four heavenly kings, while the sūtra names each host after the class of beings that king leads. Zhiyan sets this out in detail, citing the Da lun:
「東方天名提頭賴吒，此云治國，領二部鬼神：一名乾闥婆、二名毘舍闍。南方天名毘樓勒叉，此云增長，領二部鬼神：一名鳩槃荼、二名辟荔多。西方天名毘樓博叉，此云雜語，領二部鬼神：一諸龍、二富多那。北方天名毘沙門，此云多聞，領二部鬼神：一夜叉、二羅剎。」 tr. “The god of the east is named Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which here means Governing the State; he leads two divisions of ghosts and spirits, the first named gandharvas and the second piśācas. The god of the south is named Virūḍhaka, which here means Increase; he leads two divisions of ghosts and spirits, the first named kumbhāṇḍas and the second pretas. The god of the west is named Virūpākṣa, which here means Varied Speech; he leads two divisions of ghosts and spirits, the first the dragons and the second the pūtanas. The god of the north is named Vaiśravaṇa, which here means Much-Heard; he leads two divisions of ghosts and spirits, the first yakṣas and the second rākṣasas.” 〔T35n1732 0018b19〕
「此所領即是經中八部鬼神，此即二十八天中一天。」 tr. “What they lead is precisely the ghosts and spirits of the eight classes in the sūtra, and this is one god among the twenty-eight heavens.” 〔T35n1732 0018b25〕
Fazang outlines them along the same lines, while setting out in detail where their names come from:
「第十三東方天王眾有十。梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名。」 tr. “Thirteenth, the host of the Heavenly King of the East, having ten. His Sanskrit name is Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which here means Lord Who Upholds the State; he is named after what he leads.” 〔T35n1733 0142c28〕
The placing of the five spirit hosts — Chengguan does not assign them to the eight classes but opens a separate heading for them:
「自下第三諸神眾，有十九眾。今初，主晝神十法。」 tr. “From here down is the third part, the spirit hosts, of which there are nineteen. Now the first: the day-spirits, ten dharmas.” 〔T35n1735 0551b19〕
Of those nineteen hosts, the present section has the first five (day · night · directions · space · wind), the remaining fourteen falling in the next passage. The text of the sūtra itself has no such names as ‘the eight classes’, ‘the hosts of the four heavenly kings’, or ‘the spirit hosts’; these are all headings of the commentators.
II. Terminology
| Term | Transliteration and gloss as transmitted by the ancient worthies | Attestation | Essential sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| gandharva | Fazang: 「乾闥婆，此云尋香」 tr. “gandharva, which here means seeking fragrance” and 「亦名食香，唯食細香」 tr. “also named eater of fragrance, feeding only on subtle fragrance” 〔T35n1733 0143a07〕 | 「持國乾闥婆王」 tr. “the gandharva king Upholder of the State” 〔T10n0279 0010c06〕 | One of the eight classes; those who make music for the gods. Fazang says 「居十寶山中，常為諸天作樂」 tr. “they dwell among the ten jewel mountains and constantly make music for the gods” 〔T35n1733 0143a07〕 |
| Dhṛtarāṣṭra · Upholder of the State | Fazang: 「梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名」 tr. “his Sanskrit name is Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which here means Lord Who Upholds the State; he is named after what he leads” 〔T35n1733 0142c28〕; Zhiyan, citing the Da lun, has 「此云治國」 tr. “which here means Governing the State” 〔T35n1732 0018b20〕 | 「持國乾闥婆王」 tr. “the gandharva king Upholder of the State” 〔T10n0279 0010c06〕 | The Heavenly King of the East; he leads the two divisions of the gandharvas and the piśācas |
| Virūḍhaka · Increase | Zhiyan, citing the Da lun: 「南方天名毘樓勒叉，此云增長」 tr. “the god of the south is named Virūḍhaka, which here means Increase” 〔T35n1732 0018b21〕 | 「增長鳩槃荼王」 tr. “the kumbhāṇḍa king Increase” 〔T10n0279 0011a12〕 | The Heavenly King of the South; he leads the two divisions of the kumbhāṇḍas and the pretas |
| Virūpākṣa · Varied Speech | Zhiyan, citing the Da lun: 「西方天名毘樓博叉，此云雜語」 tr. “the god of the west is named Virūpākṣa, which here means Varied Speech” 〔T35n1732 0018b22〕 | 「毘樓博叉龍王」 tr. “the dragon king Virūpākṣa” 〔T10n0279 0011b17〕 | The Heavenly King of the West; he leads the two divisions of the dragons and the pūtanas |
| Vaiśravaṇa · Much-Heard | Zhiyan, citing the Da lun: 「北方天名毘沙門，此云多聞」 tr. “the god of the north is named Vaiśravaṇa, which here means Much-Heard” 〔T35n1732 0018b24〕 | The prose has 「毘沙門夜叉王」 tr. “the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa” 〔T10n0279 0011c25〕, while the sentence introducing the verses has 「多聞大夜叉王」 tr. “the great yakṣa king Much-Heard” 〔0012a08〕 | The Heavenly King of the North; he leads the two divisions of the yakṣas and the rākṣasas. That both designations occur is recorded under heading VIII |
| Sāgara · Takṣaka · Bali · Vemacitrin | The transliterations are left without gloss (no explanation of the individual names was found in the commentaries examined) | 「娑竭羅龍王」 tr. “the dragon king Sāgara” 〔T10n0279 0011b18〕 · 「德叉迦龍王」 tr. “the dragon king Takṣaka” 〔0011b23〕 · 「婆稚阿脩羅王」 tr. “the asura king Bali” 〔0013b24〕 · 「毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王」 tr. “the asura king Vemacitrin” 〔0013b21〕 | Transliterations of the proper names of these kings, which the sūtra preserves letter for letter |
| Śrī | Chengguan: 「偈云尸利，以梵音含於二義：一云吉祥、二翻為守故」 tr. “the verse says Śrī, because the Sanskrit sound holds two senses: first it means auspicious, and second it is rendered as guarding” 〔T35n1735 0552a02〕 | The verse line 「尸利夜神聞踊悅」 tr. “the Night-Spirit Śrī heard this and leapt with delight” 〔T10n0279 0014b23〕 | That is, the night-spirit Universally Manifesting Auspiciousness of the prose; Chengguan brings the two senses of the Sanskrit sound together in the name |
| gate of liberation | — | In all thirteen hosts the clauses of the prose end with 「解脫門」 tr. “gate of liberation” | One gate, one place of entry. The sūtra does not speak of these as stages, and therefore each king and each spirit has one gate to one person, each gate standing on its own |
| sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power | — | 「爾時，持國乾闥婆王，承佛威力」 tr. “At that time the gandharva king Upholder of the State, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power” 〔T10n0279 0010c19〕 | That upon which the speaking of the verses rests. The verses of all thirteen hosts are prefaced by these four graphs, making clear that what is spoken is not established by the speaker’s own wisdom |
| concluding by returning to a name | Chengguan: 「此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋」 tr. “this section above and the night-spirits below all conclude by returning to a name; it is the same pattern throughout, and for fear of prolixity it is not explained” 〔T35n1735 0551b17〕 | Closing lines of verses such as 「此樹光王所能見」 tr. “this is what King Tree Light is able to see” 〔T10n0279 0010c24〕 | The last line of a verse concludes by bringing out the name of the king or spirit to which it is matched; such is the general pattern |
III. Similes and Rhetoric
(1) The similes within the text of the sūtra — those used in the prose and the verses of all thirteen hosts take up what can be seen in the world in order to display the Buddha’s virtue:
- Cloud and rain: 「得如雲廣布普蔭澤一切眾生解脫門」 tr. “gained the gate of liberation of spreading wide like a cloud, universally shading and moistening all sentient beings” 〔T10n0279 0010c11〕; 「音如雷震雨法雨」 tr. “his voice quakes like thunder and rains down the rain of Dharma” 〔0011b10〕; 「得如龍普雨令眾生歡喜解脫門」 tr. “gained the gate of liberation of raining down universally like a dragon and causing sentient beings to rejoice” 〔0014c12〕.
- Heavy mountains: 「得普放光明滅如山重障解脫門」 tr. “gained the gate of liberation of emitting radiance universally and extinguishing obstructions heavy as mountains” 〔T10n0279 0011a20〕; 「得普生一切眾生善根令摧滅重障山解脫門」 tr. “gained the gate of liberation of universally giving birth to the roots of goodness of all sentient beings and causing the mountain of heavy obstruction to be shattered” 〔0015b20〕; 「如須彌山不傾動」 tr. “like Mount Sumeru, never tilting or stirring” 〔0012c02〕.
- Space: 「智慧如空無有邊」 tr. “his wisdom is like space and has no border” 〔T10n0279 0012a18〕; 「佛身如虛空，無生無所取」 tr. “the Buddha’s body is like space, unborn and taking nothing” 〔0015a29〕; 「如來廣大目，清淨如虛空」 tr. “the vast eyes of the Tathāgata, pure as space” 〔0015a25〕.
- Reflected image: 「神通應現如光影」 tr. “the responsive manifestations of his spiritual penetration are like light and shadow” 〔T10n0279 0011b03〕; 「猶如影像現世間」 tr. “like a reflected image he appears in the world” 〔0013c20〕; 「無相無形無影像」 tr. “without form, without shape, and without image” 〔0015c02〕.
- A pore containing the lands: 「如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿」 tr. “within each and every pore of the Tathāgata, the great ocean of merit is wholly filled” 〔T10n0279 0010c23〕; 「無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔」 tr. “measureless, boundless lands and their assemblies the Buddha can cause to enter into a single pore” 〔0011c09〕; 「一切眾生福德力，佛毛孔中皆顯現」 tr. “the power of the merit of all sentient beings is entirely displayed within the Buddha’s pores” 〔0011c13〕.
(2) The similes in Chengguan’s exegesis — those the commentator sets up separately in order to display the sense of a gate, each attributed to its place:
- On the first gate of the day-spirits, three similes come down together: 「一智了物心，如空入色；光照身器，如日合空；身遍器中，如像在鏡。」 tr. “First: wisdom understanding the minds of beings, like space entering into form; radiance illumining bodies and the vessel-world, like the sun merging with space; the body pervading the vessel-world, like an image within a mirror.” 〔T35n1735 0551b20〕
- On the ninth gate of the night-spirits, he takes past events as similes: 「九於三毒難壞眾生，以大悲門現莊嚴身，故石室留影、毒龍革心，況現身耶。」 tr. “Ninth: for sentient beings hard to break down by the three poisons, through the gate of great compassion he manifests an adorned body — hence the shadow left in the stone chamber, and the poisonous dragon’s change of heart; how much more when he manifests his body in person.” 〔T35n1735 0552a22〕
- On the first gate of the space-spirits: 「一智慧造理則十眼廣照，日月合空則萬像歷然。」 tr. “First: when wisdom reaches the principle, the ten eyes illumine widely; when sun and moon merge with space, the myriad images stand out one by one.” 〔T35n1735 0552b21〕
- Of the ten gates of the wind-spirits, six take the wind as their simile in so many words (the first, second, third, fourth, seventh, and tenth); the sixth uses ‘the hundred hollows blowing differently’ to depict the aspect of wind; and the fifth, eighth, and ninth do not involve wind: 「一以方便風合智日光，智入深法而無障礙，身入世間而無影像。」 tr. “First: with the wind of skillful means joined to the sunlight of wisdom, wisdom enters the deep Dharma without obstruction, and the body enters the world without leaving an image.” 〔T35n1735 0552c16〕; 「三長風忽來，浮雲散滅；慈風忽起，惑苦病亡。」 tr. “Third: a long wind suddenly comes and the floating clouds scatter and vanish; the wind of kindness suddenly rises and the sickness of delusion and suffering dies away.” 〔0552c21〕; 「四福智莊嚴之風，摧壞如山之障。」 tr. “Fourth: the wind of the adornment of merit and wisdom shatters obstructions that are like mountains.” 〔0552c22〕; 「六毛孔慈音滅除五怖，若百竅異吹，遍吼悅機。」 tr. “Sixth: the kindly sound from his pores extinguishes the five terrors; like the hundred hollows blowing differently, it roars everywhere and gladdens each capacity.” 〔0552c24〕; 「七智入實相故妙辯如海，如風擊樹故能下垂。」 tr. “Seventh: because wisdom enters the true character, his wondrous eloquence is like an ocean; as the wind strikes a tree, so it can hang down.” 〔0552c25〕; 「十日月明照，非風不運」 tr. “Tenth: the brightness of sun and moon does not revolve without wind” 〔0552c29〕.
(3) The simile of the ocean of birth-and-death — in explaining the sixth gate of the space-spirits, Chengguan cites the Yuqie (the Treatise on the Stages of Yoga Practice) as the ground of the simile:
「五法相似生死，得大海名：一處無邊相似故、二甚深故、三難度故、四不可飲故、五大寶所依故。」 tr. “Five things resemble birth-and-death, so that it gets the name of a great ocean: first, because its extent resembles it in being boundless; second, because it is exceedingly deep; third, because it is hard to cross; fourth, because it cannot be drunk; fifth, because it is that on which great treasures depend.” 〔T35n1735 0552c08 引〕
「由前四義眾生流轉，由第五義菩薩入之，且約分喻。」 tr. “By the first four senses sentient beings turn round in it; by the fifth sense the bodhisattva enters it; and this is taken as a partial simile.” 〔T35n1735 0552c11〕
He further cites how it differs:
「由三相故不同水海：一自性不同，分謂水海，唯色一分。二淪沒不同，唯人畜故、唯沒身故。三超度不同，未斷欲者亦能度故。」 tr. “By three characteristics it is unlike an ocean of water: first, its own nature is unlike, since as to its parts an ocean of water is only one part, that of form; second, the sinking in it is unlike, since there it is only humans and animals, and only the body that sinks; third, the crossing beyond is unlike, since there even one who has not cut off desire is able to cross.” 〔T35n1735 0552c12 引〕
IV. Collation with Parallel Translations
(1) The four hosts that have a correspondence — the order in the chapter The Pure Eye of the World in the sixty-fascicle Jin translation is entirely the same as that of the first four hosts in the eighty-fascicle text (gandharvas → kumbhāṇḍas → dragons → yakṣas), beginning at 〔T09n0278 0402a17〕 and closing at 〔0403c04 前〕. The one host of the gandharvas collated word for word runs as follows:
「復有持國乾闥婆王，於攝一切眾生娛樂方便法門，而得自在；樂樹光乾闥婆，於佛功德莊嚴法門，而得自在；起淨眼乾闥婆，於眾生離憂喜法門，而得自在；華樹乾闥婆，於滅結使法門，而得自在；樂遊行乾闥婆，於調伏希望法門，而得自在；妙眼乾闥婆，於一切樂喜光藏正住法門，而得自在；師子幢乾闥婆，於一切方雨寶法門，而得自在；寶光解脫乾闥婆，於現一切妙身廣智法門，而得自在；金剛樹乾闥婆，於長養諸樹喜光法門，而得自在；現諸莊嚴乾闥婆，於一切佛諸境界行悉令眾生受樂法門，而得自在。」 tr. “There were further the gandharva king Upholder of the State, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of the skillful means of taking in and delighting all sentient beings; the gandharva Delighting in Tree Light, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of the merit and adornment of the Buddha; the gandharva Arousing Pure Eyes, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of sentient beings leaving sorrow and rejoicing; the gandharva Flower Tree, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of extinguishing the fetters; the gandharva Delighting in Roaming, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of taming hopes; the gandharva Wondrous Eyes, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of rightly abiding in the treasury of the radiance of all delight and joy; the gandharva Lion Banner, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of raining jewels in every quarter; the gandharva Jewel Radiance Liberation, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of manifesting every wondrous body and vast wisdom; the gandharva Vajra Tree, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of nourishing all trees and the radiance of joy; the gandharva Manifesting All Adornments, who gained sovereignty in the Dharma-gate of the practice of all the realms of all buddhas, causing all sentient beings to receive ease.” 〔T09n0278 0402a17〕
「爾時，持國乾闥婆王承佛神力，遍觀乾闥婆眾，以偈頌曰：」 tr. “At that time the gandharva king Upholder of the State, sustained by the Buddha’s spiritual power, contemplated the gandharva host throughout and in verse said:” 〔T09n0278 0402a29〕
「如來境界無量門，一切眾生莫能思，世尊清淨如虛空，開示眾生見正道。」 tr. “The realm of the Tathāgata has measureless gates, and no sentient being is able to conceive it; the World-Honored One is pure as space, and he discloses to sentient beings the seeing of the right path.” 〔T09n0278 0402b02〕
The corresponding place in the eighty-fascicle text:
「復次，持國乾闥婆王，得自在方便攝一切眾生解脫門；樹光乾闥婆王，得普見一切功德莊嚴解脫門；淨目乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生憂苦出生歡喜藏解脫門；華冠乾闥婆王，得永斷一切眾生邪見惑解脫門」 tr. “Furthermore, the gandharva king Upholder of the State gained the gate of liberation of taking in all sentient beings by sovereign skillful means; the gandharva king Tree Light gained the gate of liberation of causing all merit and adornment to be universally seen; the gandharva king Pure Eye gained the gate of liberation of forever cutting off the sorrow and suffering of all sentient beings and giving birth to the treasury of joy; the gandharva king Flower Crown gained the gate of liberation of forever cutting off the wrong views and delusions of all sentient beings” 〔T10n0279 0010c06〕
「爾時，持國乾闥婆王，承佛威力，普觀一切乾闥婆眾而說頌言：」 tr. “At that time the gandharva king Upholder of the State, sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole gandharva host universally and spoke verses saying:” 〔T10n0279 0010c19〕
「諸佛境界無量門，一切眾生莫能入，善逝如空性清淨，普為世間開正道。」 tr. “The realm of the buddhas has measureless gates, and no sentient being is able to enter it; the Well-Gone One is like space, his nature pure, and he opens up a right path for the world universally.” 〔T10n0279 0010c21〕
Differences item by item (all recorded, none adjudicated):
| Item | The sixty-fascicle text, T278 | The eighty-fascicle text, T279 |
|---|---|---|
| Opening formula | 「復有」 tr. “There were further” | 「復次」 tr. “Furthermore” |
| Formula for gaining the Dharma | 「於……法門，而得自在」 tr. “in the Dharma-gate of …, he gained sovereignty” | 「得……解脫門」 tr. “gained the … gate of liberation” |
| The word ‘king’ in the names | The first king is given as 「持國乾闥婆王」 tr. “the gandharva king Upholder of the State”, while the other nine are given merely as 「乾闥婆」 tr. “gandharva” | All ten are given as 「……乾闥婆王」 tr. “the gandharva king …” |
| Differences in the kings’ names | Delighting in Tree Light · Arousing Pure Eyes · Flower Tree · Delighting in Roaming · Wondrous Eyes · Lion Banner · Jewel Radiance Liberation · Vajra Tree · Manifesting All Adornments | Tree Light · Pure Eye · Flower Crown · Joyful Step and Universal Sound · Delighting in Swaying, Beautiful Eyes · Wondrous Sound Lion Banner · Universally Emitting Jewel Radiance · Vajra Tree-Flower Banner · Universally Manifesting Adornment |
| Names of the Dharma-gates | the skillful means of taking in and delighting all sentient beings · the merit and adornment of the Buddha · sentient beings leaving sorrow and rejoicing · extinguishing the fetters · taming hopes · rightly abiding in the treasury of the radiance of all delight and joy · raining jewels in every quarter · manifesting every wondrous body and vast wisdom · nourishing all trees and the radiance of joy · the practice of all the realms of all buddhas, causing all sentient beings to receive ease | taking in all sentient beings by sovereign skillful means · causing all merit and adornment to be universally seen · forever cutting off the sorrow and suffering of all sentient beings and giving birth to the treasury of joy · forever cutting off the wrong views and delusions of all sentient beings · spreading wide like a cloud, universally shading and moistening all sentient beings · manifesting a vast and wondrously fine body, causing all to gain ease · universally scattering to the ten directions the jewel of every great renown · manifesting a pure body of the radiance of all great joy · universally nourishing all trees, causing those who see them to rejoice · skillfully entering the realms of all buddhas and giving ease to sentient beings |
| Formula introducing the verses | 「承佛神力，遍觀乾闥婆眾，以偈頌曰」 tr. “sustained by the Buddha’s spiritual power, contemplated the gandharva host throughout, and in verse said” 〔T09n0278 0402a29〕 | 「承佛威力，普觀一切乾闥婆眾而說頌言」 tr. “sustained by the Buddha’s majestic power, contemplated the whole gandharva host universally and spoke verses saying” 〔T10n0279 0010c19〕 |
| Second line of the opening verse | 「一切眾生莫能思」 tr. “no sentient being is able to conceive it” | 「一切眾生莫能入」 tr. “no sentient being is able to enter it” |
| Third line of the opening verse | 「世尊清淨如虛空」 tr. “the World-Honored One is pure as space” | 「善逝如空性清淨」 tr. “the Well-Gone One is like space, his nature pure” |
| Fourth line of the opening verse | 「開示眾生見正道」 tr. “he discloses to sentient beings the seeing of the right path” | 「普為世間開正道」 tr. “he opens up a right path for the world universally” |
The corresponding passages for the three hosts of kumbhāṇḍas, dragons, and yakṣas lie together within 〔T09n0278 0402b〕–〔0403c04 前〕, and their pattern is the same as the above (the clauses on the Dharma gained by ten or by eleven kings, followed by a group of verses); the names of the individual kings and of their Dharma-gates likewise differ in many places, examples of which have already been seen in the table above.
(2) The four hosts and the five spirit hosts that have no correspondence — for the four hosts of mahoragas, kiṃnaras, garuḍas, and asuras the sixty-fascicle text has no corresponding passage on the Dharma gained in this section; those four classes are listed there only in the earlier place in this chapter where the retinue attending the assembly is named, in the formula ‘and further, together with measureless so-and-so’, in a single stroke, which is not a passage of gaining the Dharma and praising the Buddha, and therefore does not constitute a correspondence, 〔60 闕〕. As for the five spirit hosts of the day, the night, the directions, space, and the wind, no passage on the Dharma gained by these five hosts is to be seen within the corresponding sections of the sixty-fascicle text as recorded here (the comparison by scene-structure is confined to the range recorded, and does not extend beyond it), 〔60 闕〕.
(3) Differences of division — the eighty-fascicle text has the eight classes in the order gandharvas · kumbhāṇḍas · dragons · yakṣas · mahoragas · kiṃnaras · garuḍas · asuras; in the sixty-fascicle text only the first four hosts form such sections. The forty-fascicle text T293 gives only chapter 39, and the present passage is not involved. All recorded, none adjudicated.
V. Scriptural Grounds of Sectarian Doctrine (the doctrinal eye)
(1) Sūtra lines on the mutual entering of one and many — the verses of this section repeatedly display a single pore holding boundless lands and a single kṣaṇa containing many kalpas, all of which come from the direct words of the sūtra:
「如來一一毛孔中，功德大海皆充滿」 tr. “within each and every pore of the Tathāgata, the great ocean of merit is wholly filled” 〔T10n0279 0010c23〕
「無量無邊國土眾，佛能令入一毛孔，如來安坐彼會中」 tr. “measureless, boundless lands and their assemblies the Buddha can cause to enter into a single pore, and the Tathāgata sits at ease within that assembly” 〔T10n0279 0011c09〕
「一切眾生種種別，於一毛端皆示現」 tr. “all the various distinctions among sentient beings are all manifested upon the tip of a single hair” 〔T10n0279 0011c05〕
「一剎那中百千劫，佛力能現無所動」 tr. “within a single kṣaṇa a hundred thousand kalpas, and the Buddha’s power can manifest it without the least stirring” 〔T10n0279 0011a10〕
「百千萬劫諸佛土，一剎那中悉明現」 tr. “the buddha-lands of a hundred thousand myriad kalpas are all clearly manifest within a single kṣaṇa” 〔T10n0279 0013c07〕
(2) Sūtra lines on pervading without stirring —
「得不動本處而普現世間解脫門」 tr. “gained the gate of liberation of universally manifesting in the world without stirring from his own place” 〔T10n0279 0015a22〕
「而於一切無來去，此廣面王心所了」 tr. “and yet in every place there is no coming and no going — this is what King Broad Face understood within his mind” 〔T10n0279 0011b16〕
「處處現身充法界，各在菩提樹下坐」 tr. “he manifests bodies in place after place, filling the Dharma realm, and each sits beneath a tree of awakening” 〔T10n0279 0013c21〕
Chengguan explains this gate of the space-spirits in ten graphs only: 「十不壞本處而稱周十方。」 tr. “Tenth: without destroying his own place he answers to being everywhere throughout the ten directions.” 〔T35n1735 0552b28〕
(3) The commentary passage on the unobstructedness of principle and phenomena — Chengguan’s explanation of the seventh gate of the day-spirits (the body of the distinctions of the Dharma realm of the ten directions) is the most essential place for the doctrine of this section:
「七如來身雲，就體則非有無，約機則差別遍於十方，不可謂之無；約佛則稱真法界，不可謂之有。此則隨緣非有之法身，恒不異事而顯現，以化寂滅非無之眾生，恒不異真而成立，即無差別之差別也。」 tr. “Seventh: the cloud of the Tathāgata’s body — taken as to its substance it is neither existent nor non-existent; taken with respect to the capacities of beings it is differentiated and pervades the ten directions, so it cannot be called non-existent; taken with respect to the Buddha it answers to the true Dharma realm, so it cannot be called existent. Thus the dharma-body, which accords with conditions and is not existent, constantly manifests without differing from phenomena, in order to transform sentient beings, who are quiescent and are not non-existent and are constantly established without differing from the true; and this is precisely differentiation within non-differentiation.” 〔T35n1735 0551b28〕
The verse of the sūtra that answers to this: 「十力應現遍世間，十方法界悉無餘，體性非無亦非有，此觀方神之所入。」 tr. “The ten powers respond and manifest, filling the world, and the Dharma realm of the ten directions is left with no remainder; the nature of it is neither non-existent nor existent — this is what the Spirit Contemplating the Directions entered into.” 〔T10n0279 0014a22〕
(4) A sūtra line on the equality of the one dharma-body —
「一切諸佛一法身，真如平等無分別，佛以此力常安住」 tr. “all the buddhas are one dharma-body, suchness is equal and without discrimination, and by this power the Buddha abides constantly” 〔T10n0279 0013b14〕
(5) The four senses and five dharmas of emptiness — explaining the third gate of the space-spirits, Chengguan adjudicates the sense of emptiness:
「三中，空有四義，含於五法：一離能取生，即絕妄想。二離所取相，無相無名。三境無自性，即是如如。四心無所得，是為正智。」 tr. “In the third, emptiness has four senses and embraces five dharmas: first, being free of the arising of the grasper, which is the cutting off of deluded conception; second, being free of the characteristic of the grasped, which is without characteristic and without name; third, the object having no nature of its own, which is precisely suchness; fourth, the mind gaining nothing, and this is right wisdom.” 〔T35n1735 0552b29〕
「迷如以成名相，妄想是生；悟名相之本，如執翻成智。如外無智，智體即如，此二猶空，寂照無礙。如斯見佛，是曰吉祥。」 tr. “Deluded about suchness, one forms names and characteristics, and deluded conception arises; awakening to the root of names and characteristics, grasping at suchness turns instead into wisdom. Outside suchness there is no wisdom, and the substance of wisdom is precisely suchness; these two are like space, quiescent and illumining without obstruction. To see the Buddha in this way — this is called auspicious.” 〔T35n1735 0552c03〕
(6) The absence of the doctrinal manuals of the classification of the teachings — in the four works the Wujiao zhang T45n1866 · the Shixuan men T45n1868 · the Fajie xuanjing T45n1883 · the Huanyuan guan T45n1876, neither the names of the hosts of this section nor the name of the chapter yields a hit, 〔not found〕. Therefore what is set out under this heading is only sūtra lines and phrase-by-phrase commentary, and no attempt is made to match them to the headings of the sectarian treatises.
VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators
Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 (phrase by phrase on the eighty-fascicle text · principal)
The outline of the eight classes and the first gate of the gandharvas:
「今初，乾闥婆王長行十法。初一即東方天王，謂攝受折伏逆順多端，善巧應機故名自在。」 tr. “Now the first: the prose of the gandharva kings, ten dharmas. The first one is the Heavenly King of the East; that is to say, taking in and subduing, going against and going along, are of many kinds, and because he skillfully answers to the capacity of beings it is named sovereign.” 〔T35n1735 0549b08〕
「二普見等者，謂令眾生見佛一切功德嚴。佛一毛而為利益，一一皆爾，故云普見。」 tr. “Second, ‘universally seen’ and so forth means causing sentient beings to see all the merit and adornment of the Buddha. A single hair of the Buddha makes for benefit, and each and every one is so; therefore it says ‘universally seen’.” 〔T35n1735 0549b10〕
The first gate of the asura host:
「第八阿修羅王十法。一修羅尊勝等須彌之高，如來威光蔽十方大眾，眾生各見真勝主也。」 tr. “Eighth, the asura kings, ten dharmas. First: the asura’s being foremost and surpassing is a match for the height of Sumeru; the Tathāgata’s majestic radiance eclipses the great assemblies of the ten directions, and sentient beings each see the true surpassing lord.” 〔T35n1735 0551a27〕
The close of the section on the eight classes:
「八悲用智故普令無疑，主斯事者廣大因慧。九供事修善有勝德故。十普入諸趣，明處無不遍。」 tr. “Eighth: because compassion employs wisdom, it universally causes there to be no doubt, and the one who presides over this matter is Vast Wisdom of Causes. Ninth: because serving and making offerings and cultivating goodness have surpassing virtue. Tenth: universally entering the destinies, making clear that there is no place he does not pervade.” 〔T35n1735 0551b13〕
「不宣實義，非善音也。此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋。」 tr. “Not to proclaim the real meaning would not be a good voice. This section above and the night-spirits below all conclude by returning to a name; it is the same pattern throughout, and for fear of prolixity it is not explained.” 〔T35n1735 0551b17〕
The ten gates of the day-spirits:
「一智了物心，如空入色；光照身器，如日合空；身遍器中，如像在鏡。世間主力能攝此身，此身之性等世間故，皆入觀機，故名普入。所入之處即為宮殿。二義圓稱機，故滿心成益。三身法二光皆可愛樂。四法雨潤種，已含實者解開善，未芽者信發。五無法不悟名普明力，曠劫修集成智莊嚴。六方便開示世樂亦苦，令其悟入，見理法樂，如歡喜地也。」 tr. “First: wisdom understanding the minds of beings, like space entering into form; radiance illumining bodies and the vessel-world, like the sun merging with space; the body pervading the vessel-world, like an image within a mirror. The power of a ruler of the world can take in this body, and because the nature of this body is a match for the world, all of it enters into the observing of capacities, and therefore it is named universal entering. The place entered is precisely the palace. Second: the meaning being complete and answering to capacity, therefore the mind is filled and benefit accomplished. Third: the two radiances, of the body and of the Dharma, are both lovable. Fourth: the rain of Dharma moistens the seed — in one that already holds fruit, understanding opens goodness; in one not yet sprouted, faith is set forth. Fifth: there being no dharma he does not awaken to is named the power of universal brightness, cultivated and gathered through vast kalpas into the adornment of wisdom. Sixth: by skillful means disclosing that worldly joy is also suffering, so as to cause them to awaken and enter and to see the joy of the Dharma of principle, as on the Joyful Ground.” 〔T35n1735 0551b20〕
「八處危者護之令安，有苦者救之令樂。九眾生闇於多欲，故沈淪長夜。以法開曉，喜足為先。喜足智俱是功德力，能令離苦得安樂故。十有覺德行，故名稱普聞。既福廣名高，故不虛其益。」 tr. “Eighth: those in peril he protects and makes secure; those who have suffering he rescues and makes joyful. Ninth: sentient beings are in darkness through many desires, and therefore sink in the long night. Opening their understanding with the Dharma, contentment comes first; contentment and wisdom together are the power of merit, since they can cause one to leave suffering and gain ease. Tenth: having the virtue and conduct of awakening, therefore his renown is universally heard; and since his merit is broad and his name lofty, his benefit is therefore not in vain.” 〔T35n1735 0551c04〕
The ten gates of the night-spirits · their matching with Sudhana’s good friends of the ten grounds (the most singular thing in this section):
「第二主夜神十法。初七夜神是善財十地善友，見解深廣，彌顯眾海法門難思。」 tr. “Second, the night-spirits, ten dharmas. The first seven night-spirits are Sudhana’s good friends of the ten grounds; their insight is deep and wide, which all the more displays how inconceivable are the Dharma-gates of the ocean of the assembly.” 〔T35n1735 0551c09〕
「一普德淨光，即善財離垢地善友，彼名全同法門，名寂靜禪定樂普游步。」 tr. “First, Pure Radiance of Universal Virtue: this is Sudhana’s good friend of the Ground of Freedom from Defilement; there the name is entirely the same, and the Dharma-gate is named Universally Roaming in the Joy of Quiescent Meditative Concentration.” 〔T35n1735 0551c11〕
「二即發光地善友，彼名喜目觀察眾生，解脫名大勢力普喜幢。」 tr. “Second: this is the good friend of the Ground of Brightness; there the name is Joyful Eyes Contemplating Sentient Beings, and the liberation is named Banner of Universal Joy of Great Power.” 〔T35n1735 0551c17〕
「三即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德。護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也。」 tr. “Third: this is the good friend of the Ground of Blazing Wisdom; there the name is Wondrous Virtue That Universally Rescues Sentient Beings. Guarding the vital essence of the world is precisely rescuing the living, and it is by guarding the living that the wondrousness of the virtue is displayed.” 〔T35n1735 0551c22〕
「四即難勝地善友，彼名寂靜音海，法門名念念出生廣大喜莊嚴。」 tr. “Fourth: this is the good friend of the Ground Difficult to Conquer; there the name is Ocean of Quiescent Sound, and the Dharma-gate is named the Vast Adornment of Joy Born Thought after Thought.” 〔T35n1735 0551c25〕
「五即現前地善友，彼云守護一切城增長威力，偈云尸利，以梵音含於二義：一云吉祥、二翻為守故。」 tr. “Fifth: this is the good friend of the Ground of Manifestation; there it says Guarding All Cities and Increasing Majestic Power, and the verse says Śrī, because the Sanskrit sound holds two senses: first it means auspicious, and second it is rendered as guarding.” 〔T35n1735 0552a01〕
「六即遠行地善友，彼云開敷一切樹華。一切開敷，即普發也。」 tr. “Sixth: this is the good friend of the Far-Reaching Ground; there it says Opening All Tree Blossoms. ‘All opening’ is precisely ‘universally opening’.” 〔T35n1735 0552a08〕
「七即不動地善友，彼名大願精進力救護一切眾生，法門名教化眾生令生善根。」 tr. “Seventh: this is the good friend of the Immovable Ground; there the name is Rescuing and Protecting All Sentient Beings by the Power of Great Vows and Vigor, and the Dharma-gate is named Teaching and Transforming Sentient Beings and Causing Roots of Goodness to Grow.” 〔T35n1735 0552a14〕
Of the eighth gate he states plainly that it does not correspond to Sudhana’s sequence:
「八念念久修恒遍救護，是無邊慈也。此與善財歡喜地善友似同，而文多異，又非其次，故但直釋。」 tr. “Eighth: cultivating long, thought after thought, and constantly rescuing and protecting everywhere — this is boundless kindness. This seems the same as Sudhana’s good friend of the Joyful Ground, but the text differs in many places, and moreover it is not in that order; therefore it is simply explained directly.” 〔T35n1735 0552a19〕
The ten gates of the direction-spirits:
「第三主方神十法。一現身說法令悟得果，皆救護力。二神通示相，是能成辦業。眾生出苦，是所成辦業。三法光破闇，闇斷智生。智與法喜俱生，斷以寂滅為樂。四普現說法，聞必惑滅，故不唐勞。五聖人無名，隨物立名，貴在生德及滅惑耳。」 tr. “Third, the direction-spirits, ten dharmas. First: manifesting a body and preaching the Dharma, causing beings to awaken and gain the fruit — all of this is the power of rescue and protection. Second: spiritual penetration displaying appearances is the work that brings to completion; sentient beings coming out of suffering is the work that is brought to completion. Third: the light of the Dharma breaks through darkness; darkness is cut off and wisdom is born. Wisdom and the joy of the Dharma are born together, and the cutting off takes quiescence as its joy. Fourth: universally manifesting and preaching the Dharma — those who hear must have their delusions extinguished, and therefore it is not labor in vain. Fifth: a noble one has no name, and names are set up in accord with beings; what is precious lies only in giving birth to virtue and in extinguishing delusion.” 〔T35n1735 0552b07〕
「八業同性空，並不失報，俱無差異。性相無礙為自在力，說能感報令除惡業，說業性空善業亦亡。九前約說業性相，令物絕業；此約知業差別，擬隨機化。十世人靡不有初、鮮克有終，今聖人有志有能，故所作究竟。」 tr. “Eighth: deeds are alike empty of nature, and yet retribution is not lost, and in both respects there is no difference. Nature and characteristic being unobstructed is the sovereign power; speaking of how they can call forth retribution causes evil deeds to be removed, and speaking of the emptiness of the nature of deeds means that good deeds too fall away. Ninth: the foregoing was in terms of speaking of the nature and characteristic of deeds, so as to cause beings to have done with deeds; this is in terms of knowing the distinctions among deeds, so as to be ready to transform beings according to their capacity. Tenth: among people of the world there is none who lacks a beginning, but few who can have an end; now a noble one has both resolve and ability, and therefore what he does is brought to completion.” 〔T35n1735 0552b13〕
The ten gates of the space-spirits:
「第四主空神長行十法。一智慧造理則十眼廣照，日月合空則萬像歷然。二身智二光遍入法界。三佛身如空是無邊境，無生無染為吉祥風。四廣說聖道，則離三障、安住二空。五上求下化名廣大行，為安眾生如妙髻焉。六沈生死之厄難，悲智光以濟之。七不礙福智相導，是謂勝力。八惑由智遣。九妙音善說。十不壞本處而稱周十方。」 tr. “Fourth, the space-spirits, ten dharmas in the prose. First: when wisdom reaches the principle, the ten eyes illumine widely; when sun and moon merge with space, the myriad images stand out one by one. Second: the two radiances of body and wisdom pervade and enter the Dharma realm. Third: the Buddha’s body being like space is the boundless realm, and being unborn and undefiled is the auspicious wind. Fourth: extensively proclaiming the noble path means leaving the three obstructions and abiding in the two emptinesses. Fifth: seeking above and transforming below is named vast practice, and it is for the security of sentient beings, as with the wondrous topknot. Sixth: sunk in the calamity and hardship of birth-and-death, they are relieved by the light of compassion and wisdom. Seventh: not obstructing the mutual leading of merit and wisdom — this is called surpassing power. Eighth: delusion is dispelled by wisdom. Ninth: a wondrous voice that speaks well. Tenth: without destroying his own place he answers to being everywhere throughout the ten directions.” 〔T35n1735 0552b20〕
The ten gates of the wind-spirits:
「第五主風神十法。一以方便風合智日光，智入深法而無障礙，身入世間而無影像。二菩薩以求菩提之大心，持稱真之供具，等虛空之廣大，不礙事之繁多，而以全法之身一念供無邊之佛，如彼風力無不成也。三長風忽來，浮雲散滅；慈風忽起，惑苦病亡。四福智莊嚴之風，摧壞如山之障。五十力降魔，十軍皆殄。獨名竭水者，欲愛為初故。六毛孔慈音滅除五怖，若百竅異吹，遍吼悅機。七智入實相故妙辯如海，如風擊樹故能下垂。八調生方便為智所入，故名為藏。九禪定宮殿必定慧雙游，故能滅癡闇。約佛則動寂無二，見必滅癡。」 tr. “Fifth, the wind-spirits, ten dharmas. First: with the wind of skillful means joined to the sunlight of wisdom, wisdom enters the deep Dharma without obstruction, and the body enters the world without leaving an image. Second: the bodhisattva, with the great mind that seeks awakening, holds offerings that answer to the true, a match for the vastness of space, unobstructed by the multiplicity of phenomena, and with a body wholly of Dharma makes offerings in a single thought to boundless buddhas, just as that power of wind accomplishes all. Third: a long wind suddenly comes and the floating clouds scatter and vanish; the wind of kindness suddenly rises and the sickness of delusion and suffering dies away. Fourth: the wind of the adornment of merit and wisdom shatters obstructions that are like mountains. Fifth: the ten powers subdue Māra, and the ten armies are all destroyed. That he alone is named Drying Up the Waters is because craving desire comes first. Sixth: the kindly sound from his pores extinguishes the five terrors; like the hundred hollows blowing differently, it roars everywhere and gladdens each capacity. Seventh: because wisdom enters the true character, his wondrous eloquence is like an ocean; as the wind strikes a tree, so it can hang down. Eighth: the skillful means of taming beings is what wisdom enters, and therefore it is named a treasury. Ninth: the palace of meditative concentration must have concentration and wisdom roaming as a pair, and therefore it can extinguish the darkness of folly. Taken with respect to the Buddha, stirring and quiescence are not two, and to see him must extinguish folly.” 〔T35n1735 0552c16〕
Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka)
Naming them after what they lead:
「第十三東方天王眾有十。梵名提頭賴吒，此云持國主，從所領為名。」 tr. “Thirteenth, the host of the Heavenly King of the East, having ten. His Sanskrit name is Dhṛtarāṣṭra, which here means Lord Who Upholds the State; he is named after what he leads.” 〔T35n1733 0142c28〕
The explanation of the name gandharva:
「此王領二部鬼：一名乾闥婆、二名毘舍闍。乾闥婆，此云尋香，謂諸樂兒尋於他家飲食之香，即便往彼為他作樂而得彼食，故以為名。亦名食香，唯食細香。居十寶山中，常為諸天作樂，時身有異相即飛上天。」 tr. “This king leads two divisions of ghosts: the first named gandharvas and the second piśācas. Gandharva means here ‘seeking fragrance’ — that is to say, these musicians seek out the fragrance of food and drink in the houses of others, and thereupon go there and make music for them and so obtain that food; hence the name. They are also named eaters of fragrance, feeding only on subtle fragrance. They dwell among the ten jewel mountains and constantly make music for the gods, and when a strange sign appears on their bodies they at once fly up to the heavens.” 〔T35n1733 0143a04〕
The explanation of the first gate:
「法門中，初者以法音樂巧攝眾生，又令見正道法樂自娛。」 tr. “Among the Dharma-gates, the first is skillfully taking in sentient beings with the music of the Dharma, and further causing them to see the right path and to delight themselves with the joy of the Dharma.” 〔T35n1733 0143a09〕
He goes on to explain the three sections of the fourteenth, the Heavenly King of the South (lord of the kumbhāṇḍas) · the fifteenth, the Heavenly King of the West (lord of the dragons) · the sixteenth, the Heavenly King of the North (lord of the yakṣas), on the same pattern as this one (first explaining the heavenly king’s own name · the names of the two divisions of ghosts he leads · the ten Dharma-gates matched and explained one by one · the ten verses matched and explained one by one), beginning at 〔T35n1733 0143b08〕.
Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732 (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka)
「次下乾闥婆等四眾即四天王是也，從所領為名故作此說。」 tr. “The four hosts that follow, the gandharvas and the rest, are precisely the four heavenly kings; they are named after what they lead, and therefore this is said.” 〔T35n1732 0018b17〕
Below this he cites the passage of the Da lun on the four heavenly kings leading two divisions of ghosts and spirits, already recorded under heading I.
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a different track of symbolic import)
The kings of the eight classes are borrowed in the chapter The Ten Dedications as the vehicles of symbolic import attached to things, matched to the ten perfections and the ten dedications:
「第五夜叉王，明無盡功德藏迴向，主禪波羅蜜。以禪定守護一切眾生心，令心不妄，得大功德藏故。夜叉者，此云苦活、或名伺察，明以禪門守護伺察一切眾生苦活心不妄。」 tr. “Fifth, the yakṣa kings, setting forth the dedication of the inexhaustible treasury of merit, presiding over the dhyāna-pāramitā. Because by meditative concentration one guards the minds of all sentient beings and causes their minds not to go astray, one gains the great treasury of merit. Yakṣa means here ‘living by hardship’, or is named ‘watching’, setting forth that by the gate of meditation one guards and watches over the hard-living minds of all sentient beings so that they do not go astray.” 〔T36n1739 0791c18〕
「又毘沙門夜叉，因主所管，得名毘沙門天王，領夜叉眾，在須彌山北面。第六毘樓博叉龍王，亦依所管得名。」 tr. “Further, the yakṣa Vaiśravaṇa, on account of what the lord has charge over, gains the name Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa; he leads the yakṣa host and is on the north face of Mount Sumeru. Sixth, the dragon king Virūpākṣa likewise gains his name in dependence on what he has charge over.” 〔T36n1739 0791c24〕
「第八真如相迴向，寄乾闥婆王以表法。此云尋香，有香氣處以作娛樂而求其食。託事表真，如相位菩薩，常以真如法界戒定慧解脫解脫知見五分法身無染之香娛樂眾生，令其愛樂。」 tr. “Eighth, the dedication of the characteristic of suchness, lodged in the gandharva kings so as to set forth the Dharma. The name means here ‘seeking fragrance’: wherever there is the scent of fragrance they make music and thereby seek their food. Attaching it to a thing so as to set forth the true: a bodhisattva in the position of the characteristic of suchness constantly delights sentient beings with the undefiled fragrance of the five-part dharma-body — morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation — within the Dharma realm of suchness, and causes them to love and delight in it.” 〔T36n1739 0792b23〕
Recorded, not adjudicated: as to the reading of the eight classes in this section, there are three tracks among the ancient worthies — Chengguan follows the eighty-fascicle text and outlines and explains it phrase by phrase, gathering the first eight hosts under 「八部四王眾」 tr. “the eight classes and the hosts of the four heavenly kings”, matching sense to each gate and never going outside the text of the sūtra; Fazang and Zhiyan comment on the sixty-fascicle Jin translation and both take up the ancient account that the four heavenly kings each lead two divisions of ghosts and spirits, their weight falling on where the names come from; Li Tongxuan takes yet another track, borrowing the kings of the eight classes in the chapter The Ten Dedications as the vehicles of symbolic import attached to things, matched to the ten dedications and the ten perfections, which is not a phrase-by-phrase explanation of this section. The three tracks rest on different texts, outline different places, and take up different senses; all are settled sayings of the ancient worthies, and they are set down together without adjudication of which is higher. As for the one section of the five spirit hosts, only Chengguan has a phrase-by-phrase explanation 〔T35n1735 0551b19〕–〔0553a01〕, the other masters having no explanation because the text they relied upon has no such passage; this is recorded as an actual lacuna.
VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage
- The host of night-spirits ⇄ Sudhana’s good friends of the ten grounds in the chapter Entry into the Dharma Realm — Chengguan makes clear that the first seven night-spirits of this section are precisely the good friends of the ten grounds whom Sudhana visits in the chapter Entry into the Dharma Realm, matching them one by one: Pure Radiance of Universal Virtue to the Ground of Freedom from Defilement, Joyful Eyes Contemplating the World to the Ground of Brightness, Guarding the Vital Essence of the World to the Ground of Blazing Wisdom, Quiescent Ocean Sound to the Ground Difficult to Conquer, Universally Manifesting Auspiciousness to the Ground of Manifestation, Universally Opening Tree Blossoms to the Far-Reaching Ground, Equal Protection and Nurture to the Immovable Ground 〔T35n1735 0551c09〕–〔0552a19〕. This is the most direct single tie between the assembly of the prologue of this chapter and the stages of practice in the later text. Of the eighth, the night-spirit Playful Delight, Chengguan states plainly 「與善財歡喜地善友似同，而文多異，又非其次，故但直釋」 tr. “it seems the same as Sudhana’s good friend of the Joyful Ground, but the text differs in many places, and moreover it is not in that order; therefore it is simply explained directly” 〔0552a20〕, and does not force the match.
- The use of the phrase 「解脫門」 tr. “gate of liberation” in the chapter Entry into the Dharma Realm — within chapter 39 the term 「解脫門」 tr. “gate of liberation” first appears at 〔T10n0279 0330a14〕, in 「修諸三昧禪定解脫門」 tr. “cultivating the gates of liberation of the various samādhis and meditative concentrations”; Sudhana’s set formula for seeking the Dharma, 「示我解脫門」 tr. “show me the gate of liberation”, first appears at 〔0333a11〕. The formula 「得……解脫門」 tr. “gained the … gate of liberation” of the thirteen hosts of this section shares its name with the 「解脫門」 tr. “gate of liberation” sought by Sudhana as he visits one teacher after another in that chapter; but the one is the virtue of the assembly in the prologue and the other is the seeking of the Dharma in the main exposition. The anchors are given as above, and no single judgment is made.
- Li Tongxuan’s symbolic import attached to things in the chapter The Ten Dedications — at 〔T36n1739 0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕 the kings of the eight classes are matched into the ten dedications and the ten perfections; this is the most direct lineal use made of the hosts of the eight classes of this section within the treatises of the Huayan school (see heading VI).
- The doctrinal manuals of the classification of the teachings of the Huayan school — the Wujiao zhang T45n1866 · the Shixuan men T45n1868 · the Fajie xuanjing T45n1883 · the Huanyuan guan T45n1876: neither the names of the hosts nor the name of the chapter of this section is to be seen in what was examined, 〔not found〕, and nothing is listed in vain.
- Vasubandhu’s Shidi jing lun T26n1522 — it explains only the chapter The Ten Grounds, and the present section is not involved.
VIII. Edition Location Register
- Śikṣānanda, T279 (the base text): this section begins at 〔T10n0279 0010c02〕 and closes at 〔0015c24 前〕 (fascicle 3). The opening line of the prose for each of the thirteen hosts: gandharvas 0010c06 · kumbhāṇḍas 0011a12 · dragons 0011b17 · yakṣas 0011c25 · mahoragas 0012b01 · kiṃnaras 0012c09 · garuḍas 0013a16 · asuras 0013b20 · day-spirits 0013c25 · night-spirits 0014b01 · direction-spirits 0014c05 · space-spirits 0015a11 · wind-spirits 0015b16.
- Buddhabhadra, T278 (the Jin translation, principal text for collation): in the chapter The Pure Eye of the World the gandharva host begins at 〔T09n0278 0402a17〕, the opening verse begins at 〔0402b02〕, and the four hosts close at 〔0403c04 前〕.
- Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the section on the eight classes 〔0549b07〕–〔0551b18〕; the section on the five spirit hosts 〔0551b19〕–〔0553a01〕 (a fascicle boundary). The opening of each section in the outline is given under heading I.
- Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733: the host of the Heavenly King of the East, from 〔0142c28〕 to 〔0143b08 前〕; the fourteenth through the sixteenth sections from 〔0143b08〕.
- Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732: the section on the four heavenly kings 〔0018b17〕–〔0018b26〕.
- Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: the section on symbolic import attached to things in the chapter The Ten Dedications 〔0791c18〕–〔0792c03 前〕.
- The numbers, located against the base text: thirteen hosts; twelve hosts with ten kings each and the host of dragon kings with eleven, the clauses on the Dharma gained coming to one hundred and thirty-one in all; the verses coming to one hundred and thirty-one. The opening verse of each of the thirteen hosts (spoken by the foremost one himself) concludes with no name, and the remaining one hundred and eighteen verses each conclude by returning to a name (one hundred and eighteen out of one hundred and thirty-one); the verse of the gandharva king Flower Crown concludes with King Tree Light, sharing a name with the second verse, which is recorded without adjudication. The verses of twelve hosts are all four lines of seven syllables; only the one host of the space-spirits has ten verses all in four lines of five syllables, from 〔T10n0279 0015a25〕.
- Differences of formula (recorded word for word · not adjudicated):
- The sentence introducing the verses in the host of dragon kings reads 「普觀一切諸龍眾已，即說頌言」 tr. “having contemplated the whole host of dragons universally, he then spoke verses saying” 〔T10n0279 0011c01〕, whereas the other twelve hosts all read 「而說頌言」 tr. “and spoke verses saying”.
- The host of night-spirits reads 「遍觀一切主夜神眾而說頌言」 tr. “contemplated the whole host of night-spirits throughout and spoke verses saying” 〔T10n0279 0014b13〕, whereas the other twelve hosts all read 「普觀」 tr. “contemplated universally”.
- Variant forms of the names (recorded word for word · not adjudicated):
- In the yakṣa host the first king in the prose is given as 「毘沙門夜叉王」 tr. “the yakṣa king Vaiśravaṇa” 〔T10n0279 0011c25〕, while the sentence introducing the verses has 「多聞大夜叉王」 tr. “the great yakṣa king Much-Heard” 〔0012a08〕; Zhiyan, citing the Da lun, explains Vaiśravaṇa as 「此云多聞」 tr. “which here means Much-Heard” 〔T35n1732 0018b24〕.
- In the mahoraga host the first king in the prose is given as 「善慧摩睺羅伽王」 tr. “the mahoraga king Good Wisdom” 〔T10n0279 0012b01〕, while the sentence introducing the verses has 「善慧威光摩睺羅伽王」 tr. “the mahoraga king Good Wisdom and Majestic Light” 〔0012b16〕.
- The names returned to in the verses are in many cases abbreviations of the names in the prose, as with 「力壞高山夜叉王」 tr. “the yakṣa king Strength That Shatters High Mountains” 〔T10n0279 0012a07〕, whose verse has 「此高幢王所了知」 tr. “this is what King Lofty Banner understood” 〔0012a29〕; 「巧幻術阿脩羅王」 tr. “the asura king Skilled in Illusion’s Arts” 〔0013b22〕, whose verse has 「苫末羅王此能見」 tr. “King Śambara is able to see this” 〔0013c10〕; 「普現吉祥主夜神」 tr. “the night-spirit Universally Manifesting Auspiciousness” 〔0014b05〕, whose verse has 「尸利夜神聞踊悅」 tr. “the Night-Spirit Śrī heard this and leapt with delight” 〔0014b23〕; 「諸根常喜主夜神」 tr. “the night-spirit Whose Faculties Are Always Joyful” 〔0014b10〕, whose verse has 「此滅怨神能悟喜」 tr. “this the Spirit Who Extinguishes Enmity is able to awaken into with joy” 〔0014c02〕; 「遊戲快樂主夜神」 tr. “the night-spirit Playful Delight” 〔0014b09〕, whose verse has 「此福樂神之解脫」 tr. “this is the liberation of the Spirit of Merit and Delight” 〔0014b29〕; 「周行不礙主方神」 tr. “the direction-spirit Coursing Everywhere Unobstructed” 〔0014c08〕, whose verse has 「此遍往神之所悟」 tr. “this is what the Spirit of Coursing Everywhere awakened to” 〔0014c27〕. Chengguan states the pattern generally in the asura section: 「此上一段及後夜神，皆結歸名，上下例然，恐繁不釋。」 tr. “This section above and the night-spirits below all conclude by returning to a name; it is the same pattern throughout, and for fear of prolixity it is not explained.” 〔T35n1735 0551b17〕
- In the gandharva host the fourth verse is matched to 「華冠乾闥婆王」 tr. “the gandharva king Flower Crown” 〔T10n0279 0010c09〕, and yet its closing line reads 「此樹光王所入門」 tr. “this is the gate King Tree Light entered” 〔0010c28〕, sharing a name with the closing line of the second verse, 「此樹光王所能見」 tr. “this is what King Tree Light is able to see” 〔0010c24〕. Recorded word for word, not adjudicated.
- Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0010c02〕–〔0015c23〕, the Taishō base text carries 17 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0010c07〕見【大】｜現【宮】 · 〔0010c25〕消【大】＊｜銷【宮】＊（＊同校並繫〔0013b22〕之消字） · 〔0010c27〕耀【大】｜曜【宋】 · 〔0010c28〕光【大】｜華【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0011a12〕荼【大】＊｜茶【宋】【元】【明】＊（＊同校並繫〔0011a13〕〔0011a14〕〔0011a15〕〔0011a16〕〔0011a18〕〔0011a19〕〔0011a20〕〔0011a21〕〔0011a24〕之荼字） · 〔0011c02〕即【大】｜而【明】 · 〔0011c12〕滅除【大】｜除滅【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0012a13〕塗【大】｜途【宮】 · 〔0012a13〕主【大】｜王【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0012a28〕力【大】｜方【北藏-CB】（明註曰力北藏作方） · 〔0012b12〕憶【大】｜億【宮】 · 〔0012b17〕言【大】｜曰【宮】 · 〔0014a10〕耀【大】＊｜曜【宋】【元】【明】【宮】＊ · 〔0014c02〕怨【大】｜冤【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0014c27〕往【大】｜住【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0015a05〕悉【大】｜昔【明】 · 〔0015b05〕境【大】｜道【宮】. (＊ ＝ a Taishō asterisked collation: the same note also governs the remaining occurrences of that graph in the text; for notes of this class the T279 XML supplies no corresp for the recurrences, so the asterisk alone is shown and no second anchor is created.) The interlinear notes (phonetic and collation glosses) were stripped and recorded at the level of the original-text layer.
- A further note upon the variant readings: 6 CBETA emendations (not counted among the Taishō collation notes listed above): 〔0011a07〕普放寶光如是見【CB】｜妙音如是觀於佛【大】／普放寶光如是見【明】 · 〔0011b22〕門；焰龍王，……滅解脫門（凡23字）【CB】｜門【大】／門焰龍王得一……滅解脫門（凡23字）【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0013a21〕門；大海處攝……海解脫門（凡23字）【CB】｜門【大】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡22字）【元】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡22字）【南藏】／門大海處攝持……海解脫門（凡23字）【明】【宮】（明註曰南藏亦同） · 〔0013c10〕苫【CB】｜苦【大】 · 〔0014c06〕辦【CB】｜辨【大】／辦【明】 · 〔0015c06〕生【CB】【麗-CB】｜行【大】.