華嚴經 品二十六 十地品 · 第四地 焰慧地Avataṃsaka Sūtra · The Ten Grounds · The Fourth Ground, Flaming Wisdom
金鍊到能作器，寶光才照得出去。
前一地把定修足了，卻留下兩根最像功德的柴——貪著定的味道，貪著解得順的法。這一地把它們燒掉。用的不是奇特的法門，是最樸實的四念處、四正斷、五根五力、七覺八道；七組中的後五組都收在同一句：「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」。前三句與二乘無別，第四句才是分水嶺。
慧到這裡像火一樣立起來，所以名焰。而火之所以能燒，是因為所燒的柴，正是自己最捨不得的那一堆。
住此地者「多作須夜摩天王」，所作的事只有一件：為眾生除身見——他自己剛離的，正是這個。且入此地。
Gold refined until it can be made into a vessel; only then does the jewel’s light shine out.
The ground before this cultivated concentration to the full, and yet it left two sticks of firewood behind, the two that look most like merit — attachment to the savor of concentration, attachment to a Dharma smoothly understood. This ground burns them up. What it uses is no extraordinary gate of practice; it is the plainest things there are: the four stations of mindfulness, the four right eliminations, the five faculties and the five powers, the seven factors of awakening and the eight branches of the path; and five of the seven sets close with one and the same line — “relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity.” In the first three clauses there is no difference from the two vehicles; the fourth clause is the watershed.
Wisdom here stands up like fire, and so the name is Flame. And the fire can burn because the firewood it burns is just that pile one is least willing to give up.
One who dwells on this ground “mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven”, and what he does is one thing only: to remove the view of a body for sentient beings — the very thing he himself has only just left behind. Enter this ground.
〔T10 0189〕
佛子聞此廣大行，可樂深妙殊勝地，
心皆踊悅大歡喜，普散眾華供養佛。
演說如是妙法時，大地海水皆震動，
一切天女咸歡喜，悉吐妙音同讚歎。
自在天王大欣慶，雨摩尼寶供養佛，
讚言：「佛為我出興，演說第一功德行。
如是智者諸地義，於百千劫甚難得，
我今忽然而得聞，菩薩勝行妙法音。
願更演說聰慧者，後地決定無餘道，
利益一切諸天人，此諸佛子皆樂聞！」
勇猛大心解脫月，請金剛藏言：「佛子！
從此轉入第四地，所有行相願宣說！」
爾時，金剛藏菩薩告解脫月菩薩言：
「佛子！菩薩摩訶薩第三地善清淨已，欲入第四焰慧地，當修行十法明門。何等為十？所謂觀察眾生界、觀察法界、觀察世界、觀察虛空界、觀察識界、觀察欲界、觀察色界、觀察無色界、觀察廣心信解界、觀察大心信解界。菩薩以此十法明門，得入第四焰慧地。
「佛子！菩薩住此焰慧地，則能以十種智成熟法故，得彼內法，生如來家。何等為十？所謂：深心不退故；於三寶中生淨信，畢竟不壞故；觀諸行生滅故；觀諸法自性無生故；觀世間成壞故；觀因業有生故；觀生死涅槃故；觀眾生國土業故；觀前際後際故；觀無所有盡故。是為十。佛子！菩薩住此第四地，觀內身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂；觀外身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂；觀內外身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂；如是，觀內受、外受、內外受循受觀，觀內心、外心、內外心循心觀，觀內法、外法、內外法循法觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂。復次，此菩薩未生諸惡不善法為不生故，欲生勤精進發心正斷；已生諸惡不善法為斷故，欲生勤精進發心正斷；未生諸善法為生故，欲生勤精進發心正行；已生諸善法為住不失故，修令增廣故，欲生勤精進發心正行。復次，此菩薩修行欲定斷行，成就神足，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨；修行精進定、心定、觀定斷行，成就神足，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨。復次，此菩薩修行信根，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨；修行精進根、念根、定根、慧根，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨。復次，此菩薩修行信力，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨；修行精進力、念力、定力、慧力，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨。復次，此菩薩修行念覺分，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨；修行擇法覺分、精進覺分、喜覺分、猗覺分、定覺分、捨覺分，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨。復次，此菩薩修行正見，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨；修行正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定，依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨。菩薩修行如是功德，為不捨一切眾生故，本願所持故，大悲為首故，大慈成就故，思念一切智智故，成就莊嚴佛土故，成就如來力、無所畏、不共佛法、相好音聲悉具足故，求於上上殊勝道故，隨順所聞甚深佛解脫故，思惟大智善巧方便故。
〔T10 0190〕
「佛子！菩薩住此焰慧地，所有身見為首，我、人、眾生、壽命、蘊、界、處所起執著，出沒思惟；觀察治故，我所故，財物故，著處故，於如是等一切皆離。此菩薩若見業是如來所訶、煩惱所染，皆悉捨離；若見業是順菩薩道、如來所讚，皆悉修行。
「佛子！此菩薩隨所起方便慧，修習於道及助道分，如是而得潤澤心、柔軟心、調順心、利益安樂心、無雜染心、求上上勝法心、求殊勝智慧心、救一切世間心、恭敬尊德無違教命心、隨所聞法皆善修行心。此菩薩知恩、知報恩，心極和善，同住安樂，質直柔軟，無稠林行，無有我慢，善受教誨，得說者意。此菩薩如是忍成就，如是調柔成就，如是寂滅成就，如是忍、調柔、寂滅成就；淨治後地業，作意修行時，得不休息精進、不雜染精進、不退轉精進、廣大精進、無邊精進、熾然精進、無等等精進、無能壞精進、成熟一切眾生精進、善分別道非道精進。是菩薩心界清淨，深心不失，悟解明利，善根增長，離世垢濁，斷諸疑惑，明斷具足，喜樂充滿，佛親護念，無量志樂皆悉成就。
「佛子！菩薩住此焰慧地，以願力故，得見多佛。所謂：見多百佛，見多千佛，見多百千佛，乃至見多百千億那由他佛。皆恭敬尊重，承事供養，衣服、臥具、飲食、湯藥，一切資生悉以奉施，亦以供養一切眾僧，以此善根皆悉迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。於彼佛所，恭敬聽法，聞已受持，具足修行。復於彼諸佛法中出家修道，又更修治深心信解，經無量百千億那由他劫，令諸善根轉復明淨。佛子！譬如金師鍊治真金作莊嚴具，餘所有金皆不能及；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住於此地所有善根，下地善根所不能及。如摩尼寶清淨光輪能放光明，非諸餘寶之所能及，風雨等緣悉不能壞；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住於此地，下地菩薩所不能及，眾魔煩惱悉不能壞。此菩薩於四攝中，同事偏多；十波羅蜜中，精進偏多；餘非不修，但隨力隨分。
「佛子！是名：略說菩薩摩訶薩第四焰慧地。菩薩住此地，多作須夜摩天王，以善方便能除眾生身見等惑，令住正見。布施、愛語、利行、同事——如是一切諸所作業，皆不離念佛，不離念法，不離念僧，乃至不離念具足一切種、一切智智。復作是念：『我當於一切眾生中為首、為勝、為殊勝、為妙、為微妙、為上、為無上，乃至為一切智智依止者。』是菩薩若發勤精進，於一念頃，得入億數三昧，得見億數佛，得知億數佛神力，能動億數世界，乃至能示現億數身，一一身億數菩薩以為眷屬；若以菩薩殊勝願力自在示現，過於此數，百劫、千劫乃至百千億那由他劫不能數知。」
爾時，金剛藏菩薩欲重宣其義而說頌言：
「菩薩已淨第三地，次觀眾生世法界，
空界識界及三界，心解悉了能趣入。
始登焰地增勢力，生如來家永不退，
於佛法僧信不壞，觀法無常無有起。
觀世成壞業有生，生死涅槃剎等業，
觀前後際亦觀盡，如是修行生佛家。
得是法已增慈愍，轉更勤修四念處，
身受心法內外觀，世間貪愛皆除遣。
菩薩修治四勤行，惡法除滅善增長，
神足根力悉善修，七覺八道亦如是。
為度眾生修彼行，本願所護慈悲首，
求一切智及佛土，亦念如來十種力，
四無所畏不共法，殊特相好深美音；
亦求妙道解脫處，及大方便修行彼。
身見為首六十二，我及我所無量種，
〔T10 0191〕
蘊界處等諸取著，此四地中一切離。
如來所訶煩惱行，以無義利皆除斷；
智者修行清淨業，為度眾生無不作。
菩薩勤修不懈怠，即得十心皆具足，
專求佛道無厭倦，志期受職度眾生。
恭敬尊德修行法，知恩易誨無慍暴，
捨慢離諂心調柔，轉更精勤不退轉。
菩薩住此焰慧地，其心清淨永不失，
悟解決定善增長，疑網垢濁悉皆離。
此地菩薩人中勝，供那由他無量佛，
聽聞正法亦出家，不可沮壞如真金。
菩薩住此具功德，以智方便修行道，
不為眾魔心退轉，譬如妙寶無能壞。
住此多作焰天王，於法自在眾所尊，
普化群生除惡見，專求佛智修善業。
菩薩勤加精進力，獲三昧等皆億數；
若以願智力所為，過於此數無能知。
如是菩薩第四地，所行清淨微妙道，
功德義智共相應，我為佛子已宣說。」
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.
讚請：聞第三地已，天王與眾首請說第四地
（經家敘述當時法會之相）諸位佛子聽了這廣大的行門——這可愛樂、深妙、殊勝的地——心裡都踊躍歡悅、大大歡喜，普遍散下眾多的花來供養佛。演說這樣的妙法之時，大地與海水都震動了；一切天女全都歡喜，都吐出美妙的音聲一同讚歎。
自在天王大為欣喜慶幸，雨下摩尼寶來供養佛，讚歎說：「佛是為了我們而出興於世的，演說第一等的功德之行。像這樣有智慧的人所說的諸地之義，在百千劫中極難值遇；我今天忽然就聽到了，這是菩薩殊勝行持的妙法之音。願聰慧的人（指金剛藏菩薩）更為演說：後面的地，那決定無餘的道路，利益一切諸天與人；在座這些佛子都樂意聽聞！」
勇猛而發大心的解脫月菩薩，請問金剛藏菩薩說：「佛子！從這裡轉入第四地，其中所有的行相，願您宣說！」
入地方便：十法明門
那時，金剛藏菩薩告訴解脫月菩薩說：
佛子！菩薩摩訶薩把第三地修治得善為清淨了，想要進入第四焰慧地，應當修行十種法明門（「法」是所入之處，「明門」是能入之門，即以智慧之明照而通入佛所說之法）。哪十種呢？就是所謂：觀察眾生界、觀察法界、觀察世界、觀察虛空界、觀察識界、觀察欲界、觀察色界、觀察無色界、觀察廣心信解界（廣大兼濟之心所信解的境界）、觀察大心信解界（護小求大之心所信解的境界）。菩薩以這十種法明門，就能夠進入第四焰慧地。
十智成熟法：得彼內法，生如來家
佛子！菩薩住在這焰慧地，就能夠以十種智慧成熟諸法的緣故，得到那如來的內法（不是外相之法，而是如來所說教化之法），生在如來家中。哪十種呢？就是所謂：深心不退轉的緣故；在佛法僧三寶之中生起清淨的信心、畢竟不壞的緣故；觀諸行有生有滅的緣故；觀諸法的自性本來無生的緣故；觀世間有成有壞的緣故；觀因為業而有受生的緣故；觀生死與涅槃的緣故；觀眾生與國土之業的緣故；觀前際與後際（過去邊際與未來邊際）的緣故；觀無所有盡（於染法中不見一法可減、於淨法中不見一法可增，故說無所有盡）的緣故。這就是十種。
三十七道品（一）：四念處
佛子！菩薩住在這第四地，觀內身而循身觀察（就著身之自相隨順觀察），勤奮勇猛、繫念了知，除去世間的貪與憂；觀外身而循身觀察，勤奮勇猛、繫念了知，除去世間的貪與憂；觀內外身而循身觀察，勤奮勇猛、繫念了知，除去世間的貪與憂。像這樣，觀內受、外受、內外受而循受觀察，觀內心、外心、內外心而循心觀察，觀內法、外法、內外法而循法觀察，勤奮勇猛、繫念了知，除去世間的貪與憂。
三十七道品（二）：四正斷
其次，這位菩薩對於還沒生起的種種惡不善法，為了使它不生起的緣故，起欲、生勤精進、發心正斷；對於已經生起的種種惡不善法，為了斷除它的緣故，起欲、生勤精進、發心正斷；對於還沒生起的種種善法，為了使它生起的緣故，起欲、生勤精進、發心正行；對於已經生起的種種善法，為了使它安住不失、修習令它增廣的緣故，起欲、生勤精進、發心正行。
三十七道品（三）：四神足
其次，這位菩薩修行欲定與斷行（以欲為主的定，以及斷除障礙之行），成就神足（如意足）；依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨；修行精進定、心定、觀定與斷行，成就神足，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨。
三十七道品（四）：五根
其次，這位菩薩修行信根，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨；修行精進根、念根、定根、慧根，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨。
三十七道品（五）：五力
其次，這位菩薩修行信力，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨；修行精進力、念力、定力、慧力，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨。
三十七道品（六）：七覺分
其次，這位菩薩修行念覺分，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨；修行擇法覺分、精進覺分、喜覺分、猗覺分（輕安覺分）、定覺分、捨覺分，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨。
三十七道品（七）：八正道
其次，這位菩薩修行正見，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨；修行正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定，依止厭離，依止離欲，依止寂滅，迴向於捨。
修道品之十所為：不同二乘之揀別
菩薩修行這樣的功德，是為了不捨棄一切眾生的緣故，是本願所執持的緣故，是以大悲為先導的緣故，是大慈成就的緣故，是思念一切智智的緣故，是為了成就莊嚴佛土的緣故，是為了成就如來力、無所畏、不共佛法、相好與音聲全都具足的緣故，是為了希求更上更上的殊勝之道的緣故，是為了隨順所聽聞的甚深佛之解脫的緣故，是為了思惟大智慧的善巧方便的緣故。
離身見等執著
佛子！菩薩住在這焰慧地，凡是以身見為首，而對我、人、眾生、壽命、蘊、界、處所生起的種種執著，或出或沒地思量計度；由於觀察對治的緣故，由於我所的緣故，由於財物的緣故，由於所著之處的緣故——對這一切全都遠離。
業行的揀擇
這位菩薩若見某業是如來所訶責的、是被煩惱所染污的，全都捨離；若見某業是隨順菩薩道的、是如來所讚歎的，全都修行。
十種心：由方便慧修道與助道而得
佛子！這位菩薩隨其所生起的方便智慧，修習於道（四地的證智）以及助道之分（菩提分法），如此就得到潤澤心（深深愛敬而滋潤）、柔軟心、調順心、利益安樂心、無雜染心、求上上勝法心、求殊勝智慧心、救一切世間心、恭敬尊德無違教命心（恭敬有德之師而不違背教命）、隨所聞法皆善修行心。
知恩調柔之十德
這位菩薩知恩、知道報恩，心極其和善，與人同住安樂，質樸正直而柔軟，沒有稠林般的曲覆之行（於施主前不覆藏自己的過失），沒有我慢，善於接受教誨，能領得說法者的意旨。
三成就與十種精進
這位菩薩這樣忍成就了，這樣調柔成就了，這樣寂滅成就了，這樣忍、調柔、寂滅都成就了；淨治後面諸地之業，作意修行之時，得到不休息精進、不雜染精進（不與懈怠共、不與染著共，不過不及而平等流注）、不退轉精進、廣大精進、無邊精進、熾然精進、無等等精進、無能壞精進、成熟一切眾生精進、善分別道與非道精進。
地滿之德相
這位菩薩心之界清淨，深心不失，領悟解了明利，善根增長，遠離世間的垢濁，斷除種種疑惑，明了決斷具足，喜與樂充滿，為佛親自護念，無量的志願樂欲全都成就。
調柔果（一）：見多佛、供養、聽法、出家
佛子！菩薩住在這焰慧地，因為願力的緣故，得以見到許多佛。所謂：見到許多百佛，見到許多千佛，見到許多百千佛，乃至見到許多百千億那由他佛。他對這些佛都恭敬尊重，承事供養——衣服、臥具、飲食、湯藥，一切資養生命之具全都用來奉獻布施，也用來供養一切眾僧；以這些善根全都迴向於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提（無上正等正覺）。在那些佛的處所，恭敬地聽法，聽了之後受持，具足修行。又在那些佛的法中出家修道，並且更加修治深心的信解；經過無量百千億那由他劫，令種種善根轉而更加明淨。
調柔果（二）：金師鍊金喻與摩尼寶喻
佛子！譬如金師鍊治真金，作成莊嚴之具，其餘所有的金都比不上；菩薩摩訶薩也是這樣：住在這一地所有的善根，下地的善根都比不上。又如摩尼寶清淨的光輪能夠放出光明，不是其餘諸寶所能相及的，風吹雨打等等外緣全都不能損壞它；菩薩摩訶薩也是這樣：住在這一地，下地的菩薩所不能及，眾魔與煩惱全都不能損壞。
四攝與十度之偏修
這位菩薩在四攝法之中，同事（與眾生同其事業）偏多；在十波羅蜜之中，精進偏多；其餘的並非不修，只是隨其力量、隨其分限而已。
結名與果報身：多作須夜摩天王
佛子！這就名為：略說菩薩摩訶薩的第四焰慧地。菩薩住在此地，多半作須夜摩天王，能以善巧方便除去眾生的身見等等迷惑，令他們安住於正見。布施、愛語、利行、同事——像這一切種種所作之業，都不離開念佛，不離開念法，不離開念僧，乃至不離開念具足一切種、一切智智。他又這樣想：「我應當在一切眾生之中為首、為勝、為殊勝、為妙、為微妙、為上、為無上，乃至為一切智智的依止之處。」
地滿神變之數量
「這位菩薩如果發起勤精進，在一念之頃，就能入億數的三昧，能見億數的佛，能知億數佛的神力，能震動億數的世界，乃至能示現億數之身，一一身各有億數菩薩作為眷屬；如果以菩薩殊勝的願力自在示現，則超過此數——百劫、千劫乃至百千億那由他劫也數不能知。」
重頌
那時，金剛藏菩薩想要重新宣明其義，而說頌曰：
菩薩已經淨治了第三地，接著觀察眾生界、世界、法界，觀察虛空界、識界以及欲色無色三界，心之信解全都了達而能趣入。（頌十法明門）
才登上焰地就增長勢力，生在如來家中永不退轉，對佛法僧的信心不壞，觀諸法無常而無有生起。觀世間的成與壞、因業而有受生，觀生死與涅槃、眾生與剎土等等之業，觀前際後際也觀無所有盡——這樣修行，就生在佛家。（頌十智與生如來家）
得了這些法之後增長慈愍，轉而更加勤修四念處：身、受、心、法內外遍觀，世間的貪愛全都除遣。（頌四念處）
菩薩修治四種正勤之行，惡法除滅、善法增長；神足、根、力全都善加修習，七覺分與八正道也是如此。（頌四正斷至八正道）
為了度眾生而修那些行，為本願所護持、以慈悲為先導，求一切智以及佛土，也憶念如來的十種力、四無所畏、不共佛法、殊特的相好與深美的音聲；也求妙道與解脫之處，以及以大方便修行那些行。（頌修道品之十所為）
以身見為首的六十二見，我與我所無量種類，五蘊十八界十二處等等的種種取著——在這第四地中一切都遠離。（頌離身見等執著·「六十二」是頌中獨舉之數，長行未列）
如來所訶責的煩惱之行，因為無有義利而全都除斷；有智慧的人修行清淨之業，為了度眾生而無所不作。（頌業行的揀擇）
菩薩勤修而不懈怠，就得十種心全都具足，專求佛道而無厭倦，立志期望受職（受佛職位）以度眾生。（頌十種心·「志期受職」是頌中獨有之語）
恭敬有德之尊而修行正法，知恩、易受教誨而無有慍怒暴戾，捨去憍慢、遠離諂曲，心地調柔，轉而更加精勤而不退轉。（頌知恩調柔之十德）
菩薩住在這焰慧地，他的心清淨而永不散失，領悟解了決定、善根增長，疑惑之網與垢濁全都遠離。（頌地滿之德相）
此地的菩薩在人中最勝，供養那由他無量諸佛，聽聞正法也出家修道，不可沮壞猶如真金。（頌見佛出家與金師鍊金喻）
菩薩住此具足功德，以智慧方便修行道法，不被眾魔動搖其心而退轉，譬如妙寶無人能壞。（頌摩尼寶喻）
住此地多半作焰天王（須夜摩天王），於法自在而為大眾所尊，普遍教化群生、除去惡見，專求佛智而修善業。（頌果報身）
菩薩勤加精進之力，所獲的三昧等等都是億數；如果以願力智力有所作為，則超過此數而無人能知。（頌地滿神變）
「像這樣菩薩的第四地，所行的是清淨微妙之道，功德、義理、智慧共相應——我為佛子已經宣說完畢。」（顯名結說）
Praise and Request: Having Heard of the Third Ground, the Heaven King and the Head of the Assembly Ask That the Fourth Be Expounded
(The compiler of the sūtra sets out the aspect of the assembly at that time.) The sons of the Buddha, hearing of this vast gate of practice — this ground that is lovely, profound, and surpassing — were in their hearts all leaping and glad, greatly joyful, and scattered abroad a multitude of flowers as an offering to the Buddha. While a wondrous Dharma such as this was being expounded, the great earth and the waters of the sea alike shook; all the goddesses were glad, and all sent forth beautiful and wondrous sounds to praise together.
The Sovereign Heaven King, greatly delighted and counting himself fortunate, rained down maṇi jewels as an offering to the Buddha, and praised him, saying: “The Buddha has appeared in the world for our sake, expounding the practice of merit of the first order. The meaning of the grounds, spoken by one of wisdom such as this, is exceedingly hard to meet with in a hundred thousand kalpas; today I have suddenly heard it — this is the sound of the wondrous Dharma of the bodhisattva’s surpassing practice. May the one of keen intelligence (that is, the bodhisattva Vajragarbha) expound yet further: the grounds that come after, that road which is determinate and leaves nothing over, for the benefit of all the gods and humans; these sons of the Buddha here present are all glad to hear it!”
The bodhisattva Vimukticandra, valiant and of a great raised mind, asked the bodhisattva Vajragarbha, saying: “Son of the Buddha! Turning from here into the fourth ground — all the aspects of practice therein, may you declare them!”
The Means of Entering the Ground: The Ten Gates of Dharma-Light
At that time the bodhisattva Vajragarbha told the bodhisattva Vimukticandra:
Sons of the Buddha! When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva has cultivated the third ground until it is well purified, and wishes to enter the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom (arciṣmatī), he should cultivate the ten gates of Dharma-light (“Dharma” is the place that is entered, and “the gate of light” is the gate by which one is able to enter — that is, by the shining of the light of wisdom one passes into the Dharma that the Buddha has spoken). Which ten? They are these: to observe the realm of sentient beings, to observe the Dharma realm, to observe the realm of worlds, to observe the realm of space, to observe the realm of consciousness, to observe the realm of desire, to observe the realm of form, to observe the formless realm, to observe the realm believed in and understood by the vast mind (the sphere believed in and understood by a mind vast enough to succor others as well), to observe the realm believed in and understood by the great mind (the sphere believed in and understood by a mind that guards against the small and seeks the great). By these ten gates of Dharma-light the bodhisattva is able to enter the fourth Flaming-Wisdom Ground.
The Ten Wisdoms That Ripen the Dharmas: Gaining That Inner Dharma, He Is Born into the Family of the Tathāgata
Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground is able, because of the ten kinds of wisdom that ripen the dharmas, to gain that inner Dharma of the Tathāgata (not the dharma of outward aspect, but the Dharma of teaching and transforming that the Tathāgata has spoken), and to be born into the family of the Tathāgata. Which ten? They are these: because his deep mind does not turn back; because in the Three Jewels, the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, he gives rise to a pure faith that in the end cannot be broken; because he observes that the formations have arising and have ceasing; because he observes that the self-nature of dharmas is from the first unarisen; because he observes that the world has forming and has decaying; because he observes that it is on account of deeds that there is birth; because he observes birth-and-death and nirvāṇa; because he observes the deeds of sentient beings and of lands; because he observes the prior limit and the later limit (the limit of the past and the limit of the future); because he observes that there is nothing at all to be exhausted (within defiled dharmas he sees not one dharma that could be lessened, and within pure dharmas not one dharma that could be increased, and therefore it is said that there is nothing at all to be exhausted). These are the ten.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (1): The Four Stations of Mindfulness
Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva dwelling on this fourth ground observes the inner body, observing it along the body (observing it in accordance with the body’s own character), diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, and removes covetousness and grief with respect to the world; he observes the outer body, observing it along the body, diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, and removes covetousness and grief with respect to the world; he observes the inner and outer body, observing it along the body, diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, and removes covetousness and grief with respect to the world. In this same way he observes inner feelings, outer feelings, and inner and outer feelings, observing them along feeling; he observes the inner mind, the outer mind, and the inner and outer mind, observing them along the mind; he observes inner dharmas, outer dharmas, and inner and outer dharmas, observing them along dharmas — diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, removing covetousness and grief with respect to the world.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (2): The Four Right Eliminations
Next, this bodhisattva, with regard to the evil and unwholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order that they may not arise, gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets his mind on right elimination; with regard to the evil and unwholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order to cut them off, gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets his mind on right elimination; with regard to the wholesome dharmas that have not yet arisen, in order that they may arise, gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets his mind on right conduct; with regard to the wholesome dharmas that have already arisen, in order that they may abide and not be lost, and that by cultivation they may be made to increase and spread, gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets his mind on right conduct.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (3): The Four Bases of Supernormal Power
Next, this bodhisattva cultivates the concentration of zeal together with the practice of elimination (the concentration in which zeal is the leading power, together with the practice that cuts off obstruction), and accomplishes the base of supernormal power (the foot of accord with wish); he relies upon disgust, relies upon dispassion, relies upon cessation, and dedicates it toward equanimity; he cultivates the concentration of vigor, the concentration of mind, and the concentration of contemplation, together with the practice of elimination, and accomplishes the base of supernormal power, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (4): The Five Faculties
Next, this bodhisattva cultivates the faculty of faith, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity; he cultivates the faculty of vigor, the faculty of mindfulness, the faculty of concentration, and the faculty of wisdom, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (5): The Five Powers
Next, this bodhisattva cultivates the power of faith, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity; he cultivates the power of vigor, the power of mindfulness, the power of concentration, and the power of wisdom, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (6): The Seven Factors of Awakening
Next, this bodhisattva cultivates the factor of awakening that is mindfulness, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity; he cultivates the factor of awakening that is the discernment of dharmas, the factor of awakening that is vigor, the factor of awakening that is joy, the factor of awakening that is ease (the factor of awakening that is pliancy of body and mind), the factor of awakening that is concentration, and the factor of awakening that is equanimity, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating them toward equanimity.
The Thirty-Seven Factors of the Path (7): The Eightfold Right Path
Next, this bodhisattva cultivates right view, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity; he cultivates right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right vigor, right mindfulness, and right concentration, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating them toward equanimity.
The Ten Purposes for Which the Factors of the Path Are Cultivated: What Marks Them Off from the Two Vehicles
The bodhisattva cultivates merit such as this because he does not forsake any sentient being; because he is upheld by his original vow; because great compassion goes before him; because great kindness is accomplished in him; because he keeps in mind the wisdom of omniscience; because he would accomplish the adorning of a buddha-land; because he would accomplish the Tathāgata’s powers, fearlessnesses, exclusive dharmas of a buddha, marks and signs, and voice, all of them complete; because he seeks the surpassing path that is higher and higher; because he would accord with the most profound liberation of a buddha that he has heard of; because he ponders the skillful means of great wisdom.
Leaving Behind the Clingings That Begin with the View of a Body
Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground — whatever clingings, beginning with the view of a body, arise with respect to self, person, sentient being, life-span, the aggregates, the elements, and the sense-bases, whether emerging or submerged as he reckons and calculates; by reason of contemplating what counters them, by reason of what is mine, by reason of goods and property, by reason of the place clung to — from all these he departs entirely.
The Sifting of Deeds and Practices
If this bodhisattva sees that some deed is one the Tathāgata has rebuked, or one defiled by the afflictions, he relinquishes them all; if he sees that some deed is one that accords with the bodhisattva path, or one the Tathāgata has praised, he cultivates them all.
The Ten States of Mind: Gained by Cultivating the Path and the Aids to the Path with the Wisdom of Skillful Means
Sons of the Buddha! This bodhisattva, according to the wisdom of skillful means that arises in him, cultivates the path (the realizing wisdom of the fourth ground) together with the portions that aid the path (the factors of awakening), and so gains the mind that moistens (deep love and reverence that moisten), the pliant mind, the well-tempered mind, the mind of benefit and ease, the mind free of defilement, the mind that seeks the Dharma higher and higher, the mind that seeks surpassing wisdom, the mind that rescues all the world, the mind that reveres those of virtue and does not go against their instruction (revering a teacher of virtue and not going against what he teaches), and the mind that cultivates well whatever Dharma it has heard.
The Ten Virtues of Knowing Gratitude and of Pliancy
This bodhisattva knows gratitude and knows how to repay gratitude; his mind is exceedingly gentle and good; he dwells together with others in ease; he is plain and upright and pliant; he has no conduct of the dense thicket (before a donor he does not conceal his own faults); he has no conceit of self; he is good at receiving instruction; he is able to grasp the intent of one who expounds the Dharma.
The Three Accomplishments and the Ten Kinds of Vigor
This bodhisattva, having thus accomplished forbearance, having thus accomplished pliancy, having thus accomplished stillness, and having accomplished forbearance, pliancy, and stillness all together, and purifying the deeds of the grounds that come after, gains, when he sets his attention on cultivation, the vigor that does not rest, the vigor free of defilement (not shared with indolence and not shared with attachment, neither exceeding nor falling short but flowing evenly), the vigor that does not turn back, the vast vigor, the boundless vigor, the blazing vigor, the vigor equal to the unequalled, the vigor that cannot be broken, the vigor that ripens all sentient beings, and the vigor that discerns well the path from what is not the path.
The Marks of Virtue at the Fullness of the Ground
The realm of this bodhisattva’s mind is pure; his deep mind is not lost; his awakening and understanding are clear and keen; his roots of goodness increase; he is far from the defilement of the world; he cuts off every doubt; his clarity and decisiveness are complete; joy and bliss fill him; he is guarded and kept in mind by the buddhas themselves; and measureless resolve and delight are all accomplished in him.
The Fruit of Pliancy (1): Seeing Many Buddhas, Making Offerings, Hearing the Dharma, Going Forth
Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground, by the power of his vow, gets to see many buddhas. That is: he sees many hundreds of buddhas, sees many thousands of buddhas, sees many hundreds of thousands of buddhas, on up to seeing many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddhas. To all these buddhas he is reverent and respectful, serving and making offerings — robes, bedding, food and drink, and medicines, every furnishing that sustains life he offers up in giving, and with them he makes offerings also to the whole Saṅgha; and with these roots of goodness he dedicates and directs them all toward unsurpassed perfect awakening. In the presence of those buddhas he reverently hears the Dharma, and having heard it he upholds it and cultivates it completely. Moreover, within the Dharma of those buddhas he goes forth and cultivates the path, and cultivates his deep faith and understanding still further; and over measureless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas he causes his roots of goodness to turn ever brighter and purer.
The Fruit of Pliancy (2): The Simile of the Goldsmith Refining Gold and the Simile of the Maṇi Jewel
Sons of the Buddha! It is like a goldsmith who refines true gold and makes of it an ornament: all the rest of the gold cannot come up to it. So it is with the bodhisattva-mahāsattva: the roots of goodness that are his while he dwells on this ground, the roots of goodness of the lower grounds cannot come up to them. Again, it is like the pure orb of light of a maṇi jewel, able to send forth radiance, which none of the other jewels can come up to, and which wind and rain and such outer conditions cannot damage at all. So it is with the bodhisattva-mahāsattva: dwelling on this ground, he is such that the bodhisattvas of the lower grounds cannot come up to him, and the hosts of Māra and the afflictions cannot damage him at all.
The Preeminent Cultivation among the Four Means of Gathering and the Ten Perfections
This bodhisattva, among the four means of gathering, has the sharing of tasks (sharing in the tasks of sentient beings) preeminent; among the ten perfections, he has vigor preeminent; the rest are not uncultivated, only that they follow his strength and follow his portion.
The Concluding Name and the Body of the Fruit of Recompense: He Mostly Becomes a King of the Suyāma Heaven
Sons of the Buddha! This is what is called: a summary account of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva’s fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom. A bodhisattva dwelling on this ground mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven, able by skillful means to remove from sentient beings the view of a body and such delusions, and to establish them in right view. Giving, kindly speech, beneficial conduct, sharing of tasks — in all the deeds of every kind that he does, he does not depart from keeping the Buddha in mind, does not depart from keeping the Dharma in mind, does not depart from keeping the Saṅgha in mind, on up to not departing from keeping in mind the complete possession of every mode and of the wisdom of omniscience. And he thinks in this way: “I should be, among all sentient beings, the foremost, the excellent, the surpassing, the wondrous, the subtly wondrous, the high, the unsurpassed, on up to being the place of reliance for the wisdom of omniscience.”
The Number of the Spiritual Transformations at the Fullness of the Ground
“If this bodhisattva rouses diligent vigor, then in a single moment of thought he can enter koṭis of samādhis, can see koṭis of buddhas, can know the spiritual power of koṭis of buddhas, can shake koṭis of worlds, on up to manifesting koṭis of bodies, each body having koṭis of bodhisattvas as its retinue; and if by the sovereign manifesting of a bodhisattva’s surpassing power of vow, then it surpasses this number — a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, on up to hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas could not reckon and know it.”
The Verses in Repetition
At that time the bodhisattva Vajragarbha, wishing to declare this meaning over again, spoke in verse:
The bodhisattva has purified the third ground; next he observes the realm of sentient beings, the realm of worlds, the Dharma realm, observes the realm of space and the realm of consciousness, and the three realms of desire, form, and formlessness; the mind’s believing and understanding penetrates them all and is able to enter in. (Repeating the ten gates of Dharma-light)
No sooner has he mounted the Flaming Ground than his strength increases; born into the family of the Tathāgata, he never turns back; his faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha cannot be broken; he observes that dharmas are impermanent and have no arising. He observes the forming and decaying of the world, and that it is on account of deeds that there is birth; he observes birth-and-death and nirvāṇa, and the deeds of sentient beings and of lands and the like; he observes the prior limit and the later limit and observes too that there is nothing at all to be exhausted — cultivating in this way, he is born into the family of the Buddha. (Repeating the ten wisdoms and the birth into the family of the Tathāgata)
Having gained these dharmas, his kindness and pity increase, and he turns to cultivate the four stations of mindfulness the more diligently: body, feeling, mind, and dharmas observed throughout, inner and outer, and the covetousness and craving of the world are all removed. (Repeating the four stations of mindfulness)
The bodhisattva cultivates the four practices of right diligence: evil dharmas are extinguished and wholesome dharmas increase; the bases of supernormal power, the faculties, and the powers he cultivates well one and all, and so likewise the seven factors of awakening and the eightfold right path. (Repeating from the four right eliminations through the eightfold right path)
To deliver sentient beings he cultivates those practices, upheld by his original vow, with kindness and compassion going before; he seeks omniscience and a buddha-land, and calls to mind too the Tathāgata’s ten powers, four fearlessnesses, exclusive dharmas of a buddha, and the marks and signs that are singular and the voice deep and beautiful; he seeks too the wondrous path and the place of liberation, and with great skillful means cultivates those practices. (Repeating the ten purposes for which the factors of the path are cultivated)
The sixty-two views that begin with the view of a body, the self and what is mine in measureless kinds, the graspings of every sort at the five aggregates, the eighteen elements, the twelve sense-bases and the like — in this fourth ground all of them are left behind. (Repeating the leaving behind of the clingings that begin with the view of a body · “sixty-two” is a number raised in the verses alone, not listed in the prose)
The afflicted conduct that the Tathāgata rebukes, being without meaning or benefit, is all cut off; one of wisdom cultivates pure deeds, and to deliver sentient beings there is nothing he does not do. (Repeating the sifting of deeds and practices)
The bodhisattva cultivates diligently without slackening, and so gains the ten states of mind complete; he seeks the buddha path single-mindedly and without weariness, setting his aim upon receiving the consecration (receiving the station of a buddha) so as to deliver sentient beings. (Repeating the ten states of mind · “setting his aim upon receiving the consecration” is wording found in the verses alone)
Revering those of virtue, he cultivates the right Dharma; he knows gratitude, is easily instructed, and is without resentment or harshness; he casts off arrogance and departs from flattery and crookedness; his mind is pliant and tempered, and he turns to be the more diligent without turning back. (Repeating the ten virtues of knowing gratitude and of pliancy)
The bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground — his mind is pure and is never scattered or lost; his awakening and understanding are settled, his roots of goodness increase, and the net of doubt and the defilements are all left far behind. (Repeating the marks of virtue at the fullness of the ground)
The bodhisattva of this ground is the most excellent among humans; he makes offerings to nayutas of measureless buddhas, hears the right Dharma and goes forth to cultivate the path, and cannot be broken down, like true gold. (Repeating the seeing of buddhas, the going forth, and the simile of the goldsmith refining gold)
The bodhisattva dwelling here has merit complete; with wisdom and skillful means he cultivates the dharmas of the path; the hosts of Māra cannot shake his mind so that he turns back — just as a wondrous jewel that none can break. (Repeating the simile of the maṇi jewel)
Dwelling on this ground he mostly becomes a king of the Flaming Heaven (the Suyāma Heaven), sovereign in the Dharma and honored by the assembly; everywhere he teaches and transforms the multitude of beings and removes their evil views, and he seeks the buddha wisdom single-mindedly and cultivates wholesome deeds. (Repeating the body of the fruit of recompense)
The bodhisattva applies himself to the power of vigor, and the samādhis and the rest that he obtains are all in koṭis; if by the power of vow and the power of wisdom he does anything, then it surpasses this number and none can know it. (Repeating the spiritual transformations at the fullness of the ground)
“Such is the bodhisattva’s fourth ground: what is practiced upon it is the pure and wondrous path; merit, meaning, and wisdom accord together — I have declared it in full for you, sons of the Buddha.” (Showing the name and concluding the exposition)
為什麼到這一地才叫「焰」
前三地各有主軸——初地重意樂、二地重戒、三地重定。定修到極處，會出現一個誰也不容易察覺的關口：定裡的味道太好，容易貪著；聽來的教法解得太順，容易起慢。澄觀判此地之來意時說得直：前三地寄在世間，從這一地起才寄出世；又說前地雖得世間之定與總持，卻還沒得菩提分法、還沒捨掉定愛與法愛，所以要有這一地。
「焰」是喻，「慧」是法。世親《十地經論》釋此地之名，繫在摩尼寶喻上：證智如摩尼寶，寶光之中放出阿含（教法）之光，普照示現，所以此地釋名為焰。澄觀順此開三義：初入地時，證智能燒前地那個「解法慢」的柴薪，是一義；住地之中正修菩提分法，慧焰增長，是二義；地滿之時從證智摩尼放出教法之光，是三義。
要排掉一個誤讀：「焰」不是指修行者情緒的熾烈。經文從頭到尾沒有一句講激動，講的全是四念處、四正斷、五根五力這些最樸實的觀行。焰之所以為焰，是因為慧已經能燒——燒的是定愛與法愛這兩種最細、最像功德的執著。落到用處上：一個人修行修到『我很有定』『我很懂法』而自覺良好時，正是這一地要處理的病。
入地的門：十法明門
先問一句：憑什麼從第三地跨到第四地？ 經文的答案是十法明門。「法」是所入之處，「明門」是能入之門——澄觀說，門就是通入之義，以智慧之光明照，通入佛所說之法。所以這十門不是十件新事，是把已聽來的教法，用智慧一一游入、反覆游入；游入就是修行。誤讀在於把「明門」當成十個要背下來的名相；實則它是十個要親自觀進去的界。落地處：聽過的法若只停在懂，永遠出不了第三地。
十門是哪十門？ 觀察眾生界、法界、世界、虛空界、識界、欲界、色界、無色界、廣心信解界、大心信解界。澄觀以三重讀之：第一句是總，其餘九句是別，因為九者皆是眾生之事；前八句屬染、後二句屬淨；前五句從能依推到所依、後五句依所依而立能依。他又特別點出初句何以居首——眾生只是假名，假有因成、相續、相待三種，假是空的詮表，所以先觀它。要排的誤是：以為「觀察眾生界」是去統計有多少眾生；實則是看破「眾生」這個名下並無實體。至於末二門，廣心信解是廣大兼濟之心，大心信解是護小求大之心——兩者都與二乘不同，一個不捨眾生、一個不取小果。
觀滿了會怎樣？ 經文自己收句：菩薩以此十法明門，得入第四焰慧地。澄觀說得更細：觀察圓滿而與十者之理相冥合，才算入地。這裡要排掉『入地是被授予的』之想——入地是觀行成熟的自然結果，不是外面給的名分。
生如來家：十種智成熟法
「生如來家」是什麼意思？ 經文說住此地者，能以十種智成熟法故，得彼內法，生如來家。「內法」是揀別外相之說：這法不是外面看來的樣子，是如來所說教化之法本身。澄觀開如來家為三種——菩提心家在初住即生、大教家在四住即生、法界家在初地證時即生；此地所當的是大教家。論則說所以能轉生者，是依止多聞之智究竟、除滅智障而攝取殊勝。誤讀在於把「生如來家」當成一種身分榮譽；實則它是說：這個人的心，從此以佛的教法為家宅，不再另有寄居之處。
十智之一：深心不退。 為什麼十智以「不退」開頭？論以四智攝這十句，第一即「自住處畢竟智」——菩薩自己所住之處就是大乘，深心與之相應叫住，畢竟就是不退。所以不退不是咬牙硬撐，是已經認定了自己的住處。落地處：修行中真正的退，不是進度慢，是心裡悄悄換了住處。
十智之二：於三寶中生淨信、畢竟不壞。 論攝此為「同敬三寶畢竟智」，說是證得三寶同體而成不壞信。要排的誤是把「不壞信」讀成情感上的堅定；它是因為見到了佛法僧本非三個外物，所以信才壞不了。
十智之三、之四：觀諸行生滅、觀諸法自性無生。 這兩句為什麼並舉？論攝為「真如智」，說即是眾生無我與法無我兩重觀：只有蘊等諸行在生滅流轉，所以沒有人我；而這些蘊法本來不生，所以沒有法我。誤讀是把生滅與無生看成矛盾；實則一句破人我、一句破法我，是同一真如的兩面。
十智之五至之十：觀世間成壞、觀因業有生、觀生死涅槃、觀眾生國土業、觀前際後際、觀無所有盡。 論攝這六句為「分別所說智」，也就是教智——知世俗諦故名分別。澄觀進一步配四諦：前二句是染，即苦諦之依報與正報；第三句兼具染淨，生死是集、涅槃是滅；後三句是隨所淨，即道諦。其中最須講清的是末句「觀無所有盡」：論說前際後際不損不益，於染法中見不到一法可減、於淨法中見不到一法可增，所以叫無所有盡。要排的誤是把「盡」當成滅光了；它是說增減二相都不可得。落地處：修行人最常犯的計較，就是算自己的煩惱減了多少、功德加了多少——此觀正治此病。
正住地行：三十七菩提分法
大乘菩薩為什麼要修這些看似小乘的法？ 論把此地之對治分為兩種：一是修行護煩惱染，二是修行護小乘。護煩惱染，靠的就是修菩提分法。所以道品不是小乘的專利，是一切出離之行的共法；至於怎麼保證修了不落小乘，經文另有十句所為來揀別（見下節）。誤讀是『大乘不必修道品』——經文在此地一條不漏地列出三十七法，正是反證。
四念處·身念處。 經文說觀內身、外身、內外身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂。「循身觀」是就著身的自相隨順而觀，不是想像、不是評價。內是自身、外是他身、內外是兼觀。要排的誤是把念處讀成厭惡身體；經文的收句是「除世間貪憂」——貪與憂兩頭都除，可見它治的是取捨心，不是身體。
四念處·受念處。 觀內受、外受、內外受循受觀。受是苦樂捨的當下感覺。此觀之要在於：看見受是受，不把它接成『我苦』『我樂』。落地處：情緒起時，能停在『這是一個受』，貪憂就接不上去。
四念處·心念處。 觀內心、外心、內外心循心觀。心念念遷流，觀它就是看它來去而不追。誤讀是要把心觀空掉；實則只是如實見其生滅。
四念處·法念處。 觀內法、外法、內外法循法觀。此處的法，是心與受所緣的一切法。四念處合起來是一條完整的路：身、受、心、法，由粗到細，一路把「我」拆開。
四正斷·斷惡二句。 未生的惡不善法為令不生、已生的惡不善法為令斷除，都要起欲、生勤精進、發心正斷。要注意「欲」在這裡是善法欲，不是貪；沒有欲就沒有動力。誤讀是以為修行要無所欲。
四正斷·修善二句。 未生的善法為令生起、已生的善法為令安住不失並修習增廣，都要起欲、生勤精進、發心正行。四正斷之所以是「勤」，是因為善惡二邊各有生已未生兩種狀態，四角都要照管。落地處：只斷惡不長善，或只做好事不防惡，都只做了一半。
四神足。 經文列欲定、精進定、心定、觀定四種斷行成就而成就神足。神足即如意足，論經作「如意分」。四者的差別在於入定的主導力：以欲為主、以精進為主、以心為主、以觀慧為主。要排的誤是把神足讀成神通表演；它是定力得心應手、如意自在之義。
五根。 信根、精進根、念根、定根、慧根。根是能生之義——這五者一旦生根，善法才長得出來。次第有意：信生精進、精進生念、念生定、定生慧。
五力。 信力、精進力、念力、定力、慧力。與五根同名而異位：根是已生、力是不可壞。誤讀是把五根五力當重複；實則一者說發生、一者說成就。
七覺分。 念、擇法、精進、喜、猗、定、捨七覺分。猗即輕安。此七是覺悟現前時的支分，且有調節之用：掉舉時用猗、定、捨，昏沉時用擇法、精進、喜。落地處：修行不順時，問題常在配錯了藥。
八正道。 正見、正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定。八者以正見為首、以正定為終，中間含語業命三支——可見此道不只在坐上，也在說話、做事、謀生裡。
神足以下五組的收句：依止厭、依止離、依止滅，迴向於捨。 七組之中，神足、根、力、覺分、道支五組各收於「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」；念處、正斷二組無此四句。這四句最容易讀過去。厭是厭患生死、離是離欲、滅是趣寂滅，前三句與二乘所修無異；關鍵在第四句「迴向於捨」——所修不停在寂滅，而迴向於捨。要排的誤是把「捨」讀成放棄；此地之捨，是不住於厭離所得之果。此句正是大乘道品與二乘道品的分水嶺。
修道品之十所為：不落小乘的揀別
同樣修道品，怎麼保證不變成二乘？ 經文緊接著列十句所為：為不捨一切眾生、本願所持、大悲為首、大慈成就、思念一切智智、成就莊嚴佛土、成就如來力與無所畏與不共佛法與相好音聲悉具足、求於上上殊勝道、隨順所聞甚深佛解脫、思惟大智善巧方便。論把這一段判為「修行護小乘」。可見揀別不在行法本身，而在為何而行——同一個四念處，發心不同，果就不同。誤讀是以為大乘要另修一套法；落地處：檢查自己的修行，不必先問修的是什麼法，先問這法是為誰修的。
離身見與業行的揀擇
此地所離的是哪一種執著？ 經文說凡以身見為首，而於我、人、眾生、壽命、蘊、界、處所起的執著，出沒思量，都由觀察對治而離。這裡的次第值得注意：身見居首，其餘我、人、眾生、壽命是就人立名，蘊、界、處是就法立名——一句話把人法二執都收了。經文並列出四個著處：由觀察治故、我所故、財物故、著處故。要排的誤是把身見當成粗重的我執；此地所離的是俱生的細品，是修道位才動得了的東西。
業要怎麼揀？ 經文說若見某業是如來所訶、被煩惱所染，全都捨離；若見某業是順菩薩道、如來所讚，全都修行。澄觀在此點出兩重理由：不作煩惱所染之業，異於凡夫；作順菩薩道之業，異於二乘。誤讀是把這句讀成一般的持戒；它其實是煩惱既去之後，業自然隨之而轉的描述——先有觀行，才有這樣乾淨的取捨。
由行成德：十心·十德·三成就·十精進·地滿德相
十種心從哪裡來？ 經文說此菩薩隨其所起的方便慧，修習於道及助道分，於是得潤澤心、柔軟心、調順心、利益安樂心、無雜染心、求上上勝法心、求殊勝智慧心、救一切世間心、恭敬尊德無違教命心、隨所聞法皆善修行心。澄觀說初句是總、餘九是別，總句「潤澤」是深欲愛敬之義；柔軟是樂行勝、調順是三昧自在勝，此二是行體，以下七句是離過對治，是行用。要排的誤是把這十心當成十種情緒；它們是修道與助道二行落在心上的實際形狀。
知恩調柔之十德。 經文說此菩薩知恩、知報恩，心極和善，同住安樂，質直柔軟，無稠林行，無有我慢，善受教誨，得說者意。澄觀解「無稠林行」尤其具體：於受用衣食之處、於施主面前不覆藏自己的過失——稠林是曲覆隱蔽之喻。而「得說者意」與「善受教誨」之別在於：一個是聽得進話，一個是領得到意。落地處：這一組德全在人際之間，可見地上菩薩的證量，最先顯現在待人接物上。
三成就。 經文說如是忍成就、如是調柔成就、如是寂滅成就，又總說忍、調柔、寂滅成就。澄觀以此三忍總結前十句。要排的誤是把「寂滅」讀成不動；此處是說煩惱不起之相。
十種精進。 不休息、不雜染、不退轉、廣大、無邊、熾然、無等等、無能壞、成熟一切眾生、善分別道非道。澄觀說初句是總、其餘九句是別，其中「不雜染」一句他解得最細：精進之行要平等流注，雜染即是與懈怠共、與染著共——染則過、懈則不及，好比琴絃的鬆緊，不進不怠才是平等流。落地處：修行的病不只在懶，也在急；急也是雜染。
地滿之德相。 經文列心界清淨、深心不失、悟解明利、善根增長、離世垢濁、斷諸疑惑、明斷具足、喜樂充滿、佛親護念、無量志樂皆悉成就。澄觀說此是「本心界滿足果」，菩提分心即是本心界，正念真如而修上道品，所以說滿足——而滿足之所以可能，是由前面的精進。誤讀是把這十句當成獎賞；它們是前行的果，不是外加的。
調柔果：見佛、出家與兩個喻
為什麼地滿之相要從『見佛』說起？ 經文說住此地者以願力故得見多佛，乃至見多百千億那由他佛，都恭敬尊重承事供養，以衣服、臥具、飲食、湯藥乃至一切資生之具奉施，亦供養眾僧，以此善根迴向無上菩提。要排的誤是把見佛當作功德的計數；經文的重點在「以願力故」——見多少佛，是願的量所感，不是修的時數所換。
聽法與出家。 經文說於彼佛所恭敬聽法，聞已受持，具足修行，又於彼諸佛法中出家修道，更修治深心信解。澄觀在這裡點出一個體例上的講究：前三地寄同世間，初二地是人王故有出家之文、三地是天王故無；四地以上寄出世之首，所以重新出現出家之文，表的是心出家。落地處：此處的出家不是形相的判斷，是心已不再以世間為家。
金師鍊金喻。 經文說譬如金師鍊治真金作莊嚴具，其餘所有的金都比不上；菩薩住此地的善根，下地善根所不能及。論以此喻繫在「教成證」上：真金比喻前地所聞的教法，作成莊嚴具比喻此地現作證智。所以此喻的眼目不在金貴，而在『已作成器』——同樣的金，未作器與已作器就不是一回事。初地也用金喻，說的是數數入火轉轉明淨；到此地，火候已到能成器。
摩尼寶喻。 經文說如摩尼寶清淨光輪能放光明，非餘寶所能及，風雨等緣悉不能壞；菩薩住此地，下地菩薩所不能及，眾魔煩惱悉不能壞。論繫此喻於「從證起教」——證智如摩尼，寶光中放出教法之光，普照示現，此地之所以名焰，正在於此。澄觀更把喻中三字拆開：無垢叫淨、寂照叫光、圓滿叫輪，三義具足才稱得上證智。要排的誤是把二喻看成重複的讚美；一喻說教成證、一喻說證起教，方向正相反，合起來才是此地的全貌。
分修·結名·果報身
四攝與十度為何要說偏多？ 經文說此菩薩於四攝中同事偏多、十波羅蜜中精進偏多，其餘並非不修，只是隨力隨分。要排的誤是以為此地只修這兩項；「餘非不修」四字已經先把這個誤讀堵住了。偏多是說此地之相顯在何處——同事是與眾生同其事業，精進是此地慧焰之所由熾。李通玄也說此地以精進波羅蜜為首、其餘九度為伴。
結名。 經文說：是名略說菩薩摩訶薩第四焰慧地。「略說」二字是十地諸地共有的體例——所說的只是此地行相的少分。
果報身：多作須夜摩天王。 經文說菩薩住此地多作須夜摩天王，能以善方便除眾生身見等惑，令住正見。此處極見呼應：自己這一地所離的正是身見，所以感得的果位所作的，也正是為眾生除身見。誤讀是把天王之位當成福報的享受；它是行相的外顯。
四攝不離三念。 經文說布施、愛語、利行、同事這一切所作之業，都不離念佛、不離念法、不離念僧，乃至不離念具足一切種、一切智智。這是十地諸地共有的定式，要義在「不離」二字：所作愈廣，繫心愈不可失。
勝進願心。 經文說菩薩又這樣想：我當於一切眾生中為首、為勝、為殊勝、為妙、為微妙、為上、為無上，乃至為一切智智依止者。要排的誤是把這串「為勝」讀成爭勝之心；末句「為一切智智依止者」已經點明——所求的高位，是為了讓眾生有所依止。
地滿神變之數。 經文說若發勤精進，於一念頃得入億數三昧、見億數佛、知億數佛神力、動億數世界，乃至示現億數身，一一身有億數菩薩為眷屬；若以殊勝願力自在示現，則過於此數，百劫千劫乃至百千億那由他劫不能數知。初地是「百」，此地是「億」——逐地增廣，是十地共有的量法。而末句更要緊：願力所現超過此數，數不能知。可見數量只是標記，不是上限。
重頌對位
重頌十七頌，澄觀判為三分：初十二頌頌位行、次四頌位果、後一顯名結說。長行已教之義，頌中只作對位，不再重講——「菩薩已淨第三地」一頌對十法明門，「始登焰地增勢力」與「觀世成壞業有生」二頌對十智與生如來家，「得是法已增慈愍」一頌對四念處，「菩薩修治四勤行」一頌總對四正斷至八正道，「為度眾生修彼行」以下二頌對十所為，「如來所訶煩惱行」一頌對業行揀擇，「恭敬尊德修行法」一頌對知恩調柔，「菩薩住此焰慧地」一頌對地滿德相，「此地菩薩人中勝」一頌對見佛出家與金喻，「菩薩住此具功德」一頌對摩尼喻，「住此多作焰天王」一頌對果報身，「菩薩勤加精進力」一頌對地滿神變，末一頌顯名結說。
頌中有兩處是長行所無，須另講。其一，「身見為首六十二」。 長行只列身見、我、人、眾生、壽命、蘊、界、處，未標數目；頌則直指六十二。為什麼是六十二？因為身見一立，就會沿著三世與有無等邊見開展出種種見網，六十二是其總數之稱。要排的誤是把六十二見當成六十二條需要一一破除的教條；頌說「此四地中一切離」，離的是那個生出見網的根——身見。落地處：見解上的糾纏，多數不必逐條清理，回到根上一離即盡。
其二，「志期受職度眾生」。 長行說十心具足、專求佛道，未言受職；頌則說立志期於受職。受職是十地將滿時受佛職位之義，此處出現在第四地的頌中，意在標出心量之遠——才登第四地，所期已在受職。要排的誤是把它讀成躐等的妄想；頌的下句是「度眾生」，可見所期的不是位，是位上所能作的事。
唯識鏡對讀：焰慧地與無攝受真如
此地在唯識一系有嚴整的對位。成唯識論列第四地為焰慧地，釋云安住最勝菩提分法、燒煩惱薪而慧焰增故——法藏與澄觀釋名時都引此為主要根據。唯識所立此地之障，名微細煩惱現行障，指所知障中俱生的一分、第六識所俱的身見等，因為最下品、不作意緣、遠隨現行，所以稱微細——這正與本地經文「所有身見為首……所起執著」一段句句相應。所斷之愚有二：一是等至愛愚，即味著八定；二是法愛愚，即解法慢——澄觀明說此二即是前地定愛與法愛之病，所以此地非修菩提分法不能治。所證之真如名無攝受真如，澄觀解為此真如無所繫屬，非我執等之所依取；他並接一句極要緊的話：得此真如，哪裡還會有對定法的愛著？於是能成就菩提分行與不住道行，精進不退。攝大乘論於十地配屬處，第四地正作「由無攝受義」——與此同軸。瑜伽師地論則於菩薩地指名此地廣說如十地經焰慧地說，又說教慧照明故名焰慧地，於抉擇分更說煩惱智如火焰故第四名焰慧。兩鏡並照可以看清：華嚴這一邊講的是慧如何燒、如何從證起教，唯識那一邊講的是所斷的愚、所離的障、所證的真如——一邊說火勢，一邊說燒的是什麼柴。
承衍
本地之義，古德所傳有數軌，並錄不判。釋名一義，法藏《探玄記》於此地釋名門下並列九家之說：世親《成唯識論》以安住最勝菩提分法、燒煩惱薪而慧焰增故立名；無著《攝論》以諸菩提分法焚燒一切障故立名；無性釋以此地中有焰慧故名焰地；世親釋《攝論》以能燒一切根本煩惱及隨煩惱皆為灰燼立名；《莊嚴論》以菩提分慧為焰之自性、以惑智二障為薪之自性，此地菩薩能起焰慧燒二障之薪；《金光明》以能燒煩惱、以智慧火增長光明、修行道品依處所故名為焰地；《解深密》《瑜伽》《顯揚》大同此說；《大智度論》則別名增妙地；《十住毘婆沙論》以施戒多聞威德熾盛故名焰地。李通玄《新華嚴經論》另立一軌：前地因定而發故名發光，此地以三十七助道觀門觀身受心法、自性無依而慧加明淨，故名焰慧；他又於善財表法處，以此位所見的普救一切眾生妙德夜神，表三十七道品為三世諸佛教化眾生之助道方便。澄觀則兼收論義與諸家，開初入、地中、地滿三義，而以摩尼放光收於地滿。諸說並存，皆古德成說，誌錄之，不判高下。
所離障之名，古德亦有三傳：依《十地經論》名解法慢障，法藏說第三地聞勝流教法生解起慢、四地翻之故以為障；依梁本《攝論》名微細煩惱共生身見等無明，以法執分別種子為體；依《成唯識論》名微細煩惱現行障。三名並錄不判。
入地句之開合亦有異傳：八十華嚴作「生如來家」，六十華嚴與論經作「於如來家轉有勢力」。澄觀已備會通之說，謂初地已生家、二三地起修方便早有勢力，今依三地多聞成出世智故云轉有。此亦誌錄不判。
本地之文下開兩流。華嚴一軌，於此地取教證相生之義——金喻教成證、摩尼喻證起教，成為賢首家說教證二智相資之經據；李通玄後文論十玄帝網互攝，亦引此地為例。唯識一軌，則以此地為第四地之行位，立微細煩惱現行障、二愚、無攝受真如之配屬，攝大乘論與瑜伽師地論之第四地釋皆承此經而立。一地之文，一邊長成華嚴的教證圓融，一邊長成唯識的斷障證如——而經文自身只說了一句最樸實的話：住此地者，修四念處乃至八正道，依止厭、依止離、依止滅，迴向於捨。
Why It Is Only at This Ground That the Name “Flame” Appears
Each of the three preceding grounds has its own main axis — the first ground weighs resolve, the second discipline, the third concentration. And when concentration has been cultivated to its utmost, a barrier appears that hardly anyone notices: the savor within concentration is too good, and one easily becomes attached to it; the teaching one has heard is understood too smoothly, and conceit easily arises. Chengguan, in judging the reason for the coming of this ground, says it bluntly: the three preceding grounds are lodged in the world, and it is from this ground onward that one is lodged in what transcends the world; and he says further that though on the preceding ground one gained worldly concentration and total retention, one had not yet gained the factors of awakening and had not yet let go of the love of concentration and the love of dharmas — and therefore this ground has to be.
“Flame” is the simile; “wisdom” is the dharma. Vasubandhu’s Shidi jing lun, explaining the name of this ground, attaches it to the simile of the maṇi jewel: realizing wisdom is like a maṇi jewel, and within the light of that jewel there is sent forth the light of the āgama, the teaching, which shines everywhere and shows itself — and so this ground is explained as named Flame. Chengguan follows this and opens three senses: at first entering the ground, realizing wisdom is able to burn the firewood that is the “conceit of understanding the Dharma” left from the preceding ground — that is the first sense; in the midst of the ground one properly cultivates the factors of awakening and the flame of wisdom increases — that is the second sense; and at the fullness of the ground the light of the teaching is sent forth from the maṇi jewel of realizing wisdom — that is the third sense.
One misreading has to be cleared away: “flame” does not refer to any fierceness of a practitioner’s feeling. From beginning to end the sūtra does not have one sentence about excitement; what it speaks of is entirely the four stations of mindfulness, the four right eliminations, the five faculties and the five powers — the plainest contemplative practices there are. The flame is a flame because wisdom is now able to burn; and what it burns is the love of concentration and the love of dharmas, the two subtlest clingings, the two that look most like merit. Brought down to where it is used: when a person has practiced until he feels good about himself for thinking ‘I have real concentration’ and ‘I really understand the Dharma’, that is precisely the illness this ground has to treat.
The Gate by Which the Ground Is Entered: The Ten Gates of Dharma-Light
First a question: on what strength does one step from the third ground to the fourth? The sūtra’s answer is the ten gates of Dharma-light. “Dharma” is the place that is entered; “the gate of light” is the gate by which one is able to enter — Chengguan says that “gate” just means passing in, and that by the shining of the light of wisdom one passes into the Dharma the Buddha has spoken. So these ten gates are not ten new things; they are the teaching one has already heard, swum into one by one and swum into over and over with wisdom; and the swimming in is the practice. The misreading lies in taking “gate of light” for ten technical names to be memorized; in fact they are ten realms one must contemplate one’s own way into. Where it comes down: if the Dharma one has heard stops at being understood, one will never get out of the third ground.
Which ten gates are they? To observe the realm of sentient beings, the Dharma realm, the realm of worlds, the realm of space, the realm of consciousness, the realm of desire, the realm of form, the formless realm, the realm believed in and understood by the vast mind, and the realm believed in and understood by the great mind. Chengguan reads them in three rounds: the first clause is the general one and the remaining nine are the particular ones, because the nine are all matters of sentient beings; the first eight belong to the defiled and the last two to the pure; the first five push from what depends to what is depended upon, and the last five establish what depends upon what is depended upon. He also points out expressly why the first clause stands first — sentient beings are only a name; the merely nominal is of three kinds, established by causes, by continuity, and by mutual dependence; and the nominal is the exposition of emptiness, and therefore it is observed first. The error to be cleared away is to suppose that “observing the realm of sentient beings” means taking a census of how many beings there are; in fact it is to see through the fact that under this name “sentient being” there is no substance at all. As for the last two gates, the faith and understanding of the vast mind is a mind vast enough to succor others as well, and the faith and understanding of the great mind is a mind that guards against the small and seeks the great — and both differ from the two vehicles, the one in not forsaking beings, the other in not taking up the small fruit.
And when the contemplation is full, what then? The sūtra closes the passage itself: by these ten gates of Dharma-light the bodhisattva gains entry to the fourth Flaming-Wisdom Ground. Chengguan puts it more finely: only when the observing is complete and merges with the principle of the ten does it count as entering the ground. Here the notion that ‘entering the ground is something conferred’ must be cleared away — entering the ground is the natural outcome of a ripened contemplative practice, not a rank handed over from outside.
Born into the Family of the Tathāgata: The Ten Wisdoms That Ripen the Dharmas
What does “born into the family of the Tathāgata” mean? The sūtra says that one who dwells on this ground is able, by the ten kinds of wisdom that ripen the dharmas, to gain that inner Dharma and to be born into the family of the Tathāgata. “Inner Dharma” is said by way of marking it off from outward aspect: this Dharma is not what it looks like from outside, it is the very Dharma of teaching and transforming that the Tathāgata has spoken. Chengguan opens the family of the Tathāgata into three — the family of the mind of awakening, into which one is born at the first abode; the family of the great teaching, into which one is born at the fourth abode; and the family of the Dharma realm, into which one is born at the moment of realization on the first ground; and what this ground answers to is the family of the great teaching. The treatise, for its part, says why one is able to turn and be born into it: because the wisdom that depends upon much hearing is brought to its end, and because, doing away with the obstruction to wisdom, one gathers in what is surpassing. The misreading lies in taking “born into the family of the Tathāgata” for a kind of honorary standing; in fact it says this: from now on this person’s mind takes the Buddha’s teaching as its household, and has no other lodging anywhere.
The first of the ten wisdoms: the deep mind that does not turn back. Why do the ten wisdoms begin with “not turning back”? The treatise gathers these ten clauses into four wisdoms, and the first is “the ultimate wisdom regarding one’s own place of abiding” — the bodhisattva’s own place of abiding is the great vehicle, the deep mind’s according with it is what “abiding” means, and “ultimate” is just not turning back. So not turning back is not gritting one’s teeth and holding on; it is that one has already settled where one’s own dwelling is. Where it comes down: the real turning back in practice is not slow progress, it is the mind quietly changing its address.
The second of the ten wisdoms: pure faith in the Three Jewels that in the end cannot be broken. The treatise gathers this as “the ultimate wisdom of revering the Three Jewels alike”, saying that it is realizing that the Three Jewels are of one substance and so completing an unbreakable faith. The error to be cleared away is reading “unbreakable faith” as steadiness of feeling; it is unbreakable because one has seen that the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha were never three outward things at all.
The third and fourth of the ten wisdoms: observing that the formations arise and cease, and observing that the self-nature of dharmas is unarisen. Why are these two raised together? The treatise gathers them as “the wisdom of suchness”, saying they are the two contemplations of the non-self of beings and the non-self of dharmas: it is only the formations, the aggregates and the rest, that arise and cease and flow on, and therefore there is no self of a person; and these dharmas of the aggregates are from the first unarisen, and therefore there is no self of dharmas. The misreading takes arising-and-ceasing and non-arising for a contradiction; in fact the one clause breaks the self of a person and the other the self of dharmas, and they are two faces of one and the same suchness.
The fifth through the tenth of the ten wisdoms: observing the forming and decaying of the world, observing that birth is on account of deeds, observing birth-and-death and nirvāṇa, observing the deeds of beings and of lands, observing the prior limit and the later limit, observing that there is nothing at all to be exhausted. The treatise gathers these six clauses as “the wisdom of what is discerned and declared”, which is to say the wisdom of the teaching — it is called discerning because it knows the conventional truth. Chengguan goes further and matches them with the four truths: the first two clauses are defiled, that is, the dependent and the primary recompense of the truth of suffering; the third clause has both defiled and pure, birth-and-death being origination and nirvāṇa cessation; and the last three are what accords with purification, that is, the truth of the path. Of these, the one most in need of being made plain is the last clause, “observing that there is nothing at all to be exhausted”: the treatise says that in the prior limit and the later limit there is neither lessening nor increasing, that within defiled dharmas not one dharma is seen that could be lessened and within pure dharmas not one that could be increased, and that this is why it is called there being nothing at all to be exhausted. The error to be cleared away is taking “exhausted” to mean wiped out; it says rather that neither the mark of increase nor the mark of decrease can be got at. Where it comes down: the calculation practitioners most often fall into is reckoning up how much their afflictions have decreased and how much their merit has increased — and this contemplation treats exactly that illness.
The Practice of Properly Abiding on the Ground: The Thirty-Seven Factors of Awakening
Why must a bodhisattva of the great vehicle cultivate dharmas that look like the small vehicle’s? The treatise divides the countering done on this ground into two: first, the practice that guards against the defilement of the afflictions; second, the practice that guards against the small vehicle. What the guarding against the defilement of the afflictions relies upon is precisely the cultivating of the factors of awakening. So the factors of the path are not the property of the small vehicle; they are the common dharma of every practice of going forth from suffering. As for how it is guaranteed that cultivating them will not fall into the small vehicle, the sūtra has a separate set of ten clauses of purpose to mark that off (see the next section). The misreading is that ‘the great vehicle need not cultivate the factors of the path’ — and that this ground lists all thirty-seven of them without omitting one is precisely the refutation.
The four stations of mindfulness · the station of the body. The sūtra says that he observes the inner body, the outer body, and the inner and outer body, observing them along the body, diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, removing covetousness and grief with respect to the world. “Observing along the body” is observing in accordance with the body’s own character — not imagining, not evaluating. Inner is one’s own body, outer is another’s, and inner and outer is observing both. The error to be cleared away is reading the stations of mindfulness as a loathing of the body; the closing clause of the sūtra is “removing covetousness and grief with respect to the world” — both covetousness and grief are removed, from which one can see that what it treats is the mind that takes up and rejects, not the body.
The four stations of mindfulness · the station of feeling. He observes inner feelings, outer feelings, and inner and outer feelings, observing them along feeling. Feeling is the immediate sensation of pain, pleasure, or neither. What matters in this contemplation is this: to see that a feeling is a feeling, and not to splice it on into ‘I am suffering’ or ‘I am happy’. Where it comes down: when emotion rises, being able to stop at ‘this is a feeling’ means that covetousness and grief have nothing to splice onto.
The four stations of mindfulness · the station of the mind. He observes the inner mind, the outer mind, and the inner and outer mind, observing them along the mind. The mind flows on thought after thought, and observing it is watching it come and go without chasing it. The misreading is to want to contemplate the mind into emptiness; in fact one only sees its arising and ceasing as they are.
The four stations of mindfulness · the station of dharmas. He observes inner dharmas, outer dharmas, and inner and outer dharmas, observing them along dharmas. The dharmas here are all the dharmas that mind and feeling take as their objects. Taken together the four stations of mindfulness are one complete road: body, feeling, mind, and dharmas, from the coarse to the fine, taking “I” apart the whole way down.
The four right eliminations · the two clauses on cutting off evil. With regard to evil and unwholesome dharmas not yet arisen, that they may not arise, and with regard to evil and unwholesome dharmas already arisen, that they may be cut off, in both cases one gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets the mind on right elimination. Note that “zeal” here is the zeal for wholesome dharmas, not covetousness; without zeal there is no motive force. The misreading is to suppose that practice means being without any zeal at all.
The four right eliminations · the two clauses on cultivating good. With regard to wholesome dharmas not yet arisen, that they may arise, and with regard to wholesome dharmas already arisen, that they may abide and not be lost and by cultivation be made to increase and spread, in both cases one gives rise to zeal, produces diligent vigor, and sets the mind on right conduct. The reason the four right eliminations are a matter of “diligence” is that each of the two sides, evil and good, has the two states of already arisen and not yet arisen, and all four corners must be looked after. Where it comes down: to cut off evil without growing good, or to do good deeds without guarding against evil, is in either case to have done only half.
The four bases of supernormal power. The sūtra lists four practices of elimination accomplished through concentration — the concentration of zeal, of vigor, of mind, and of contemplation — by which the base of supernormal power is accomplished. The base of supernormal power is the foot of accord with wish; the sūtra as cited in the treatise has “factor of accord with wish”. The difference among the four lies in the leading power by which one enters concentration: with zeal as the leader, with vigor as the leader, with mind as the leader, with the wisdom of contemplation as the leader. The error to be cleared away is reading the base of supernormal power as a display of supernormal powers; it means that the power of concentration has become handy and free, according with one’s wish.
The five faculties. The faculty of faith, of vigor, of mindfulness, of concentration, and of wisdom. A faculty means what is able to give birth — once these five have taken root, wholesome dharmas can grow. The sequence is meant: faith gives birth to vigor, vigor to mindfulness, mindfulness to concentration, concentration to wisdom.
The five powers. The power of faith, of vigor, of mindfulness, of concentration, and of wisdom. They share the names of the five faculties but stand at a different place: the faculties are what has arisen, the powers are what cannot be broken. The misreading takes the five faculties and the five powers for a repetition; in fact the one speaks of their arising and the other of their being accomplished.
The seven factors of awakening. Mindfulness, the discernment of dharmas, vigor, joy, ease, concentration, and equanimity, the seven factors of awakening. Ease is pliancy of body and mind. These seven are the limbs present when awakening is present, and they also have a regulating use: when the mind is agitated one uses ease, concentration, and equanimity; when it is sunken one uses the discernment of dharmas, vigor, and joy. Where it comes down: when practice does not go well, the trouble is often that the medicine has been mismatched.
The eightfold right path. Right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right vigor, right mindfulness, and right concentration. The eight have right view at their head and right concentration at their end, and in the middle they contain the three limbs of speech, action, and livelihood — from which one can see that this path is not only on the sitting cushion but also in speaking, in doing, and in making a living.
The closing clause of the five sets from the bases of supernormal power onward: relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, dedicating it toward equanimity. Among the seven sets, the five sets of the bases of supernormal power, the faculties, the powers, the factors of awakening, and the branches of the path each close with “relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity”; the two sets of the stations of mindfulness and the right eliminations do not have these four clauses. These four clauses are the easiest thing here to read past. Disgust is disgust at birth-and-death, dispassion is being free of desire, cessation is heading for stillness — and in these first three clauses there is no difference from what the two vehicles cultivate. What matters is the fourth clause, “dedicating it toward equanimity”: what is cultivated does not halt at stillness, but is dedicated toward equanimity. The error to be cleared away is reading “equanimity” as giving up; the equanimity of this ground is not abiding in the fruit gained through disgust and dispassion. This clause is precisely the watershed between the factors of the path of the great vehicle and the factors of the path of the two vehicles.
The Ten Purposes for Which the Factors of the Path Are Cultivated: What Keeps One from Falling into the Small Vehicle
Cultivating the same factors of the path, how is it guaranteed that one does not turn into a follower of the two vehicles? The sūtra at once lists ten clauses of purpose: for the sake of not forsaking any sentient being, being upheld by the original vow, having great compassion go before, having great kindness accomplished, keeping in mind the wisdom of omniscience, accomplishing the adorning of a buddha-land, accomplishing the Tathāgata’s powers and fearlessnesses and exclusive dharmas of a buddha and marks and signs and voice all complete, seeking the surpassing path higher and higher, according with the most profound liberation of a buddha that has been heard of, and pondering the skillful means of great wisdom. The treatise judges this passage to be “the practice that guards against the small vehicle”. From which one sees that what marks the difference is not the practice itself but what it is done for — one and the same four stations of mindfulness, with a different raising of the mind, brings a different fruit. The misreading is to suppose that the great vehicle must cultivate some other set of dharmas; where it comes down: in examining one’s own practice, one need not first ask what dharma is being cultivated — ask first for whom this dharma is being cultivated.
Leaving the View of a Body Behind, and the Sifting of Deeds and Practices
Which kind of clinging is it that this ground departs from? The sūtra says that all the clingings that begin with the view of a body and arise with respect to self, person, sentient being, life-span, the aggregates, the elements, and the sense-bases, emerging and submerging as one reckons and calculates, are departed from by contemplating what counters them. The order here is worth noticing: the view of a body stands first, while the rest — self, person, sentient being, life-span — are named with respect to persons, and the aggregates, the elements, and the sense-bases are named with respect to dharmas; in one sentence both the clinging to a person and the clinging to dharmas are gathered in. The sūtra also lists four places of clinging: by reason of contemplating what counters them, by reason of what is mine, by reason of goods and property, by reason of the place clung to. The error to be cleared away is taking the view of a body for the coarse clinging to a self; what this ground departs from is the innate and fine grade, the thing that only the stage of cultivation can move at all.
How are deeds to be sifted? The sūtra says that if one sees that a deed is one the Tathāgata has rebuked and is defiled by the afflictions, one relinquishes it altogether; and that if one sees that a deed accords with the bodhisattva path and is one the Tathāgata has praised, one cultivates it altogether. Chengguan points out two reasons here: not doing deeds defiled by the afflictions is what differs from the ordinary person; doing deeds that accord with the bodhisattva path is what differs from the two vehicles. The misreading is to read this sentence as ordinary keeping of the precepts; it is in fact a description of how, the afflictions once gone, deeds turn along with them of themselves — the contemplative practice comes first, and only then such a clean taking up and setting down.
From Practice to Virtue: The Ten States of Mind · The Ten Virtues · The Three Accomplishments · The Ten Kinds of Vigor · The Marks of Virtue at the Fullness of the Ground
Where do the ten states of mind come from? The sūtra says that this bodhisattva, according to the wisdom of skillful means that arises in him, cultivates the path and the portions that aid the path, and thereupon gains the mind that moistens, the pliant mind, the well-tempered mind, the mind of benefit and ease, the mind free of defilement, the mind that seeks the Dharma higher and higher, the mind that seeks surpassing wisdom, the mind that rescues all the world, the mind that reveres those of virtue and does not go against their instruction, and the mind that cultivates well whatever Dharma it has heard. Chengguan says that the first clause is the general one and the remaining nine are the particular ones; that the general clause, “moistening”, has the sense of deep longing, love, and reverence; that pliancy is the excellence of delighting in practice and being well tempered is the excellence of sovereignty in samādhi, these two being the substance of the practice, while the seven clauses that follow are the countering of faults, which is the function of the practice. The error to be cleared away is taking these ten states of mind for ten emotions; they are the actual shapes taken in the mind by the two practices, the path and the aids to the path.
The ten virtues of knowing gratitude and of pliancy. The sūtra says that this bodhisattva knows gratitude and knows how to repay it, that his mind is exceedingly gentle and good, that he dwells with others in ease, that he is plain and upright and pliant, that he has no conduct of the dense thicket, that he has no conceit of self, that he is good at receiving instruction, and that he grasps the intent of one who expounds. Chengguan’s gloss on “conduct without the dense thicket” is especially concrete: with respect to the robes and food he makes use of, before the donor he does not conceal his own faults — the dense thicket being a figure for crooked covering and hiding. And the difference between “grasping the intent of one who expounds” and “being good at receiving instruction” is this: the one is being able to take in what is said, the other is being able to get hold of what is meant. Where it comes down: this whole set of virtues lies between one person and another, from which one can see that the realization of a bodhisattva on the grounds shows itself first in how he deals with people.
The three accomplishments. The sūtra says that thus forbearance is accomplished, thus pliancy is accomplished, thus stillness is accomplished, and then states them together — forbearance, pliancy, and stillness accomplished. Chengguan sums up the ten preceding clauses with these three forbearances. The error to be cleared away is reading “stillness” as immobility; here it says that the afflictions do not arise.
The ten kinds of vigor. Not resting, free of defilement, not turning back, vast, boundless, blazing, equal to the unequalled, unbreakable, ripening all sentient beings, and discerning well the path from what is not the path. Chengguan says that the first clause is the general one and the other nine are the particular ones, and of these he glosses “free of defilement” most finely of all: the practice of vigor must flow evenly, and defiled means shared with indolence and shared with attachment — attachment then goes too far and indolence falls short, like a lute-string too tight or too slack, and only neither pressing on nor slackening is the even flow. Where it comes down: the illness of practice is not only sloth, it is also haste; haste too is defilement.
The marks of virtue at the fullness of the ground. The sūtra lists the realm of the mind pure, the deep mind not lost, awakening and understanding clear and keen, roots of goodness increasing, distance from the defilement of the world, every doubt cut off, clarity and decisiveness complete, joy and bliss filling him, the buddhas guarding and keeping him in mind, and measureless resolve and delight all accomplished. Chengguan says that this is “the fruit that is the fullness of the original realm of the mind”: the mind of the factors of awakening is the original realm of the mind, and because one is rightly mindful of suchness and cultivates the factors of the path higher up, it is said to be full — and what makes that fullness possible is the vigor that came before. The misreading is to take these ten clauses for a reward; they are the fruit of what went before, not something added from outside.
The Fruit of Pliancy: Seeing Buddhas, Going Forth, and Two Similes
Why should the marks at the fullness of the ground be spoken of beginning from ‘seeing buddhas’? The sūtra says that one who dwells on this ground, by the power of his vow, gets to see many buddhas, on up to many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddhas, and that to all of them he is reverent and respectful, serving and making offerings, offering up robes, bedding, food and drink, and medicines and every furnishing that sustains life, and making offerings to the Saṅgha as well, and with these roots of goodness dedicating and directing them toward unsurpassed awakening. The error to be cleared away is treating the seeing of buddhas as a tally of merit; the weight of the sūtra’s sentence is on “by the power of his vow” — how many buddhas one sees is what the measure of the vow calls forth, not something exchanged for hours of practice.
Hearing the Dharma and going forth. The sūtra says that in the presence of those buddhas he reverently hears the Dharma, and having heard it upholds it and cultivates it completely; and further that within the Dharma of those buddhas he goes forth and cultivates the path, and cultivates his deep faith and understanding still further. Chengguan points out here a nicety of arrangement: the three preceding grounds are lodged in common with the world, and since on the first two grounds one is a human king there is text about going forth, while on the third one is a heaven king and there is none; from the fourth ground upward one is lodged at the head of what transcends the world, and therefore the text about going forth appears again, symbolizing that the mind goes forth. Where it comes down: the going forth here is not a judgment of outward form, it is that the mind no longer takes the world as its home.
The simile of the goldsmith refining gold. The sūtra says that it is like a goldsmith who refines true gold and makes of it an ornament, which all the rest of the gold cannot come up to; and that the roots of goodness of a bodhisattva dwelling on this ground are such that the roots of goodness of the lower grounds cannot come up to them. The treatise attaches this simile to “the teaching brought to completion as realization”: the true gold figures the teaching heard on the preceding ground, and the making of it into an ornament figures its being made now into realizing wisdom on this one. So the eye of this simile is not that gold is precious but that ‘it has now been made into a vessel’ — the same gold, unworked and worked, is not the same thing. The first ground also uses a gold simile, and what it says is putting it into the fire again and again so that it turns ever brighter and purer; by this ground the heat has reached the point of making a vessel.
The simile of the maṇi jewel. The sūtra says that it is like the pure orb of light of a maṇi jewel, able to send forth radiance, which the other jewels cannot come up to and which wind and rain and such conditions cannot damage; and that a bodhisattva dwelling on this ground is such that the bodhisattvas of the lower grounds cannot come up to him and the hosts of Māra and the afflictions cannot damage him. The treatise attaches this simile to “the teaching raised out of realization” — realizing wisdom is like the maṇi, and within the light of the jewel the light of the teaching is sent forth, shining everywhere and showing itself; and it is just in this that the name of this ground as Flame consists. Chengguan takes apart three of the words in the simile besides: being without stain is named pure, being still and illumining is named light, being full is named orb, and only when all three senses are furnished does it deserve the name of realizing wisdom. The error to be cleared away is taking the two similes for a repeated compliment; the one simile says the teaching brought to completion as realization and the other the teaching raised out of realization — their directions are exactly opposite, and only put together do they give the whole aspect of this ground.
Cultivation by Portion · The Concluding Name · The Body of the Fruit of Recompense
Why must the four means of gathering and the ten perfections be spoken of as preeminent? The sūtra says that among the four means of gathering this bodhisattva has the sharing of tasks preeminent and among the ten perfections vigor preeminent, and that the rest are not uncultivated, only that they follow his strength and his portion. The error to be cleared away is to suppose that on this ground only these two are cultivated; the four words “the rest are not uncultivated” have already blocked that misreading in advance. Preeminence says where the aspect of this ground shows itself — the sharing of tasks is sharing in the tasks of sentient beings, and vigor is that from which the flame of wisdom of this ground blazes up. Li Tongxuan too says that on this ground the perfection of vigor is foremost and the other nine are its companions.
The concluding name. The sūtra says: this is what is called a summary account of the bodhisattva-mahāsattva’s fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom. The two words “summary account” belong to the arrangement shared by all ten grounds — what is spoken is only a small portion of the aspects of practice of this ground.
The body of the fruit of recompense: he mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven. The sūtra says that a bodhisattva dwelling on this ground mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven, able by good means to remove from sentient beings the view of a body and such delusions and to establish them in right view. The correspondence here is very much to be seen: what he himself departs from on this very ground is the view of a body, and so what the station of the fruit he calls forth does is precisely to remove the view of a body for beings. The misreading is to take the station of a heaven king for the enjoyment of merit; it is the outward showing of the aspect of practice.
The four means of gathering do not depart from the three recollections. The sūtra says that in all the deeds of giving, kindly speech, beneficial conduct, and the sharing of tasks, he does not depart from keeping the Buddha in mind, does not depart from keeping the Dharma in mind, does not depart from keeping the Saṅgha in mind, on up to not departing from keeping in mind the complete possession of every mode and the wisdom of omniscience. This is a fixed formula shared by all ten grounds, and what matters in it are the words “does not depart”: the wider what one does, the less the tethering of the mind may be lost.
The vow-mind of advancing beyond. The sūtra says that the bodhisattva further thinks in this way: I should be, among all sentient beings, the foremost, the excellent, the surpassing, the wondrous, the subtly wondrous, the high, the unsurpassed, on up to being the place of reliance for the wisdom of omniscience. The error to be cleared away is reading this string of “being excellent” as a mind that contends for excellence; the last clause, “being the place of reliance for the wisdom of omniscience”, has already made it plain — the high station sought is sought so that beings may have somewhere to rely.
The number of the spiritual transformations at the fullness of the ground. The sūtra says that if he rouses diligent vigor, then in a single moment of thought he gains entry to koṭis of samādhis, sees koṭis of buddhas, knows the spiritual power of koṭis of buddhas, shakes koṭis of worlds, on up to manifesting koṭis of bodies, each body having koṭis of bodhisattvas as its retinue; and that if by a surpassing power of vow he manifests sovereignly, then it surpasses this number, and a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, on up to hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of kalpas could not reckon and know it. The first ground has “a hundred” and this ground has “a koṭi” — increasing ground by ground, which is the way of measuring shared by all ten grounds. And the last clause matters still more: what the power of vow manifests surpasses this number, and the number cannot be known. From which one sees that quantity is only a marker, not a ceiling.
How the Verses in Repetition Match the Prose
The verses in repetition are seventeen, and Chengguan divides them into three: the first twelve repeat the practice of the station, the next four the fruit of the station, and the last one shows the name and concludes the exposition. What the prose has already taught, the verses only match up with and do not teach over again — the verse “the bodhisattva has purified the third ground” matches the ten gates of Dharma-light; the two verses “no sooner has he mounted the Flaming Ground than his strength increases” and “he observes the forming and decaying of the world and that birth is on account of deeds” match the ten wisdoms and the birth into the family of the Tathāgata; the verse “having gained these dharmas, his kindness and pity increase” matches the four stations of mindfulness; the verse “the bodhisattva cultivates the four practices of right diligence” matches, in general, everything from the four right eliminations to the eightfold right path; the two verses from “to deliver sentient beings he cultivates those practices” onward match the ten purposes; the verse “the afflicted conduct that the Tathāgata rebukes” matches the sifting of deeds and practices; the verse “revering those of virtue, he cultivates the right Dharma” matches the knowing of gratitude and pliancy; the verse “the bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground” matches the marks of virtue at the fullness of the ground; the verse “the bodhisattva of this ground is the most excellent among humans” matches the seeing of buddhas, the going forth, and the gold simile; the verse “the bodhisattva dwelling here has merit complete” matches the maṇi simile; the verse “dwelling on this ground he mostly becomes a king of the Flaming Heaven” matches the body of the fruit of recompense; the verse “the bodhisattva applies himself to the power of vigor” matches the spiritual transformations at the fullness of the ground; and the last verse shows the name and concludes the exposition.
Two places in the verses are not in the prose, and must be spoken of separately. The first, “the sixty-two that begin with the view of a body”. The prose lists only the view of a body, self, person, sentient being, life-span, the aggregates, the elements, and the sense-bases, and marks out no number; the verse points directly to sixty-two. Why sixty-two? Because once the view of a body is set up, a net of views of every kind unfolds along the three times and along the extremes of existence and non-existence, and sixty-two is the name for their total. The error to be cleared away is taking the sixty-two views for sixty-two dogmas that must be broken one by one; the verse says “in this fourth ground all of them are left behind”, and what is left behind is the root that gives birth to the net of views — the view of a body. Where it comes down: entanglements at the level of opinion mostly need not be cleared away item by item; go back to the root, and to leave it is to have finished with them all.
The second, “setting his aim upon receiving the consecration, to deliver sentient beings”. The prose says that the ten states of mind are complete and that he seeks the buddha path single-mindedly, and says nothing of receiving the consecration; the verse says that he sets his aim upon receiving it. Receiving the consecration means receiving the station of a buddha when the tenth ground is about to be full, and its appearing here in the verses of the fourth ground is meant to mark out how far the measure of his mind reaches — he has only just mounted the fourth ground, and already what he aims at is the consecration. The error to be cleared away is reading this as an overreaching fantasy; the next line of the verse is “to deliver sentient beings”, from which one sees that what is aimed at is not the station but what can be done from it.
Reading Against the Consciousness-Only Mirror: The Flaming-Wisdom Ground and the Suchness Without Any Taking In
This ground has a strictly matched counterpart in the consciousness-only line. The Cheng weishi lun lists the fourth ground as the Flaming-Wisdom Ground and explains that, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, one burns the firewood of the afflictions and the flame of wisdom increases — and both Fazang and Chengguan cite this as their principal ground when explaining the name. The obstruction that line establishes for this ground is named the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions, meaning the innate portion within the obstruction to the knowable, the view of a body and the rest that accompany the sixth consciousness; it is called subtle because it is of the lowest grade, is not attended to as an object, and operates actively at a far remove — and this answers, sentence for sentence, to the passage of this ground about “all the clingings that begin with the view of a body”. The follies cut off are two: the folly of the love of the attainments, that is, savoring the eight concentrations, and the folly of the love of dharmas, that is, the conceit of understanding the Dharma — and Chengguan says expressly that these two are the illnesses of the love of concentration and the love of dharmas from the preceding ground, and that therefore this ground cannot treat them except by cultivating the factors of awakening. The suchness realized is named the suchness without any taking in, which Chengguan glosses as this suchness being attached to nothing and not being what the clinging to self and the rest depend upon and take up; and he adds a sentence of the greatest weight — gaining this suchness, where would any love of concentration or of dharmas still be? — so that one is able to accomplish the practice of the factors of awakening and the practice of the path of non-abiding, vigorous and not turning back. The She dacheng lun, where it assigns the ten grounds, has for the fourth ground precisely “by reason of the sense of being without any taking in” — the same axis. The Yuqie shidi lun, in the Bodhisattva Stage, names this ground as expounded at length in the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds under the Flaming-Wisdom Ground, and says that the wisdom of the teaching shines and illumines and therefore it is named Flaming Wisdom; and in the Section of Ascertainment it says further that the wisdom regarding the afflictions is like a flame of fire, and therefore the fourth is named Flaming Wisdom. Holding the two mirrors up together, one can see clearly: what the Huayan side speaks of is how wisdom burns and how the teaching is raised out of realization, while what the consciousness-only side speaks of is the folly cut off, the obstruction departed from, and the suchness realized — the one side speaks of the strength of the fire, the other of what firewood is burning.
Lineage
The meaning of this ground has been transmitted by the ancient worthies along several tracks, recorded side by side without adjudication. As to the explanation of the name, Fazang’s Tanxuan ji lists nine authorities under the gate of the explanation of the name for this ground: Vasubandhu’s Cheng weishi lun establishes the name by abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening and burning the firewood of the afflictions so that the flame of wisdom increases; Asaṅga’s She lun establishes it by the factors of awakening burning up every obstruction; Asvabhāva’s explanation, by there being flaming wisdom on this ground and therefore its being named the Flaming Ground; Vasubandhu’s explanation of the She lun, by being able to burn all the root afflictions and derivative afflictions and reduce them to ashes; the Zhuangyan lun, by taking the wisdom of the factors of awakening as the self-nature of the flame and the twofold obstruction of delusion and of the knowable as the self-nature of the firewood, the bodhisattva of this ground being able to raise a flaming wisdom that burns the firewood of the two obstructions; the Jinguangming, by being able to burn the afflictions and by the fire of wisdom increasing the radiance, and by its being the place upon which the cultivating of the factors of the path depends, and so being named the Flaming Ground; the Jieshenmi, the Yuqie, and the Xianyang say much the same; the Dazhidu lun gives it the separate name of the Ground of Increasing Excellence; and the Shizhu piposha lun names it the Flaming Ground because giving, discipline, and much hearing blaze up in awesome virtue. Li Tongxuan’s Xin Huayan jing lun sets up another track: the preceding ground arose by reason of concentration and is therefore named Luminous, while this ground, by the thirty-seven gates of contemplation that aid the path, observes body, feeling, mind, and dharmas, and the self-nature being without support the wisdom grows brighter and purer, and so is named Flaming Wisdom; and he further, at the place of Sudhana’s symbolic reading, takes the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Universally Rescues All Sentient Beings, seen at this station, as symbolizing the thirty-seven factors of the path as the aiding skillful means by which the buddhas of the three times teach and transform sentient beings. Chengguan for his part gathers in both the sense of the treatise and the various authorities, opening the three senses of first entering, the midst of the ground, and the fullness of the ground, and gathering the maṇi jewel sending forth light under the fullness of the ground. All these accounts stand together; all are settled accounts of the ancient worthies, and they are recorded without adjudging one higher or lower.
The name of the obstruction departed from has likewise been transmitted by the ancient worthies in three forms: following the Shidi jing lun it is named the obstruction of the conceit of understanding the Dharma, Fazang saying that on the third ground one hears the teaching that flows down from the surpassing, gives rise to understanding, and so raises conceit, and that the fourth ground reverses this; following the Liang recension of the She lun it is named the ignorance of the view of a body and the rest arising together with subtle afflictions, having for its substance the seeds of the discriminated clinging to dharmas; following the Cheng weishi lun it is named the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions. The three names are recorded side by side without adjudication.
The expansion and compression in the sentence on entering the ground has also been transmitted in divergent forms: the eighty-fascicle Avataṃsaka has “born into the family of the Tathāgata”, while the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka and the sūtra as cited in the treatise have “within the family of the Tathāgata he turns to have strength”. Chengguan has already furnished a reconciling account, saying that on the first ground one was already born into the family, that on the second and third grounds one set about cultivating skillful means and had strength early on, and that now, on the strength of the much hearing of the third ground, world-transcending wisdom is completed, and therefore it says that he turns to have it. This too is recorded without adjudication.
The text of this ground opens out into two streams. On the Huayan track, what is taken from this ground is the sense of teaching and realization giving rise to one another — the gold simile for the teaching brought to completion as realization and the maṇi simile for the teaching raised out of realization — and this became the scriptural ground for the Xianshou house’s doctrine that the two wisdoms of teaching and realization aid one another; and Li Tongxuan, in the later part of his treatise where he discusses the ten mysteries and the mutual containment of Indra’s net, also cites this ground as an example. On the consciousness-only track, this ground is taken as the station of practice of the fourth ground, and upon it are established the assignments of the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions, the two follies, and the suchness without any taking in; the explanations of the fourth ground in the She dacheng lun and the Yuqie shidi lun alike are established upon this sūtra. The text of a single ground: on one side it grows into the Huayan perfect interfusion of teaching and realization, on the other into the consciousness-only cutting off of obstructions and realizing of suchness — while the sūtra itself has said only one thing, and that the plainest of all: one who dwells on this ground cultivates the four stations of mindfulness on up to the eightfold right path, relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity.
考據Apparatus
第四地＝出世之首、慧增上之始：前三地寄世間（意樂·戒·定），自此而下明慧增上。以十法明門入地，以十智成熟法「生如來家」，正修三十七菩提分法而「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」；離身見等所起執著（重頌別舉六十二見）；金師鍊金喻教成證、摩尼放光喻從證起教——「焰」之名即由此立。十波羅蜜中精進偏多，四攝中同事偏多，果報多作須夜摩天王。
一、科判定位
| 科判系統 | 此地之位 |
|---|---|
| 底本 T279 三十九品 | 品二十六 十地品（第六會 他化自在天宮）；第四地 焰慧地＝〔T10 0189b20–0191a19〕 |
| 世親《十地經論》 | 「十地經論焰地第四卷之六」〔T26n1522 0159b10〕；本地四分＝清淨對治修行增長因分·清淨分·對治修行增長分·彼果分〔0159b15–17〕 |
| 澄觀《華嚴經疏》 | 「第四焰慧地。所以來者」〔T35n1735 0788c22〕起，迄「第五難勝地。所以來者」〔0795b20〕前；正釋文三分＝讚請·正說·重頌〔0789a27–28〕 |
| 法藏《探玄記》（六十華嚴疏） | 「第四焰地中亦七門，同前」〔T35n1733 0333a10–11〕；結段「釋第四地竟」〔0337b13〕 |
| 李通玄《新華嚴經論》 | 「焰慧地第四焰慧地」〔T36n1739 0890c07〕起，五門如前 |
來意——澄觀舉四說並陳，皆明「慧增上」之次第：
「第四焰慧地。所以來者，《瑜伽》七十八引《解深密》明四種清淨能攝諸地。前三即意樂、戒、定增上三清淨訖，此下第四訖於佛地，明慧增上，故次來也。」〔T35n1735 0788c22–25〕
「又前地雖得世定總持，而未能得菩提分法，捨於定愛及與法愛，今修證彼行，故次來也。」〔T35n1735 0788c27–29〕
「若依本論，前三寄世間，今此出世，次第故來。」〔T35n1735 0788c29–0789a01〕
論之總標即澄觀所引之「本論」句：
「第四焰地，依彼淨三昧聞持如實智淨顯示故。此地差別有四分：一、清淨對治修行增長因分；二、清淨分；三、對治修行增長分；四、彼果分。」〔T26n1522 0159b14–17〕
四分即四道——澄觀以唯識四道會之：「又此四分，即加行、無間、解脫、勝進四道。」〔T35n1735 0789b10–11〕又「初一入心、後三住心。出心在調柔果。」〔0789b11–12〕
重頌科——「第三重頌，有十七頌，分三：初十二頌頌位行、次四頌位果、後一顯名結說。」〔T35n1735 0795b15–16〕
說者——本地敘事骨架同前三地：偈頌讚請（經家序述·自在天王請·解脫月請）→「爾時，金剛藏菩薩告解脫月菩薩言」→長行正說→「爾時，金剛藏菩薩欲重宣其義而說頌言」→重頌。澄觀判讚請六偈：「今初，六偈分二：初二偈半集經者序述……後三偈半正明讚請，於中初二偈半天王請、後一眾首請。」〔T35n1735 0789a28–0789b02〕本地無如來加分、無金剛藏辭讓段（〔查無〕·三昧加請諸分在序請分，參見本帙〈序·請分〉）。
二、術語
| 漢 | 古德傳梵（羅馬字·發音輔助） | 所徵 | 精義 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 焰慧地 | —（音寫從闕；60 譯作焰地·《智論》名增妙地） | 本品「欲入第四焰慧地」〔T10n0279 0189c05〕 | 澄觀：「言焰慧者，法喻雙舉」〔T35n1735 0789a03–04〕——慧為法、焰為喻 |
| 十法明門 | — | 本品「當修行十法明門」〔T10n0279 0189c06〕 | 論經名「十法明入」〔T26n1522 0159b21〕；澄觀：「門即通入之義……明為能入之門，法為所入之處」〔T35n1735 0789b17–18〕 |
| 如來家 | — | 本品「得彼內法，生如來家」 | 澄觀開三家：菩提心家·大教家·法界家〔T35n1735 0790a12–14〕；本地當「大教家」（四住即生） |
| 菩提分法（道品） | — | 本品四念處至八正道三十七法 | 論：「何者護煩惱染？修行菩提分法故。」〔T26n1522 0160a25〕 |
| 循身觀·勤勇念知 | — | 本品「觀內身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂」 | 四念處之經文定式；60 作「精勤一心」〔T09n0278 0553c22–23〕 |
| 神足（如意足） | — | 本品「修行欲定斷行，成就神足」 | 論經作「修行四如意分」〔T26n1522 0160b09–10〕 |
| 迴向於捨 | — | 本品道品每句之收句 | 論同作「迴向於捨」〔T26n1522 0160b10〕；60 作「迴向涅槃」〔T09n0278 0554a03–05〕 |
| 阿含（教）· 證智 | — | 論釋二喻之眼〔T26n1522 0162c18–23〕 | 阿含＝所聞之教法；證智＝地上親證之智。金喻「以教成證」·摩尼喻「從證起教」（澄觀語〔T35n1735 0795b06–08〕） |
| 無稠林行 | — | 本品「無稠林行」 | 澄觀：「四無稠林行者，依受用衣食，於施主所自過不覆故。」〔T35n1735 0794c07–08〕 |
| 須夜摩天王 | 夜摩＝yāma（音寫即古傳） | 本品「多作須夜摩天王」 | 本地調柔果報位；60 作「多作夜摩王」〔T09n0278 0555a23〕 |
| 那由他 | nayuta（音寫即古傳） | 本品「多百千億那由他佛」 | 大數名 |
| 六十二見 | — | 重頌「身見為首六十二」〔T10n0279 0190c29 一帶〕 | 頌獨有之數目——長行但列身見·我·人·眾生·壽命·蘊·界·處，未標六十二 |
三、譬喻·修辭
(一) 金師鍊治真金作莊嚴具喻——「譬如金師鍊治真金作莊嚴具，餘所有金皆不能及；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住於此地所有善根，下地善根所不能及。」（本品長行）：
- 喻依：金師取真金鍊治，作成莊嚴之具；其餘未作具之金不能相及。
- 喻體：住此地之善根，下地善根所不能及。
- 所顯義：論繫此喻於「教成證」：「真金作莊嚴具譬者，喻阿含現作證智莊嚴，示現得證智故」〔T26n1522 0162c18–20〕；澄觀承之：「金莊嚴具者，以三地阿含金，現作此四地證智嚴具故。餘所有金者，即未作嚴具之金。」〔T35n1735 0795b03–05〕
- 與初地同喻異階：初地作「金師善巧鍊金，數數入火」（喻善根轉轉明淨），此地作「鍊治真金作莊嚴具」（喻教成證智）——同一金喻，火候一地深過一地。
(二) 摩尼寶清淨光輪喻——「如摩尼寶清淨光輪能放光明，非諸餘寶之所能及，風雨等緣悉不能壞」（本品長行）：
- 喻依：摩尼寶生光，清淨光輪能放光明，餘寶不奪，風雨不滅。
- 喻體：住此地者下地菩薩所不能及，眾魔煩惱悉不能壞。
- 所顯義：此喻即「焰」名之所出。論曰：「摩尼寶生光明喻者，彼證智法明摩尼寶光中放阿含光明，入無量法門義光明智處普照示現。以是義故，此地釋名為焰。」〔T26n1522 0162c21–23〕又釋喻中三字：「生光者，有光明具足故。清淨光輪者，光明圓滿無垢故。」〔0162c26–27〕
- 澄觀開為證智三義：「摩尼寶珠即證智體，無垢名淨、寂照名光、圓滿名輪，具上三義故稱證智。」〔T35n1735 0795b08–09〕又：「證能普照示現於教，得教光明，依證起焰，故地名焰慧。」〔0795b12–13〕
(三) 焰／薪之喻（地名喻·諸論共用）——以菩提分慧為焰、以煩惱惑智二障為薪；《莊嚴論》語見目六。澄觀繫所燒之惑：「然所燒煩惱，即所離微細煩惱現行障，謂所知障中俱生一分，亦攝定愛法愛。」〔T35n1735 0789a18–20〕
(四) 琴絃急緩喻（澄觀釋「不雜染精進」之疏家喻·非經文）——
「別有九種不休息義：一不雜染者，彼精進行平等流注故。雜染者，共懈怠、共染故，染則著而太過、懈則墮而不及，若琴絃之急緩，若不進不怠為平等流。」〔T35n1735 0794c18–22〕
(五) 60 譯之寶喻對句——「如真金莊嚴，餘金所不及」〔T09n0278 0555a17〕·「如真妙明珠，不為水雨敗」〔0555a21〕：60 重頌以二寶喻對舉，80 重頌作「不可沮壞如真金」〔0191a11〕·「譬如妙寶無能壞」〔0191a13〕。
四、異譯對勘
本單元要句之漢譯校本：實叉難陀 T279（底本）· 佛馱跋陀羅 T278（晉譯六十華嚴·十地品第二十二·第四焰地〔T09n0278 0553c08–0555c09〕）· 世親《十地經論》T1522 牒經（別行《十地經》文·菩提流支等譯·焰地卷之六〔T26n1522 0159b10–0163a01〕）。
句一 入地起句
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 菩薩摩訶薩第三地善清淨已，欲入第四焰慧地，當修行十法明門 | 本品長行首句 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 摩訶薩淨三地已，欲得第四地，當以十法明門 | T09n0278 0553c08–09 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 若菩薩得第三菩薩地具足清淨明已，欲得第四菩薩地者，當以十法明入得入第四地 | T26n1522 0159b19–22 |
異文所繫：(甲) 80「修行十法明門」↔ 60「以十法明門」↔ 論經「以十法明入」（門／入之異——澄觀即據此釋「門即通入之義，故論經名入」〔T35n1735 0789b17〕）。(乙) 80 呼地名全稱「第四焰慧地」，60 但云「第四地」，論經云「第四菩薩地」。
句二 十法明門之列次
| 校本 | 逐字（前三支） | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 觀察眾生界、觀察法界、觀察世界 | 本品長行 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 一、觀察眾生界；二、觀察法界；三、觀察世界 | T09n0278 0553c09–10 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 一、思量眾生界明入；二、思量世界明入；三、思量法界明入 | T26n1522 0159b22–23 |
異文所繫：(甲) 二支與三支之次第，80／60 同作「法界·世界」，論經作「世界·法界」——澄觀明標此差：「二法界者，論當第三」〔T35n1735 0789c11–12〕。(乙) 末二支：80「觀察廣心信解界、觀察大心信解界」↔ 60「九、觀察勝信解界；十、觀察大心界」〔T09n0278 0553c12〕↔ 論經「九、思量勝心決定信界明入；十、思量大心決定信界明入」〔T26n1522 0159b25–26〕。澄觀就此兩本分釋：「論經前是勝心信解依，煩惱不染，與聲聞同；後大心信解依，不捨眾生，不同聲聞。今經即前云廣，則明護陜兼濟之心；後是大心，即是護小求大菩提。」〔T35n1735 0789c20–24〕
句三 生如來家句
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 菩薩住此焰慧地，則能以十種智成熟法故，得彼內法，生如來家 | 本品長行 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 菩薩住焰地，即於如來家，轉有勢力，得內法故，有十種智 | T09n0278 0553c13–15 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 是菩薩得菩薩焰地，即於如來家轉有勢力，得彼內法故、以十種法智教化成熟故 | T26n1522 0159c13–15 |
異文所繫：80 作「生如來家」（新生），60 與論經作「於如來家轉有勢力」（已生而轉勝）。澄觀就此開合而說：「若《瑜伽》但云長如來家，論經亦但云於如來家轉有勢力，意明初地已生家，二三地起修方便，早有勢力；今依三地多聞成出世智，故云轉有。」〔T35n1735 0790a16–19〕
句四 十智之第十支
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 觀無所有盡故 | 本品長行 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 十、修習現在常滅不住行 | T09n0278 0553c20 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 十、分別觀無所有盡故 | T26n1522 0159c20–21 |
異文所繫：80 同論經作「無所有盡」，60 別作「現在常滅不住行」——義向不同（一約無增無減、一約剎那不住）。論釋 80／論經一系：「彼前際後際不損不益，如經「分別觀無所有盡」故，於染法中不見一法可減、於淨法中不見一法可增故。」〔T26n1522 0160a21–23〕
句五 道品收句
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨 | 本品長行（道品每組收句） |
| 佛馱 T278 | 依止厭、依止離、依止滅，迴向涅槃 | T09n0278 0554a03–04 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 依止厭、依止離、依止滅，迴向於捨 | T26n1522 0160b10–11 |
異文所繫：80 同論經作「迴向於捨」，60 作「迴向涅槃」。
句六 四攝十度之配屬（結名前一句）
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 此菩薩於四攝中，同事偏多；十波羅蜜中，精進偏多；餘非不修，但隨力隨分 | 本品長行 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 是菩薩四攝法中同事偏勝，十波羅蜜中精進波羅蜜增上，餘波羅蜜非不修習，隨力隨分 | T26n1522 0162b23–25 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 〔闕〕摩尼喻與結名句直接相接：「菩薩住焰地，下地菩薩所不能及，一切諸魔及諸煩惱皆不能壞。諸佛子！是名略說菩薩第四焰地。」 | T09n0278 0554b18–20 |
異文所繫：80 與論經有此配屬句，60 於同一場位（摩尼喻收句→結名句）二句相接，無配屬句。全錄不判。
句七 地滿神變之數
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 於一念頃，得入億數三昧，得見億數佛 | 本品長行 |
| 《十地經論》牒經 | 於一念間得億三昧，能見億佛 | T26n1522 0162c07–08 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 若勤行精進，得百億三昧，能見百億佛 | T09n0278 0555a26–27 |
異文所繫：80／論經作「億」，60 作「百億」。
句八 讚請段之位置（結構異）
80 於本地之首置六偈讚請（經家序述·自在天王雨寶讚·解脫月請「從此轉入第四地，所有行相願宣說」）；60 之天女讚頌與解脫月請第五地之偈，則置於第四焰地重頌之後〔T09n0278 0555b08–0555c08〕，作為轉入第五地之接榫，其中解脫月請作「願說得五地，行相之因緣」〔0555c08〕。全錄不判（二本地與地之間的接榫偈，安置位置不同）。
五、宗義之經據〔眼〕
(一) 出世之首·慧增上之始——前三地寄世間（意樂增上·戒增上·定增上），此地寄出世。澄觀：「若依本論，前三寄世間，今此出世，次第故來。」〔T35n1735 0788c29–0789a01〕又於出家段判：「四地已上寄出世之首，故重明有，表心出家，故於調柔行中明之。」〔0795a28–29〕——本地經文所以復出「於彼諸佛法中出家修道」句，其表法在此。
(二) 三十七菩提分法之大乘讀法——本地正修四念處·四正斷·四神足·五根·五力·七覺分·八正道，每組收以「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」。論判此屬「對治修行增長」之二種：
「云何對治？修行增長有二種：一、修行護煩惱染；二、修行護小乘。何者護煩惱染？修行菩提分法故。」〔T26n1522 0160a23–25〕
「護小乘」即經文「菩薩修行如是功德，為不捨一切眾生故，本願所持故，大悲為首故……」十句所為——同修道品而不墮二乘，其揀別即在此十句。
(三) 生如來家之三家義——澄觀：「然如來家略有三種：一菩提心家，初住即生；二大教家，四住即生；三法界家，初地證故生。」〔T35n1735 0790a12–14〕本地當第二家（大教家）。論釋所以能生：「云何即於如來家轉有勢力？依止多聞智究竟故、除滅智障攝勝故。」〔T26n1522 0159c23–24〕
(四) 教·證二智相生（「焰」之義眼）——澄觀：「前以教成證，故喻金為嚴具；今從證起教，故喻摩尼放光。」〔T35n1735 0795b06–08〕教成證＝金喻，證起教＝摩尼喻；「依證起焰，故地名焰慧」〔0795b13〕。此為本地一切義之樞紐。
(五) 所離障與無攝受真如（唯識軸眼）——澄觀：
「由斯四地說斷二愚及彼麁重。一等至愛愚，味八定故；二法愛愚，即解法慢。」〔T35n1735 0789a20–22〕
「由此證得無攝受真如，謂此真如無所繫屬，非我執等所依取故。」〔T35n1735 0789a23–25〕
法藏就所離障並錄三系：依《十地論》名「解法慢障」·依梁本《攝論》名「微細煩惱共生身見等無明」·依《成唯識論》第九名「微細煩惱現行障」〔T35n1733 0333a29–0333b07·逐字見目六〕。
(六) 十智攝為四智（論之科軌）——論以四智攝十句：自住處畢竟智·同敬三寶畢竟智·真如智·分別所說智〔T26n1522 0159c27–0160a06〕。澄觀承之並配四諦：「四餘六句明分別說智，謂是教智，故名為說。」〔T35n1735 0790a28–29〕
(七) 十法明門之三重觀法（澄觀）——
「觀察此十，略以三重釋之：一初句為總，本為眾生故；餘九為別，皆眾生事故。二前八為染，後二為淨。三前五推能依至所依，後五依所依立能依。」〔T35n1735 0789b28–0789c02〕
又釋初句所以先觀假名：「假有三種：一因成假、二相續假、三相待假。假為空詮，故先觀之。」〔T35n1735 0789c03–04〕
六、諸家異釋（古德·標宗）
澄觀《華嚴經疏》T35n1735 ·《演義鈔》T36n1736（八十華嚴逐文·主）
釋名三義：
「言焰慧者，法喻雙舉，亦有三義：一約初入地釋。初入證智，能燒前地解法慢薪故。」〔T35n1735 0789a03–05〕
「二約地中釋。」〔T35n1735 0789a06〕——引《成唯識》「安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪慧焰增故」〔0789a06–07〕，並自為斟酌：「若唯取此而為慧者，未修道品應非焰地。以此地正明菩提分法，中該初後，諸論多依此釋。」〔0789a08–10〕
「三約地滿。從證智摩尼放阿含光，故名為焰，下論具之。」〔T35n1735 0789a17–18〕
澄觀《疏》釋名處：「故此名焰慧地。此亦兼下二義，今即根本智火能燒前地聞持不忘恃以成慢之煩惱故。」〔T35n1735 0743b06〕。《演義鈔》T36n1736 本地相應段界未及界定——〔查無·未盡〕誠實記。
義疏所引澄觀逐字之補錄：「觀察圓滿與十理冥，則入四地。」〔T35n1735 0789c28〕· 四諦配屬「謂初二句名隨煩惱，染即是苦諦依正二報」〔0790b03〕「後三句隨所淨，即是道諦」〔0790b12〕· 「又不作煩惱所染，異凡夫業作；順菩薩道業，則異二乘。」〔0794a23〕· 「總云潤澤者，深欲愛敬故。」〔0794b08〕「一柔軟心者，明樂行勝」〔0794b11〕「二調順者，調和善順緣中無礙，是三昧自在勝。上二是行體。」〔0794b12〕· 「六善受教誨，得師言詮。七於教不倒，得師意旨。」〔0794c09〕· 「謂十句不出此三忍」〔0794c12〕· 「彼增上欲本心界滿足果」〔0794a27〕「菩提分心是本心界，正念真如修上道品，故云滿足，由精進故。」〔0795a02〕· 「得此真如，寧有定法之愛？便能成菩提分行及不住道行，精進不退。」〔0789a25〕· 成唯識論「最下品故，不作意緣故，遠隨現行故，說名微細。」〔T31n1585 0053a08〕。
法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十華嚴疏·諸家釋名之淵藪）
法藏於釋名門下並列九家：
「初釋名者，《唯識》第九云「安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪慧焰增故，名焰慧地。」《攝論》云「由諸菩提分法，焚燒一切障故。」無性釋云「此地中有焰慧，故名為焰地。」世親釋云「能燒一切根本煩惱及隨煩惱皆為灰燼，名焰慧地。」」〔T35n1733 0333a11–16〕
「《莊嚴論》云「以菩提分慧為焰自性，以惑智二障云薪自性，此地菩薩能起焰慧燒二障薪，名焰慧地。」《金光明》云「能燒煩惱，以智慧火增長光明。修行道品依處所故，名為焰地。」《深密經》第四及《瑜伽》七十八及《顯揚論》大同此說。《智論》名增妙地，如《十住論》云「施戒多聞威德熾盛，故名焰地。」」〔T35n1733 0333a16–22〕
來意三義：「一前地明定，自下諸地明所發慧，依定發慧義次第故，此依《解深密經》。二前之三地寄在世間，今此出世，義次第故次來，此依《十地論》辨。三前三地雖得世定總持，而未能得菩提分法捨於定愛及法愛故，是故此地修證彼行，故次來也。」〔T35n1733 0333a23–29〕
所離障：「第三所離障者，依《十地論》離解法慢障，以第三地聞勝流教法生解起慢，四地翻此，故以為障。」〔T35n1733 0333a29–0333b02〕又「依梁本《攝論》名微細煩惱共生身見等無明」〔0333b02–03〕·「又《成唯識論》第九名微細煩惱現行障，謂所知障中俱生一分，第六識俱身見等攝」〔0333b04–06〕。
李通玄《新華嚴經論》T36n1739（表法異軌）
「此地修三十七助道觀門，觀身受心法轉加明淨，故名為焰慧地。前地因定發，故名發光地。此地以三十七助道觀門觀身受心法，自性無依慧加明淨，故名焰慧。」〔T36n1739 0890c10–14〕
「二明此地修何行門者，以精進波羅蜜為首，餘九為伴。」〔T36n1739 0890c15–16〕
善財表法：「善財於此位中，見普救一切眾生妙德夜神，得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門。」〔T36n1739 0890c17–19〕又「明前三地修戒定忍得出世心，此地重以三十七道觀再更治之，故名焰慧地。」〔0891a05–07〕
誌錄不判：釋名一義，古德所傳有二向——探玄記所集諸家（《唯識》《攝論》無性釋·世親釋·《莊嚴論》《金光明》《智論》《十住論》）多就『燒惑薪』立名，李通玄則就「三十七助道觀門觀身受心法，自性無依慧加明淨」立名，澄觀復開初入·地中·地滿三義並以摩尼放光收於地滿。三向並錄，皆古德成說，誌錄之，不判高下。又：入地句「生如來家」（80）與「於如來家轉有勢力」（60·論經）之開合，澄觀已備兩說之會通〔T35n1735 0790a16–19〕，此亦誌錄不判。
七、互讀·承衍
本地為華嚴／唯識兩軸共本之一節；世親《十地經論》逐文釋之，唯識諸論之第四地立義承此而立。承衍繫鏈皆回鏈既錄考據出處（零新考據）：
- 成唯識論 T31n1585：十地列名「四、焰慧地，安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪」〔0051a26〕——即法藏、澄觀所引之《唯識》第九文；其「微細煩惱現行障」之立障名，法藏並錄於釋名門後〔T35n1733 0333b04–06〕。
- 攝大乘論 T31n1594：十地列名「四、焰慧地」〔0145b22〕；十度配屬處「第四地中由無攝受義」〔0145b28〕——與澄觀「由此證得無攝受真如」〔T35n1735 0789a23〕同一義軸。（〔查無〕誌錄：
0146a–0146b區間關鍵詞檢索 0 命中。） - 瑜伽師地論 T30n1579：菩薩地「若廣宣說，如十地經焰慧地說」〔0558b19〕·「教慧照明，是故此地名焰慧地」〔0558b21〕；攝抉擇分「煩惱智如火焰，是故第四名焰慧地」〔0729c22〕·「當知能攝從第四地乃至佛」〔0729a28〕·第四地所治二愚段〔0730a15〕·「已入第四地菩薩，當言何相」〔0737c10〕。澄觀所引《瑜伽》四十八二處（「先於增上心住，以求多聞增上力故……入初增上慧住」〔T35n1735 0789c29–0790a02 引〕·「由此因緣，所有意樂、增上意樂、勝解界性皆得圓滿」〔0795a04–05 引〕）亦屬此軸。
- 華嚴宗論：李通玄以本地入十玄帝網門之引例，散見於後文〔T36n1739 0989b06·0989b13·0991a08〕——非本地科釋文，誌錄備考。
- 本編內互讀：金師鍊金喻與初地同喻異階（初地，參見本帙〈第一地 歡喜地〉〔T10n0279 0183a24–25〕）；『多作某天王』之調柔果報位、「不離念佛，不離念法，不離念僧」〔T10n0279 0190c04〕定式、「為首、為勝……為一切智智依止者」願心定式，皆十地諸地共有之體例句。
八、校本定位
- 實叉 T279（底本）：第四地焰慧地〔T10n0279 0189b20〕起–〔0191a19〕訖。讚請六偈〔0189b 中–末〕· 說者切換「爾時，金剛藏菩薩告解脫月菩薩言」〔0189c04〕· 十法明門〔0189c06 一帶–0189c10〕· 十智生如來家〔0189c12–〕· 四念處〔0189c20 一帶〕· 四正斷〔0189c23〕· 四神足〔0189c28〕· 五根〔0190a02〕· 五力〔0190a05〕· 七覺分〔0190a08〕· 八正道〔0190a09 一帶〕· 道品十所為〔0190a15〕· 身見執著觀〔0190a21〕· 業行揀擇〔0190a24〕· 十心〔0190a27–28〕· 知恩調柔十德〔0190a28 一帶〕· 三成就〔0190b05〕· 十精進〔0190b07〕· 地滿德相〔0190b10〕· 見多佛〔0190b14〕· 金師喻·摩尼喻〔0190b22 一帶〕· 四攝十度配屬〔0190b28〕· 結名〔0190c01〕· 須夜摩天王〔0190c02〕· 勝進願心〔0190c06〕· 神變數〔0190c08–09〕· 重頌起〔0190c15〕–〔0191a17 一帶〕。
- 佛馱 T278（晉譯主對校）：第四焰地〔T09n0278 0553c08〕起–〔0555c09〕（迄第五地開演前）。入地句 0553c08–09 · 十法明門 0553c09–13 · 如來家十智 0553c13–21 · 四念處 0553c21–27 · 四正斷 0553c27–0554a02 · 四如意足 0554a02–05 · 五根 0554a05–07 · 五力 0554a07–09 · 七覺分 0554a09–11 · 八正道 0554a11–13 · 十所為 0554a13–18 · 身見段 0554a19–22 · 十精進 0554b01–04 · 見佛出家 0554b08–14 · 金喻 0554b14–16 · 摩尼喻 0554b16–19 · 結名 0554b19–20 · 夜摩天王 0554b20–23 · 神變數 0554b25–28 · 重頌 0554c01–0555a29 · 天女讚與請第五地 0555b08–0555c08。
- 《十地經論》T1522（世親·焰地卷之六）：卷題 0159b10 · 總標四分 0159b14–17 · 十法明入牒經 0159b19–27 · 論釋 0159b28–0159c11 · 清淨分牒經 0159c13–22 · 四智攝十 0159c23–0160a23 · 對治二種 0160a23–25 · 道品牒經 0160a26–0160c04〔中略續〕· 十精進牒經 0161c27–0162a01 · 論釋九種 0162a02–13 · 心界十句牒經 0162a15–18 · 論釋九種 0162a19–0162b01 · 彼果分牒經 0162b02–0162c16（金喻 0162b15–18 · 摩尼喻 0162b19–23 · 四攝十度 0162b23–25 · 結名 0162b25–26 · 天王 0162b26–0162c06 · 神變 0162c06–16）· 論釋二喻 0162c17–29 · 卷末 0163a01。
- 澄觀《疏》T35n1735：本地科起 0788c22 – 迄 0795b20 前。來意 0788c22–0789a03 · 釋名三義 0789a03–18 · 所燒惑·二愚·無攝受真如 0789a18–27 · 正釋文三分 0789a27–0789b02 · 四分科 0789b03–15 · 十法明門釋 0789b16–0789c28 · 清淨分十智 0789c29–0790b25 ·〔中略〕· 身見段釋 0794a14–24 · 四果 0794a24–0795a19 （潤澤十心 0794b02–24 · 報恩十句 0794b25–0794c14 · 精進九義 0794c14–0795a01 · 心界九義 0795a01–19）· 位果調柔 0795a19–0795b15 （出家表法 0795a24–0795b02 · 金喻 0795b02–05 · 摩尼教智淨 0795b05–15）· 重頌科 0795b15–20。〔查無〕：本科行窗內未見獨立疏卷題行。
- 法藏《探玄記》T35n1733：第四焰地七門 0333a10–11 · 釋名九家 0333a11–22 · 來意三義 0333a23–29 · 所離障 0333a29–0333b09 · 出世道品段 0336b10 · 結段「釋第四地竟」0337b13。
- 李通玄《論》T36n1739：焰慧地 0890c07 起 – 迄 0893c08 前。釋名 0890c08–14 · 行門 0890c15–16 · 善財表法 0890c17–0891a11 · 三界解脫門 0891a12–。
- 異讀：本單元 T279 範圍〔0189b20〕–〔0191a19〕內大正校記 9 條，逐條照錄不判（底本【大】｜他本異讀；多本異讀以／分列）：〔0189b21〕地【大】｜法【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【福】 · 〔0189b22〕踊【大】｜勇【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【福】 · 〔0189b23〕皆震動【大】｜無此字【福】 · 〔0189b23＋〕（自在…言佛）十七字【大】，〔－〕【福】（大正僅出校注而無
<app>錨界，頁位依同頁注序內插，終界不展） · 〔0189c17〕循【大】｜脩【聖】 · 〔0190a27〕習【大】｜集【宋】【元】【宮】 · 〔0190b09〕熟【大】｜就【福】 · 〔0190b22〕鍊【大】｜練【宮】【聖】 · 〔0190b22〕治【大】｜冶【福】。 - 異讀補記：CBETA 回改 1 條（不入上列大正校記之數）：〔0189b20〕第四地【CB】｜無此字【大】。
- 異讀補記：用字誌錄：六本皆作「焰慧地／焰地」，無『燄』字旁異體（檢索 0 命中）。
The fourth ground is the head of what transcends the world and the beginning of the ascendancy of wisdom: the three grounds before it are lodged in the world (resolve · discipline · concentration), and from here downward the ascendancy of wisdom is set forth. By the ten gates of Dharma-light one enters the ground; by the ten wisdoms that ripen the dharmas one is 「生如來家」 tr. “born into the family of the Tathāgata” ; one properly cultivates the thirty-seven factors of awakening while 「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」 tr. “relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity” ; one departs from the clingings that arise from the view of a body and the rest (the verses in repetition alone give the number sixty-two); the simile of the goldsmith refining gold shows the teaching brought to completion as realization, and the simile of the maṇi jewel sending forth light shows the teaching arising out of realization — and it is precisely from this that the name 「焰」 tr. “flame” is established. Among the ten perfections vigor is preeminent, among the four means of gathering the sharing of tasks is preeminent, and the fruit of recompense is that he mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven.
I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement
| Outline system | The place of this ground within it |
|---|---|
| The base text T279, in thirty-nine chapters | Chapter 26, The Ten Grounds (the sixth assembly, in the palace of the Heaven of Free Enjoyment of Others’ Emanations); the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom = 〔T10 0189b20–0191a19〕 |
| Vasubandhu, Shidi jing lun | 「十地經論焰地第四卷之六」 tr. “the Shidi jing lun, the fourth ground Flaming, fascicle six” 〔T26n1522 0159b10〕; the four parts of this ground = the part that is the cause of the increase of the practice of purifying and countering · the part of purity · the part of the increase of the practice of countering · the part of the fruit thereof 〔0159b15–17〕 |
| Chengguan, Huayan jing shu | From 「第四焰慧地。所以來者」 tr. “The fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom. As for the reason for its coming” 〔T35n1735 0788c22〕 onward, up to just before 「第五難勝地。所以來者」 tr. “The fifth ground, Hard to Conquer. As for the reason for its coming” 〔0795b20〕; the direct explanation of the text in three parts = praise and request · the exposition proper · the verses in repetition 〔0789a27–28〕 |
| Fazang, Tanxuan ji (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka) | 「第四焰地中亦七門，同前」 tr. “Within the fourth ground, Flaming, there are likewise seven gates, the same as before” 〔T35n1733 0333a10–11〕; the closing passage, 「釋第四地竟」 tr. “the explanation of the fourth ground is completed” 〔0337b13〕 |
| Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun | From 「焰慧地第四焰慧地」 tr. “the Flaming-Wisdom Ground: the fourth, the Flaming-Wisdom Ground” 〔T36n1739 0890c07〕 onward, in five gates as before |
The reason for its coming — Chengguan sets out four accounts side by side, all of which make clear the sequence of 「慧增上」 tr. “the ascendancy of wisdom”:
「第四焰慧地。所以來者，《瑜伽》七十八引《解深密》明四種清淨能攝諸地。前三即意樂、戒、定增上三清淨訖，此下第四訖於佛地，明慧增上，故次來也。」 tr. “The fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom. As for the reason for its coming: the Yuqie, fascicle seventy-eight, cites the Jieshenmi to make clear that four kinds of purity are able to gather in all the grounds. The first three, namely the three purities of the ascendancy of resolve, of discipline, and of concentration, are now complete; from here down, the fourth runs on to the ground of buddhahood, making clear the ascendancy of wisdom — and therefore it comes next.” 〔T35n1735 0788c22–25〕
「又前地雖得世定總持，而未能得菩提分法，捨於定愛及與法愛，今修證彼行，故次來也。」 tr. “Again, though on the preceding ground one gained worldly concentration and total retention, one was not yet able to gain the factors of awakening and to let go of the love of concentration and the love of dharmas; now one cultivates and realizes that practice — and therefore it comes next.” 〔T35n1735 0788c27–29〕
「若依本論，前三寄世間，今此出世，次第故來。」 tr. “If one follows the root treatise: the first three are lodged in the world, and this one now transcends the world; it comes by sequence.” 〔T35n1735 0788c29–0789a01〕
The general statement of the treatise is precisely the passage of 「本論」 tr. “the root treatise” that Chengguan cites:
「第四焰地，依彼淨三昧聞持如實智淨顯示故。此地差別有四分：一、清淨對治修行增長因分；二、清淨分；三、對治修行增長分；四、彼果分。」 tr. “The fourth ground, Flaming: it is shown by way of the purity of the wisdom that accords with reality, which depends upon that pure samādhi and upon hearing and upholding. The distinctions of this ground are of four parts: first, the part that is the cause of the increase of the practice of purifying and countering; second, the part of purity; third, the part of the increase of the practice of countering; fourth, the part of the fruit thereof.” 〔T26n1522 0159b14–17〕
The four parts are the four paths — Chengguan brings them together by way of the four paths of the consciousness-only line: 「又此四分，即加行、無間、解脫、勝進四道。」 tr. “Again, these four parts are the four paths of applied practice, of the uninterrupted, of liberation, and of advancing beyond.” 〔T35n1735 0789b10–11〕 And further: 「初一入心、後三住心。出心在調柔果。」 tr. “The first one is the mind of entering, and the latter three the mind of abiding. The mind of emerging lies in the fruit of pliancy.” 〔0789b11–12〕
The outline of the verses in repetition — 「第三重頌，有十七頌，分三：初十二頌頌位行、次四頌位果、後一顯名結說。」 tr. “Third, the verses in repetition: there are seventeen verses, divided into three. The first twelve verses repeat the practice of the station, the next four the fruit of the station, and the last one shows the name and concludes the exposition.” 〔T35n1735 0795b15–16〕
The speakers — the narrative frame of this ground is the same as that of the three grounds before it: verses of praise and request (the compiler’s prefatory account · the request of the Sovereign Heaven King · the request of Vimukticandra) → 「爾時，金剛藏菩薩告解脫月菩薩言」 tr. “At that time the bodhisattva Vajragarbha told the bodhisattva Vimukticandra” → the prose exposition proper → 「爾時，金剛藏菩薩欲重宣其義而說頌言」 tr. “At that time the bodhisattva Vajragarbha, wishing to declare this meaning over again, spoke in verse” → the verses in repetition. Chengguan divides the six verses of praise and request thus: 「今初，六偈分二：初二偈半集經者序述……後三偈半正明讚請，於中初二偈半天王請、後一眾首請。」 tr. “Here is the first: the six verses divide into two. The first two and a half verses are the compiler of the sūtra’s prefatory account …; the latter three and a half verses properly set forth the praise and the request, and within these the first two and a half verses are the heaven king’s request and the last one the request of the head of the assembly.” 〔T35n1735 0789a28–0789b02〕 This ground has no part of the Tathāgata’s empowerment and no passage of Vajragarbha’s declining 〔not found〕 (the parts of samādhi, empowerment, and request stand in the preface-and-request section; see 〈Prologue and Request〉 in this volume).
II. Terminology
| Term | Sanskrit as transmitted by the ancient worthies (roman letters · pronunciation aid) | Attestation | Essential sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| the Flaming-Wisdom Ground | — (no transliteration transmitted; the sixty renders it the Flaming Ground · the Zhi lun names it the Ground of Increasing Excellence) | this chapter: 「欲入第四焰慧地」 tr. “wishing to enter the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom” 〔T10n0279 0189c05〕 | Chengguan: 「言焰慧者，法喻雙舉」 tr. “In saying ‘flaming wisdom’, dharma and simile are raised together” 〔T35n1735 0789a03–04〕 — wisdom is the dharma, the flame is the simile |
| the ten gates of Dharma-light | — | this chapter: 「當修行十法明門」 tr. “he should cultivate the ten gates of Dharma-light” 〔T10n0279 0189c06〕 | The sūtra as cited in the treatise names them 「十法明入」 tr. “the ten enterings by Dharma-light” 〔T26n1522 0159b21〕; Chengguan: 「門即通入之義……明為能入之門，法為所入之處」 tr. “‘Gate’ has the sense of passing in … the light is the gate by which one is able to enter, and the Dharma is the place that is entered” 〔T35n1735 0789b17–18〕 |
| the family of the Tathāgata | — | this chapter: 「得彼內法，生如來家」 tr. “gaining that inner Dharma, he is born into the family of the Tathāgata” | Chengguan opens three families: the family of the mind of awakening · the family of the great teaching · the family of the Dharma realm 〔T35n1735 0790a12–14〕; this ground answers to 「大教家」 tr. “the family of the great teaching” (born into it at the fourth abode) |
| the factors of awakening (the factors of the path) | — | this chapter: the thirty-seven dharmas from the four stations of mindfulness through the eightfold right path | The treatise: 「何者護煩惱染？修行菩提分法故。」 tr. “What is the guarding against the defilement of the afflictions? It is the cultivating of the factors of awakening.” 〔T26n1522 0160a25〕 |
| observing along the body · diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing | — | this chapter: 「觀內身循身觀，勤勇念知，除世間貪憂」 tr. “he observes the inner body, observing it along the body, diligent and valiant, mindful and knowing, and removes covetousness and grief with respect to the world” | The fixed formula of the sūtra for the four stations of mindfulness; the sixty has 「精勤一心」 tr. “diligent and single-minded” 〔T09n0278 0553c22–23〕 |
| the base of supernormal power (the foot of accord with wish) | — | this chapter: 「修行欲定斷行，成就神足」 tr. “he cultivates the concentration of zeal together with the practice of elimination, and accomplishes the base of supernormal power” | The sūtra as cited in the treatise has 「修行四如意分」 tr. “he cultivates the four factors of accord with wish” 〔T26n1522 0160b09–10〕 |
| dedicating it toward equanimity | — | this chapter: the closing clause of every set of the factors of the path | The treatise likewise has 「迴向於捨」 tr. “dedicating it toward equanimity” 〔T26n1522 0160b10〕; the sixty has 「迴向涅槃」 tr. “dedicating it toward nirvāṇa” 〔T09n0278 0554a03–05〕 |
| āgama (the teaching) · realizing wisdom | — | The treatise’s explanation of the eye of the two similes 〔T26n1522 0162c18–23〕 | Āgama = the teaching that is heard; realizing wisdom = the wisdom directly realized upon the grounds. The gold simile is 「以教成證」 tr. “bringing the teaching to completion as realization”, the maṇi simile 「從證起教」 tr. “raising the teaching out of realization” (Chengguan’s words 〔T35n1735 0795b06–08〕) |
| conduct without the dense thicket | — | this chapter: 「無稠林行」 tr. “conduct without the dense thicket” | Chengguan: 「四無稠林行者，依受用衣食，於施主所自過不覆故。」 tr. “Fourth, conduct without the dense thicket: with respect to the robes and food he makes use of, before the donor he does not conceal his own faults.” 〔T35n1735 0794c07–08〕 |
| a king of the Suyāma Heaven | Yāma = yāma (the transliteration is itself what was transmitted) | this chapter: 「多作須夜摩天王」 tr. “he mostly becomes a king of the Suyāma Heaven” | The station of the fruit of recompense at the fruit of pliancy of this ground; the sixty has 「多作夜摩王」 tr. “he mostly becomes a Yāma king” 〔T09n0278 0555a23〕 |
| nayuta | nayuta (the transliteration is itself what was transmitted) | this chapter: 「多百千億那由他佛」 tr. “many hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of buddhas” | A name of a great number |
| the sixty-two views | — | the verses in repetition: 「身見為首六十二」 tr. “the sixty-two that begin with the view of a body” 〔T10n0279 0190c29 thereabouts〕 | A number found in the verses alone — the prose lists only the view of a body · self · person · sentient being · life-span · the aggregates · the elements · the sense-bases, and does not mark out sixty-two |
III. Similes and Rhetoric
(1) The simile of the goldsmith refining true gold and making of it an ornament — 「譬如金師鍊治真金作莊嚴具，餘所有金皆不能及；菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是，住於此地所有善根，下地善根所不能及。」 tr. “It is like a goldsmith who refines true gold and makes of it an ornament: all the rest of the gold cannot come up to it. So it is with the bodhisattva-mahāsattva: the roots of goodness that are his while he dwells on this ground, the roots of goodness of the lower grounds cannot come up to them.” (the prose of this chapter):
- The vehicle of the simile: a goldsmith takes true gold and refines it, making of it an ornament; the rest of the gold, which has not been made into an ornament, cannot come up to it.
- What it figures: the roots of goodness of one dwelling on this ground, which the roots of goodness of the lower grounds cannot come up to.
- The meaning shown: the treatise attaches this simile to 「教成證」 tr. “the teaching brought to completion as realization”: 「真金作莊嚴具譬者，喻阿含現作證智莊嚴，示現得證智故」 tr. “as for the simile of true gold made into an ornament, it figures the āgama being now made into the adornment that is realizing wisdom, since it shows the gaining of realizing wisdom” 〔T26n1522 0162c18–20〕; Chengguan carries this on: 「金莊嚴具者，以三地阿含金，現作此四地證智嚴具故。餘所有金者，即未作嚴具之金。」 tr. “As for the golden ornament: the gold that is the āgama of the third ground is now made into the ornament that is the realizing wisdom of this fourth ground. As for ‘all the rest of the gold’, it is the gold not yet made into an ornament.” 〔T35n1735 0795b03–05〕
- The same simile at a different stage from that of the first ground: the first ground has 「金師善巧鍊金，數數入火」 tr. “a goldsmith skilled at refining gold, putting it into the fire again and again” (figuring roots of goodness turning ever brighter and purer), while this ground has 「鍊治真金作莊嚴具」 tr. “refining true gold and making of it an ornament” (figuring the teaching brought to completion as realizing wisdom) — one and the same gold simile, the heat of the fire deeper by one ground.
(2) The simile of the pure orb of light of a maṇi jewel — 「如摩尼寶清淨光輪能放光明，非諸餘寶之所能及，風雨等緣悉不能壞」 tr. “like the pure orb of light of a maṇi jewel, able to send forth radiance, which none of the other jewels can come up to and which wind and rain and such conditions cannot damage at all” (the prose of this chapter):
- The vehicle of the simile: the maṇi jewel gives birth to light, its pure orb of light can send forth radiance, the other jewels do not take it away, wind and rain do not put it out.
- What it figures: one dwelling on this ground, whom the bodhisattvas of the lower grounds cannot come up to and whom the hosts of Māra and the afflictions cannot damage at all.
- The meaning shown: this simile is precisely the source of the name 「焰」 tr. “flame”. The treatise says: 「摩尼寶生光明喻者，彼證智法明摩尼寶光中放阿含光明，入無量法門義光明智處普照示現。以是義故，此地釋名為焰。」 tr. “As for the simile of the maṇi jewel giving birth to radiance: within the light of that maṇi jewel which is the Dharma-light of realizing wisdom there is sent forth the radiance of the āgama, which enters the place of the wisdom that is the radiance of the meaning of measureless Dharma-gates and shines everywhere and shows itself. It is for this reason that this ground is explained as named Flame.” 〔T26n1522 0162c21–23〕 And it further explains three of the words in the simile: 「生光者，有光明具足故。清淨光輪者，光明圓滿無垢故。」 tr. “‘Giving birth to light’: because it has radiance complete. ‘The pure orb of light’: because the radiance is full and without stain.” 〔0162c26–27〕
- Chengguan opens it out into three senses of realizing wisdom: 「摩尼寶珠即證智體，無垢名淨、寂照名光、圓滿名輪，具上三義故稱證智。」 tr. “The maṇi jewel is the substance of realizing wisdom: being without stain, it is named pure; being still and illumining, it is named light; being full, it is named orb; and because it is furnished with the three senses above it is called realizing wisdom.” 〔T35n1735 0795b08–09〕 And again: 「證能普照示現於教，得教光明，依證起焰，故地名焰慧。」 tr. “Realization is able to shine everywhere and show itself within the teaching; gaining the radiance of the teaching, the flame arises upon realization — and therefore the ground is named Flaming Wisdom.” 〔0795b12–13〕
(3) The simile of the flame and the firewood (a simile for the name of the ground, common to the treatises) — the wisdom of the factors of awakening is the flame, and the twofold obstruction of delusion and of the knowable is the firewood; for the words of the Zhuangyan lun, see rubric VI. Chengguan attaches the delusions that are burned: 「然所燒煩惱，即所離微細煩惱現行障，謂所知障中俱生一分，亦攝定愛法愛。」 tr. “Now the afflictions that are burned are precisely the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions that is departed from — that is, the innate portion within the obstruction to the knowable, which also gathers in the love of concentration and the love of dharmas.” 〔T35n1735 0789a18–20〕
(4) The simile of the lute-string too tight or too slack (a commentator’s simile in Chengguan’s explanation of 「不雜染精進」 tr. “the vigor free of defilement”, not a text of the sūtra) —
「別有九種不休息義：一不雜染者，彼精進行平等流注故。雜染者，共懈怠、共染故，染則著而太過、懈則墮而不及，若琴絃之急緩，若不進不怠為平等流。」 tr. “Separately there are nine senses of not resting. The first, free of defilement: because that practice of vigor flows evenly. Defiled means shared with indolence and shared with attachment: attachment then clings and goes too far, indolence then sinks and falls short — like a lute-string too tight or too slack; and where there is neither pressing on nor slackening, that is the even flow.” 〔T35n1735 0794c18–22〕
(5) The matched jewel similes of the sixty — 「如真金莊嚴，餘金所不及」 tr. “like the adornment of true gold, which the rest of the gold does not come up to” 〔T09n0278 0555a17〕 · 「如真妙明珠，不為水雨敗」 tr. “like a truly wondrous bright pearl, not spoiled by water or rain” 〔0555a21〕: the verses in repetition of the sixty raise the two jewel similes as a matched pair, while the verses in repetition of the eighty have 「不可沮壞如真金」 tr. “cannot be broken down, like true gold” 〔0191a11〕 · 「譬如妙寶無能壞」 tr. “just as a wondrous jewel that none can break” 〔0191a13〕.
IV. Collation with Parallel Translations
The Chinese witnesses collated for the key sentences of this unit: Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text) · Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin-dynasty sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka; The Ten Grounds, chapter 22; the fourth ground, Flaming 〔T09n0278 0553c08–0555c09〕) · the sūtra as cited in Vasubandhu’s Shidi jing lun T1522 (the text of the separately circulating Sūtra of the Ten Grounds, translated by Bodhiruci and others; the fourth ground, Flaming, fascicle six 〔T26n1522 0159b10–0163a01〕).
Sentence 1 · The opening sentence on entering the ground
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | When a bodhisattva-mahāsattva has well purified the third ground and wishes to enter the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom, he should cultivate the ten gates of Dharma-light | The opening sentence of the prose of this chapter |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | When a mahāsattva has purified the third ground and wishes to gain the fourth ground, he should by means of the ten gates of Dharma-light | T09n0278 0553c08–09 |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | If a bodhisattva has gained the third bodhisattva ground with its complete purity and clarity and wishes to gain the fourth bodhisattva ground, he should by means of the ten enterings by Dharma-light gain entry to the fourth ground | T26n1522 0159b19–22 |
Where the variants lie: (a) The eighty has 「修行十法明門」 tr. “cultivate the ten gates of Dharma-light” ↔ the sixty has 「以十法明門」 tr. “by means of the ten gates of Dharma-light” ↔ the sūtra as cited in the treatise has 「以十法明入」 tr. “by means of the ten enterings by Dharma-light” (the divergence of “gate” and “entering” — it is on just this that Chengguan explains 「門即通入之義，故論經名入」 tr. “‘gate’ has the sense of passing in, and therefore the sūtra as cited in the treatise names it entering” 〔T35n1735 0789b17〕). (b) The eighty calls the ground by its full name, 「第四焰慧地」 tr. “the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom”, the sixty says only 「第四地」 tr. “the fourth ground”, and the sūtra as cited in the treatise says 「第四菩薩地」 tr. “the fourth bodhisattva ground”.
Sentence 2 · The order of the list of the ten gates of Dharma-light
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered (the first three items) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | to observe the realm of sentient beings, to observe the Dharma realm, to observe the realm of worlds | The prose of this chapter |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | first, to observe the realm of sentient beings; second, to observe the Dharma realm; third, to observe the realm of worlds | T09n0278 0553c09–10 |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | first, the entering by light that is pondering the realm of sentient beings; second, the entering by light that is pondering the realm of worlds; third, the entering by light that is pondering the Dharma realm | T26n1522 0159b22–23 |
Where the variants lie: (a) In the order of the second and third items, the eighty and the sixty alike have 「法界·世界」 tr. “the Dharma realm · the realm of worlds”, while the sūtra as cited in the treatise has 「世界·法界」 tr. “the realm of worlds · the Dharma realm” — Chengguan marks this difference expressly: 「二法界者，論當第三」 tr. “as for the second, the Dharma realm, in the treatise it stands as the third” 〔T35n1735 0789c11–12〕. (b) The last two items: the eighty has 「觀察廣心信解界、觀察大心信解界」 tr. “to observe the realm believed in and understood by the vast mind, to observe the realm believed in and understood by the great mind” ↔ the sixty has 「九、觀察勝信解界；十、觀察大心界」 tr. “ninth, to observe the realm of surpassing faith and understanding; tenth, to observe the realm of the great mind” 〔T09n0278 0553c12〕 ↔ the sūtra as cited in the treatise has 「九、思量勝心決定信界明入；十、思量大心決定信界明入」 tr. “ninth, the entering by light that is pondering the realm of the settled faith of the surpassing mind; tenth, the entering by light that is pondering the realm of the settled faith of the great mind” 〔T26n1522 0159b25–26〕. Chengguan explains the two texts separately upon this: 「論經前是勝心信解依，煩惱不染，與聲聞同；後大心信解依，不捨眾生，不同聲聞。今經即前云廣，則明護陜兼濟之心；後是大心，即是護小求大菩提。」 tr. “In the sūtra as cited in the treatise, the former is the support of the faith and understanding of the surpassing mind, undefiled by the afflictions, which is shared with the śrāvakas; the latter is the support of the faith and understanding of the great mind, which does not forsake sentient beings and is not shared with the śrāvakas. In the present sūtra the former says ‘vast’, and this makes clear the mind that guards against narrowness and succors others as well; the latter is the great mind, which is to guard against the small and to seek the great awakening.” 〔T35n1735 0789c20–24〕
Sentence 3 · The sentence on being born into the family of the Tathāgata
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | A bodhisattva dwelling on this Flaming-Wisdom Ground is able, because of the ten kinds of wisdom that ripen the dharmas, to gain that inner Dharma and to be born into the family of the Tathāgata | The prose of this chapter |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | A bodhisattva dwelling on the Flaming Ground, being within the family of the Tathāgata, turns to have strength; because he gains the inner Dharma, he has ten kinds of wisdom | T09n0278 0553c13–15 |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | This bodhisattva has gained the bodhisattva’s Flaming Ground, and being within the family of the Tathāgata turns to have strength; because he gains that inner Dharma, and because by ten kinds of wisdom of dharma he teaches and ripens | T26n1522 0159c13–15 |
Where the variants lie: the eighty has 「生如來家」 tr. “born into the family of the Tathāgata” (newly born), while the sixty and the sūtra as cited in the treatise have 「於如來家轉有勢力」 tr. “within the family of the Tathāgata he turns to have strength” (already born and turning to greater excellence). Chengguan speaks of this by way of expansion and compression: 「若《瑜伽》但云長如來家，論經亦但云於如來家轉有勢力，意明初地已生家，二三地起修方便，早有勢力；今依三地多聞成出世智，故云轉有。」 tr. “The Yuqie says only that he grows within the family of the Tathāgata, and the sūtra as cited in the treatise likewise says only that within the family of the Tathāgata he turns to have strength — the intent being to make clear that on the first ground he was already born into the family, that on the second and third grounds he set about cultivating skillful means and had strength early on; and now, on the strength of the much hearing of the third ground, world-transcending wisdom is completed, and therefore it says that he turns to have it.” 〔T35n1735 0790a16–19〕
Sentence 4 · The tenth item of the ten wisdoms
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | because he observes that there is nothing at all to be exhausted | The prose of this chapter |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | tenth, he cultivates the practice of the constant ceasing and non-abiding of the present | T09n0278 0553c20 |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | tenth, because he discerns and observes that there is nothing at all to be exhausted | T26n1522 0159c20–21 |
Where the variants lie: the eighty agrees with the sūtra as cited in the treatise in having 「無所有盡」 tr. “nothing at all to be exhausted”, while the sixty has instead 「現在常滅不住行」 tr. “the practice of the constant ceasing and non-abiding of the present” — the direction of the sense differs (the one taken with respect to neither increasing nor lessening, the other with respect to momentary non-abiding). The treatise explains the line shared by the eighty and the sūtra as cited in the treatise: 「彼前際後際不損不益，如經「分別觀無所有盡」故，於染法中不見一法可減、於淨法中不見一法可增故。」 tr. “In that prior limit and later limit there is neither lessening nor increasing, as the sūtra says ‘he discerns and observes that there is nothing at all to be exhausted’; for within defiled dharmas he sees not one dharma that could be lessened, and within pure dharmas not one dharma that could be increased.” 〔T26n1522 0160a21–23〕
Sentence 5 · The closing clause of the factors of the path
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, dedicating it toward equanimity | The prose of this chapter (the closing clause of each set of the factors of the path) |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, dedicating it toward nirvāṇa | T09n0278 0554a03–04 |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, dedicating it toward equanimity | T26n1522 0160b10–11 |
Where the variants lie: the eighty agrees with the sūtra as cited in the treatise in having 「迴向於捨」 tr. “dedicating it toward equanimity”, while the sixty has 「迴向涅槃」 tr. “dedicating it toward nirvāṇa”.
Sentence 6 · The assignment of the four means of gathering and the ten perfections (the sentence before the concluding name)
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Among the four means of gathering, this bodhisattva has the sharing of tasks preeminent; among the ten perfections, vigor preeminent; the rest are not uncultivated, only that they follow his strength and follow his portion | The prose of this chapter |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | Among the four means of gathering this bodhisattva has the sharing of tasks preeminent; among the ten perfections the perfection of vigor is ascendant; the other perfections are not uncultivated, but follow his strength and follow his portion | T26n1522 0162b23–25 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | 〔lacking〕 the maṇi simile and the sentence of the concluding name join directly: 「菩薩住焰地，下地菩薩所不能及，一切諸魔及諸煩惱皆不能壞。諸佛子！是名略說菩薩第四焰地。」 tr. “A bodhisattva dwelling on the Flaming Ground is such that the bodhisattvas of the lower grounds cannot come up to him, and all the hosts of Māra and all the afflictions cannot damage him. Sons of the Buddha! This is what is called a summary account of the bodhisattva’s fourth ground, Flaming.” | T09n0278 0554b18–20 |
Where the variants lie: the eighty and the sūtra as cited in the treatise have this sentence of assignment, while the sixty, at the same place in the sequence (the closing clause of the maṇi simile → the sentence of the concluding name), joins the two sentences directly and has no sentence of assignment. Recorded in full without adjudication.
Sentence 7 · The number of the spiritual transformations at the fullness of the ground
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | in a single moment of thought he gains entry to koṭis of samādhis and gains sight of koṭis of buddhas | The prose of this chapter |
| The Shidi jing lun, citing the sūtra | in a single instant of thought he gains a koṭi of samādhis and is able to see a koṭi of buddhas | T26n1522 0162c07–08 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | if he practices vigor diligently, he gains a hundred koṭis of samādhis and is able to see a hundred koṭis of buddhas | T09n0278 0555a26–27 |
Where the variants lie: the eighty and the sūtra as cited in the treatise have 「億」 tr. “a koṭi”, while the sixty has 「百億」 tr. “a hundred koṭis”.
Sentence 8 · The placing of the passage of praise and request (a structural divergence)
The eighty sets six verses of praise and request at the head of this ground (the compiler’s prefatory account · the Sovereign Heaven King raining jewels in praise · Vimukticandra’s request, 「從此轉入第四地，所有行相願宣說」 tr. “turning from here into the fourth ground — all the aspects of practice therein, may you declare them”); in the sixty, the verses of praise by the goddesses and the verse of Vimukticandra requesting the fifth ground are placed after the verses in repetition of the fourth ground, Flaming 〔T09n0278 0555b08–0555c08〕, serving as the joint that turns into the fifth ground, and within them Vimukticandra’s request runs 「願說得五地，行相之因緣」 tr. “may you declare the causes and conditions of the aspects of practice by which the fifth ground is gained” 〔0555c08〕. Recorded in full without adjudication (the two texts place the verses that joint one ground to the next at different points).
V. Scriptural Grounds of Sectarian Doctrine (the doctrinal eye)
(1) The head of what transcends the world · the beginning of the ascendancy of wisdom — the three grounds before this are lodged in the world (the ascendancy of resolve · the ascendancy of discipline · the ascendancy of concentration), while this ground is lodged in what transcends the world. Chengguan: 「若依本論，前三寄世間，今此出世，次第故來。」 tr. “If one follows the root treatise: the first three are lodged in the world, and this one now transcends the world; it comes by sequence.” 〔T35n1735 0788c29–0789a01〕 And in judging the passage on going forth: 「四地已上寄出世之首，故重明有，表心出家，故於調柔行中明之。」 tr. “From the fourth ground upward is the head of what is lodged in the transcending of the world, and therefore it is set forth again as present, symbolizing that the mind goes forth; and so it is made clear within the practice of pliancy.” 〔0795a28–29〕 — this is why the text of this ground brings out once more the sentence 「於彼諸佛法中出家修道」 tr. “within the Dharma of those buddhas he goes forth and cultivates the path”, and where its symbolic import lies.
(2) The great-vehicle reading of the thirty-seven factors of awakening — on this ground one properly cultivates the four stations of mindfulness · the four right eliminations · the four bases of supernormal power · the five faculties · the five powers · the seven factors of awakening · the eightfold right path, each set closing with 「依止厭，依止離，依止滅，迴向於捨」 tr. “relying upon disgust, relying upon dispassion, relying upon cessation, and dedicating it toward equanimity”. The treatise judges this to belong to the two kinds of 「對治修行增長」 tr. “the increase of the practice of countering”:
「云何對治？修行增長有二種：一、修行護煩惱染；二、修行護小乘。何者護煩惱染？修行菩提分法故。」 tr. “What is countering? The increase of practice is of two kinds: first, the practice that guards against the defilement of the afflictions; second, the practice that guards against the small vehicle. What is the guarding against the defilement of the afflictions? It is the cultivating of the factors of awakening.” 〔T26n1522 0160a23–25〕
The 「護小乘」 tr. “guarding against the small vehicle” is precisely the ten clauses of purpose in the text, 「菩薩修行如是功德，為不捨一切眾生故，本願所持故，大悲為首故……」 tr. “the bodhisattva cultivates merit such as this because he does not forsake any sentient being, because he is upheld by his original vow, because great compassion goes before him …” — one cultivates the same factors of the path and yet does not fall into the two vehicles, and what marks this off lies just in these ten clauses.
(3) The threefold sense of the family into which one is born as a Tathāgata’s own — Chengguan: 「然如來家略有三種：一菩提心家，初住即生；二大教家，四住即生；三法界家，初地證故生。」 tr. “Now the family of the Tathāgata is in brief of three kinds: first, the family of the mind of awakening, into which one is born at the first abode; second, the family of the great teaching, into which one is born at the fourth abode; third, the family of the Dharma realm, into which one is born because of the realization on the first ground.” 〔T35n1735 0790a12–14〕 This ground answers to the second family, the family of the great teaching. The treatise explains why one is able to be born: 「云何即於如來家轉有勢力？依止多聞智究竟故、除滅智障攝勝故。」 tr. “How is it that within the family of the Tathāgata he turns to have strength? Because the wisdom that depends upon much hearing is brought to its end, and because, doing away with the obstruction to wisdom, he gathers in what is surpassing.” 〔T26n1522 0159c23–24〕
(4) The teaching and realization, the two wisdoms, giving rise to one another (the doctrinal eye of 「焰」 tr. “flame”) — Chengguan: 「前以教成證，故喻金為嚴具；今從證起教，故喻摩尼放光。」 tr. “Earlier the teaching was brought to completion as realization, and therefore the simile is gold made into an ornament; now the teaching is raised out of realization, and therefore the simile is the maṇi jewel sending forth light.” 〔T35n1735 0795b06–08〕 The teaching brought to completion as realization = the gold simile; the teaching raised out of realization = the maṇi simile; and 「依證起焰，故地名焰慧」 tr. “the flame arises upon realization, and therefore the ground is named Flaming Wisdom” 〔0795b13〕. This is the pivot of every meaning of this ground.
(5) The obstruction departed from and the suchness that is without any taking in (the eye on the consciousness-only axis) — Chengguan:
「由斯四地說斷二愚及彼麁重。一等至愛愚，味八定故；二法愛愚，即解法慢。」 tr. “By reason of this, on the fourth ground the cutting off of two follies and their coarse heaviness is spoken of. The first is the folly of the love of the attainments, because one savors the eight concentrations; the second is the folly of the love of dharmas, which is the conceit of understanding the Dharma.” 〔T35n1735 0789a20–22〕
「由此證得無攝受真如，謂此真如無所繫屬，非我執等所依取故。」 tr. “By this one realizes the suchness that is without any taking in — that is to say, this suchness is attached to nothing, since it is not what the clinging to self and the rest depend upon and take up.” 〔T35n1735 0789a23–25〕
As to the obstruction departed from, Fazang records three lines side by side: following the Shidi lun it is named 「解法慢障」 tr. “the obstruction of the conceit of understanding the Dharma” · following the Liang recension of the She lun it is named 「微細煩惱共生身見等無明」 tr. “the ignorance of the view of a body and the rest arising together with subtle afflictions” · following the Cheng weishi lun, fascicle nine, it is named 「微細煩惱現行障」 tr. “the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions” 〔T35n1733 0333a29–0333b07 · verbatim under rubric VI〕.
(6) The ten wisdoms gathered into four wisdoms (the treatise’s outline) — the treatise gathers the ten clauses into four wisdoms: the ultimate wisdom regarding one’s own place of abiding · the ultimate wisdom of revering the Three Jewels alike · the wisdom of suchness · the wisdom of what is discerned and declared 〔T26n1522 0159c27–0160a06〕. Chengguan carries this on and matches it with the four truths: 「四餘六句明分別說智，謂是教智，故名為說。」 tr. “Fourth, the remaining six clauses make clear the wisdom of what is discerned and declared — that is, it is the wisdom of the teaching, and therefore it is named declaring.” 〔T35n1735 0790a28–29〕
(7) The three rounds of contemplation of the ten gates of Dharma-light (Chengguan) —
「觀察此十，略以三重釋之：一初句為總，本為眾生故；餘九為別，皆眾生事故。二前八為染，後二為淨。三前五推能依至所依，後五依所依立能依。」 tr. “The observing of these ten is explained in brief in three rounds. First, the opening clause is the general one, since it is fundamentally for the sake of sentient beings; the remaining nine are the particular ones, since all are matters of sentient beings. Second, the first eight are defiled and the last two are pure. Third, the first five push from what depends to what is depended upon, and the last five establish what depends upon what is depended upon.” 〔T35n1735 0789b28–0789c02〕
And he further explains why the opening clause first observes the merely nominal: 「假有三種：一因成假、二相續假、三相待假。假為空詮，故先觀之。」 tr. “The merely nominal is of three kinds: first, the nominal established by causes; second, the nominal of continuity; third, the nominal of mutual dependence. The nominal is the exposition of emptiness, and therefore it is observed first.” 〔T35n1735 0789c03–04〕
VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators
Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 · Yanyi chao T36n1736 (following the eighty-fascicle text phrase by phrase · the principal commentary)
The three senses in the explanation of the name:
「言焰慧者，法喻雙舉，亦有三義：一約初入地釋。初入證智，能燒前地解法慢薪故。」 tr. “In saying ‘flaming wisdom’, dharma and simile are raised together, and there are likewise three senses. First, it is explained with respect to first entering the ground: because the realizing wisdom that first enters is able to burn the firewood that is the conceit of understanding the Dharma on the preceding ground.” 〔T35n1735 0789a03–05〕
「二約地中釋。」 tr. “Second, it is explained with respect to the midst of the ground.” 〔T35n1735 0789a06〕 — citing the Cheng weishi lun, 「安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪慧焰增故」 tr. “because, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, he burns the firewood of the afflictions and the flame of wisdom increases” 〔0789a06–07〕, and weighing it out for himself: 「若唯取此而為慧者，未修道品應非焰地。以此地正明菩提分法，中該初後，諸論多依此釋。」 tr. “If one took only this as the wisdom, then before the factors of the path had been cultivated it would not be the Flaming Ground. Since this ground properly sets forth the factors of awakening, the middle covers the beginning and the end alike, and most of the treatises explain it in accordance with this.” 〔0789a08–10〕
「三約地滿。從證智摩尼放阿含光，故名為焰，下論具之。」 tr. “Third, it is taken with respect to the fullness of the ground: from the maṇi jewel that is realizing wisdom the light of the āgama is sent forth, and therefore it is named Flame, as the treatise below sets out in full.” 〔T35n1735 0789a17–18〕
At the place in Chengguan’s commentary where the name is explained: 「故此名焰慧地。此亦兼下二義，今即根本智火能燒前地聞持不忘恃以成慢之煩惱故。」 tr. “therefore this is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground. This also takes in the two senses below; here it is the fire of fundamental wisdom that is able to burn the affliction of the preceding ground, the conceit formed by relying on the unforgetting retention of what was heard.” 〔T35n1735 0743b06〕. In the Yanyi chao T36n1736 the boundaries of the passage corresponding to this ground have not been determined — recorded honestly as 〔not found · not exhaustive〕.
Supplementary verbatim record of the passages of Chengguan cited in the exposition: 「觀察圓滿與十理冥，則入四地。」 tr. “When the observing is complete and merges with the principle of the ten, one enters the fourth ground.” 〔T35n1735 0789c28〕 · the matching with the four truths, 「謂初二句名隨煩惱，染即是苦諦依正二報」 tr. “that is, the first two clauses are called the accompanying afflictions; the defiled is the dependent and the primary recompense of the truth of suffering” 〔0790b03〕 「後三句隨所淨，即是道諦」 tr. “the last three clauses are what accords with purification, that is, the truth of the path” 〔0790b12〕 · 「又不作煩惱所染，異凡夫業作；順菩薩道業，則異二乘。」 tr. “Further, not doing deeds defiled by the afflictions differs from the deeds ordinary persons do; doing deeds that accord with the bodhisattva path differs from the two vehicles.” 〔0794a23〕 · 「總云潤澤者，深欲愛敬故。」 tr. “The general clause says ‘moistens’ because of deep desire, love, and reverence.” 〔0794b08〕 「一柔軟心者，明樂行勝」 tr. “first, ‘the pliant mind’ makes plain the excellence of delighting in practice” 〔0794b11〕 「二調順者，調和善順緣中無礙，是三昧自在勝。上二是行體。」 tr. “second, ‘compliant’ is being harmonious and well complying, unobstructed amid conditions; this is the excellence of mastery in samādhi. The two above are the substance of the practice.” 〔0794b12〕 · 「六善受教誨，得師言詮。七於教不倒，得師意旨。」 tr. “Sixth, receiving instruction well is getting the teacher’s words; seventh, not being mistaken about the teaching is getting the teacher’s meaning.” 〔0794c09〕 · 「謂十句不出此三忍」 tr. “that is, the ten clauses do not go beyond these three forbearances” 〔0794c12〕 · 「彼增上欲本心界滿足果」 tr. “the fruit of the fulfillment of the realm of the root mind of that higher aspiration” 〔0794a27〕 「菩提分心是本心界，正念真如修上道品，故云滿足，由精進故。」 tr. “The mind of the factors of awakening is the realm of the root mind; rightly mindful of suchness one cultivates the higher factors of the path, and so it is called fulfillment, because of vigor.” 〔0795a02〕 · 「得此真如，寧有定法之愛？便能成菩提分行及不住道行，精進不退。」 tr. “Having gained this suchness, how could there be any love of concentration or of dharmas? One is then able to accomplish the practice of the factors of awakening and the practice of the path of non-abiding, with vigor that does not turn back.” 〔0789a25〕 · the Cheng weishi lun: 「最下品故，不作意緣故，遠隨現行故，說名微細。」 tr. “Because it is of the very lowest grade, because it does not take its object with attention, and because it accompanies active operation from afar, it is called subtle.” 〔T31n1585 0053a08〕.
Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (commentary on the sixty-fascicle text · the wellspring for the explanations of the name by the various schools)
Under the gate of the explanation of the name Fazang lists nine authorities side by side:
「初釋名者，《唯識》第九云「安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪慧焰增故，名焰慧地。」《攝論》云「由諸菩提分法，焚燒一切障故。」無性釋云「此地中有焰慧，故名為焰地。」世親釋云「能燒一切根本煩惱及隨煩惱皆為灰燼，名焰慧地。」」 tr. “First, the explanation of the name. The Weishi, fascicle nine, says: ‘because, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, he burns the firewood of the afflictions and the flame of wisdom increases, it is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground.’ The She lun says: ‘because by the factors of awakening every obstruction is burned up.’ Asvabhāva’s explanation says: ‘on this ground there is flaming wisdom, and therefore it is named the Flaming Ground.’ Vasubandhu’s explanation says: ‘he is able to burn all the root afflictions and the derivative afflictions and reduce them all to ashes, and so it is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground.’” 〔T35n1733 0333a11–16〕
「《莊嚴論》云「以菩提分慧為焰自性，以惑智二障云薪自性，此地菩薩能起焰慧燒二障薪，名焰慧地。」《金光明》云「能燒煩惱，以智慧火增長光明。修行道品依處所故，名為焰地。」《深密經》第四及《瑜伽》七十八及《顯揚論》大同此說。《智論》名增妙地，如《十住論》云「施戒多聞威德熾盛，故名焰地。」」 tr. “The Zhuangyan lun says: ‘the wisdom of the factors of awakening is taken as the self-nature of the flame, and the twofold obstruction of delusion and of the knowable is spoken of as the self-nature of the firewood; the bodhisattva of this ground is able to raise a flaming wisdom that burns the firewood of the two obstructions, and it is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground.’ The Jinguangming says: ‘he is able to burn the afflictions, and by the fire of wisdom the radiance increases. Because it is the place upon which the cultivating of the factors of the path depends, it is named the Flaming Ground.’ The Shenmi jing, part four, and the Yuqie, fascicle seventy-eight, and the Xianyang lun say much the same. The Zhi lun names it the Ground of Increasing Excellence, as the Shizhu lun says: ‘giving, discipline, and much hearing blaze up in awesome virtue, and therefore it is named the Flaming Ground.’” 〔T35n1733 0333a16–22〕
The three senses of the reason for its coming: 「一前地明定，自下諸地明所發慧，依定發慧義次第故，此依《解深密經》。二前之三地寄在世間，今此出世，義次第故次來，此依《十地論》辨。三前三地雖得世定總持，而未能得菩提分法捨於定愛及法愛故，是故此地修證彼行，故次來也。」 tr. “First, the preceding ground made concentration clear, and the grounds from here down make clear the wisdom that is raised up; since wisdom is raised in dependence upon concentration, the sense follows in sequence — and this follows the Jieshenmi jing. Second, the three grounds before this are lodged in the world and this one now transcends the world; the sense follows in sequence and so it comes next — and this is set out following the Shidi lun. Third, though on the three preceding grounds one gained worldly concentration and total retention, one was not yet able to gain the factors of awakening and let go of the love of concentration and the love of dharmas; therefore on this ground one cultivates and realizes that practice, and so it comes next.” 〔T35n1733 0333a23–29〕
The obstruction departed from: 「第三所離障者，依《十地論》離解法慢障，以第三地聞勝流教法生解起慢，四地翻此，故以為障。」 tr. “Third, the obstruction departed from: following the Shidi lun, it is the departing from the obstruction of the conceit of understanding the Dharma, since on the third ground, hearing the teaching that flows down from the surpassing, one gives rise to understanding and so raises conceit, and the fourth ground reverses this — therefore it is taken as the obstruction.” 〔T35n1733 0333a29–0333b02〕 And further: 「依梁本《攝論》名微細煩惱共生身見等無明」 tr. “following the Liang recension of the She lun it is named the ignorance of the view of a body and the rest arising together with subtle afflictions” 〔0333b02–03〕 · 「又《成唯識論》第九名微細煩惱現行障，謂所知障中俱生一分，第六識俱身見等攝」 tr. “and the Cheng weishi lun, fascicle nine, names it the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions — that is, the innate portion within the obstruction to the knowable, gathered in under the view of a body and the rest that accompany the sixth consciousness” 〔0333b04–06〕.
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a different line of symbolic reading)
「此地修三十七助道觀門，觀身受心法轉加明淨，故名為焰慧地。前地因定發，故名發光地。此地以三十七助道觀門觀身受心法，自性無依慧加明淨，故名焰慧。」 tr. “On this ground one cultivates the thirty-seven gates of contemplation that aid the path, and observing body, feeling, mind, and dharmas one turns ever brighter and purer, and therefore it is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground. The preceding ground arose by reason of concentration, and therefore it is named the Luminous Ground. On this ground, by the thirty-seven gates of contemplation that aid the path one observes body, feeling, mind, and dharmas, and the self-nature being without support the wisdom grows brighter and purer, and therefore it is Flaming Wisdom.” 〔T36n1739 0890c10–14〕
「二明此地修何行門者，以精進波羅蜜為首，餘九為伴。」 tr. “Second, making clear which gate of practice is cultivated on this ground: the perfection of vigor is foremost and the other nine are its companions.” 〔T36n1739 0890c15–16〕
The symbolic reading of Sudhana: 「善財於此位中，見普救一切眾生妙德夜神，得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門。」 tr. “Sudhana, at this station, sees the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Universally Rescues All Sentient Beings, and gains the bodhisattva’s gate of liberation of universally appearing in all the world and taming sentient beings.” 〔T36n1739 0890c17–19〕 And again: 「明前三地修戒定忍得出世心，此地重以三十七道觀再更治之，故名焰慧地。」 tr. “It makes clear that on the three preceding grounds one cultivated discipline, concentration, and forbearance and gained the world-transcending mind, and that on this ground one takes up the thirty-seven contemplations of the path once more and cultivates it over again — and therefore it is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground.” 〔0891a05–07〕
Recorded without adjudication: as to the explanation of the name, what the ancient worthies transmit runs in two directions — the various authorities gathered in the Tanxuan ji (the Weishi · the She lun · Asvabhāva’s explanation · Vasubandhu’s explanation · the Zhuangyan lun · the Jinguangming · the Zhi lun · the Shizhu lun) mostly establish the name with respect to ‘burning the firewood of delusion’, while Li Tongxuan establishes it with respect to 「三十七助道觀門觀身受心法，自性無依慧加明淨」 tr. “by the thirty-seven gates of contemplation that aid the path one observes body, feeling, mind, and dharmas, and the self-nature being without support the wisdom grows brighter and purer”, and Chengguan in turn opens three senses — first entering, the midst of the ground, and the fullness of the ground — and gathers the maṇi jewel sending forth light under the fullness of the ground. All three directions are recorded side by side; all are settled accounts of the ancient worthies, and they are recorded without adjudging one higher or lower. Further: the expansion and compression in the sentence on entering the ground, 「生如來家」 tr. “born into the family of the Tathāgata” (the eighty) as against 「於如來家轉有勢力」 tr. “within the family of the Tathāgata he turns to have strength” (the sixty · the sūtra as cited in the treatise), has already been furnished by Chengguan with a reconciliation of the two accounts 〔T35n1735 0790a16–19〕, and this too is recorded without adjudication.
VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage
This ground is one section of the root held in common by the two axes, Huayan and consciousness-only; Vasubandhu’s Shidi jing lun explains it phrase by phrase, and upon it the treatises of the consciousness-only line establish their doctrine of the fourth ground. The chain of lineage links back throughout to sources of apparatus already recorded above (no new apparatus):
- The Cheng weishi lun T31n1585: in the list of the names of the ten grounds, 「四、焰慧地，安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪」 tr. “fourth, the Flaming-Wisdom Ground: abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, he burns the firewood of the afflictions” 〔0051a26〕 — precisely the passage of the Weishi, fascicle nine, that Fazang and Chengguan cite; and its establishing of the name of the obstruction, 「微細煩惱現行障」 tr. “the obstruction of the active operation of subtle afflictions”, Fazang records after the gate of the explanation of the name 〔T35n1733 0333b04–06〕.
- The She dacheng lun T31n1594: in the list of the names of the ten grounds, 「四、焰慧地」 tr. “fourth, the Flaming-Wisdom Ground” 〔0145b22〕; and where the ten perfections are assigned, 「第四地中由無攝受義」 tr. “on the fourth ground, by reason of the sense of being without any taking in” 〔0145b28〕 — the same axis of meaning as Chengguan’s 「由此證得無攝受真如」 tr. “by this one realizes the suchness that is without any taking in” 〔T35n1735 0789a23〕. (Recorded as 〔not found〕: a keyword search within the span
0146a–0146byields no result.) - The Yuqie shidi lun T30n1579: in the Bodhisattva Stage, 「若廣宣說，如十地經焰慧地說」 tr. “if it is to be expounded at length, it is as the Flaming-Wisdom Ground is expounded in the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds” 〔0558b19〕 · 「教慧照明，是故此地名焰慧地」 tr. “the wisdom of the teaching shines and illumines, and therefore this ground is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground” 〔0558b21〕; in the Section of Ascertainment, 「煩惱智如火焰，是故第四名焰慧地」 tr. “the wisdom regarding the afflictions is like a flame of fire, and therefore the fourth is named the Flaming-Wisdom Ground” 〔0729c22〕 · 「當知能攝從第四地乃至佛」 tr. “know that it is able to gather in from the fourth ground on up to buddhahood” 〔0729a28〕 · the passage on the two follies countered on the fourth ground 〔0730a15〕 · 「已入第四地菩薩，當言何相」 tr. “a bodhisattva who has entered the fourth ground — what characteristic is he to be said to have?” 〔0737c10〕. The two passages of the Yuqie, fascicle forty-eight, that Chengguan cites (「先於增上心住，以求多聞增上力故……入初增上慧住」 tr. “first, in the abode of the ascendancy of mind, by reason of the ascendant power of seeking much hearing … he enters the first abode of the ascendancy of wisdom” 〔T35n1735 0789c29–0790a02, as cited〕 · 「由此因緣，所有意樂、增上意樂、勝解界性皆得圓滿」 tr. “by these causes and conditions, all his resolve, his ascendant resolve, and the nature of the realm of his conviction are brought to fullness” 〔0795a04–05, as cited〕) belong to this axis as well.
- The treatises of the Huayan school: Li Tongxuan takes this ground as an example brought into the gate of the ten mysteries and Indra’s net, scattered through the later text 〔T36n1739 0989b06 · 0989b13 · 0991a08〕 — not text explaining the outline of this ground, and recorded for reference.
- Cross-reading within this collection: the simile of the goldsmith refining gold is the same simile at a different stage from that of the first ground (the first ground; see 〈The First Ground, Joyful〉 in this volume 〔T10n0279 0183a24–25〕); the station of the fruit of recompense of ‘mostly becoming a king of such and such a heaven’, the fixed formula 「不離念佛，不離念法，不離念僧」 tr. “he does not depart from keeping the Buddha in mind, does not depart from keeping the Dharma in mind, does not depart from keeping the Saṅgha in mind” 〔T10n0279 0190c04〕, and the fixed formula of the vow-mind 「為首、為勝……為一切智智依止者」 tr. “the foremost, the excellent … the place of reliance for the wisdom of omniscience” — all are formulaic sentences shared by every one of the ten grounds.
VIII. Edition Location Register
- Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): the fourth ground, Flaming Wisdom, begins 〔T10n0279 0189b20〕 and ends 〔0191a19〕. The six verses of praise and request 〔0189b, middle to end〕 · the switch of speaker, 「爾時，金剛藏菩薩告解脫月菩薩言」 tr. “At that time the bodhisattva Vajragarbha told the bodhisattva Vimukticandra” 〔0189c04〕 · the ten gates of Dharma-light 〔0189c06 thereabouts–0189c10〕 · the ten wisdoms and the birth into the family of the Tathāgata 〔0189c12–〕 · the four stations of mindfulness 〔0189c20 thereabouts〕 · the four right eliminations 〔0189c23〕 · the four bases of supernormal power 〔0189c28〕 · the five faculties 〔0190a02〕 · the five powers 〔0190a05〕 · the seven factors of awakening 〔0190a08〕 · the eightfold right path 〔0190a09 thereabouts〕 · the ten purposes of the factors of the path 〔0190a15〕 · the contemplation of the clingings that begin with the view of a body 〔0190a21〕 · the sifting of deeds and practices 〔0190a24〕 · the ten states of mind 〔0190a27–28〕 · the ten virtues of knowing gratitude and of pliancy 〔0190a28 thereabouts〕 · the three accomplishments 〔0190b05〕 · the ten kinds of vigor 〔0190b07〕 · the marks of virtue at the fullness of the ground 〔0190b10〕 · the seeing of many buddhas 〔0190b14〕 · the goldsmith simile and the maṇi simile 〔0190b22 thereabouts〕 · the assignment of the four means of gathering and the ten perfections 〔0190b28〕 · the concluding name 〔0190c01〕 · the king of the Suyāma Heaven 〔0190c02〕 · the vow-mind of advancing beyond 〔0190c06〕 · the number of the spiritual transformations 〔0190c08–09〕 · the verses in repetition begin 〔0190c15〕–〔0191a17 thereabouts〕.
- Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the principal witness for collation): the fourth ground, Flaming, begins 〔T09n0278 0553c08〕 and ends 〔0555c09〕 (up to the opening of the exposition of the fifth ground). The sentence on entering the ground 0553c08–09 · the ten gates of Dharma-light 0553c09–13 · the family of the Tathāgata and the ten wisdoms 0553c13–21 · the four stations of mindfulness 0553c21–27 · the four right eliminations 0553c27–0554a02 · the four bases of accord with wish 0554a02–05 · the five faculties 0554a05–07 · the five powers 0554a07–09 · the seven factors of awakening 0554a09–11 · the eightfold right path 0554a11–13 · the ten purposes 0554a13–18 · the passage on the view of a body 0554a19–22 · the ten kinds of vigor 0554b01–04 · the seeing of buddhas and the going forth 0554b08–14 · the gold simile 0554b14–16 · the maṇi simile 0554b16–19 · the concluding name 0554b19–20 · the Yāma heaven king 0554b20–23 · the number of the spiritual transformations 0554b25–28 · the verses in repetition 0554c01–0555a29 · the praise by the goddesses and the request for the fifth ground 0555b08–0555c08.
- The Shidi jing lun T1522 (Vasubandhu; the fourth ground, Flaming, fascicle six): the fascicle title 0159b10 · the general statement of the four parts 0159b14–17 · the citation of the sūtra on the ten enterings by Dharma-light 0159b19–27 · the treatise’s explanation 0159b28–0159c11 · the citation of the sūtra for the part of purity 0159c13–22 · the four wisdoms gathering the ten 0159c23–0160a23 · the two kinds of countering 0160a23–25 · the citation of the sūtra for the factors of the path 0160a26–0160c04 〔abridged, continuing〕 · the citation of the sūtra on the ten kinds of vigor 0161c27–0162a01 · the treatise’s explanation of the nine kinds 0162a02–13 · the citation of the sūtra on the ten clauses of the realm of the mind 0162a15–18 · the treatise’s explanation of the nine kinds 0162a19–0162b01 · the citation of the sūtra for the part of the fruit thereof 0162b02–0162c16 (the gold simile 0162b15–18 · the maṇi simile 0162b19–23 · the four means of gathering and the ten perfections 0162b23–25 · the concluding name 0162b25–26 · the heaven king 0162b26–0162c06 · the spiritual transformations 0162c06–16) · the treatise’s explanation of the two similes 0162c17–29 · the end of the fascicle 0163a01.
- Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the outline of this ground begins 0788c22 – up to just before 0795b20. The reason for its coming 0788c22–0789a03 · the three senses of the explanation of the name 0789a03–18 · the delusions burned · the two follies · the suchness without any taking in 0789a18–27 · the direct explanation of the text in three parts 0789a27–0789b02 · the outline of the four parts 0789b03–15 · the explanation of the ten gates of Dharma-light 0789b16–0789c28 · the ten wisdoms of the part of purity 0789c29–0790b25 · 〔abridged〕 · the explanation of the passage on the view of a body 0794a14–24 · the four fruits 0794a24–0795a19 (the ten states of mind that moisten 0794b02–24 · the ten clauses on repaying gratitude 0794b25–0794c14 · the nine senses of vigor 0794c14–0795a01 · the nine senses of the realm of the mind 0795a01–19) · the fruit of the station, pliancy, 0795a19–0795b15 (the symbolic reading of going forth 0795a24–0795b02 · the gold simile 0795b02–05 · the maṇi and the purity of the wisdom of the teaching 0795b05–15) · the outline of the verses in repetition 0795b15–20. 〔not found〕: within the span of lines of this outline no separate fascicle-title line of the commentary is met with.
- Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733: the seven gates of the fourth ground, Flaming, 0333a10–11 · the nine authorities on the explanation of the name 0333a11–22 · the three senses of the reason for its coming 0333a23–29 · the obstruction departed from 0333a29–0333b09 · the passage on the world-transcending factors of the path 0336b10 · the closing passage, 「釋第四地竟」 tr. “the explanation of the fourth ground is completed”, 0337b13.
- Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: the Flaming-Wisdom Ground begins 0890c07 – up to just before 0893c08. The explanation of the name 0890c08–14 · the gate of practice 0890c15–16 · the symbolic reading of Sudhana 0890c17–0891a11 · the gate of liberation of the three realms 0891a12–.
- Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0189b20〕–〔0191a19〕, the Taishō base text carries 9 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0189b21〕地【大】｜法【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【福】 · 〔0189b22〕踊【大】｜勇【宋】【元】【明】【宮】【聖】【福】 · 〔0189b23〕皆震動【大】｜無此字【福】 · 〔0189b23＋〕（自在…言佛）十七字【大】，〔－〕【福】（大正僅出校注而無
<app>錨界，頁位依同頁注序內插，終界不展） · 〔0189c17〕循【大】｜脩【聖】 · 〔0190a27〕習【大】｜集【宋】【元】【宮】 · 〔0190b09〕熟【大】｜就【福】 · 〔0190b22〕鍊【大】｜練【宮】【聖】 · 〔0190b22〕治【大】｜冶【福】. - A further note upon the variant readings: 1 CBETA emendation (not counted among the Taishō collation notes listed above): 〔0189b20〕第四地【CB】｜無此字【大】.
- Supplementary note on variant readings: a record of the graphs used — all six witnesses have 「焰慧地／焰地」 tr. “the Flaming-Wisdom Ground / the Flaming Ground”, with no variant graph in the 『燄』 form (the search yields no result).