華嚴經 品二十七 十定品 · 序·請分Avataṃsaka Sūtra · The Ten Samādhis · Prologue and Request

The chapter of the ten samādhis opens the seventh assembly, the return to the palace of Universal Light. The prologue begins from the World-Honored One’s 「入剎那際諸佛三昧」 tr. “entering the samādhi of all buddhas at the limit of the kṣaṇa” ; Universal Eye makes his request once and seeks Samantabhadra three times without gaining the sight of him; the Tathāgata takes the conjured form within a conjuring as a simile to make clear that his object is very deep; and at the end he tells Samantabhadra himself, entrusting him to expound the ten great samādhis at length for the assembly — the one who requests, the one who expounds, and the Dharma to be expounded being here established one by one. Chengguan judges this chapter to be 「為答第二會中十定問故」 tr. “in order to answer the question about the ten samādhis raised in the second assembly” , and fixes its position by saying that it has 「等覺之義而無等覺之名」 tr. “the sense of equal awakening but not the name of equal awakening” . The sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka has no such chapter, and therefore the whole heading of collation with the parallel translations for this unit stands as 〔the sixty-fascicle text lacks it〕, and Fazang’s Tanxuan ji likewise as 〔not found〕; the explanations of the ancient worthies are here principally the single line of Chengguan’s Shu, with Li Tongxuan’s Lun consulted alongside.

I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement

The reason for its coming — Chengguan first distinguishes the coming of the assembly, and after that the coming of the chapter:

「初明來意，先辨會來。會來有二：一約圓融，謂前明普門中所具差別正位，故寄歷人天；今明位後德用不離普門，是則會別入普有此會來，重會普光意在斯矣。」 tr. “First, making clear the reason for its coming: the coming of the assembly is distinguished first. The coming of the assembly has two senses. The first is with respect to complete interfusion: that is, what was made clear before was the differentiated proper positions contained within the universal gate, and therefore it lodged itself in passing through the human and the heavenly; what is made clear now is that the virtue and function that come after the stations do not depart from the universal gate — and so the differentiated assembly enters the universal, and there is this coming of the assembly: the intent of returning to the assembly at Universal Light lies in this.” 〔T35n1735 0840b08–11〕

「二約次第，前明十地，今顯等妙二覺故來。以極果由於始信，故重會普光。」 tr. “The second is with respect to sequence: before, the ten grounds were made clear; now the two awakenings, the equal and the wondrous, are to be displayed, and therefore it comes. Because the utmost fruit proceeds from the first faith, the assembly returns to Universal Light.” 〔0840b12–14〕

The reason for the coming of the chapter is fastened directly upon the question that went before: 「二品來者，為答第二會中十定問故。」 tr. “Second, as for the coming of the chapter: it is in order to answer the question about the ten samādhis raised in the second assembly.” 〔0840b17–18〕

The explanation of the name — the name of the assembly is twofold, with respect to place and with respect to Dharma, while the name of the chapter is an explanation that carries a number:

「二品名者，定謂心一境性，十是數之圓極，以普賢深定妙用無涯，寄十以顯無盡，故云十定品，即帶數釋。」 tr. “Second, as for the name of the chapter: concentration means the one-pointedness of mind upon its object; ten is the round utmost of number; and because the wondrous function of Samantabhadra’s deep concentration has no shore, it lodges itself in ten in order to display the inexhaustible — and therefore it says The Ten Samādhis, which is an explanation that carries a number.” 〔T35n1735 0840b20–23〕

The purport — 「品以普賢三昧無礙自在無邊大用而為宗趣。」 tr. “The chapter takes as its purport the boundless great function of the unobstructed mastery of Samantabhadra’s samādhi.” 〔T35n1735 0840c02–03〕

The five-portion outline of this chapter (Chengguan) — the prologue and request are the first two portions, and take in the whole of the third besides:

「前中分五：一序分、二請分、三示說者分、四本分、五說分。」 tr. “Within the former it is divided into five: first, the portion of the prologue; second, the portion of the request; third, the portion of showing the expounder; fourth, the main portion; fifth, the portion of the exposition.” 〔T35n1735 0841a06–07〕

The finer outline of each portion (all from Chengguan’s Shu):

The 「初承旨總告」 tr. “first, the general telling upon receiving the charge” of the portion of the exposition is the boundary sentence at the end of this unit; from 「二中十定即為十段，各有標、釋、結。就初定」 tr. “within the second, the ten samādhis make ten segments, each having a statement, an explanation, and a conclusion; taking up the first concentration” 〔0842c11〕 onward, one enters 〈The First, the Great Samādhi of Universal Light〉 in this volume.

II. Terminology

III. Similes and Rhetoric

(1) The simile of the conjured form within a conjuring (from the sūtra · the Tathāgata answering Universal Eye’s seeking without finding) — the Tathāgata first asks 「頗有人能說幻術文字中種種幻相所住處不」 tr. “Is there anyone who can say where the manifold conjured forms within a conjuring of letters dwell?”, Universal Eye answers 「不也」 tr. “There is not”, and he then continues, saying 「幻中幻相尚不可說，何況普賢菩薩祕密身境界、祕密語境界、祕密意境界，而於其中能入能見」 tr. “If the conjured form within a conjuring cannot even be spoken of, how much less the secret object of the body, the secret object of the speech, and the secret object of the mind of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra — how could one enter therein and see therein” 〔T10n0279 0212a10〕:

• The ground of the simile: the conjured forms manifested by a conjuring, whose dwelling place cannot be spoken of.
• The body of the simile: the three secret objects of Samantabhadra’s body, speech, and mind.
• The sense displayed: what is utmost in 「不可說」 tr. “beyond speaking” is taken as the term of comparison — the conjured form cannot even be spoken of, how much less the object of Samantabhadra. This is the gathering up of the one sense of 「不見」 tr. “not seeing” within the prologue.

(2) The simile of consecration and investiture (from the sūtra · the praising of the surpassing virtue of the concentrations) — 「得法王位無量自在，譬如世間灌頂受職」 tr. “he obtains the station of a Dharma king with measureless mastery, just as in the world one is consecrated and invested with office” 〔T10n0279 0213a08〕: the worldly king’s receiving consecration and mounting to his station is a simile for the one who enters this samādhi obtaining the station of a Dharma king.

(3) The simile of the lion (from the sūtra · the praising of the surpassing virtue of the concentrations) — 「大悲無畏，猶如師子」 tr. “greatly compassionate and without fear, like a lion”: a simile for the fearlessness of the great compassion of one who enters this concentration.

(4) The simile of the bright lamp of the true Dharma (from the sūtra · the praising of the surpassing virtue of the concentrations) — 「為智慧丈夫，然正法明燈」 tr. “he becomes a hero of wisdom and kindles the bright lamp of the true Dharma”: the kindling of a lamp is a simile for the hero of wisdom shining upon the world.

(5) The simile of the maṇi jewel (from a commentator · Chengguan explaining the ninth phrase of the prologue) — 「一攝無能測身，謂如其勝解而示現身，如摩尼珠，名隨宜出生不失於時」 tr. “First, it takes in the body that none can fathom — that is, manifesting a body in accordance with their superior understanding, as a maṇi jewel does; it is named arising according to what is fitting and not missing the season for it” 〔T35n1735 0841b13–15〕: the maṇi manifests its colour according to the thing before it, a simile for the Tathāgata manifesting a body in accordance with the superior understanding of sentient beings.

(6) The domain of the jeweled net (from a commentator · Chengguan explaining the praise) — 「皆言普入者，一一皆窮帝網境故」 tr. “that all of them say ‘universally enters’ is because each and every one of them exhausts the domain of the jeweled net of Śakra” 〔T35n1735 0842b28〕: the jewels of Śakra’s jeweled net reflecting one another is a simile for the manifold inexhaustibility of ‘universally entering all worlds / all realms of sentient beings / all bodies / the whole Dharma realm’.

(7) The ten thousand kinds of cloud and the quaking in six ways (from the sūtra · the auspicious signs appearing and the benefit being accomplished) — ten clouds are raised together (flowers · garlands · incense · powdered incense · canopies · robes · adorning gear · rare jewels · burning incense · silks), and there follow 「不可說世界六種震動」 tr. “worlds beyond speaking quaked in six ways”, the music heard afar, the light shining universally, and the removal of the three evil destinies. This is the confirming sign that the request for the Dharma has been accomplished; it is not a simile but belongs to the rhetorical manner of amplification: setting things out by tens and measuring them by the unspeakable, of one and the same stroke as the chapter name’s ‘lodging in ten to display the inexhaustible’.

IV. Collation with Parallel Translations

This whole heading is lacking — 〔the sixty-fascicle text lacks it〕.

• Buddhabhadra’s sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka T09n0278, the whole table of chapters examined directly: chapter twenty-two, The Ten Grounds 〔0542a05〕 is followed immediately by chapter twenty-three, The Ten Clarities 〔0578a10〕, and between them there is no chapter of ‘the ten samādhis’ or of a like sense. Therefore for this whole chapter (the prologue and request included) there is no corresponding passage in the sixty-fascicle text to collate.
• Prajña’s forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka T10n0293 corresponds only to chapter thirty-nine of the eighty-fascicle text, on entering the Dharma realm, and does not touch this chapter.
• Vasubandhu’s Shidi jing lun T26n1522 is a dedicated explanation of chapter twenty-six, The Ten Grounds, and does not touch this chapter.

The limit of the negative proposition: what is listed above was not obtained by searching the sixty-fascicle text with the words of the eighty-fascicle text and finding no hits; it was obtained by collating the structure of the order of the chapters of the sixty-fascicle text itself — the sixty-fascicle text passes from the chapter of the ten grounds directly to the chapter of the ten clarities, and between them there is no place that could hold this chapter. What the chapter of the ten clarities answers is 「十明」 tr. “the ten clarities” among the ten questions of the second assembly, and not 「十定」 tr. “the ten samādhis” (Zhiyan’s Souxuan ji 「〈十忍品〉答此十定」 tr. “the chapter of the ten forbearances answers these ten samādhis” 〔T35n1732 0026a05〕 is another account, recorded under heading six).

V. Scriptural Grounds of Sectarian Doctrine (the doctrinal eye)

(1) Entering the samādhi of all buddhas at the limit of the kṣaṇa = the exhausting of the true source of dharmas — the opening sentence of the prologue, 「於普光明殿入剎那際諸佛三昧」 tr. “in the palace of Universal Light he entered the samādhi of all buddhas at the limit of the kṣaṇa” 〔T10n0279 0211a07〕, Chengguan explains as the first of ten phrases of merit, and judges its sense thus:

「一入剎那際三昧者，即窮法真源。謂時之極促名曰剎那，窮彼剎那時相都寂。無際之際名剎那際，即攝二句，謂二行永絕及達無相法。」 tr. “First, entering the samādhi at the limit of the kṣaṇa is the exhausting of the true source of dharmas. That is: what is utmost brief in time is named a kṣaṇa; press that kṣaṇa to its end, and the mark of its time is wholly still. A limit that has no limit is named the limit of the kṣaṇa — and it takes in two phrases, namely the everlasting cutting off of the two practices and the reaching through to the markless Dharma.” 〔T35n1735 0841a12–15〕

「所以此中特名入剎那際者，為顯將說等覺位故。菩薩地盡唯有果累無常，生相未寂猶名識藏。若以無間智覺心初起，心無初相，遠離微細念故，即無剎那。若入此際，即見心性常住，名究竟覺，故云諸佛三昧。」 tr. “The reason that it is here named in particular the entering of the limit of the kṣaṇa is in order to display that the station of equal awakening is about to be expounded. When the bodhisattva grounds are at their end there is only the impermanence of the encumbrance of fruition; the mark of arising not yet being stilled, it is still named the store-consciousness. If by uninterrupted knowledge one awakens to the first arising of mind, and mind has no first mark, being far removed from subtle thought, then there is no kṣaṇa. Enter this limit, and one sees that the nature of mind constantly abides; it is named ultimate awakening, and therefore it says the samādhi of all buddhas.” 〔T35n1735 0841a17–22〕

(2) The differentiated assembly enters the universal · the virtue and function after the stations do not depart from the universal gate — the reason for returning to the assembly at the palace of Universal Light: before, passing through the human and the heavenly, the earlier five assemblies lodged themselves in the stations to make clear the differentiated proper positions; now what is made clear is that the virtue and function that come after the stations still do not depart from the universal gate, and so 「會別入普」 tr. “the differentiated assembly enters the universal” 〔T35n1735 0840b08–11〕. Li Tongxuan for his part takes this assembly as making clear that the substance of concentration 「遍周」 tr. “pervades everywhere” 〔T36n1739 0767a02〕 — the paths the two houses take differ, and both are recorded.

(3) It has the sense of equal awakening but not the name of equal awakening — Chengguan judges this station of cause, saying:

「今初，此因即是等覺，然文有等覺之義而無等覺之名者，以此等覺亦即十地之勝進故，是以諸教開合不同。」 tr. “Now, at the first: this cause is just equal awakening; but that the text has the sense of equal awakening and not the name of equal awakening is because this equal awakening is also the advancing beyond of the ten grounds — and therefore the several teachings differ in their opening out and drawing together.” 〔T35n1735 0840c10–12〕

「今經欲顯開合無礙，故存其義不彰其名。」 tr. “The present sūtra wishes to display that opening out and drawing together are unobstructed, and therefore keeps the sense of it and does not set forth the name.” 〔T35n1735 0840c29–0841a01〕

(4) Lodging in ten to display the inexhaustible — 「十是數之圓極，以普賢深定妙用無涯，寄十以顯無盡」 tr. “ten is the round utmost of number, and because the wondrous function of Samantabhadra’s deep concentration has no shore, it lodges itself in ten in order to display the inexhaustible” 〔T35n1735 0840b21–23〕; and as to the names of the ten concentrations all being called 「大」 tr. “great”, Chengguan explains 「皆云大者，因滿之定稱法界故」 tr. “that all of them say ‘great’ is because a concentration of the fullness of cause is commensurate with the Dharma realm” 〔0842b02–03〕.

(5) Samantabhadra’s dwelling place is very deep · four pairs and eight depths — the sūtra sets out ten phrases explaining why Universal Eye does not see him (from 「普賢菩薩住處甚深不可說故」 tr. “because the dwelling place of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra is very deep and beyond speaking” onward), and Chengguan outlines them:

「以住處甚深故，文有十句：初句總、次八句別、後一句結。別中四對：一廣智勝定深，謂智門無邊，有邊之智焉覩定用？起伏無畏、展促自在，唯以出世定求，故不可見；次二外用內證深、次二得力成身深、後二多護速證深，由上八深故不能見。」 tr. “Because the dwelling place is very deep, the text has ten phrases: the first phrase is the general, the next eight phrases the particular, and the last phrase the conclusion. Within the particular there are four pairs. The first is the depth of vast knowledge and surpassing concentration: that is, the gate of knowledge being boundless, how should a bounded knowledge behold the working of the concentration? Its rising and sinking are without fear, its opening out and drawing in have mastery, and it may be sought only with a supramundane concentration — therefore it cannot be seen. The next two are the depth of outward function and inward realization; the next two, the depth of obtaining power and completing the body; the last two, the depth of the many guardings and swift realization. By these eight depths, therefore, he cannot be seen.” 〔T35n1735 0841c19–24〕

(6) Ten gates in five pairs · the general gate of all dharmas — of the ten gates from 「此是諸菩薩法相門」 tr. “this is the gate of the marks of the dharmas of the bodhisattvas” onward, within the praising of the surpassing virtue of the concentrations in the main portion, Chengguan judges five pairs: 「十門五對：一境智通悟、二因果遊入、三通辨出處、四佛法所從、五嚴土攝生，罔不由此。」 tr. “Ten gates in five pairs: first, the penetrating awakening of object and knowledge; second, the entering and roaming of cause and fruit; third, the general distinguishing of coming forth and abiding; fourth, that from which the dharmas of a buddha proceed; fifth, the adorning of lands and the gathering in of beings — there is nothing that does not proceed from these.” 〔T35n1735 0842c01–03〕

(7) Universally entering and exhausting the jeweled net — 「皆言普入者，一一皆窮帝網境故」 tr. “that all of them say ‘universally enters’ is because each and every one of them exhausts the domain of the jeweled net of Śakra” 〔T35n1735 0842b28〕 — of the four sentences of universal entering in the sūtra, 「普入一切世界，而於世界無所著」 tr. “he enters universally into all worlds, and yet is attached to no world” and the rest, Chengguan reads them directly by the inexhaustibility of the jeweled net; this is the commentator’s eye for the sense of the inexhaustibility of the ten mysteries within the prologue of this chapter.

VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators

Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 (phrase by phrase on the eighty-fascicle text · the principal witness)

The ten phrases of the prologue matched to the twenty-one kinds of merit:

「於中十句，即攝二十一種功德中二十別句，總句即前始成正覺故。」 tr. “Within it there are ten phrases, and they take in twenty of the separate phrases among the twenty-one kinds of merit; the general phrase is the having just then accomplished perfect awakening that stands before.” 〔T35n1735 0841a11–12〕

The matching of the ten phrases is set out one by one (the essentials excerpted): 「二以一切智自神通力現如來身者，依通起用」 tr. “second, manifesting the body of a Tathāgata by the spiritual power that is the mastery of omniscience — the function arises in dependence upon the penetration” 〔0841a23–24〕 · 「三清淨無礙，攝三句」 tr. “third, pure and unobstructed — it takes in three phrases” 〔0841a27–28〕 · 「四無所依止無有攀緣，即立不思議」 tr. “fourth, with no place it depends upon and nothing it takes as its object — that is, it establishes the inconceivable” 〔0841b02–03〕 · 「五住奢摩他最極寂靜，即普現三世」 tr. “fifth, abiding in the utmost quiescence of śamatha — that is, manifesting the three times universally” 〔0841b04–05〕 · 「六具大威德，即身恒充滿一切世間」 tr. “sixth, possessed of great awesome virtue — that is, his body ever fills all worlds” 〔0841b06–07〕 · 「七無所染著，即智恒明達一切諸法」 tr. “seventh, without defiling attachment — that is, his knowledge ever shines through all dharmas” 〔0841b08〕 · 「八能令見者悉得開悟，此攝二句」 tr. “eighth, able to cause all who see him to gain awakening — this takes in two phrases” 〔0841b09–10〕 · 「九隨宜出興不失於時，亦攝二句」 tr. “ninth, arising in accordance with what is fitting and not missing the season for it — it likewise takes in two phrases” 〔0841b12–13〕 · 「十恒住一相所謂無相，攝餘五句」 tr. “tenth, ever abiding in a single mark, the mark, that is, of no mark — it takes in the remaining five phrases” 〔0841b16–17〕. For the rest, 「如〈升兜率品〉辨」 tr. “as is distinguished in the chapter on the ascent to the Tuṣita Heaven” 〔0841b19〕.

The five divisions of the accomplishment of the assembly and the symbolic sense of the roll of names:

「第三別顯眾成就中五：一舉數、二「靡不」下歎德、三「其名」下列名、四「如是等」下結數、五「往昔」下集意。」 tr. “Third, within the separate display of the accomplishment of the assembly there are five: first, raising the number; second, under ‘there was not one who did not’, the praising of their virtue; third, under ‘their names were’, the listing of the names; fourth, under ‘such as these’, the concluding of the number; fifth, under ‘in ages past’, the intent of their gathering.” 〔T35n1735 0841b19–22〕

「三列名中一百菩薩，初有三十同名慧者，表純德故。「念莊嚴」下七十菩薩別名者，表雜德故。」 tr. “Third, within the listing of names there are a hundred bodhisattvas. That the first thirty share the name of wisdom is because it displays unmixed virtue. That the seventy bodhisattvas from ‘Mindfulness Adornment’ onward have names of their own is because it displays mixed virtue.” 〔T35n1735 0841b27–29〕

Why it is Universal Eye who makes the request: 「一普眼請問，要以普眼方見普法故」 tr. “First, Universal Eye makes the request, because only with a universal eye can one see the universal Dharma” 〔T35n1735 0841c01–02〕.

The three seekings without seeing: 「第三「其諸菩薩於普賢」下推求不見中，有三推求，皆悉不見。一渴仰推求不見、二重觀察不見、三以三昧力推求不見」 tr. “Third, within the seeking without seeing under ‘these bodhisattvas, toward Samantabhadra’, there are three seekings, and in all of them they do not see: first, the seeking of thirst and not seeing; second, the renewed observation and not seeing; third, the seeking by the power of samādhi and not seeing” 〔T35n1735 0841c10–13〕; and as to the reason for not seeing at the first seeking, 「威力持者，欲令大眾渴仰，得顯深旨故」 tr. “that it is sustained by his awesome power is because he wishes to make the great assembly thirst, so that the deep purport may be displayed” 〔0841c14–15〕.

The three minds in the teaching of how seeing arises: 「第四教起見方中，初令策勤前心。次「又應」下別示深觀。上捨境別求，故未識其體；今令十方齊觀，知其體周。下依此觀，是以得見。後「誓與」下起願思齊。具上三心則能得見。」 tr. “Fourth, within the teaching of how seeing arises: at first he makes the preceding mind strive with diligence. Next, under ‘and again you should’, he sets forth the deep contemplation separately. Above, they had abandoned the object and sought elsewhere, and therefore did not know its substance; now they are made to observe the ten directions together and to know that its substance is everywhere. Below, it is in dependence upon this contemplation that the sight is gained. Last, under ‘vow to be with’, the vow is raised and the aspiration to equal him. These three minds being complete, they are able to gain the sight.” 〔T35n1735 0842a10–14〕

The two senses of why one so deep in station as Universal Eye must yet cultivate contemplation again: 「然普眼位深而猶重習觀修者，略有二意：一位未等故、二示深獎物故。」 tr. “But that Universal Eye, deep in station as he is, must yet cultivate contemplation over again has in brief two senses: first, because his station is not yet equal; second, in order to display the depth and to encourage beings.” 〔T35n1735 0842a15–17〕

Why Samantabhadra manifests his body: 「第六「爾時普賢」下為現身相。於中五：一為眾現身，不見顯深，現不礙用故。」 tr. “Sixth, under ‘at that time Samantabhadra’, the manifesting of the marks of the body. Within it there are five: first, manifesting the body for the assembly — not seeing displays the depth, and manifesting does not hinder the function.” 〔T35n1735 0842a17–18〕

The names of the ten concentrations explained one by one (in the passage of the listing of names in the main portion) — 「一普光者，身心業用周遍全包為普，智照自在名光」 tr. “first, as for universal light: the deeds and functions of body and mind being everywhere and wholly contained is ‘universal’, and the illumination of knowledge having mastery is named ‘light’” 〔0842b03–04〕 · 「二妙光者，身智遍照為光，勝用交映為妙」 tr. “second, as for wondrous light: body and knowledge illuminating everywhere is ‘light’, and surpassing functions reflecting one within another is ‘wondrous’” 〔0842b04–05〕 · 「三十方無餘之剎皆至入定為遍往，往無雜亂、不礙時節歷然為次第」 tr. “third, reaching and entering concentration in every land of the ten directions without remainder is ‘going everywhere’, and going without confusion, the seasons standing distinct and unhindered, is ‘in succession’” 〔0842b05–07〕 · 「四明達諸法本自清淨，離於想念契理深心，依此起用遍供諸佛，請法起說名之為行」 tr. “fourth, clearly reaching through to the original purity of all dharmas, and the deep mind that is apart from conception and accords with principle; the function that arises in dependence upon this, making offerings everywhere to the buddhas and requesting the Dharma so that the exposition arises, is named ‘practice’” 〔0842b08–10〕 · 「五佛出劫剎等事皆名莊嚴，過去門中包此無盡為藏」 tr. “fifth, such matters as the arising of buddhas, the kalpas, and the lands are all named ‘adornment’, and the containing of this inexhaustibly within the gate of the past is ‘treasury’” 〔0842b10–11〕 · 「六未來藏中包含諸佛及佛法等名之為藏，智慧徹照稱曰光明」 tr. “sixth, the containing of the buddhas and the dharmas of a buddha and the rest within the treasury of the future is named ‘treasury’, and wisdom shining through is called ‘light’” 〔0842b13–15〕 · 「七現在諸佛作用、眾會身相益物皆曰莊嚴，橫遍十方故云一切，現可目覩故不云藏」 tr. “seventh, the workings of the present buddhas and the bodily marks of the assemblies benefiting beings are all called ‘adornment’; because it spreads across the ten directions it says ‘all’, and because it may presently be beheld with the eye it does not say ‘treasury’” 〔0842b15–17〕 · 「八於差別眾生身內外入定起定皆自在故，雖通三種世間，從多但云眾生」 tr. “eighth, because within and without the differentiated bodies of sentient beings the entering and rising from concentration are alike with mastery; and though it runs through the three kinds of world, following the greater part it says only ‘sentient beings’” 〔0842b17–18〕 · 「九於眼等十八界自在入出，又知事法界邊際與理法界無礙自在故」 tr. “ninth, because in the eighteen elements, the eye and the rest, he enters and comes forth with mastery, and further knows the bound of the phenomenal Dharma realm together with unobstructed mastery in the principial Dharma realm” 〔0842b19–21〕 · 「十無礙輪者，三輪攝化皆自在故」 tr. “tenth, as for the unobstructed wheel: because in the three wheels the gathering in and converting are alike with mastery” 〔0842b21〕.

The reconciling of the opening out and drawing together of equal awakening among the several teachings (Chengguan recording the divergent accounts of the several teachings):

「《仁王經》等合此勝進入於十地，是以不立等覺，故〈教化品〉中約五忍分位，於寂滅忍唯有上下，下忍中行名為菩薩，即第十地；上忍中行為薩婆若，此謂如來。」 tr. “The Renwang jing and the rest draw this advancing beyond together into the ten grounds, and therefore do not set up equal awakening; and so in the chapter on converting, taking the five forbearances as the division of stations, within the forbearance of quiescence there are only an upper and a lower: the practice within the lower forbearance is named a bodhisattva, which is the tenth ground; the practice within the upper forbearance is Sarvajñā, and this means a Tathāgata.” 〔T35n1735 0840c12–16〕

「若依《瓔珞》，開此勝進為無垢地，即是等覺。然等覺照寂、妙覺寂照。」 tr. “If one follows the Yingluo, it opens this advancing beyond out as the Stainless Ground, which is equal awakening. Yet equal awakening illumines the still, while wondrous awakening is stillness illumining.” 〔T35n1735 0840c16–18〕

「《瑜伽》具有二義：七十八引《深密經》說十一地，第十法雲、十一說名佛地，唯有二十二愚，得佛地時由斷二愚……斷此便能證大菩提，更不別說等覺斷證。論復有文，亦立等覺。」 tr. “The Yuqie has both senses: in the seventy-eighth fascicle it cites the Shenmi jing as expounding eleven grounds, the tenth being Dharma Cloud and the eleventh named the Buddha-Ground, and there are only twenty-two follies, and at the time of obtaining the Buddha-Ground two follies are cut off … cutting these off, one is then able to realize great awakening; and it does not separately expound a cutting off and realizing of equal awakening. Yet the treatise has text besides that also sets up equal awakening.” 〔T35n1735 0840c19–25〕

And he cites the chapter on the bodhisattva ground, saying: 「此菩薩雖已修行功德海滿，由未能捨三種法故，不名妙覺。一由未捨劣無漏法、二由未捨白淨無記法、三由未捨有漏善法，至妙覺位方捨此三。」 tr. “Though this bodhisattva has already cultivated to the fullness of the sea of merit, because he is not yet able to relinquish three dharmas he is not named wondrous awakening: first, because he has not yet relinquished the inferior undefiled dharmas; second, because he has not yet relinquished the pure white indeterminate dharmas; third, because he has not yet relinquished the defiled wholesome dharmas — only on reaching the station of wondrous awakening does he relinquish these three.” 〔T35n1735 0840c25–29〕

Supplementary verbatim record of the passage of Chengguan cited in the exposition (the four rounds of praise of the surpassing virtue of concentration): 「三歎定勝德，於中四：一約人以歎，人勝故法勝。」 tr. “Third, praise of the surpassing virtue of concentration, within which there are four: first, praise with respect to the person — the person being surpassing, therefore the Dharma is surpassing.” 〔T35n1735 0842b24〕 「約修以歎」 tr. “praise with respect to cultivation” 〔0842b25〕 「直就法歎，明此十定該攝諸法，體相用等一一超勝故。」 tr. “praise directly of the Dharma, making clear that these ten concentrations contain all dharmas, each surpassing in substance, mark, function, and the rest.” 〔0842b29〕 「約證以歎」 tr. “praise with respect to realization” 〔0842c04〕

Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733

〔not found〕 — the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka has no chapter of the ten samādhis, and the Tanxuan ji is a commentary on the sixty-fascicle text; therefore there is no separate section explaining this chapter (the search made: 「十定品」 tr. “the chapter of the ten samādhis”, with no hits in the whole file).

Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732

No separate section explaining this chapter; three scattered back-references: 「次十定等十四句」 tr. “next the fourteen phrases of the ten samādhis and the rest” 〔0026a01〕 · 「〈十忍品〉答此十定」 tr. “the chapter of the ten forbearances answers these ten samādhis” 〔0026a05〕 · 「十定可知」 tr. “the ten samādhis may be known” 〔0077b07〕. All three are mentioned within outlines elsewhere, and none is text explaining the prologue of this chapter.

Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a differing track of symbolic reading)

His treatise does not outline and explain this chapter section by section, and takes the ten samādhis as one gate only where he discusses the five stations of the Dharma gate in general:

「三定體遍周，即〈十定〉、〈十通〉、〈十忍〉等品是。」 tr. “Third, the substance of concentration pervades everywhere — that is, the chapters of the ten samādhis, the ten spiritual penetrations, the ten forbearances, and the rest.” 〔T36n1739 0767a02〕

「三〈十定品〉，如來入剎那際三昧，以此三昧普」 tr. “Third, the chapter of the ten samādhis: the Tathāgata enters the samādhi at the limit of the kṣaṇa, and by this samādhi universally” 〔T36n1739 0769c23〕

He further fastens this chapter, together with the Chapter on Detachment from the World, upon the first assembly that precedes: 「故，是故〈十定品〉及〈離世間品〉皆敘前之初會」 tr. “therefore, and for this reason the chapter of the ten samādhis and the Chapter on Detachment from the World both set forth the first assembly that precedes” 〔T36n1739 0765b03〕; and he judges its position, saying 「第九明因果位終者，從〈十定品〉、〈十通品〉、〈十忍」 tr. “ninth, making clear the end of the stations of cause and fruit: from the chapter of the ten samādhis, the chapter of the ten spiritual penetrations, the ten forbearances” 〔T36n1739 0765a10〕. He records also the sameness of the opening sentences of the two chapters: 「如〈十定品〉、〈離世間品〉皆云「爾時世尊在」」 tr. “as the chapter of the ten samādhis and the Chapter on Detachment from the World both say ‘at that time the World-Honored One was in’” 〔T36n1739 0762a29〕.

Recorded Without Adjudication

Chengguan, following the opening out and drawing together of the assemblies and stations and the track of outlining that has come down since the Shidi jing lun, judges this chapter to be the cause of equal awakening while 「存其義不彰其名」 tr. “keeping the sense of it and not setting forth the name”, and reconciles the differing openings and drawings together of the Renwang, the Yingluo, and the Yuqie. Li Tongxuan for his part takes 「定體遍周」 tr. “the substance of concentration pervades everywhere” as one gate of the five stations of the Dharma gate, and on the strength of the sameness of the opening sentence with the first assembly fastens this chapter upon the assembly that precedes. Zhiyan for his part, elsewhere, has the chapter of the ten forbearances answer the question of the ten samādhis. The tracks the three houses follow are each different — one following the outline of assemblies and stations, one following the threading through of symbolic reading, one following the matching of question to answer — and all are established accounts of the ancient worthies; they are recorded, and no adjudication is made of higher or lower. The absence in Fazang’s Tanxuan ji for this chapter is brought about by the sixty-fascicle text having no such chapter; it belongs to the limits of the witnesses and is not a divergent interpretation.

VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage

• The carrying on within the treatises of the Huayan house — 〔not found〕: for the four works, the Wujiao zhang T45n1866 · the Shixuan men T45n1868 · the Fajie xuanjing T45n1883 · the Huanyuan guan T45n1876, the mechanical count of 「十定」 tr. “the ten samādhis” is nil in every case, and none of the four touches the prologue of this chapter. The absence is recorded in accordance with fact, and is not filled out with text from elsewhere.
• Cross-reading within the chapter: Chengguan, explaining the ten phrases of the prologue, says at the end 「餘如〈升兜率品〉辨」 tr. “for the rest, as is distinguished in the chapter on the ascent to the Tuṣita Heaven” 〔T35n1735 0841b19〕 — the full explanation of the twenty-one kinds of merit lies in the commentary on that chapter, and this chapter takes only its twenty separate phrases and matches them; one who reads this passage should turn back to that chapter.
• Cross-reading within the assembly: this chapter is the first of the eleven chapters of the seventh assembly. Chengguan judges that this assembly 「有十一品經，分二：前六明因圓、後五明果滿」 tr. “has eleven chapters of sūtra, divided into two: the first six make clear the fullness of cause, the last five the fullness of fruit” 〔T35n1735 0840c03–04〕, and further that 「前六品明位後因相、後三品明差別果相」 tr. “the first six chapters make clear the marks of cause after the stations, and the last three chapters the marks of the differentiated fruit” 〔0840c05–06〕; and this chapter makes a pair with the chapter of the ten spiritual penetrations: 「前中亦二：初品就定明用、後品就通明用」 tr. “within the former there are likewise two: the first chapter makes the function clear with respect to concentration, and the latter chapter makes the function clear with respect to the penetrations” 〔0841a05–06〕 — concentration and penetration raised as a pair, and this is the coordinate of assembly and station for reading the prologue of this chapter.
• The carrying on of question and answer: what this chapter answers is the question about the ten samādhis among the ten questions of the second assembly 〔T35n1735 0840b17–18〕; Zhiyan separately fastens the chapter of the ten forbearances as the answer to these ten samādhis 〔T35n1732 0026a05〕. Both accounts are recorded.

VIII. Edition Location Register

• Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): the line of the chapter title, chapter twenty-seven, The Ten Samādhis 〔T10n0279 0211a05〕; this unit begins 〔0211a06〕 at 「爾時，世尊在摩竭提國阿蘭若法菩提場中始成正覺，於普光明殿入剎那際諸佛三昧」 tr. “At that time the World-Honored One was in the land of Magadha, at the place of awakening of the araṇya Dharma, having just then accomplished perfect awakening; and in the palace of Universal Light he entered the samādhi of all buddhas at the limit of the kṣaṇa”, and ends 〔up to just before 0213a22〕. The locations already verified within this passage: Universal Eye receives the spiritual power of the Buddha, rises from his seat, and makes his request 〔0211b20〕 · the Tathāgata permits the question and shows Samantabhadra 〔0211b23〕 · Universal Eye asks where Samantabhadra now is 〔0211c17〕 · the Buddha answers that Samantabhadra is here in this assembly at the place of awakening 〔0211c18〕 · seeking by the power of samādhi and not seeing 〔0211c29–0212a03〕 · Universal Eye rises from samādhi and states of himself that he does not see 〔0212a03〕 · the simile of the conjured form within a conjuring 〔0212a08–a10〕 · the assembly pays reverence and the Buddha tells the assembly 〔0212a21–a24〕 · the auspicious signs appear and the benefit is accomplished 〔0212b02–b11〕 · Universal Eye praises the ten abidings of Samantabhadra 〔0212b24〕 · the Tathāgata tells Samantabhadra, entrusting him to expound the ten great samādhis 〔0212c05〕 · the listing of the names of the ten samādhis 〔0212c09–c10〕 · the last two of the ten gates 〔0213a06〕 · the opening sentence of the praise with respect to realization, 「若菩薩入此三昧」 tr. “if a bodhisattva enters this samādhi” 〔0213a07〕 · the sentence on consecration and investiture 〔0213a08〕 · the concluding exhortation, 「是故，普賢！汝今應當分別廣說一切菩薩十大三昧，今此眾會咸皆願聞。」 tr. “Therefore, Samantabhadra! You should now distinguish and expound at length the ten great samādhis of all bodhisattvas, for the assembly of this gathering all wish to hear them.” 〔0213a19–a21〕 · the boundary sentence, 「爾時，普賢菩薩承如來旨」 tr. “at that time the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, receiving the intent of the Tathāgata” 〔0213a21〕.
  • The limit of the locations (recorded in accordance with fact): the locations listed above have all been fixed verbatim. For the remaining scriptural sentences of this passage (such as 「入師子奮迅定」 tr. “he has entered the samādhi of the lion’s stretching”, 「得十千阿僧祇三昧」 tr. “he obtained ten thousand asaṃkhyeyas of samādhis”, and 「大悲無畏，猶如師子」 tr. “greatly compassionate and without fear, like a lion”), the locations at the level of the line have not been fixed; this file in no case fabricates a line number, and merely states the text without fastening a location to it.
• Buddhabhadra T278: 〔the sixty-fascicle text lacks it〕 — chapter twenty-two, The Ten Grounds 0542a05 · chapter twenty-three, The Ten Clarities 0578a10, with no corresponding chapter between them.
• Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the commentary on the chapter of the ten samādhis begins 0840b07 (the reason for its coming 0840b08 · the explanation of the name 0840b18 · the purport 0840b29 · the direct explanation of the text 0840c03 · the outline into five portions 0841a06 · the ten phrases of the prologue matched to the merits 0841a11–b19 · the five divisions of the accomplishment of the assembly 0841b19–29 · the four divisions of the portion of the request 0841c01–04 · the six divisions of the portion of showing the expounder 0841c04–08 · the three seekings without seeing 0841c10–13 · the four pairs and eight depths of the depth of the dwelling place 0841c19–24 · the three minds in the teaching of how seeing arises 0842a10–14 · the manifesting of the marks of the body 0842a17–22 · the four divisions of the main portion 0842a26–29 · the explanation of the names of the ten samādhis one by one 0842b02–23 · the ten gates in five pairs 0842c01–03 · the three divisions of the portion of the exposition 0842c08–10); the boundary sentence from this unit to s01 stands in the commentary as 「二中十定即為十段，各有標、釋、結。就初定」 tr. “within the second, the ten samādhis make ten segments, each having a statement, an explanation, and a conclusion; taking up the first concentration” 〔0842c11〕. The commentary on the following chapter, of the ten spiritual penetrations, begins 0850a05.
• Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733: 〔not found〕. Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732: three back-references at 0026a01 · 0026a05 · 0077b07.
• Li Tongxuan, Lun T36n1739: seven instances at 0762a29 · 0762b04 · 0765a10 · 0765a14 · 0765b03 · 0767a02 · 0769c23.
• The four compendia of the doctrinal classification of the Huayan house: 〔not found〕 (no hits for 「十定」 tr. “the ten samādhis”).
• Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0211a05〕–〔0213a21〕, the Taishō base text carries 5 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0211b14〕通【大】｜踊【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0212b18〕綵【大】｜采【宋】 · 〔0212c02〕不【大】＊｜無此字【聖】＊（＊同校並繫〔0213c16〕之不字） · 〔0213a03〕幢【大】｜憧【聖】 · 〔0213a04〕辯【大】＊｜辨【聖】＊（＊同校並繫〔0213b09〕之辯字）. (＊ ＝ a Taishō asterisked collation: the same note also governs the remaining occurrences of that graph in the text; for notes of this class the T279 XML supplies no corresp for the recurrences, so the asterisk alone is shown and no second anchor is created.)