華嚴經品三十阿僧祇品Avataṃsaka Sūtra · Asaṃkhyeya

〔T10 0237b07〕

心要Essence

有一個數，數到它就沒有名字了。

心王菩薩問佛：什麼叫阿僧祇，什麼叫不可說不可說？佛沒有講道理，佛開始數——一百洛叉為一俱胝，然後每一步都把前一個數自己乘自己一遍，一百二十三重，直到最後那個名字只能叫「不可說不可說轉」。

然後佛說偈，把這個已經到頭的數再拿去充滿另一個到頭的數；剎碎為塵，塵中有剎；無邊剎土共集一毛端，而「不使毛端有增大」。

『數不是為了算出什麼，是為了讓你在算不下去的地方停住。』末偈說：體性差別不可說——而菩薩「一切皆明見」。說不出來，不等於看不見。且入此品。

There is a number such that, once you have counted as far as it, it no longer has a name.

Mind-King Bodhisattva asked the Buddha: what is an asaṃkhyeya, and what is an unspeakably unspeakable? The Buddha did not reason the matter out; the Buddha began to count — a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi — and thereafter at every step the number just reached is multiplied once by itself, one hundred and twenty-three rungs of it, until the last name can only be called “an unspeakably unspeakable-turned.”

Then the Buddha spoke in verse, taking this number that has already run to its end and using it to fill up another end: buddha-lands ground into dust motes, and within one dust mote lands again; boundless lands gathered together upon a single hair-tip, and yet it “does not make the hair-tip any larger.”

‘Counting is not for the sake of arriving at some figure; it is so that you may come to a halt at the place where the counting can go no further.’ The last verse says: the differences of their very substance cannot be spoken — and yet the bodhisattva “sees them all with clarity.” That a thing cannot be spoken does not mean it cannot be seen. Now enter this chapter.

原典Canonical · verbatim

〔T10 0237〕爾時，心王菩薩白佛言：「世尊！諸佛如來演說阿僧祇無量、無邊、無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說、不可說不可說。世尊！云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說耶？」佛告心王菩薩言：「善哉善哉！善男子！汝今為欲令諸世間入佛所知數量之義，而問如來、應、正等覺。善男子！諦聽諦聽！善思念之！當為汝說。」時，心王菩薩唯然受教。佛言：「善男子！一百洛叉為一俱胝，俱胝俱胝為一阿庾多，阿庾多阿庾多為一那由他，那由他那由他為一頻婆羅，頻婆羅頻婆羅為一矜羯羅，矜羯羅矜羯羅為一阿伽羅，阿伽羅阿伽羅為一最勝，最勝最勝為一摩婆羅，摩婆羅摩婆羅為一阿婆羅，阿婆羅阿婆羅為一多婆羅，多婆羅多婆羅為一界分，界分界分為一普摩，普摩普摩為一禰摩，禰摩禰摩為一阿婆鈐，阿婆鈐阿婆鈐為一彌伽婆，彌伽婆彌伽婆為一毘攞伽，毘攞伽毘攞伽為一毘伽婆，毘伽婆毘伽婆為一僧羯邏摩，僧羯邏摩僧羯邏摩為一毘薩羅，毘薩羅毘薩羅為一毘贍婆，毘贍婆毘贍婆為一毘盛伽，毘盛伽毘盛伽為一毘素陀，毘素陀毘素陀為一毘婆訶，毘婆訶毘婆訶為一毘薄底，毘薄底毘薄底為一毘佉擔，毘佉擔毘佉擔為一稱量，稱量稱量為一一持，一持一持為一異路，異路異路為一顛倒，顛倒顛倒為一三末耶，三末耶三末耶為一毘覩羅，毘覩羅毘覩羅為一奚婆羅，奚婆羅奚婆羅為一伺察，伺察伺察為一周廣，周廣周廣為一高出，高出高出為一最妙，最妙最妙為一泥羅婆，泥羅婆泥羅婆為一訶理婆，訶理婆訶理婆為一一動，一動一動為一訶理蒲，訶理蒲訶理蒲為一訶理三，訶理三訶理三為一奚魯伽，奚魯伽奚魯伽為一達攞步陀，達攞步陀達攞步陀為一訶魯那，訶魯那訶魯那為一摩魯陀，摩魯陀摩魯陀為一懺慕陀，懺慕陀懺慕陀為一瑿攞陀，瑿攞陀瑿攞陀為一摩魯摩，摩魯摩摩魯摩為一調伏，調伏調伏為一離憍慢，離憍慢離憍慢為一不動，不動不動為一極量，極量極量為一阿麼怛羅，阿麼怛羅阿麼怛羅為一勃麼怛羅，勃麼怛羅勃麼怛羅為一伽麼怛羅，伽麼怛羅伽麼怛羅為一那麼怛羅，那麼怛羅那麼怛羅為一奚麼怛羅，奚麼怛羅奚麼怛羅為一鞞麼怛羅，鞞麼怛羅鞞麼怛羅為一鉢羅麼怛羅，鉢羅麼怛羅鉢羅麼怛羅為一尸婆麼怛羅，尸婆麼怛羅尸婆麼怛羅為一翳羅，翳羅翳羅為一薜羅，薜羅薜羅為一諦羅，諦羅諦羅為一偈羅，偈羅偈羅為一窣步羅，窣步羅窣步羅為一泥羅，泥羅泥羅為一計羅，計羅計羅為一細羅，細羅細羅為一睥羅，睥羅睥羅為一謎羅，謎羅謎羅為一娑攞荼，娑攞荼娑攞荼為一謎魯陀，謎魯陀謎魯陀為一契魯陀，契魯陀契魯陀為一摩覩羅，摩覩羅摩覩羅為一娑母羅，娑母羅娑母羅為一阿野娑，阿野娑阿野娑為一迦麼羅，迦麼羅迦麼羅為一摩伽婆，摩伽婆摩伽婆為一阿怛羅，阿怛羅阿怛羅為一醯魯耶，醯魯耶醯魯耶為一薜魯婆，薜魯婆薜魯婆為一羯羅波，羯羅波羯羅波為一訶婆婆，訶婆婆訶婆婆為一毘婆羅，毘婆羅毘婆羅為一那婆羅，那婆羅那婆羅為一摩攞羅，摩攞羅摩攞羅為一娑婆羅，娑婆羅娑婆羅為一迷攞普，迷攞普迷攞普為一者麼羅，者麼羅者麼羅為一馱麼羅，馱麼羅馱麼羅為一鉢攞麼陀，鉢攞麼陀鉢攞麼陀為一毘伽摩，毘伽摩毘伽摩為一烏波跋多，烏波跋多烏波跋多為一演說，演說演說為一無盡，無盡無盡為一出生，出生出生為一無我，無我無我為一阿畔多，阿畔多阿畔多為一青蓮華，青蓮華青蓮華為一鉢頭摩，鉢頭摩鉢頭摩為一僧祇，僧祇僧祇為一趣，趣趣為一至，至至為一阿僧祇，阿僧祇阿僧祇為一阿僧祇轉，阿僧祇轉阿僧祇轉為一無量，無量無量為一無量轉，無量轉無量轉為一無邊，無邊無邊為一無邊轉，無邊轉無邊轉為一無等，無等無等為一無等轉，無等轉無等轉為一不可數，不可數不可數為一不可數轉，不可數轉不可數轉為一不可稱，不可稱不可稱為一不可稱轉，不可稱轉不可稱轉為一不可思，不可思不可思為一不可思轉，不可思轉不可思轉為一不可量，不可量不可量為一不可量轉，不可量轉不可量轉為一不可說，不可說不可說為一不可說轉，不可說轉不可說轉為一不可說不可說，此又不可說不可說為一不可說不可說轉。」〔T10 0238〕爾時，世尊為心王菩薩而說頌曰：　　「不可言說不可說，充滿一切不可說，
　　不可言說諸劫中，說不可說不可盡。
　　不可言說諸佛剎，皆悉碎末為微塵，
　　一塵中剎不可說，如一一切皆如是。
　　此不可說諸佛剎，一念碎塵不可說，
　　念念所碎悉亦然，盡不可說劫恒爾。
　　此塵有剎不可說，此剎為塵說更難，
　　以不可說算數法，不可說劫如是數。
　　以此諸塵數諸劫，一塵十萬不可說，
　　爾劫稱讚一普賢，無能盡其功德量。
　　於一微細毛端處，有不可說諸普賢，
　　一切毛端悉亦爾，如是乃至遍法界。
　　一毛端處所有剎，其數無量不可說，
　　盡虛空量諸毛端，一一處剎悉如是。
　　彼毛端處諸國土，無量種類差別住，
　　有不可說異類剎，有不可說同類剎。
　　不可言說毛端處，皆有淨剎不可說，
　　種種莊嚴不可說，種種奇妙不可說。
　　於彼一一毛端處，演不可說諸佛名，
　　一一名有諸如來，皆不可說不可說。
　　一一諸佛於身上，現不可說諸毛孔，
　　於彼一一毛孔中，現眾色相不可說。
　　不可言說諸毛孔，咸放光明不可說，
　　於彼一一光明中，悉現蓮華不可說。
　　於彼一一蓮華內，悉有眾葉不可說，
　　不可說華眾葉中，各現色相不可說。
　　彼不可說諸色內，復現眾葉不可說，
　　葉中光明不可說，光中色相不可說。
　　此不可說色相中，一一現光不可說，
　　光中現月不可說，月復現月不可說。
　　於不可說諸月中，一一現光不可說，
　　於彼一一光明內，復現於日不可說。
　　於不可說諸日中，一一現色不可說，
　　於彼一一諸色內，又現光明不可說。
　　於彼一一光明內，現不可說師子座，
　　一一嚴具不可說，一一光明不可說。
　　光中妙色不可說，色中淨光不可說，
　　於彼一一淨光內，復現種種妙光明。
　　此光復現種種光，不可言說不可說，
　　如是種種光明內，各現妙寶如須彌。
　　一一光中所現寶，不可言說不可說，
　　彼如須彌一妙寶，現眾剎土不可說。
　　盡須彌寶無有餘，示現剎土皆如是，
　　以一剎土末為塵，一塵色相不可說。
　　眾剎為塵塵有相，不可言說不可說，
　　如是種種諸塵相，皆出光明不可說。
　　光中現佛不可說，佛所說法不可說，
　　法中妙偈不可說，聞偈得解不可說。
　　不可說解念念中，顯了真諦不可說，
　　示現未來一切佛，常演說法無窮盡。
　　一一佛法不可說，種種清淨不可說，
　　出妙音聲不可說，轉正法輪不可說。
　　於彼一一法輪中，演修多羅不可說；
　　於彼一一修多羅，分別法門不可說；
　　於彼一一法門中，又說諸法不可說；
　　於彼一一諸法中，調伏眾生不可說。
　　或復於一毛端處，不可說劫常安住，
　　如一毛端餘悉然，所住劫數皆如是。
　　其心無礙不可說，變化諸佛不可說，
　　一一變化諸如來，復現於化不可說。
　　彼佛法身不可說，彼佛分身不可說，
　　莊嚴無量不可說，往詣十方不可說，
　　周行國土不可說，觀察眾生不可說，
　　清淨眾生不可說，調伏眾生不可說。
　　彼諸莊嚴不可說，彼諸神力不可說，
　　彼諸自在不可說，彼諸神變不可說。
　　所有神通不可說，所有境界不可說，
　　所有加持不可說，所住世間不可說。
　　清淨實相不可說，說修多羅不可說，
　　於彼一一修多羅，演說法門不可說；
　　於彼一一法門中，又說諸法不可說；
　　於彼一一諸法中，所有決定不可說；
　　於彼一一決定中，調伏眾生不可說。
　　不可言說同類法，不可言說同類心，
　　不可言說異類法，不可言說異類心，
　　不可言說異類根，不可言說異類語，
　　念念於諸所行處，調伏眾生不可說。
　　所有神變不可說，所有示現不可說，
　　於中時劫不可說，於中差別不可說，
　　菩薩悉能分別說，諸明算者莫能辨。
　　一毛端處大小剎，雜染清淨麁細剎，
　　如是一切不可說，一一明了可分別。
　　以一國土碎為塵，其塵無量不可說，
　　如是塵數無邊剎，俱來共集一毛端。
　　此諸國土不可說，共集毛端無迫隘，
　　不使毛端有增大，而彼國土俱來集。
　　於中所有諸國土，形相如本無雜亂，
　　如一國土不亂餘，一切國土皆如是。
　　虛空境界無邊際，悉布毛端使充滿，
　　如是毛端諸國土，菩薩一念皆能說。
　　於一微細毛孔中，不可說剎次第入，
　　毛孔能受彼諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔。
　　入時劫數不可說，受時劫數不可說，
　　於此行列安住時，一切諸劫無能說。
　　如是攝受安住已，所有境界不可說，
　　入時方便不可說，入已所作不可說，
　　意根明了不可說，遊歷諸方不可說，
　　勇猛精進不可說，自在神變不可說，
　　所有思惟不可說，所有大願不可說，
　　所有境界不可說，一切通達不可說，
　　身業清淨不可說，語業清淨不可說，
　　意業清淨不可說，信解清淨不可說，
　　妙智清淨不可說，妙慧清淨不可說，
　　了諸實相不可說，斷諸疑惑不可說，
　　出離生死不可說，超昇正位不可說，
　　甚深三昧不可說，了達一切不可說，
　　一切眾生不可說，一切佛剎不可說，
　　知眾生身不可說，知其心樂不可說，
　　知其業果不可說，知其意解不可說，
　　知其品類不可說，知其種性不可說，
　　知其受身不可說，知其生處不可說，
　　知其正生不可說，知其生已不可說，
　　知其解了不可說，知其趣向不可說，
　　知其言語不可說，知其作業不可說。
　　菩薩如是大慈悲，利益一切諸世間，
　　普現其身不可說，入諸佛剎不可說，
　　見諸菩薩不可說，發生智慧不可說，
　　請問正法不可說，敷揚佛教不可說，
　　現種種身不可說，詣諸國土不可說，
　　示現神通不可說，普遍十方不可說，
　　處處分身不可說，親近諸佛不可說，
　　作諸供具不可說，種種無量不可說，
　　清淨眾寶不可說，上妙蓮華不可說，
　　最勝香鬘不可說，供養如來不可說，
　　清淨信心不可說，最勝悟解不可說，
　　增上志樂不可說，恭敬諸佛不可說，
　　修行於施不可說，其心過去不可說，
　　有求皆施不可說，一切悉施不可說，
　　持戒清淨不可說，心意清淨不可說，
　　讚歎諸佛不可說，愛樂正法不可說，
　　成就諸忍不可說，無生法忍不可說，
　　具足寂靜不可說，住寂靜地不可說，
　　起大精進不可說，其心過去不可說，
　　不退轉心不可說，不傾動心不可說，
　　一切定藏不可說，觀察諸法不可說，
　　寂然在定不可說，了達諸禪不可說，
　　智慧通達不可說，三昧自在不可說，
　　了達諸法不可說，明見諸佛不可說，
　　修無量行不可說，發廣大願不可說，
　　甚深境界不可說，清淨法門不可說，
　　菩薩法力不可說，菩薩法住不可說，
　　彼諸正念不可說，彼諸法界不可說，
　　修方便智不可說，學甚深智不可說，
　　無量智慧不可說，究竟智慧不可說，
　　彼諸法智不可說，彼淨法輪不可說，
　　彼大法雲不可說，彼大法雨不可說，
　　彼諸神力不可說，彼諸方便不可說，
　　入空寂智不可說，念念相續不可說，
　　無量行門不可說，念念恒住不可說，
　　諸佛剎海不可說，悉能往詣不可說，
　　諸剎差別不可說，種種清淨不可說，
　　差別莊嚴不可說，無邊色相不可說，
　　種種間錯不可說，種種妙好不可說，
　　清淨佛土不可說，雜染世界不可說，
　　了知眾生不可說，知其種性不可說，
　　知其業報不可說，知其心行不可說，
　　知其根性不可說，知其解欲不可說，
　　雜染清淨不可說，觀察調伏不可說，
　　變化自在不可說，現種種身不可說，
　　修行精進不可說，度脫眾生不可說，
　　示現神變不可說，放大光明不可說，
　　種種色相不可說，令眾生淨不可說，
　　一一毛孔不可說，放光明網不可說，
　　光網現色不可說，普照佛剎不可說，
　　勇猛無畏不可說，方便善巧不可說，
　　調伏眾生不可說，令出生死不可說，
　　清淨身業不可說，清淨語業不可說，
　　無邊意業不可說，殊勝妙行不可說，
　　成就智寶不可說，深入法界不可說，
　　菩薩總持不可說，善能修學不可說，
　　智者音聲不可說，音聲清淨不可說，
　　正念真實不可說，開悟眾生不可說，
　　具足威儀不可說，清淨修行不可說，
　　成就無畏不可說，調伏世間不可說，
　　諸佛子眾不可說，清淨勝行不可說，
　　稱歎諸佛不可說，讚揚無盡不可說，
　　世間導師不可說，演說讚歎不可說，
　　彼諸菩薩不可說，清淨功德不可說，
　　彼諸邊際不可說，能住其中不可說，
　　住中智慧不可說，盡諸劫住無能說，
　　欣樂諸佛不可說，智慧平等不可說，
　　善入諸法不可說，於法無礙不可說，
　　三世如空不可說，三世智慧不可說，
　　了達三世不可說，住於智慧不可說，
　　殊勝妙行不可說，無量大願不可說，
　　清淨大願不可說，成就菩提不可說，
　　諸佛菩提不可說，發生智慧不可說，
　　分別義理不可說，知一切法不可說，
　　嚴淨佛剎不可說，修行諸力不可說，
　　長時修習不可說，一念悟解不可說，
　　諸佛自在不可說，廣演正法不可說，
　　種種神力不可說，示現世間不可說，
　　清淨法輪不可說，勇猛能轉不可說，
　　種種開演不可說，哀愍世間不可說。
　　不可言說一切劫，讚不可說諸功德，
　　不可說劫猶可盡，不可說德不可盡。
　　不可言說諸如來，不可言說諸舌根，
　　歎佛不可言說德，不可說劫無能盡。
　　十方所有諸眾生，一切同時成正覺，
　　於中一佛普能現，不可言說一切身。
　　此不可說中一身，示現於頭不可說；
　　此不可說中一頭，示現於舌不可說；
　　此不可說中一舌，示現於聲不可說；
　　此不可說中一聲，經於劫住不可說。
　　如一如是一切佛，如一如是一切身，
　　如一如是一切頭，如一如是一切舌，
　　如一如是一切聲，不可說劫恒讚佛，
　　不可說劫猶可盡，歎佛功德無能盡。
　　一微塵中能悉有，不可言說蓮華界，
　　一一蓮華世界中，賢首如來不可說。
　　乃至法界悉周遍，其中所有諸微塵，
　　世界若成若住壞，其數無量不可說。
　　一微塵處無邊際，無量諸剎普來入，
　　十方差別不可說，剎海分布不可說。
　　一一剎中有如來，壽命劫數不可說，
　　諸佛所行不可說，甚深妙法不可說，
　　神通大力不可說，無障礙智不可說，
　　入於毛孔不可說，毛孔因緣不可說，
　　成就十力不可說，覺悟菩提不可說，
　　入淨法界不可說，獲深智藏不可說。
　　種種數量不可說，如其一切悉了知；
　　種種形量不可說，於此靡不皆通達。
　　種種三昧不可說，悉能經劫於中住，
　　於不可說諸佛所，所行清淨不可說。
　　得不可說無礙心，往詣十方不可說，
　　神力示現不可說，所行無際不可說，
　　往詣眾剎不可說，了達諸佛不可說，
　　精進勇猛不可說，智慧通達不可說。
　　於法非行非不行，入諸境界不可說，
　　不可稱說諸大劫，恒遊十方不可說。
　　方便智慧不可說，真實智慧不可說，
　　神通智慧不可說，念念示現不可說。
　　於不可說諸佛法，一一了知不可說，
　　能於一時證菩提，或種種時而證入。
　　毛端佛剎不可說，塵中佛剎不可說，
　　如是佛剎皆往詣，見諸如來不可說。
　　通達一實不可說，善入佛種不可說，
　　諸佛國土不可說，悉能往詣成菩提。
　　國土眾生及諸佛，體性差別不可說，
　　如是三世無有邊，菩薩一切皆明見。」

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.

白話Plain reading

心王發問：阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說，究竟是什麼

那時，心王菩薩對佛說：「世尊！諸佛如來所演說的阿僧祇（無數）、無量、無邊、無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說，以及不可說不可說。世尊！什麼叫做阿僧祇，一直到什麼叫做不可說不可說呢？」

佛許為說：為令世間得入佛所知的數量之義

佛告訴心王菩薩說：「好啊好啊！善男子！你如今是為了要讓一切世間都能進入佛所知的數量之義，才來向如來、應（應受供養者）、正等覺發問。善男子！仔細地聽、仔細地聽！好好地思念它！我當為你解說。」

那時，心王菩薩應了一聲「是」，恭敬領受教誨。

數名列：從一百洛叉起，倍倍相乘一百二十三重

佛說：「善男子！一百個洛叉，是一俱胝；俱胝個俱胝，是一阿庾多；阿庾多個阿庾多，是一那由他；那由他個那由他，是一頻婆羅；頻婆羅個頻婆羅，是一矜羯羅；矜羯羅個矜羯羅，是一阿伽羅；阿伽羅個阿伽羅，是一最勝；最勝個最勝，是一摩婆羅；摩婆羅個摩婆羅，是一阿婆羅；阿婆羅個阿婆羅，是一多婆羅；多婆羅個多婆羅，是一界分；界分個界分，是一普摩；普摩個普摩，是一禰摩；禰摩個禰摩，是一阿婆鈐；阿婆鈐個阿婆鈐，是一彌伽婆；彌伽婆個彌伽婆，是一毘攞伽；毘攞伽個毘攞伽，是一毘伽婆；毘伽婆個毘伽婆，是一僧羯邏摩；僧羯邏摩個僧羯邏摩，是一毘薩羅；毘薩羅個毘薩羅，是一毘贍婆；毘贍婆個毘贍婆，是一毘盛伽；毘盛伽個毘盛伽，是一毘素陀；毘素陀個毘素陀，是一毘婆訶；毘婆訶個毘婆訶，是一毘薄底；毘薄底個毘薄底，是一毘佉擔；毘佉擔個毘佉擔，是一稱量；稱量個稱量，是一一持；一持個一持，是一異路；異路個異路，是一顛倒；顛倒個顛倒，是一三末耶；三末耶個三末耶，是一毘覩羅；毘覩羅個毘覩羅，是一奚婆羅；奚婆羅個奚婆羅，是一伺察；伺察個伺察，是一周廣；周廣個周廣，是一高出；高出個高出，是一最妙；最妙個最妙，是一泥羅婆；泥羅婆個泥羅婆，是一訶理婆；訶理婆個訶理婆，是一一動；一動個一動，是一訶理蒲；訶理蒲個訶理蒲，是一訶理三；訶理三個訶理三，是一奚魯伽；奚魯伽個奚魯伽，是一達攞步陀；達攞步陀個達攞步陀，是一訶魯那；訶魯那個訶魯那，是一摩魯陀；摩魯陀個摩魯陀，是一懺慕陀；懺慕陀個懺慕陀，是一瑿攞陀；瑿攞陀個瑿攞陀，是一摩魯摩；摩魯摩個摩魯摩，是一調伏；調伏個調伏，是一離憍慢；離憍慢個離憍慢，是一不動；不動個不動，是一極量；極量個極量，是一阿麼怛羅；阿麼怛羅個阿麼怛羅，是一勃麼怛羅；勃麼怛羅個勃麼怛羅，是一伽麼怛羅；伽麼怛羅個伽麼怛羅，是一那麼怛羅；那麼怛羅個那麼怛羅，是一奚麼怛羅；奚麼怛羅個奚麼怛羅，是一鞞麼怛羅；鞞麼怛羅個鞞麼怛羅，是一鉢羅麼怛羅；鉢羅麼怛羅個鉢羅麼怛羅，是一尸婆麼怛羅；尸婆麼怛羅個尸婆麼怛羅，是一翳羅；翳羅個翳羅，是一薜羅；薜羅個薜羅，是一諦羅；諦羅個諦羅，是一偈羅；偈羅個偈羅，是一窣步羅；窣步羅個窣步羅，是一泥羅；泥羅個泥羅，是一計羅；計羅個計羅，是一細羅；細羅個細羅，是一睥羅；睥羅個睥羅，是一謎羅；謎羅個謎羅，是一娑攞荼；娑攞荼個娑攞荼，是一謎魯陀；謎魯陀個謎魯陀，是一契魯陀；契魯陀個契魯陀，是一摩覩羅；摩覩羅個摩覩羅，是一娑母羅；娑母羅個娑母羅，是一阿野娑；阿野娑個阿野娑，是一迦麼羅；迦麼羅個迦麼羅，是一摩伽婆；摩伽婆個摩伽婆，是一阿怛羅；阿怛羅個阿怛羅，是一醯魯耶；醯魯耶個醯魯耶，是一薜魯婆；薜魯婆個薜魯婆，是一羯羅波；羯羅波個羯羅波，是一訶婆婆；訶婆婆個訶婆婆，是一毘婆羅；毘婆羅個毘婆羅，是一那婆羅；那婆羅個那婆羅，是一摩攞羅；摩攞羅個摩攞羅，是一娑婆羅；娑婆羅個娑婆羅，是一迷攞普；迷攞普個迷攞普，是一者麼羅；者麼羅個者麼羅，是一馱麼羅；馱麼羅個馱麼羅，是一鉢攞麼陀；鉢攞麼陀個鉢攞麼陀，是一毘伽摩；毘伽摩個毘伽摩，是一烏波跋多；烏波跋多個烏波跋多，是一演說；演說個演說，是一無盡；無盡個無盡，是一出生；出生個出生，是一無我；無我個無我，是一阿畔多；阿畔多個阿畔多，是一青蓮華；青蓮華個青蓮華，是一鉢頭摩；鉢頭摩個鉢頭摩，是一僧祇；僧祇個僧祇，是一趣；趣個趣，是一至；至個至，是一阿僧祇；阿僧祇個阿僧祇，是一阿僧祇轉；阿僧祇轉個阿僧祇轉，是一無量；無量個無量，是一無量轉；無量轉個無量轉，是一無邊；無邊個無邊，是一無邊轉；無邊轉個無邊轉，是一無等；無等個無等，是一無等轉；無等轉個無等轉，是一不可數；不可數個不可數，是一不可數轉；不可數轉個不可數轉，是一不可稱；不可稱個不可稱，是一不可稱轉；不可稱轉個不可稱轉，是一不可思；不可思個不可思，是一不可思轉；不可思轉個不可思轉，是一不可量；不可量個不可量，是一不可量轉；不可量轉個不可量轉，是一不可說；不可說個不可說，是一不可說轉；不可說轉個不可說轉，是一不可說不可說；這不可說不可說的不可說不可說個，是一不可說不可說轉。」

『以上一百二十三重數名，或存梵語音寫、或用漢語詞語，都只是數的名字——自俱胝以下，每一重都是把前一個名字自己乘自己一遍，得出下一個名字（首重「一百洛叉為一俱胝」為百倍）；一路乘上去，乘到最後那個連名字都叫做「不可說不可說轉」的地方為止。』

說頌之儀

那時，世尊為心王菩薩而說偈頌道：

頌（一）：把「不可說」再積一次

「說不出來的『不可說』，充滿在一切說不出來的『不可說』裡；在說不出來的那麼多劫當中，說這『不可說』也說不完。

頌（二）：剎碎為塵，一塵之中又有剎

「說不出來那麼多的佛剎，全都碎成微塵；一粒微塵當中所含的剎，也說不出來那麼多；像這一粒是這樣，一切微塵全都是這樣。

頌（三）：一念之間，念念碎盡

「這些說不出來那麼多的佛剎，在一念之間碎成的微塵，數量說不出來；念念相續所碎出來的塵也都是這樣，窮盡說不出來那麼多劫，恆常如此。

頌（四）：塵中有剎，剎再為塵

「這一粒塵中所含的剎，說不出來那麼多；把這些剎再碎成塵，要說就更難了；用說不出來那麼多的算數之法，經過說不出來那麼多劫，就這樣一直數下去。

頌（五）：以這些劫讚一位普賢，也讚不完

「用這些微塵的數目來算作劫，一粒微塵就開出十萬個說不出來那麼多的劫；用那麼長的劫來稱揚讚歎一位普賢，也沒有人能夠說盡他功德的分量。

頌（六）：一毛端處有不可說的普賢

「在一根極細微的毛端之處，就有說不出來那麼多的普賢；一切毛端之處也全都是這樣，這樣一直推到遍滿整個法界。

頌（七）：毛端所有的剎，盡虛空皆然

「一根毛端之處所有的剎土，它的數目無量，說不出來那麼多；窮盡虛空那麼大的量所有的毛端，一一處所的剎土也全都是這樣。

頌（八）：異類剎與同類剎

「那些毛端之處的種種國土，以無量的種類差別而安住；有說不出來那麼多不同類的剎，也有說不出來那麼多同類的剎。

頌（九）：毛端皆有淨剎與莊嚴

「說不出來那麼多的毛端之處，全都有清淨的剎土，說不出來那麼多；種種的莊嚴說不出來那麼多，種種的奇特微妙也說不出來那麼多。

頌（十）：毛端處演不可說的佛名

「在那一一毛端之處，演說出說不出來那麼多諸佛的名號；一一個名號之下都有諸位如來，全都說不出來、說不出來那麼多。

頌（十一）：佛身上現不可說的毛孔

「一一諸佛在自己身上，現出說不出來那麼多的毛孔；在那一一毛孔當中，現出的種種色相說不出來那麼多。

頌（十二）：毛孔放光，光中現蓮華

「說不出來那麼多的毛孔，全都放出光明，說不出來那麼多；在那一一光明當中，全都現出蓮華，說不出來那麼多。

頌（十三）：蓮華中有葉，葉中現色相

「在那一一蓮華之內，全都有眾多的華葉，說不出來那麼多；在說不出來那麼多的華葉當中，各各現出色相，說不出來那麼多。

頌（十四）：色中復現葉，葉中光，光中色

「那說不出來那麼多的色相之內，又現出眾多的華葉，說不出來那麼多；葉中的光明說不出來那麼多，光中的色相也說不出來那麼多。

頌（十五）：色中現光，光中現月，月復現月

「這說不出來那麼多的色相當中，一一都現出光明，說不出來那麼多；光中現出月亮，說不出來那麼多；月中又現出月亮，說不出來那麼多。

頌（十六）：月中現光，光中現日

「在說不出來那麼多的月亮當中，一一都現出光明，說不出來那麼多；在那一一光明之內，又現出太陽，說不出來那麼多。

頌（十七）：日中現色，色中又出光明

「在說不出來那麼多的太陽當中，一一都現出色相，說不出來那麼多；在那一一種種色相之內，又現出光明，說不出來那麼多。

頌（十八）：光中現師子座

「在那一一光明之內，現出說不出來那麼多的師子座；一一座上的莊嚴之具說不出來那麼多，一一座上的光明也說不出來那麼多。

頌（十九）：光色互出，淨光復現妙光

「光中的妙色說不出來那麼多，色中的淨光說不出來那麼多；在那一一清淨光明之內，又現出種種微妙的光明。

頌（二十）：光中現妙寶如須彌

「這光又現出種種的光，說也說不出來、說不出來那麼多；像這樣種種光明之內，各各現出微妙的寶，大得像須彌山。

頌（二十一）：一寶現眾剎土

「一一光中所現出的寶，說也說不出來、說不出來那麼多；那如同須彌山一般的一顆妙寶，現出眾多剎土，說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十二）：須彌寶盡，剎土末為塵

「窮盡那些如須彌的寶，沒有剩下一顆，所示現的剎土全都是這樣；把一個剎土碎末成為微塵，一粒微塵的色相說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十三）：眾剎為塵，塵相出光

「眾多剎土碎為微塵，微塵各有其相，說也說不出來、說不出來那麼多；像這樣種種的微塵之相，全都出生光明，說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十四）：光中現佛，佛說法，法中有偈

「光中現出佛來，說不出來那麼多；佛所說的法，說不出來那麼多；法當中的妙偈說不出來那麼多；聽聞妙偈而得開解的，也說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十五）：念念顯了真諦，示現未來一切佛

「在說不出來那麼多的開解、念念相續當中，所顯明的真諦說不出來那麼多；示現未來的一切諸佛，恆常演說正法，沒有窮盡。

頌（二十六）：一一佛法出妙音、轉法輪

「一一的佛法說不出來那麼多，種種的清淨說不出來那麼多；出生微妙的音聲說不出來那麼多，轉動正法之輪也說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十七）：法輪中演修多羅，重重開出

「在那一一法輪當中，演說修多羅（經），說不出來那麼多；在那一一部修多羅當中，分別出來的法門說不出來那麼多；在那一一法門當中，又說出諸法，說不出來那麼多；在那一一法當中，所調伏的眾生說不出來那麼多。

頌（二十八）：一毛端處常住不可說劫

「或者又在一根毛端之處，經過說不出來那麼多劫恆常安住；像這一根毛端一樣，其餘的毛端全都如此，所安住的劫數也全都是這樣。

頌（二十九）：心無罣礙，化佛復化

「他的心沒有罣礙，說不出來那麼多；所變化出來的諸佛說不出來那麼多；一一變化出來的諸位如來，又現出變化，說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十）：法身分身，往詣周行，觀察清淨調伏眾生

「那些佛的法身說不出來那麼多，那些佛的分身說不出來那麼多；莊嚴的無量說不出來那麼多，前往十方說不出來那麼多；周遍行走於國土說不出來那麼多，觀察眾生說不出來那麼多；使眾生清淨說不出來那麼多，調伏眾生說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十一）：莊嚴・神力・自在・神變

「那些莊嚴說不出來那麼多，那些神力說不出來那麼多；那些自在說不出來那麼多，那些神變說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十二）：神通・境界・加持・住世

「所有的神通說不出來那麼多，所有的境界說不出來那麼多；所有的加持說不出來那麼多，所安住的世間說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十三）：清淨實相，說經開門，重重調生

「清淨的實相說不出來那麼多，所宣說的修多羅說不出來那麼多；在那一一部修多羅當中，所演說的法門說不出來那麼多；在那一一法門當中，又說出諸法，說不出來那麼多；在那一一法當中，所有的決定之義說不出來那麼多；在那一一決定之義當中，所調伏的眾生說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十四）：同類異類之法・心・根・語

「說不出來那麼多的同類之法，說不出來那麼多的同類之心；說不出來那麼多的異類之法，說不出來那麼多的異類之心；說不出來那麼多的異類根性，說不出來那麼多的異類言語；念念之間在種種所行之處，所調伏的眾生說不出來那麼多。

頌（三十五）：菩薩能分別說，明算的人辨不出來

「所有的神變說不出來那麼多，所有的示現說不出來那麼多；其中的時間劫數說不出來那麼多，其中的種種差別說不出來那麼多——菩薩全都能夠一一分別而說，善於算數的人卻沒有一個能夠辨明。

頌（三十六）：一毛端處，大小雜淨麁細之剎皆能明了

「一根毛端之處有大剎小剎、雜染的剎與清淨的剎、粗的剎與細的剎；像這樣的一切都說不出來那麼多，而他一一都能明明白白地分別出來。

頌（三十七）：一國土碎為塵，塵數之剎共集一毛端

「把一個國土碎成微塵，那些微塵無量無邊，說不出來那麼多；像這樣微塵數目那麼多的無邊剎土，一齊來共同聚集在一根毛端上。

頌（三十八）：共集毛端而不迫窄，毛端也不增大

「這許多國土說不出來那麼多，一齊聚集在毛端上卻不迫窄擁擠；並不使那毛端變得更大，而那些國土卻真的一齊聚來。

頌（三十九）：形相如本，不相雜亂

「其中所有的種種國土，形狀相貌都跟本來一樣，沒有雜亂；就像一個國土不去攪亂其餘的國土，一切國土全都是這樣。

頌（四十）：虛空無際，毛端國土菩薩一念能說

「虛空的境界沒有邊際，把毛端全都布滿其中使之充滿；像這樣毛端上的種種國土，菩薩在一念之間全都能夠說出來。

頌（四十一）：毛孔能受諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔

「在一個極細微的毛孔當中，說不出來那麼多的剎土依次而入；毛孔能夠容受那些剎土，那些剎土卻不能遍滿這個毛孔。

頌（四十二）：入時受時之劫數，安住之時說不出來

「進入之時的劫數說不出來那麼多，容受之時的劫數說不出來那麼多；在這樣行列安住的時候，一切劫數沒有誰能說得出來。

頌（四十三）：從攝受安住到知眾生之四十事

「這樣攝受安住之後，所有的境界說不出來那麼多；進入之時的方便說不出來那麼多，進入之後所作的事說不出來那麼多；意根的明了說不出來那麼多，遊歷諸方說不出來那麼多；勇猛精進說不出來那麼多，自在神變說不出來那麼多；所有的思惟說不出來那麼多，所有的大願說不出來那麼多；所有的境界說不出來那麼多，對一切的通達說不出來那麼多；身業的清淨說不出來那麼多，語業的清淨說不出來那麼多；意業的清淨說不出來那麼多，信解的清淨說不出來那麼多；妙智的清淨說不出來那麼多，妙慧的清淨說不出來那麼多；了達諸法實相說不出來那麼多，斷除種種疑惑說不出來那麼多；出離生死說不出來那麼多，超昇正位（登入聖位）說不出來那麼多；甚深的三昧說不出來那麼多，了達一切說不出來那麼多；一切眾生說不出來那麼多，一切佛剎說不出來那麼多；了知眾生的身說不出來那麼多，了知他們心中所樂說不出來那麼多；了知他們的業果說不出來那麼多，了知他們的意解說不出來那麼多；了知他們的品類說不出來那麼多，了知他們的種性說不出來那麼多；了知他們所受之身說不出來那麼多，了知他們的生處說不出來那麼多；了知他們正在受生說不出來那麼多，了知他們已經生了說不出來那麼多；了知他們的解了說不出來那麼多，了知他們的趣向說不出來那麼多；了知他們的言語說不出來那麼多，了知他們所作的業說不出來那麼多。

頌（四十四）：菩薩大慈悲，從普現其身到哀愍世間

「菩薩像這樣以大慈大悲，利益一切諸世間：普遍現出他的身說不出來那麼多，進入諸佛剎說不出來那麼多；見到諸位菩薩說不出來那麼多，發生智慧說不出來那麼多；請問正法說不出來那麼多，敷演弘揚佛的教法說不出來那麼多；現出種種身說不出來那麼多，前往種種國土說不出來那麼多；示現神通說不出來那麼多，普遍十方說不出來那麼多；處處分身說不出來那麼多，親近諸佛說不出來那麼多；製作種種供養之具說不出來那麼多，種種無量說不出來那麼多；清淨的眾寶說不出來那麼多，上好微妙的蓮華說不出來那麼多；最殊勝的香鬘說不出來那麼多，供養如來說不出來那麼多；清淨的信心說不出來那麼多，最殊勝的悟解說不出來那麼多；增上的志願樂欲說不出來那麼多，恭敬諸佛說不出來那麼多；修行布施說不出來那麼多，他的心已越過從前說不出來那麼多；凡有所求皆施予他說不出來那麼多，一切全都施捨說不出來那麼多；持戒清淨說不出來那麼多，心意清淨說不出來那麼多；讚歎諸佛說不出來那麼多，愛樂正法說不出來那麼多；成就種種忍說不出來那麼多，無生法忍說不出來那麼多；具足寂靜說不出來那麼多，安住寂靜之地說不出來那麼多；發起大精進說不出來那麼多，他的心已越過從前說不出來那麼多；不退轉的心說不出來那麼多，不傾動的心說不出來那麼多；一切定藏說不出來那麼多，觀察諸法說不出來那麼多；寂然在定說不出來那麼多，了達諸禪說不出來那麼多；智慧通達說不出來那麼多，三昧自在說不出來那麼多；了達諸法說不出來那麼多，明見諸佛說不出來那麼多；修無量行說不出來那麼多，發廣大願說不出來那麼多；甚深的境界說不出來那麼多，清淨的法門說不出來那麼多；菩薩的法力說不出來那麼多，菩薩的法住說不出來那麼多；那些正念說不出來那麼多，那些法界說不出來那麼多；修習方便之智說不出來那麼多，學習甚深之智說不出來那麼多；無量的智慧說不出來那麼多，究竟的智慧說不出來那麼多；那些法智說不出來那麼多，那些清淨的法輪說不出來那麼多；那大法雲說不出來那麼多，那大法雨說不出來那麼多；那些神力說不出來那麼多，那些方便說不出來那麼多；入於空寂之智說不出來那麼多，念念相續說不出來那麼多；無量的行門說不出來那麼多，念念恆常安住說不出來那麼多；諸佛的剎海說不出來那麼多，全都能夠前往說不出來那麼多；諸剎的差別說不出來那麼多，種種的清淨說不出來那麼多；差別的莊嚴說不出來那麼多，無邊的色相說不出來那麼多；種種交錯間雜說不出來那麼多，種種微妙美好說不出來那麼多；清淨的佛土說不出來那麼多，雜染的世界說不出來那麼多；了知眾生說不出來那麼多，了知他們的種性說不出來那麼多；了知他們的業報說不出來那麼多，了知他們的心行說不出來那麼多；了知他們的根性說不出來那麼多，了知他們的解欲說不出來那麼多；雜染與清淨說不出來那麼多，觀察調伏說不出來那麼多；變化自在說不出來那麼多，現出種種身說不出來那麼多；修行精進說不出來那麼多，度脫眾生說不出來那麼多；示現神變說不出來那麼多，放大光明說不出來那麼多；種種的色相說不出來那麼多，令眾生清淨說不出來那麼多；一一毛孔說不出來那麼多，放出光明之網說不出來那麼多；光網現出色相說不出來那麼多，普照佛剎說不出來那麼多；勇猛無畏說不出來那麼多，方便善巧說不出來那麼多；調伏眾生說不出來那麼多，令他們出離生死說不出來那麼多；清淨的身業說不出來那麼多，清淨的語業說不出來那麼多；無邊的意業說不出來那麼多，殊勝的妙行說不出來那麼多；成就智慧之寶說不出來那麼多，深入法界說不出來那麼多；菩薩的總持說不出來那麼多，善能修學說不出來那麼多；智者的音聲說不出來那麼多，音聲的清淨說不出來那麼多；正念真實說不出來那麼多，開悟眾生說不出來那麼多；具足威儀說不出來那麼多，清淨修行說不出來那麼多；成就無畏說不出來那麼多，調伏世間說不出來那麼多；諸位佛子大眾說不出來那麼多，清淨的殊勝之行說不出來那麼多；稱揚讚歎諸佛說不出來那麼多，讚揚無有窮盡說不出來那麼多；世間的導師說不出來那麼多，演說讚歎說不出來那麼多；那些菩薩說不出來那麼多，清淨的功德說不出來那麼多；那些邊際說不出來那麼多，能安住其中說不出來那麼多；住在其中的智慧說不出來那麼多，窮盡諸劫而住沒有誰能說得出來；欣悅樂求諸佛說不出來那麼多，智慧平等說不出來那麼多；善入諸法說不出來那麼多，對法沒有罣礙說不出來那麼多；三世如同虛空說不出來那麼多，三世的智慧說不出來那麼多；了達三世說不出來那麼多，安住於智慧說不出來那麼多；殊勝的妙行說不出來那麼多，無量的大願說不出來那麼多；清淨的大願說不出來那麼多，成就菩提說不出來那麼多；諸佛的菩提說不出來那麼多，發生智慧說不出來那麼多；分別義理說不出來那麼多，了知一切法說不出來那麼多；嚴淨佛剎說不出來那麼多，修行諸力說不出來那麼多；長時修習說不出來那麼多，一念之間悟解說不出來那麼多；諸佛的自在說不出來那麼多，廣演正法說不出來那麼多；種種的神力說不出來那麼多，示現世間說不出來那麼多；清淨的法輪說不出來那麼多，勇猛能轉說不出來那麼多；種種的開示演說說不出來那麼多，哀愍世間說不出來那麼多。

頌（四十五）：劫可盡，德不可盡

「用說不出來那麼多的一切劫，讚歎說不出來那麼多的種種功德；說不出來那麼多的劫還可以窮盡，說不出來那麼多的德卻窮盡不了。

頌（四十六）：不可說的如來，不可說的舌根

「說不出來那麼多的諸位如來，說不出來那麼多的種種舌根；讚歎佛那說不出來那麼多的德，經過說不出來那麼多的劫也沒有誰能說盡。

頌（四十七）：眾生同時成正覺，一佛普現一切身

「十方所有的一切眾生，全都在同一時候成就正覺；在這當中，一位佛就能普遍現出說不出來那麼多的一切身。

頌（四十八）：一身現頭，一頭現舌，一舌現聲，一聲住劫

「這說不出來那麼多當中的一個身，示現出頭來，說不出來那麼多；這說不出來那麼多當中的一個頭，示現出舌來，說不出來那麼多；這說不出來那麼多當中的一條舌，示現出聲音來，說不出來那麼多；這說不出來那麼多當中的一個聲音，經歷劫數而安住，說不出來那麼多。

頌（四十九）：如一如是一切，劫可盡而歎佛不盡

「像一位佛這樣，一切佛也都這樣；像一個身這樣，一切身也都這樣；像一個頭這樣，一切頭也都這樣；像一條舌這樣，一切舌也都這樣；像一個聲音這樣，一切聲音也都這樣——用說不出來那麼多的劫恆常讚佛，說不出來那麼多的劫還可以窮盡，讚歎佛的功德卻沒有誰能說盡。

頌（五十）：一微塵中有蓮華界，界中賢首如來

「一粒微塵當中能夠全都含有說不出來那麼多的蓮華世界；一一蓮華世界之中，賢首如來說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十一）：法界周遍，微塵中世界成住壞

「乃至周遍整個法界，其中所有的種種微塵，世界在其中或成或住或壞，它的數目無量，說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十二）：一微塵處無邊際，剎海分布

「一粒微塵之處沒有邊際，無量的諸剎全都來入其中；十方的差別說不出來那麼多，剎海的分布說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十三）：一一剎中有如來，從壽命到獲深智藏

「一一剎中都有如來，壽命的劫數說不出來那麼多；諸佛的所行說不出來那麼多，甚深的妙法說不出來那麼多；神通的大力說不出來那麼多，無障礙的智慧說不出來那麼多；入於毛孔說不出來那麼多，毛孔的因緣說不出來那麼多；成就十力說不出來那麼多，覺悟菩提說不出來那麼多；入於清淨法界說不出來那麼多，獲得甚深的智藏說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十四）：種種數量形量，無不通達

「種種的數量說不出來那麼多，而他對這一切全都了知；種種的形量說不出來那麼多，對這一切沒有不通達的。

頌（五十五）：三昧經劫而住，所行清淨

「種種的三昧說不出來那麼多，他全都能夠經歷長劫安住其中；在說不出來那麼多的諸佛之處，所行的清淨說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十六）：得無礙心，往詣十方，了達諸佛

「他得到說不出來那麼多的無罣礙之心，前往十方說不出來那麼多；以神力示現說不出來那麼多，所行沒有邊際說不出來那麼多；前往種種剎土說不出來那麼多，了達諸佛說不出來那麼多；精進勇猛說不出來那麼多，智慧通達說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十七）：於法非行非不行，恒遊十方

「他對於法，不是有所行、也不是無所行，而所入的種種境界說不出來那麼多；經過稱說不盡的種種大劫，恆常遊行十方，說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十八）：方便・真實・神通三慧，念念示現

「方便的智慧說不出來那麼多，真實的智慧說不出來那麼多；神通的智慧說不出來那麼多，念念示現說不出來那麼多。

頌（五十九）：一一了知佛法，或一時或種種時證入

「對於說不出來那麼多的諸佛之法，他一一了知，說不出來那麼多；他能夠在同一個時候證得菩提，也能夠在種種不同的時候證入。

頌（六十）：毛端佛剎、塵中佛剎，皆能往詣

「毛端上的佛剎說不出來那麼多，微塵中的佛剎說不出來那麼多；像這樣的佛剎他全都前往，見到諸位如來說不出來那麼多。

頌（六十一）：通達一實，善入佛種

「通達一實之理說不出來那麼多，善入佛的種性說不出來那麼多；諸佛的國土說不出來那麼多，他全都能夠前往而成就菩提。

頌（六十二）：體性差別不可說，菩薩一切皆明見

「國土、眾生以及諸佛，它們體性的差別說不出來那麼多；像這樣三世沒有邊際，菩薩對這一切全都明明白白地見到。」

Mind-King Asks: What Exactly Are the Asaṃkhyeya and On to the Unspeakably Unspeakable

At that time Mind-King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! There are the asaṃkhyeya (numberless), the measureless, the boundless, the unequalled, the uncountable, the unnameable, the unthinkable, the immeasurable, the unspeakable, and the unspeakably unspeakable, which all the buddhas, the Tathāgatas, expound. World-Honored One! What is called an asaṃkhyeya, and on to what is called an unspeakably unspeakable?”

The Buddha Assents to Speak: So That the World May Enter the Sense of Quantity Known to a Buddha

The Buddha told Mind-King Bodhisattva, saying: “Good, good! Good man! You now, wishing to let all the worlds enter the sense of quantity known to a buddha, come and ask this of the Tathāgata, the Worthy One (the one worthy to receive offerings), the Fully and Rightly Awakened One. Good man! Listen closely, listen closely! Think well upon it! I shall expound it for you.”

At that time Mind-King Bodhisattva answered with a “Yes,” and reverently received the instruction.

The List of Number-Names: Beginning from a Hundred Lakṣas, Each Multiplied by Itself Through a Hundred and Twenty-Three Rungs

The Buddha said: “Good man! A hundred Lakṣas make one Koṭi; Koṭi Koṭis make one Ayuduo; Ayuduo Ayuduos make one Nayuta; Nayuta Nayutas make one Pinpoluo; Pinpoluo Pinpoluos make one Jinjieluo; Jinjieluo Jinjieluos make one Agaluo; Agaluo Agaluos make one Most Excellent; Most Excellent Most Excellents make one Mopoluo; Mopoluo Mopoluos make one Apoluo; Apoluo Apoluos make one Duopoluo; Duopoluo Duopoluos make one Realm-Division; Realm-Division Realm-Divisions make one Pumo; Pumo Pumos make one Mimo; Mimo Mimos make one Apoqian; Apoqian Apoqians make one Migapo; Migapo Migapos make one Piluoga; Piluoga Piluogas make one Pigapo; Pigapo Pigapos make one Sengjieluomo; Sengjieluomo Sengjieluomos make one Pisaluo; Pisaluo Pisaluos make one Pishanpo; Pishanpo Pishanpos make one Pishengga; Pishengga Pishenggas make one Pisutuo; Pisutuo Pisutuos make one Pipohe; Pipohe Pipohes make one Pibaodi; Pibaodi Pibaodis make one Piqudan; Piqudan Piqudans make one Weighing; Weighing Weighings make one One Holding; One Holding One Holdings make one Divergent Path; Divergent Path Divergent Paths make one Inversion; Inversion Inversions make one Sanmoye; Sanmoye Sanmoyes make one Piduluo; Piduluo Piduluos make one Xipoluo; Xipoluo Xipoluos make one Scrutiny; Scrutiny times Scrutiny make one Encompassing Breadth; Encompassing Breadth Encompassing Breadths make one High Emergence; High Emergence High Emergences make one Most Wondrous; Most Wondrous times Most Wondrous make one Niluopo; Niluopo Niluopos make one Helipo; Helipo Helipos make one One Movement; One Movement One Movements make one Helipu; Helipu Helipus make one Helisan; Helisan Helisans make one Xiluga; Xiluga Xilugas make one Daluobutuo; Daluobutuo Daluobutuos make one Heluna; Heluna Helunas make one Molutuo; Molutuo Molutuos make one Chanmutuo; Chanmutuo Chanmutuos make one Yiluotuo; Yiluotuo Yiluotuos make one Molumo; Molumo Molumos make one Taming; Taming Tamings make one Free of Pride; Free of Pride Free of Prides make one Unmoving; Unmoving Unmovings make one Utmost Measure; Utmost Measure Utmost Measures make one Amedaluo; Amedaluo Amedaluos make one Bomedaluo; Bomedaluo Bomedaluos make one Gamedaluo; Gamedaluo Gamedaluos make one Namedaluo; Namedaluo Namedaluos make one Ximedaluo; Ximedaluo Ximedaluos make one Bingmedaluo; Bingmedaluo Bingmedaluos make one Boluomedaluo; Boluomedaluo Boluomedaluos make one Shipomedaluo; Shipomedaluo Shipomedaluos make one Yiluo; Yiluo Yiluos make one Biluo; Biluo Biluos make one Diluo; Diluo Diluos make one Jiluo; Jiluo Jiluos make one Subuluo; Subuluo Subuluos make one Niluo; Niluo Niluos make one Jiluo; Jiluo Jiluos make one Xiluo; Xiluo Xiluos make one Piluo; Piluo Piluos make one Miluo; Miluo Miluos make one Suoluotu; Suoluotu Suoluotus make one Milutuo; Milutuo Milutuos make one Qilutuo; Qilutuo Qilutuos make one Moduluo; Moduluo Moduluos make one Suomuluo; Suomuluo Suomuluos make one Ayesuo; Ayesuo Ayesuos make one Jiameluo; Jiameluo Jiameluos make one Mogapo; Mogapo Mogapos make one Adaluo; Adaluo Adaluos make one Xiluye; Xiluye Xiluyes make one Bilupo; Bilupo Bilupos make one Jieluobo; Jieluobo Jieluobos make one Hepopo; Hepopo Hepopos make one Pipoluo; Pipoluo Pipoluos make one Napoluo; Napoluo Napoluos make one Moluoluo; Moluoluo Moluoluos make one Suopoluo; Suopoluo Suopoluos make one Miluopu; Miluopu Miluopus make one Zhemeluo; Zhemeluo Zhemeluos make one Tuomeluo; Tuomeluo Tuomeluos make one Boluometuo; Boluometuo Boluometuos make one Pigamo; Pigamo Pigamos make one Wubobaduo; Wubobaduo Wubobaduos make one Expounding; Expounding Expoundings make one Inexhaustible; Inexhaustible Inexhaustibles make one Bringing Forth; Bringing Forth Bringing Forths make one No-Self; No-Self No-Selfs make one Apanduo; Apanduo Apanduos make one Blue Lotus; Blue Lotus times Blue Lotus make one Padma; Padma Padmas make one Sengqi; Sengqi Sengqis make one Going; Going Goings make one Arrival; Arrival Arrivals make one Asaṃkhyeya; Asaṃkhyeya Asaṃkhyeyas make one Asaṃkhyeya-turned; Asaṃkhyeya-turned Asaṃkhyeya-turneds make one Measureless; Measureless times Measureless make one Measureless-turned; Measureless-turned Measureless-turneds make one Boundless; Boundless times Boundless make one Boundless-turned; Boundless-turned Boundless-turneds make one Unequalled; Unequalled Unequalleds make one Unequalled-turned; Unequalled-turned Unequalled-turneds make one Uncountable; Uncountable Uncountables make one Uncountable-turned; Uncountable-turned Uncountable-turneds make one Unnameable; Unnameable Unnameables make one Unnameable-turned; Unnameable-turned Unnameable-turneds make one Unthinkable; Unthinkable Unthinkables make one Unthinkable-turned; Unthinkable-turned Unthinkable-turneds make one Immeasurable; Immeasurable Immeasurables make one Immeasurable-turned; Immeasurable-turned Immeasurable-turneds make one Unspeakable; Unspeakable Unspeakables make one Unspeakable-turned; Unspeakable-turned Unspeakable-turneds make one Unspeakably Unspeakable; and this unspeakably unspeakable number of Unspeakably Unspeakables makes one Unspeakably Unspeakable-turned.”

‘The hundred and twenty-three rungs of number-names above, some of them preserving a transcription of the Sanskrit sound and some using words of the Chinese language, are all of them no more than names of numbers — from the koṭi downward, every rung takes the previous name and multiplies it once by itself to obtain the next name (the first rung, “a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi,” being a hundredfold); and so it is multiplied all the way up, to the point where the very name of the last is called “an unspeakably unspeakable-turned.”’

The Manner of Speaking the Verses

At that time the World-Honored One, for the sake of Mind-King Bodhisattva, spoke in verses, saying:

Verse (1): Piling Up “the Unspeakable” Once More

“The ‘unspeakable’ that cannot be spoken fills full every ‘unspeakable’ that cannot be spoken; and through kalpas so many as cannot be spoken, the speaking of this ‘unspeakable’ cannot be finished either.

Verse (2): Lands Ground to Dust, and Within One Dust Mote There Are Lands Again

“Buddha-lands unspeakably many are every one of them ground into dust motes; the lands contained within a single dust mote are unspeakably many as well; and as it is with this one mote, so it is with all dust motes.

Verse (3): Within a Single Thought, and Thought after Thought Ground Away Entirely

“These buddha-lands unspeakably many — the dust motes into which they are ground within a single thought are unspeakable in number; the motes ground out thought after thought in succession are likewise all thus, and through kalpas unspeakably many to their very end it is constantly so.

Verse (4): Within the Dust There Are Lands, and the Lands Are Ground to Dust Again

“The lands contained within this one dust mote are unspeakably many; to grind these lands into dust motes again is harder still to tell of; and with methods of reckoning unspeakably many, through kalpas unspeakably many, the counting goes on in this way without stopping.

Verse (5): Even Praising One Samantabhadra Through Such Kalpas Cannot Be Finished

“Taking the number of these dust motes and reckoning it as kalpas, a single dust mote opens out into a hundred thousand kalpas unspeakably many; and using kalpas of such length to laud and praise one Samantabhadra, none is able to speak to the end the measure of his merit.

Verse (6): At the Place of One Hair-Tip There Are Unspeakably Many Samantabhadras

“At the place of one exceedingly fine hair-tip there are Samantabhadras unspeakably many; at all the places of hair-tips it is likewise so, and thus it is carried on until the whole Dharma realm is pervaded.

Verse (7): The Lands at the Hair-Tip, and So Throughout the Whole of Space

“All the lands at the place of one hair-tip are measureless in number, unspeakably many; and of all the hair-tips throughout the whole measure of space, the lands at each single place are likewise all thus.

Verse (8): Lands Not of a Kind and Lands of a Kind

“The manifold lands at those places of hair-tips abide in measureless differences of kind; there are lands not of a kind unspeakably many, and there are lands of a kind unspeakably many.

Verse (9): At Every Hair-Tip There Are Pure Lands and Adornments

“At places of hair-tips unspeakably many there are pure lands, all of them unspeakably many; the manifold adornments are unspeakably many, and the manifold rarities and marvels are unspeakably many too.

Verse (10): At the Hair-Tips Unspeakably Many Buddha-Names Are Expounded

“At each single place of a hair-tip there are expounded the names of buddhas unspeakably many; under each single name there are Tathāgatas, all of them unspeakable, unspeakably many.

Verse (11): Upon the Buddha-Body Appear Unspeakably Many Pores

“Each single buddha, upon his own body, manifests pores unspeakably many; and within each single pore the manifold colors and forms manifested are unspeakably many.

Verse (12): The Pores Send Forth Light, and Within the Light Lotus Flowers Appear

“Pores unspeakably many all send forth light, unspeakably many; and within each single light there appear lotus flowers, all of them unspeakably many.

Verse (13): Within the Lotus Flowers Are Petals, and Within the Petals Colors and Forms Appear

“Within each single lotus flower there are a multitude of petals, all of them unspeakably many; and within petals unspeakably many, each and every one manifests colors and forms, unspeakably many.

Verse (14): Within the Colors Petals Appear Again, Light Within the Petals, Colors Within the Light

“Within those colors and forms unspeakably many there appear again a multitude of petals, unspeakably many; the light within the petals is unspeakably many, and the colors and forms within the light are unspeakably many too.

Verse (15): Within the Colors Light Appears, Within the Light the Moon, and Within the Moon the Moon Again

“Within these colors and forms unspeakably many, each and every one manifests light, unspeakably many; within the light there appears the moon, unspeakably many; and within the moon there appears the moon again, unspeakably many.

Verse (16): Within the Moon Light Appears, and Within the Light the Sun

“Within moons unspeakably many, each and every one manifests light, unspeakably many; and within each single light there appears again the sun, unspeakably many.

Verse (17): Within the Sun Colors Appear, and Within the Colors Light Comes Forth Again

“Within suns unspeakably many, each and every one manifests colors and forms, unspeakably many; and within each single one of those manifold colors and forms there appears again light, unspeakably many.

Verse (18): Within the Light Lion Thrones Appear

“Within each single light there appear lion thrones unspeakably many; the ornaments upon each single throne are unspeakably many, and the light upon each single throne is unspeakably many too.

Verse (19): Light and Color Come Forth from Each Other, and Pure Light Manifests Wondrous Light Again

“The wondrous colors within the light are unspeakably many, and the pure light within the colors is unspeakably many; and within each single pure light there appear again the manifold subtle and wondrous lights.

Verse (20): Within the Light Wondrous Jewels Great as Sumeru Appear

“This light manifests again the manifold lights, unspeakable and unspeakably many; and within manifold lights such as these, each and every one manifests a subtle and wondrous jewel, great as Mount Sumeru.

Verse (21): One Jewel Manifests a Multitude of Lands

“The jewels manifested within each single light are unspeakable, unspeakably many; and that one wondrous jewel, like unto Mount Sumeru, manifests a multitude of lands, unspeakably many.

Verse (22): The Sumeru-Jewels Exhausted, the Lands Ground into Dust

“Exhausting those jewels like unto Sumeru, with not one left over, the lands they manifest are all of them thus; and grinding one land into dust motes, the colors and forms of a single dust mote are unspeakably many.

Verse (23): The Many Lands Become Dust, and the Dust-Marks Send Forth Light

“A multitude of lands is ground into dust motes, and the dust motes have each their own marks, unspeakable and unspeakably many; and manifold dust-marks such as these all of them give birth to light, unspeakably many.

Verse (24): Within the Light Buddhas Appear, the Buddhas Speak the Dharma, and Within the Dharma There Are Verses

“Within the light buddhas appear, unspeakably many; the dharmas those buddhas speak are unspeakably many; the wondrous verses within the dharmas are unspeakably many; and those who, hearing the wondrous verses, gain understanding are unspeakably many too.

Verse (25): Thought after Thought the True Truth Is Made Manifest, and All the Buddhas of the Future Are Shown Forth

“Within those understandings unspeakably many, thought after thought in succession, the true truths made manifest are unspeakably many; and all the buddhas of the future are shown forth, constantly expounding the true Dharma without ever coming to an end.

Verse (26): Every Single Buddha-Dharma Sends Forth Wondrous Sounds and Turns the Wheel of Dharma

“The buddha-dharmas one by one are unspeakably many, the manifold purities are unspeakably many; the subtle and wondrous sounds brought forth are unspeakably many, and the turning of the wheel of the true Dharma is unspeakably many too.

Verse (27): Within the Wheel of Dharma Sūtras Are Expounded, Opening Out Layer upon Layer

“Within each single wheel of Dharma there are expounded sūtras (the scriptures), unspeakably many; within each single sūtra the dharma-gates distinguished are unspeakably many; within each single dharma-gate there are spoken again dharmas, unspeakably many; and within each single dharma the sentient beings tamed are unspeakably many.

Verse (28): At the Place of One Hair-Tip, Constantly Abiding for Unspeakably Many Kalpas

“Or again, at the place of one hair-tip, he constantly abides through kalpas unspeakably many; and as with this one hair-tip, so is it with all the rest of the hair-tips, and the number of kalpas abided is likewise all thus.

Verse (29): The Mind Without Obstruction, and Emanated Buddhas Emanating Again

“His mind is without obstruction, unspeakably many; the buddhas he emanates are unspeakably many; and each single emanated Tathāgata manifests emanations again, unspeakably many.

Verse (30): Dharma-Body and Divided Bodies; Going, Coursing, Observing, Purifying, and Taming Sentient Beings

“The dharma-bodies of those buddhas are unspeakably many, the divided bodies of those buddhas are unspeakably many; the measurelessness of their adornments is unspeakably many, and the going to the ten directions is unspeakably many; the coursing everywhere through the lands is unspeakably many, and the observing of sentient beings is unspeakably many; the making of sentient beings pure is unspeakably many, and the taming of sentient beings is unspeakably many.

Verse (31): Adornments · Spiritual Powers · Masteries · Spiritual Transformations

“Those adornments are unspeakably many, those spiritual powers are unspeakably many; those masteries are unspeakably many, those spiritual transformations are unspeakably many.

Verse (32): Penetrations · Realms · Sustaining Power · Abiding in the World

“All the spiritual penetrations are unspeakably many, all the realms are unspeakably many; all the sustaining power is unspeakably many, and the worlds abided in are unspeakably many.

Verse (33): Pure Real Marks; Sūtras Spoken and Gates Opened; Layer upon Layer, Beings Tamed

“The pure real marks are unspeakably many, the sūtras proclaimed are unspeakably many; within each single sūtra the dharma-gates expounded are unspeakably many; within each single dharma-gate there are spoken again dharmas, unspeakably many; within each single dharma all that is settled is unspeakably many; and within each single settled thing the sentient beings tamed are unspeakably many.

Verse (34): Dharmas, Minds, Faculties, and Speech, of a Kind and Not of a Kind

“Dharmas of a kind unspeakably many, minds of a kind unspeakably many; dharmas not of a kind unspeakably many, minds not of a kind unspeakably many; faculties not of a kind unspeakably many, speech not of a kind unspeakably many; and thought after thought, in the manifold places of practice, the sentient beings tamed are unspeakably many.

Verse (35): The Bodhisattva Can Set Them Out Distinctly, and the Clever Reckoner Cannot Make Them Out

“All the spiritual transformations are unspeakably many, all the manifestations are unspeakably many; the seasons and kalpas therein are unspeakably many, and the manifold differences therein are unspeakably many — and the bodhisattva is able to set out every one of them distinctly, while of the men skilled at reckoning not one is able to make them out.

Verse (36): At One Hair-Tip, Lands Great and Small, Defiled and Pure, Coarse and Fine, All Clearly Made Out

“At the place of one hair-tip there are great lands and small lands, defiled lands and pure lands, coarse lands and fine lands; all such things as these are unspeakably many, and yet he is able to make out and distinguish every one of them clearly.

Verse (37): One Land Ground to Dust, and Lands as Many as Those Motes Gathered on One Hair-Tip

“Grinding one land into dust motes, those dust motes are measureless and boundless, unspeakably many; and boundless lands as many as those dust motes come together and gather upon a single hair-tip.

Verse (38): Gathered on the Hair-Tip Without Being Pressed for Room, and the Hair-Tip Grows No Larger

“These many lands are unspeakably many, and gathering together upon the hair-tip they are not pressed and crowded; it does not make that hair-tip grow any larger, and yet those lands do truly come and gather there.

Verse (39): Shapes and Marks as They Were, Without Confusion Among Them

“All the manifold lands therein have their shapes and marks as they originally were, without confusion; just as one land does not disorder the rest of the lands, so it is with all the lands.

Verse (40): Space Without Bound, and the Bodhisattva Can Speak the Hair-Tip Lands in One Thought

“The realm of space is without bound; spread hair-tips throughout it all and make it full; and of the manifold lands upon hair-tips such as these, the bodhisattva in a single thought is able to speak them all.

Verse (41): The Pore Can Receive the Lands, and the Lands Cannot Fill the Pore

“Within one exceedingly fine pore, lands unspeakably many enter in due order; the pore is able to receive those lands, and yet those lands are not able to fill this pore.

Verse (42): The Kalpas of Entering and of Receiving, and the Time of Abiding, Cannot Be Spoken

“The kalpas at the time of entering are unspeakably many, the kalpas at the time of receiving are unspeakably many; and at the time when they stand ranged and abide in this way, of all the kalpas there is none who can speak them.

Verse (43): Forty Matters, from the Taking In and Abiding to the Knowing of Sentient Beings

“Having taken them in and abided in this way, all his realms are unspeakably many; the skillful means at the time of entering are unspeakably many, and the things done after entering are unspeakably many; the clarity of the faculty of mind is unspeakably many, and the ranging through the quarters is unspeakably many; valorous vigor is unspeakably many, and mastery in spiritual transformation is unspeakably many; all his thinking is unspeakably many, and all his great vows are unspeakably many; all his realms are unspeakably many, and his penetration of everything is unspeakably many; the purity of the karma of body is unspeakably many, and the purity of the karma of speech is unspeakably many; the purity of the karma of mind is unspeakably many, and the purity of faith and understanding is unspeakably many; the purity of wondrous knowledge is unspeakably many, and the purity of wondrous wisdom is unspeakably many; the fathoming of the real marks of dharmas is unspeakably many, and the cutting off of the manifold doubts is unspeakably many; the leaving behind of birth-and-death is unspeakably many, and the ascending to the position of a noble one (entering the rank of the noble ones) is unspeakably many; the profound samādhis are unspeakably many, and the fathoming of everything is unspeakably many; all sentient beings are unspeakably many, and all buddha-lands are unspeakably many; the knowing of the bodies of sentient beings is unspeakably many, and the knowing of what their minds delight in is unspeakably many; the knowing of their karmic fruits is unspeakably many, and the knowing of their understandings is unspeakably many; the knowing of their classes is unspeakably many, and the knowing of their lineages is unspeakably many; the knowing of the bodies they receive is unspeakably many, and the knowing of their places of birth is unspeakably many; the knowing of their being now born is unspeakably many, and the knowing of their having been born is unspeakably many; the knowing of their comprehension is unspeakably many, and the knowing of their courses is unspeakably many; the knowing of their speech is unspeakably many, and the knowing of the karma they do is unspeakably many.

Verse (44): The Bodhisattva’s Great Compassion, from Manifesting His Body Everywhere to Taking Pity on the World

“The bodhisattva, with great kindness and great compassion such as this, benefits all the worlds: manifesting his body everywhere is unspeakably many, entering the buddha-lands is unspeakably many; seeing the bodhisattvas is unspeakably many, giving rise to wisdom is unspeakably many; asking after the true Dharma is unspeakably many, setting forth and spreading abroad the Buddha’s teaching is unspeakably many; manifesting the manifold bodies is unspeakably many, going to the manifold lands is unspeakably many; showing forth spiritual penetrations is unspeakably many, pervading the ten directions is unspeakably many; dividing his body in place after place is unspeakably many, drawing near to the buddhas is unspeakably many; making the manifold implements of offering is unspeakably many, the manifold measureless things are unspeakably many; the pure multitude of jewels is unspeakably many, the finest and most wondrous lotus flowers are unspeakably many; the most excellent garlands of fragrance are unspeakably many, making offerings to the Tathāgatas is unspeakably many; the pure mind of faith is unspeakably many, the most excellent understanding is unspeakably many; surpassing aspiration and delight is unspeakably many, reverence toward the buddhas is unspeakably many; the practice of giving is unspeakably many, and his mind having gone beyond what it was before is unspeakably many; giving to all who ask of him is unspeakably many, giving everything away entirely is unspeakably many; purity in keeping the precepts is unspeakably many, purity of thought is unspeakably many; praising the buddhas is unspeakably many, loving and delighting in the true Dharma is unspeakably many; the accomplishing of the manifold forbearances is unspeakably many, the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas is unspeakably many; being complete in stillness is unspeakably many, abiding in the ground of stillness is unspeakably many; rousing great vigor is unspeakably many, and his mind having gone beyond what it was before is unspeakably many; the non-retrogressive mind is unspeakably many, the unshakable mind is unspeakably many; all the treasuries of concentration are unspeakably many, the observing of dharmas is unspeakably many; being still within concentration is unspeakably many, the fathoming of the meditations is unspeakably many; penetration in wisdom is unspeakably many, mastery in samādhi is unspeakably many; the fathoming of dharmas is unspeakably many, the clear seeing of the buddhas is unspeakably many; cultivating measureless practices is unspeakably many, sending forth vast great vows is unspeakably many; the profound realms are unspeakably many, the pure dharma-gates are unspeakably many; the bodhisattva’s power of dharma is unspeakably many, the bodhisattva’s abiding in dharma is unspeakably many; those right recollections are unspeakably many, those Dharma realms are unspeakably many; cultivating the wisdom of skillful means is unspeakably many, learning the profound wisdom is unspeakably many; measureless wisdom is unspeakably many, ultimate wisdom is unspeakably many; those dharma-wisdoms are unspeakably many, those pure wheels of Dharma are unspeakably many; that great cloud of Dharma is unspeakably many, that great rain of Dharma is unspeakably many; those spiritual powers are unspeakably many, those skillful means are unspeakably many; entering the wisdom of empty stillness is unspeakably many, thought after thought in succession is unspeakably many; the measureless gates of practice are unspeakably many, abiding constantly thought after thought is unspeakably many; the oceans of lands of the buddhas are unspeakably many, being able to go to them all is unspeakably many; the differences among the lands are unspeakably many, the manifold purities are unspeakably many; the differing adornments are unspeakably many, the boundless colors and forms are unspeakably many; the manifold interlacings and minglings are unspeakably many, the manifold subtleties and beauties are unspeakably many; the pure buddha-lands are unspeakably many, the defiled worlds are unspeakably many; the knowing of sentient beings is unspeakably many, the knowing of their lineages is unspeakably many; the knowing of their karmic recompense is unspeakably many, the knowing of the conduct of their minds is unspeakably many; the knowing of their faculties is unspeakably many, the knowing of their understandings and desires is unspeakably many; the defiled and the pure are unspeakably many, observing and taming is unspeakably many; mastery in transformation is unspeakably many, manifesting the manifold bodies is unspeakably many; cultivating vigor is unspeakably many, delivering sentient beings is unspeakably many; showing forth spiritual transformations is unspeakably many, sending forth great light is unspeakably many; the manifold colors and forms are unspeakably many, making sentient beings pure is unspeakably many; each single pore is unspeakably many, sending forth nets of light is unspeakably many; the nets of light manifesting colors and forms is unspeakably many, illumining the buddha-lands everywhere is unspeakably many; valor and fearlessness are unspeakably many, skillfulness in means is unspeakably many; taming sentient beings is unspeakably many, causing them to leave birth-and-death is unspeakably many; the pure karma of body is unspeakably many, the pure karma of speech is unspeakably many; the boundless karma of mind is unspeakably many, the excellent and wondrous practices are unspeakably many; accomplishing the jewel of wisdom is unspeakably many, entering deeply into the Dharma realm is unspeakably many; the bodhisattva’s power to hold all is unspeakably many, being well able to cultivate and learn is unspeakably many; the sounds of the wise are unspeakably many, the purity of the sounds is unspeakably many; right recollection that is true and real is unspeakably many, awakening sentient beings is unspeakably many; being complete in deportment is unspeakably many, pure cultivation is unspeakably many; accomplishing fearlessness is unspeakably many, taming the world is unspeakably many; the assemblies of the sons of the Buddha are unspeakably many, the pure and excellent practices are unspeakably many; lauding and praising the buddhas is unspeakably many, the praise that has no end is unspeakably many; the guides of the world are unspeakably many, expounding and praising is unspeakably many; those bodhisattvas are unspeakably many, the pure merits are unspeakably many; those farthest bounds are unspeakably many, being able to abide within them is unspeakably many; the wisdom of abiding within them is unspeakably many, and of abiding to the exhausting of all the kalpas there is none who can speak it; taking joy in seeking the buddhas is unspeakably many, the evenness of wisdom is unspeakably many; entering well into dharmas is unspeakably many, being without obstruction toward dharmas is unspeakably many; the three times being like space is unspeakably many, the wisdom of the three times is unspeakably many; the fathoming of the three times is unspeakably many, abiding in wisdom is unspeakably many; the excellent and wondrous practices are unspeakably many, the measureless great vows are unspeakably many; the pure great vows are unspeakably many, the accomplishing of awakening is unspeakably many; the awakening of the buddhas is unspeakably many, giving rise to wisdom is unspeakably many; distinguishing the meanings is unspeakably many, knowing all dharmas is unspeakably many; adorning and purifying the buddha-lands is unspeakably many, cultivating the powers is unspeakably many; cultivating through long ages is unspeakably many, understanding within a single thought is unspeakably many; the mastery of the buddhas is unspeakably many, expounding widely the true Dharma is unspeakably many; the manifold spiritual powers are unspeakably many, manifesting in the world is unspeakably many; the pure wheels of Dharma are unspeakably many, being valorously able to turn them is unspeakably many; the manifold openings forth and expoundings are unspeakably many, taking pity on the world is unspeakably many.

Verse (45): Kalpas May Be Exhausted, Virtue Cannot

“Through all the kalpas unspeakably many, praising the manifold merits unspeakably many; kalpas unspeakably many may still be exhausted, and virtue unspeakably many cannot be exhausted.

Verse (46): Unspeakably Many Tathāgatas, Unspeakably Many Tongues

“Tathāgatas unspeakably many, the manifold tongues unspeakably many; praising the Buddha’s virtues unspeakably many, through kalpas unspeakably many there is none who can speak them to the end.

Verse (47): Sentient Beings Accomplish Right Awakening at the Same Time, and One Buddha Manifests All Bodies Everywhere

“All the sentient beings of the ten directions all accomplish right awakening at one and the same time; and among them one buddha is able to manifest everywhere all bodies unspeakably many.

Verse (48): One Body Manifests Heads, One Head Tongues, One Tongue Voices, One Voice Abides Through Kalpas

“Of these unspeakably many, one body manifests heads, unspeakably many; of these unspeakably many, one head manifests tongues, unspeakably many; of these unspeakably many, one tongue manifests voices, unspeakably many; and of these unspeakably many, one voice passes through kalpas and abides, unspeakably many.

Verse (49): As with One So with All; the Kalpas May Be Exhausted and the Praising of the Buddha Cannot

“As with one buddha so it is, so with all buddhas too; as with one body so it is, so with all bodies too; as with one head so it is, so with all heads too; as with one tongue so it is, so with all tongues too; as with one voice so it is, so with all voices too — praising the Buddha constantly through kalpas unspeakably many, kalpas unspeakably many may still be exhausted, and of the praising of the Buddha’s merit there is none who can speak it to the end.

Verse (50): Within One Dust Mote Are Lotus Worlds, and Within the Worlds the Tathāgata Chief in Goodness

“Within a single dust mote there can be contained entirely lotus worlds unspeakably many; and within each single lotus world the Tathāgatas Chief in Goodness are unspeakably many.

Verse (51): Reaching Everywhere Through the Dharma Realm; Within the Dust Motes Worlds Form, Abide, and Decay

“And on to the pervading of the whole Dharma realm, among all the manifold dust motes therein the worlds are forming or abiding or decaying, measureless in number, unspeakably many.

Verse (52): The Place of One Dust Mote Is Without Bound, and the Ocean of Lands Is Spread Out

“The place of a single dust mote is without any farthest bound, and measureless lands all come and enter therein; the differences of the ten directions are unspeakably many, and the spreading out of the ocean of lands is unspeakably many.

Verse (53): Within Every Single Land There Is a Tathāgata, from Life-Span to the Gaining of the Deep Treasury of Wisdom

“Within every single land there is a Tathāgata, and the kalpas of his life-span are unspeakably many; the practices of the buddhas are unspeakably many, the profound and wondrous dharmas are unspeakably many; the great strength of spiritual penetration is unspeakably many, the wisdom without obstruction is unspeakably many; entering into the pores is unspeakably many, the causes and conditions of the pores are unspeakably many; accomplishing the ten powers is unspeakably many, awakening to awakening is unspeakably many; entering the pure Dharma realm is unspeakably many, gaining the profound treasury of wisdom is unspeakably many.

Verse (54): The Manifold Quantities and Measures of Shape, All of Them Penetrated

“The manifold quantities are unspeakably many, and of all of these he has full knowledge; the manifold measures of shape are unspeakably many, and of all of these there is none he does not penetrate.

Verse (55): Abiding in Samādhi Through Kalpas, His Practice Pure

“The manifold samādhis are unspeakably many, and he is able to abide within them through the long kalpas; and in the presence of buddhas unspeakably many, the purity of his practice is unspeakably many.

Verse (56): Gaining the Unobstructed Mind, Going to the Ten Directions, Fathoming the Buddhas

“He gains minds without obstruction unspeakably many, and his going to the ten directions is unspeakably many; his showing forth by spiritual power is unspeakably many, and his practice without any farthest bound is unspeakably many; his going to the manifold lands is unspeakably many, and his fathoming of the buddhas is unspeakably many; his vigor and valor are unspeakably many, and his penetration in wisdom is unspeakably many.

Verse (57): With Regard to Dharmas Neither Practising nor Not Practising, Constantly Ranging the Ten Directions

“With regard to dharmas he is neither one who practises nor one who does not practise, and the manifold realms he enters are unspeakably many; through the manifold great kalpas that cannot be told by speaking, he constantly ranges the ten directions, unspeakably many.

Verse (58): The Three Wisdoms of Skillful Means, of the Real, and of Spiritual Penetration; Manifesting Thought after Thought

“The wisdom of skillful means is unspeakably many, the wisdom of the real is unspeakably many; the wisdom of spiritual penetration is unspeakably many, and manifesting thought after thought is unspeakably many.

Verse (59): Knowing Each Single Buddha-Dharma; Realizing at One Time or Entering at Manifold Times

“Of the dharmas of the buddhas unspeakably many he has knowledge of every single one, unspeakably many; and he is able at one and the same time to realize awakening, and able also at manifold different times to enter into realization.

Verse (60): Buddha-Lands of the Hair-Tip and Buddha-Lands Within the Dust, to All of Which He Can Go

“The buddha-lands upon the hair-tip are unspeakably many, the buddha-lands within the dust motes are unspeakably many; to buddha-lands such as these he goes to them all, and the Tathāgatas he sees are unspeakably many.

Verse (61): Penetrating the One Real, Well Entering the Buddha-Lineage

“His penetrating of the one real is unspeakably many, his entering well into the lineage of the buddhas is unspeakably many; the lands of the buddhas are unspeakably many, and to all of them he is able to go and accomplish awakening.

Verse (62): The Differences of Substance Cannot Be Spoken, and the Bodhisattva Sees Them All with Clarity

“Lands, sentient beings, and all the buddhas — the differences of their very substance are unspeakably many; the three times such as these are without any bound, and the bodhisattva sees every one of them clearly.”

義疏Exposition

為什麼一部經要停下來講算術

一部講佛境界的經，忽然用一整品來排數字，這是不是離題？心王菩薩問的正是這件事：佛在前面諸品裡動不動就說「阿僧祇」「不可說不可說」，這些字到底是什麼意思？他一口氣把十個數名牒出來——阿僧祇、無量、無邊、無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說、不可說不可說——然後只問一句：云何。誤讀是把這一問看成好奇心，以為佛要教一套算法。澄觀釋此云，心王之所以來問，是「表數不離心，數與非數皆自在故」；《演義鈔》更把「心王」二字拆開釋：心者統攝諸法，一切最勝；王者統御四海，為最勝。法藏亦以心王為「表數法依心」。三家同指一處：數不是外面的東西，是心量的刻度。落地：這一品不是算術課，是拿數字量心量。

為什麼只問十個，卻不問中間那一百多個

心王牒了十個名，前面那一百多重數名一個沒問。這是漏了嗎？澄觀釋此云「舉後攝初，顯無盡故」——問最後的，前面的自然都攝在裡面；何況經文說的是「如來演說」，但問這本數，就已把「轉」等一併攝了。誤讀是以為十個名是十件事，其實是一條線上的十個刻度，而每一個刻度後面還跟著一個「轉」，所以十門實有二十名。落地：讀一串數名不必逐個追究，看它往哪個方向走就夠了——它一路往『說不出來』那邊走。

佛為什麼親自答，而不叫菩薩答

華嚴一經，多半是菩薩承佛神力而說；這一品卻是佛親口答。何以如此？三家所答同歸一處而各出其詞：澄觀釋此云「所以佛自答者，正表難思故」，又說此品統說因位終德，故佛說之；法藏以為「唯佛所知無極之數，故佛自說」；李通玄則問得更直白——此品何故如來自說，因為「此數法廣大，下位智所不及，唯佛能究竟故」。誤讀是把說主看成體例小事。說主是判斷難易的第一個線索：由誰說，就標出這法在誰的境界裡。落地：看見佛自說，就該把讀的力氣調到最重。

一百二十三重：倍倍相乘是怎麼一回事

佛答的第一句是「一百洛叉為一俱胝」，此後全用同一個格式：某某某某為一某某。這是什麼算法？關鍵在「以所數等於能數」——不是十倍十倍地加上去，而是把前一個數自己乘自己一遍。所以第二重是俱胝乘俱胝，第三重是阿庾多乘阿庾多，如此一百二十三重。誤讀是把它讀成十進位的大數表。李通玄釋此云，此方算法有下、中、上三等，「其下者十十變之，中者萬萬變之，上者億億變之」，而本品用的是上等數法。落地：這串數不是變長，是每一步都把自己整個翻一次——所以走不了幾步，已經沒有語言可以承載。

這些梵音名字要不要一一去解

數名之中大半是音寫：阿庾多、那由他、頻婆羅、矜羯羅、毘攞伽、達攞步陀……讀者容易起一個念頭：這些名字各有什麼深意？澄觀在這裡替後人省了大力氣，直接判云「其中多存梵音，但是數名，更無別理」。李通玄於此段所出的也只是反切注音，不是義解。誤讀是把數名當成法數去參。落地：名字只是門牌號碼，該用力的地方在它排出來的那條線，不在門牌本身。

洛叉是萬還是億：古德所配不同

同一個「洛叉」，澄觀說「洛叉是萬，俱胝是億」，李通玄卻說「一洛叉此云一億，一俱胝此云一兆」。到底哪個對？這裡不必急著取捨——澄觀自己已誌一種異配：若依《俱舍》以洛叉為億，則俱胝當兆。可見漢地本無定譯，所配隨所依之論而異。誤讀是以為經有一個唯一正確的換算表。落地：換算表是為了讓人有感覺，不是為了核帳；感覺一到，表就可以放下。

為什麼最後要用「此又」兩個字

數列末尾，經文說「此又不可說不可說為一不可說不可說轉」。為什麼忽然冒出「此又」二字？澄觀釋此云，若照前面的格式具足牒出，此處要連寫四個「不可說不可說」，譯家用兩個字替掉一組，是「為譯之巧」。《演義鈔》把所省的四個一一還原，並誌前人有破此二字為冗長者。誤讀是把它看成譯筆疏漏。落地：語言到這裡已經扛不住了——譯家的省筆，本身就是這一品要說的事。

頌的第一步：把「不可說」再積一次

長行已經數到頭了，頌為什麼還要重數？頌一開口就是「不可言說不可說，充滿一切不可說」——把那個已經是終點的數，再拿來充滿另一個終點。澄觀科此頌之積數凡有十重，並說明何以只取「不可說」而不取最後的「不可說不可說轉」：一則取言之易，二則表言所不及之數。誤讀是覺得頌只是把長行複述一遍。頌做的是長行做不到的事：長行給出一條有終點的階梯，頌把終點拿來當新的起點。落地：真正的無盡不在階梯的最高一階，在『最高一階還可以再乘一次』這件事上。

剎碎為塵，塵中有剎：兩個方向同時走

頌接著說：不可說的佛剎全碎成微塵，一粒塵中又有不可說的剎；而且是一念之間碎盡，念念相續，窮盡不可說劫恆常如此；碎出來的塵中之剎再碎為塵，要說就更難。這是在堆砌嗎？看它的方向就明白：一邊往小處碎，一邊往大處含，兩個方向同時走，所以永遠合不攏。誤讀是把它當文學誇張。澄觀已把這幾步逐一科出——三是諸不可說一一是剎皆碎為塵，四是一一塵有不可說剎，五是諸塵中剎一念遍碎為塵，六是念念碎塵復盡多劫，七八是所碎之塵復有多剎、多剎復碎為塵。落地：這是算式，不是修辭；每一句都是上一句的乘數。

一位普賢，讚不完

前面積了那麼大的數，是要拿來做什麼？答案在這一偈：「以此諸塵數諸劫，一塵十萬不可說，爾劫稱讚一普賢，無能盡其功德量。」原來全部的積數只是分母，用來襯一件事——讚一位普賢都讚不完。澄觀於此誌所數之廣有三重：以上諸劫讚一普賢不盡、一塵中有多普賢、遍法界塵皆有多普賢；並且下了一句重話：若不以稱性之心思之，心惑狂亂。誤讀是把它讀成讚美詞。落地：這數不是給頭腦算的，是給心量撐的——用思量去追，只會亂；把心放到與法界同大，才接得住。

一毛端有不可說的普賢

「於一微細毛端處，有不可說諸普賢」——一根毛尖上怎麼站得下？這一問的答案不在空間，在「毛端」二字是拿來做什麼用的。經文緊接著說「一切毛端悉亦爾，如是乃至遍法界」：毛端是最小的單位，法界是最大的範圍，而兩者裝的東西一樣多。誤讀是想像一幅擠滿人的圖。落地：這裡要換的不是想像力，是度量衡——一旦承認最小處也能容無盡，大小這把尺就失效了。

毛端上的剎土：同類與異類，淨與莊嚴

接下來三偈把毛端所含的剎細說一遍：一毛端處所有的剎其數無量，盡虛空所有的毛端處處如此；那些國土以無量種類差別而住，有不可說的異類剎，也有不可說的同類剎；一切毛端處都有淨剎、都有種種莊嚴奇妙。為什麼要分同類異類？因為若只說「無量」，讀者容易讀成一團模糊；分出同異，才知道無量之中還各各分明。誤讀是以為多到一起就分不清了。落地：無盡不等於混沌——這是本品一路要守住的分寸。

毛端演佛名，佛身現毛孔

「於彼一一毛端處，演不可說諸佛名，一一名有諸如來」——毛端裡出來的不只是剎土，還有佛名，名下還有如來；而一一諸佛身上又現不可說毛孔，毛孔中現眾色相。這是不是繞回去了？正是要繞回去：從毛端到佛，再從佛身回到毛孔，一圈套一圈。澄觀科此段云「依中現正」——依報的境界中現出正報的佛身。誤讀是把它讀成兩件事的並列。落地：依正之間沒有一道牆，這一頌就是把牆拆給你看。

光、蓮華、葉、月、日：層層相生

從「不可言說諸毛孔，咸放光明」起，經文一連數偈：光中現蓮華，華中有眾葉，葉中現色相，色中復現葉，葉中有光，光中有色，色中現光，光中現月，月復現月，月中現光，光中現日，日中現色，色中又現光明。這是在炫技嗎？澄觀科此段為「正中現依」——正報身上出依報之境，境上復出境。誤讀是想一層一層數清楚。落地：這一段本來就不是要你數清楚，是要你在數不清的時候，把『一個一個算』的習慣鬆開。

師子座與如須彌的妙寶

層層相生之後，經文落到兩個具體的東西上：光明之內現不可說師子座，嚴具與光明各各不可說；光中妙色、色中淨光互出不已，種種光明之內各現妙寶大如須彌；一一寶中所現之寶又不可說，那如須彌的一顆妙寶又現出眾多剎土。為什麼忽然出現座與寶？因為座是說法之處，寶是莊嚴之極——無盡若只是空轉，就沒有落腳點；有了座，就有人在那裡說法。落地：讀到這裡可以鬆一口氣——重重無盡的盡頭，是有人正在說法。

寶盡、剎末為塵、塵相出光

「盡須彌寶無有餘，示現剎土皆如是」——把那些如須彌的寶用盡，所現剎土也都如此；再把一個剎土末為微塵，一塵的色相不可說；眾剎為塵，塵塵有相，種種塵相皆出光明。為什麼要「盡」？因為前面一直在「生」，這裡忽然說用盡，是要顯示：即使窮盡了能舉的例子，所顯的事仍舊沒有窮盡。誤讀是以為「盡」就是收尾。落地：這裡的「盡」是把手上的材料都交出去，而不是把話說完。

光中現佛說法，聞偈得解

塵相所出的光明裡現出佛來，佛所說的法不可說，法中的妙偈不可說，聞偈得解的人也不可說；在這不可說的開解、念念之中，所顯了的真諦不可說，並且示現未來一切佛常演說法無有窮盡；一一佛法不可說，種種清淨、妙音、法輪也各各不可說。為什麼要把『聽懂的人』也算進去？因為法若無人得解，無盡就只是景觀。澄觀科此為「依中現正說法」。落地：這一段把「無盡」從風景改寫成了教學——說的人不可說，聽懂的人也不可說。

法輪裡的修多羅，修多羅裡的法門

接著是全品最整齊的一組推衍：一一法輪中演修多羅不可說，一一修多羅中分別法門不可說，一一法門中又說諸法不可說，一一諸法中調伏眾生不可說。四層一路收到「調伏眾生」。這是不是又在堆疊？看它收在哪裡就知道不是：前三層是法的展開，第四層是人的得度。誤讀是只看見層數。落地：法門開得再多，最後一格填的是有人因此被調伏——這是本品的秤，秤的不是量，是益。

一毛端住不可說劫

「或復於一毛端處，不可說劫常安住」——前面說的是空間之含，這裡忽然說時間之住：在一毛端上安住不可說劫，其餘毛端亦然。為什麼要補這一句？因為若只講空間，容易讀成一張靜止的圖。澄觀科此一偈為「明現時常住」。誤讀是把它當成前文的重複。落地：無盡不是一瞬間的奇觀，是可以住下來的——住得久，才談得上做事。

心無礙，化佛復化

住下來之後做什麼？「其心無礙不可說，變化諸佛不可說，一一變化諸如來，復現於化不可說」——變化出來的佛，還能再變化。接著法身、分身、莊嚴、往詣十方、周行國土、觀察眾生、清淨眾生、調伏眾生一路排下來；再接莊嚴、神力、自在、神變；再接神通、境界、加持、住世。澄觀科這一大段為「明自在調生」。誤讀是把這些詞當成同義反覆。它們其實有次第：先有無礙之心，才有變化；先有變化之身，才有周行、觀察、清淨、調伏。落地：神通在這一品裡從來不是表演，是為了把人一個一個接住。

清淨實相與那個「決定」

第二輪推衍與前一輪幾乎同形，只多了一格：一一法門中又說諸法，一一諸法中「所有決定」不可說，一一決定中調伏眾生不可說。多出來的「決定」是什麼？是法說到究竟處那一錘定音——沒有這一格，法門再多也只是說法而已。接著又列同類法、同類心、異類法、異類心、異類根、異類語，念念於諸所行處調伏眾生。誤讀是把兩輪推衍看成重複之筆。落地：兩輪之差就在「決定」二字——法要能定得下來，才調伏得了人。

菩薩能分別說，明算的人辨不出來

這一品到此，忽然插進一句對照：「菩薩悉能分別說，諸明算者莫能辨。」為什麼要拿算數家來比？因為前面一路是數，讀者難免以為這是算得出來的事。經文在此劃線：善算之人辨不出來，菩薩卻能一一分別。緊接著又說一毛端處的大剎小剎、雜染清淨、麁細之剎，如是一切不可說，而「一一明了可分別」。誤讀是把菩薩之知看成算得更快。落地：那不是算力之勝，是根本換了一種知——算是一個一個數過去，明見是一時全在眼前。

塵數之剎共集毛端，而毛端不增大

「以一國土碎為塵，其塵無量不可說，如是塵數無邊剎，俱來共集一毛端」——然後是全品最要緊的一句：「共集毛端無迫隘，不使毛端有增大，而彼國土俱來集。」不擠、不脹，而確實都來了。這怎麼可能？澄觀釋此云，是「稱法性之一毛」故受多剎而無外，「不壞相之多剎」故各住其相；《演義鈔》更申其緣起之義：由不即故有能所入，由不離故得相入。經文自己也補了一句：其中國土形相如本無雜亂，如一國土不亂餘，一切國土皆如是。誤讀是把它想成空間壓縮。落地：一邊稱性所以無外，一邊不壞相所以分明——華嚴講相入，講的一直是這兩句同時成立。

虛空布滿毛端，菩薩一念能說

「虛空境界無邊際，悉布毛端使充滿，如是毛端諸國土，菩薩一念皆能說。」前面說的是容得下，這裡說的是說得出。為什麼要補「一念皆能說」？因為若只說境界無盡而無人能說，這一品就答不了心王的問——心王問的正是「云何」。誤讀是把這句讀成讚歎。落地：無盡之境要有一個能說之人立在旁邊，這一品才算把問題答完。

毛孔能受諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔

「於一微細毛孔中，不可說剎次第入，毛孔能受彼諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔。」這句話乍看不對稱：既然裝得下，為什麼裝不滿？澄觀所釋的「稱法性之一毛」正解此處——毛上取的是稱性義，故如法性之無外；剎上取的是不壞相義，故不能遍那無外之毛。接著又說入時、受時的劫數不可說，行列安住之時一切諸劫無能說。誤讀是把「不能遍」讀成剎小毛大。落地：不是大小之別，是性相之別——這一句是本品最精細的一格，讀懂它，前面所有的重重無盡才不是誇張。

攝受安住之後：從方便到知眾生的每一件事

安住之後所作為何？經文用四十對句一路排下：入時方便、入已所作、意根明了、遊歷諸方、勇猛精進、自在神變、所有思惟、所有大願、所有境界、一切通達；身語意三業清淨、信解清淨、妙智妙慧清淨；了諸實相、斷諸疑惑、出離生死、超昇正位、甚深三昧、了達一切；再落到眾生身上——知眾生身、心樂、業果、意解、品類、種性、受身、生處、正生、生已、解了、趣向、言語、作業。澄觀科此為「三業勤勇行」及「應器攝生行」。為什麼列這麼細？因為「不可說」若不落到一件一件事上，就是空話。誤讀是快速掃過這一大段。落地：這一段是把無盡拆成清單——而清單的最後十四項全是『知眾生的什麼』。

大慈悲的十度大行

最長的一段從「菩薩如是大慈悲，利益一切諸世間」起：普現其身、入諸佛剎、見諸菩薩、發生智慧、請問正法、敷揚佛教；現身詣土、示現神通、普遍十方、分身親近；作諸供具、清淨眾寶、上妙蓮華、最勝香鬘、供養如來；清淨信心、最勝悟解、增上志樂、恭敬諸佛；然後是十度——修行於施、有求皆施、一切悉施；持戒清淨、心意清淨；成就諸忍、無生法忍；起大精進、不退轉心、不傾動心；一切定藏、寂然在定、了達諸禪；智慧通達、三昧自在、了達諸法、明見諸佛……一路到光網現色、普照佛剎，到清淨三業、成就智寶、深入法界，到稱歎諸佛、讚揚無盡，到三世如空、成就菩提，到廣演正法、哀愍世間。澄觀於此科出游方供佛行、廣修十度行、游剎自在行、調伏眾生行、三業深淨行、願智自在行諸目。誤讀是被長度嚇退而略讀。落地：這一段是全品唯一一處把「不可說」全部換算成菩薩的日常功課——一句一件事，件件做得。

劫可盡，德不可盡

長段之後，經文用一偈收束：「不可言說一切劫，讚不可說諸功德，不可說劫猶可盡，不可說德不可盡。」這裡出現全品第一個「可盡」。為什麼忽然說可盡？因為要有一個可盡的東西，才襯得出不可盡的那個。澄觀科此一偈為「結德無盡」。誤讀是把「劫猶可盡」讀成經文自相矛盾。落地：時間再長也是量，功德不是量——這一句把兩者第一次分開。

舌根歎佛：一身、一頭、一舌、一聲

接著把這件事推到極端：不可說的如來、不可說的舌根，歎佛不可說的德，不可說劫也說不盡；十方眾生同時成正覺，其中一佛能普現不可說一切身；而這不可說中的一身現不可說頭，一頭現不可說舌，一舌現不可說聲，一聲住劫不可說；如一如是一切佛、一切身、一切頭、一切舌、一切聲，不可說劫恆常讚佛，劫猶可盡而歎佛功德無能盡。為什麼要把讚歎的器官也乘上去？因為前面乘的是所讚之德，這裡乘的是能讚之口——兩邊都乘到盡頭，還是不盡。落地：讀這一段不必想像那個畫面，只要記住結論——能說的一邊先耗盡，所說的一邊還在。

賢首如來與蓮華世界

「一微塵中能悉有，不可言說蓮華界，一一蓮華世界中，賢首如來不可說」——這是全頌唯一舉出佛名的地方。接著說乃至法界周遍，其中所有微塵，世界若成若住若壞其數無量；一微塵處無邊際，無量諸剎普來入，十方差別、剎海分布皆不可說。為什麼在這裡舉一個名字？因為通篇都是「不可說」，讀者容易失去著落；舉一佛名，是給無盡一個可以稱呼的臉。落地：無盡之中要有名有姓的一位，才不致變成空談。

一一剎中有如來

「一一剎中有如來，壽命劫數不可說」——然後是諸佛所行、甚深妙法、神通大力、無障礙智、入於毛孔、毛孔因緣、成就十力、覺悟菩提、入淨法界、獲深智藏，各各不可說。為什麼把「毛孔因緣」也列進佛德？因為前面講了那麼多毛孔容剎，總要交代那不是巧術，是因緣。誤讀是把這一串讀成佛德的清單而已。落地：這一段是把前面所有的『毛端奇觀』歸到佛的智與力上——奇觀有主，才不是幻術。

因德趣入：從了知數量到往詣諸佛

頌的最後一段轉到菩薩：種種數量不可說而一切悉了知，種種形量不可說而無不通達；種種三昧不可說而能經劫住其中，於不可說諸佛所所行清淨；得不可說無礙心，往詣十方、神力示現、所行無際、往詣眾剎、了達諸佛、精進勇猛、智慧通達，各各不可說。前面問的是『有多少』，這裡答的是『他都知道、都去得了』。澄觀科此段為因德趣入之自分行。誤讀是把它當成前文的縮寫。落地：一品講到最後，重點從『境有多大』轉成『人到得了』。

於法非行非不行

「於法非行非不行，入諸境界不可說」——這一句忽然不像前面任何一句。它在說什麼？前面全是『做了多少』，這裡卻說：於法不是有所行、也不是無所行。誤讀是把它讀成消極。它是把前面所有的行放回無所得上——若有一個『我在行』，這無盡的行門立刻變成無盡的負擔。接著方便智慧、真實智慧、神通智慧、念念示現各各不可說；於不可說諸佛法一一了知，而「能於一時證菩提，或種種時而證入」。落地：能一時證、也能種種時證——時間在這裡也鬆開了。

毛端佛剎皆往詣，通達一實

「毛端佛剎不可說，塵中佛剎不可說，如是佛剎皆往詣，見諸如來不可說」；「通達一實不可說，善入佛種不可說，諸佛國土不可說，悉能往詣成菩提」。為什麼在數的盡頭放上「一實」？因為一路乘上去的是「多」，而多的底子是一。誤讀是把「一實」讀成又一個數。落地：從一百洛叉數到不可說不可說轉，數的終點不是更大的數，是不再是數的那個一。

體性差別不可說，菩薩一切皆明見

全品末偈：「國土眾生及諸佛，體性差別不可說，如是三世無有邊，菩薩一切皆明見。」問題回到心王一開始的那一問——云何不可說。答案不在數列裡，在最後這五個字：皆明見。差別不可說，而見得明白；三世無有邊，而一時在目。誤讀是把「不可說」讀成『不可知』。落地：不可說是就語言說的，不是就見說的——這一品從頭到尾在做的一件事，就是把『說不出來』與『看不見』拆開。

承衍

本品之來意與科判，古德所繫各異，並錄不判。澄觀繫之於等覺深奧，以此下三品分明勝德無數、盡一切時、遍一切處，而以本品居首；法藏則明言此品「非答前問」，其來意在校量行德分齊，兼釋成前諸品所有數量；李通玄另立一軌，以自此品至如來出現品共八品同明佛果三業廣大自在，本品明如來心業廣大自在。數之總持亦異：澄觀就八十本云百二十四數，法藏就六十本云百二十轉，李通玄就八十本云百二十大數；頌數則澄觀判為百二十偈，法藏就六十本判為一百二十二頌半。洛叉俱胝所配漢數，澄觀作萬與億，李通玄作億與兆。四端各承其本、各依其軌，誌錄之而不判高下。

異譯方面，六十華嚴此品題作〈心王菩薩問阿僧祇品〉，多「心王菩薩問」五字；澄觀已誌其為人法雙舉之例。二本場景全同——同是心王發問、佛親許說、列數名、說長頌——而數名用字系統全異，六十本作「百千百千名一拘梨」，八十本作「一百洛叉為一俱胝」，故二本之對讀當取場景結構，不當以八十之數名逐字搜六十。

本品所立之『毛端容剎而不迫隘』『毛孔能受諸剎而諸剎不能遍毛孔』二義，經澄觀以稱性與不壞相二門釋之，《演義鈔》復以「由不即故有能所入，由不離故故得相入」申其緣起，遂為華嚴一宗相入之義的品內經據；澄觀於頌中因位善窮之首段科為帝網身土，亦以此品為重重無盡之喻所自出。至於本品數名列與小乘六十數之對照，澄觀、法藏、李通玄三家釋此品時皆援《俱舍論》所引《解脫經》六十數為反照，以顯本品之數非小乘所及——三家所援同而所判之教門各異，亦誌錄不判。

Why Should a Sūtra Stop and Talk About Arithmetic

A sūtra that speaks of the realm of a buddha suddenly gives over a whole chapter to setting out numbers — is this not off the subject? What Mind-King Bodhisattva asks about is precisely this matter: throughout the earlier chapters the Buddha has been saying, at every turn, “asaṃkhyeya” and “unspeakably unspeakable” — what do these words actually mean? In one breath he cites out ten of the number-names — asaṃkhyeya, measureless, boundless, unequalled, uncountable, unnameable, unthinkable, immeasurable, unspeakable, unspeakably unspeakable — and then asks only one thing: what are they? The misreading is to take this question for curiosity, as though the Buddha were about to teach a system of calculation. Chengguan glosses this by saying that the reason Mind-King is the one who comes to ask is that he “symbolizes that number is not apart from mind, and that number and non-number are alike unimpeded”; the Yanyi chao takes the two words “Mind-King” apart and explains them further: the mind is what gathers and holds all dharmas, most excellent among all things; the king is what governs the four seas, and is therefore most excellent. Fazang likewise takes Mind-King to “symbolize that the dharma of number depends upon mind.” The three point to one and the same place: number is not something outside; it is the graduation-mark of the measure of mind. Brought down to use: this chapter is not a lesson in arithmetic, it is the taking of numbers to measure the capacity of a mind.

Why Ask About Only Ten, and Not About the Hundred and More in Between

Mind-King cites ten names and asks about not one of the hundred and more rungs that precede them. Is this an omission? Chengguan glosses this by saying that it is a case of “raising the later so as to take in the earlier, thereby showing the inexhaustible” — ask about the last, and all that comes before is of itself contained within; and besides, what the sūtra says is “what the Tathāgatas expound,” so that in asking about these root numbers he has already taken in the “turned” forms and the rest along with them. The misreading is to suppose that the ten names are ten separate matters, when in fact they are ten graduation-marks along one single line, and every mark has a “turned” following after it, so that ten gates are in truth twenty names. Brought down to use: in reading a string of number-names one need not chase after each one; it is enough to see which way the string is going — and it goes the whole way toward ‘what cannot be said.’

Why Does the Buddha Answer in Person Instead of Having a Bodhisattva Answer

In the Avataṃsaka, for the most part it is bodhisattvas who speak, sustained by the Buddha’s spiritual power; in this chapter, however, the Buddha answers with his own mouth. Why so? The three commentators answer to one and the same point, each in his own words. Chengguan glosses this by saying, “the reason the Buddha answers in person is precisely to show that it is beyond thought,” and says further that this chapter states in summary the final virtues of the causal stages, and so the Buddha speaks it; Fazang holds that “this is a number of no limit, known to buddhas alone, and therefore the Buddha speaks it himself”; Li Tongxuan puts the question more bluntly still — why does the Tathāgata speak this chapter himself? Because “this dharma of number is vast, beyond the reach of the wisdom of the lower positions, and only a buddha can exhaust it.” The misreading is to treat who-speaks as a small matter of format. Who speaks is the first clue to how hard a thing is: by whose mouth it is spoken, there is marked out whose realm this dharma lies in. Brought down to use: when you see the Buddha speaking in person, set your reading strength to its heaviest.

One Hundred and Twenty-Three Rungs: What Multiplying by Itself Actually Means

The first sentence of the Buddha’s answer is “a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi,” and thereafter one single format is used throughout: such-and-such such-and-suches make one so-and-so. What kind of calculation is this? The key lies in “the number counted is equal to the number counting” — it is not a matter of adding on by tens, but of taking the previous number and multiplying it once by itself. So the second rung is koṭi times koṭi, the third is ayuduo times ayuduo, and thus for one hundred and twenty-three rungs. The misreading is to read it as a decimal table of large numbers. Li Tongxuan glosses this by saying that in this land there are three grades of calculation, lower, middle, and upper — “the lower changes by tens, the middle changes by ten-thousands, the upper changes by hundred-millions” — and that the present chapter uses the upper grade. Brought down to use: this string of numbers does not grow longer, it turns itself over whole at every step — and so within a very few steps there is no longer any language able to carry it.

Do These Sanskrit-Sounding Names Have to Be Explained One by One

Most of the number-names are transcriptions of sound: ayuduo, nayuta, pinpoluo, jinjieluo, piluoga, daluobutuo… A reader easily conceives the thought that each of these names must carry some profound sense. Chengguan here spares his successors a great deal of labor, judging outright that “among them many preserve the Sanskrit sound, but they are merely names of numbers and have no separate principle.” What Li Tongxuan supplies at this passage is likewise only fanqie phonetic notation, not an explanation of meaning. The misreading is to take number-names for doctrinal categories and try to fathom them. Brought down to use: the names are no more than house numbers; the place to spend one’s strength is the line they lay out, not the numbering on the doors.

Is a Lakṣa Ten Thousand or a Hundred Million: The Ancient Worthies Assign Them Differently

Of the one word “lakṣa,” Chengguan says “a lakṣa is ten thousand, a koṭi is a hundred million,” while Li Tongxuan says “one lakṣa means here one hundred million, one koṭi means here one trillion.” Which then is right? There is no need to hurry to a choice here — Chengguan has himself recorded one alternative assignment: if one follows the Abhidharmakośa in taking the lakṣa as a hundred million, then the koṭi answers to a trillion. Clearly there was in the Han lands no fixed rendering, and the assignment varied with the treatise one followed. The misreading is to suppose that the sūtra has one uniquely correct table of conversions. Brought down to use: a conversion table is there to give a person a feel for the thing, not to balance an account; once the feel has come, the table may be set down.

Why the Two Words “Once More” at the Very End

At the end of the series the sūtra says, “this again, unspeakably unspeakable unspeakably-unspeakables, makes one unspeakably unspeakable-turned.” Why do the words “this again” suddenly appear? Chengguan glosses this by saying that if the earlier format were followed and the terms cited out in full, four occurrences of “unspeakably unspeakable” would have to be written here in a row, and that the translator’s using two words to stand in place of one set is “the deftness of the translating.” The Yanyi chao restores one by one the four occurrences that were left out, and records that an earlier writer had faulted these two words as prolix. The misreading is to take it for a slip of the translator’s brush. Brought down to use: language can no longer bear the weight at this point — the translator’s abbreviation is itself the very thing this chapter is about.

The First Step of the Verses: Piling Up “Unspeakable” Once More

The prose section has already counted to the end; why do the verses count again? The verses open with “the unspeakable unspeakable fills full every unspeakable” — taking the number that was already the terminus and using it to fill another terminus. Chengguan divides the piling up of numbers in these verses into ten stages, and explains why it is “unspeakable” that is taken up rather than the final “unspeakably unspeakable-turned”: first, because it is the easier to say; second, because it stands for the number beyond the reach of speech. The misreading is to feel that the verses merely restate the prose. What the verses do is what the prose cannot do: the prose gives a ladder that has a topmost rung, and the verses take that topmost rung and make it the new first step. Brought down to use: true inexhaustibility does not lie in the highest rung of the ladder, but in the fact that ‘the highest rung can be multiplied once again.’

Lands Ground to Dust, Dust Holding Lands: Two Directions at Once

The verses go on: unspeakably many buddha-lands are all ground into dust motes, and within a single dust mote there are again unspeakably many lands; and this grinding happens wholly within a single thought, thought after thought in succession, so through unspeakably many kalpas without end; and the lands within the dust so ground are ground into dust again, which is harder still to speak of. Is this mere heaping up? Look at the direction and it becomes plain: on one side it is ground toward the small, on the other it contains toward the great, both directions travelled at once, so that the two can never be brought to meet. The misreading is to take it for literary exaggeration. Chengguan has already set out these steps one by one in his outline — the third, that all these unspeakably many lands are every one ground to dust; the fourth, that in every single dust mote there are unspeakably many lands; the fifth, that the lands within all those dust motes are ground to dust everywhere in one thought; the sixth, that the grinding thought after thought exhausts many kalpas; the seventh and eighth, that the dust so ground has again many lands, and those many lands are again ground to dust. Brought down to use: this is a calculation, not a figure of speech; every line is the multiplier of the line before it.

One Samantabhadra, and the Praise Cannot Be Finished

All that number was piled up in front — to what use is it to be put? The answer is in this verse: “taking these dust motes as the count of kalpas, one dust mote a hundred thousand unspeakables; through such kalpas to laud one Samantabhadra, none could exhaust the measure of his merit.” It turns out that the whole accumulation is only a denominator, set there to set off one thing — that to praise a single Samantabhadra is more than can be finished. Chengguan here records three stages in the breadth of what is counted: that the kalpas above do not suffice to praise one Samantabhadra; that within one dust mote there are many Samantabhadras; that in the dust motes filling the Dharma realm there are many of them everywhere. And he adds a hard saying: if one does not consider it with a mind that accords with the nature, the mind is confounded and runs wild. The misreading is to read it as a passage of praise. Brought down to use: this number is not for the head to reckon, it is for the measure of the mind to bear up under — chase it with thinking and there will only be confusion; put the mind out to the size of the Dharma realm and it can be received.

Unspeakably Many Samantabhadras at One Hair-Tip

“At the place of one fine hair-tip there are unspeakably many Samantabhadras” — how can they stand upon the point of a hair? The answer to this question does not lie in space, but in what the two words “hair-tip” are being used for. The sūtra goes straight on to say, “so likewise at every hair-tip, and thus on to filling the whole Dharma realm”: the hair-tip is the smallest unit and the Dharma realm is the largest compass, and what the two of them hold is the same in amount. The misreading is to picture a crowd packed into a picture. Brought down to use: what has to be changed here is not the imagination but the system of measurement — once it is granted that the smallest place too can hold the inexhaustible, the ruler of great-and-small has failed.

The Lands upon the Hair-Tip: Of a Kind and Not of a Kind, Pure and Adorned

The next three verses set out in detail the lands the hair-tip holds: the lands at the place of one hair-tip are measureless in number, and so it is at every hair-tip throughout the whole of space; those lands dwell there in measureless differences of kind, and there are unspeakably many lands not of a kind and unspeakably many lands of a kind; at every hair-tip there are pure lands and every sort of adornment and rare marvel. Why distinguish those of a kind from those not of a kind? Because if only “measureless” were said, the reader would easily read it as one indistinct mass; only when same and different are set apart is it known that within the measureless each is still distinctly itself. The misreading is to suppose that so many together can no longer be told apart. Brought down to use: inexhaustible does not mean chaotic — this is the proportion this chapter keeps hold of all the way through.

The Hair-Tip Expounds Buddha-Names, the Buddha-Body Manifests Pores

“At every one of those hair-tips are expounded unspeakably many names of buddhas, and under every single name there are Tathāgatas” — what comes forth from the hair-tip is not lands only but the names of buddhas, and under the names there are Tathāgatas; and upon the body of every one of those buddhas there appear again unspeakably many pores, and within the pores appear manifold colors and forms. Is this not going back on itself? Going back on itself is exactly the point: from hair-tip to buddha, and from the buddha-body back again to the pores, one round enclosed within another. Chengguan’s outline names this passage “within the dependent there appears the proper” — within the realm of the dependent recompense there appears the buddha-body of the proper recompense. The misreading is to read it as two matters set side by side. Brought down to use: there is no wall between the proper and the dependent, and this verse is the pulling down of the wall before your eyes.

Light, Lotus, Petal, Moon, Sun: Generated Layer upon Layer

From “unspeakably many pores all send forth light” the sūtra runs on through several verses in a row: within the light appear lotus flowers, within the flowers are manifold petals, within the petals appear colors and forms, within the colors appear petals again, within the petals is light, within the light are colors, within the colors appears light, within the light appears the moon, within the moon appears the moon again, within the moon appears light, within the light appears the sun, within the sun appear colors, within the colors appears light once more. Is this a display of skill? Chengguan’s outline names this passage “within the proper there appears the dependent” — upon the body of the proper recompense come forth the realms of the dependent, and upon those realms come forth realms again. The misreading is to try to count the layers through one by one. Brought down to use: this passage was never meant for you to count clearly; it is meant so that, at the point where the counting fails, you may loosen your grip on the habit of ‘taking them one at a time.’

The Lion Throne and the Wondrous Jewel Great as Sumeru

After the layer-upon-layer generating, the sūtra comes down upon two concrete things: within the light appear unspeakably many lion thrones, with unspeakably many ornaments and unspeakably many lights to each; wondrous colors within the light and pure light within the colors come forth from one another without ceasing, and within each sort of light there appears a wondrous jewel as great as Sumeru; the jewels appearing within each single jewel are again unspeakably many, and that one wondrous jewel like Sumeru manifests a multitude of lands. Why do a throne and a jewel suddenly appear? Because the throne is the place where the Dharma is spoken and the jewel is adornment at its height — if inexhaustibility only spins in the void, there is nowhere to set one’s foot; once there is a throne, someone is there speaking the Dharma. Brought down to use: here one may draw a breath of relief — at the end of endless mutual containment, there is someone speaking the Dharma.

Jewels Exhausted, Lands Ground to Dust, Dust-Marks Sending Forth Light

“Exhausting those Sumeru-like jewels with none remaining, so are all the lands they manifest” — take those jewels like Sumeru and use them up, and the lands they manifest are all thus; then take one land and grind it into dust motes, and the colors and forms of one dust mote are unspeakably many; the many lands become dust, every dust mote has its mark, and all the manifold dust-marks send forth light. Why should there be an “exhausting”? Because up to here everything has been generating, and now suddenly it says used up — which is to show that even when the examples that can be raised are exhausted, the matter shown is still not exhausted. The misreading is to suppose that “exhausted” means the closing of the passage. Brought down to use: the “exhausting” here is the handing over of all the material in hand, not the finishing of what there is to say.

Within the Light Buddhas Appear and Speak the Dharma; Hearing the Verses, Understanding Is Gained

Within the light sent forth by the dust-marks buddhas appear, and the dharmas those buddhas speak are unspeakably many, the wondrous verses within the dharmas unspeakably many, and those who hear the verses and gain understanding unspeakably many as well; and within those unspeakably many understandings, thought after thought, the true truths made manifest are unspeakably many, and there is shown besides how all the buddhas of the future constantly expound the Dharma without end; every single buddha-dharma is unspeakably many, and the manifold purities, the wondrous sounds, and the wheels of Dharma are each unspeakably many too. Why should ‘those who understood’ also be counted in? Because if the Dharma has no one who gains understanding of it, the inexhaustible is nothing but scenery. Chengguan’s outline names this “within the dependent there appears the proper, speaking the Dharma.” Brought down to use: this passage rewrites “inexhaustible” from a landscape into a teaching — those who speak are unspeakably many, and those who understand are unspeakably many too.

The Sūtras within the Wheel of Dharma, and the Dharma-Gates within the Sūtras

Next comes the most orderly set of derivations in the whole chapter: within every wheel of Dharma unspeakably many sūtras are expounded; within every sūtra unspeakably many dharma-gates are distinguished; within every dharma-gate unspeakably many dharmas are again spoken; within every dharma unspeakably many sentient beings are tamed. The four layers come down the whole way to “taming sentient beings.” Is this heaping up again? See where it comes to rest and you will know it is not: the first three layers are the unfolding of the Dharma, and the fourth is the deliverance of persons. The misreading is to see only the number of layers. Brought down to use: however many dharma-gates are opened, what fills the last square is that someone has been tamed by them — this is the scale of this chapter, and what it weighs is not quantity but benefit.

Dwelling at One Hair-Tip for Unspeakably Many Kalpas

“Or again, at the place of one hair-tip, constantly dwelling for unspeakably many kalpas” — what came before spoke of containment in space, and here it suddenly speaks of abiding in time: at one hair-tip he abides for unspeakably many kalpas, and so it is at all the other hair-tips. Why add this line? Because if only space were spoken of, it would be easily read as a motionless picture. Chengguan’s outline names this single verse “making clear the constant abiding in what is manifested.” The misreading is to take it for a repetition of what has gone before. Brought down to use: the inexhaustible is not a wonder lasting an instant, it is something one can settle into — and only what is settled into long can be worked with.

The Mind Unobstructed, Emanated Buddhas Emanating Again

Once settled in, what is done? “His mind unobstructed, unspeakably many; the buddhas he emanates, unspeakably many; and every single emanated Tathāgata manifests emanations again, unspeakably many” — the buddhas emanated can emanate once more. Then come the dharma-body, the divided bodies, the adornments, the going to the ten directions, the coursing everywhere through the lands, the observing of sentient beings, the purifying of sentient beings, the taming of sentient beings, set out one after another; then adornments, spiritual powers, masteries, spiritual transformations; then the penetrations, the realms, the sustaining power, and the abiding in the world. Chengguan’s outline names this whole passage “making clear the taming of beings in mastery.” The misreading is to take these words for synonyms said over again. They have in fact their sequence: only when there is an unobstructed mind are there emanations; only when there is an emanated body are there the coursing, the observing, the purifying, and the taming. Brought down to use: spiritual power in this chapter is never a performance, it is for catching people up one by one.

Pure Real Marks, and That One Word “Settled”

The second round of derivation is of nearly the same shape as the first, except that it has one square more: within every dharma-gate dharmas are again spoken, within every dharma “all that is settled” is unspeakably many, and within every settled thing the sentient beings tamed are unspeakably many. What is this added “settled”? It is the stroke that fixes the matter where the Dharma has been spoken all the way through — without this square, however many dharma-gates there are, it is only speaking of the Dharma. Then are listed dharmas of a kind, minds of a kind, dharmas not of a kind, minds not of a kind, faculties not of a kind, and speech not of a kind, taming sentient beings thought after thought in every place of practice. The misreading is to take the two rounds of derivation for a repetition of the brush. Brought down to use: the difference between the two rounds lies in that one word “settled” — only what the Dharma can settle can tame a person.

The Bodhisattva Can Set It Out Distinctly, and the Clever Reckoner Cannot Make It Out

At this point in the chapter a line of contrast is suddenly inserted: “the bodhisattva is able to set them all out distinctly, and the clever reckoners can none of them make them out.” Why bring in the men of calculation for comparison? Because everything up to here has been number, and the reader can hardly help supposing this to be a matter that can be reckoned out. The sūtra draws a line here: the man skilled at calculation cannot make it out, whereas the bodhisattva can set out each one distinctly. It goes straight on to say that at the place of one hair-tip there are great lands and small lands, defiled and pure lands, coarse and fine lands, all such things unspeakably many, and yet “every one is clearly made out and set apart.” The misreading is to take the bodhisattva’s knowing for a faster reckoning. Brought down to use: that is no superiority of computing power, it is a wholly different kind of knowing — reckoning goes through them one by one, while clear seeing has them all at once before the eye.

Lands as Many as Dust Motes Gathered on a Hair-Tip, and the Hair-Tip Grows No Larger

“Taking one land and grinding it to dust, those dust motes are measureless, unspeakably many; boundless lands as many as those dust motes come together and gather upon one hair-tip” — and then the most important line in the whole chapter: “gathered on the hair-tip, they are not pressed for room; it does not make the hair-tip any larger, and yet those lands do all come and gather.” Not crowded, not swollen, and yet they really have all come. How can this be? Chengguan glosses this by saying that it is “the one hair that accords with the nature of dharmas” and therefore receives many lands with nothing left outside, and “the many lands whose marks are not destroyed” and therefore each abides in its own mark; the Yanyi chao takes the sense of dependent arising further: because they are not identical, there is that which enters and that which is entered; because they are not apart, mutual entering is obtained. The sūtra itself adds a line: the lands within it keep their shapes and marks as they were, without confusion, and as one land does not disorder the rest, so it is with all lands. The misreading is to imagine it as a compression of space. Brought down to use: on the one side, according with the nature, therefore nothing outside; on the other, marks not destroyed, therefore distinct — when the Huayan speaks of mutual entering, what it speaks of has always been these two statements holding good at once.

Space Filled with Hair-Tips, and the Bodhisattva Can Speak Them in One Thought

“The realm of space is without bound; spread hair-tips throughout it and fill it full; the lands upon such hair-tips the bodhisattva can speak them all in one thought.” Before, it was that they can be held; here, it is that they can be spoken. Why add “can speak them all in one thought”? Because if it were only said that the realm is inexhaustible while no one is able to speak it, this chapter would not have answered Mind-King’s question — what Mind-King asked was precisely “what are they?” The misreading is to read this line as praise. Brought down to use: the inexhaustible realm needs someone standing beside it able to speak it, and only then has this chapter finished answering the question.

The Pore Can Receive the Lands, and the Lands Cannot Fill the Pore

“Within one fine pore, unspeakably many lands enter in due order; the pore is able to receive those lands, and those lands are not able to fill that pore.” At first sight the statement looks unbalanced: if they can be held, why can they not fill it? What Chengguan explains as “the one hair that accords with the nature of dharmas” is just what resolves this place — of the hair, the sense of according with the nature is taken, and so it is like the nature of dharmas with nothing outside it; of the lands, the sense of marks not destroyed is taken, and so they cannot fill that hair which has nothing outside it. It goes on to say that the kalpas of the entering and the kalpas of the receiving are unspeakably many, and that at the time of their standing ranged and abiding, none can speak all the kalpas. The misreading is to read “cannot fill” as the lands being small and the hair large. Brought down to use: it is not a difference of great and small, it is a difference of nature and mark — this line is the finest square in the chapter, and only when it is understood do all the endless mutual containments before it cease to be exaggeration.

After the Taking In and the Abiding: Everything from Skillful Means to Knowing Sentient Beings

Once he has settled in, what is done? The sūtra sets out forty paired clauses one after another: the skillful means at the time of entering, what is done after entering, the clarity of the faculty of mind, the ranging through the quarters, valorous vigor, mastery in spiritual transformation, all his thinking, all his great vows, all his realms, his penetration of everything; the purity of the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, the purity of faith and understanding, the purity of wondrous knowledge and wondrous wisdom; the fathoming of the real marks of things, the cutting off of doubts, the leaving behind of birth-and-death, the ascending to the position of a noble one, the profound samādhis, the fathoming of all; and then it comes down upon sentient beings — knowing the bodies of sentient beings, what their minds delight in, their karmic fruits, their understandings, their classes, their lineages, the bodies they receive, their places of birth, their being born, their having been born, their comprehension, their courses, their speech, and the karma they do. Chengguan’s outline names this “the practice of vigor in the three karmas” and “the practice of gathering in beings according to their vessels.” Why list it out so finely? Because if “unspeakable” does not come down upon one matter and then another, it is an empty word. The misreading is to skim quickly through this long stretch. Brought down to use: this passage takes the inexhaustible apart into a list of items — and the last fourteen items in the list are all ‘knowing what about sentient beings.’

The Ten Perfections of Great Compassion

The longest stretch begins from “the bodhisattva, with great compassion such as this, benefits all the worlds”: manifesting his body everywhere, entering the buddha-lands, seeing the bodhisattvas, giving rise to wisdom, asking after the true Dharma, spreading and setting forth the Buddha’s teaching; manifesting bodies and going to lands, showing forth spiritual penetrations, reaching everywhere through the ten directions, dividing his body and drawing near; making offering-implements, pure jewels, lotuses fine and rare, garlands of the most excellent fragrance, and making offerings to the Tathāgatas; pure faith, the most excellent understanding, surpassing aspiration and delight, reverence for the buddhas; and then the ten perfections — practising giving, giving to all who ask, giving away everything; purity in the precepts, purity of thought; the accomplishing of the forbearances, the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas; rousing great vigor, the non-retrogressive mind, the unshakable mind; all the treasuries of concentration, being still within concentration, fathoming the meditations; penetration in wisdom, mastery in samādhi, fathoming the dharmas, clearly seeing the buddhas… and so on to the nets of light manifesting colors and illumining the buddha-lands everywhere, to the purity of the three karmas, the accomplishing of the jewel of wisdom, and the deep entering of the Dharma realm, to the lauding of the buddhas and the praise without end, to the three times being like space and the accomplishing of awakening, to the wide expounding of the true Dharma and the pity taken upon the world. Chengguan here sets out in his outline the practice of going to the quarters and making offerings to the buddhas, the practice of widely cultivating the ten perfections, the practice of mastery in ranging the lands, the practice of taming sentient beings, the practice of deep purity in the three karmas, and the practice of mastery in vow and wisdom. The misreading is to be daunted by the length and read it lightly. Brought down to use: this stretch is the one place in the whole chapter where “unspeakable” is converted, all of it, into the daily work of a bodhisattva — one line to a matter, and every one of them can be done.

Kalpas May Be Exhausted, Virtue Cannot

After the long stretch the sūtra draws to a close with one verse: “through unspeakably many of all the kalpas, praising unspeakably many merits: unspeakably many kalpas may yet be exhausted, but unspeakably much virtue cannot be exhausted.” Here appears the first “may be exhausted” in the whole chapter. Why speak suddenly of what may be exhausted? Because there must be something exhaustible for the inexhaustible to be set off against. Chengguan’s outline names this one verse “concluding that the virtues are inexhaustible.” The misreading is to take “the kalpas may yet be exhausted” as the sūtra contradicting itself. Brought down to use: however long time is, it is still a quantity, and merit is not a quantity — this line divides the two for the first time.

Tongues That Praise the Buddha: One Body, One Head, One Tongue, One Voice

Next the matter is pressed to its extreme: unspeakably many Tathāgatas, unspeakably many tongues, praising the Buddha’s unspeakably many virtues, and through unspeakably many kalpas the praise still cannot be finished; all the sentient beings of the ten directions accomplish right awakening at one and the same time, and among them one buddha can manifest everywhere unspeakably many bodies of every kind; and of these unspeakably many, one body manifests unspeakably many heads, one head manifests unspeakably many tongues, one tongue manifests unspeakably many voices, and one voice abides through unspeakably many kalpas; and as with one, so with all buddhas, all bodies, all heads, all tongues, all voices, praising the Buddha constantly through unspeakably many kalpas — the kalpas may yet be exhausted, and the praising of the Buddha’s merit can by none be exhausted. Why should the organs of praising also be multiplied? Because what was multiplied before was the virtue praised, and what is multiplied here is the mouth that praises — both sides multiplied to their limit, and still there is no exhausting. Brought down to use: in reading this passage there is no need to picture the scene; it is enough to keep the conclusion — the side that can speak runs out first, and the side that is spoken of is still there.

The Tathāgata Chief in Goodness and the Lotus Worlds

“Within one dust mote there can be contained entirely unspeakably many lotus worlds, and within every single lotus world the Tathāgatas Chief in Goodness are unspeakably many” — this is the one place in the whole set of verses where the name of a buddha is given. It goes on to say that reaching everywhere through the Dharma realm, among all the dust motes therein, the worlds forming, abiding, or decaying are measureless in number; that the place of one dust mote is without bound, that measureless lands all come and enter it, and that the differences of the ten directions and the spread of the ocean of lands are alike unspeakable. Why give a name at this point? Because everything through the chapter is “unspeakable,” and the reader easily loses his footing; the raising of one buddha-name gives the inexhaustible a face that can be addressed. Brought down to use: within the inexhaustible there must be one who has a name, or it turns into empty talk.

Within Every Single Land There Is a Tathāgata

“Within every single land there is a Tathāgata, the kalpas of whose life-span are unspeakably many” — and then the buddhas’ practices, the profound and wondrous dharmas, the great strength of spiritual penetration, the unobstructed wisdom, the entering into pores, the causes and conditions of the pores, the accomplishing of the ten powers, the awakening to bodhi, the entering into the pure Dharma realm, and the gaining of the profound treasury of wisdom, each of them unspeakably many. Why should “the causes and conditions of the pores” be listed among the virtues of a buddha? Because after so much has been said about pores holding lands, some account must be given that this is not a clever trick but a matter of causes and conditions. The misreading is to read this string as no more than a list of buddha-virtues. Brought down to use: this passage brings all the ‘wonders of the hair-tip’ that went before home to the wisdom and the power of a buddha — a wonder that has an owner is not a conjuring trick.

Entering by the Virtues of the Cause: From Knowing the Numbers to Going to the Buddhas

The last stretch of the verses turns to the bodhisattva: the manifold quantities are unspeakably many and he knows them all; the manifold measures of shape are unspeakably many and there is none he does not penetrate; the manifold samādhis are unspeakably many and he can abide within them through kalpas; and in the presence of unspeakably many buddhas his practice is pure. He gains unspeakably many unobstructed minds; and the going to the ten directions, the showing forth by spiritual power, the practice without bound, the going to the manifold lands, the fathoming of the buddhas, the vigor and valor, and the penetration of wisdom are each unspeakably many. Before, what was asked was ‘how many’; here what is answered is ‘he knows them all, and he can get to them all.’ Chengguan’s outline names this passage the practice of one’s own portion in entering by the virtues of the cause. The misreading is to take it for an abridgement of what has gone before. Brought down to use: at the end of the chapter the weight shifts from ‘how large the realm is’ to ‘the person can get there.’

Neither Practising nor Not Practising with Regard to Dharmas

“With regard to dharmas neither practising nor not practising, the realms he enters unspeakably many” — this line is suddenly unlike any line before it. What is it saying? Everything before has been ‘how much has been done,’ and here it says: with regard to dharmas it is not that there is something practised, nor that there is nothing practised. The misreading is to read this as a withdrawal. It is the setting of all the practice before it back upon the ground of nothing attained — for if there were an ‘I who am practising,’ these inexhaustible gates of practice would at once become an inexhaustible burden. Then the wisdom of skillful means, the wisdom of the real, the wisdom of spiritual penetration, and the manifesting thought after thought are each unspeakably many; and of unspeakably many buddha-dharmas he knows each one, unspeakably many, and yet “he can realize awakening at one time, or enter into realization at manifold times.” Brought down to use: he can realize it at one time and he can realize it at manifold times — time too is loosened here.

Going to All the Buddha-Lands of the Hair-Tip, Penetrating the One Real

“The buddha-lands of the hair-tip unspeakably many, the buddha-lands within the dust unspeakably many; to all such buddha-lands he goes, seeing the Tathāgatas unspeakably many”; “penetrating the one real, unspeakably many; well entering the buddha-lineage, unspeakably many; the lands of the buddhas unspeakably many, and to all of them he can go and accomplish awakening.” Why set “the one real” at the end of the counting? Because what has been multiplied all the way up is the many, and the ground of the many is the one. The misreading is to read “the one real” as yet another number. Brought down to use: counting from a hundred lakṣas to the unspeakably unspeakable-turned, the terminus of number is not a larger number, it is that one which is no longer a number.

The Differences of Substance Cannot Be Spoken, and the Bodhisattva Sees Them All with Clarity

The last verse of the chapter: “lands, sentient beings, and all the buddhas — the differences of their very substance cannot be spoken; the three times such as these are without bound, and the bodhisattva sees them all with clarity.” The question returns to the one Mind-King asked at the beginning — what is the unspeakable? The answer is not in the series of numbers, it is in these last words: sees them all with clarity. The differences cannot be spoken, and yet they are seen plainly; the three times are without bound, and yet they are all at once before the eye. The misreading is to read “cannot be spoken” as ‘cannot be known.’ Brought down to use: unspeakable is said with respect to language, not with respect to seeing — and the one thing this chapter has been doing from beginning to end is to pull ‘cannot be said’ apart from ‘cannot be seen.’

Lineage

The reason for this chapter’s coming and its place in the outline are tied differently by each of the ancient worthies, and they are recorded here without adjudication. Chengguan ties it to the profundity of the stage of equal awakening, taking the three chapters from here on as setting forth respectively the numberlessness of surpassing virtue, the exhausting of all time, and the pervading of all places, with this chapter standing first; Fazang states plainly that this chapter is “not an answer to the earlier question,” its reason for coming lying in the comparing of the measure of the virtues of practice, and in explaining as well the quantities found in all the earlier chapters; Li Tongxuan sets up another track, taking the eight chapters from this one to the Chapter on the Appearance of the Tathāgata as together setting forth the vastness and mastery of the three karmas of the fruit of buddhahood, this chapter setting forth the vastness and mastery of the Tathāgata’s karma of mind. The totals of the numbers differ as well: Chengguan, going by the eighty-fascicle text, says a hundred and twenty-four numbers; Fazang, going by the sixty-fascicle text, says a hundred and twenty turns; Li Tongxuan, going by the eighty-fascicle text, says a hundred and twenty great numbers. As for the count of the verses, Chengguan judges a hundred and twenty verses, while Fazang, going by the sixty-fascicle text, judges a hundred and twenty-two and a half. For the Chinese numbers assigned to the lakṣa and the koṭi, Chengguan gives ten thousand and a hundred million, and Li Tongxuan a hundred million and a trillion. Each of the four items follows its own text and its own track; they are recorded and not adjudicated.

As to the parallel translations, the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka titles this chapter “The Chapter on Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question about the Asaṃkhyeya,” with the five words “Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question” in addition; Chengguan has already recorded this as a case of raising both the person and the dharma. The scene in the two texts is entirely the same — Mind-King asks, the Buddha assents in person, the number-names are listed, the long verses are spoken — while the systems of graphs used for the number-names are wholly different, the sixty-fascicle text reading “a hundred thousand hundred thousands are named one juli” and the eighty-fascicle text “a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi”; the reading of the two texts against each other should therefore be taken by the structure of the scene, and the number-names of the eighty ought not to be searched for graph by graph in the sixty.

The two senses this chapter establishes — that a hair-tip holds lands without being pressed for room, and that a pore can receive the lands while the lands cannot fill the pore — were explained by Chengguan through the two gates of according with the nature and of marks not destroyed, and the Yanyi chao set out their dependent arising further with “because they are not identical, there is that which enters and that which is entered; because they are not apart, mutual entering is obtained”; they thus became the scriptural ground within this chapter for the Huayan school’s doctrine of mutual entering. Chengguan’s outline also names the opening stretch of the verses on the thorough exhausting of the causal position as the bodies and lands of Indra’s net, so that this chapter is likewise the source of the figure for endless mutual containment. As for the setting of this chapter’s series of number-names against the sixty numbers of the Lesser Vehicle, Chengguan, Fazang, and Li Tongxuan all alike, in explaining this chapter, cite the sixty numbers of the Sūtra of Liberation quoted in the Abhidharmakośa as the foil, so as to show that the numbers of this chapter are beyond the reach of the Lesser Vehicle — the three cite the same thing while each judges its own gate of teaching, and this too is recorded without adjudication.

考據Apparatus

本品是全經唯一一品『以數為法門』之文：心王菩薩問「云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說」，佛親口答之——先以倍倍相乘之法列出一百二十三重數名（自「一百洛叉為一俱胝」至「不可說不可說轉」），後以一百二十偈之長頌，把這個算到頭的數再往『毛端／微塵／劫』三重無盡裡推。澄觀判其宗趣為「寄數顯德分齊為宗，令知普賢諸佛離數重重無盡為趣」——數是門，離數是所入。

一、科判定位

科判系統	此品之位
底本 T279 三十九品	品三十阿僧祇品（第七會重會普光明殿）〔T10n0279 0237b07〕起–〔0241a16〕訖；三段骨架＝①問答緣起〔0237b08–b15〕②數名列〔0237b15–0238b07〕③長頌〔0238b07–0241a15〕
澄觀《華嚴經疏》	阿僧祇品疏開四門：來意・釋名・宗趣・正釋文〔T35n1735 0858a05〕起–〔0859a20〕訖
澄觀《演義鈔》	釋本品疏文〔T36n1736 0599b02〕起–〔0600a04〕訖
法藏《探玄記》（六十華嚴疏）	阿僧祇品第二十五〔T35n1733 0389a22〕起–〔0390b10〕訖；開四門：釋名・來意・宗趣・釋文
李通玄《新華嚴經論》	阿僧祇品第三十〔T36n1739 0930b05〕起–〔0931a17〕訖；約立四門：品來意・能問之主・說法之主・隨文釋義
六十華嚴 T278	品二十五〈心王菩薩問阿僧祇品〉〔T09n0278 0586a05〕起–〔0589c01〕訖
智儼《搜玄記》	〔查無〕——全檔檢「阿僧祇品」零命中（《搜玄記》體例不及第七會諸品·據實標闕，非缺陷）

來意——澄觀以通別二意繫此品於前後：

「初來意，有二：一通，謂前三品別答前問，此下三品總明等覺深奧故；二別，謂前既智圓證極，此品校量行德難思，故次來也。」〔T35n1735 0858a06–08〕

又補一意：「又通顯一部之數量故。」〔0858a10〕三品分工則是：

「此下三品總顯深奧，即為三別：此品明勝德無數、次品明盡一切時、後品明遍一切處。」〔T35n1735 0858a18–20〕

法藏之來意異其取徑——不繫於「答前問」而繫於「校量行德」與『釋成前品數法』：

「二來意，非答前問，何故來？前〈十明〉辨行用，〈十忍〉明行體，今顯行德校量分齊，則下頌中所數德是也。又釋前諸品中所有數量，謂如〈光覺品〉等中皆有數法，今此釋成故也。」〔T35n1733 0389a26–0389b01〕

李通玄則以『佛果三業廣大自在』八品為一段，本品居首：

「且如此〈阿僧祇〉一品，明如來心業廣大自在。」〔T36n1739 0930b16–17〕

正釋文之總科——澄觀：「今初一品，先問、後答。」〔T35n1735 0858a23〕答中四分：「一讚問成益」〔0858a29〕「二「善男子」下誡聽許說」〔0858b08〕「三「時心王」下敬受尊命」〔0858b09〕「四「佛言」下正答所疑」〔0858b09–10〕；正答又二：

「於中二：先長行，明能數之數廣多；後偈頌，顯所數之德無盡。」〔T35n1735 0858b10–11〕

二、術語

漢	古德所釋	所徵	精義
阿僧祇	澄觀：「阿之言無，僧祇曰數」〔T35n1735 0858a11〕；法藏：「此云無數，即數之極故」〔T35n1733 0389b03〕	本品「阿僧祇阿僧祇為一阿僧祇轉」〔T10n0279 0238a22〕	十大數之首；於本品非終數而是第一百零四重之名，其上尚有轉、無量、無邊等
洛叉	澄觀：「洛叉是萬」〔T35n1735 0858b13〕；李通玄：「一洛叉此云一億」〔T36n1739 0930c17〕	本品「一百洛叉為一俱胝」〔T10n0279 0237b15〕	數列之起點；二家所配漢數不同（萬／億），誌錄不判
俱胝	澄觀：「俱胝是億」〔T35n1735 0858b13〕；李通玄：「一俱胝此云一兆」〔T36n1739 0930c17〕	本品「俱胝俱胝為一阿庾多」〔T10n0279 0237b16〕	數列第一重之果；澄觀又云若依《俱舍》以洛叉為億，則俱胝當兆〔0858b15–16〕
上等數法	李通玄：「從壤已去有三等數法，其下者十十變之，中者萬萬變之，上者億億變之」〔T36n1739 0930c20–22〕	本品全列體例「AA為一B」	本品用上等數法——以所數等於能數，故每重皆自乘
轉	演義鈔：「言「轉」者，謂阿僧祇。阿僧祇為一阿僧祇轉等」〔T36n1736 0599b18〕	本品「無量無量為一無量轉」〔T10n0279 0238a23〕	十門數名之各再自乘一重，故十門實為二十名
不可說不可說轉	法藏：「後一不可說轉轉為果數，以極即越數之表，同於果海越絕故也」〔T35n1733 0389c25–26〕	本品末句〔T10n0279 0238b06〕	數列之終，亦即『越數』之表
心王菩薩	澄觀：「所以心王問者，表數不離心，數與非數皆自在故」〔T35n1735 0858a24–25〕；演義鈔：「心者，統攝諸法，一切最勝故。王者，統御四海，為最勝故」〔T36n1736 0599b16–17〕；法藏：「心王菩薩是能問人，表數法依心，如數識等。菩薩洞達自在名王」〔T35n1733 0389a23–25〕	本品「爾時，心王菩薩白佛言」〔T10n0279 0237b08〕	能問之人；三家皆以「數不離心」釋其表法
賢首如來	—（古德本品段未別釋）	本品「一一蓮華世界中，賢首如來不可說」〔T10n0279 0240c14〕	頌中所舉之佛名；六十本作「各有賢首不可說」〔T09n0278 0589a25〕

（梵音誌錄：本品數名列中「阿庾多」「那由他」「頻婆羅」「矜羯羅」以下多存梵音。澄觀已判其性質——「其中多存梵音，但是數名，更無別理」〔T35n1735 0858b18–19〕；本層依此不為數名別造義釋。李通玄於此段所出者為反切音注〔T36n1739 0930c25–27〕，屬讀音之助，非義釋。）

三、譬喻·修辭

(一) 剎碎為塵·塵中有剎（互碎互含）——「不可言說諸佛剎，皆悉碎末為微塵，一塵中剎不可說，如一一切皆如是」〔T10n0279 0238b10–11〕：

喻依：把不可說個佛剎全部碎成微塵，一一微塵之中又有不可說個剎。
喻體：能數之數雖已至極，所數之境仍重重無盡。
所顯義：澄觀科此為積數十重之三四兩重〔T35n1735 0858c05–06〕——數盡而境不盡，故「數之終寄不可說」〔0858b05〕。

(二) 一塵十萬劫讚一普賢——「以此諸塵數諸劫，一塵十萬不可說，爾劫稱讚一普賢，無能盡其功德量」〔T10n0279 0238b16–17〕：

喻依：以前所積之塵數作劫，一塵更開十萬個不可說劫。
喻體：以如此長劫讚歎一位普賢之德。
所顯義：澄觀「第二顯所數廣中，略舉三重：一將上諸劫讚一普賢之德不盡、二況一塵中有多普賢、三況遍法界塵皆有多矣」〔T35n1735 0858c12–15〕；並誡曰「是知德無盡故，若不以稱性之心思之，心惑狂亂」〔0858c15–16〕。

(三) 毛端容剎不迫隘——「此諸國土不可說，共集毛端無迫隘，不使毛端有增大，而彼國土俱來集」〔T10n0279 0239b05–06〕：

喻依：無邊剎土同集一毛端，而毛端不增大、國土不縮小。
喻體：法性之毛與不壞相之剎，能所相入。
所顯義：澄觀釋此正是華嚴相入之經據——

「言毛孔悉能受諸剎等者，稱法性之一毛故，受多剎而無外、不壞相之多剎。」〔T35n1735 0859a03–05〕

《演義鈔》更申其緣起義：「一約內外共為緣起，由不即故有能所入，由不離故故得相入。」〔T36n1736 0599c24–25〕

(四) 帝網身土——澄觀科頌中因位善窮之初段云「初八偈明帝網身土是起行處」〔T35n1735 0859a01–02〕，所指即「一毛端處大小剎」以下八偈〔T10n0279 0239b01 起〕：以帝釋寶網珠珠相映，喻毛端剎海之重重互入。

(五) 光明蓮華月日重重出生——「不可言說諸毛孔，咸放光明不可說，於彼一一光明中，悉現蓮華不可說」〔T10n0279 0238c01–02〕以下十餘偈，光生蓮華、華生眾葉、葉生光明、光中現月、月復現月、月中現日、日中現色、色中現光……：

所顯義：澄觀科為「正中現依」〔T35n1735 0858c24–25〕——正報之身上出依報之境，境上復出境，層層不絕，即「廣顯變化之相」〔0858c17〕。

(六) 一身一頭一舌一聲之遞現——「此不可說中一身，示現於頭不可說；此不可說中一頭，示現於舌不可說」〔T10n0279 0240c05–06〕：以身、頭、舌、聲四重遞現，喻歎佛之德劫盡而德不盡（「不可說劫猶可盡，歎佛功德無能盡」〔0240c12〕）。

四、異譯對勘

本品要句之漢譯校本：實叉難陀 T279（底本·品三十）· 佛馱跋陀羅 T278（晉譯六十華嚴·品二十五〈心王菩薩問阿僧祇品〉）。二本場景結構全同（心王菩薩問「云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說」→佛許說→數名列→長頌），而數名用字系統全異，故對勘取場景結構，不以八十之數名搜六十。

句一　心王之問

校本	逐字	出處
實叉 T279	爾時，心王菩薩白佛言：「世尊！諸佛如來演說阿僧祇無量、無邊、無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說、不可說不可說。世尊！云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說耶？」	T10n0279 0237b08
佛馱 T278	爾時，心王菩薩白佛言：「世尊！所謂：阿僧祇、不可量、無分齊、無周遍、不可數、不可稱量、不可思議、不可說、不可說不可說。世尊！云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說耶？」	T09n0278 0586a06–09

異文所繫：(甲) 所牒十門，80 作「無量、無邊、無等」，60 作「不可量、無分齊、無周遍」——名目對位而用字全異。(乙) 80「不可稱」「不可思」，60 作「不可稱量」「不可思議」。(丙) 末問句二本逐字全同。(丁) 品題 60 多「心王菩薩問」五字——澄觀已誌此異：「若晉本云心王菩薩問阿僧祇品，兼能問人，即人法雙舉」〔T35n1735 0858a12–13〕。

句二　佛之許說

校本	逐字	出處
實叉 T279	善哉善哉！善男子！汝今為欲令諸世間入佛所知數量之義，而問如來、應、正等覺。善男子！諦聽諦聽！善思念之！當為汝說。	T10n0279 0237b12–13
佛馱 T278	善哉！善哉！善男子！饒益眾生故，乃能問此如來、應供、等正覺，佛智境界甚深之義。善男子！汝今諦聽，我當說之。	T09n0278 0586a10–12

異文所繫：(甲) 問之所為，80 作「為欲令諸世間入佛所知數量之義」，60 作「饒益眾生故」及「佛智境界甚深之義」——80 直指「數量之義」，60 泛言「佛智境界」。(乙) 佛號 80「如來、應、正等覺」↔ 60「如來、應供、等正覺」。(丙) 誡聽句 80 三重（諦聽諦聽・善思念之・當為汝說），60 二重。(丁) 受教句 80 作「時，心王菩薩唯然受教」〔0237b14〕，60 則另起一問答，心王菩薩白佛云「唯然善聽」〔T09n0278 0586a13〕——60 多一重白佛之儀。

句三　數名列之起句與體例

校本	逐字	出處
實叉 T279	一百洛叉為一俱胝，俱胝俱胝為一阿庾多，阿庾多阿庾多為一那由他，那由他那由他為一頻婆羅	T10n0279 0237b15–16
佛馱 T278	百千百千名一拘梨；拘梨拘梨名一不變；不變不變名一那由他；那由他那由他名一鞞婆邏	T09n0278 0586a14–16

異文所繫：(甲) 起數 80「一百洛叉」↔ 60「百千」。(乙) 第一重之名 80「俱胝」↔ 60「拘梨」；第二重 80「阿庾多」↔ 60「不變」；第四重 80「頻婆羅」↔ 60「鞞婆邏」。(丙) 繫詞 80 用「為一」，60 用「名一」。(丁) 二本同用倍進體例（前名自乘為後名）——法藏於六十本釋此云「百千百千者，謂百千箇百千，故云百千百千。皆以所數等於能數，不同智論皆以十億為量」〔T35n1733 0389c17–20〕。(戊) 全列重數：80 本親數為一百二十三重「為一」（起數洛叉並計則一百二十四數），與澄觀「此有百二十四」〔T35n1735 0858b04〕合；法藏就六十本作「總有百二十轉」〔T35n1733 0389c16〕；李通玄就八十本作「依大數有百二十大數」〔T36n1739 0931a01–02〕——三數不同，並錄不判。

句四　數名列之末句

校本	逐字	出處
實叉 T279	不可說轉不可說轉為一不可說不可說，此又不可說不可說為一不可說不可說轉	T10n0279 0238b05–06
佛馱 T278	名一趣；趣趣名一受；受受名一阿僧祇；阿僧祇阿僧祇名一阿僧祇轉	T09n0278 0586c02–03

異文所繫：60 本此處所存者為『趣・受・阿僧祇・阿僧祇轉』一段（其後續文本考據未逐條核），與 80 本「趣趣為一至，至至為一阿僧祇」〔T10n0279 0238a21〕相較，80 第三名作「至」、60 作「受」。至於 80 末句之「此又」二字，澄觀特為譯家表功：「若類前具牒，便有四箇不可說字故。譯家云……為譯之巧。」〔T35n1735 0858b19–22〕《演義鈔》更備列其所省之四箇不可說，並誌《刊定記》破此二字為長之異說〔T36n1736 0599c06–13〕。

句五　長頌之結偈

校本	逐字	出處
實叉 T279	國土眾生及諸佛，體性差別不可說，如是三世無有邊，菩薩一切皆明見。	T10n0279 0241a14–15
佛馱 T278	諸佛剎性不可說，悉能隨順入菩提，不壞法界不可說，佛眾生剎不可說，三世所攝不可說，菩薩究竟不可說。	T09n0278 0589b27–29

異文所繫：二本結頌所攝之四事（佛剎・眾生・諸佛・三世）相同，而結句取向異：80 收於「菩薩一切皆明見」（明見），60 收於「菩薩究竟不可說」（究竟）。頌之總數亦異：澄觀就八十本判「百二十偈」〔T35n1735 0858b22〕，法藏就六十本判「一百二十二頌半」〔T35n1733 0389c26–27〕——本層親數八十本長頌為四百八十句七言，正合一百二十偈。

五、宗義之經據〔眼〕

(一) 寄數顯德·數即離數——本品宗趣，澄觀一句定之：

「三宗趣者，寄數顯德分齊為宗，令知普賢諸佛離數重重無盡為趣。」〔T35n1735 0858a16–17〕

品名之立亦本此意：「又顯此數即離數故，寄無數標名。」〔0858a15–16〕——數是能入之門，離數重重無盡是所入之境。故經文列數至「不可說不可說轉」而止，澄觀釋其所以：「故非餘測，故數之終寄不可說。況復偈初更積不可說，歷諸塵剎以顯無盡。」〔0858b05–06〕

(二) 何以佛自說——本品說主非菩薩而是佛，三家同繫一理而各出其詞：澄觀「所以佛自答者，正表難思故。又明此品統語因位終德，故佛說之。」〔T35n1735 0858b07–08〕；法藏「今此品文，唯佛所知無極之數，故佛自說。」〔T35n1733 0389c02–03〕；李通玄「此品何故如來自說？明此數法廣大，下位智所不及，唯佛能究竟故。」〔T36n1739 0930c03–04〕

(三) 圓教之數量——澄觀以本品之數量判屬圓教，並以三教數法為對照：

「令入佛所知數者，以是圓教所明深廣無涯，唯佛方測，不同凡小所知。如黃帝算法但有二十三數，始從一二終至正載，已說天地不容。小乘六十已至無數。此有百二十四，倍倍變之，故非餘測」〔T35n1735 0858a29〕

法藏更立四說判之，以本品為圓教之極：

「四依此品，百數僧祇始是初數，如是次第以所數等能數，至第十名不可說轉，不可說轉轉等方為數極。是故前教數極乃是此中初數，故知此門極廣。約圓教辨也。」〔T35n1733 0389b13–17〕

(四) 毛端包容·不壞相之相入——頌中「共集毛端無迫隘，不使毛端有增大」〔T10n0279 0239b05–06〕與「毛孔能受彼諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔」〔0239b12〕二句，是華嚴相入義之品內經據。澄觀釋之：「稱法性之一毛故，受多剎而無外、不壞相之多剎。」〔T35n1735 0859a03–05〕；《演義鈔》就其緣起說開二義：「一由內外不即法性，故有能所入；不離法性，故毛能包、剎能遍入。」〔T36n1736 0599c26–28〕，並歸於觀行：「思之成觀。」〔0600a01〕

(五) 德德圓融·唯忘懷體之——澄觀釋畢全品，結語不落名相：

「然上諸德，德德圓融無盡無盡，唯忘懷體之。」〔T35n1735 0859a18–19〕

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：「二釋名者，阿之言無，僧祇曰數，全帶數名。」〔T35n1735 0858a11–12〕又通妨：「然僧祇是十大數之創首，經論多用，故以標名。」〔0858a14–15〕

科偈：「第二偈頌。百二十偈，大分為二：前六明普賢德廣說不可盡、餘偈明佛德深廣普賢窮究。」〔T35n1735 0858b22–24〕前六中又分「前四偈半明能數多、後一偈半顯所數廣」〔0858b24–25〕，能數之積數更開十重〔0858b25–0858c12〕。後段則「一百一十四偈，明佛德深廣普賢窮究，即廣顯變化之相」〔0858c16–18〕，其中因位善窮開十行：帝網身土・三業勤勇行・應器攝生行・游方供佛行・廣修十度行・游剎自在行・調伏眾生行・三業深淨行・願智自在行・結德無盡〔0859a01–13〕。

釋洛叉俱胝：「初言一百洛叉為一俱胝者，是中等數。洛叉是萬，俱胝是億」〔T35n1735 0858b12–13〕；並開《俱舍》異配：「若依《俱舍》以洛叉為億，則俱胝當兆也。」〔0858b14–16〕又云若兼下數法「則通有百三十七數」〔0858b16〕。

演義鈔補黃帝算法之目：「從一至十為十，次有十三數，謂十十為百，十百為千，十萬、億、兆、京、垓、梓、壞、溝、㵎、正、載。言載者，天地不能容載。」〔T36n1736 0599b19–22〕又補小乘之數：「即《俱舍論》說六十，向後更無數也。」〔0599b23〕「阿僧企耶是第五十二數。」〔0599b24–25〕

法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十華嚴疏·判釋淵藪）

四說判阿僧祇：「前中阿僧祇，此云無數，即數之極故。諸聖教中通有四說」〔T35n1733 0389b03–04〕——一准《俱舍論》「數至六十重名一阿僧祇。此約小乘」〔0389b04–05〕；二依《智論》第九「數過十重已後名阿僧祇」「此約始教說」〔0389b05–13〕；三依《智論》第六引本品文「還有百數至阿僧祇等。此約終教說」〔0389b12–13〕；四依此品「約圓教辨也」〔0389b17〕。

五重能知：「二顯能知者，亦有五重：一人中數法最下。二諸天數法過於人。」〔T35n1733 0389b17–19〕三小乘中舍利弗善知數法〔0389b20〕；四諸菩薩中「亦如文殊、普賢知剎塵數等，非下位所知」〔0389b22–23〕；五「佛自所知，最極自在，一切餘位總不能知」〔0389b23–24〕，並引《智論》婆羅門問林葉之事以證「佛能知恒河沙數」〔0389b24–0389c01〕。

科數名列：「前中總有百二十轉，答前十問，初一百二轉答初僧祇問、後十八轉答後九問。」〔T35n1733 0389c15–17〕又：「於後十八中，初十七是因數，後一不可說轉轉為果數，以極即越數之表，同於果海越絕故也。」〔0389c24–26〕

李通玄《新華嚴經論》T36n1739（表法異軌）

以剎那為量之時間觀：「如是三世佛果及普賢方便行，總時不遷故，但以剎那為量，不立生滅之名。」〔T36n1739 0930b12–14〕

八品一段之判：「自此已下至〈如來出現品〉，明佛果之中三業廣大自在行門。」〔T36n1739 0930b15–16〕本品居首，「明如來心業廣大自在」〔0930b16–17〕。

釋能問之主：「二釋能問法主者，菩薩名心王，此明得心成忍之後，心業自在，名之為王。」〔T36n1739 0930c01–02〕又：「能問之主，還是如來心智自在，名之為王，表心自在故方堪能問」〔0930c10–12〕

釋數名配漢數：「一洛叉此云一億，一俱胝此云一兆」〔T36n1739 0930c17〕；「案此方黃帝算法，總有二十三數」〔0930c17–19〕；「從壤已去有三等數法，其下者十十變之，中者萬萬變之，上者億億變之。今此〈阿僧祇品〉用上等數法」〔0930c20–22〕。

歸趣：「此已上數義廣大，雖復無量難量，意明如來智慧、普賢願行三業廣大，世數不能及。」〔T36n1739 0930c28–29〕又：「意明如來普賢願行功德過稱量，數所不及故。」〔0931a11–12〕

誌錄不判：本品三家所異者凡四端——(甲) 來意：澄觀繫「總明等覺深奧」〔T35n1735 0858a07〕，法藏明言「非答前問」而繫「顯行德校量分齊」〔T35n1733 0389a26–28〕，李通玄繫『佛果三業廣大自在』八品之首〔T36n1739 0930b15–17〕。(乙) 數名總數：澄觀「百二十四」〔0858b04〕，法藏「百二十轉」〔0389c16〕，李通玄「百二十大數」〔0931a01–02〕。(丙) 洛叉俱胝所配漢數：澄觀「洛叉是萬，俱胝是億」〔0858b13〕，李通玄「一洛叉此云一億，一俱胝此云一兆」〔0930c17〕。(丁) 頌數：澄觀就八十本「百二十偈」〔0858b22〕，法藏就六十本「一百二十二頌半」〔0389c26–27〕。四端皆古德成說，各依其本、各承其軌，誌錄之，不判高下。

七、互讀·承衍

本品數名列與頌文，為華嚴宗諸家跨卷自引之常據；所引皆本編既錄之出處，零新考據：

澄觀《疏》T35n1735：卷二十一〈十忍品〉釋段引本品頌文〔0520c14〕；卷四十一〈六十入法界〉前段以「六〈阿僧祇品〉」標本品於一經次第中之位〔0564c12〕；卷四十九引「並如〈阿僧祇品〉」〔0578a05〕——皆以本品為數量法門之定所。
澄觀《演義鈔》T36n1736：引本品數名首句以釋他處倍數〔0223b25〕；另引「準〈阿僧祇品〉」作倍數換算之據〔0492a27〕；又引本品頌「一微塵中……」句〔0002a25〕、「一塵中剎不可說」句〔0080a29〕——後者對位本品頌〔T10n0279 0238b10〕。
李通玄《新華嚴經論》T36n1739：多處泛引「〈阿僧祇品〉」以標本品於一經教體結構中之位（如來自說品之屬），非逐句牒經〔0725c10・0765a11・0810a05・0884b14・0887c27・0921b19・0932a14・0968b13〕。
《俱舍論》T29n1558（他軸對照·非承衍）：世親〈分別世品〉引《解脫經》六十數，「《解脫經》說六十數中，阿僧企耶是其一數」〔0063b13–14〕，其列自「一十為十，十十為百」〔0063b15〕至「十大跋邏攙為阿僧企耶」〔0063c10–11〕——十進制而非倍進制，與本品「AA為一B」體例互異。澄觀、法藏、李通玄三家釋本品時皆援此為對照（見目六），故本品之『非小乘所知』一義，實以此列為其反照。
成唯識論 T31n1585・攝大乘論 T31n1594・瑜伽師地論 T30n1579：〔查無〕——檢「阿僧祇品」「不可說不可說轉」三檔零命中。三論言「三阿僧祇劫」屬行位劫數之安立，與本品心王問數量法相非同一場景；此零命中僅表『未見逐句直引』，不構成『彼論無涉阿僧祇』之判。

八、校本定位

實叉 T279（底本）：品三十阿僧祇品〔T10n0279 0237b07〕起–〔0241a16〕訖。心王問 0237b08 · 佛許說 0237b12 · 受教 0237b14 · 數名列起 0237b15（俱胝 0237b15 · 阿僧祇 0238b02 · 不可說不可說轉 0238b06）· 說頌之儀 0238b07 · 長頌起 0238b08（一塵中剎 0238b10 · 讚一普賢 0238b16 · 毛端普賢 0238b18 · 蓮華光明 0238c01 · 師子座 0238c13 · 妙寶如須彌 0238c18 · 光中現佛 0238c25 · 毛端常住 0239a06 · 帝網身土起 0239b01 · 共集毛端 0239b05 · 毛孔受剎 0239b11 · 三業勤勇起 0239b15 · 十度行起 0239c06 · 結德無盡 0240b28 · 舌根歎佛 0240c01 · 一身一頭一舌 0240c05 · 賢首如來 0240c14 · 一一剎中有如來 0240c19 · 因德趣入起 0240c25 · 末偈 0241a14）。
佛馱 T278（晉譯主對校）：品二十五〈心王菩薩問阿僧祇品〉〔T09n0278 0586a05〕起–〔0589c01〕訖。心王問 0586a06 · 佛許說 0586a10 · 白佛唯然 0586a12–13 · 數名列起 0586a14 · 趣受阿僧祇 0586c02–03 · 頌起 0586c16 頃 · 賢首 0589a25 · 結頌 0589b27–29。
澄觀《疏》T35n1735：阿僧祇品疏 0858a05 起–0859a20 訖（來意 0858a06–10 · 釋名 0858a11–16 · 宗趣 0858a16–17 · 三品分工 0858a18–20 · 心王表法 0858a24–25 · 圓教數量 0858b01–05 · 佛自答 0858b07–08 · 長行偈頌二分 0858b10–11 · 洛叉俱胝 0858b12–16 · 梵音數名 0858b18–19 · 此又之巧 0858b19–22 · 科偈百二十 0858b22–24 · 積數十重 0858b25–0858c12 · 所數三重 0858c12–16 · 一百一十四偈 0858c16–18 · 因位十行 0859a01–13 · 毛孔受剎 0859a03–05 · 結語 0859a18–19）。
澄觀《演義鈔》T36n1736：本品鈔 0599b02 起–0600a04 訖（心王二字 0599b14–17 · 轉義 0599b18–19 · 黃帝算法目 0599b19–22 · 小乘六十 0599b22–29 · 洛叉為億 0599b29–0599c06 · 四箇不可說 0599c06–13 · 刊定記異說 0599c12–13 · 稱性不壞相 0599c16–23 · 內外緣起二義 0599c23–29 · 十段舉數 0600a01–02）。
法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十疏）：阿僧祇品第二十五 0389a22 起–0390b10 訖（釋名 0389a23–26 · 來意 0389a26–0389b01 · 宗趣四說 0389b01–17 · 五重能知 0389b17–0389c03 · 所數二德 0389c03–05 · 釋文總科 0389c05–15 · 百二十轉 0389c16–17 · 百千百千 0389c17–20 · 後十八數 0389c24–26 · 頌數一百二十二頌半 0389c26–27 · 積數十重 0389c28–0390a15 · 所數德二分 0390a16–0390b03 · 因順入 0390b07–09）。
李通玄《論》T36n1739：阿僧祇品第三十 0930b05 起–0931a17 訖（四門 0930b06–07 · 剎那為量 0930b11–14 · 八品一段 0930b15–0930b29 · 能問之主 0930c01–02 · 能說之主 0930c02–16 · 隨文釋義起 0930c16 · 漢數配 0930c17–22 · 音注 0930c25–27 · 歸趣 0930c28–0931a02 · 引頌 0931a02–11）。
《俱舍論》T29n1558（對照）：〈分別世品〉六十數段 0063b13–0063c15。
智儼《搜玄記》T35n1732：〔查無〕（全檔檢「阿僧祇品」零命中·體例不及第七會諸品，據實標闕）。
異讀：本單元 T279 範圍〔0237b07〕–〔0241a15〕內大正校記 10 條，逐條照錄不判（底本【大】｜他本異讀；多本異讀以／分列）：〔0237b20〕呼【大】｜無此字【明】 · 〔0237b21〕【大】＊｜無此字【明】＊ · 〔0237b29〕【大】｜無此字【明】 · 〔0238a01〕攞【大】＊｜欏【宮】＊（＊同校並繫〔0238a02〕〔0238a11〕〔0238a12〕之攞字） · 〔0238b07〕曰【大】｜言【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0239a29〕辨【大】｜辯【宮】 · 〔0239b17〕歷【大】｜塵【聖】 · 〔0239b25〕昇【大】｜升【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0240a11〕恒【大】｜性【宋】 · 〔0240c17〕來入【大】｜入來【明】／來入【南藏】（明註曰入來南藏作來入）。（＊＝大正星號同校，該校並繫本文其餘同字處；T279 XML 於此類未出 corresp 重出位，故只呈星號、不另造錨）
異讀補記：CBETA 回改 5 條（不入上列大正校記之數）：〔0237b17〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0237b18〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0237b18〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0238a16〕伽【CB】【麗-CB】｜迦【大】 · 〔0238a16〕伽【CB】【麗-CB】｜迦【大】。

This chapter is the one text in the whole sūtra that ‘takes number for its dharma-gate’: Mind-King Bodhisattva asks, 「云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說」 tr. “what is called an asaṃkhyeya, and on to what is called an unspeakably unspeakable,” and the Buddha answers with his own mouth — first setting out, by the method of multiplying each name by itself, a hundred and twenty-three rungs of number-names (from 「一百洛叉為一俱胝」 tr. “a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi” to 「不可說不可說轉」 tr. “an unspeakably unspeakable-turned”), and then, in long verses of a hundred and twenty stanzas, pressing this number that has already been counted to its end further into the threefold inexhaustibility of ‘hair-tip / dust mote / kalpa.’ Chengguan settles its tenet and aim as 「寄數顯德分齊為宗，令知普賢諸佛離數重重無盡為趣」 tr. “the tenet is to lodge the showing forth of the measure of virtue in number, and the aim is to make it known that Samantabhadra and the buddhas are apart from number, endless and inexhaustible” — number is the gate, and being apart from number is what is entered by it.

I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement

Outline system	The place of this chapter within it
The base text T279, in thirty-nine chapters	Chapter 30, Asaṃkhyeya (the seventh assembly, the return to the Hall of Universal Light) 〔T10n0279 0237b07〕 to 〔0241a16〕; the frame in three parts = (1) the occasion of the question and answer 〔0237b08–b15〕 (2) the list of number-names 〔0237b15–0238b07〕 (3) the long verses 〔0238b07–0241a15〕
Chengguan, Huayan jing shu	The commentary on the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya opens four gates: the reason for its coming, the explanation of the name, the tenet and aim, and the direct explanation of the text 〔T35n1735 0858a05〕 to 〔0859a20〕
Chengguan, Yanyi chao	Explaining the commentary on this chapter 〔T36n1736 0599b02〕 to 〔0600a04〕
Fazang, Tanxuan ji (commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka)	The Asaṃkhyeya, chapter 25 〔T35n1733 0389a22〕 to 〔0390b10〕; four gates opened: the explanation of the name, the reason for its coming, the tenet and aim, the explanation of the text
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun	The Asaṃkhyeya, chapter 30 〔T36n1739 0930b05〕 to 〔0931a17〕; four gates set up in outline: the reason for the chapter’s coming, the master who asks, the master who speaks, the explanation of the meaning following the text
The sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka T278	Chapter 25, The Chapter on Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question about the Asaṃkhyeya 〔T09n0278 0586a05〕 to 〔0589c01〕
Zhiyan, Souxuan ji	〔not found〕 — a search of the whole file for 「阿僧祇品」 tr. “the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” yields no hits (the arrangement of the Souxuan ji does not extend to the chapters of the seventh assembly; recorded as absent in accordance with fact, and not a defect)

The reason for its coming — Chengguan ties this chapter to what comes before and after it in two senses, general and particular:

「初來意，有二：一通，謂前三品別答前問，此下三品總明等覺深奧故；二別，謂前既智圓證極，此品校量行德難思，故次來也。」 tr. “First, the reason for its coming, of which there are two. First the general: the three chapters before this answer severally the earlier questions, while the three chapters from here on set forth in general the profundity of equal awakening. Second the particular: since wisdom has already been made perfect and realization brought to its utmost, this chapter compares the measure of the virtues of practice as beyond thought, and therefore comes next.” 〔T35n1735 0858a06–08〕

And he adds one further sense: 「又通顯一部之數量故。」 tr. “Further, it sets forth in general the quantities of the whole work.” 〔0858a10〕 The division of labor among the three chapters is then:

「此下三品總顯深奧，即為三別：此品明勝德無數、次品明盡一切時、後品明遍一切處。」 tr. “The three chapters from here on set forth the profundity in general, and are three particulars: this chapter makes clear that the surpassing virtues are numberless, the next chapter that they exhaust all time, and the chapter after that that they pervade all places.” 〔T35n1735 0858a18–20〕

Fazang’s account of the reason for its coming takes another route — he ties it not to 「答前問」 tr. “answering the earlier question” but to 「校量行德」 tr. “comparing the measure of the virtues of practice” and to ‘bringing to completion the dharma of number in the earlier chapters’:

「二來意，非答前問，何故來？前〈十明〉辨行用，〈十忍〉明行體，今顯行德校量分齊，則下頌中所數德是也。又釋前諸品中所有數量，謂如〈光覺品〉等中皆有數法，今此釋成故也。」 tr. “Second, the reason for its coming. It is not an answer to the earlier question; why then does it come? The earlier Chapter on the Ten Clarities distinguished the function of practice, and the Chapter on the Ten Forbearances made clear the substance of practice; now it sets forth the comparison of the measure of the virtues of practice, which is just the virtues counted in the verses below. Further, it explains the quantities found in all the earlier chapters — that is, in the Chapter on Awakening by Light and the rest there is everywhere the dharma of number, and the present chapter brings the explanation of it to completion.” 〔T35n1733 0389a26–0389b01〕

Li Tongxuan for his part takes the eight chapters of ‘the vastness and mastery of the three karmas of the fruit of buddhahood’ as one stretch, with this chapter standing first in it:

「且如此〈阿僧祇〉一品，明如來心業廣大自在。」 tr. “Now this one Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya makes clear the vastness and mastery of the Tathāgata’s karma of mind.” 〔T36n1739 0930b16–17〕

The general outline of the direct explanation of the text — Chengguan: 「今初一品，先問、後答。」 tr. “Now in this first chapter, first the question, afterward the answer.” 〔T35n1735 0858a23〕 The answer has four parts: 「一讚問成益」 tr. “first, praising the question and completing the benefit” 〔0858a29〕 · 「二「善男子」下誡聽許說」 tr. “second, from ‘good man’ onward, enjoining him to listen and assenting to speak” 〔0858b08〕 · 「三「時心王」下敬受尊命」 tr. “third, from ‘at that time Mind-King’ onward, reverently receiving the honored command” 〔0858b09〕 · 「四「佛言」下正答所疑」 tr. “fourth, from ‘the Buddha said’ onward, directly answering what was doubted” 〔0858b09–10〕; and the direct answer is again twofold:

「於中二：先長行，明能數之數廣多；後偈頌，顯所數之德無盡。」 tr. “Within it there are two: first the prose, making clear that the numbers that do the counting are vast and many; afterward the verses, showing that the virtues counted are inexhaustible.” 〔T35n1735 0858b10–11〕

II. Terminology

Term	As explained by the ancient worthies	Attestation	Essential sense
asaṃkhyeya	Chengguan: 「阿之言無，僧祇曰數」 tr. “a means ‘without,’ and saṃghya means ‘number’” 〔T35n1735 0858a11〕; Fazang: 「此云無數，即數之極故」 tr. “here it means ‘numberless,’ being the utmost of number” 〔T35n1733 0389b03〕	This chapter: 「阿僧祇阿僧祇為一阿僧祇轉」 tr. “asaṃkhyeya asaṃkhyeyas make one asaṃkhyeya-turned” 〔T10n0279 0238a22〕	The first of the ten great numbers; in this chapter it is not the final number but the name of the hundred and fourth rung, above which there still stand the turned forms, the measureless, the boundless, and the rest
lakṣa	Chengguan: 「洛叉是萬」 tr. “a lakṣa is ten thousand” 〔T35n1735 0858b13〕; Li Tongxuan: 「一洛叉此云一億」 tr. “one lakṣa means here one hundred million” 〔T36n1739 0930c17〕	This chapter: 「一百洛叉為一俱胝」 tr. “a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi” 〔T10n0279 0237b15〕	The starting point of the series; the two masters assign different Chinese numbers to it (ten thousand, a hundred million), recorded without adjudication
koṭi	Chengguan: 「俱胝是億」 tr. “a koṭi is a hundred million” 〔T35n1735 0858b13〕; Li Tongxuan: 「一俱胝此云一兆」 tr. “one koṭi means here one trillion” 〔T36n1739 0930c17〕	This chapter: 「俱胝俱胝為一阿庾多」 tr. “koṭi koṭis make one ayuduo” 〔T10n0279 0237b16〕	The fruit of the first rung of the series; Chengguan says further that if one follows the Abhidharmakośa in taking the lakṣa as a hundred million, then the koṭi answers to a trillion 〔0858b15–16〕
the upper grade of calculation	Li Tongxuan: 「從壤已去有三等數法，其下者十十變之，中者萬萬變之，上者億億變之」 tr. “from rang upward there are three grades of the method of counting: the lower changes by tens, the middle changes by ten-thousands, and the upper changes by hundred-millions” 〔T36n1739 0930c20–22〕	The format of the whole list in this chapter, 「AA為一B」 tr. “A A’s make one B”	This chapter uses the upper grade of calculation — the number counted being equal to the number counting, every rung is multiplied by itself
turned	The Yanyi chao: 「言「轉」者，謂阿僧祇。阿僧祇為一阿僧祇轉等」 tr. “as for saying ‘turned’: it means asaṃkhyeya asaṃkhyeyas make one asaṃkhyeya-turned, and so forth” 〔T36n1736 0599b18〕	This chapter: 「無量無量為一無量轉」 tr. “measureless measurelesses make one measureless-turned” 〔T10n0279 0238a23〕	Each of the ten gates of number-names is multiplied by itself once more, so that the ten gates are in fact twenty names
an unspeakably unspeakable-turned	Fazang: 「後一不可說轉轉為果數，以極即越數之表，同於果海越絕故也」 tr. “the last one, the unspeakable-turned turned, is the number of the fruit, for at its utmost it is precisely what passes beyond the token of number, being the same as the ocean of the fruit that passes beyond and cuts off” 〔T35n1733 0389c25–26〕	The final sentence of this chapter 〔T10n0279 0238b06〕	The end of the series, and at the same time the token of ‘passing beyond number’
Mind-King Bodhisattva	Chengguan: 「所以心王問者，表數不離心，數與非數皆自在故」 tr. “the reason Mind-King asks is to symbolize that number is not apart from mind, and that number and non-number are alike unimpeded” 〔T35n1735 0858a24–25〕; the Yanyi chao: 「心者，統攝諸法，一切最勝故。王者，統御四海，為最勝故」 tr. “the mind gathers and holds all dharmas, being most excellent among all things; the king governs the four seas, being most excellent” 〔T36n1736 0599b16–17〕; Fazang: 「心王菩薩是能問人，表數法依心，如數識等。菩薩洞達自在名王」 tr. “Mind-King Bodhisattva is the person who asks, symbolizing that the dharma of number depends upon mind, as with the consciousness that counts and the like; the bodhisattva, penetrating clear through and unimpeded, is named king” 〔T35n1733 0389a23–25〕	This chapter: 「爾時，心王菩薩白佛言」 tr. “at that time Mind-King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha” 〔T10n0279 0237b08〕	The person who asks; all three masters explain his symbolic import by 「數不離心」 tr. “number is not apart from mind”
the Tathāgata Chief in Goodness	— (the ancient worthies give no separate explanation in this chapter’s passage)	This chapter: 「一一蓮華世界中，賢首如來不可說」 tr. “within every single lotus world the Tathāgatas Chief in Goodness are unspeakably many” 〔T10n0279 0240c14〕	The buddha-name raised in the verses; the sixty-fascicle text reads 「各有賢首不可說」 tr. “in each there are Chiefs in Goodness unspeakably many” 〔T09n0278 0589a25〕

(A record concerning the Sanskrit sounds: among the number-names listed in this chapter, 「阿庾多」 tr. “ayuduo”, 「那由他」 tr. “nayuta”, 「頻婆羅」 tr. “pinpoluo”, 「矜羯羅」 tr. “jinjieluo” and those below them mostly preserve the Sanskrit sound. Chengguan has already judged what they are — 「其中多存梵音，但是數名，更無別理」 tr. “among them many preserve the Sanskrit sound, but they are merely names of numbers and have no separate principle” 〔T35n1735 0858b18–19〕; this layer accordingly does not fashion separate explanations of meaning for the number-names. What Li Tongxuan supplies at this passage is fanqie phonetic notation 〔T36n1739 0930c25–27〕, an aid to pronunciation and not an explanation of meaning.)

III. Similes and Rhetoric

(1) Lands ground to dust, and lands within the dust (mutual grinding and mutual containing) — 「不可言說諸佛剎，皆悉碎末為微塵，一塵中剎不可說，如一一切皆如是」 tr. “buddha-lands that cannot be told by speaking are every one of them ground into dust motes; the lands within one dust mote cannot be told by speaking; and as with one, so are they all” 〔T10n0279 0238b10–11〕:

The vehicle of the simile: all the unspeakably many buddha-lands are ground into dust motes, and within each single dust mote there are again unspeakably many lands.
What it figures: though the number that counts has already reached its utmost, the realm counted is still endlessly inexhaustible.
The meaning shown: Chengguan places this at the third and fourth of the ten stages of the piling up of numbers 〔T35n1735 0858c05–06〕 — the number is exhausted and the realm is not, and therefore 「數之終寄不可說」 tr. “the end of number is lodged in the unspeakable” 〔0858b05〕.

(2) One dust mote, a hundred thousand kalpas, and the praising of one Samantabhadra — 「以此諸塵數諸劫，一塵十萬不可說，爾劫稱讚一普賢，無能盡其功德量」 tr. “taking these dust motes as the number of the kalpas, one dust mote a hundred thousand unspeakables; through such kalpas lauding and praising one Samantabhadra, none is able to exhaust the measure of his merit” 〔T10n0279 0238b16–17〕:

The vehicle of the simile: taking the dust motes piled up before as kalpas, one dust mote opening out further into a hundred thousand unspeakable kalpas.
What it figures: through kalpas of such length, the lauding and praising of the virtue of one Samantabhadra.
The meaning shown: Chengguan says 「第二顯所數廣中，略舉三重：一將上諸劫讚一普賢之德不盡、二況一塵中有多普賢、三況遍法界塵皆有多矣」 tr. “second, in showing the breadth of what is counted, three stages are raised in brief: first, that taking the kalpas above to praise the virtue of one Samantabhadra does not exhaust it; second, how much more since within one dust mote there are many Samantabhadras; third, how much more since in the dust motes pervading the Dharma realm there are many everywhere” 〔T35n1735 0858c12–15〕; and he adds this warning: 「是知德無盡故，若不以稱性之心思之，心惑狂亂」 tr. “know from this that because the virtues are inexhaustible, if one does not consider them with a mind that accords with the nature, the mind is confounded and runs wild” 〔0858c15–16〕.

(3) The hair-tip holds the lands without being pressed for room — 「此諸國土不可說，共集毛端無迫隘，不使毛端有增大，而彼國土俱來集」 tr. “these lands cannot be told by speaking; gathered together on the hair-tip they are not pressed for room; it does not make the hair-tip grow any larger, and yet those lands all come and gather there” 〔T10n0279 0239b05–06〕:

The vehicle of the simile: boundless lands gather together upon one hair-tip, and yet the hair-tip does not grow larger and the lands do not shrink.
What it figures: the hair of the nature of dharmas and the lands whose marks are not destroyed, the container and the contained entering into one another.
The meaning shown: Chengguan explains this as precisely the scriptural ground of the Huayan doctrine of mutual entering —

「言毛孔悉能受諸剎等者，稱法性之一毛故，受多剎而無外、不壞相之多剎。」 tr. “As for saying that the pores are all able to receive the lands and so forth: it is the one hair that accords with the nature of dharmas, and therefore it receives many lands with nothing outside it — the many lands being those whose marks are not destroyed.” 〔T35n1735 0859a03–05〕

The Yanyi chao sets forth further its sense of dependent arising: 「一約內外共為緣起，由不即故有能所入，由不離故故得相入。」 tr. “First, taken as inner and outer together making up dependent arising: because they are not identical there is that which enters and that which is entered, and because they are not apart mutual entering is obtained.” 〔T36n1736 0599c24–25〕

(4) The bodies and lands of Indra’s net — of the opening stretch of the verses on the thorough exhausting of the causal position Chengguan says in his outline, 「初八偈明帝網身土是起行處」 tr. “the first eight verses make clear that the bodies and lands of Indra’s net are the place where practice is raised” 〔T35n1735 0859a01–02〕, and what he points to is the eight verses from 「一毛端處大小剎」 tr. “at the place of one hair-tip, lands great and small” onward 〔T10n0279 0239b01 onward〕: with the jewel-net of Indra, pearl reflecting pearl, is figured the endless mutual entering of the ocean of lands upon the hair-tip.

(5) Light, lotus, moon, and sun generated layer upon layer — from 「不可言說諸毛孔，咸放光明不可說，於彼一一光明中，悉現蓮華不可說」 tr. “pores that cannot be told by speaking all send forth light that cannot be told by speaking; within each single one of those lights there all appear lotus flowers that cannot be told by speaking” 〔T10n0279 0238c01–02〕 onward for more than ten verses — the light gives birth to lotus flowers, the flowers to a multitude of petals, the petals to light, within the light the moon appears, within the moon the moon again, within the moon the sun, within the sun colors, within the colors light…:

The meaning shown: Chengguan places this in his outline as 「正中現依」 tr. “within the proper there appears the dependent” 〔T35n1735 0858c24–25〕 — upon the body of the proper recompense there come forth the realms of the dependent recompense, and upon those realms realms again, layer after layer without ceasing, which is 「廣顯變化之相」 tr. “setting forth at length the marks of transformation” 〔0858c17〕.

(6) The successive manifesting of one body, one head, one tongue, one voice — 「此不可說中一身，示現於頭不可說；此不可說中一頭，示現於舌不可說」 tr. “of these that cannot be told by speaking, one body manifests heads that cannot be told by speaking; of these that cannot be told by speaking, one head manifests tongues that cannot be told by speaking” 〔T10n0279 0240c05–06〕: with the fourfold successive manifesting of body, head, tongue, and voice is figured that in praising the Buddha’s virtue the kalpas are exhausted and the virtue is not (「不可說劫猶可盡，歎佛功德無能盡」 tr. “kalpas that cannot be told by speaking may yet be exhausted, and of the praising of the Buddha’s merit there is none who can exhaust it” 〔0240c12〕).

IV. Collation with Parallel Translations

The Chinese collation texts for the principal sentences of this chapter: Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text, chapter 30) · Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, chapter 25, The Chapter on Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question about the Asaṃkhyeya). The structure of the scene is entirely the same in the two texts (Mind-King Bodhisattva asks 「云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說」 tr. “what is called an asaṃkhyeya, and on to what is called an unspeakably unspeakable” → the Buddha assents to speak → the list of number-names → the long verses), while the systems of graphs used for the number-names are wholly different; the collation is therefore taken by the structure of the scene, and the number-names of the eighty are not searched for in the sixty.

Sentence One: Mind-King’s Question

Collation text	Verbatim, rendered	Source
Śikṣānanda T279	At that time Mind-King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: 「世尊！諸佛如來演說阿僧祇無量、無邊、無等、不可數、不可稱、不可思、不可量、不可說、不可說不可說。世尊！云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說耶？」 tr. “World-Honored One! The buddhas, the Tathāgatas, expound the asaṃkhyeya, the measureless, the boundless, the unequalled, the uncountable, the unnameable, the unthinkable, the immeasurable, the unspeakable, the unspeakably unspeakable. World-Honored One! What is called an asaṃkhyeya, and on to what is called an unspeakably unspeakable?”	T10n0279 0237b08
Buddhabhadra T278	At that time Mind-King Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: 「世尊！所謂：阿僧祇、不可量、無分齊、無周遍、不可數、不可稱量、不可思議、不可說、不可說不可說。世尊！云何阿僧祇乃至不可說不可說耶？」 tr. “World-Honored One! Namely: the asaṃkhyeya, the immeasurable, the undivided, the unencompassed, the uncountable, the unweighable, the inconceivable, the unspeakable, the unspeakably unspeakable. World-Honored One! What is called an asaṃkhyeya, and on to what is called an unspeakably unspeakable?”	T09n0278 0586a06–09

Where the variants lie: (a) Of the ten gates cited, the 80 has 「無量、無邊、無等」 tr. “the measureless, the boundless, the unequalled” while the 60 has 「不可量、無分齊、無周遍」 tr. “the immeasurable, the undivided, the unencompassed” — the items answer to one another while the graphs are wholly different. (b) The 80’s 「不可稱」 tr. “the unnameable” and 「不可思」 tr. “the unthinkable” appear in the 60 as 「不可稱量」 tr. “the unweighable” and 「不可思議」 tr. “the inconceivable”. (c) The closing question is verbatim the same in the two texts. (d) The chapter title in the 60 has five graphs more, 「心王菩薩問」 tr. “Mind-King Bodhisattva’s question” — Chengguan has already recorded this variance: 「若晉本云心王菩薩問阿僧祇品，兼能問人，即人法雙舉」 tr. “if the Jin text says the Chapter on Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question about the Asaṃkhyeya, it takes in as well the person who asks, which is to raise both person and dharma” 〔T35n1735 0858a12–13〕.

Sentence Two: The Buddha’s Assent to Speak

Collation text	Verbatim, rendered	Source
Śikṣānanda T279	Good, good! Good man! You now, wishing to let all the worlds enter the sense of quantity known to a buddha, ask this of the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Fully and Rightly Awakened One. Good man! Listen closely, listen closely! Think well upon it! I shall expound it for you.	T10n0279 0237b12–13
Buddhabhadra T278	Good! Good! Good man! Because you would benefit sentient beings, you are able to ask this of the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Rightly and Fully Awakened One, concerning the profound sense of the realm of a buddha’s wisdom. Good man! Listen now closely; I shall speak it.	T09n0278 0586a10–12

Where the variants lie: (a) As to what the question is for, the 80 has 「為欲令諸世間入佛所知數量之義」 tr. “wishing to let all the worlds enter the sense of quantity known to a buddha” while the 60 has 「饒益眾生故」 tr. “because he would benefit sentient beings” and 「佛智境界甚深之義」 tr. “the profound sense of the realm of a buddha’s wisdom” — the 80 points directly at 「數量之義」 tr. “the sense of quantity”, the 60 speaks broadly of 「佛智境界」 tr. “the realm of a buddha’s wisdom”. (b) The titles of the Buddha: the 80 has 「如來、應、正等覺」 tr. “the Tathāgata, the Worthy One, the Fully and Rightly Awakened One” against the 60’s 「如來、應供、等正覺」 tr. “the Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Rightly and Fully Awakened One”. (c) The enjoining to listen is threefold in the 80 (listen closely, think well upon it, I shall speak for you) and twofold in the 60. (d) The receiving of the teaching in the 80 reads 「時，心王菩薩唯然受教」 tr. “at that time Mind-King Bodhisattva answered ‘yes’ and received the instruction” 〔0237b14〕, while the 60 opens another exchange, Mind-King Bodhisattva saying to the Buddha 「唯然善聽」 tr. “yes, I shall listen well” 〔T09n0278 0586a13〕 — the 60 has one more turn of address to the Buddha.

Sentence Three: The Opening Sentence and the Format of the List of Number-Names

Collation text	Verbatim, rendered	Source
Śikṣānanda T279	A hundred lakṣas make one koṭi; koṭi koṭis make one ayuduo; ayuduo ayuduos make one nayuta; nayuta nayutas make one pinpoluo	T10n0279 0237b15–16
Buddhabhadra T278	A hundred thousand hundred thousands are named one juli; juli julis are named one bubian; bubian bubians are named one nayuta; nayuta nayutas are named one bingpoluo	T09n0278 0586a14–16

Where the variants lie: (a) The starting number is 「一百洛叉」 tr. “a hundred lakṣas” in the 80 against 「百千」 tr. “a hundred thousand” in the 60. (b) The name of the first rung is 「俱胝」 tr. “koṭi” in the 80 against 「拘梨」 tr. “juli” in the 60; the second rung 「阿庾多」 tr. “ayuduo” against 「不變」 tr. “bubian”; the fourth rung 「頻婆羅」 tr. “pinpoluo” against 「鞞婆邏」 tr. “bingpoluo”. (c) The copula in the 80 is 「為一」 tr. “make one” and in the 60 「名一」 tr. “are named one”. (d) Both texts alike use the format of doubling advance (the earlier name multiplied by itself to make the later) — on which Fazang, explaining the sixty-fascicle text, says 「百千百千者，謂百千箇百千，故云百千百千。皆以所數等於能數，不同智論皆以十億為量」 tr. “as for ‘a hundred thousand hundred thousands’: it means a hundred thousand of hundred-thousands, and therefore it says ‘a hundred thousand hundred thousands.’ In every case the number counted is equal to the number counting, unlike the Zhi lun, which everywhere takes a thousand million as the measure” 〔T35n1733 0389c17–20〕. (e) The number of rungs in the whole list: the count made directly upon the 80 text gives a hundred and twenty-three occurrences of 「為一」 tr. “make one” (which, counting the starting number lakṣa as well, gives a hundred and twenty-four numbers), agreeing with Chengguan’s 「此有百二十四」 tr. “here there are a hundred and twenty-four” 〔T35n1735 0858b04〕; Fazang, going by the sixty-fascicle text, has 「總有百二十轉」 tr. “in all there are a hundred and twenty turns” 〔T35n1733 0389c16〕; Li Tongxuan, going by the eighty-fascicle text, has 「依大數有百二十大數」 tr. “taking the great numbers, there are a hundred and twenty great numbers” 〔T36n1739 0931a01–02〕 — the three counts differ, and they are recorded without adjudication.

Sentence Four: The Closing Sentence of the List of Number-Names

Collation text	Verbatim, rendered	Source
Śikṣānanda T279	Unspeakable-turned unspeakable-turneds make one unspeakably unspeakable, and this again, unspeakably unspeakable unspeakably-unspeakables, makes one unspeakably unspeakable-turned	T10n0279 0238b05–06
Buddhabhadra T278	Are named one Going; Going Goings are named one Receiving; Receiving Receivings are named one asaṃkhyeya; asaṃkhyeya asaṃkhyeyas are named one asaṃkhyeya-turned	T09n0278 0586c02–03

Where the variants lie: what the 60 preserves at this place is one stretch of ‘Going · Receiving · asaṃkhyeya · asaṃkhyeya-turned’ (the text that follows upon it is not collated clause by clause in this apparatus); set against the 80’s 「趣趣為一至，至至為一阿僧祇」 tr. “Going Goings make one Arrival, Arrival Arrivals make one asaṃkhyeya” 〔T10n0279 0238a21〕, the third name in the 80 is 「至」 tr. “Arrival” and in the 60 「受」 tr. “Receiving”. As for the two graphs 「此又」 tr. “this again” in the closing sentence of the 80, Chengguan makes a particular point of the translator’s merit: 「若類前具牒，便有四箇不可說字故。譯家云……為譯之巧。」 tr. “If the terms were cited out in full as in what precedes, there would be four occurrences of the graphs for ‘unspeakable.’ The translator says … it is the deftness of the translating.” 〔T35n1735 0858b19–22〕 The Yanyi chao further sets out one by one the four occurrences of ‘unspeakable’ that were left out, and records the divergent account in the Kanding ji, which faults these two graphs as prolix 〔T36n1736 0599c06–13〕.

Sentence Five: The Closing Verse of the Long Verses

Collation text	Verbatim, rendered	Source
Śikṣānanda T279	Lands, sentient beings, and all the buddhas: the differences of their very substance cannot be told by speaking; the three times such as these are without bound, and the bodhisattva sees them all with clarity.	T10n0279 0241a14–15
Buddhabhadra T278	The nature of the buddha-lands cannot be told by speaking; he is able to accord with them all and enter awakening; the undestroyed Dharma realm cannot be told by speaking; buddhas, sentient beings, and lands cannot be told by speaking; what is taken in by the three times cannot be told by speaking; the bodhisattva’s ultimacy cannot be told by speaking.	T09n0278 0589b27–29

Where the variants lie: the four matters taken in by the closing verse are the same in the two texts (buddha-lands · sentient beings · the buddhas · the three times), while the direction of the closing line differs: the 80 comes to rest in 「菩薩一切皆明見」 tr. “the bodhisattva sees them all with clarity” (clear seeing), and the 60 in 「菩薩究竟不可說」 tr. “the bodhisattva’s ultimacy cannot be told by speaking” (ultimacy). The totals of the verses differ as well: Chengguan, going by the eighty-fascicle text, judges 「百二十偈」 tr. “a hundred and twenty verses” 〔T35n1735 0858b22〕, and Fazang, going by the sixty-fascicle text, 「一百二十二頌半」 tr. “a hundred and twenty-two and a half stanzas” 〔T35n1733 0389c26–27〕 — the count made directly in this layer upon the long verses of the eighty-fascicle text gives four hundred and eighty lines of seven graphs, which agrees exactly with a hundred and twenty verses.

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

(1) Lodging the showing of virtue in number, and number being precisely apart from number — the tenet and aim of this chapter Chengguan settles in a single sentence:

「三宗趣者，寄數顯德分齊為宗，令知普賢諸佛離數重重無盡為趣。」 tr. “Third, the tenet and the aim: the tenet is to lodge the showing forth of the measure of virtue in number, and the aim is to make it known that Samantabhadra and the buddhas are apart from number, endless and inexhaustible.” 〔T35n1735 0858a16–17〕

The setting up of the chapter’s name also rests upon this sense: 「又顯此數即離數故，寄無數標名。」 tr. “Further, it shows that this number is precisely apart from number, and therefore it lodges the marking of the name in the numberless.” 〔0858a15–16〕 — number is the gate by which one enters, and the endless inexhaustibility apart from number is the realm entered. Hence the scriptural text lists numbers only as far as 「不可說不可說轉」 tr. “an unspeakably unspeakable-turned” and stops there, of which Chengguan explains the reason: 「故非餘測，故數之終寄不可說。況復偈初更積不可說，歷諸塵剎以顯無盡。」 tr. “therefore it is not to be measured by the rest, and therefore the end of number is lodged in the unspeakable. How much more when at the head of the verses the unspeakable is piled up once again, passing through all the dust motes and lands so as to show the inexhaustible.” 〔0858b05–06〕

(2) Why the Buddha speaks it himself — the master who speaks this chapter is not a bodhisattva but the Buddha, and the three masters tie this to one and the same reason while each puts it in his own words: Chengguan, 「所以佛自答者，正表難思故。又明此品統語因位終德，故佛說之。」 tr. “the reason the Buddha answers in person is precisely to show that it is beyond thought. Further, it makes clear that this chapter states in summary the final virtues of the causal positions, and therefore the Buddha speaks it.” 〔T35n1735 0858b07–08〕; Fazang, 「今此品文，唯佛所知無極之數，故佛自說。」 tr. “the text of the present chapter is a number without limit, known to a buddha alone, and therefore the Buddha speaks it himself.” 〔T35n1733 0389c02–03〕; Li Tongxuan, 「此品何故如來自說？明此數法廣大，下位智所不及，唯佛能究竟故。」 tr. “why does the Tathāgata speak this chapter himself? It makes clear that this dharma of number is vast, beyond the reach of the wisdom of the lower positions, and that a buddha alone is able to exhaust it.” 〔T36n1739 0930c03–04〕

(3) The quantities of the perfect teaching — Chengguan judges the quantities of this chapter to belong to the perfect teaching, setting the methods of number of three teachings against one another as a foil:

「令入佛所知數者，以是圓教所明深廣無涯，唯佛方測，不同凡小所知。如黃帝算法但有二十三數，始從一二終至正載，已說天地不容。小乘六十已至無數。此有百二十四，倍倍變之，故非餘測」 tr. “‘Causing them to enter the numbers known to a buddha’: because what the perfect teaching sets forth is deep and broad without shore, and only a buddha can take its measure, unlike what ordinary persons and the Lesser Vehicle know. As for the calculation of the Yellow Emperor, it has but twenty-three numbers, beginning from one and two and ending at zhengzai, and it is already said that heaven and earth cannot contain it. The Lesser Vehicle at sixty has already reached the numberless. Here there are a hundred and twenty-four, changed by being multiplied each by itself, and therefore they are not to be measured by the rest” 〔T35n1735 0858a29〕

Fazang goes further and sets up four accounts by which to judge it, taking this chapter as the utmost of the perfect teaching:

「四依此品，百數僧祇始是初數，如是次第以所數等能數，至第十名不可說轉，不可說轉轉等方為數極。是故前教數極乃是此中初數，故知此門極廣。約圓教辨也。」 tr. “Fourth, according to this chapter, the saṃghya of a hundred numbers is only the first number; in this way, in due order, the number counted being equal to the number counting, up to the tenth named the unspeakable-turned, and the unspeakable-turned turned and the rest are then the utmost of number. Therefore the utmost number of the earlier teachings is only the first number here, and one knows from this that this gate is utterly broad. It is set forth with respect to the perfect teaching.” 〔T35n1733 0389b13–17〕

(4) The hair-tip containing, and the mutual entering of what is not destroyed in its marks — the two lines in the verses, 「共集毛端無迫隘，不使毛端有增大」 tr. “gathered together on the hair-tip they are not pressed for room; it does not make the hair-tip grow any larger” 〔T10n0279 0239b05–06〕 and 「毛孔能受彼諸剎，諸剎不能遍毛孔」 tr. “the pore is able to receive those lands, and those lands are not able to fill the pore” 〔0239b12〕, are the scriptural ground within this chapter for the Huayan sense of mutual entering. Chengguan explains them: 「稱法性之一毛故，受多剎而無外、不壞相之多剎。」 tr. “it is the one hair that accords with the nature of dharmas, and therefore it receives many lands with nothing outside it — the many lands being those whose marks are not destroyed.” 〔T35n1735 0859a03–05〕; and the Yanyi chao, with respect to its account of dependent arising, opens two senses: 「一由內外不即法性，故有能所入；不離法性，故毛能包、剎能遍入。」 tr. “first, because inner and outer are not identical with the nature of dharmas, there is that which enters and that which is entered; because they are not apart from the nature of dharmas, the hair is able to contain and the lands are able to enter throughout.” 〔T36n1736 0599c26–28〕, and brings it home to contemplative practice: 「思之成觀。」 tr. “consider it, and it becomes contemplation.” 〔0600a01〕

(5) Virtue perfectly interfused with virtue, to be embodied only by forgetting all holding in mind — having finished explaining the whole chapter, Chengguan closes with words that do not fall into names and marks:

「然上諸德，德德圓融無盡無盡，唯忘懷體之。」 tr. “Yet all the virtues above are, virtue with virtue, perfectly interfused, inexhaustible and inexhaustible; they are to be embodied only by forgetting all holding in mind.” 〔T35n1735 0859a18–19〕

VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators

Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 and Yanyi chao T36n1736 (following the eighty-fascicle text clause by clause · principal)

The explanation of the name: 「二釋名者，阿之言無，僧祇曰數，全帶數名。」 tr. “Second, the explanation of the name: a means ‘without,’ and saṃghya means ‘number’; it carries the name of number throughout.” 〔T35n1735 0858a11–12〕 And he settles an objection: 「然僧祇是十大數之創首，經論多用，故以標名。」 tr. “yet saṃghya is the very first of the ten great numbers, and the sūtras and treatises make much use of it, and therefore it is taken to mark the name.” 〔0858a14–15〕

The outline of the verses: 「第二偈頌。百二十偈，大分為二：前六明普賢德廣說不可盡、餘偈明佛德深廣普賢窮究。」 tr. “Second, the verses. The hundred and twenty verses are divided in the main into two: the first six make clear that the virtues of Samantabhadra are so broad that they cannot be spoken to the end, and the remaining verses make clear that the virtues of a buddha are deep and broad and that Samantabhadra exhausts the search of them.” 〔T35n1735 0858b22–24〕 Within the first six there is a further division: 「前四偈半明能數多、後一偈半顯所數廣」 tr. “the first four and a half verses make clear that the numbers that count are many, and the last one and a half show that what is counted is broad” 〔0858b24–25〕, and the piling up of the numbers that count is opened out further into ten stages 〔0858b25–0858c12〕. As for the latter stretch, 「一百一十四偈，明佛德深廣普賢窮究，即廣顯變化之相」 tr. “a hundred and fourteen verses make clear that the virtues of a buddha are deep and broad and that Samantabhadra exhausts the search of them, which is the setting forth at length of the marks of transformation” 〔0858c16–18〕, and within it the thorough exhausting of the causal position opens into ten practices: the bodies and lands of Indra’s net · the practice of vigor in the three karmas · the practice of gathering in beings according to their vessels · the practice of going to the quarters and making offerings to the buddhas · the practice of widely cultivating the ten perfections · the practice of mastery in ranging the lands · the practice of taming sentient beings · the practice of deep purity in the three karmas · the practice of mastery in vow and wisdom · the concluding of the virtues as inexhaustible 〔0859a01–13〕.

The explanation of the lakṣa and the koṭi: 「初言一百洛叉為一俱胝者，是中等數。洛叉是萬，俱胝是億」 tr. “first, as for saying that a hundred lakṣas make one koṭi: this is the middle grade of number. A lakṣa is ten thousand, and a koṭi is a hundred million” 〔T35n1735 0858b12–13〕; and he opens the divergent assignment of the Abhidharmakośa: 「若依《俱舍》以洛叉為億，則俱胝當兆也。」 tr. “if one follows the Abhidharmakośa in taking the lakṣa as a hundred million, then the koṭi answers to a trillion.” 〔0858b14–16〕 He says further that if the lower methods of number are taken in as well, 「則通有百三十七數」 tr. “then in all there are a hundred and thirty-seven numbers” 〔0858b16〕.

The Yanyi chao supplies the items of the Yellow Emperor’s calculation: 「從一至十為十，次有十三數，謂十十為百，十百為千，十萬、億、兆、京、垓、梓、壞、溝、㵎、正、載。言載者，天地不能容載。」 tr. “from one to ten makes ten; next there are thirteen numbers, namely ten tens make a hundred, ten hundreds make a thousand, then a hundred thousand, yi, zhao, jing, gai, zi, huai, gou, jian, zheng, zai. As for saying zai: heaven and earth cannot contain and carry it.” 〔T36n1736 0599b19–22〕 And he supplies the numbers of the Lesser Vehicle: 「即《俱舍論》說六十，向後更無數也。」 tr. “that is, the Abhidharmakośa speaks of sixty, and beyond that there are no further numbers.” 〔0599b23〕「阿僧企耶是第五十二數。」 tr. “asaṃkhyeya is the fifty-second number.” 〔0599b24–25〕

Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (the commentary on the sixty-fascicle text · the deep source of judgments and explanations)

Four accounts by which the asaṃkhyeya is judged: 「前中阿僧祇，此云無數，即數之極故。諸聖教中通有四說」 tr. “in the foregoing, asaṃkhyeya means here ‘numberless,’ being the utmost of number. In the holy teachings there are in all four accounts” 〔T35n1733 0389b03–04〕 — first, following the Abhidharmakośa, 「數至六十重名一阿僧祇。此約小乘」 tr. “counting to sixty rungs is named one asaṃkhyeya; this is with respect to the Lesser Vehicle” 〔0389b04–05〕; second, following the ninth fascicle of the Zhi lun, 「數過十重已後名阿僧祇」 tr. “after counting past ten rungs it is named asaṃkhyeya” · 「此約始教說」 tr. “this is spoken with respect to the initial teaching” 〔0389b05–13〕; third, following the sixth fascicle of the Zhi lun, which quotes the text of this chapter, 「還有百數至阿僧祇等。此約終教說」 tr. “there are still a hundred numbers up to the asaṃkhyeya and the rest; this is with respect to the final teaching” 〔0389b12–13〕; fourth, following this chapter, 「約圓教辨也」 tr. “it is set forth with respect to the perfect teaching” 〔0389b17〕.

Five levels of those who can know: 「二顯能知者，亦有五重：一人中數法最下。二諸天數法過於人。」 tr. “second, showing those who can know, of which there are likewise five levels: first, the method of number among men is the lowest; second, the method of number of the gods exceeds that of men.” 〔T35n1733 0389b17–19〕 Third, among the Lesser Vehicle, Śāriputra knows the method of number well 〔0389b20〕; fourth, among the bodhisattvas, 「亦如文殊、普賢知剎塵數等，非下位所知」 tr. “as with Mañjuśrī and Samantabhadra, who know the numbers of the dust motes of the lands and the like, which are not what the lower positions know” 〔0389b22–23〕; fifth, 「佛自所知，最極自在，一切餘位總不能知」 tr. “what a buddha himself knows is utterly and altogether unimpeded, and none of the other positions is able to know it” 〔0389b23–24〕, with the matter of the brahmin who asked about the leaves of the grove cited from the Zhi lun in evidence that 「佛能知恒河沙數」 tr. “a buddha is able to know the number of the sands of the Gaṅgā” 〔0389b24–0389c01〕.

The outline of the list of number-names: 「前中總有百二十轉，答前十問，初一百二轉答初僧祇問、後十八轉答後九問。」 tr. “in the foregoing there are in all a hundred and twenty turns, answering the ten questions before: the first hundred and two turns answer the first question about the saṃghya, and the last eighteen turns answer the last nine questions.” 〔T35n1733 0389c15–17〕 And further: 「於後十八中，初十七是因數，後一不可說轉轉為果數，以極即越數之表，同於果海越絕故也。」 tr. “of the last eighteen, the first seventeen are the numbers of the cause, and the last one, the unspeakable-turned turned, is the number of the fruit, for at its utmost it is precisely what passes beyond the token of number, being the same as the ocean of the fruit that passes beyond and cuts off.” 〔0389c24–26〕

Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a different track in the setting forth of symbolic meaning)

A view of time that takes the kṣaṇa as its measure: 「如是三世佛果及普賢方便行，總時不遷故，但以剎那為量，不立生滅之名。」 tr. “thus the fruit of buddhahood of the three times and the practice of skillful means of Samantabhadra, since time as a whole does not shift, take only the kṣaṇa as their measure, and the names of arising and ceasing are not set up.” 〔T36n1739 0930b12–14〕

The judgment that makes eight chapters one stretch: 「自此已下至〈如來出現品〉，明佛果之中三業廣大自在行門。」 tr. “from here down to the Chapter on the Appearance of the Tathāgata, it makes clear the gates of practice of the vastness and mastery of the three karmas within the fruit of buddhahood.” 〔T36n1739 0930b15–16〕 This chapter stands first in it, 「明如來心業廣大自在」 tr. “making clear the vastness and mastery of the Tathāgata’s karma of mind” 〔0930b16–17〕.

The explanation of the master who asks: 「二釋能問法主者，菩薩名心王，此明得心成忍之後，心業自在，名之為王。」 tr. “second, explaining the master of the dharma who asks: the bodhisattva is named Mind-King, which makes clear that after gaining mind and accomplishing forbearance the karma of mind is unimpeded, and so it is named king.” 〔T36n1739 0930c01–02〕 And further: 「能問之主，還是如來心智自在，名之為王，表心自在故方堪能問」 tr. “the master who asks is still the Tathāgata’s mind and wisdom unimpeded, and it is named king; it symbolizes that because mind is unimpeded he is then fit to be able to ask” 〔0930c10–12〕

The explanation assigning Chinese numbers to the number-names: 「一洛叉此云一億，一俱胝此云一兆」 tr. “one lakṣa means here one hundred million, one koṭi means here one trillion” 〔T36n1739 0930c17〕; 「案此方黃帝算法，總有二十三數」 tr. “considering the calculation of the Yellow Emperor in this land, there are in all twenty-three numbers” 〔0930c17–19〕; 「從壤已去有三等數法，其下者十十變之，中者萬萬變之，上者億億變之。今此〈阿僧祇品〉用上等數法」 tr. “from rang upward there are three grades of the method of counting: the lower changes by tens, the middle changes by ten-thousands, and the upper changes by hundred-millions. The present Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya uses the upper grade of counting” 〔0930c20–22〕.

The aim to which it comes home: 「此已上數義廣大，雖復無量難量，意明如來智慧、普賢願行三業廣大，世數不能及。」 tr. “the sense of number from here upward is vast, and though it be measureless and hard to measure, the intent is to make clear that the Tathāgata’s wisdom and the three karmas of Samantabhadra’s vow and practice are vast, beyond the reach of the numbers of the world.” 〔T36n1739 0930c28–29〕 And further: 「意明如來普賢願行功德過稱量，數所不及故。」 tr. “the intent is to make clear that the merits of the Tathāgata and of Samantabhadra’s vow and practice exceed all weighing, and are beyond the reach of number.” 〔0931a11–12〕

Recorded without adjudication: what the three masters differ in with regard to this chapter comes to four items. (a) The reason for its coming: Chengguan ties it to 「總明等覺深奧」 tr. “setting forth in general the profundity of equal awakening” 〔T35n1735 0858a07〕; Fazang says plainly 「非答前問」 tr. “not an answer to the earlier question” and ties it to 「顯行德校量分齊」 tr. “setting forth the comparison of the measure of the virtues of practice” 〔T35n1733 0389a26–28〕; Li Tongxuan ties it as the first of the eight chapters of ‘the vastness and mastery of the three karmas of the fruit of buddhahood’ 〔T36n1739 0930b15–17〕. (b) The total of the number-names: Chengguan 「百二十四」 tr. “a hundred and twenty-four” 〔0858b04〕, Fazang 「百二十轉」 tr. “a hundred and twenty turns” 〔0389c16〕, Li Tongxuan 「百二十大數」 tr. “a hundred and twenty great numbers” 〔0931a01–02〕. (c) The Chinese numbers assigned to the lakṣa and the koṭi: Chengguan 「洛叉是萬，俱胝是億」 tr. “a lakṣa is ten thousand, a koṭi is a hundred million” 〔0858b13〕, Li Tongxuan 「一洛叉此云一億，一俱胝此云一兆」 tr. “one lakṣa means here one hundred million, one koṭi means here one trillion” 〔0930c17〕. (d) The count of the verses: Chengguan, going by the eighty-fascicle text, 「百二十偈」 tr. “a hundred and twenty verses” 〔0858b22〕; Fazang, going by the sixty-fascicle text, 「一百二十二頌半」 tr. “a hundred and twenty-two and a half stanzas” 〔0389c26–27〕. All four items are settled accounts of the ancient worthies, each following its own text and carrying on its own track; they are recorded, and no judgment is made as to higher and lower.

VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage

The list of number-names and the verses of this chapter are the standing ground for the self-citations of the Huayan masters across their fascicles; everything cited is at a source already recorded in this compilation, and there is no new research here:

Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: in fascicle twenty-one, the passage explaining the Chapter on the Ten Forbearances cites the verses of this chapter 〔0520c14〕; in fascicle forty-one, the earlier stretch on the sixty entries into the Dharma realm marks the place of this chapter in the order of the whole sūtra with 「六〈阿僧祇品〉」 tr. “sixth, the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” 〔0564c12〕; fascicle forty-nine cites 「並如〈阿僧祇品〉」 tr. “as in the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” 〔0578a05〕 — in every case taking this chapter as the settled place of the dharma-gate of quantity.
Chengguan, Yanyi chao T36n1736: cites the opening sentence of this chapter’s number-names in order to explain a doubling elsewhere 〔0223b25〕; cites besides 「準〈阿僧祇品〉」 tr. “going by the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” as the ground for a conversion of doublings 〔0492a27〕; and cites the verses of this chapter, the line 「一微塵中……」 tr. “within one dust mote …” 〔0002a25〕 and the line 「一塵中剎不可說」 tr. “the lands within one dust mote cannot be told by speaking” 〔0080a29〕 — the latter answering to the verse of this chapter 〔T10n0279 0238b10〕.
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: in many places he cites 「〈阿僧祇品〉」 tr. “the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” broadly, so as to mark the place of this chapter in the structure of the teaching-substance of the whole sūtra (as belonging to the chapters the Tathāgata speaks himself), and not as a clause-by-clause citing of the scriptural text 〔0725c10・0765a11・0810a05・0884b14・0887c27・0921b19・0932a14・0968b13〕.
The Abhidharmakośa T29n1558 (a comparison from another axis · not lineage): Vasubandhu, in the Chapter on the Analysis of the World, cites the sixty numbers of the Sūtra of Liberation, 「《解脫經》說六十數中，阿僧企耶是其一數」 tr. “among the sixty numbers spoken of in the Sūtra of Liberation, asaṃkhyeya is one number” 〔0063b13–14〕, the list running from 「一十為十，十十為百」 tr. “one ten makes ten, ten tens make a hundred” 〔0063b15〕 to 「十大跋邏攙為阿僧企耶」 tr. “ten great baluochan make an asaṃkhyeya” 〔0063c10–11〕 — decimal and not by doubling, differing from this chapter’s format of 「AA為一B」 tr. “A A’s make one B”. Chengguan, Fazang, and Li Tongxuan, in explaining this chapter, all alike draw upon this as a foil (see heading VI), and so the sense that this chapter is ‘not what the Lesser Vehicle knows’ has in fact this list for the mirror that reflects it back.
The Cheng weishi lun T31n1585 · the She dasheng lun T31n1594 · the Yuqie shidi lun T30n1579: 〔not found〕 — a search for 「阿僧祇品」 tr. “the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” and 「不可說不可說轉」 tr. “an unspeakably unspeakable-turned” yields no hits in the three files. Where the three treatises speak of 「三阿僧祇劫」 tr. “the three asaṃkhyeya kalpas”, this belongs to the setting up of the kalpa-count of the stages of practice, and is not the same scene as Mind-King’s question in this chapter about the dharma-mark of quantity; these nil hits show only that ‘no clause-by-clause direct citation has been seen,’ and do not amount to a judgment that ‘those treatises have nothing to do with the asaṃkhyeya.’

VIII. Edition Location Register

Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): chapter 30, the Asaṃkhyeya 〔T10n0279 0237b07〕 to 〔0241a16〕. Mind-King’s question 0237b08 · the Buddha’s assent to speak 0237b12 · the receiving of the teaching 0237b14 · the beginning of the list of number-names 0237b15 (koṭi 0237b15 · asaṃkhyeya 0238b02 · the unspeakably unspeakable-turned 0238b06) · the manner of speaking the verses 0238b07 · the beginning of the long verses 0238b08 (the lands within one dust mote 0238b10 · the praising of one Samantabhadra 0238b16 · the Samantabhadras at the hair-tip 0238b18 · the lotus flowers and the light 0238c01 · the lion thrones 0238c13 · the wondrous jewel like Sumeru 0238c18 · the buddhas appearing within the light 0238c25 · the constant abiding at the hair-tip 0239a06 · the beginning of the bodies and lands of Indra’s net 0239b01 · gathering together on the hair-tip 0239b05 · the pore receiving the lands 0239b11 · the beginning of the practice of vigor in the three karmas 0239b15 · the beginning of the practice of the ten perfections 0239c06 · the concluding of the virtues as inexhaustible 0240b28 · the tongues praising the Buddha 0240c01 · one body, one head, one tongue 0240c05 · the Tathāgata Chief in Goodness 0240c14 · within every single land there is a Tathāgata 0240c19 · the beginning of the entering by the virtues of the cause 0240c25 · the closing verse 0241a14).
Buddhabhadra T278 (the principal Jin-translation collation text): chapter 25, The Chapter on Mind-King Bodhisattva’s Question about the Asaṃkhyeya 〔T09n0278 0586a05〕 to 〔0589c01〕. Mind-King’s question 0586a06 · the Buddha’s assent to speak 0586a10 · the address to the Buddha, “yes” 0586a12–13 · the beginning of the list of number-names 0586a14 · Going, Receiving, asaṃkhyeya 0586c02–03 · the beginning of the verses about 0586c16 · the Chief in Goodness 0589a25 · the closing verse 0589b27–29.
Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the commentary on the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya 0858a05 to 0859a20 (the reason for its coming 0858a06–10 · the explanation of the name 0858a11–16 · the tenet and aim 0858a16–17 · the division of labor among the three chapters 0858a18–20 · the symbolic import of Mind-King 0858a24–25 · the quantities of the perfect teaching 0858b01–05 · the Buddha answering in person 0858b07–08 · the two divisions of prose and verse 0858b10–11 · the lakṣa and the koṭi 0858b12–16 · the Sanskrit sounds of the number-names 0858b18–19 · the deftness of “this again” 0858b19–22 · the outline of the hundred and twenty verses 0858b22–24 · the ten stages of the piling up of numbers 0858b25–0858c12 · the three stages of what is counted 0858c12–16 · the hundred and fourteen verses 0858c16–18 · the ten practices of the causal position 0859a01–13 · the pore receiving the lands 0859a03–05 · the closing words 0859a18–19).
Chengguan, Yanyi chao T36n1736: the subcommentary on this chapter 0599b02 to 0600a04 (the two graphs “Mind-King” 0599b14–17 · the sense of “turned” 0599b18–19 · the items of the Yellow Emperor’s calculation 0599b19–22 · the sixty of the Lesser Vehicle 0599b22–29 · the lakṣa as a hundred million 0599b29–0599c06 · the four occurrences of “unspeakable” 0599c06–13 · the divergent account of the Kanding ji 0599c12–13 · according with the nature and marks not destroyed 0599c16–23 · the two senses of inner and outer dependent arising 0599c23–29 · the ten sections raising numbers 0600a01–02).
Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (the commentary on the sixty): the Asaṃkhyeya, chapter 25, 0389a22 to 0390b10 (the explanation of the name 0389a23–26 · the reason for its coming 0389a26–0389b01 · the four accounts of the tenet and aim 0389b01–17 · the five levels of those who can know 0389b17–0389c03 · the two virtues counted 0389c03–05 · the general outline of the explanation of the text 0389c05–15 · the hundred and twenty turns 0389c16–17 · “a hundred thousand hundred thousands” 0389c17–20 · the last eighteen numbers 0389c24–26 · the count of the verses, a hundred and twenty-two and a half stanzas 0389c26–27 · the ten stages of the piling up of numbers 0389c28–0390a15 · the two divisions of the virtues counted 0390a16–0390b03 · the according and entering of the cause 0390b07–09).
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: the Asaṃkhyeya, chapter 30, 0930b05 to 0931a17 (the four gates 0930b06–07 · the kṣaṇa as the measure 0930b11–14 · the eight chapters as one stretch 0930b15–0930b29 · the master who asks 0930c01–02 · the master who speaks 0930c02–16 · the beginning of the explanation of the meaning following the text 0930c16 · the assignment of Chinese numbers 0930c17–22 · the phonetic notation 0930c25–27 · the aim to which it comes home 0930c28–0931a02 · the citing of the verses 0931a02–11).
The Abhidharmakośa T29n1558 (comparison): the passage of the sixty numbers in the Chapter on the Analysis of the World 0063b13–0063c15.
Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732: 〔not found〕 (a search of the whole file for 「阿僧祇品」 tr. “the Chapter on the Asaṃkhyeya” yields no hits; its arrangement does not extend to the chapters of the seventh assembly, and it is recorded as absent in accordance with fact).
Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0237b07〕–〔0241a15〕, the Taishō base text carries 10 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0237b20〕呼【大】｜無此字【明】 · 〔0237b21〕【大】＊｜無此字【明】＊ · 〔0237b29〕【大】｜無此字【明】 · 〔0238a01〕攞【大】＊｜欏【宮】＊（＊同校並繫〔0238a02〕〔0238a11〕〔0238a12〕之攞字） · 〔0238b07〕曰【大】｜言【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0239a29〕辨【大】｜辯【宮】 · 〔0239b17〕歷【大】｜塵【聖】 · 〔0239b25〕昇【大】｜升【宋】【元】【明】 · 〔0240a11〕恒【大】｜性【宋】 · 〔0240c17〕來入【大】｜入來【明】／來入【南藏】（明註曰入來南藏作來入）. (＊＝ 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.)
A further note upon the variant readings: 5 CBETA emendations (not counted among the Taishō collation notes listed above): 〔0237b17〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0237b18〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0237b18〕婆【CB】【麗-CB】｜波【大】 · 〔0238a16〕伽【CB】【麗-CB】｜迦【大】 · 〔0238a16〕伽【CB】【麗-CB】｜迦【大】.

華嚴經 品三十 阿僧祇品Avataṃsaka Sūtra · Asaṃkhyeya