華嚴經 品三十九 入法界品 · 彌伽（寄生貴住）Avataṃsaka Sūtra · Entering the Dharma Realm · Megha (Assigned to the Abode of Noble Birth)

The name of this section takes a different form in each of the two translations and the two commentaries—the eighty-fascicle text reads 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” while the Tanxuan ji reads 「彌加」 tr. “Mijia” and glosses it as 「此翻名雲」 tr. “this is rendered by the name Cloud”; the place where the Dharma is told is, in the eighty-fascicle text, 「自在城」 tr. “the city of Sovereignty” and 「市肆」 tr. “the market shops,” whereas the sixty-fascicle text reads 「呪藥城」 tr. “the city of Spell-Medicine” and its man is 「良醫」 tr. “the good physician.” As for the dharma gate conferred, the eighty-fascicle text reads 「輪字莊嚴法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the adornment of the wheel of letters” and what is obtained is 「妙音陀羅尼」 tr. “the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī,” while the sixty-fascicle text reads 「輪字莊嚴光經」 tr. “the sūtra of the light of the adornment of the wheel of letters” and what is obtained is 「所言不虛法門」 tr. “the dharma gate wherein what is spoken is not false.” The skeleton lies in Chengguan's six parts: seeking in accord with the teaching · seeing, paying respect, and inquiring · praising and conferring the Dharma · humbling oneself and deferring to the superior · pointing to the next friend · cherishing his virtue, bowing, and taking leave. The most singular thing in this section is that the good friend comes down from his seat and bows to the youth who seeks the Dharma—Chengguan glosses the reason for it, attaching it to 「菩提心是佛因故」 tr. “because the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood,” and citing the simile of the first moon from the Fajie wu chabie lun. The numbers in the sūtra text: Sudhana asks twelve sentences (the first two general · the remaining ten particular) · the sentences with the word 「則」 tr. “then that is” in the praising of the giving rise of the mind number twenty-two · the sentences of 「所謂」 tr. “that is to say” number eleven · the sentences on the dharma of praising the bodhisattva number four · the similes number thirteen · the sentences of deferring to the superior number fourteen—all counted word by word.

I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement

Chengguan's six-part outline—the skeleton of the whole text of this section:

〔T35n1735 0926c10〕「第四彌伽，寄生貴住，亦具六分。第一依教趣求，中二：先念前友教。十句，初總，即前所得法門；「深信」〔0926c13〕已下皆別起觀修。」 tr. “The fourth, Megha, is assigned to the abode of noble birth, and it too has the six parts complete. The first is seeking in accord with the teaching, and within it are two: first, being mindful of the teaching of the previous friend. Ten sentences: the first is the general, that is, the dharma gate obtained before; from ‘deeply believed’ onward, all are the particular giving rise of contemplation and cultivation.”

The names of the six parts are seen one by one in the text of the commentary: the second, from 「乃見其人」 tr. “then he saw that man” onward, is seeing, paying respect, and inquiring 〔0926c14〕; the third, from 「爾時彌伽」 tr. “at that time Megha” onward, is praising and conferring the Dharma 〔0926c22〕; the fourth, from 「善男子我唯」 tr. “son of good family, I know only” onward, is humbling oneself and deferring to the superior 〔0927b24〕; the fifth, from ‘son of good family, from here’ onward, is pointing to the next friend 〔0927b29〕; the sixth is cherishing his virtue, bowing, and taking leave (the commentary closes the outline of the previous friend, saying 「第六禮辭，可知」 tr. “the sixth, bowing and taking leave, can be known” 〔T35n1735 0926c10〕, and the inline note that follows it, 〔已下六十三經〕 tr. 〔already below, sixty-three, sūtra〕, is a note upon the fascicle division and not the main text; next comes 「第四彌伽，寄生貴住，亦具六分」 tr. “the fourth, Megha, is assigned to the abode of noble birth, and it too has the six parts complete” 〔0926c10–c11〕).

How the twelve sentences of the inquiring open and close:

〔T35n1735 0926c16〕「後「而我」〔0926c16〕下正問。有十二句，初二句總、餘十句別。釋通橫竪，橫釋可知，竪配十地，一證發心故不退」 tr. “After that, from ‘yet I’ onward is the asking directly. There are twelve sentences: the first two sentences are general, and the remaining ten are particular. The gloss runs both crosswise and lengthwise; the crosswise gloss can be known, and lengthwise they are matched to the ten grounds—one, because realizing the giving rise of the mind, therefore no retrogression”

Fazang's five-part outline (upon the sixty-fascicle text, differing from Chengguan's six both in name and in number):

「第四生貴住中，五分同前。初舉法勸修中，國通、城別。」 tr. “In the fourth, the abode of noble birth, the five parts are the same as before. In the first, the raising of the Dharma and the exhorting to cultivation, the land is the general and the city the particular.” 〔T35n1733 0458c11〕

Zhiyan's three-part outline (upon the sixty-fascicle text):

〔T35n1732 0092a25〕「第四生貴住菩薩，良醫名彌伽，入所言不虛法門，即初教勸、二「時善財」〔0092a26〕下依教趣入、三「良醫」〔0092a27〕下謂正入證。」 tr. “The bodhisattva of the fourth, the abode of noble birth: the good physician is named Megha, and he enters the dharma gate wherein what is spoken is not false. That is, first the teaching and exhorting; second, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, entering in accord with the teaching; third, from ‘the good physician’ onward, what is called the direct entering and realizing.”

II. Terminology

III. Similes and Rhetoric

(1) The thirteen similes praising the bodhisattva—the sūtra text tells by four sentences of Dharma what the bodhisattva is to beings (support and refuge · rescue and relief · place to rely upon · saving protection), and below them raises thirteen similes one after another: 「菩薩如風輪，持諸世間不令墮落惡趣故；如大地，增長眾生善根故；如大海，福德充滿無盡故；如淨日，智慧光明普照故」 tr. “The bodhisattva is like the wind-wheel, because it upholds the various worlds and does not let them fall down into the evil destinies; like the great earth, because it makes the roots of goodness of beings increase and grow; like the great ocean, because his merit is full and has no exhausting; like the pure sun, because the light of his wisdom shines everywhere” 〔T10n0279 0338a11〕, next 「如須彌，善根高出故；如明月，智光出現故；如猛將，摧伏魔軍故；如君主，佛法城中得自在故；如猛火，燒盡眾生我愛心故」 tr. “like Sumeru, because his roots of goodness stand high above all; like the bright moon, because the light of his wisdom appears; like a fierce general, because he crushes and subdues the armies of Māra; like a sovereign lord, because within the city of the Buddha's Dharma he obtains sovereignty; like a fierce fire, because it burns up entirely the mind of self-love in beings” 〔0338a14〕, and last 「如大雲，降霔無量妙法雨故；如時雨，增長一切信根芽故；如船師，示導法海津濟處故；如橋梁，令其得度生死海故」 tr. “like a great cloud, because it sends down measureless and wondrous rain of the Dharma; like timely rain, because it makes the sprouts of every root of faith increase and grow; like a ship's master, because he points out and leads to the fords and crossings of the ocean of the Dharma; like a bridge, because it lets them cross over the ocean of birth-and-death” 〔0338a17〕:

• The thirteen things the similes rest upon: the wind-wheel, the great earth, the great ocean, the pure sun, Sumeru, the bright moon, the fierce general, the sovereign lord, the fierce fire, the great cloud, timely rain, the ship's master, the bridge—counted word by word they are thirteen, with none left out and none repeated.
• What the similes are of is in every case 「菩薩」 tr. “the bodhisattva,” while the working displayed differs in each: upholding, growing, filling, illumining, standing high, appearing, crushing, sovereignty, burning, sending down, growing, leading, and crossing over.
• Chengguan attaches these thirteen similes to the four sentences of Dharma above: 「有十三喻，初二喻恃怙、次四喻拯濟、次君喻依處、餘喻救護。」 tr. “There are thirteen similes: the first two liken the support and refuge, the next four liken the rescue and relief, the next, the sovereign, likens the place to rely upon, and the rest liken the saving protection.” 〔T35n1735 0927a15〕

(2) The simile of the first moon of the bright half (cited by Chengguan)—glossing why the good friend comes down from his seat and bows to the youth:

〔T35n1735 0926c27〕「故《法界無差別論》云「敬禮菩提心者，如人禮白分初月，不禮滿月，以希現故，滿月由此故。」〔0926c27〕」 tr. “Therefore the Fajie wu chabie lun says, ‘One who reverently bows to the mind of awakening is like a man bowing to the first moon of the bright half, and not bowing to the full moon, because it is rare to appear, and because the full moon comes from this.’”

The first moon is the likeness for the first giving rise of the mind, and the full moon the likeness for the fruit of Buddhahood already accomplished—the reason one bows to the first moon and not to the full moon is, first, that the first moon is rare and hard to see, and second, that the full moon comes precisely from the first moon.

(3) The simile of the elephant's footprint (Chengguan citing Xianshou citing Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao glossing 「輪」 tr. “wheel”)—〔T35n1735 0927a20〕「一約字相，《楞伽》中云『字輪圓滿猶如象迹』〔T35n1735 0927a20〕等。」 tr. “First, in terms of the mark of the letter: the Laṅkāvatāra says, ‘the wheel of letters is full and complete like the footprint of an elephant,’ and the rest.” The fullness of an elephant's footprint is the likeness for the fullness of the wheel of letters.

(4) The simile of the peacock's tail-wheel (Chengguan citing the Piluzhena jing)—「謂此阿字輪，猶如孔雀尾輪光明圍繞，行者而住其中，即是住於佛位。」 tr. “That is, this wheel of the letter a is like the tail-wheel of a peacock with light encircling it, and the practitioner abiding within it is abiding in the stage of Buddhahood.” 〔T35n1735 0927b01〕 The encircling of the wheel-mark of a peacock's tail is the likeness for the laying out of the wheel of the letter a.

(5) What the market shops signify (Li Tongxuan)—「即如善財於市肆之上見彌伽長者說輪字經」 tr. “just as Sudhana upon the market shops saw the elder Megha expounding the sūtra of the wheel of letters” 〔T36n1739 0832b18〕, and below it he says 「即表生死市󱈎閙而常寂」 tr. “this signifies that the market of birth-and-death is clamorous and yet constantly still” 〔0832b19〕: the clamor of the market is the likeness for birth-and-death, and telling the Dharma within it signifies stillness within the clamor.

(6) The simile of Śakra's jeweled net (Li Tongxuan)—「又如帝釋寶網互為緣起，映徹重重。一字之中有無盡字句」 tr. “And it is like the jeweled net of Śakra, mutually making conditioned arising, reflecting through layer upon layer. Within one letter there are endless letters and phrases” 〔T36n1739 0832b21〕: the layer upon layer of mutual reflecting in Śakra's jeweled net is the likeness for one letter containing endless letters and phrases.

(7) The laying out of the sentences with the word 「則」 tr. “then that is”—the stretch praising the giving rise of the mind sets down twenty-two sentences with the word 「則」 tr. “then that is” one after another (counted word by word): the first ten sentences praise the virtue of the giving rise of the mind (from the lineage of the Buddhas not being cut off on to faith and understanding being firm), the next eleven are the reverence and guarding of the ten kings (from being upheld by the Tathāgatas on to being extolled and rejoiced over by the lords of the various worlds), and the last one is outward benefit to beings (the realms of beings all obtaining peace and ease). Chengguan judges the sections of it: 「於中三：初有十句，因德深廣，斯德終成功歸初發，而汝能發是謂希奇。」 tr. “Within it are three: first there are ten sentences—the virtue of the cause is deep and vast, and when in the end this virtue is accomplished the merit goes back to the first giving rise; and that you are able to give rise to it, this is what is called rare and wondrous.” 〔T35n1735 0927a06〕 〔0927a09〕「次「則為一切」〔0927a09〕下十王敬護。後「則今一切眾生界」〔0927a09〕下外益眾生。」 tr. “Next, from ‘then that is to be by all’ onward is the reverence and guarding of the ten kings. After that, from ‘then now all the realms of beings’ onward is outward benefit to beings.”

(8) The gathering up by the eleven sentences of 「所謂」 tr. “that is to say”—from 「所謂：令捨惡趣故，令出難處故，斷一切貧窮根本故」 tr. “That is to say: because it makes them leave behind the evil destinies, because it makes them come forth from the places of difficulty, because it cuts off the root of all poverty” 〔T10n0279 0338a03〕 onward, every sentence closes with 「故」 tr. “because,” eleven in all (counted word by word), running from leaving behind the evil destinies to abiding in the grounds of a bodhisattva, layer within layer from the coarse toward the fine.

IV. Collation with Parallel Translations

The Chinese collation editions for the principal sentences of the sūtra text of this section: Śikṣānanda, T279 (the base text · fascicle sixty-three) · Buddhabhadra, T278 (the Jin translation, the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, chapter thirty-four, Entering the Dharma Realm · fascicle forty-six). · Prajñā, T293 (the Zhenyuan forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, the Chapter on Entering the Inconceivable Realm of Liberation, the Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra · fascicle five). By the rule of this set, the forty-fascicle text serves chapter thirty-nine as a mirror supplied throughout, and so the three editions stand together in this section: sentences one through eight collate the base text with the Jin translation word for word, and sentence nine sets out separately what answers to them in the forty-fascicle text. In the forty-fascicle text the name of this friend reads 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” the same as in the eighty-fascicle text 〔T10n0293 0684a15〕, with the added appellation 「大士」 tr. “great being”; its text forms a line of its own, and what is word for word in it is recorded without its wording being used to supply the base text.

Sentence One　Seeking in Accord with the Teaching · Mindfulness of the Previous Dharma

What the differences attach to: (a) The name of the dharma gate conferred by the previous friend: the eighty reads 「法光明法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the light of the Dharma,” the sixty reads 「法光法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of Dharma-light.” (b) The next sentence in the eighty reads 「深信趣入」 tr. “deeply believed in it and went toward entering it,” the sixty reads 「具足法力」 tr. “was complete in the power of the Dharma.” (c) The eighty reads 「專念於佛」 tr. “was single-mindedly mindful of the Buddha,” the sixty reads 「正念諸佛」 tr. “was rightly mindful of the Buddhas.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Two　The Name of the City · The Appellation of the Man · The Number of the Assembly · The Sūtra Told

What the differences attach to: (a) The name of the city—the eighty reads 「自在城」 tr. “the city of Sovereignty,” the sixty reads 「呪藥城」 tr. “the city of Spell-Medicine.” Fazang, upon the sixty-fascicle text, judges 「國通、城別」 tr. “the land is the general and the city the particular,” and says 「名自在者，良醫於此攝化自在，故以為名」 tr. “it is named Sovereignty because the good physician here gathers and transforms with sovereignty, and so it is taken as the name” 〔T35n1733 0458c12〕—that is, the Tanxuan ji takes 「自在」 tr. “Sovereignty” as the name of the land and 「呪藥」 tr. “Spell-Medicine” as the name of the city, whereas the eighty-fascicle text reads directly 「至自在城」 tr. “came to the city of Sovereignty.” (b) The appellation of the man—the eighty calls him only by his name 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” the sixty calls him throughout 「良醫」 tr. “the good physician.” (c) The place where the Dharma is told—the eighty reads 「市肆中」 tr. “among the market shops,” the sixty reads 「正法堂」 tr. “the hall of the right Dharma.” (d) The number of the assembly—the eighty reads 「十千人眾」 tr. “an assembly of ten thousand persons,” the sixty reads 「一萬大眾」 tr. “a great assembly of one myriad.” (e) The name of what is told—the eighty reads 「輪字莊嚴法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the adornment of the wheel of letters,” the sixty reads 「輪字莊嚴光經」 tr. “the sūtra of the light of the adornment of the wheel of letters”. The several worthies' glosses upon the variant witnesses reading “wheel” or “discourse” are recorded without judgment; Fazang's explicit judgment is set out in the section below.

Fazang's Explicit Judgment

Fazang further records a matter of a variant witness and of collating the Sanskrit: 〔T35n1733 0459a02〕「有本錯作「論」〔0459a02〕字，諸德種種解釋。近勘兩本梵經，皆名「輪」〔0459a03〕字，請則改正。」 tr. “There are witnesses that wrongly read the word ‘discourse,’ and the several worthies have glossed it in every sort of way. Recently I collated two Sanskrit texts, and both name it with the word ‘wheel’; I ask that it accordingly be corrected.”

Sentence Three　The First and the Last of the Twelve Sentences of the Inquiring

What the differences attach to: (a) The form of address—the eighty reads 「聖者」 tr. “holy one,” the sixty reads 「大聖」 tr. “great holy one.” (b) The two general questions: the eighty reads 「云何學菩薩行？云何修菩薩道？」 tr. “How is he to study the practice of a bodhisattva? How is he to cultivate the path of a bodhisattva?” 〔T10n0279 0337c03〕, the sixty reads 「云何向菩薩行？云何學菩薩行？」 tr. “How is he to go toward the practice of a bodhisattva? How is he to study the practice of a bodhisattva?” 〔T09n0278 0692c24〕—the verbs and the order of the two texts differ one from the other. (c) The questions in both texts number twelve (counted word by word), and the items of their meaning answer to one another one by one. Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Four　The Determining and the Reverent Praising

What the differences attach to: (a) The eighty's two words 「遽即」 tr. “at once” describe his haste, and the sixty has them not. (b) Sudhana's answer: the eighty reads 「唯！我已先發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. “Yes! I have already given rise, before this, to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi” 〔T10n0279 0337c14〕, the sixty reads the two words 「唯然」 tr. “Yes indeed” 〔T09n0278 0693a06〕. (c) What is scattered differs in the two texts: the eighty has 「無價寶珠」 tr. “priceless jewels” and 「上妙碎末栴檀」 tr. “finest and most wondrous powdered candana,” the sixty has 「無價摩尼」 tr. “priceless maṇi,” 「勝末栴檀」 tr. “surpassing powdered candana,” and 「無價寶衣」 tr. “priceless jeweled robes.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Five　The Sentence Form of the Praising of the Giving Rise of the Mind

What the differences attach to: (a) The sentence form—the eighty crowns every sentence with the word 「則」 tr. “then” (“then that is” seventeen · “then it causes” two · “then he understands as it truly is” one · “then he is able” one · “then he is with” one) and nineteen of them carry it on with 「一切…」 tr. “all …” (the three that do not being “then he understands as it truly is,” “then he is able to see clearly,” and “then it causes faith and understanding”), counted word by word twenty-two sentences; the sixty crowns the first sentence with 「則為」 tr. “then that is” and closes most of the sentences below it with the word 「性」 tr. “nature” (the nature of Buddhas · the nature of fields · the nature of beings · the nature of the Dharma as it truly is · the nature of karma · the nature of the bodhisattva practice · the nature of great vows · the nature of freedom from desire · the nature of all dharmas), not crowning each sentence again. (b) The verb of the first sentence: the eighty reads 「不斷」 tr. “not be cut off,” the sixty reads 「守護」 tr. “guard.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Six　The Things the Thirteen Similes Praising the Bodhisattva Rest Upon

What the differences attach to: (a) The sentence form—the eighty's first sentence reads 「菩薩如風輪」 tr. “the bodhisattva is like the wind-wheel,” and the twelve similes below it carry it on as 「如大地」 tr. “like the great earth,” 「如大海」 tr. “like the great ocean,” and the rest, while the sixty raises 「菩薩為」 tr. “the bodhisattva is” again in every sentence. (b) The things the similes rest upon differ item by item: the eighty's 「淨日」 tr. “pure sun” the sixty reads as 「日」 tr. “sun”; the eighty's 「明月」 tr. “bright moon” the sixty reads as 「月」 tr. “moon”; the eighty's 「猛將」 tr. “fierce general” the sixty reads as 「大將」 tr. “great general”; the eighty's 「君主」 tr. “sovereign lord” the sixty reads as ‘a good and worthy man who is lord and king’; the eighty's 「猛火」 tr. “fierce fire” the sixty reads as 「火」 tr. “fire”; the eighty's 「大雲」 tr. “great cloud” the sixty reads as 「雲」 tr. “cloud”; the eighty's 「時雨」 tr. “timely rain” the sixty reads as 「正見」 tr. “right view”; the eighty's 「船師」 tr. “ship's master” the sixty reads as 「方」 tr. “a boat.” (c) The eighty reads 「如猛火，燒盡眾生我愛心故」 tr. “like a fierce fire, because it burns up entirely the mind of self-love in beings” 〔T10n0279 0338a16〕, and the sixty reads 「菩薩為火，能燒眾生諸貪愛故」 tr. “the bodhisattva is fire, because it is able to burn up the various cravings and loves of beings” 〔T09n0278 0693b08〕—what is burned is, in the eighty, 「我愛心」 tr. “the mind of self-love,” and in the sixty 「諸貪愛」 tr. “the various cravings and loves.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Seven　The Name of the Dharma Gate Obtained and the Ocean Sentences of the Deferring to the Superior

What the differences attach to: (a) The name of the dharma gate differs—the eighty reads 「妙音陀羅尼」 tr. “the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” (and at the place of the humbling of himself it further reads 「妙音陀羅尼光明法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” 〔T10n0279 0338b03〕), while the sixty reads 「所言不虛法門」 tr. “the dharma gate wherein what is spoken is not false”; this is the greatest difference of name between the two translations in this section. (b) The sentences of the deferring to the superior: the eighty, counted word by word, has fourteen sentences (four oceans of notion, designation, name, and speech · seven oceans of dharma-phrases · the ocean of spells and arts · the wheel of the adornment of sounds · the utmost bound of the wheels of letters), while the sixty has ten sentences crowned with 「隨順深入」 tr. “according with and entering deeply” and has besides neither 「呪術海」 tr. “the ocean of spells and arts” nor 「字輪際」 tr. “the utmost bound of the wheels of letters,” and at the end sets forth separately 「逮得一切圓滿莊嚴，微妙音聲，出生分別諸文字輪」 tr. “attaining all full and complete adornment, the finely wondrous sound, and bringing forth and distinguishing the various wheels of written letters” 〔T09n0278 0693c02〕. (c) The eighty crowns the sentences with 「能普入」 tr. “able universally to enter,” the sixty crowns them with 「隨順深入」 tr. “according with and entering deeply.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Eight　Pointing to the Next Friend, and the Bowing and Taking Leave

What the differences attach to: (a) Where the next friend dwells: the eighty reads 「聚落」 tr. “a village,” the sixty reads 「國土」 tr. “a land,” while the name is alike 「住林」 tr. “Abiding Grove.” (b) The four questions charged: the eighty reads ‘cultivate · accomplish · gather · ponder’ 〔T10n0279 0338b12〕, the sixty reads ‘go toward · cultivate · accomplish · ponder’ 〔T09n0278 0693c05〕. (c) The text of the bowing and taking leave: the eighty is complete with the marks 「涕泗悲泣」 tr. “wept and sobbed” 〔T10n0279 0338b16〕 and 「戀慕瞻仰」 tr. “cherished and gazed up at him,” while the sixty abridges them directly with 「乃至」 tr. “and so on up to.” Recorded without judgment.

Sentence Nine　What Answers to Them in the Forty-Fascicle Text (T293)

What the differences attach to: (a) The names of the land and the city: the eighty reads only 「至自在城」 tr. “came to the city of Sovereignty,” the forty reads 「至達邏比吒國，入金剛層城」 tr. “came to the land of Daluobizha and entered the city of Diamond Tiers” 〔T10n0293 0684a14〕, and the sixty reads 「入呪藥城」 tr. “entered the city of Spell-Medicine” 〔T09n0278 0692c18〕; the names of the land and city in the forty answer to those pointed to in the stretch on the previous friend. (b) In the section of mindfulness of the previous Dharma the eighty has ten sentences, while the text of the forty is fuller and the order of its sentences differs: the eighty reads 「不斷三寶」 tr. “did not let the Three Jewels be cut off,” the forty 「紹三寶種」 tr. “continued the seed of the Three Jewels”; the forty has the two sentences 「念法威力，順佛所行」 tr. “was mindful of the majestic power of the Dharma, accorded with what the Buddha practices,” which the eighty has not. (c) In the section of the seeing, the forty has the further matter 「處高臺上」 tr. “upon a high platform,” while the eighty reads only 「坐於說法師子之座」 tr. “seated upon the lion seat for telling the Dharma”; as for the name of what is told, the eighty reads 「說輪字莊嚴法門」 tr. “expounding the dharma gate of the adornment of the wheel of letters,” the forty 「廣說輪字莊嚴法門」 tr. “expounding at length the dharma gate of the adornment of the wheel of letters.” (d) As for the reason for coming down from the seat, the forty marks it in the sūtra text itself, 「由為尊重菩提心故」 tr. “because he held the mind of awakening in reverence” 〔T10n0293 0684b04〕, and reads 「一心禮敬」 tr. “paid homage with a single mind,” while the eighty reads only 「於善財所五體投地」 tr. “before Sudhana cast his five limbs to the ground”—the forty states the reason plainly at the place of homage, 「由為尊重菩提心故」 tr. “because he held the mind of awakening in reverence” 〔T10n0293 0684b04〕; Chengguan, glossing the eighty, separately gives it as 「菩提心是佛因故，能廣出生諸功德故」 tr. “because the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood, and because it gives rise broadly to all merits” 〔T35n1735 0926c26〕—the sūtra's own reason and the commentator's gloss stand in two layers. (e) The number of the questions of inquiry is twelve in both editions (counted word for word; the number in the forty does not include the four questions for the next friend nor the one question of deferring to the superior); the wording differs, as where the eighty reads 「云何得平等意堅固不動」 tr. “how is he to obtain a mind of equality, firm and unmoving,” the forty reads 「云何心得堅固，勤求佛法無有厭倦」 tr. “how is his mind to obtain firmness, seeking the Buddha-Dharma diligently without weariness.” (f) In the praising of the giving rise of the mind, the eighty has twenty-two sentences of 「則」 tr. “then” counted word for word, the forty twenty-three (twelve with 「則為」 tr. “then that is,” one with 「則能」 tr. “then he is able,” one with 「則與」 tr. “then that is together with,” eight with 「則得」 tr. “then that is to obtain,” one with 「則令」 tr. “then that is to cause”); the last sentence on the lords of the worlds reads in the eighty 「則為一切諸世間主稱揚慶悅」 tr. “then that is to be extolled and rejoiced over by all the lords of the various worlds,” and in the forty 「則得一切諸世間主同心慶悅」 tr. “then that is to obtain that all the lords of the various worlds rejoice with one mind.” The sentences of 「所謂」 tr. “that is to say” below them are eleven in both editions (counted word for word). (g) The opening of the stretch praising the bodhisattva: the eighty first sets up the four sentences of the Dharma (a support to rely on · a rescue · a place of resort · a protection) and then attaches thirteen similes to them; the forty has not these four sentences, but raises the whole directly with 「何以故？菩薩出世與諸眾生為大利益」 tr. “why is it so? Because a bodhisattva's appearing in the world is a great benefit to all beings,” and lists nineteen similes (counted word for word, nineteen: father and mother · necklace · ferryman · dwelling house · caravan leader · blazing sun · sovereign · fierce fire · great cloud · timely rain · boat · bridge · ford · wind-wheel · great earth · great ocean · full moon · fierce general · Sumeru). Ten items are shared by both editions (ferryman · sovereign · great cloud · timely rain · bridge · wind-wheel · great earth · great ocean · fierce general · Sumeru), three differ in form (the eighty's pure sun / the forty's blazing sun · the eighty's bright moon / the forty's full moon · the eighty's fierce fire / the forty's blazing fire), and six belong to the forty alone (father and mother · necklace · dwelling house · caravan leader · boat · ford). (h) The order of ascending again to the seat and of emitting light differs: in the eighty, 〔T10n0279 0338a19〕「彌伽如是讚歎善財」 tr. “Megha, having praised Sudhana in this way,” he first emits light and gathers the assembly, tells the wheel of letters, and they obtain benefit, and only after this, 〔0338a25〕「彌伽於是還昇本座」 tr. “Megha thereupon ascended again to his own former seat,” does he confer the wondrous sound; the forty reads 「是時，彌伽還昇本座，從其面門放種種光」 tr. “at that time Megha ascended again to his own former seat and from his mouth emitted every sort of light” 〔T10n0293 0684c27〕, the ascending again standing before the emitting of light. (i) The name of the dharma gate obtained: the eighty reads 「妙音陀羅尼」 tr. “the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” and, at the humbling of himself, 「妙音陀羅尼光明法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī”; the forty reads 「妙音陀羅尼光明法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” directly at the conferring of the Dharma; the sixty reads 「所言不虛法門」 tr. “the dharma gate in which what is said is not vain.” Fazang records the name in the text from India as 「得妙音陀羅尼法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of obtaining the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” 〔T35n1733 0459b10〕. (j) In the sentences of deferring to the superior, the eighty has fourteen word for word, headed by 「能普入」 tr. “able universally to enter,” and the forty fifteen, headed by 「普能隨入」 tr. “universally able to follow and enter” (counted word for word, fifteen); the last three sentences of the forty read 「一切世界種種眾生音聲語言際」 tr. “the utmost bound of the sounds and speech of the manifold beings of all worlds” 〔T10n0293 0685b17〕, 「一切諸佛清淨法輪，圓滿莊嚴際」 tr. “the utmost bound of the pure wheel of the Dharma of all the Buddhas, perfect in adornment” 〔0685b18〕, and 「一切世間種種字輪，普遍出生顯示諸法際」 tr. “the utmost bound of the manifold wheels of letters of all the worlds, universally bringing forth and displaying the dharmas” 〔0685b19〕, while the eighty reads 「一切音聲莊嚴輪」 tr. “the wheel of the adornment of all sounds” and 「一切差別字輪際」 tr. “the utmost bound of all the differing wheels of letters.” (k) The name of the next friend and what is asked of him: the eighty reads 「長者，名曰：解脫」 tr. “an elder named Liberation,” the forty 「長者名住解脫」 tr. “an elder named Liberation of Abiding”; the four questions entrusted to him are in the eighty ‘cultivating · accomplishing · gathering · pondering,’ and in the forty ‘gathering and cultivating · bringing forth · accomplishing · pondering.’ As for the marks of the bowing and taking leave, the eighty reads 「涕泗悲泣」 tr. “weeping and shedding tears” and 「辭退而行」 tr. “took his leave and journeyed on,” the forty 「悲泣流淚」 tr. “wept and let his tears flow” and 「辭退南行」 tr. “took his leave and journeyed south.” All recorded, without judgment.

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

(1) Why the master bows to the disciple—the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood. The most singular thing in this section is that the master who tells the Dharma comes down from his seat and bows to a youth. Chengguan glosses the reason for it directly:

「所以師禮資者，以菩提心是佛因故，能廣出生諸功德故。」 tr. “The reason the master bows to the disciple is that the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood, and because it is able to bring forth all merits widely.” 〔T35n1735 0926c25〕

Below this he cites a treatise as proof, and sets it forth with the simile of the first moon and the full moon: 「敬禮菩提心者，如人禮白分初月，不禮滿月，以希現故，滿月由此故。」 tr. “One who reverently bows to the mind of awakening is like a man bowing to the first moon of the bright half, and not bowing to the full moon, because it is rare to appear, and because the full moon comes from this.” 〔T35n1735 0926c27〕 He further cites 「發心畢竟二不別，如是二心先心難。」 tr. “The giving rise of the mind and the ultimate are two that are not different; of these two minds the former is the harder.” 〔0926c29〕 and concludes it with 「是故我禮初發心人。」 tr. “Therefore I bow to the person who has first given rise to the mind.” 〔0927a01〕

Chengguan further resolves one doubt—since he has bowed to him, why then does he ascend his own seat and tell the Dharma:

「況未說法未定為師，後授己法方升本座，不乖重法。前諸知識而不爾者，為僧敬俗，事不便故。」 tr. “Moreover, before the Dharma is told he is not yet settled as master, and when he comes to confer his own Dharma he returns to his own seat and speaks; thus he does not go against the honoring of the Dharma. The reason the good friends before did not do so is that for a monk to revere a layman is inconvenient in practice.” 〔T35n1735 0927a01〕

The friends before him—Cloud of Virtue, Ocean Cloud, and Well-Abiding—were all monks and did not perform this bow, while this friend performs it; Chengguan attaches the reason for it to the decorum of monk and layman, and not to the height or lowness of virtue.

(2) The two glosses, crosswise and lengthwise, of the twelve sentences of the inquiring. Chengguan sets up two ways of reading the twelve questions:

「釋通橫竪，橫釋可知，竪配十地，一證發心故不退；二不誤犯故；三得禪定故；四精進故；五入俗故須總持；六般若現故；七權實雙行為甚深義，得觀察智慧地故，具足辯才；八無功用方為正念；九力增上故；十智增上故。」 tr. “The gloss runs both crosswise and lengthwise; the crosswise gloss can be known, and lengthwise they are matched to the ten grounds: one, because realizing the giving rise of the mind, therefore no retrogression; two, because of not transgressing by mistake; three, because of obtaining meditative concentration; four, because of vigor; five, because entering the worldly, therefore he must hold all together; six, because wisdom appears; seven, because the twofold practice of the expedient and the real is the most profound meaning, and because he obtains the ground of the wisdom of observation, he is complete in eloquence; eight, only the effortless is right mindfulness; nine, because of the increase of power; ten, because of the increase of wisdom.” 〔T35n1735 0926c17〕

Crosswise, the ten sentences are laid out level, each being one meaning; lengthwise, the ten sentences are matched in order to the ten grounds. This lengthwise matching is Chengguan's outline, and not something the sūtra text marks of itself.

(3) The three senses of 「輪」 tr. “wheel” and the teaching of the wheel of letters. Chengguan first records the three senses that Xianshou cites from Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao:

〔T35n1735 0927a19〕「言輪字品莊嚴法門者，賢首引日照三藏解云：「輪有多義。一約字相，《楞伽》中云『字輪圓滿猶如象迹』〔T35n1735 0927a20〕等。二約所詮，盡理圓備，如輪滿足。三約用，謂妙音陀羅尼，有轉授義、滅惑義，如法輪等。即輪字教法，詮示莊嚴。」〔0927a20〕」 tr. “As for saying ‘the dharma gate of the adornment of the chapter on the wheel of letters,’ Xianshou cites Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao's gloss, which says: ‘Wheel has many senses. First, in terms of the mark of the letter: the Laṅkāvatāra says, “the wheel of letters is full and complete like the footprint of an elephant,” and the rest. Second, in terms of what is set forth: exhausting the principle, round and complete, like the fullness of a wheel. Third, in terms of function: that is, the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī, which has the sense of turning and conferring and the sense of extinguishing delusion, like the wheel of the Dharma and the rest. That is, the teaching of the wheel of letters sets forth and displays the adornment.’”

Having recorded it he judges it 「此釋已佳」 tr. “this gloss is already fine,” and further cites of himself the Chapter on the Wheel of Letters of the Piluzhena jing as a help: 「是遍一切處法門，謂菩薩若住此字輪法門，始從初發妙菩提心，乃至成佛，於是中間所有一切自利利他種種事業皆得成就。」 tr. “This is the dharma gate that pervades all places; that is, if a bodhisattva abides in this dharma gate of the wheel of letters, then from first giving rise to the wondrous mind of awakening on up to accomplishing Buddhahood, all the various works of benefiting himself and benefiting others in between are wholly accomplished.” 〔T35n1735 0927a25〕 And again 「如最初阿字，即是菩提之心。」 tr. “As for the very first letter a, it is the mind of awakening.” 〔0927a28〕 (the Shu carries a reading note 〔上〕 after the graph a) And he glosses why 「字輪」 tr. “the wheel of letters” is named a wheel: 「所謂字輪者，從此輪轉而生諸字輪，是生義。」 tr. “As for what is called the wheel of letters, from this turning of the wheel the various wheels of letters are born; this is the sense of birth.” 〔0927b04〕 And he glosses 「莊嚴」 tr. “adornment”: 「種種布列員位，故名莊嚴。」 tr. “Every sort of laying out of the ranks and places, and therefore it is named adornment.” 〔0927b13〕

(4) Why the wheel of letters is told at this stage. Chengguan attaches it to the turning of the order of stages—the Dharma of the previous friend was the light of markless wisdom, and this stage is about to enter the worldly, and so it must rely upon letters to signify the meaning:

「所以次前而辨斯者，前無礙解脫即無相智光，今將入俗兼存有無，寄字表義。又為總持令不失故。既為醫人，亦以字輪消伏障故；聖教中生，宜持字故。」 tr. “The reason it is set forth next after the one before is that the unobstructed liberation before was the light of the wisdom of the markless, and now, about to enter the worldly, both existence and nonexistence are kept together, and letters are relied upon to signify the meaning. Also, it is for the sake of holding all together, so that nothing is lost. Since he is a physician, he also uses the wheel of letters to dissolve and subdue obstructions; and because he is born within the holy teaching, it is fitting that he hold the letters.” 〔T35n1735 0927b14〕

The four words 「聖教中生」 tr. “born within the holy teaching” are precisely where the sense of 「生貴住」 tr. “the abode of noble birth” lies—born in the house of the Buddha, and so it is fitting that he hold the letters of the teaching.

(5) The substance of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī—the forty-two letters and the fourteen sounds. Chengguan judges the marking of the name and the displaying of the working of 「妙音陀羅尼」 tr. “the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī,” and points out that it is one with the dharma gate of the wheel of letters:

〔T35n1735 0927b19〕「妙音陀羅尼者標名，「能分別」〔0927b19〕下顯用。此妙音持，即前輪字法門。然字即四十二字，音即十四音，謂哀阿億伊等，以十四音遍入諸字，故出字無盡。」 tr. “‘The wondrous-sound dhāraṇī’ marks the name, and from ‘able to distinguish’ onward displays the working. This holding of the wondrous sound is the very gate of the wheel of letters above. Now the letters are the forty-two letters, and the sounds are the fourteen sounds—that is, ai, a, i, ī and the rest; and because the fourteen sounds enter everywhere into the letters, the letters that come forth are without end.”

The reason he is able to know all speech lies in this—the sounds enter everywhere into the letters, and so the letters are without end; the letters being without end, there is no speech that is not penetrated. Chengguan further concludes 「二處互舉，理實相成。」 tr. “The two places raise it up by turns, and in principle they truly complete each other.” 〔0927b23〕 The 「輪字」 tr. “wheel of letters” told in the market shops and the 「妙音」 tr. “wondrous sound” conferred upon the seat are two faces of one Dharma.

(6) The fourteen sentences of the deferring to the superior and the word 「際」 tr. “utmost bound”. Chengguan divides the senses of the fourteen sentences:

〔T35n1735 0927b25〕「後「如諸」〔0927b25〕下仰推勝進。別有十四句，前四可知，五詮深密故、六無餘說故、七法融時法故、八勝故、九勝中勝故，次三可知，十三十四即前所得。而言際者，窮理盡性故。」 tr. “After that, from ‘as for the various’ onward is looking up and deferring to the advance. Separately there are fourteen sentences: the first four can be known; the fifth is because it sets forth the profound and secret; the sixth because it tells without remainder; the seventh because the Dharma fuses the dharmas of time; the eighth because it is higher; the ninth because it is highest among the high; the next three can be known; the thirteenth and fourteenth are what he obtained above. And as for saying ‘utmost bound,’ it is because it exhausts principle and exhausts nature.”

In the last sentence, 「一切差別字輪際」 tr. “the utmost bound of all the differing wheels of letters,” the word 「際」 tr. “utmost bound” Chengguan glosses as exhausting principle and exhausting nature—it is not the bound of a boundary, it is the bound of the ultimate.

(7) What the abode of noble birth signifies. Fazang glosses this stage upon the name of the land and the name of the city:

「又表此位中種姓尊貴生在佛家，是故國名自在。城名呪藥者，謂於此城中放三昧光破無明闇，如呪除鬼病。說輪字法破餘煩惱，如藥療餘病。」 tr. “It also signifies that in this stage the lineage is noble and one is born in the house of the Buddha, and therefore the land is named Sovereignty. As for the city being named Spell-Medicine, it is that within this city he sends forth the light of samādhi and breaks the darkness of ignorance, as a spell removes sickness caused by demons; and telling the dharma of the wheel of letters breaks the remaining afflictions, as medicine cures the remaining sicknesses.” 〔T35n1733 0458c13〕

He further glosses the stage to which the good physician is assigned: 「以此寄當無流位故，滅障義顯，故以表之。」 tr. “Because this is assigned to the stage answering to the undefiled, the sense of extinguishing obstruction is manifest, and therefore it is signified by this.” 〔T35n1733 0458c20〕

VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators (the ancient worthies · marking the house)

Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 (the direct gloss upon the eighty-fascicle Avataṃsaka · principal)

The name of the outline: 「第四彌伽，寄生貴住，亦具六分。」 tr. “The fourth, Megha, is assigned to the abode of noble birth, and it too has the six parts complete.” 〔T35n1735 0926c10〕

How the ten sentences of mindfulness of the previous Dharma open: 〔T35n1735 0926c12〕「十句，初總，即前所得法門；「深信」〔0926c13〕已下皆別起觀修。文顯可知。」 tr. “Ten sentences: the first is the general, that is, the dharma gate obtained before; from ‘deeply believed’ onward, all are the particular giving rise of contemplation and cultivation. The text is plain and can be known.”

The three sections of the praising of the giving rise of the mind: 「於中三：初有十句，因德深廣，斯德終成功歸初發，而汝能發是謂希奇。其相多同〈初發心品〉。此中亦具深直悲心，可以意得。」 tr. “Within it are three: first there are ten sentences—the virtue of the cause is deep and vast, and when in the end this virtue is accomplished the merit goes back to the first giving rise; and that you are able to give rise to it, this is what is called rare and wondrous. Its marks are for the most part the same as in the Chapter on the First Giving Rise of the Mind. Here too there is the profound, the straight, and the compassionate mind, which may be got at by the sense.” 〔T35n1735 0927a06〕

The sense of the praising of the seeking of friends: 「第二讚求友中，以菩薩難遇而能求能遇，故知善財是深法器。亦預誡求友之心，故解脫處歷十二年不生疲厭。」 tr. “In the second, the praising of the seeking of friends: because the bodhisattva is hard to meet with and yet he is able to seek and able to meet, one knows that Sudhana is a deep vessel of the Dharma. It also warns beforehand the mind that seeks friends, and so at the place of Liberation he passes twelve years without giving rise to weariness.” 〔T35n1735 0927a10〕

The matching of the thirteen similes: 「有十三喻，初二喻恃怙、次四喻拯濟、次君喻依處、餘喻救護。」 tr. “There are thirteen similes: the first two liken the support and refuge, the next four liken the rescue and relief, the next, the sovereign, likens the place to rely upon, and the rest liken the saving protection.” 〔T35n1735 0927a15〕

The two sections of the conferring of the Dharma: 〔T35n1735 0927a16〕「第二「彌伽如是讚歎」〔0927a16〕下授己法門，中二：先現通益物，令其目覩；後「彌伽於是還升」〔0927a18〕下升座說授，令其聽聞。」 tr. “Second, from ‘Megha having praised in this way’ onward is the conferring of his own dharma gate, and within it are two: first the displaying of spiritual power to benefit things, causing them to see it with their own eyes; and after that, from ‘Megha thereupon ascended again’ onward, ascending the seat and telling and conferring, causing them to hear it.”

The sense of the name of the next friend: 「年耆德艾、事長於人，故稱長者。於其身內現無邊佛境，定用自在，故名解脫。」 tr. “Because he is advanced in years and ripe in virtue, and in his affairs is elder to others, he is called an elder. Because within his own body there appear boundless realms of the Buddhas and the working of his concentration is sovereign, he is named Liberation.” 〔T35n1735 0927c01〕

Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (the commentary on the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka)

The outline divided into five: 「第四生貴住中，五分同前。」 tr. “In the fourth, the abode of noble birth, the five parts are the same as before.” 〔T35n1733 0458c11〕

The sense of the name: 「彌加者，此翻名雲，謂能注法雨潤益眾生故名也。略無歎德，餘同前辨。」 tr. “As for Mijia, this is rendered by the name Cloud, and it is so named because he is able to pour down the rain of the Dharma and moisten and benefit beings. The praising of his virtue is abridged and absent; the rest is set forth as before.” 〔T35n1733 0458c21〕—the base text uses the letters 「彌加」 tr. “Mijia,” while the eighty-fascicle text reads 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha”; the two forms are recorded together without judgment.

The appellation of the good physician comes from his kind: 「以此良醫者，天竺本名達閉多。解云：此是種類之號，在南天竺，如此方吳楚等類。但此類中，此人善醫故，能以法藥善治惑病，故以為名。」 tr. “As for this good physician, in the text from India he is named Dabiduo. The gloss says: this is the appellation of a kind, in South India, like the kinds Wu and Chu and the rest in this land. But because within this kind this man is skilled in medicine, and is able with the medicine of the Dharma well to cure the sickness of delusion, it is therefore taken as his name.” 〔T35n1733 0458c16〕

How the ten sentences of mindfulness of the previous Dharma open (differing from Chengguan's 『初總餘別』 tr. “the first general and the rest particular”): 〔T35n1733 0458c24〕「十句中，初二句念所得所具、次「正念佛」〔0458c24〕下二句念所歸所離、次「念善知識」〔0458c25〕下二句念所求所度、次「於一切」〔0458c26〕下二句明護煩惱行、後「悉能」〔0458c27〕下二句護小乘行。」 tr. “Among the ten sentences, the first two sentences are mindfulness of what is obtained and what is possessed; the next two, from ‘rightly mindful of the Buddha’ onward, are mindfulness of what he returns to and what he leaves behind; the next two, from ‘mindful of the good friend’ onward, are mindfulness of what he seeks and whom he delivers; the next two, from ‘toward all’ onward, make clear the guarding against the practices of the afflictions; and the last two, from ‘wholly able’ onward, are the guarding against the practices of the lesser vehicle.”

The four divisions of seeing, paying respect, and requesting: 「第三見敬申請中四：先入見依報。二見正報法堂顯其正位。」 tr. “In the third, seeing, paying respect, and requesting, there are four: first, entering and seeing the dependent recompense. Second, seeing the proper recompense, the hall of the Dharma, which manifests his proper stage.” 〔T35n1733 0458c28〕

The three senses of the wheel of letters (of one source with what Chengguan records from Xianshou citing Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao, but differing in the letter): 「三約用，謂下所言不虛等，有傳授義滅惑義，如法輪等。即輪字，教法詮示，莊嚴光行。除障為光，證理為嚴。」 tr. “Third, in terms of function: that is, what is spoken below being not false and the rest, which has the sense of handing down and conferring and the sense of extinguishing delusion, like the wheel of the Dharma and the rest. That is, the wheel of letters, the teaching setting forth and displaying, the adornment and the light of practice. Removing obstruction is the light; realizing the principle is the adornment.” 〔T35n1733 0459a05〕

The two divisions of showing the Dharma realm: 〔T35n1733 0459a10〕「第四「爾時良醫」〔0459a10〕下明示法界中二：初敬歎法器、後授己法門。」 tr. “Fourth, from ‘at that time the good physician’ onward, making clear the showing of the Dharma realm, within which are two: first, revering and praising the vessel of the Dharma; after that, conferring his own dharma gate.”

Why does he bow—the three glosses of the ancients and Fazang's own further gloss: 「何故禮者？古釋云：顯敬法重人故」 tr. “Why does he bow? The ancient gloss says: to show that he reveres the Dharma and holds the person in weight” 〔T35n1733 0459a12〕; the second and third of the ancient glosses read 「又云：敬其道器也。又云：不輕末學也。」 tr. “It also says: he reveres him as a vessel of the Way. It also says: he does not slight one who learns late.” 〔0459a16〕 Fazang then brings forth a gloss of his own: 「今更釋：以菩提心是佛因故，重其果而敬其因，此敬則是行菩薩行故，示此軌則令眾倣學。」 tr. “Now a further gloss: because the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood, he holds the fruit in weight and so reveres the cause; and this reverence is itself the practising of the bodhisattva practice, showing this rule so that the assembly may model itself upon it.” 〔0459a17〕 And he brings forth yet another: 〔T35n1733 0459a19〕「又釋：佛果大心不足為難，創起大心此則為難，是故經云「發心畢竟二不別，如是二心前心難。自未得度先度他，故我頂禮初發心。」〔0459a21〕」 tr. “A further gloss: the great mind at the fruit of Buddhahood is not hard enough to count as hard; to raise the great mind for the very first time—this is hard. Therefore the sūtra says, ‘The giving rise of the mind and the ultimate are two that are not different, and of these two minds the former is the harder. Not yet delivered oneself, one delivers others first; therefore I bow my head to the first giving rise of the mind.’” Last he cites a treatise: 「如新翻《法界無差別論》中，敬禮菩提心者，如世間人禮白分初月不禮滿等，以希現故、滿月由此故。」 tr. “As in the newly translated Fajie wu chabie lun, one who bows to the mind of awakening is like a man of the world bowing to the first moon of the bright half and not to the full and the rest, because it is rare to appear, and because the full moon comes from this.” 〔0459a23〕—the treatise Chengguan cites is of the same source, while Fazang marks it as 「新翻」 tr. “newly translated.”

The three divisions of the praising of virtue, and the five pairs of causes in the first ten sentences: 〔T35n1733 0459a26〕「三「敬重」〔0459a26〕下明言中歎德中三：初十歎大心功德能。初二為佛果依正性。性者因也，以菩提心是因法，故皆云性。次二成所化因。次二成業行因。次二願智因，謂願常隨有，智恒離欲。後二為大果因，謂菩提涅槃也。」 tr. “Third, from ‘revering’ onward, making clear that within the praising of virtue in speech there are three: the first ten praise the working of the merit of the great mind. The first two are the nature of the dependent and proper recompense of Buddhahood. ‘Nature’ here means cause: because the mind of awakening is a dharma that is cause, therefore all of them say ‘nature.’ The next two are the cause that ripens those to be converted. The next two are the cause that completes the practice of karma. The next two are the cause of vow and wisdom—the vow constantly accompanying existence, the wisdom constantly free of desire. The last two are the cause of the great fruit, namely awakening and nirvāṇa.”—Fazang, reading the first ten sentences in the sixty, where each sentence closes with the word 「性」 tr. “nature,” runs the one phrase 「性者因也」 tr. “‘nature’ here means cause” through them all: the mind of awakening is a dharma that is cause, and so every 「性」 tr. “nature” in the ten sentences is to be taken as cause. The five pairs are: the cause of the dependent and proper recompense of Buddhahood · the cause of those to be converted · the cause of the practice of karma · the cause of vow and wisdom · the cause of the great fruit. Chengguan, reading the eighty, judges these same ten sentences as 「因德深廣，斯德終成功歸初發」 tr. “the virtue of the cause is deep and broad; when this virtue is at last accomplished, the merit goes back to the first giving rise of the mind” 〔T35n1735 0927a06〕—one house takes 「性」 tr. “nature” as cause and opens five pairs, the other speaks of the final accomplishment whose merit goes back to the first giving rise; each is its own track, recorded without judgment.

Having already bowed before, why does he now sit again: 「問：前既敬禮，今何故復坐？答：前未與法，非弟子故，致敬無咎；今現師位，是故還坐。」 tr. “Question: having already bowed before, why does he now sit again? Answer: before, he had not yet given the Dharma, and so the other was not a disciple, and there was no fault in his paying homage; now he manifests the standing of a master, and therefore he returns to his seat.” 〔T35n1733 0459b08〕 Chengguan reads 「未說法未定為師」 tr. “before the Dharma is told he is not yet settled as master,” Fazang 「非弟子故」 tr. “because the other was not a disciple”—the standing to which the two houses attach it differs.

The gloss of the name of the dharma gate in the sixty-fascicle text, and the text from India: 「所言不虛者，言必饒益故。天竺本名得妙音陀羅尼法門。解云：即是此中分別知天龍等語言是也。」 tr. “As for ‘what is said is not vain,’ it is because his words must benefit. The text from India names it the dharma gate of obtaining the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī. The gloss says: this is just the distinguishing and knowing of the speech of the gods and nāgas and the rest here.” 〔T35n1733 0459b10〕

The three divisions of deferring to the superior, and the close of the outline: 〔T35n1733 0459b12〕「第五「云何能說」〔0459b12〕下仰推勝進中三：初一句總舉。」 tr. “Fifth, from ‘how could I tell of it’ onward, deferring upward to the superior advance, within which are three: first, one sentence raising it in general.” Its second and third read 〔0459b13〕「二「彼諸菩薩」〔0459b13〕下別顯，十句悉是言音字句施設等，繁廣如海，勝進深入非己能知。三「逮得」〔0459b15〕下結彼所得深妙之法。」 tr. “Second, from ‘those bodhisattvas’ onward, displaying them one by one: the ten sentences are all of sounds, letters, phrases, settings-up and the like, manifold and vast as an ocean, a superior advance entered deeply and not to be known by oneself. Third, from ‘attaining’ onward, concluding the deep and wondrous Dharma they have obtained.” The words closing the outline: 〔0459b16〕「第四生貴住竟。」 tr. “The fourth, the abode of noble birth, is finished.”

Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a differing track of what things signify)

「四生貴住，明對治世間法則，及生死煩闠不自在障，令自在故。」 tr. “Fourth, the abode of noble birth, makes clear the countering of the rules of the world, and of the obstruction of unfreedom in the clamor of the afflictions of birth-and-death, so as to make one free.” 〔T36n1739 0832b17〕

「於一一字猶如車輪，一多圓滿互體相成。」 tr. “Every single letter is like the wheel of a cart; the one and the many are round and complete, and their substances complete each other.” 〔T36n1739 0832b20〕

「一字之中有無盡字句，為世間名句文身，引諸未學以成教軌，即俗士彌伽以成其行，為令得出世心。」 tr. “Within one letter there are endless letters and phrases, which make the bodies of names, phrases, and syllables in the world, drawing on those who have not yet studied so as to make the track of the teaching; that is, the layman Megha thereby accomplishes his practice, so as to make them obtain the mind that goes beyond the world.” 〔T36n1739 0832b21〕

「此當善財第四善知識彌伽長者說輪字法門，了俗諦法，而令愚黑者得出世樂故。」 tr. “This answers to Sudhana's fourth good friend, the elder Megha, telling the dharma gate of the wheel of letters, penetrating the dharma of the conventional truth, so as to make the foolish and benighted obtain the happiness that goes beyond the world.” 〔T36n1739 0830c04〕

The three glosses of the names (the direct gloss in the Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm): the name of the land—「國名達里鼻荼者，其國在南印土境，名義未譯。」 tr. “As for the land being named Daliebitu, that land lies within the borders of southern India, and the sense of the name has not been translated.” 〔T36n1739 0958c26〕 The name of the friend—「彌伽，此云能伏，為出世智已恒現前、世間智已得具足，真俗二智已滿，能伏邪見異論故，故名能伏。亦名為雲，以能有德蔭俗雨法故，故名為雲。」 tr. “Megha, this means Able to Subdue: because his world-transcending wisdom is already constantly present and his worldly wisdom already fully possessed, the twofold wisdom of the real and the conventional being already complete, he is able to subdue wrong views and heterodox doctrines, and therefore he is named Able to Subdue. He is also named Cloud, because he is able, having virtue, to shade the worldly and rain down the Dharma, and therefore he is named Cloud.” 〔0958c27〕 The name of the city—「城名自在者，明出世智已得現前，於世名言義智自在，故名自在。此依主立名也。」 tr. “As for the city being named Sovereignty, it makes clear that his world-transcending wisdom has already become present, and that in the wisdom of the meaning of the names and words of the world he is sovereign, and therefore it is named Sovereignty. This is a name established upon the possessor.” 〔0959a01〕

The outline of ten gates (differing alike from Chengguan's six parts, Fazang's five, and Zhiyan's three): 〔T36n1739 0959a04〕「第一正入當位法門。從「爾時善財童子」〔0959a04〕已下至「妙音陀羅尼光明法門」〔0959a05〕有六十七行經，約分為十門」 tr. “First, directly entering the dharma gate of the present stage. From ‘at that time the youth Sudhana’ down to ‘the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī’ there are sixty-seven lines of the sūtra, divided in outline into ten gates”, and the items are 「一正念其所授之法思惟勝進、二南行至處推覓彌伽、三見已致敬禮畢、四正申所求、五彌伽遽自下座五體投地敬初發心、六散金銀華無價寶為座令善財坐上、七稱讚善財而能發無上大菩提心為世所依、八彌伽面門放光集眾、九彌伽為眾說輪字品莊嚴門、十彌伽授與善財妙音陀羅尼光明法門。」 tr. “first, being rightly mindful of the Dharma conferred upon him and pondering it so as to advance; second, journeying south to the place and searching out Megha; third, having seen him, paying respect and completing the bow; fourth, directly setting forth what he seeks; fifth, Megha at once coming down from his seat himself, casting his five limbs to the ground, and revering the first giving rise of the mind; sixth, scattering golden and silver flowers and priceless jewels for a seat and having Sudhana sit upon them; seventh, praising Sudhana for being able to give rise to the unsurpassed great mind of awakening and so becoming that on which the world relies; eighth, Megha emitting light from his mouth and gathering the assembly; ninth, Megha telling the assembly the gate of the adornment of the classes of the wheel of letters; tenth, Megha conferring upon Sudhana the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī.” 〔0959a06〕

The ground of coming down from the seat and paying homage (a track differing from Chengguan's 「菩提心是佛因」 tr. “the mind of awakening is the cause of Buddhahood”): 「彌伽所以遽自下座五體投地致敬善財者，遽者疾也，明彌伽致敬能發大菩提心者，與十方諸佛同一體性、同一智慧、同一解脫，人天所依，何得不敬。」 tr. “As for why Megha at once came down from his seat himself, cast his five limbs to the ground, and paid homage to Sudhana: ‘at once’ means swiftly. It makes clear that Megha paid homage to one able to give rise to the great mind of awakening, who is of one and the same substance, one and the same wisdom, one and the same liberation with the Buddhas of the ten directions, and is that on which gods and men rely—how could he not revere him?” 〔T36n1739 0959a14〕 And he attaches it to the order of the two wisdoms: 「以表俗諦差別智敬真諦根本智，以俗智是根本智中起故。」 tr. “thus signifying that the differentiating wisdom of the conventional truth reveres the root wisdom of the real truth, because the conventional wisdom arises from within the root wisdom.” 〔0959a24〕

What the abode of noble birth signifies: 「又此第四生貴住，明三界業謝，名生在佛家。第四地亦名生在佛家，與此住位同知同得、同見其法，依本而安立之。」 tr. “Moreover this fourth, the abode of noble birth, makes clear that the karma of the three realms has fallen away, and it is named being born into the house of the Buddha. The fourth ground is likewise named being born into the house of the Buddha, and with this abode it knows the same, obtains the same, and sees the same Dharma; it is established upon that root.” 〔T36n1739 0959b02〕

The gloss upon the wheel of letters—names have no own-nature, and host and companion: 「如是互為主伴、互為莊嚴。有無緣起皆無自性」 tr. “In this way they are host and companion to one another and adornment to one another. Existence and non-existence arise conditioned, and both are without own-nature” 〔T36n1739 0959b13〕; 「眾生及名字言音皆無自性，以此名字圓滿清淨，音聲無所障礙。」 tr. “Beings, and names and the sounds of speech, are all without own-nature, and therefore these names are perfect and pure, and the sounds are without any obstruction.” 〔0959b14〕; 「皆一一字中有無盡義，猶如帝網影像相入。」 tr. “In every single letter there are meanings without end, like the images in Śakra's jeweled net entering into one another.” 〔0959c03〕 The reason for the name of the dharma gate: 「以智體性，隨其類音皆令歡喜而得解脫故，名妙音陀羅尼光明法門。」 tr. “Because by the substance and nature of wisdom he accords with the sounds of their several kinds and causes them all to rejoice and to obtain liberation, it is named the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī.” 〔0959c07〕

The perfection of this stage, and the layman as its mark: 「此第四生貴住善知識，以精進波羅蜜為體，餘九為伴。」 tr. “This good friend of the fourth, the abode of noble birth, has the perfection of vigor as his substance, and the remaining nine as companions.” 〔T36n1739 0959c08〕; 「前三善友明出世智慧，明三比丘表之。此彌伽及解脫長者二人，明處世間解脫故，還以俗士表之。」 tr. “The three good friends before make clear world-transcending wisdom, and three monks are the mark of it. These two, Megha and the elder Liberation, make clear liberation while dwelling in the world, and so a layman is again the mark of it.” 〔0959c11〕

The four gates of the second, advancing to the stage before: 〔T36n1739 0959c14〕「第二昇進前位門中，從「如諸菩薩摩訶薩」〔0959c14〕已下至「辭退而行」〔0959c15〕有十四行經，約分為四門：一推德於先、二示其善友所在、三舉善友之名、四頂禮辭去。」 tr. “Within the second, the gate of advancing to the stage before: from ‘as for the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas’ down to ‘took his leave and journeyed on’ there are fourteen lines of the sūtra, divided in outline into four gates: first, deferring the virtue to those before him; second, showing where that good friend is; third, raising the name of that good friend; fourth, bowing his head and taking his leave.” The reason no separate land is set up: 「此不推別有國土，但南行有一聚落者，明同處俗流。以精進波羅蜜與禪波羅蜜大體不二故，所以不別國也。」 tr. “Here he does not defer to there being a separate land, but says only that journeying south there is a village—this makes clear that they dwell alike among worldly folk. Because the perfection of vigor and the perfection of meditation are in their main substance not two, therefore the land is not made separate.” 〔0959c17〕

Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732

The outline divided into three: 〔T35n1732 0092a25〕「第四生貴住菩薩，良醫名彌伽，入所言不虛法門，即初教勸、二「時善財」〔0092a26〕下依教趣入、三「良醫」〔0092a27〕下謂正入證。」 tr. “The bodhisattva of the fourth, the abode of noble birth: the good physician is named Megha, and he enters the dharma gate wherein what is spoken is not false. That is, first the teaching and exhorting; second, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, entering in accord with the teaching; third, from ‘the good physician’ onward, what is called the direct entering and realizing.”

The seven sections of entering in accord with the teaching: 〔T35n1732 0092a28〕「二依教趣入中有七：初辭進；二「爾時一心」〔0092a29〕下念前法門令其成滿；三「漸至」〔0092a29〕下進向勝分；四「入祝藥城」〔0092b01〕下依教簡擇；五見相；六敬儀；七請問，有二可知。」 tr. “Second, within entering in accord with the teaching there are seven: first, taking leave and advancing; second, from ‘at that time, single-mindedly’ onward, being mindful of the previous dharma gate so as to bring it to fullness; third, from ‘little by little he came’ onward, advancing toward the surpassing portion; fourth, from ‘entered the city of Spell-Medicine’ onward, selecting in accord with the teaching; fifth, seeing the mark; sixth, the manner of reverence; seventh, requesting and asking, which has two and can be known.”

The three sections of the direct entering and the five sections of the praising of the giving rise of the mind: 〔T35n1732 0092b02〕「三正入中有三：初歎發心、二「爾時良醫稱揚」〔0092b03〕下說自分法、三「云何能說」〔0092b04〕仰推勝分。初文有五：一審發心、二明答、三禮供養、四「敬重」〔0092b05〕下歎發心功德、五「當知菩薩」〔0092b06〕下通歎菩薩化德。」 tr. “Third, within the direct entering there are three: first, praising the giving rise of the mind; second, from ‘at that time the good physician extolled’ onward, telling the dharma of his own portion; third, ‘how could I tell,’ looking up and deferring to the surpassing portion. The first passage has five: one, determining the giving rise of the mind; two, the clear answer; three, bowing and making offering; four, from ‘reverence’ onward, praising the merit of the giving rise of the mind; five, from ‘you should know that a bodhisattva’ onward, praising throughout the transforming virtue of the bodhisattva.”

The four sections of telling the Dharma of his own part: 〔T35n1732 0092b09〕「第二說自分法中有四：初明口放光集眾；二「時彼良醫」〔0092b10〕下廣辨智慧法門；三「所應作已」〔0092b11〕下攝儀歸本，有三：初歸、次說法門名、三明德用」 tr. “Second, in the telling of the Dharma of his own part there are four: first, making clear the emitting of light from the mouth and the gathering of the assembly; second, from ‘at that time that good physician’ onward, setting forth at length the dharma gate of wisdom; third, from ‘what was to be done being done’ onward, gathering in the observance and returning to the root, within which are three: first the returning, next the telling of the name of the dharma gate, third the making clear of the working of its virtue”—beneath the third of these four sections Zhiyan opens three further small sections, which is one of the finest-grained places in the outlines of all the houses upon this section.

The two sections of the concluding and deferring upward: 〔T35n1732 0092b12〕「第四結仰推中有二：初總、次「彼諸」〔0092b13〕下別也。」 tr. “Fourth, in the concluding and deferring upward there are two: first the general, next, from ‘those’ onward, the particular.”

Recorded Without Judgment

As for the outline of this section, Chengguan opens six parts (seeking in accord with the teaching · seeing, paying respect, and inquiring · praising and conferring the Dharma · humbling oneself and deferring to the superior · pointing to the next friend · cherishing his virtue, bowing, and taking leave), Fazang upon the sixty-fascicle text opens five parts, and Zhiyan upon the sixty-fascicle text opens three parts and beneath entering in accord with the teaching further sets up seven sections and beneath the direct entering further sets up three sections; the numbers the three houses obtain and what they attach to are both different. As for how the ten sentences of mindfulness of the previous Dharma open and close, Chengguan makes it 『初總餘別』 tr. “the first general and the rest particular” (one general and nine particular), while Fazang makes it five pairs (what is obtained and what is possessed · what he returns to and what he leaves behind · what he seeks and whom he delivers · the guarding against the practices of the afflictions · the guarding against the practices of the lesser vehicle)—the one a division of one and nine, the other a pairing two by two. As for the sense of the good friend's name, Fazang attaches it to 「此翻名雲」 tr. “this is rendered by the name Cloud” and glosses it with the pouring down of the rain of the Dharma, Zhiyan's Kongmu zhang reads in its main text 「五名彌伽良醫」 tr. “the fifth is named Megha, the good physician” 〔T45n1870 0589a03〕, with the inline note 〔此方名多雲〕 tr. 〔in this land the name is Many Clouds〕 under the name and the inline note 〔祝藥者說藥也〕 tr. 〔one who spells medicines, that is, one who tells of medicines〕 under “the good physician,” and Li Tongxuan glosses the name separately, saying 「彌伽，此云能伏」 tr. “as for Megha, this means Able to Subdue” 〔T36n1739 0958c27〕, and further records 「亦名為雲，以能有德蔭俗雨法故」 tr. “he is also named Cloud, because he is able, having virtue, to shade the worldly and rain down the Dharma” 〔0958c29〕, and takes the market shops as signifying the clamor and stillness of birth-and-death. As for what this stage signifies, Fazang attaches it to 「種姓尊貴生在佛家」 tr. “the lineage is noble and one is born in the house of the Buddha” 〔T35n1733 0458c13〕 and takes the names of the land and the city as proof, while Li Tongxuan attaches it to 「對治世間法則」 tr. “the countering of the rules of the world” and takes the mutual completing of the one and the many in the wheel of letters as proof. As for the three senses of the wheel of letters, Chengguan records the text of Tripiṭaka Master Rizhao as cited by Xianshou and further cites the Chapter on the Wheel of Letters of the Piluzhena jing to help it, while the third of the three senses Fazang records, the sense in terms of function, reads 「所言不虛」 tr. “what is spoken is not false” (the name of the dharma gate in the sixty-fascicle text) whereas Chengguan reads 「妙音陀羅尼」 tr. “the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī” (the name of the dharma gate in the eighty-fascicle text). All these divergent interpretations are the established sayings of the ancient worthies; they are recorded, without judging which is higher.

VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage

The text of this section: the chains of lineage all turn back directly upon cross-readings already made by the ancient worthies:

• Zhiyan, Huayan jing kongmu zhang T45n1870: in the list of the names of the good friends (forty-six entries in the original table), this friend stands fifth—「初文殊師利　二名功德雲比丘」 tr. “first, Mañjuśrī; the second is named the monk Merit Cloud” 〔T45n1870 0589a01〕, 「三名海雲比丘　四名善住比丘」 tr. “the third is named the monk Ocean Cloud; the fourth is named the monk Well-Abiding” 〔0589a02〕, 「五名彌伽良醫」 tr. “the fifth is named Megha, the good physician” 〔0589a03〕. The name reads 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” the same as in the eighty-fascicle text; 「良醫」 tr. “the good physician” is likewise the main text of the Kongmu zhang and not a note—the inline note under the name is 〔此方名多雲〕 tr. 〔in this land the name is Many Clouds〕, and the inline note under “the good physician” is 〔祝藥者說藥也〕 tr. 〔one who spells medicines, that is, one who tells of medicines〕; the appellation 「良醫」 tr. “the good physician” is taken from the sixty-fascicle text. This list is the simplest skeleton of the order of the good friends in the Huayan house.
• Fazang's Tanxuan ji and its record of collating the Sanskrit: 〔T35n1733 0459a02〕「近勘兩本梵經，皆名「輪」〔0459a03〕字，請則改正。」 tr. “Recently I collated two Sanskrit texts, and both name it with the word ‘wheel’; I ask that it accordingly be corrected.”—this is a collation note made by an ancient worthy upon the two forms 「輪」 tr. “wheel” and 「論」 tr. “discourse” in differing witnesses, and the name in this section is settled upon 「輪」 tr. “wheel” accordingly.
• The three texts Chengguan cites: the Fajie wu chabie lun (glossing the bowing to one who has first given rise to the mind) 〔T35n1735 0926c27〕 · the Laṅkāvatāra (glossing the wheel of letters as like the footprint of an elephant) 〔0927a20〕 · the Chapter on the Wheel of Letters of the Piluzhena jing (glossing the wheel of the letter a and the five letters of the three divisions) 〔0927a24〕. The texts of all three are cited at second hand by Chengguan, and the face of lineage in this section lies only within this citing at second hand.
• Chengguan's Yanyi chao T36n1736 (the Shu's gloss upon itself): upon the text of the Shu in this section the Chao glosses sentence by sentence (the Chao being the Shu's own gloss upon itself, and also what this edition relies on in checking the relation of the citations to the sūtras), and it divides who speaks in the Shu from who speaks in the Chao. First, it divides the Shu's adducing of proof into two: 〔T36n1736 0669c11〕「先正釋，以敬法重人故；二「故法界」〔0669c12〕下引證，一引論、二「又發心畢竟」〔0669c13〕下引經。即《涅槃》三十七至迦葉讚佛。」 tr. “First the direct gloss, that he reveres the Dharma and holds the person in weight; second, from ‘therefore the Fajie’ onward is the adducing of proof, of which the first cites a treatise and the second, from ‘and further, the giving rise of the mind and the ultimate’ onward, cites a sūtra—that is the Nirvāṇa, fascicle thirty-seven, at Kāśyapa's praising of the Buddha.” —the verse cited in the Shu is not from this sūtra, but comes from the place of Kāśyapa's praising of the Buddha in fascicle thirty-seven of the Nirvāṇa; and the Chao supplies its full text: 〔0669c14〕「具云「發心畢竟二不別，如是二心先心難。自未得度先度他，是故我禮初發心。初發已為天人師，勝出聲聞及緣覺，如是發心過三界，是故得名最無上。」〔0669c14〕今略引三句耳。」 tr. “In full it reads, ‘The giving rise of the mind and the ultimate are two that are not different, and of these two minds the former is the harder. Not yet delivered oneself, one delivers others first; therefore I bow to the first giving rise of the mind. Having first given rise to it, one is already a teacher of gods and men, surpassing the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas; giving rise to the mind in this way passes beyond the three realms, and therefore it is called the utterly unsurpassed.’ Here only three sentences are cited in brief.” Second, it glosses the Shu's 「不乖重法」 tr. “he does not go against the honoring of the Dharma”: 〔0669c21〕「言「不乖重法」〔0669c21〕者，以師禮資義似自輕，昇座方說不乖重法。」 tr. “As for the words ‘he does not go against the honoring of the Dharma’: since for a master to bow to a disciple seems in sense to make himself light, only by ascending the seat and then telling does he not go against the honoring of the Dharma.” And it cites the Nirvāṇa, fascicle six, as proof of the honoring of the Dharma: 〔T36n1736 0669c22〕「言重法者，《涅槃》第六云「有知法者，若老若少，故應供養恭敬禮拜。猶如事火婆羅門等，如第二天奉事帝釋。佛言：『我於經中覆相說是，不為學聲聞人，但為菩薩。』〔0669c25〕」〔0669c23〕」 tr. “As for the words ‘honoring the Dharma,’ the Nirvāṇa, fascicle six, says: ‘One who knows the Dharma, whether old or young, is therefore to be made offering to, revered, and bowed to—just as the brahmans who serve fire, and as the second heaven serving Śakra. The Buddha said: “In the sūtras I have told this under a covering aspect; it is not for those who study as śrāvakas, but only for bodhisattvas.”’” And with this the Chao resolves the Shu's difficulty of 「為僧敬俗」 tr. “a monk revering a layman”: 「釋曰：由後義故，故下通難云：為僧敬俗事不便故，即約聲聞不輕佛法。若是菩薩常不輕。是四眾皆禮，故為重法。」 tr. “The gloss says: it is by the latter sense; and so below the difficulty is resolved by saying that for a monk to revere a layman is inconvenient in practice—this is said with respect to the śrāvakas, so as not to slight the Buddha-Dharma. If it be a bodhisattva, he never slights; he bows to all four assemblies, and this is the honoring of the Dharma.” 〔0669c26〕 Third, it glosses the Shu's 「五詮深密」 tr. “the fifth sets forth the profound and secret”: 〔0670a22〕「疏「五詮深密」〔0670a22〕者，略有三義：一詮於理智，即事而真，如三德涅槃名祕密藏等；二密意故；三具三密故。」 tr. “As for the Shu's ‘the fifth sets forth the profound and secret,’ there are in brief three senses: first, it sets forth principle and wisdom, the real in the very phenomenon, as the nirvāṇa of the three virtues is called the secret storehouse and the like; second, because of the hidden intent; third, because it is furnished with the three secrets.” Fourth, it points out that the two numbers in the Shu, 「四十二字」 tr. “forty-two letters” and 「十四音」 tr. “fourteen sounds,” each have their own source: 〔T36n1736 0670a20〕「疏「然字即四十二字」〔0670a21〕，如眾藝處說。「十四音」〔0670a21〕，初地已明。」 tr. “As for the Shu's ‘now the letters are the forty-two letters,’ it is as told at the place of the manifold arts; ‘the fourteen sounds’ was already made clear at the first ground.”
• The tie between the friends before and after: what is held in mind in the seeking in accord with the teaching of this section is 「法光明法門」 tr. “the dharma gate of the light of the Dharma” 〔T10n0279 0337b23〕 conferred by the previous friend, Well-Abiding; and the next friend pointed to is the elder Liberation of Abiding Grove 〔0338b11〕. Chengguan glosses beforehand the sense of the name of the next friend (「住林者，方便具足住，眾德建立故」 tr. “as for Abiding Grove, it is the abode of fully endowed skillful means, because the many virtues are established” 〔T35n1735 0927c01〕), and so the last sentence of this section gives rise directly to the outline of the next section. Chengguan also foretells what is to come at the place of the praising of the seeking of friends: 「故解脫處歷十二年不生疲厭。」 tr. “and so at the place of Liberation he passes twelve years without giving rise to weariness.” 〔0927a12〕
• The Shidi jing lun T26n1522 (the Treatise on the Ten Grounds Sūtra): the three words 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” 「生貴住」 tr. “the abode of noble birth,” and 「輪字」 tr. “the wheel of letters” all give zero hits 〔查無〕 tr. “not found.” That treatise glosses the Chapter on the Ten Grounds, and does not answer to the stretch on the good friends of this chapter.
• The four texts of the Huayan house: the Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871 · the Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866 · the Huayan yisheng shixuan men T45n1868 · the Huayan fajie xuanjing T45n1883—the three words 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” 「生貴住」 tr. “the abode of noble birth,” and 「輪字」 tr. “the wheel of letters” all give zero hits 〔查無〕 tr. “not found.” The face of Huayan-house lineage in this section lies only in the four places of Chengguan's Shu, Fazang's Tanxuan ji, Zhiyan's Souxuan ji, and the Kongmu zhang.

VIII. Edition Location Register

• Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): the stretch on Megha begins at 〔T10n0279 0337b23〕 and ends 〔before 0338b18〕. Seeking in accord with the teaching · mindfulness of the previous Dharma 0337b23–b27 · seeking the next friend 0337b27 · seeing 0337b28 · paying respect 0337c01 · stating his own giving rise to the mind 0337c02 · the twelve sentences of asking directly 0337c03–c12 · the determining 0337c12 · Sudhana's answer 0337c14 · paying respect (making offering to the vessel of the Dharma) 0337c15 · the praise · the general marking 0337c18 · the particular praising · the first ten sentences 0337c21–c25 · the eleven sentences of the reverence and guarding of the ten kings 0337c25–0338a02 · the one sentence of outward benefit to beings 0338a02 · the eleven sentences of that is to say 0338a03–a07 · the general sentence praising what is hard to have 0338a07 · the four sentences of Dharma 0338a08–a11 · the thirteen similes 0338a11–a19 · concluding the praise and displaying spiritual power 0338a19 · the displaying of spiritual power gathering and transforming 0338a21 · the benefit obtained 0338a24 · ascending again to his own seat · the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī 0338a25–b02 · humbling himself and rehearsing the name 0338b02 · the fourteen sentences of deferring to the superior 0338b03–b10 · pointing to the next friend 0338b11–b14 · cherishing his virtue, bowing, and taking leave 0338b14–b17. The number of characters is 1,596 (punctuation included) · zero lines of repeating verse.
• Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, principal collation): the sentence in which the previous friend points onward already contains the name of this friend 〔T09n0278 0692c10〕; the main text of this section begins at 〔0692c13〕 and ends 〔before 0693c10〕 (fascicle forty-six). Mindfulness of the previous Dharma 0692c13–c18 · entering the city and searching 0692c18 · seeing 0692c19 · paying respect and requesting to ask 0692c21–0693a04 · the determining and the answer 0693a05–a06 · coming down from the seat, bowing, and making offering 0693a06–a10 · praising the giving rise of the mind 0693a10–a26 · praising the bodhisattva throughout 0693a27–b01 · the thirteen similes 0693b01–b12 · sending forth light and gathering the assembly 0693b12–b15 · telling the sūtra of the light of the adornment of the wheel of letters 0693b15–b18 · ascending again to his own seat · the dharma gate wherein what is spoken is not false 0693b18–b24 · deferring to the superior 0693b24–c03 · pointing to the next friend 0693c03–c06 · bowing and taking leave 0693c06–c09.
• Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the outline of this section begins at 0926c10 · seeking in accord with the teaching 0926c11–c14 · seeing, paying respect, and inquiring 0926c14–c22 · the lengthwise matching of the twelve questions to the ten grounds 0926c17–c22 · praising and conferring the Dharma 0926c22–0927b23 (the reason the master bows to the disciple 0926c25–0927a03 · the three sections of praising the giving rise of the mind 0927a04–a10 · praising the seeking of friends and the thirteen similes 0927a10–a16 · conferring his own dharma gate 0927a16–b23 · the marking of the name and the displaying of the working of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī 0927b19–b23 · the three senses of the wheel of letters and the citation of the Piluzhena jing 0927a19–b14 · why the wheel of letters is set forth at this stage 0927b14–b18) · humbling himself and deferring to the superior 0927b23–b29 (the fourteen sentences of deferring to the superior 0927b25–b29) · pointing to the next friend 0927b29–0927c05 · ending before the outline of the fifth, the elder Liberation, 0927c05.
• Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733: the outline of the fourth, the abode of noble birth, begins at 0458c11 · raising the Dharma and exhorting to cultivation (the sense of the names of the land and the city) 0458c11–c17 · the appellation of the good physician 0458c17–c21 · the sense of the name Mijia 0458c21–c22 · the ten sentences of going toward in accord with the teaching in five pairs 0458c22–c28 · the four divisions of seeing, paying respect, and requesting 0458c28–0459a09 · the three senses of the wheel of letters and the record of collating the Sanskrit 0459a01–a08 · ending 0459b16 (before 「第四生貴住竟」 tr. “the fourth, the abode of noble birth, is finished”). A difference in the form of a name: the Tanxuan ji reads 「彌加」 tr. “Mijia,” the eighty-fascicle text reads 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha”—recorded together without judgment.
• Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: in the Chapter on Entering the Dharma Realm, the stretch of direct gloss upon this section 0958c26–0959c21 (ending at 「世與出世體無有二」 tr. “the world and what is beyond the world are not two in substance”) (the name of the land 0958c26 · the name of the friend, 「能伏」 tr. “Able to Subdue” and 「為雲」 tr. “named Cloud,” 0958c27 · the name of the city, Sovereignty, 0959a01 · the ten gates of the first, directly entering the dharma gate of the present stage, 0959a04–a13 · the ground of coming down from the seat and paying homage 0959a14–b02 · being born into the house of the Buddha 0959b02–b05 · the gloss upon the dharma gate of the adornment of the classes of the wheel of letters 0959b05–c08 · the perfection of vigor as its substance 0959c08 · a layman as the mark of the stage 0959c11–c13 · the four gates of the second, advancing to the stage before, 0959c14–c21) · in the Chapter on the Ten Abodes, the stretch glossing why it comes, which discusses this section, 0832b17–b24 · in the Chapter of Verses of Praise atop Mount Sumeru, one sentence in the stretch glossing the abode of birth in nobility that touches upon this section, 0830c03–c06.
• Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732: the outline of the fourth, the abode of noble birth, begins at 0092a25 · the seven sections of entering in accord with the teaching 0092a28–b02 · the three sections of the direct entering 0092b02–b04 · the five sections of praising the giving rise of the mind 0092b04–b06 · the four sections of praising the giving rise of the mind at length 0092b06–b09 · the four sections of telling the dharma of his own portion 0092b09–b12 · the two sections of concluding and deferring upward 0092b12–b13. A note on the line boundary: the two letters 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha” are set across two lines in this witness (「彌」 tr. “mi” at 0092a25, 「伽」 tr. “qie” at 0092a26).
• Zhiyan, Kongmu zhang T45n1870: the list of the names of the good friends (forty-six entries in the original table) 0589a01–a05 (this friend stands fifth 0589a03).
• Prajñā T293 (the Zhenyuan forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka · fascicle five): what answers to this section in the forty-fascicle text begins at 〔T10n0293 0684a06〕 and ends 〔0685b29〕. Mindfulness of the previous Dharma 0684a06–a14 · seeking the next friend (the land of Daluobizha · the city of Diamond Tiers) 0684a14 · seeing 0684a16 · paying respect and the twelve sentences of inquiry 0684a18–b01 · the determining and the answer 0684b01–b04 · coming down from the seat, bowing, and making offering 0684b04–b09 · praising the giving rise of the mind (twenty-three sentences of 「則」 tr. “then”) 0684b09–b27 · the eleven sentences of 「所謂」 tr. “that is to say” 0684b27–c06 · the general praising of how hard he is to obtain and to meet 0684c06–c09 · the nineteen similes 0684c09–c23 · the assembly praising together 0684c23–c27 · ascending again to his own former seat and emitting light from his mouth 0684c27–0685a02 · observing what meets him and telling the dharma gate of the adornment of the classes of phrases of the wheel of letters 0685a02–a07 · conferring the dharma gate of the light of the wondrous-sound dhāraṇī 0685a07–b02 · humbling himself and the fifteen sentences of deferring to the superior 0685b02–b21 · pointing to the next friend (Abiding Grove · Liberation of Abiding) 0685b21–b25 · cherishing his virtue, bowing, and taking leave 0685b25–b29.
• Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0337b23〕–〔0338b17〕, the Taishō base text carries 1 collation note, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0338b06〕一【大】｜一切【元】【明】.
• Entries not found: the Shidi jing lun T26n1522 · the Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871 · the Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866 · the Huayan yisheng shixuan men T45n1868 · the Huayan fajie xuanjing T45n1883—five texts in all, in which 「彌伽」 tr. “Megha,” 「生貴住」 tr. “the abode of noble birth,” and 「輪字」 tr. “the wheel of letters” all give zero hits.