華嚴經 品三十九 入法界品 · 無上勝長者（寄等一切佛迴向）Avataṃsaka Sūtra · Entering the Dharma Realm · The Elder Unsurpassed Victory (Assigned to the Dedication Equal to All Buddhas)

Sudhana’s twenty-third friend, the elder Unsurpassed Victory, is a man who settles matters, sitting in a grove east of the city and 「理斷人間種種事務」 tr. “governing and deciding for people all the various affairs of the human world.” The whole unit runs to one thousand three hundred graphs and more, with no verse, and yet it tells one matter through to the bottom — the Dharma gate he has accomplished is called 「至一切處菩薩行門無依無作神通之力」 tr. “the spiritual penetrating strength, without anything depended upon and without anything done, of the gate of bodhisattva practice that reaches every place,” and this 「至一切處」 tr. “reaching every place,” brought down onto the text, is the expounding of the Dharma for the gods of the desire realm and on to the Brahmā gods of the form realm, and the expounding of the dharma of the five destinies for worlds as many as the dust-motes of the ten directions. Chengguan outlines this unit as assigned to the dedication equal to all buddhas, and glosses its name, saying 「以得勝通，無過上故；等於諸佛，更無勝故」 tr. “because he has attained a surpassing penetration, there is nothing above it; because he is equal to the buddhas, there is nothing more excellent,” and judges further 「遍至是用廣，無依是體勝」 tr. “reaching everywhere is the breadth of the working, having nothing depended upon is the excellence of the substance.” As to the one matter of the city’s name, the scripture text of the eighty does not bring it out again in this passage, while the clause in which the former friend pointed the way has already brought out 「可樂」 tr. “Delightful,” the sixty has 「可樂城」 tr. “the city Delightful,” and the forty 「樂瓔珞城」 tr. “the city Necklace of Delight,” while the three houses of Chengguan, Fazang, and Li Tongxuan all set up their glosses upon 「可樂」 tr. “Delightful.” The friend’s name likewise has two forms in three witnesses: the eighty and the sixty have 「無上勝」 tr. “Unsurpassed Victory,” the forty 「最勝」 tr. “Most Victorious.” As for the next friend’s name, the eighty and the forty have 「師子頻申」 tr. “Lion’s Stretching,” the sixty 「師子奮迅」 tr. “Lion’s Rousing.”

I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement

Chengguan’s outline in six divisions — the bone of this section:

〔T35n1735 0938a28–0938b03〕「第三無上勝長者，寄等一切佛迴向。以得勝通，無過上故；等於諸佛，更無勝故。在可樂國者，由等佛迴向，不見美惡，皆得清淨，歡喜悅樂故。文中第一可知。第二「見無上勝」〔0938b03〕下見敬諮問」 tr. “The third, the elder Unsurpassed Victory, assigned to the dedication equal to all buddhas. Because he has attained a surpassing penetration, there is nothing above it; because he is equal to the buddhas, there is nothing more excellent. As for his being in the country Delightful, it is because by the dedication equal to the buddhas he does not see fair and foul, and all gain purity, and are glad and joyful. Within the text the first may be known of itself. The second, from ‘seeing Unsurpassed Victory’ onward, is the seeing, the paying of respects, and the inquiring”

The one division of seeing, paying respects, and inquiring is opened further into three — first the seeing · the paying of respects · the inquiring:

〔T35n1735 0938b03–0938b07〕「初見，在城東者，啟明佛日故。處無憂林者，同佛迴向，無愛憎故。商人等圍遶者，佛為商主，菩薩為商人，法財外益，功歸己故。次「爾時善財」〔0938b06〕下設敬。後「白言」〔0938b07〕下諮問。」 tr. “First, the seeing. As for his being east of the city, it is because the sun of a buddha opens the dawn. As for his dwelling in the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow, it is because, being the same as a buddha’s dedication, there is neither loving nor hating. As for the merchants and the rest surrounding him, the Buddha is the merchant-chief and the bodhisattva is the merchant, and the wealth of the Dharma benefits outwardly while the merit comes home to oneself. Next, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, is the paying of respects. Afterward, from ‘he addressed him saying’ onward, is the inquiring.”

The one division of praising and conferring the Dharma is opened into two — the setting forth of the name and substance · the questioning and glossing of the working:

〔T35n1735 0938b08–0938b12〕「第三「時彼長者」〔0938b08〕下稱讚授法。授法中，先標名體，由無作無依，故能遍至。遍至是用廣，無依是體勝。無依者，不依他故。無作者，離加行故。二「善男子云何」〔0938b11〕下徵釋業用。」 tr. “The third, from ‘at that time that elder’ onward, is the praising and the conferring of the Dharma. Within the conferring of the Dharma, first is the setting forth of the name and substance: because there is nothing done and nothing depended upon, therefore he can reach everywhere. Reaching everywhere is the breadth of the working, having nothing depended upon is the excellence of the substance. Having nothing depended upon means not depending on another. Having nothing done means being apart from applied effort. Second, from ‘son of good family, what is meant’ onward, is the questioning and glossing of the working.”

Humbling himself and pointing to the superior, together with the two headings after it:

「第四謙己推勝中，加清淨法門者，遍至本為說法故，即前所說。後二可知。」 tr. “Fourth, within the humbling of himself and the pointing to the superior, as for the pure Dharma gate being added, reaching everywhere is fundamentally for the sake of expounding the Dharma, and so it is what was expounded before. The latter two may be known of themselves.” 〔T35n1735 0938b13–0938b15〕

The names of the six divisions Chengguan has already set up in the outline passage for the chapter — 〔T35n1735 0922c22–0922c25〕「分為六分，而名小異：一依教趣求、二見敬諮問、三稱讚授法、四謙己推勝、五指示後友、六戀德禮辭。」 tr. “It is divided into six parts, and the names differ slightly: first, seeking in accord with the teaching; second, seeing, paying respects, and inquiring; third, praising and conferring the Dharma; fourth, humbling himself and pointing to the superior; fifth, pointing out the next friend; sixth, cherishing his virtue and taking leave.” In this section the fifth heading, the pointing out of the next friend, and the sixth, the cherishing of his virtue and the taking of leave, Chengguan passes over with 「後二可知」 tr. “the latter two may be known of themselves” 〔T35n1735 0938b15〕, setting up no separate name of heading for them and not glossing them clause by clause.

The scripture text has these two passages of itself — pointing out the next friend 〔T10n0279 0363a11〕, cherishing his virtue and taking leave 〔0363a14〕.

Fazang’s outline in five divisions (upon the sixty · both the names and the sequence differing from Chengguan’s):

「第三等諸佛迴向知識中，初舉法勸修內」 tr. “Within the third, the good friend of the dedication equal to the buddhas, first, within the raising of the Dharma and the urging to cultivate” 〔T35n1733 0469b27〕

〔T35n1733 0469c01–0469c04〕「第二依教趣入中三：初設敬辭退、二在路念法、三至後推求。念法中，初增廣自分、二「修習」〔0469c03〕下修八勝進。第三「城東」〔0469c03〕下明見敬申請中三：初明依報所在。」 tr. “Second, within the entering in accord with the teaching there are three: first the paying of respects and the taking of leave; second the holding of the Dharma in mind upon the road; third the arriving afterward and the seeking. Within the holding of the Dharma in mind, first the increasing and broadening of his own portion; second, from ‘he cultivates’ onward, the cultivating of the eight surpassing advances. Third, from ‘east of the city’ onward, the making clear of the seeing, the paying of respects, and the setting out of his request, within which there are three: first the making clear of where the dependent surroundings lie.”

〔T35n1733 0469c09–0469c10〕「第四示己法界中二：先歎其發心，為授法方便。二「我成就」〔0469c10〕下正授己法」 tr. “Fourth, within the showing of his own Dharma realm there are two: first he praises his setting of the mind, as the skillful means for conferring the Dharma. Second, from ‘I have accomplished’ onward, is the direct conferring of his own Dharma”

〔T35n1733 0469c20–0469c23〕「第五「諸大」〔0469c20〕下仰推勝進中，初明身業遍，謂身等於剎不待神力，是故過前，是所推也、二「逮得」〔0469c22〕下明語業、三「分別」〔0469c22〕下明意業。「我當」〔0469c23〕下結非己知。」 tr. “Fifth, from ‘as for the great’ onward, within the looking up and pointing to the superior advance: first he makes clear that the karma of the body pervades — that is, the body is equal to the lands and does not wait upon spiritual power, and therefore it surpasses what went before, and this is what is pointed to; second, from ‘they attain’ onward, he makes clear the karma of speech; third, from ‘distinguishing’ onward, he makes clear the karma of mind. From ‘I would’ onward he concludes that it is not what he himself knows.”

Zhiyan’s outline in three divisions:

〔T35n1732 0096a14–0096a17〕「第二十三等一切佛迴向菩薩也。長者名無上勝，入至一切趣菩薩淨行莊嚴法門。初明勸教、二「時善財」〔0096a16〕下依教進入、三「長者告」〔0096a17〕下正入。」 tr. “This is the twenty-third, the bodhisattva of the dedication equal to all buddhas. The elder is named Unsurpassed Victory, and he enters the Dharma gate of the adornment of the pure bodhisattva practice that reaches every destiny. First, the making clear of the urging teaching; second, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, the proceeding to enter in accord with the teaching; third, from ‘the elder told him’ onward, the true entering.”

The one division of the true entering is opened further into three, and the Dharma of his own portion into three again:

〔T35n1732 0096a21–0096a24〕「三正入中有三：初歎發心、二「我成就至一切」〔0096a22〕下說自分法、三「諸大」〔0096a22〕下仰推勝分。自分中有三：初總舉法體相、二「何等」〔0096a23〕下廣辨義用相、三「我唯」〔0096a24〕下結自分所知。」 tr. “Third, within the true entering there are three: first the praising of his setting of the mind; second, from ‘I have accomplished the reaching of every’ onward, the expounding of the Dharma of his own portion; third, from ‘as for the great’ onward, the looking up and pointing to the superior portion. Within his own portion there are three: first the raising in general of the mark of the substance of the Dharma; second, from ‘what are they’ onward, the wide discerning of the mark of the sense of its working; third, from ‘I only’ onward, the concluding of what is known within his own portion.”

Li Tongxuan’s twofold set of five gates:

「約分為五門：一推德昇進、二示善知識所止之方、三舉善知識所居之城名可樂、四舉善知識之名號曰無上勝、五禮敬辭去。」 tr. “With reference to it, the division is into five gates: first, pointing to virtue and advancing upward; second, showing the quarter where the good friend stays; third, raising the name of the city where the good friend dwells, Delightful; fourth, raising the good friend’s style, Unsurpassed Victory; fifth, paying respects and taking leave.” 〔T36n1739 0978a29–0978b03〕

「於此段中約立五門：一念善知識教思惟昇進；二漸次經歷到於彼城；三見無上勝長者在其城東無憂林中，無量商眾百千居士之所圍遶；四投身於地禮敬而起；五正申所請。」 tr. “Within this passage five gates are set up with reference to it: first, holding in mind the good friend’s teaching, pondering it, and advancing upward; second, traveling on by stages and arriving at that city; third, seeing the elder Unsurpassed Victory within the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow east of that city, surrounded by measureless throngs of merchants and a hundred thousand householders; fourth, casting the body to the ground, paying respects, and rising; fifth, the direct setting out of what he requests.” 〔T36n1739 0978b10–0978b14〕

II. Terminology

III. Similes and Rhetoric

(1) The simile of the merchant-chief and the merchants (Chengguan) — the throng among which the elder is placed the scripture text gives as 「無量商人、百千居士之所圍遶」 tr. “surrounded by measureless merchants and a hundred thousand householders” 〔T10n0279 0362b14〕. Chengguan does not take the merchants for an idle stroke of the brush, but sets up a simile upon them:

「商人等圍遶者，佛為商主，菩薩為商人，法財外益，功歸己故。」 tr. “As for the merchants and the rest surrounding him, the Buddha is the merchant-chief and the bodhisattva is the merchant, and the wealth of the Dharma benefits outwardly while the merit comes home to oneself.” 〔T35n1735 0938b05–0938b06〕

With a merchant’s laying out of capital and carrying of goods he figures the Buddha and the bodhisattva with respect to the wealth of the Dharma — the profit of what is traded lies outside, and the merit comes home to oneself. Li Tongxuan takes his sense from the same throng and yet on a different track, making it 「表以愚易智、以智易愚、以惡易善」 tr. “it sets forth exchanging folly for knowledge, exchanging knowledge for folly, exchanging evil for good” 〔T36n1739 0978c09–0978c10〕, taking the graph 「易」 tr. “exchange” of trading outright for the eye of the simile.

(2) The setting forth of the east of the city (Li Tongxuan) — where the elder is, the scripture text fastens to one word of direction, 「城東」 tr. “east of the city.” Li Tongxuan sets up a long passage of setting forth the Dharma upon it:

「見無上勝在城東者，明以智利生為東，表不住本位。東方表智，以就俗引眾生，發明生位也。」 tr. “As for seeing Unsurpassed Victory east of the city, it makes clear that benefiting beings by knowledge is the east, and sets forth his not dwelling in his fundamental position. The eastern quarter sets forth knowledge, in that he goes along with the mundane so as to draw beings in, and brings to light the position of birth.” 〔T36n1739 0978b15–0978b17〕

And he sets over against it the great kindness and compassion of the western quarter — 「觀音大慈悲行以西方表之」 tr. “Avalokiteśvara’s practice of great kindness and compassion is set forth by the western quarter” 〔T36n1739 0978b23–0978b24〕. Chengguan makes a different turn upon the same word, giving 「在城東者，啟明佛日故」 tr. “as for his being east of the city, it is because the sun of a buddha opens the dawn” 〔T35n1735 0938b03〕, taking the image of the sun rising in the east.

(3) The setting forth of the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow — the grove is named 「無憂」 tr. “Freedom from Sorrow,” and Li Tongxuan glosses it by the perfection of patience, setting up a simile besides upon the sheltering shade of a 「林」 tr. “grove”:

「無憂林中者，此主忍波羅蜜，以忍成滿處，行無憂故。」 tr. “As for his being within the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow, this is governed by the perfection of patience, because where patience is brought to fullness the practice is without sorrow.” 〔T36n1739 0978c04–0978c05〕

「林者，以此長者行遍十方，隨形而廣蔭群品，以行廣多覆蔭故為林。」 tr. “As for the grove, it is because this elder’s practice reaches everywhere throughout the ten directions and, according to the forms of things, widely shades the several kinds; because the practice is wide and its sheltering many, it is a grove.” 〔T36n1739 0978c06–0978c07〕

Chengguan for his part fastens it to the equality of the dedication — 「處無憂林者，同佛迴向，無愛憎故」 tr. “as for his dwelling in the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow, it is because, being the same as a buddha’s dedication, there is neither loving nor hating” 〔T35n1735 0938b04〕.

(4) The setting forth of naming himself twice — in Sudhana’s address he names himself twice: 「我是善財！我是善財！」 tr. “I am Sudhana! I am Sudhana!” 〔T10n0279 0362b22〕. This is the one clause of the section, extremely short, upon which all three houses have a gloss. Chengguan makes it 「稱名者，聲名久聞，表重法之器，冀有聞故」 tr. “as for naming himself, his name has long been heard, and it sets forth a vessel that weighs the Dharma heavily, in hope that there may be a hearing” 〔T35n1735 0938b07–0938b08〕; Fazang makes it 「重稱己名，以語表心，顯愍重之極。又顯已是修行之器，悕其說法也」 tr. “naming himself again, the speech sets forth the mind, showing his pity and weight at their utmost; and it further shows that he is himself a vessel of practice, longing that the Dharma be expounded” 〔T35n1733 0469c07–0469c09〕; Li Tongxuan makes it 「再云我是善財者，表求法深重也。亦明達我無我，以成忍也」 tr. “as for his saying twice ‘I am Sudhana,’ it sets forth the depth and weight of his seeking the Dharma; it also makes clear that he penetrates the selflessness of self, and so accomplishes patience” 〔T36n1739 0978c13–0978c14〕.

(5) The paired clause-groups of barring what is evil and giving birth to what is good — the one passage of the working of the Dharma gate first makes a long string with the graph 「令」 tr. “causing,” which appears sixteen times (counting them one by one in the base text): the nine clauses in front are all barring — causing them to cast off what is not the Dharma · causing them to still disputes · causing them to do away with fighting and battle · causing them to stop anger and contending · causing them to break the knot of enmity · causing them to loosen their bonds · causing them to come out of prison · causing them to be spared from dread · causing them to cut off all the evil karma from the taking of life on to wrong views 〔T10n0279 0362c10–0362c12〕; the one clause 「不可作事皆令禁止」 tr. “whatever may not be done, all of it I cause them to forbid themselves” makes the turn; and the clauses after it are all giving birth — causing them to practice in accord with every good dharma · causing them to study every craft and art · causing them to give rise to gladness · causing them little by little to ripen · causing them to cut off the various views · causing them to enter the Buddha-dharma 〔0362c13–0362c16〕. The barring stands in front and the giving birth behind, and that order is itself the sequence of those being converted.

(6) The clause-group of expounding the five destinies — in the one passage displaying the ten directions by the same kind, a clause is set up for each of the five destinies, and the clauses with the graph 「說」 tr. “expound” appear sixteen times (counting them one by one in the base text 〔T10n0279 0362c20–0362c25〕): three clauses for the hells · four for the animals · three for the world of King Yama · three for the world of the gods · three for the world of humans. Their manner is ‘expounding a certain destiny · expounding the suffering or bliss within that destiny · expounding the road that leads to that destiny,’ and only three destinies tally with that manner — the world of King Yama has 「說閻羅王世間苦」 tr. “expounding the suffering of the world of King Yama,” the world of the gods has 「說天世間樂」 tr. “expounding the bliss of the world of the gods,” this one destiny alone speaking of bliss, and the world of humans has 「說人世間苦樂」 tr. “expounding the suffering and the bliss of the world of humans,” this one destiny alone raising suffering and bliss together. Within the hells the middle clause is 「說地獄眾生」 tr. “expounding the sentient beings of the hells,” and within the animals it is 「說畜生差別」 tr. “expounding the differences among the animals”; neither of the two speaks of suffering or bliss, and they do not enter that manner; and the one destiny of the animals has besides the extra clause 「說畜生受苦」 tr. “expounding the suffering the animals undergo,” so that its number of clauses is four.

(7) The eleven clauses of that for the sake of which the Dharma is expounded — 「為欲」 tr. “because he would” appears four times and 「為令」 tr. “because he would cause” seven times (counting them one by one in the base text), together eleven clauses 〔T10n0279 0362c25–0363a03〕, each clause closing upon the matter for the sake of which it is done, and at the end the one clause 「我為眾生說如是法」 tr. “for the sake of sentient beings I set forth a Dharma such as this” gathers all up. The forty here makes twelve clauses, and before them has besides the one clause 「若集、若壞、若染、若淨」 tr. “whether gathering, whether wearing away, whether defiled, whether pure” 〔T10n0293 0728a10–0728a11〕.

IV. Collation with Parallel Translations

The Chinese witnesses for the essential sentences of this unit’s scripture text are three: Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text) · Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, 〈Entering the Dharma Realm, chapter thirty-four〉) · Prajñā T293 (the forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, 〈Entering the Dharma Realm〉).

Sentence 1 · Holding the former teaching in mind, and the city sought

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The city’s name — the scripture text of the eighty does not bring the city’s name out again in this passage, having only 「到彼城內」 tr. “arrived within that city,” while the clause in which the former friend pointed the way has already brought it out: 「城名：可樂；中有長者，名：無上勝。」 tr. “there is a city named Delightful; within it is an elder named Unsurpassed Victory.” 〔T10n0279 0362b03〕; the sixty has 「可樂城」 tr. “the city Delightful,” the forty 「樂瓔珞城」 tr. “the city Necklace of Delight.” (b) The friend’s name — the eighty and the sixty have 「無上勝」 tr. “Unsurpassed Victory,” the forty 「最勝」 tr. “Most Victorious.” (c) The grove’s name — the eighty and the forty have 「大莊嚴幢無憂林」 tr. “the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow of the Banner of Great Adornment,” the sixty 「離憂惱妙莊嚴幢」 tr. “the Wondrous Banner of Adornment That Leaves Sorrow and Vexation,” and the sixty besides brings the grove’s name out in a clause of its own. (d) The retinue — the eighty and the forty have 「無量商人、百千居士」 tr. “measureless merchants and a hundred thousand householders” (the forty having 「百千長者眾」 tr. “a hundred thousand throngs of elders”), the sixty 「無量長者周匝圍遶」 tr. “measureless elders surrounding him round about,” with no item of merchants. Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 2 · The words of the inquiry

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The form of address: the eighty and the forty have 「聖者」 tr. “holy one,” the sixty 「大聖」 tr. “great holy one.” (b) The sixty here tells of itself 「我已先發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. “I have already first given rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi,” which the eighty and the forty do not have — in the eighty this saying comes in the elder’s praise (「汝已能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. “you have already been able to give rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi” 〔T10n0279 0362c01〕), while the praise in the sixty reads 「乃能發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. “you have been able to give rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi” 〔T09n0278 0714b28〕, without the two graphs 「汝已」 tr. “you have already.” (c) What is sought: the eighty has 「菩薩之行」 tr. “the practice of a bodhisattva,” the forty 「菩薩勝行」 tr. “the surpassing practice of a bodhisattva.” Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 3 · The setting forth of the Dharma gate’s name and substance

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The Dharma gate’s name differs in four ways — the eighty 「至一切處菩薩行門」 tr. “the gate of bodhisattva practice that reaches every place,” the sixty 「至一切趣菩薩淨行莊嚴法門」 tr. “the Dharma gate of the adornment of the pure bodhisattva practice that reaches every destiny” (place made destiny, with pure and adornment added), the forty 「至一切處淨菩薩行法門」 tr. “the Dharma gate of the pure bodhisattva practice that reaches every place.” (b) The items of the substance: the eighty and the sixty have the two items 「無依無作」 tr. “without anything depended upon and without anything done,” the forty the four items 「無體、無依、無作、無住」 tr. “without substance, without anything depended upon, without anything done, without anything abided in”; and in the forty the clause of humbling himself makes it further 「無依、無作、無性、無住」 tr. “without anything depended upon, without anything done, without nature, without anything abided in” 〔T10n0293 0728a18〕, the third item differing again between the two places. (c) For the one word of spiritual penetration, the sixty has 「神足」 tr. “spiritual footing.” (d) The questioning clause: the eighty and the forty have 「云何」 tr. “what is meant,” the sixty 「何等」 tr. “what are they.” Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 4 · The clause-group of barring what is evil and giving birth to what is good in the working

What the variants are fastened to: (a) In the eighty and the forty the clause-pattern of this passage is wholly the same (the parallel ranks of the graph 「令」 tr. “causing”), while the sixty does not make parallel ranks but heads its clauses with verbs (extinguishing and doing away · wholly loosening · causing them all · parting · extinguishing). (b) The forty has besides, among the clauses of giving birth to what is good, the one clause 「諸可作事皆使正修」 tr. “whatever may be done, causing it all to be rightly cultivated,” which makes a pair with the 「不可作事皆令禁止」 tr. “whatever may not be done, all of it I cause them to forbid themselves” before it; the eighty has only the one half of barring, and no such paired clause. (c) The sixty has besides the one clause 「斷諸王事及國土事」 tr. “cutting off the affairs of kings and the affairs of the realm” 〔T09n0278 0714c10–c11〕, which the eighty and the forty do not have. Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 5 · Displaying the ten directions by the same kind, and the expounding of the five destinies

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The dharmas expounded: the eighty and the forty make four items (buddha · bodhisattva · śrāvaka · pratyekabuddha), the sixty five — having besides the one item 「眾生法」 tr. “the dharma of sentient beings,” and its fifth reading 「緣覺」 tr. “one awakened through conditions” rather than 「獨覺」 tr. “one awakened alone.” (b) The opening out of the five destinies: the eighty and the forty set out three or four clauses for each destiny separately, while the sixty gathers all up in the one clause 「說地獄、餓鬼、畜生、閻羅趣法」 tr. “expounding the dharma of the hells, of the hungry ghosts, of the animals, and of the destiny of Yama,” and sets up besides the one destiny of 「餓鬼」 tr. “hungry ghosts,” which the eighty and the forty do not have. (c) The eighty has 「說地獄眾生」 tr. “expounding the sentient beings of the hells,” the forty 「說地獄眾生受苦差別」 tr. “expounding the differences in the suffering undergone by the sentient beings of the hells,” four graphs more, 「受苦差別」 tr. “the differences in the suffering undergone.” Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 6 · That for the sake of which the Dharma is expounded, and the humbling of himself and pointing to the superior

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The third clause of that for the sake of which: the eighty has 「一切智人諸妙功德」 tr. “the various subtle merits and virtues of the person of omniscient knowledge,” the forty 「諸佛功德」 tr. “the merit and virtue of the buddhas.” (b) The eighty has 「與諸如來究竟無二、無有差別」 tr. “with the tathāgatas ultimately not two and not different,” and the forty lacks the four graphs 「無有差別」 tr. “and not different,” while the sixty here does not treat of the body’s sameness or difference, but of knowledge illumining the three times. (c) In the sixty the name of the Dharma gate in the clause of humbling himself is wholly the same as in its clause of setting forth the name and substance, whereas the eighty has 「菩薩行門」 tr. “the gate of bodhisattva practice” in setting forth the name and substance and 「修菩薩行清淨法門」 tr. “the pure Dharma gate of cultivating the bodhisattva practice” in the clause of humbling himself, the two places not being even — upon which Chengguan has a word, saying 「加清淨法門者，遍至本為說法故，即前所說」 tr. “as for the pure Dharma gate being added, reaching everywhere is fundamentally for the sake of expounding the Dharma, and so it is what was expounded before” 〔T35n1735 0938b14–0938b15〕. Recorded without adjudication.

Sentence 7 · Pointing out the next friend, and the taking of leave

What the variants are fastened to: (a) The country’s name has three forms in three witnesses — Śroṇa · Hard to Endure · River Without Bound or Limit. (b) The city’s name has three forms in three witnesses — Kaliṅga Grove · Kaliṅgavatī · Kaliṅga Grove of the other transcription. (c) The next friend’s name has two forms — the eighty and the forty have 「師子頻申」 tr. “Lion’s Stretching,” the sixty 「師子奮迅」 tr. “Lion’s Rousing.” (d) In the text of taking leave, the eighty has 「遶無量匝」 tr. “circled him measureless times,” while the sixty and the forty both have 「遶無數匝」 tr. “circled him numberless times”; the sixty ends with 「辭退南行」 tr. “took his leave and journeyed south,” one word of direction more, and the forty has the one clause more, 「一心戀慕」 tr. “single-mindedly cherishing and longing.” Recorded without adjudication.

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

(1) The excellence of the substance and the breadth of the working — because there is nothing depended upon, therefore he can reach everywhere. In the name of this section’s Dharma gate the two words of substance and working stand side by side in a single clause: 「至一切處」 tr. “reaching every place” is the working, 「無依無作」 tr. “without anything depended upon and without anything done” is the substance. Chengguan makes a judgment upon this, and glosses the reason of it:

「授法中，先標名體，由無作無依，故能遍至。遍至是用廣，無依是體勝。無依者，不依他故。無作者，離加行故。」 tr. “Within the conferring of the Dharma, first is the setting forth of the name and substance: because there is nothing done and nothing depended upon, therefore he can reach everywhere. Reaching everywhere is the breadth of the working, having nothing depended upon is the excellence of the substance. Having nothing depended upon means not depending on another. Having nothing done means being apart from applied effort.” 〔T35n1735 0938b09–0938b11〕

By this judgment, 「遍至」 tr. “reaching everywhere” is not a breadth cultivated up by applied effort, but the breadth that 「無依」 tr. “having nothing depended upon” brings out of itself — because he depends on no other, there is nowhere he does not reach; because he is apart from applied effort, he does without doing.

(2) Why it is assigned to the dedication equal to all buddhas. The judgment of the assigned position comes out of Chengguan’s outline, and its sense the Yanyi chao glosses:

〔T36n1736 0679a16–0679a18〕「疏「第三無上勝長者寄等一切佛迴向」〔0679a16〕者，謂等同三世一切如來能迴向道，所迴向善故。」 tr. “As for the commentary’s ‘the third, the elder Unsurpassed Victory, assigned to the dedication equal to all buddhas’: that is, because the road of dedication that all the tathāgatas of the three times are able to dedicate, and the goodness that is dedicated, are equalled.”

The Chao divides further the two roads of glossing the name — one with reference to the Dharma attained, one with reference to the assigned position:

〔T36n1736 0679a18–0679a19〕「「以得勝通」〔0679a18〕下，釋名。此約得法釋等，於下約寄位釋。」 tr. “From ‘because he has attained a surpassing penetration’ onward is the glossing of the name. Here the equalling is glossed with reference to the Dharma attained; below it is glossed with reference to the assigned position.”

And for what Chengguan rests his gloss of the one word 「可樂」 tr. “Delightful” upon, the Chao cites the scripture text of this same sūtra, from the passage of the dedication equal to all buddhas in 〈The Ten Dedications〉, in evidence:

〔T36n1736 0679a19–0679a23〕「疏「由等諸佛不見美惡」〔0679a19〕者，彼經云「如是修學迴向道時，見一切色乃至觸法，若美若惡，不生愛憎，心得自在無諸過失，廣大清淨歡喜悅樂，離諸憂惱身心柔軟，諸根清涼」〔0679a20〕是也。」 tr. “As for the commentary’s ‘because being equal to the buddhas he does not see fair and foul’: that scripture says, ‘when he studies and cultivates the road of dedication in this way, seeing every form and on to what is touched, whether fair or foul, he gives rise to neither love nor hate; his mind gains sovereignty and is without the several faults; he is vast and great, pure, glad and joyful; he parts from the several sorrows and vexations, his body and mind are supple, and all his faculties are cool and clear’ — this is it.”

This is a self-evidencing from another chapter of the same sūtra, and not the citing of some other text.

(3) Where reaching every place falls upon the text — the reaching lies in expounding the Dharma. Chengguan, upon the one division of questioning and glossing, points to where it falls: the 「至一切處」 tr. “reaching every place” made clear within his gloss has its working in expounding the Dharma widely, and the 「至」 tr. “reaching” that the scripture text raises is in every clause fastened to expounding the Dharma and benefiting beings. Fazang and Zhiyan, upon the sixty, divide instead the two marks of the karma of the body and the karma of speech — Fazang has 「神力遍到眾生之所，名至一切趣。於中說法益生，名淨行莊嚴」 tr. “his spiritual power reaches everywhere to where beings are, and this is named reaching every destiny; expounding the Dharma therein and benefiting beings is named the adornment of pure practice” 〔T35n1733 0469c12–0469c13〕, and Zhiyan has 〔T35n1732 0096a27〕「初身業至趣、二「於中說法」〔0096a27〕下口業說法」 tr. “first the karma of the body reaching the destinies; second, from ‘expounding the Dharma therein’ onward, the karma of speech expounding the Dharma”. The witness each rests upon and the mark each weighs are different; recorded without adjudication. Chengguan’s own words are these:

〔T35n1735 0938b11–0938b13〕「二「善男子云何」〔0938b11〕下徵釋業用。釋中明至一切處，廣說法故。文中，先舉三千、後「如於此三千」〔0938b13〕下類顯十方。」 tr. “Second, from ‘son of good family, what is meant’ onward, is the questioning and glossing of the working. Within the gloss he makes clear that reaching every place is because he expounds the Dharma widely. Within the text, first he raises the three thousandfold, and afterward, from ‘just as within this three thousandfold’ onward, he displays the ten directions by the same kind.”

By this judgment, the text of the one passage of the working has two sections: first it raises the gods of the desire realm of a great threefold-thousand world, and on to the Brahmā gods of the form realm; afterward, with the one clause 「如於此三千大千世界」 tr. “just as it is within this great threefold-thousand world,” it displays by the same kind the worlds as many as the dust-motes of the ten directions 〔T10n0279 0362c17〕.

(4) Why the Dharma gate’s name in the clause of humbling himself has the two graphs 「清淨」 tr. “pure” more. The setting forth of the name and substance has 「至一切處菩薩行門」 tr. “the gate of bodhisattva practice that reaches every place,” and the clause of humbling himself has 「至一切處修菩薩行清淨法門」 tr. “the pure Dharma gate of cultivating the bodhisattva practice that reaches every place,” the two places not being even. Chengguan does not take it for a variant reading, but glosses it by the expounding of the Dharma:

「第四謙己推勝中，加清淨法門者，遍至本為說法故，即前所說。」 tr. “Fourth, within the humbling of himself and the pointing to the superior, as for the pure Dharma gate being added, reaching everywhere is fundamentally for the sake of expounding the Dharma, and so it is what was expounded before.” 〔T35n1735 0938b13–0938b15〕

(5) The setting forth of the east of the city and of freedom from sorrow — the dedication’s having neither loving nor hating. Chengguan, upon the one division of seeing and paying respects, fastens a sense to each of the three matters of the dependent surroundings:

「初見，在城東者，啟明佛日故。處無憂林者，同佛迴向，無愛憎故。商人等圍遶者，佛為商主，菩薩為商人，法財外益，功歸己故。」 tr. “First, the seeing. As for his being east of the city, it is because the sun of a buddha opens the dawn. As for his dwelling in the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow, it is because, being the same as a buddha’s dedication, there is neither loving nor hating. As for the merchants and the rest surrounding him, the Buddha is the merchant-chief and the bodhisattva is the merchant, and the wealth of the Dharma benefits outwardly while the merit comes home to oneself.” 〔T35n1735 0938b03–0938b06〕

The sense of the three matters comes home to one place — in the dedication equal to all buddhas nothing is seen as fair or foul, and so his dwelling is without sorrow and his throng without picking and choosing.

(6) The perfection of patience as the present position (Li Tongxuan). Li Tongxuan does not set up his gloss upon the equalling of the dedication, but takes the perfection of patience for the governing practice of the present position:

「長者號無上勝者，此是忍波羅蜜門，處眾行之中忍為殊勝，又德藝過世間故，號為無上勝。」 tr. “As for the elder’s being styled Unsurpassed Victory, this is the gate of the perfection of patience, for among the practices carried on within the throng patience is what is distinguished; and moreover his virtue and skill surpass the world, and so he is styled Unsurpassed Victory.” 〔T36n1739 0978b05–0978b07〕

And he takes Sudhana’s casting himself to the ground and naming himself twice for the marks of patience — 「表十迴向大體約迴真入俗，以大慈悲善忍為地」 tr. “it sets forth that the ten dedications in general have reference to turning back from the true and entering the mundane, taking great kindness and compassion and skilled patience for their ground” 〔T36n1739 0978c12–0978c13〕; 「亦明達我無我，以成忍也」 tr. “it also makes clear that he penetrates the selflessness of self, and so accomplishes patience” 〔0978c14〕. And his gloss of the Dharma gate’s reaching everywhere still comes home to the equalling of the dedication:

「以明如一切諸佛迴向十方一切世界、一切眾生，所行無不遍故」 tr. “thereby making clear that, as all the buddhas dedicate to every world and every sentient being of the ten directions, so what he practices is nowhere not reaching everywhere” 〔T36n1739 0978c16–0978c17〕

VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators

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

The outline and the gloss of the name: 「第三無上勝長者，寄等一切佛迴向。以得勝通，無過上故；等於諸佛，更無勝故。」 tr. “The third, the elder Unsurpassed Victory, assigned to the dedication equal to all buddhas. Because he has attained a surpassing penetration, there is nothing above it; because he is equal to the buddhas, there is nothing more excellent.” 〔T35n1735 0938a28–0938b01〕

The gloss of the city’s name: 「在可樂國者，由等佛迴向，不見美惡，皆得清淨，歡喜悅樂故。」 tr. “As for his being in the country Delightful, it is because by the dedication equal to the buddhas he does not see fair and foul, and all gain purity, and are glad and joyful.” 〔T35n1735 0938b01–0938b02〕

The judgment of substance and working: 「遍至是用廣，無依是體勝。」 tr. “Reaching everywhere is the breadth of the working, having nothing depended upon is the excellence of the substance.” 〔T35n1735 0938b10〕

The passing over of the latter two headings: 「後二可知。」 tr. “The latter two may be known of themselves.” 〔T35n1735 0938b15〕

Chengguan’s Explicit Judgment (in the outline passage for the chapter · not the window of this friend)

Upon the matching of the assigned positions there are first two sayings: Master Yi and the Taishan lun 「但隨文散釋，更無別配」 tr. “gloss only as the text runs, scattered, and make no separate matching” 〔T35n1735 0918b03〕, while masters such as Guangtong 「皆配地位」 tr. “all match the positions” 〔T35n1735 0918b04〕. The two sayings are recorded without adjudication. Chengguan thereupon passes his explicit judgment:

「二皆有理，謂隨一一位具多法門，豈容凡心不得習求善友之法，故不配有理。然無次位中不礙次位，顯位是常規，配亦無失。」 tr. “Both have their reason, that is, since each and every position possesses many Dharma gates, how could it be that the ordinary mind may not learn and seek the dharma of the good friend, and so there is reason in not matching them; yet within what has no sequence of positions the sequence of positions is not obstructed, and to make the positions manifest is the constant rule, so that to match them is likewise not at fault.” 〔T35n1735 0918b04–b07〕

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

The gloss of the name: 「長者無上勝者，以得勝通，更無加過，故以為名。」 tr. “As for the elder Unsurpassed Victory, because he has attained a surpassing penetration and there is nothing further that surpasses it, this is taken for his name.” 〔T35n1733 0469b29–0469c01〕

The gloss of the city’s name: 「城名可樂者，已境界等佛土，可願樂也。」 tr. “As for the city being named Delightful, his objective realm is already equal to a buddha-land, and may be wished for and delighted in.” 〔T35n1733 0469b28–0469b29〕

The gloss of the dependent surroundings: 「初明依報所在。城東林等者，於城攝化，栖託之便也。」 tr. “First the making clear of where the dependent surroundings lie. As for the grove east of the city and the rest, within the city he gathers and converts, and it is convenient for lodging.” 〔T35n1733 0469c04–0469c05〕; 「在彼說法，正明攝化之相。」 tr. “His expounding the Dharma there directly makes clear the mark of his gathering and converting.” 〔0469c05–0469c06〕

The gloss of the setting out of his request: 「前五體良久，以身表心。重稱己名，以語表心，顯愍重之極。又顯已是修行之器，悕其說法也。」 tr. “The prostration with the five limbs before it, held long, is the body setting forth the mind. Naming himself again, the speech sets forth the mind, showing his pity and weight at their utmost. And it further shows that he is himself a vessel of practice, longing that the Dharma be expounded.” 〔T35n1733 0469c07–0469c09〕

The placing of the praising of his setting of the mind: 「第四示己法界中二：先歎其發心，為授法方便。」 tr. “Fourth, within the showing of his own Dharma realm there are two: first he praises his setting of the mind, as the skillful means for conferring the Dharma.” 〔T35n1733 0469c09–0469c10〕

The gloss of the Dharma gate’s name and substance: 「初中，神力遍到眾生之所，名至一切趣。於中說法益生，名淨行莊嚴。此至一切趣，不由功用任運遍至，故云無依無作。非他力持，故云無依。非自加行，故云無作。此則稱法性而普遍也。」 tr. “Within the first: his spiritual power reaches everywhere to where beings are, and this is named reaching every destiny. Expounding the Dharma therein and benefiting beings is named the adornment of pure practice. This reaching of every destiny is not by applied effort, but reaches everywhere of its own accord, and so it is said to be without anything depended upon and without anything done. It is not upheld by another’s power, and so it is said to have nothing depended upon. It is not one’s own applied effort, and so it is said to have nothing done. This then is to be everywhere in accord with the nature of dharmas.” 〔T35n1733 0469c12–0469c16〕

What the various treatises point to: 「種種論者，五明等也。」 tr. “As for the various treatises, they are the five sciences and the like.” 〔T35n1733 0469c18〕

The three karmas within the looking up and pointing to the superior: 〔T35n1733 0469c20–0469c23〕「第五「諸大」〔0469c20〕下仰推勝進中，初明身業遍，謂身等於剎不待神力，是故過前，是所推也、二「逮得」〔0469c22〕下明語業、三「分別」〔0469c22〕下明意業。「我當」〔0469c23〕下結非己知。」 tr. “Fifth, from ‘as for the great’ onward, within the looking up and pointing to the superior advance: first he makes clear that the karma of the body pervades — that is, the body is equal to the lands and does not wait upon spiritual power, and therefore it surpasses what went before, and this is what is pointed to; second, from ‘they attain’ onward, he makes clear the karma of speech; third, from ‘distinguishing’ onward, he makes clear the karma of mind. From ‘I would’ onward he concludes that it is not what he himself knows.”

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

The gloss of the name: 「長者號無上勝者，此是忍波羅蜜門，處眾行之中忍為殊勝，又德藝過世間故，號為無上勝。」 tr. “As for the elder’s being styled Unsurpassed Victory, this is the gate of the perfection of patience, for among the practices carried on within the throng patience is what is distinguished; and moreover his virtue and skill surpass the world, and so he is styled Unsurpassed Victory.” 〔T36n1739 0978b05–0978b07〕

The gloss of the city’s name: 「城名可樂者，以長者善明斷決人間種種諸事，復能說出世之法，眾生樂之不捨故，城名可樂。」 tr. “As for the city being named Delightful, because the elder is good at clearly deciding all the various affairs of the human world, and is moreover able to expound the dharma that goes beyond the world, beings delight in him and will not let him go, and so the city is named Delightful.” 〔T36n1739 0978b03–0978b05〕

The setting forth of the east of the city: 「見無上勝在城東者，明以智利生為東，表不住本位。東方表智，以就俗引眾生，發明生位也。」 tr. “As for seeing Unsurpassed Victory east of the city, it makes clear that benefiting beings by knowledge is the east, and sets forth his not dwelling in his fundamental position. The eastern quarter sets forth knowledge, in that he goes along with the mundane so as to draw beings in, and brings to light the position of birth.” 〔T36n1739 0978b15–0978b17〕

The setting forth of the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow: 「無憂林中者，此主忍波羅蜜，以忍成滿處，行無憂故。」 tr. “As for his being within the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow, this is governed by the perfection of patience, because where patience is brought to fullness the practice is without sorrow.” 〔T36n1739 0978c04–0978c05〕

The setting forth of the retinue: 「無量商人百千居士之所圍遶者，是所化之眾，表以愚易智、以智易愚、以惡易善。」 tr. “As for his being surrounded by measureless merchants and a hundred thousand householders, these are the throng being converted, and it sets forth exchanging folly for knowledge, exchanging knowledge for folly, exchanging evil for good.” 〔T36n1739 0978c08–0978c10〕

The sequence of the three elders and the governing and attendant places of the perfection of patience: 「此從初迴向見三長者，是純俗流，合香、船師、無上勝等，明從真入俗名為迴向。此是等一切諸佛迴向中善知識，以忍波羅蜜為主，餘九為伴。約智門中，諸位通治；約位門中，治入生死海中忍不自在障，令得法忍自在。前十住、十行修出世間離苦忍，此位明入世間中成就慈悲餘饒益忍。」 tr. “From the first dedication onward he sees three elders, and these are purely of the mundane stream — the blender of perfumes, the shipmaster, Unsurpassed Victory and the rest — making clear that entering the mundane from the true is named dedication. This is the good friend within the dedication equal to all buddhas, taking the perfection of patience for what governs and the other nine for its attendants. With reference to the gate of knowledge, it cures alike at every position; with reference to the gate of position, it cures the obstruction of patience’s not being sovereign upon entering the ocean of birth and death, and causes the patience of dharma to be gained in sovereignty. In the former ten abodes and ten practices one cultivates the patience that leaves suffering behind and goes beyond the world; this position makes clear the patience of kindness, compassion, and the rest that benefits others, accomplished within the world.” 〔T36n1739 0978c19–0978c25〕

Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732

The outline and the Dharma gate’s name: 「第二十三等一切佛迴向菩薩也。長者名無上勝，入至一切趣菩薩淨行莊嚴法門。」 tr. “This is the twenty-third, the bodhisattva of the dedication equal to all buddhas. The elder is named Unsurpassed Victory, and he enters the Dharma gate of the adornment of the pure bodhisattva practice that reaches every destiny.” 〔T35n1732 0096a14–0096a16〕

The eight divisions of proceeding to enter: 〔T35n1732 0096a17–0096a21〕「二進入有八：一辭退、二念修增廣、三漸至處、四「周遍」〔0096a18〕下尋求、五「城東」〔0096a19〕下見勝妙相、六「時彼長者」〔0096a19〕下彼眷屬相、七「爾時善財」〔0096a20〕下敬禮、八「白言」〔0096a20〕下斥己請問耳。」 tr. “Second, the proceeding to enter has eight: first the taking of leave; second the holding in mind and cultivating, increasing and broadening; third the arriving at the place by stages; fourth, from ‘everywhere’ onward, the seeking; fifth, from ‘east of the city’ onward, the seeing of the mark of what is excellent and wondrous; sixth, from ‘at that time that elder’ onward, the mark of his retinue; seventh, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, the paying of reverence; eighth, from ‘he addressed him saying’ onward, the deprecating of himself and the putting of his request.”

The three marks of his own portion: 〔T35n1732 0096a23–0096a24〕「初總舉法體相、二「何等」〔0096a23〕下廣辨義用相、三「我唯」〔0096a24〕下結自分所知。」 tr. “First the raising in general of the mark of the substance of the Dharma; second, from ‘what are they’ onward, the wide discerning of the mark of the sense of its working; third, from ‘I only’ onward, the concluding of what is known within his own portion.”

The two divisions of the wide discerning, and the three karmas of body, speech, and mind: 〔T35n1732 0096a24–0096a29〕「第二廣辨中有二：初問、次答。此文有二：初約此方；二等類餘土，此有二可知。初文中有二：初身業至趣、二「於中說法」〔0096a27〕下口業說法。於此二文中，知法合藥及諸佛自覺聖趣，即意業也。」 tr. “Second, within the wide discerning there are two: first the question, next the answer. This text has two: first with reference to this quarter; second the lands elsewhere equalled by the same kind, and within this there are two that may be known. Within the first text there are two: first the karma of the body reaching the destinies; second, from ‘expounding the Dharma therein’ onward, the karma of speech expounding the Dharma. Within these two texts, the knowing of dharmas and the compounding of medicines, and the sagely destinies the buddhas awaken to of themselves, are the karma of mind.”

The three karmas within the looking up and pointing to the superior, and the summing up: 〔T35n1732 0096a29–0096b01〕「仰推中，初身業勝、二「逮得」〔0096a29〕下口業勝、三「分別」〔0096a29〕下意業勝、四「我當」〔0096b01〕下總結。」 tr. “Within the looking up and pointing to the superior: first the excellence of the karma of the body; second, from ‘they attain’ onward, the excellence of the karma of speech; third, from ‘distinguishing’ onward, the excellence of the karma of mind; fourth, from ‘I would’ onward, the summing up.”

Recorded without adjudication

As to the outline of this section: Chengguan makes six divisions (seeking in accord with the teaching · seeing and paying respects and inquiring · praising and conferring the Dharma · humbling himself and pointing to the superior · pointing out the next friend · cherishing his virtue and taking leave, the fifth and sixth of these being passed over as 「後二可知」 tr. “the latter two may be known of themselves” and not glossed clause by clause); Fazang, upon the sixty, makes five divisions (raising the Dharma and urging to cultivate · entering in accord with the teaching, opened into three · seeing and paying respects and setting out his request, opened into three · showing his own Dharma realm, opened into two · looking up and pointing to the superior advance, opened into three and then closed as not what he himself knows); Zhiyan makes three passages (the urging teaching · proceeding to enter in accord with the teaching, opened into eight · the true entering, opened into three, with the wide discerning opened into two again and the looking up and pointing to the superior into four); while Li Tongxuan does not outline the unit division by division, but glosses within the two sets of the five gates of advancing upward and the five gates of truly entering the present position — the number of divisions of the four houses and the bone each rests upon are both different. On the one matter of glossing the name, Chengguan makes it 「以得勝通，無過上故；等於諸佛，更無勝故」 tr. “because he has attained a surpassing penetration, there is nothing above it; because he is equal to the buddhas, there is nothing more excellent,” Fazang 「以得勝通，更無加過，故以為名」 tr. “because he has attained a surpassing penetration and there is nothing further that surpasses it, this is taken for his name,” and Li Tongxuan the gate of the perfection of patience, 「處眾行之中忍為殊勝」 tr. “for among the practices carried on within the throng patience is what is distinguished” — all three glosses fasten the 「勝」 tr. “victory” to the Dharma attained. On the one matter of the city’s name, Chengguan glosses it by the dedication’s not seeing fair and foul, Fazang by the objective realm’s being equal to a buddha-land, Li Tongxuan by beings’ delighting in him and not letting him go. On the one matter of placement, Chengguan fastens it to the dedication equal to all buddhas, while Li Tongxuan fastens it to the gate of the perfection of patience and yet still gathers up its practice’s reaching everywhere by the equalling of the dedication. These various divergent glosses are all the settled sayings of the ancient worthies, and are recorded as such.

VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage

For the text of this section, the chains of lineage all return directly from the cross-readings the ancient worthies have already made:

• Zhiyan, Huayan jing kongmu zhang T45n1870: the table of the sequence of good friends lists this section — 「二十四城名喜樂長者名無上勝」 tr. “the twenty-fourth, the city named Joyful Delight, the elder named Unsurpassed Victory” 〔T45n1870 0589a19〕. This is a record of the sequence and of the city’s name, and not a gloss of the sense; its sequence gives twenty-four, differing from the twenty-third of the Souxuan ji, recorded side by side without judgment; the city’s name it records is 「喜樂」 tr. “Joyful Delight,” differing in form both from the scripture text of the sixty, which has 「可樂城」 tr. “the city Delightful,” and from Chengguan’s commentary, which has 「可樂國」 tr. “the country Delightful.” Recorded without adjudication.
• The Yanyi chao citing the text of 〈The Ten Dedications〉 in evidence: in glossing the commentary’s one saying 「由等諸佛不見美惡」 tr. “because being equal to the buddhas he does not see fair and foul,” the Chao cites in evidence the scripture text of this same sūtra from the passage of the third dedication equal to all buddhas — 〔T36n1736 0679a20–0679a23〕「彼經云「如是修學迴向道時，見一切色乃至觸法，若美若惡，不生愛憎，心得自在無諸過失，廣大清淨歡喜悅樂，離諸憂惱身心柔軟，諸根清涼」〔0679a20〕是也。」 tr. “that scripture says, ‘when he studies and cultivates the road of dedication in this way, seeing every form and on to what is touched, whether fair or foul, he gives rise to neither love nor hate; his mind gains sovereignty and is without the several faults; he is vast and great, pure, glad and joyful; he parts from the several sorrows and vexations, his body and mind are supple, and all his faculties are cool and clear’ — this is it.”. This is a self-evidencing from another chapter of the same sūtra, a cross-evidencing the commentary and its subcommentary raise for themselves.
• Li Tongxuan’s direct correspondence in 〈The Ten Dedications〉: where the Xin Huayan jing lun glosses the third dedication equal to all buddhas in 〈The Ten Dedications〉, it takes the elder of this very section for its setting forth of the Dharma — 「第三等一切諸佛迴向者，以忍波羅蜜為體，餘九為伴。表法中以善財童子所見可樂城東大莊嚴幢無憂林中無上勝長者是也。」 tr. “As for the third, the dedication equal to all buddhas: it takes the perfection of patience for its substance and the other nine for its attendants. In the setting forth of the Dharma it is the elder Unsurpassed Victory, within the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow of the Banner of Great Adornment east of the city Delightful, whom Sudhana the youth saw.” 〔T36n1739 0860a05–0860a07〕; and it sets up, one by one, the east of the city, the banner, the grove, and the name — 「住城東者，為明忍為覺行之首」 tr. “as for his dwelling east of the city, it is to make clear that patience is the head of the practice of awakening” 〔T36n1739 0860a09–0860a10〕, 「大莊嚴幢者，忍隨違境不動也，是幢義。無憂林者，明忍成行滿，如林廣蔭也。號無上勝者，眾行之中不勝忍也。」 tr. “As for the Banner of Great Adornment: patience does not move though it meet what goes against it, and this is the sense of a banner. As for the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow: it makes clear that patience brings the practice to fullness, shading widely as a grove does. As for his being styled Unsurpassed Victory: among the practices there is none that surpasses patience.” 〔T36n1739 0860a13–0860a15〕. This is a cross-reading from another chapter of the same treatise, and comes home, as does its gloss upon this section, to the perfection of patience.
• Within Chengguan’s own outline passage no other sūtra or treatise is raised: in the whole window of the commentary 〔T35n1735 0938a28–0938b15〕 there is no citation set within the marks of a book title, unlike the case of the unit of Sāgaradhvaja, where the Jingming and the Zhidu lun are cited 〔not found〕.
• The treatises of the Huayan house: in the four works Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871 · Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866 · Shixuan men T45n1868 · Fajie xuanjing T45n1883, a check for 「無上勝」 tr. “Unsurpassed Victory” gives zero hits in every case 〔not found〕.
• The Consciousness-only axis: in the three works Cheng weishi lun T31n1585 · She dasheng lun T31n1594 · the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra T16n0676, a check for 「無上勝」 tr. “Unsurpassed Victory” gives zero hits in every case 〔not found〕; the Shidi jing lun (the Treatise on the Ten Grounds Sūtra) T26n1522 gives one hit — 「無上勝威德身」 tr. “the body of unsurpassed and victorious majestic virtue” 〔T26n1522 0125c16〕, which upon examination is a descriptive phrase for a body conferred and not this friend’s name, and it does not enter the lineage; the Yogācārabhūmi T30n1579 gives one hit 〔T30n1579 0396c15〕, which upon examination is the descriptive phrase 「無上勝菩提座」 tr. “the unsurpassed and victorious seat of awakening” and not this friend’s name, and it does not enter the lineage. This section is not 〈The Ten Grounds〉, and no separate chain to consciousness-only is set up.

VIII. Edition Location Register

• Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): the unit of the elder Unsurpassed Victory begins 〔T10n0279 0362b07〕 and ends 〔0363a16 前〕. Holding the former teaching in mind and setting the practice going 0362b07–b13 · arriving at the city and seeing the elder, the dependent surroundings and the retinue 0362b13–b15 · the benefit of the elder’s expounding the Dharma for the throng 0362b16–b20 · paying respects 0362b20–b22 · the ten clauses of ability in the inquiry 0362b22–b29 · praising his setting of the mind 0362b29–0362c02 · setting forth the name and substance 0362c02–c03 · the questioning 0362c03 · the working in the three thousandfold realm 0362c04–c17 · displaying the ten directions by the same kind and the five destinies 0362c17–c25 · the eleven clauses of that for the sake of which the Dharma is expounded 0362c25–0363a03 · humbling himself and pointing to the superior 0363a03–a11 · pointing out the next friend 0363a11–a14 · cherishing his virtue and taking leave 0363a14–a15. Lines of verse: zero.
• Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the principal collation witness): this section begins 〔T09n0278 0714b06〕 and ends 〔0715a06 前〕. Holding the former teaching in mind and setting the practice going 0714b06–b11 · coming to the city Delightful and seeking 0714b11–b12 · the grove and the retinue 0714b12–b19 · paying respects and inquiring 0714b19–b27 · praising his setting of the mind 0714b27–b28 · setting forth the name and substance 0714b28–0714c02 · the working 0714c02–c22 · humbling himself and pointing to the superior 0714c23–c29 · pointing out the next friend 0715a01–a04 · taking leave 0715a04–a05.
• Prajñā T293 (the forty-fascicle collation witness): this section begins 〔T10n0293 0727b14〕 and ends 〔0728b02 前〕. Holding the former teaching in mind and setting the practice going 0727b14–b21 · coming to the city Necklace of Delight and inquiring after the elder Most Victorious 0727b21–b22 · the grove and the retinue and the benefit of his expounding the Dharma 0727b22–b29 · paying respects and inquiring 0727b29–0727c09 · praising his setting of the mind 0727c10–c11 · setting forth the name and substance in four items 0727c11–c13 · the questioning 0727c14 · the working in the three thousandfold realm 0727c15–0728a01 · displaying the ten directions by the same kind and the five destinies 0728a01–a10 · the gathering, wearing away, defilement, and purity of the world and the twelve clauses of that for the sake of which 0728a10–a17 · humbling himself and pointing to the superior 0728a17–a25 · pointing out the next friend 0728a25–a28 · taking leave 0728a28–0728b01.
• Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the direct gloss on this section begins 0938a28 · the gloss of the name and the assigned position 0938a28–b01 · the gloss of the city’s name 0938b01–b02 · the three divisions of seeing, paying respects, and inquiring 0938b02–b08 · the two divisions of praising and conferring the Dharma 0938b08–b13 · humbling himself and pointing to the superior 0938b14–b15 · the latter two may be known of themselves 0938b15 · ending before the fourth, Lion’s Stretching 0938b15.
• Chengguan, Yanyi chao T36n1736: the gloss proper to this section runs 0679a16–0679a24, ending before that point (the sense of the assigned position 0679a16–a18 · the two tiers of glossing the name 0679a18–a19 · the citing of the text of 〈The Ten Dedications〉 0679a19–a23).
• Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733: the good friend of the third dedication equal to the buddhas begins 0469b27 · the gloss of the city’s name 0469b28–b29 · the gloss of the name 0469b29–0469c01 · the three divisions of entering in accord with the teaching 0469c01–c03 · the three divisions of seeing, paying respects, and setting out his request 0469c03–c09 · the two divisions of showing his own Dharma realm 0469c09–c10 · the three divisions of the direct conferring of his own Dharma 0469c10–c12 · the gloss of the name and substance (reaching every destiny · the adornment of pure practice · without anything depended upon and without anything done) 0469c12–c16 · the two divisions of the questioning and glossing, and the five sciences 0469c16–c19 · the three karmas of body, speech, and mind within the looking up and pointing to the superior advance 0469c20–c23 · ending with 「等諸佛迴向竟」 tr. “the dedication equal to the buddhas is finished” 0469c23.
• Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739: what bears on this section runs 0978a29–0978c27 (the five gates of pointing to virtue and advancing upward 0978a29–b03 〔these five gates belong to the passage of pointing to the former friend’s virtue and advancing upward, not to this friend〕 · the gloss of the city’s name 0978b03–b05 · the gloss of the name 0978b05–b07 · the five gates of truly entering the present position 0978b08–b14 · the setting forth of the sense following upon the text, beginning 0978b14 · the setting forth of the east of the city 0978b15–b23 · the setting forth of the Grove of Freedom from Sorrow 0978c04–c08 · the setting forth of the retinue 0978c08–c11 · the setting forth of casting himself to the ground and naming himself twice 0978c11–c15 · the reaching everywhere of the Dharma gate 0978c15–c17 · the sequence of the three elders 0978c18–c21 · the governing and attendant places of the perfection of patience and the obstruction it cures 0978c21–c25 · the practice of giving up the body within the ten dedications 0978c25–c27).
• Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732: this section 0096a14–0096b01 (the outline in three passages 0096a14–a17 · the eight divisions of proceeding to enter 0096a17–a21 · the three divisions of the true entering and the three marks of his own portion 0096a21–a24 · the two divisions of the wide discerning and the three karmas of body, speech, and mind 0096a24–a29 · the three karmas within the looking up and pointing to the superior, and the summing up 0096a29–b01).
• Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0362b07〕–〔0363a15〕, the Taishō base text carries 2 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0362b17〕垢【大】｜妬【明】 · 〔0363a13〕頻【大】｜嚬【明】（＊同校並繫〔0363c01〕〔0363c05〕〔0364b18〕〔0364b29〕〔0364c02〕之頻字）. Within this window there is besides one asterisked reference whose principal note lies outside the window: 〔0362c14〕技【大】＊｜伎【宮】＊ (the principal note at 〔0360b01〕; what this passage carries is its asterisked reference, and it is not counted among the principal notes of this window listed above).
• A further note upon the variant readings: 1 CBETA emendation (not counted among the Taishō collation notes listed above): 〔0362c08〕荼【CB】｜茶【大】／荼【宮】.
• Supplementary note on divergent readings: the interlinear notes were stripped and set down at the layer of the original text.
• Items not found: Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871 · Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866 · Shixuan men T45n1868 · Fajie xuanjing T45n1883 · Cheng weishi lun T31n1585 · She dasheng lun T31n1594 · the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra T16n0676 — seven works in all, a check for 「無上勝」 tr. “Unsurpassed Victory” giving zero hits in every case. The Shidi jing lun T26n1522 is not a zero hit: it gives one 〔T26n1522 0125c16〕, whose text is 「無上勝威德身」 tr. “the body of unsurpassed and victorious majestic virtue,” a descriptive phrase for a body conferred and not this friend’s name.