華嚴經 品三十九 入法界品 · 普救眾生妙德夜神（寄焰慧地）Avataṃsaka Sūtra · Entering the Dharma Realm · The Night Goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings (Assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom)
善財問了三句：名字、得法多久、修什麼修來。
她答了七千餘字，幾乎全是來歷。
無量劫前，她是一個國王的女兒。那城裡的人互相比誰好看，比到壽命色力都減了。普賢化身來了，一放光，滿城的光都不見了。她抬頭看見，發了一個願——「願我所在受生之處，常得不離此善知識」。
再往前推十個大劫，還有一件更小的事：普賢勸她把蓮華座上壞掉的佛像補好、畫上、莊嚴起來。發心就在那裡。
後來她作過轉輪王、龍王女、海神、五通仙。這個法門是她作寶女那一世、見妙德幢佛而得的；後來作妓女美顏，歌舞供養，蒙佛眉間光，又得另一個門，名「法界方便不退藏」。
末了她說出三個身分：父王是彌勒，母妃是下一位善友，女兒是我。
澄觀就母女這一層下一句——『真精進却從定生』。
這一位夜神所得的法門，名字就叫「普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門」。
且看到此地。
Sudhana asked three things: what it is called, how long since she gained it, and by cultivating what she came to it.
She answered in seven thousand graphs and more, and nearly all of it is where she came from.
Measureless kalpas ago, she was the daughter of a king. The people of that city compared with one another who was the fairer, and compared until their lifespan and their strength of color were diminished. Samantabhadra came by transformation, and at one sending forth of light every light in the city was gone. She looked up and saw, and raised a vow — 「願我所在受生之處，常得不離此善知識」 tr. “May it be that in whatever place I receive birth, I ever gain not to be parted from this good friend.”
Push back ten great kalpas further, and there is something smaller still: Samantabhadra urged her to repair a buddha-image upon a lotus seat that had fallen into ruin, to paint it, to adorn it. The raising of the mind was there.
Afterward she was a wheel-turning king, the daughter of a dragon king, a sea spirit, a seer of the five spiritual powers. This Dharma gate she gained in the life when she was a jewel maiden and saw the Buddha Wondrous-Virtue Banner; later, as the courtesan Beautiful Face, she made her offering with song and dance, was touched by the light from the Buddha’s brow, and gained yet another gate, named 「法界方便不退藏」 tr. “the Treasury of Non-Regression in the Skilful Means of the Dharma-realm.”
At the end she names three identities: the father king is Maitreya, the queen is the next good friend, the daughter is I.
Upon that one layer of mother and daughter Chengguan sets down a single line — “true vigor comes forth after all from concentration.”
The Dharma gate this night goddess gained is what is called 「普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門」 tr. “the liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings.”
Let us look this far for now.
〔T10 0378〕
爾時，善財童子於喜目觀察眾生夜神所，聞普喜幢解脫門，信解趣入，了知隨順，思惟修習，念善知識所有教誨，心無暫捨，諸根不散，一心願得見善知識，普於十方勤求匪懈，願常親近生諸功德，與善知識同一善根，得善知識巧方便行，依善知識入精進海，於無量劫常不遠離。作是願已，往詣普救眾生妙德夜神所。
時，彼夜神為善財童子示現菩薩調伏眾生解脫神力，以諸相好莊嚴其身，於兩眉間放大光明，名：智燈普照清淨幢，無量光明以為眷屬，其光普照一切世間。照世間已，入善財頂，充滿其身。善財爾時即得究竟清淨輪三昧。
得此三昧已，悉見二神兩處中間，所有一切地塵、水塵及以火塵，金剛摩尼眾寶微塵，華香、瓔珞、諸莊嚴具，如是一切所有微塵，一一塵中各見佛剎微塵數世界成壞。及見一切地、水、火、風諸大積聚。亦見一切世界接連，皆以地輪任持而住。種種山海、種種河池、種種樹林、種種宮殿，所謂：天宮殿、龍宮殿、夜叉宮殿，乃至摩睺羅伽、人、非人等宮殿屋宅，地獄、畜生、閻羅王界一切住處，諸趣輪轉，生死往來，隨業受報，各各差別，靡不悉見。
又見一切世界差別。所謂：或有世界雜穢，或有世界清淨，或有世界趣雜穢，或有世界趣清淨，或有世界雜穢清淨，或有世界清淨雜穢，或有世界一向清淨，或有世界其形平正，或有覆住，或有側住。如是等一切世界一切趣中，悉見此普救眾生夜神，於一切時一切處，隨諸眾生形貌、言辭、行解差別，以方便力普現其前，隨宜化度，令地獄眾生免諸苦毒，令畜生眾生不相食噉，令餓鬼眾生無有飢渴，令諸龍等離一切怖，令欲界眾生離欲界苦，令人趣眾生離暗夜怖、毀呰怖、惡名怖、大眾怖、不活怖、死怖、惡道怖、斷善根怖、退菩提心怖、遇惡知識怖、離善知識怖、墮二乘地怖、種種生死怖、異類眾生同住怖、惡時受生怖、惡種族中受生怖、造惡業怖、業煩惱障怖、執著諸想繫縛怖，如是等怖悉令捨離。
又見一切眾生，卵生、胎生、濕生、化生，有色、無色，有想、無想，非有想、非無想，普現其前，常勤救護，為成就菩薩大願力故，深入菩薩三昧力故，堅固菩薩神通力故，出生普賢行願力故，增廣菩薩大悲海故，得普覆眾生無礙大慈故，得普與眾生無量喜樂故，得普攝一切眾生智慧方便故，得菩薩廣大解脫自在神通故，嚴淨一切佛剎故，覺了一切諸法故，供養一切諸佛故，受持一切佛教故，積集一切善根修一切妙行故，入一切眾生心海而無障礙故，知一切眾生諸根教化成熟故，淨一切眾生信解除其惡障故，破一切眾生無知黑闇故，令得一切智清淨光明故。
時，善財童子見此夜神如是神力不可思議甚深境界，普現調伏一切眾生菩薩解脫已，歡喜無量，頭面作禮，一心瞻仰。時，彼夜神即捨菩薩莊嚴之相，還復本形，而不捨其自在神力。
爾時，善財童子恭敬合掌，却住一面，以偈讚曰：
「我善財得見，如是大神力，
其心生歡喜，說偈而讚歎。
我見尊妙身，眾相以莊嚴；
譬如空中星，一切悉嚴淨。
所放殊勝光，無量剎塵數；
種種微妙色，普照於十方。
一一毛孔放，眾生心數光；
一一光明端，皆出寶蓮華；
華中出化身，能滅眾生苦；
光中出妙香，普熏於眾生；
復雨種種華，供養一切佛。
兩眉放妙光，量與須彌等，
普觸諸含識，令滅愚癡闇。
口放清淨光，譬如無量日，
普照於廣大，毘盧舍那境。
眼放清淨光，譬如無量月，
普照十方剎，悉滅世癡翳。
現化種種身，相狀等眾生，
充滿十方界，度脫三有海。
妙身遍十方，普現眾生前，
滅除水火賊，王等一切怖。
我承喜目教，今得詣尊所，
見尊眉間相，放大清淨光，
普照十方海，悉滅一切闇，
顯現神通力，而來入我身。
我遇圓滿光，心生大歡喜，
得總持三昧，普見十方佛。
我於所經處，悉見諸微塵，
一一微塵中，各見塵數剎。
或有無量剎，一切咸濁穢，
眾生受諸苦，常悲歎號泣。
或有染淨剎，少樂多憂苦；
示現三乘像，往彼而救度。
或有淨染剎，眾生所樂見，
菩薩常充滿，住持諸佛法。
一一微塵中，無量淨剎海；
毘盧遮那佛，往劫所嚴淨。
佛於一切剎，悉坐菩提樹，
成道轉法輪，度脫諸群生。
我見普救天，於彼無量剎，
一切諸佛所，普皆往供養。」
〔T10 0379〕
爾時，善財童子說此頌已，白普救眾生妙德夜神言：「天神！今此解脫甚深希有！其名何等？得此解脫其已久如？修何等行而得清淨？」
夜神言：
「善男子！是處難知，諸天及人、一切二乘所不能測。何以故？此是住普賢菩薩行者境界故，住大悲藏者境界故，救護一切眾生者境界故，能淨一切三惡八難者境界故，能於一切佛剎中紹隆佛種不斷者境界故，能住持一切佛法者境界故，能於一切劫修菩薩行成滿大願海者境界故，能於一切法界海以清淨智光滅無明闇障者境界故，能以一念智慧光明普照一切三世方便海者境界故。我承佛力，今為汝說。
「善男子！乃往古世，過佛剎微塵數劫，爾時有劫，名：圓滿清淨，世界名：毘盧遮那大威德，有須彌山微塵數如來於中出現。其佛世界，以一切香王摩尼寶為體，眾寶莊嚴，住無垢光明摩尼王海上。其形正圓，淨穢合成，一切嚴具帳雲而覆其上，一切莊嚴摩尼輪山千匝圍遶。有十萬億那由他四天下皆妙莊嚴，或有四天下惡業眾生於中止住，或有四天下雜業眾生於中止住，或有四天下善根眾生於中止住，或有四天下一向清淨諸大菩薩之所止住。
「此界東際輪圍山側，有四天下，名：寶燈華幢。國界清淨，飲食豐足，不藉耕耘而生稻粱；宮殿樓閣悉皆奇妙；諸如意樹處處行列，種種香樹恒出香雲，種種鬘樹恒出鬘雲，種種華樹常雨妙華；種種寶樹出諸奇寶，無量色光周匝照耀；諸音樂樹出諸音樂，隨風吹動演妙音聲；日月光明摩尼寶王普照一切，晝夜受樂無時間斷。
「此四天下有百萬億那由他諸王國土，一一國土有千大河周匝圍遶，一一皆以妙華覆上，隨流漂動，出天樂音，一切寶樹列植其岸，種種珍奇以為嚴飾，舟船來往稱情戲樂。一一河間有百萬億城，一一城有百萬億那由他聚落；如是一切城邑、聚落，各有無量百千億那由他宮殿園林周匝圍遶。
「此四天下閻浮提內，有一國土，名：寶華燈，安隱豐樂，人民熾盛；其中眾生，具行十善。有轉輪王於中出現，名：毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻，於蓮華中忽然化生，三十二相以為嚴好，七寶具足，王四天下，恒以正法教導群生。王有千子，端正勇健，能伏怨敵；百萬億那由他宮人、采女，皆悉與王同種善根、同修諸行、同時誕生，端正姝妙猶如天女，身真金色常放光明，諸毛孔中恒出妙香；良臣、猛將，具足十億。王有正妃，名：圓滿面，是王女寶，端正殊特，皮膚金色，目髮紺青，言同梵音，身有天香，常放光明照千由旬。其有一女，名：普智焰妙德眼，形體端嚴，色相殊美，眾生見者情無厭足。爾時，眾生壽命無量，或有不定而中夭者；種種形色、種種音聲、種種名字、種種族姓，愚、智、勇、怯、貧、富、苦、樂，無量品類皆悉不同。時，或有人語餘人言：『我身端正，汝形鄙陋。』作是語已，遞相毀辱，集不善業；以是業故，壽命、色力、一切樂事悉皆損減。
〔T10 0380〕
「時，彼城北有菩提樹，名：普光法雲音幢，以念念出現一切如來道場莊嚴堅固摩尼王而為其根，一切摩尼以為其幹，眾雜妙寶以為其葉，次第分布，並相稱可，四方上下，圓滿莊嚴；放寶光明，出妙音聲，說一切如來甚深境界。於彼樹前，有一香池，名：寶華光明，演法雷音；妙寶為岸，百萬億那由他寶樹圍遶，一一樹形如菩提樹，眾寶瓔珞周匝垂下，無量樓閣皆寶所成，周遍道場以為嚴飾。彼香池內出大蓮華，名：普現三世一切如來莊嚴境界雲，須彌山微塵數佛於中出現。其第一佛，名：普智寶焰妙德幢，於此華上，最初得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，無量千歲演說正法成熟眾生。
「其彼如來未成佛時，十千年前，此大蓮華放淨光明，名：現諸神通成熟眾生；若有眾生遇斯光者，心自開悟，無所不了，知十千年後佛當出現。九千年前，放淨光明，名：一切眾生離垢燈；若有眾生遇斯光者，得清淨眼，見一切色，知九千年後佛當出現。八千年前，放大光明，名：一切眾生業果音；若有眾生遇斯光者，悉得自知諸業果報，知八千年後佛當出現。七千年前，放大光明，名：生一切善根音；若有眾生遇斯光者，一切諸根悉得圓滿，知七千年後佛當出現。六千年前，放大光明，名：佛不思議境界音；若有眾生遇斯光者，其心廣大，普得自在，知六千年後佛當出現。五千年前，放大光明，名：嚴淨一切佛剎音；若有眾生遇斯光者，悉見一切清淨佛土，知五千年後佛當出現。四千年前，放大光明，名：一切如來境界無差別燈；若有眾生遇斯光者，悉能往覲一切諸佛，知四千年後佛當出現。三千年前，放大光明，名：三世明燈；若有眾生遇斯光者，悉能現見一切如來諸本事海，知三千年後佛當出現。二千年前，放大光明，名：如來離翳智慧燈；若有眾生遇斯光者，則得普眼見一切如來神變、一切諸佛國土、一切世界眾生，知二千年後佛當出現。一千年前，放大光明，名：令一切眾生見佛集諸善根；若有眾生遇斯光者，則得成就見佛三昧，知一千年後佛當出現。次七日前，放大光明，名：一切眾生歡喜音；若有眾生遇斯光者，得普見諸佛生大歡喜，知七日後佛當出現。滿七日已，一切世界悉皆震動，純淨無染，念念普現十方一切清淨佛剎，亦現彼剎種種莊嚴；若有眾生根性淳熟，應見佛者，咸詣道場。
「爾時，彼世界中一切輪圍、一切須彌、一切諸山、一切大海、一切地、一切城、一切垣牆、一切宮殿、一切音樂、一切語言，皆出音聲，讚說一切諸佛如來神力境界；又出一切香雲、一切燒香雲、一切末香雲、一切香摩尼形像雲、一切寶焰雲、一切焰藏雲、一切摩尼衣雲、一切瓔珞雲、一切妙華雲、一切如來光明雲、一切如來圓光雲、一切音樂雲、一切如來願聲雲、一切如來言音海雲、一切如來相好雲，顯示如來出現世間不思議相。
「善男子！此普照三世一切如來莊嚴境界大寶蓮華王，有十佛剎微塵數蓮華周匝圍遶，諸蓮華內悉有摩尼寶藏師子之座，一一座上皆有菩薩結跏趺坐。
「善男子！彼普智寶焰妙德幢王如來，於此成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，即於十方一切世界中成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；隨眾生心，悉現其前為轉法輪。於一一世界，令無量眾生離惡道苦，令無量眾生得生天中，令無量眾生住於聲聞、辟支佛地，令無量眾生成就出離菩提之行，令無量眾生成就勇猛幢菩提之行，令無量眾生成就法光明菩提之行，令無量眾生成就清淨根菩提之行，令無量眾生成就平等力菩提之行，令無量眾生成就入法城菩提之行，令無量眾生成就遍至一切處不可壞神通力菩提之行，令無量眾生入普門方便道菩提之行，令無量眾生安住三昧門菩提之行，令無量眾生成就緣一切清淨境界菩提之行，令無量眾生發菩提心，令無量眾生住菩薩道，令無量眾生安住清淨波羅蜜道，令無量眾生住菩薩初地，令無量眾生住菩薩二地乃至十地，令無量眾生入於菩薩殊勝行願，令無量眾生安住普賢清淨行願。
「善男子！彼普智寶焰妙德幢如來，現如是不思議自在神力轉法輪時，於彼一一諸世界中，隨其所應，念念調伏無量眾生。
「時，普賢菩薩知寶華燈王城中眾生，自恃色貌及諸境界，而生憍慢陵蔑他人；化現妙身，端正殊特，往詣彼城，放大光明，普照一切，令彼聖王及諸妙寶、日月星宿、眾生身等一切光明悉皆不現，譬如日出眾景奪曜，亦如聚墨對閻浮金。時，諸眾生咸作是言：『此為是誰？為天？為梵？今放此光，令我等身所有光色皆不顯現。』種種思惟，無能解了。
〔T10 0381〕
「爾時，普賢菩薩在彼輪王寶宮殿上虛空中住，而告之言：『大王當知，今汝國中，有佛興世，在普光明法雲音幢菩提樹下。』時，聖王女——蓮華妙眼，見普賢菩薩所現色身光明自在，及聞身上諸莊嚴具所出妙音，心生歡喜，作如是念：『願我所有一切善根，得如是身、如是莊嚴、如是相好、如是威儀、如是自在。今此大聖，能於眾生生死長夜黑闇之中放大光明，開示如來出興於世；願令於我亦得如是，為諸眾生作智光明，破彼所有無知黑闇。願我所在受生之處，常得不離此善知識。』
「善男子！時，轉輪王與其寶女、千子、眷屬、大臣、輔佐、四種兵眾，及其城內無量人民，前後圍遶；以王神力，俱昇虛空，高一由旬，放大光明照四天下，普使一切咸得瞻仰，欲令眾生俱往見佛，以偈讚曰：
「『如來出世間，普救諸群生，
汝等應速起，往詣導師所。
無量無數劫，乃有佛興世，
演說深妙法，饒益一切眾。
佛觀諸世間，顛倒常癡惑，
輪迴生死苦，而起大悲心。
無數億千劫，修習菩提行，
為欲度眾生，斯由大悲力。
頭目手足等，一切悉能捨，
為求菩提故，如是無量劫。
無量億千劫，導師難可遇；
見聞若承事，一切無空過。
今當共汝等，往觀調御尊，
坐於如來座，降魔成正覺。
瞻仰如來身，放演無量光，
種種微妙色，除滅一切暗。
一一毛孔中，放光不思議，
普照諸群生，咸令大歡喜。
汝等咸應發，廣大精進心，
詣彼如來所，恭敬而供養。』
「爾時，轉輪聖王說偈讚佛，開悟一切眾生已，從輪王善根，出十千種大供養雲，往詣道場，向如來所。所謂：一切寶蓋雲、一切華帳雲、一切寶衣雲、一切寶鈴網雲、一切香海雲、一切寶座雲、一切寶幢雲、一切宮殿雲、一切妙華雲、一切諸莊嚴具雲，於虛空中周遍嚴飾。到已，頂禮普智寶焰妙德幢王如來足，遶無量百千匝，即於佛前坐普照十方寶蓮華座。
「時，轉輪王女——普智焰妙德眼，即解身上諸莊嚴具，持以散佛。時，莊嚴具於虛空中變成寶蓋，寶網垂下，龍王執持，一切宮殿於中間列；十種寶蓋周匝圍遶，形如樓閣，內外清淨，諸瓔珞雲及諸寶樹、香海摩尼以為莊嚴。於此蓋中，有菩提樹，枝葉榮茂，普覆法界，念念示現無量莊嚴。毘盧遮那如來坐此樹下，有不可說佛剎微塵數菩薩前後圍遶，皆從普賢行願出生，住諸菩薩無差別住，亦見有一切諸世間主，亦見如來自在神力，又見一切諸劫次第世界成壞，又亦見彼一切世界一切諸佛出興次第，又亦見彼一切世界一一皆有普賢菩薩供養於佛、調伏眾生，又亦見彼一切菩薩莫不皆在普賢身中，亦見自身在其身內，亦見其身在一切如來前、一切普賢前、一切菩薩前、一切眾生前，又亦見彼一切世界一一各有佛剎微塵數世界種種際畔、種種任持、種種形狀、種種體性、種種安布、種種莊嚴、種種清淨、種種莊嚴雲而覆其上、種種劫名、種種佛興、種種三世、種種方處、種種住法界、種種入法界、種種住虛空、種種如來菩提場、種種如來神通力、種種如來師子座、種種如來大眾海、種種如來眾差別、種種如來巧方便、種種如來轉法輪、種種如來妙音聲、種種如來言說海、種種如來契經雲；既見是已，其心清淨，生大歡喜。普智寶焰妙德幢王如來，為說修多羅，名：一切如來轉法輪，十佛剎微塵數修多羅而為眷屬。
「時，彼女人聞此經已，則得成就十千三昧門，其心柔軟，無有麁彊，如初受胎，如始誕生，如娑羅樹初始生芽。彼三昧心亦復如是，所謂：現見一切佛三昧、普照一切剎三昧、入一切三世門三昧、說一切佛法輪三昧、知一切佛願海三昧、開悟一切眾生令出生死苦三昧、常願破一切眾生闇三昧、常願滅一切眾生苦三昧、常願生一切眾生樂三昧、教化一切眾生不生疲厭三昧、一切菩薩無障礙幢三昧、普詣一切清淨佛剎三昧……。得如是等十千三昧已，復得妙定心、不動心、歡喜心、安慰心、廣大心、順善知識心、緣甚深一切智心、住廣大方便海心、捨離一切執著心、不住一切世間境界心、入如來境界心、普照一切色海心、無惱害心，無高倨心、無疲倦心、無退轉心、無懈怠心、思惟諸法自性心、安住一切法門海心、觀察一切法門海心、了知一切眾生海心、救護一切眾生海心、普照一切世界海心、普生一切佛願海心、悉破一切障山心、積集福德助道心、現見諸佛十力心、普照菩薩境界心、增長菩薩助道心、遍緣一切方海心。一心思惟普賢大願，發一切如來十佛剎微塵數願海：願嚴淨一切佛國，願調伏一切眾生，願遍知一切法界，願普入一切法界海，願於一切佛剎盡未來際劫修菩薩行，願盡未來際劫不捨一切菩薩行，願得親近一切如來，願得承事一切善友，願得供養一切諸佛，願於念念中修菩薩行增一切智無有間斷……。發如是等十佛剎微塵數願海，成就普賢所有大願。
〔T10 0382〕
「時，彼如來復為其女開示演說發心已來所集善根、所修妙行、所得大果，令其開悟成就如來所有願海，一心趣向一切智位。
「善男子！復於此前，過十大劫，有世界，名：日輪光摩尼，佛號：因陀羅幢妙相。此妙眼女，於彼如來遺法之中，普賢菩薩勸其修補蓮華座上故壞佛像；既修補已而復彩畫，既彩畫已復寶莊嚴，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
「善男子！我念過去，由普賢菩薩善知識故，種此善根。從是已來，不墮惡趣，常於一切天王、人王種族中生，端正可喜，眾相圓滿，令人樂見，常見於佛，常得親近普賢菩薩；乃至於今，示導開悟，成熟於我，令生歡喜。
「善男子！於意云何？爾時毘盧遮那藏妙寶蓮華髻轉輪聖王者，豈異人乎？今彌勒菩薩是。時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是，今所住處去此不遠。時妙德眼童女者，即我身是。我於彼時，身為童女，普賢菩薩勸我修補蓮華座像，以為無上菩提因緣，令我發於阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。我於彼時，初始發心；次復引導，令我得見妙德幢佛，解身瓔珞，散佛供養，見佛神力，聞佛說法，即得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門。於念念中，見須彌山微塵數佛，亦見彼佛道場、眾會、清淨國土；我皆尊重，恭敬供養，聽聞說法，依教修行。
「善男子！過彼毘盧遮那大威德世界圓滿清淨劫已，次有世界，名：寶輪妙莊嚴，劫名：大光，有五百佛於中出現，我皆承事恭敬供養。其最初佛，名：大悲幢；初出家時，我為夜神，恭敬供養。次有佛出，名：金剛那羅延幢；我為轉輪王，恭敬供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：一切佛出現，十佛剎微塵數修多羅以為眷屬。次有佛出，名：金剛無礙德；我於彼時為轉輪王，恭敬供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：普照一切眾生根，須彌山微塵數修多羅而為眷屬；我皆受持。次有佛出，名：火焰山妙莊嚴；我於彼時為長者女；其佛為我說修多羅，名：普照三世藏，閻浮提微塵數修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，如法受持。次有佛出，名：一切法海高勝王；我為阿脩羅王，恭敬供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：分別一切法界，五百修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，如法受持。次有佛出，名：海嶽法光明；我為龍王女，雨如意摩尼寶雲而為供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：增長歡喜海，百萬億修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，如法受持。次有佛出，名：寶焰山燈；我為海神，雨寶蓮華雲恭敬供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：法界方便海光明，佛剎微塵數修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，如法受持。次有佛出，名：功德海光明輪；我於彼時為五通仙，現大神通，六萬諸仙前後圍遶，雨香華雲而為供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：無著法燈，六萬修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，如法受持。次有佛出，名：毘盧遮那功德藏；我於彼時，為主地神，名：出生平等義，與無量地神俱，雨一切寶樹、一切摩尼藏、一切寶瓔珞雲而為供養；其佛為我說修多羅，名：出生一切如來智藏，無量修多羅而為眷屬；我皆聽聞，受持不忘。善男子！如是次第，其最後佛，名：充滿虛空法界妙德燈；我為妓女，名曰：美顏，見佛入城，歌舞供養；承佛神力，踊在空中，以千偈頌讚歎於佛；佛為於我，放眉間光，名：莊嚴法界大光明，遍觸我身；我蒙光已，即得解脫門，名：法界方便不退藏。
「善男子！此世界中，有如是等佛剎微塵數劫，一切如來於中出現；我皆承事，恭敬供養；彼諸如來所說正法，我皆憶念，乃至不忘一文一句。於彼一一諸如來所，稱揚讚歎一切佛法，為無量眾生廣作利益；於彼一一諸如來所，得一切智光明，現三世法界海，入一切普賢行。
〔T10 0383〕
「善男子！我依一切智光明故，於念念中見無量佛；既見佛已，先所未得、先所未見普賢諸行，悉得成滿。何以故？以得一切智光明故。」
爾時，普救眾生夜神，欲重明此解脫義，承佛神力，為善財童子而說頌言：
「善財聽我說，甚深難見法，
普照於三世，一切差別門。
如我初發心，專求佛功德，
所入諸解脫，汝今應諦聽。
我念過去世，過剎微塵劫，
次前有一劫，名圓滿清淨。
是時有世界，名為遍照燈，
須彌塵數佛，於中出興世：
初佛名智焰，次佛名法幢，
第三法須彌，第四德師子，
第五寂靜王，第六滅諸見，
第七高名稱，第八大功德，
第九名勝日，第十名月面。
於此十佛所，最初悟法門。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
初名虛空處，第二名普光，
三名住諸方，四名正念海，
五名高勝光，六名須彌雲，
七名法焰佛，八名山勝佛，
九名大悲華，十名法界華。
此十出現時，第二悟法門。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一光幢佛，第二智慧佛，
第三心義佛，第四德主佛，
第五天慧佛，第六慧王佛，
第七勝智佛，第八光王佛，
第九勇猛佛，第十蓮華佛。
於此十佛所，第三悟法門。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一寶焰山，第二功德海，
第三法光明，第四蓮華藏，
第五眾生眼，第六香光寶，
七須彌功德，八乾闥婆王，
第九摩尼藏，第十寂靜色。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
初佛廣大智，次佛寶光明，
第三虛空雲，第四殊勝相，
第五圓滿戒，第六那羅延，
第七須彌德，第八功德輪，
第九無勝幢，第十大樹山。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一娑羅藏，第二世主身，
第三高顯光，第四金剛照，
第五地威力，第六甚深法，
第七法慧音，第八須彌幢，
第九勝光明，第十妙寶光。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一梵光明，第二虛空音，
第三法界身，第四光明輪，
第五智慧幢，第六虛空燈，
第七微妙德，第八遍照光，
第九勝福光，第十大悲雲。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一力光慧，第二普現前，
第三高顯光，第四光明身，
第五法起佛，第六寶相佛，
第七速疾風，第八勇猛幢，
第九妙寶蓋，第十照三世。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
第一願海光，第二金剛身，
第三須彌德，第四念幢王，
第五功德慧，第六智慧燈，
第七光明幢，第八廣大智，
第九法界智，第十法海智。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
初名布施法，次名功德輪，
三名勝妙雲，四名忍智燈，
五名寂靜音，六名寂靜幢，
七名世間燈，八名深大願，
九名無勝幢，十名智焰海。
從此後次第，復有十佛出：
初佛法自在，二佛無礙慧，
三名意海慧，四名眾妙音，
五名自在施，六名普現前，
七名隨樂身，八名住勝德，
第九本性佛，第十賢德佛。
須彌塵數劫，此中所有佛，
普作世間燈，我悉曾供養。
佛剎微塵劫，所有佛出現，
我皆曾供養，入此解脫門。
我於無量劫，修行得此道；
汝若能修行，不久亦當得。
〔T10 0384〕
「善男子！我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫。如諸菩薩摩訶薩，集無邊行，生種種解，現種種身，具種種根，滿種種願，入種種三昧，起種種神變，能種種觀察法，入種種智慧門，得種種法光明；而我云何能知能說彼功德行？
「善男子！去此不遠，有主夜神，名：寂靜音海，坐摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座，百萬阿僧祇主夜神前後圍遶。汝詣彼問：菩薩云何學菩薩行、修菩薩道？」
時，善財童子頂禮其足，遶無數匝，慇懃瞻仰，辭退而去。
〔卷71〕
The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.
依教趣求（澄觀科）：他帶著前一位的教上路
那時候，善財童子在喜目觀察眾生夜神那裡，聽到了普喜幢解脫門，信得過、解得通、趣得進、入得了，明明白白地隨順著，思惟修習，念著善知識所給的一切教誨，心裡一刻也不放下，諸根都不散亂，一心願意得見善知識，普遍在十方勤苦尋求而不懈怠，願意常常親近而生出種種功德，與善知識同一個善根，得到善知識巧妙的方便之行，依著善知識進入精進之海，在無量劫中常常不相遠離。發了這個願之後，就前往普救眾生妙德夜神那裡。
現光加持（澄觀科）：眉間一道光，入了他的頂
那時候，那位夜神為善財童子示現菩薩調伏眾生的解脫神力，用種種相好莊嚴自己的身，在兩眉之間放出大光明，名叫「智燈普照清淨幢」，有無量的光明作它的眷屬，那光普遍照耀一切世間。照過世間之後，進入善財的頭頂，充滿了他的身。善財那時候立刻得到「究竟清淨輪三昧」。
蒙光獲益（澄觀科）（一）：兩位夜神之間，每一粒微塵
得到這個三昧之後，他完全看見了兩位夜神所在的兩處之間，所有的一切地的微塵、水的微塵以及火的微塵，金剛摩尼眾寶的微塵，華香、瓔珞、諸般莊嚴之具的微塵，像這樣一切所有的微塵，每一粒微塵之中，各各看見佛剎微塵數那麼多的世界成立與壞滅。以及看見一切地、水、火、風諸大的積聚。也看見一切世界一個連著一個，都是以地輪任持而安住的。種種的山與海、種種的河與池、種種的樹林、種種的宮殿，就是說：天的宮殿、龍的宮殿、夜叉的宮殿，一直到摩睺羅伽、人、非人等等的宮殿屋宅，地獄、畜生、閻羅王界一切住的地方，諸趣之中輪轉不停，生死來來去去，隨著業受報，各各差別，沒有一樣不完全看見。
蒙光獲益（二）：十種世界的差別，與夜神的普現
又看見一切世界的差別。就是說：有的世界雜穢，有的世界清淨，有的世界趣向雜穢，有的世界趣向清淨，有的世界雜穢而清淨，有的世界清淨而雜穢，有的世界一向清淨，有的世界它的形狀平正，有的是覆過來安住的，有的是側著安住的。像這樣等等的一切世界、一切趣之中，都看見這位普救眾生夜神，在一切時、一切處，隨著眾生形貌的不同、言辭的不同、行解的不同，用方便之力普遍現身在他們面前，隨著所宜而化度他們。
蒙光獲益（三）：人趣的十九種怖，一一使他捨離
他令地獄的眾生免除諸般苦毒，令畜生的眾生不互相吞食，令餓鬼的眾生沒有飢渴，令諸龍等等離開一切怖畏，令欲界的眾生離開欲界之苦，令人趣的眾生離開暗夜的怖、被人毀罵的怖、惡名的怖、處大眾中的怖、活不下去的怖、死的怖、墮惡道的怖、斷善根的怖、退菩提心的怖、遇到惡知識的怖、離開善知識的怖、墮到二乘地的怖、種種生死的怖、與異類眾生同住的怖、生在惡時的怖、生在惡種族中的怖、造惡業的怖、業與煩惱作障的怖、執著諸想而被繫縛的怖，像這樣等等的怖畏，都令他們捨離。
蒙光獲益（四）：九類眾生，與救護的十九個所為
又看見一切眾生，卵生的、胎生的、濕生的、化生的，有色的、無色的，有想的、無想的，非有想非無想的，她都普遍現身在他們面前，常常勤苦救護。所為的是：為了成就菩薩的大願之力，為了深入菩薩的三昧之力，為了堅固菩薩的神通之力，為了出生普賢的行願之力，為了增廣菩薩的大悲之海，為了得到普遍覆護眾生的無礙大慈，為了得到普遍給與眾生無量的喜樂，為了得到普遍攝取一切眾生的智慧方便，為了得到菩薩廣大解脫自在的神通，為了嚴淨一切佛剎，為了覺了一切諸法，為了供養一切諸佛，為了受持一切佛的教法，為了積集一切善根而修一切妙行，為了進入一切眾生的心海而沒有障礙，為了知道一切眾生的諸根而教化成熟他們，為了淨除一切眾生的信解之障而除去他們的惡障，為了破除一切眾生的無知黑闇，為了令他們得到一切智的清淨光明。
三業敬讚（澄觀科）：夜神收起莊嚴之相，還復本形
那時候，善財童子見到這位夜神這樣不可思議、甚深境界的神力，普遍示現調伏一切眾生的菩薩解脫之後，歡喜無量，五體投地頭面作禮，一心瞻仰。那時候，那位夜神就捨去菩薩莊嚴之相，還復她本來的形貌，而並不捨去她自在的神力。
善財讚偈（一）：我看見的，是這樣一個身
那時候，善財童子恭敬合掌，退在一邊站著，用偈頌讚歎說：
「我善財得以見到這樣的大神力，心裡生起歡喜，說偈而讚歎。
我看見尊者的妙身，眾多的相好用來莊嚴；譬如空中的星，一切都清淨莊嚴。
所放出的殊勝之光，其數如無量剎土的微塵；種種微妙的顏色，普遍照耀於十方。
善財讚偈（二）：毛孔之光、眉間之光、口之光、眼之光
每一個毛孔所放的光，其數如眾生的心數；每一道光明的端頭，都出生寶蓮華；
華中出生化身，能滅除眾生的苦；光中出生妙香，普遍薰及眾生；
又雨下種種的華，供養一切佛。兩眉之間放出妙光，其量與須彌山相等，
普遍觸到一切含識，令他們滅除愚癡之闇。口中放出清淨之光，譬如無量的日，
普遍照耀於廣大的毘盧舍那境界。眼中放出清淨之光，譬如無量的月，
普遍照耀十方剎土，都滅除世間的癡翳。
善財讚偈（三）：現化種種身，滅一切怖
現作化身種種形相，形狀與眾生相等，
充滿十方世界，度脫三有之海。妙身遍滿十方，普遍現身在眾生之前，
滅除水的難、火的難、賊的難、王的難等等一切怖畏。
善財讚偈（四）：我承著喜目的教，才到得了這裡
我承著喜目夜神的教誨，今天才得以到尊者這裡，
見到尊者眉間的相，放出大清淨之光，
普遍照耀十方之海，都滅除一切黑闇，
顯現神通之力，而來進入我的身。
我遇到這圓滿之光，心裡生起大歡喜，
得到總持三昧，普遍見到十方的佛。
善財讚偈（五）：一一微塵之中，各見塵數之剎
我在所經過的地方，都看見諸般微塵，
每一粒微塵之中，各各看見微塵數的剎土。
有的是無量剎土，一切都渾濁污穢，
眾生受著諸般苦，常常悲歎號泣。
有的是染淨的剎，快樂少而憂苦多；
菩薩示現三乘之像，前往那裡而救度。
有的是淨染的剎，是眾生所喜歡見的，
菩薩常常充滿其中，住持諸佛之法。
每一粒微塵之中，有無量清淨的剎海；
那是毘盧遮那佛在往昔劫中所嚴淨的。
佛在一切剎土，都坐在菩提樹下，
成道、轉法輪，度脫諸般群生。
我看見普救天，在那無量的剎土，
一切諸佛之所，普遍都前往供養。」
問答因緣（澄觀科）：三個問題
那時候，善財童子說完這首頌之後，對普救眾生妙德夜神說：「天神！如今這個解脫甚深希有！它的名字叫什麼？得到這個解脫已經有多久了？修什麼樣的行才得到清淨？」
歎深難說（澄觀科）：這不是天人與二乘測得到的
夜神說：
「善男子！這個地方難以了知，諸天以及人、一切二乘都測不到。為什麼呢？因為這是安住普賢菩薩行的人的境界，是安住大悲藏的人的境界，是救護一切眾生的人的境界，是能淨除一切三惡道與八難的人的境界，是能在一切佛剎之中紹隆佛種而不斷絕的人的境界，是能住持一切佛法的人的境界，是能在一切劫中修菩薩行、成滿大願海的人的境界，是能在一切法界海中以清淨智光滅除無明闇障的人的境界，是能以一念的智慧光明普遍照耀一切三世方便海的人的境界。我承著佛的力量，現在為你說。
本生（一）：圓滿清淨劫，毘盧遮那大威德世界
「善男子！往昔古世，過了佛剎微塵數那麼多的劫，那時候有一個劫，名叫『圓滿清淨』，有一個世界名叫『毘盧遮那大威德』，有須彌山微塵數那麼多的如來在其中出現。那個佛世界，是以一切香王摩尼寶為體的，用眾寶莊嚴，安住在無垢光明摩尼王海之上。它的形狀正圓，淨與穢合成，一切莊嚴之具所成的帳雲覆蓋在它上面，一切莊嚴摩尼輪山千重圍繞。有十萬億那由他個四天下都妙好莊嚴，有的四天下是造惡業的眾生住在其中，有的四天下是雜業的眾生住在其中，有的四天下是有善根的眾生住在其中，有的四天下是一向清淨的諸大菩薩所住。
本生（二）：東邊那一個四天下，名叫寶燈華幢
「這個世界東邊輪圍山旁，有一個四天下，名叫『寶燈華幢』。國界清淨，飲食豐足，不必耕耘而自然生出稻粱；宮殿樓閣全都奇妙；諸般如意樹處處成行排列，種種香樹恆常出生香雲，種種鬘樹恆常出生鬘雲，種種華樹常常雨下妙華；種種寶樹出生諸般奇寶，無量的色光四周照耀；諸般音樂樹出生諸般音樂，隨著風吹動而演出妙音之聲；日月光明摩尼寶王普遍照耀一切，晝夜受樂沒有一刻間斷。
本生（三）：千條大河、百萬億城、百萬億那由他聚落
「這個四天下有百萬億那由他個諸王國土，每一個國土有千條大河四周圍繞，每一條河都以妙華覆在上面，隨著水流漂動，出生天上的樂音，一切寶樹排列種植在它的兩岸，種種珍奇作為嚴飾，舟船來來往往，稱著人的心意而戲樂。每兩條河之間有百萬億座城，每一座城有百萬億那由他個聚落；像這樣一切的城邑、聚落，各有無量百千億那由他的宮殿園林四周圍繞。
本生（四）：寶華燈國的轉輪王、王妃與王女
「這個四天下的閻浮提之內，有一個國土，名叫『寶華燈』，安隱豐樂，人民興盛；其中的眾生，都具足修行十善。有一位轉輪王在其中出現，名叫『毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻』，是在蓮華之中忽然化生的，以三十二相作為嚴好，七寶具足，統王四天下，恆常以正法教導群生。王有一千個兒子，端正勇健，能降伏怨敵；有百萬億那由他個宮人、采女，都與王同種善根、同修諸行、同時誕生，端正美妙有如天女，身是真金之色而常常放光，諸毛孔中恆常出生妙香；良臣、猛將，具足十億。王有一位正妃，名叫『圓滿面』，是王的女寶，端正殊特，皮膚是金色，眼目與頭髮是紺青色，說話如同梵音，身上有天香，常常放光照到千由旬之遠。他有一個女兒，名叫『普智焰妙德眼』，形體端嚴，色相殊美，眾生見到的人看不厭足。那時候，眾生的壽命是無量的，也有不定而中途夭亡的；種種形色、種種音聲、種種名字、種種族姓，愚的、智的、勇的、怯的、貧的、富的、苦的、樂的，無量的品類都各各不同。
本生（五）：一句互毀的話，減損了他們的壽命與色力
「當時，有人對別人說：『我的身端正，你的形貌鄙陋。』說了這話之後，就互相毀辱，聚集不善之業；因為這個業的緣故，壽命、色力、一切快樂之事全都損減。
本生（六）：城北的菩提樹，樹前的香池，池中的大蓮華
「那時候，那座城的北面有一株菩提樹，名叫『普光法雲音幢』，以念念之間出現一切如來道場莊嚴的堅固摩尼王作為它的根，以一切摩尼作為它的幹，以眾多雜色的妙寶作為它的葉，依次分布，彼此相稱，四方與上下，圓滿莊嚴；放出寶光明，出生妙音聲，宣說一切如來甚深的境界。在那株樹的前面，有一個香池，名叫『寶華光明』，演出說法的雷音；以妙寶為岸，有百萬億那由他的寶樹圍繞，每一株樹的形狀都像菩提樹，眾寶瓔珞四周垂下，無量的樓閣都是寶所成的，遍布道場作為嚴飾。那個香池之內出生大蓮華，名叫『普現三世一切如來莊嚴境界雲』，有須彌山微塵數那麼多的佛在其中出現。其中的第一位佛，名叫『普智寶焰妙德幢』，在這朵華上最初證得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，用無量千歲的時間演說正法、成熟眾生。
本生（七）：那位如來還沒成佛，一萬年前這朵華就開始放光
「那位如來還沒有成佛的時候，一萬年前，這朵大蓮華放出清淨光明，名叫『現諸神通成熟眾生』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，心自然開悟，沒有什麼不明了的，就知道一萬年之後佛當出現。九千年前，放出清淨光明，名叫『一切眾生離垢燈』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，就得到清淨的眼，見一切色，就知道九千年之後佛當出現。八千年前，放出大光明，名叫『一切眾生業果音』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，都能自己知道諸般業的果報，就知道八千年之後佛當出現。七千年前，放出大光明，名叫『生一切善根音』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，一切諸根都得圓滿，就知道七千年之後佛當出現。六千年前，放出大光明，名叫『佛不思議境界音』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，他的心廣大，普遍得自在，就知道六千年之後佛當出現。五千年前，放出大光明，名叫『嚴淨一切佛剎音』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，都見到一切清淨的佛土，就知道五千年之後佛當出現。四千年前，放出大光明，名叫『一切如來境界無差別燈』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，都能前往覲見一切諸佛，就知道四千年之後佛當出現。三千年前，放出大光明，名叫『三世明燈』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，都能現前見到一切如來的諸般本事之海，就知道三千年之後佛當出現。二千年前，放出大光明，名叫『如來離翳智慧燈』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，就得到普眼而見一切如來的神變、一切諸佛的國土、一切世界的眾生，就知道二千年之後佛當出現。一千年前，放出大光明，名叫『令一切眾生見佛集諸善根』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，就得成就見佛三昧，就知道一千年之後佛當出現。再下來七日之前，放出大光明，名叫『一切眾生歡喜音』；如果有眾生遇到這道光，得到普見諸佛而生大歡喜，就知道七日之後佛當出現。
本生（八）：滿七日了，一切世界都震動
「滿了七日之後，一切世界全都震動，純淨而沒有染污，念念之間普遍現出十方一切清淨的佛剎，也現出那些剎土種種的莊嚴；如果有眾生根性淳厚成熟、應當見佛的，都到道場來。
本生（九）：山、海、城、牆、宮殿、音樂、語言，都出聲音
「那時候，那個世界之中一切輪圍山、一切須彌山、一切諸山、一切大海、一切地、一切城、一切垣牆、一切宮殿、一切音樂、一切語言，都出生音聲，讚說一切諸佛如來神力的境界；又出生一切香雲、一切燒香雲、一切末香雲、一切香摩尼形像雲、一切寶焰雲、一切焰藏雲、一切摩尼衣雲、一切瓔珞雲、一切妙華雲、一切如來光明雲、一切如來圓光雲、一切音樂雲、一切如來願聲雲、一切如來言音海雲、一切如來相好雲，顯示如來出現世間不可思議的相。
本生（十）：這朵華的四周，還有十佛剎微塵數的華
「善男子！這朵普照三世一切如來莊嚴境界的大寶蓮華王，有十佛剎微塵數的蓮華四周圍繞，諸蓮華之內都有摩尼寶藏的師子之座，每一座上都有菩薩結跏趺坐。
本生（十一）：他在這裡成佛，就在十方一切世界成佛
「善男子！那位普智寶焰妙德幢王如來，在這裡成就阿耨多羅三藐三菩提的時候，就在十方一切世界之中成就阿耨多羅三藐三菩提；隨著眾生的心，都現身在他們面前而為他們轉法輪。在每一個世界，令無量眾生離開惡道之苦，令無量眾生得生天中，令無量眾生安住在聲聞、辟支佛地，令無量眾生成就出離菩提之行，令無量眾生成就勇猛幢菩提之行，令無量眾生成就法光明菩提之行，令無量眾生成就清淨根菩提之行，令無量眾生成就平等力菩提之行，令無量眾生成就入法城菩提之行，令無量眾生成就遍至一切處不可壞神通力菩提之行，令無量眾生入普門方便道菩提之行，令無量眾生安住三昧門菩提之行，令無量眾生成就緣一切清淨境界菩提之行，令無量眾生發菩提心，令無量眾生安住菩薩道，令無量眾生安住清淨波羅蜜道，令無量眾生安住菩薩初地，令無量眾生安住菩薩二地乃至十地，令無量眾生進入菩薩殊勝的行願，令無量眾生安住普賢清淨的行願。
「善男子！那位普智寶焰妙德幢如來，現這樣不可思議自在神力而轉法輪的時候，在那每一個諸世界之中，隨著他們所應的，念念之間調伏無量眾生。
本生（十二）：普賢知道那城裡的人正在憍慢
「當時，普賢菩薩知道寶華燈王城中的眾生，自恃自己的色貌以及諸般境界，而生起憍慢、輕陵蔑視別人；就化現妙好之身，端正殊特，前往那座城，放出大光明，普遍照耀一切，令那位聖王以及諸般妙寶、日月星宿、眾生之身等等一切光明全都不現，譬如太陽出來而眾多的光影都被奪去光耀，也像一團墨對著閻浮檀金。當時，眾生都這樣說：『這是誰？是天嗎？是梵嗎？如今放這樣的光，令我們身上所有的光色都顯現不出來。』種種思惟，沒有人能夠明白。
本生（十三）：普賢告訴王：你的國中有佛出世了
「那時候，普賢菩薩在那位輪王寶宮殿上的虛空之中安住，而告訴他們說：『大王應當知道，如今你的國中，有佛興於世間，就在普光明法雲音幢菩提樹下。』當時，聖王的女兒——蓮華妙眼，見到普賢菩薩所現色身光明的自在，以及聽到身上諸般莊嚴之具所出的妙音，心裡生起歡喜，作這樣的念：『願我所有的一切善根，得到這樣的身、這樣的莊嚴、這樣的相好、這樣的威儀、這樣的自在。如今這位大聖，能在眾生生死長夜的黑闇之中放大光明，開示如來出興於世；願令我也得到這樣，為諸眾生作智慧的光明，破除他們所有的無知黑闇。願我所在受生的地方，常得不離這位善知識。』
本生（十四）：轉輪王與眷屬昇空，以偈讚佛勸眾同往
「善男子！當時，轉輪王與他的寶女、千子、眷屬、大臣、輔佐、四種兵眾，以及城內無量的人民，前後圍繞；以王的神力，一同昇到虛空之中，高一由旬，放出大光明照耀四天下，普遍令一切人都得瞻仰，想要令眾生一同前往見佛，就以偈頌讚歎說：
「『如來出現在世間，普遍救護諸般群生，
你們應當快快起身，前往導師那裡。
無量無數的劫，才有佛興於世，
演說深妙之法，饒益一切大眾。
佛觀察諸般世間，顛倒而常常癡惑，
輪迴在生死之苦中，因而生起大悲之心。
無數億千的劫中，修習菩提之行，
為了想要度眾生，這都由於大悲之力。
頭、目、手、足等等，一切都能捨得，
為了求菩提的緣故，這樣經過無量劫。
無量億千的劫中，導師難以遇到；
見到、聽到、若能承事，一切都不會空過。
如今應當與你們一同，前往觀禮調御之尊，
他坐在如來之座，降魔而成正覺。
瞻仰如來之身，放演無量的光，
種種微妙的顏色，除滅一切黑暗。
每一個毛孔之中，放出不可思議的光，
普遍照耀諸般群生，都令他們大大歡喜。
你們都應當發起廣大的精進之心，
到那位如來那裡，恭敬而供養。』
本生（十五）：十千種大供養雲，往詣道場
「那時候，轉輪聖王說偈讚佛、開悟一切眾生之後，從輪王的善根，出生十千種大供養雲，前往道場，向著如來之所。就是說：一切寶蓋雲、一切華帳雲、一切寶衣雲、一切寶鈴網雲、一切香海雲、一切寶座雲、一切寶幢雲、一切宮殿雲、一切妙華雲、一切諸莊嚴具雲，在虛空之中遍布嚴飾。到了之後，頂禮普智寶焰妙德幢王如來的足，繞行無量百千匝，就在佛前坐上普照十方寶蓮華座。
本生（十六）：王女解下瓔珞散佛，見到因小而果大
「當時，轉輪王的女兒——普智焰妙德眼，就解下身上諸般莊嚴之具，拿來散在佛上。當時，這些莊嚴之具在虛空之中變成寶蓋，寶網垂下，龍王執持著，一切宮殿在中間排列；十種寶蓋四周圍繞，形狀如同樓閣，內外清淨，諸般瓔珞雲以及諸寶樹、香海摩尼作為莊嚴。在這寶蓋之中，有一株菩提樹，枝葉繁茂，普遍覆蓋法界，念念之間示現無量的莊嚴。毘盧遮那如來坐在這株樹下，有不可說佛剎微塵數的菩薩前後圍繞，都是從普賢行願出生的，安住在諸菩薩無差別的住處。她也看見有一切諸世間之主，也看見如來自在的神力，又看見一切諸劫依次而世界成立與壞滅，又也看見那一切世界之中一切諸佛出興的次第，又也看見那一切世界之中一一都有普賢菩薩供養於佛、調伏眾生，又也看見那一切菩薩沒有不都在普賢的身中，也看見自己的身在他的身內，也看見自己的身在一切如來之前、一切普賢之前、一切菩薩之前、一切眾生之前，又也看見那一切世界一一各有佛剎微塵數的世界種種的際畔、種種的任持、種種的形狀、種種的體性、種種的安布、種種的莊嚴、種種的清淨、種種的莊嚴雲覆蓋在上面、種種的劫名、種種的佛興、種種的三世、種種的方處、種種的住法界、種種的入法界、種種的住虛空、種種的如來菩提場、種種的如來神通力、種種的如來師子座、種種的如來大眾海、種種的如來眾差別、種種的如來巧方便、種種的如來轉法輪、種種的如來妙音聲、種種的如來言說海、種種的如來契經雲；看見這些之後，她的心清淨，生起大歡喜。普智寶焰妙德幢王如來，為她宣說一部修多羅，名叫『一切如來轉法輪』，有十佛剎微塵數的修多羅作為它的眷屬。
本生（十七）：她聞經之後，得了十千三昧門
「當時，那位女人聽聞這部經之後，就得成就十千個三昧門，她的心柔軟，沒有粗硬，如同剛剛受胎，如同剛剛誕生，如同娑羅樹剛剛生出芽來。她那三昧之心也是這樣，就是說：現見一切佛三昧、普照一切剎三昧、入一切三世門三昧、說一切佛法輪三昧、知一切佛願海三昧、開悟一切眾生令出生死苦三昧、常願破一切眾生闇三昧、常願滅一切眾生苦三昧、常願生一切眾生樂三昧、教化一切眾生不生疲厭三昧、一切菩薩無障礙幢三昧、普詣一切清淨佛剎三昧，如此等等。
本生（十八）：得三昧之後，又得三十種心與十佛剎微塵數的願海
「得到這樣等等的十千個三昧之後，又得到妙定心、不動心、歡喜心、安慰心、廣大心、順善知識心、緣甚深一切智心、住廣大方便海心、捨離一切執著心、不住一切世間境界心、入如來境界心、普照一切色海心、無惱害心，無高倨心、無疲倦心、無退轉心、無懈怠心、思惟諸法自性心、安住一切法門海心、觀察一切法門海心、了知一切眾生海心、救護一切眾生海心、普照一切世界海心、普生一切佛願海心、悉破一切障山心、積集福德助道心、現見諸佛十力心、普照菩薩境界心、增長菩薩助道心、遍緣一切方海心。她一心思惟普賢的大願，發起一切如來十佛剎微塵數的願海：願嚴淨一切佛國，願調伏一切眾生，願遍知一切法界，願普入一切法界海，願在一切佛剎盡未來際劫修菩薩行，願盡未來際劫不捨一切菩薩行，願得親近一切如來，願得承事一切善友，願得供養一切諸佛，願在念念之中修菩薩行、增長一切智而沒有間斷，如此等等。發起這樣等等十佛剎微塵數的願海，成就了普賢所有的大願。
本生（十九）：那位如來又為她說她自己的來歷
「當時，那位如來又為她開示演說她從發心以來所聚集的善根、所修的妙行、所得的大果，令她開悟、成就如來所有的願海，一心趣向一切智之位。
「善男子！在這之前，又過十大劫，有一個世界，名叫『日輪光摩尼』，佛號『因陀羅幢妙相』。這位妙眼女，在那位如來的遺法之中，普賢菩薩勸她修補蓮華座上已經破壞的佛像；修補完了之後又加彩畫，彩畫完了之後又用寶莊嚴，於是發起阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。
「善男子！我憶念過去，由於普賢菩薩這位善知識的緣故，種下了這個善根。從那以來，不曾墮入惡趣，常常生在一切天王、人王的種族之中，端正可喜，眾相圓滿，令人樂於見到，常常見到佛，常常得以親近普賢菩薩；一直到今天，他還在示導開悟、成熟我，令我生歡喜。
本生（二十）：結會古今——父王是彌勒，母妃是下一位夜神，那個女兒是我
「善男子！你怎麼想呢？那時候的毘盧遮那藏妙寶蓮華髻轉輪聖王，難道是別人嗎？就是今天的彌勒菩薩。那時候的王妃圓滿面，就是寂靜音海夜神，如今所住的地方離這裡不遠。那時候的妙德眼童女，就是我自己。我在那時候，身為童女，普賢菩薩勸我修補蓮華座上的佛像，作為無上菩提的因緣，令我發起阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。我在那時候，最初開始發心；接著他又引導我，令我得見妙德幢佛，解下身上的瓔珞散佛供養，見到佛的神力，聽聞佛說法，就得到菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門。在念念之中，見到須彌山微塵數的佛，也見到那些佛的道場、眾會、清淨國土；我都尊重、恭敬供養，聽聞說法，依教修行。
本生（二十一）：大光劫中的十位佛，我作過十種身
「善男子！過了那個毘盧遮那大威德世界的圓滿清淨劫之後，接著有一個世界，名叫『寶輪妙莊嚴』，劫名叫『大光』，有五百位佛在其中出現，我都承事恭敬供養。其中最初的佛，名叫『大悲幢』；他初出家的時候，我作夜神，恭敬供養。接著有佛出世，名叫『金剛那羅延幢』；我作轉輪王，恭敬供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『一切佛出現』，有十佛剎微塵數的修多羅作為眷屬。接著有佛出世，名叫『金剛無礙德』；我在那時候作轉輪王，恭敬供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『普照一切眾生根』，有須彌山微塵數的修多羅作為眷屬；我都受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『火焰山妙莊嚴』；我在那時候作長者的女兒；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『普照三世藏』，有閻浮提微塵數的修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，如法受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『一切法海高勝王』；我作阿脩羅王，恭敬供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『分別一切法界』，有五百部修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，如法受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『海嶽法光明』；我作龍王的女兒，雨下如意摩尼寶雲而作供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『增長歡喜海』，有百萬億修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，如法受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『寶焰山燈』；我作海神，雨下寶蓮華雲恭敬供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『法界方便海光明』，有佛剎微塵數的修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，如法受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『功德海光明輪』；我在那時候作五通仙人，現大神通，有六萬位仙人前後圍繞，雨下香華雲而作供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『無著法燈』，有六萬部修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，如法受持。接著有佛出世，名叫『毘盧遮那功德藏』；我在那時候，作主地神，名叫『出生平等義』，與無量的地神一同，雨下一切寶樹、一切摩尼藏、一切寶瓔珞雲而作供養；那位佛為我宣說修多羅，名叫『出生一切如來智藏』，有無量的修多羅作為眷屬；我都聽聞，受持不忘。善男子！像這樣依次下來，其中最後一位佛，名叫『充滿虛空法界妙德燈』；我作妓女，名叫『美顏』，見佛入城，以歌舞供養；承著佛的神力，踊身在空中，用一千首偈頌讚歎於佛；佛為我放出眉間之光，名叫『莊嚴法界大光明』，遍觸我的身；我蒙這光之後，就得到一個解脫門，名叫『法界方便不退藏』。
本生（二十二）：這一個世界之中，有這樣多的劫
「善男子！這個世界之中，有這樣等等佛剎微塵數的劫，一切如來在其中出現；我都承事、恭敬供養；那些如來所說的正法，我都憶念，乃至一文一句都不忘失。在那每一位如來之所，稱揚讚歎一切佛法，為無量眾生廣作利益；在那每一位如來之所，得到一切智的光明，現出三世法界之海，進入一切普賢之行。
「善男子！我依著一切智光明的緣故，在念念之中見到無量的佛；見了佛之後，先前所未得、先前所未見的普賢諸行，全都得以成滿。為什麼呢？因為得到一切智光明的緣故。」
重頌（一）：誡聽，與那最初的一劫
那時候，普救眾生夜神，想要再一次說明這解脫的義理，承著佛的神力，為善財童子而說頌說：
「善財聽我說，甚深難見的法，
普遍照耀於三世，一切差別之門。
如同我最初發心，專求佛的功德，
所入的諸般解脫，你今天應當諦聽。
我憶念過去世，過了剎土微塵數的劫，
再往前有一個劫，名叫圓滿清淨。
那時候有一個世界，名叫遍照燈，
有須彌塵數的佛，在其中出興於世：
重頌（二）：第一組十佛，最初悟得法門
初佛名叫智焰，次佛名叫法幢，
第三是法須彌，第四是德師子，
第五是寂靜王，第六是滅諸見，
第七是高名稱，第八是大功德，
第九名叫勝日，第十名叫月面。
在這十位佛所，最初悟得法門。
重頌（三）：第二組與第三組十佛
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
初名虛空處，第二名普光，
三名住諸方，四名正念海，
五名高勝光，六名須彌雲，
七名法焰佛，八名山勝佛，
九名大悲華，十名法界華。
這十位出現的時候，第二次悟得法門。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是光幢佛，第二是智慧佛，
第三是心義佛，第四是德主佛，
第五是天慧佛，第六是慧王佛，
第七是勝智佛，第八是光王佛，
第九是勇猛佛，第十是蓮華佛。
在這十位佛所，第三次悟得法門。
重頌（四）：第四組至第七組十佛
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是寶焰山，第二是功德海，
第三是法光明，第四是蓮華藏，
第五是眾生眼，第六是香光寶，
七是須彌功德，八是乾闥婆王，
第九是摩尼藏，第十是寂靜色。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
初佛是廣大智，次佛是寶光明，
第三是虛空雲，第四是殊勝相，
第五是圓滿戒，第六是那羅延，
第七是須彌德，第八是功德輪，
第九是無勝幢，第十是大樹山。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是娑羅藏，第二是世主身，
第三是高顯光，第四是金剛照，
第五是地威力，第六是甚深法，
第七是法慧音，第八是須彌幢，
第九是勝光明，第十是妙寶光。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是梵光明，第二是虛空音，
第三是法界身，第四是光明輪，
第五是智慧幢，第六是虛空燈，
第七是微妙德，第八是遍照光，
第九是勝福光，第十是大悲雲。
重頌（五）：第八組至第十一組十佛
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是力光慧，第二是普現前，
第三是高顯光，第四是光明身，
第五是法起佛，第六是寶相佛，
第七是速疾風，第八是勇猛幢，
第九是妙寶蓋，第十是照三世。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
第一是願海光，第二是金剛身，
第三是須彌德，第四是念幢王，
第五是功德慧，第六是智慧燈，
第七是光明幢，第八是廣大智，
第九是法界智，第十是法海智。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
初名布施法，次名功德輪，
三名勝妙雲，四名忍智燈，
五名寂靜音，六名寂靜幢，
七名世間燈，八名深大願，
九名無勝幢，十名智焰海。
從此以後依次，又有十位佛出世：
初佛是法自在，二佛是無礙慧，
三名意海慧，四名眾妙音，
五名自在施，六名普現前，
七名隨樂身，八名住勝德，
第九是本性佛，第十是賢德佛。
重頌（六）：那些佛我都曾供養，你若修行不久也當得
須彌塵數的劫中，其中所有的佛，
都普作世間的燈，我都曾經供養。
佛剎微塵數的劫中，所有出現的佛，
我都曾經供養，因而入了這個解脫門。
我在無量劫中，修行而得到這條道；
你若能修行，不久之後也當得到。
謙己推勝（澄觀科）：我只知道這一個
「善男子！我只知道這個菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫。至於諸位菩薩摩訶薩，他們聚集無邊的行，生出種種的解，現出種種的身，具足種種的根，圓滿種種的願，進入種種的三昧，起種種的神變，能種種地觀察諸法，進入種種的智慧之門，得到種種的法光明；而我怎麼能夠知道、能夠宣說他們的功德之行呢？
指示後友（澄觀科）：離這裡不遠，有一位寂靜音海
「善男子！離這裡不遠，有一位主夜神，名叫『寂靜音海』，坐在摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座上，有百萬阿僧祇的主夜神前後圍繞。你到她那裡去問：菩薩應當怎樣學菩薩行、修菩薩道？」
戀德禮辭（澄觀科）
當時，善財童子頂禮她的足，繞行無數匝，慇懃瞻仰，辭別退去而行。
Seeking in Accord with the Teaching (Chengguan’s Outline): He Sets Out Carrying the Teaching of the One Before
At that time, Sudhana the youth, in the presence of the night goddess Joyful Eyes Beholding Beings, had heard the liberation gate of the Banner of Universal Joy; he trusted it, he understood it, he advanced upon it, he entered it; plainly and clearly he accorded with it, pondering it and cultivating it, calling to mind all the instructions the good friend had given him, not laying them down in his heart for so much as a moment, all his faculties undistracted, single-mindedly wishing to see the good friend, everywhere in the ten directions seeking with diligence and hardship and never slackening, wishing always to draw near and so to bring forth every kind of merit and virtue, sharing one and the same root of good with the good friend, gaining the good friend’s practice of subtle skillful means, in reliance upon the good friend entering the sea of vigor, and through measureless kalpas never being far apart from her. Having raised this vow, he went on to where the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings was.
Manifesting Light and Bestowing Power (Chengguan’s Outline): A Light from Between Her Brows, Entering the Crown of His Head
At that time, that night goddess, for the sake of Sudhana the youth, displayed the liberating spiritual power of a bodhisattva subduing sentient beings; with every kind of mark and sign she adorned her body, and from between her two brows she sent forth a great light, named Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity, having measureless lights as its retinue, and that light shone everywhere upon all the worlds. Having shone upon the worlds, it entered the crown of Sudhana’s head and filled his body. Sudhana at that moment straightway gained the samādhi of the Wheel of Ultimate Purity.
Receiving the Light and Gaining Benefit (Chengguan’s Outline) (One): Between the Two Night Goddesses, Every Single Dust Mote
Having gained this samādhi, he saw in full, in the space between the two places where the two night goddesses were, all the dust motes of earth, the dust motes of water, and the dust motes of fire, the dust motes of vajra and maṇi and the many jewels, the dust motes of flowers and incense, of strings of gems, and of all the implements of adornment — of all such dust motes as there were, within each and every dust mote he saw severally the forming and the decaying of worlds as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land. And he saw the massing of all the great elements, earth and water and fire and wind. He saw too all the worlds joined one to the next, all of them upheld and made to abide by the earth-wheel. Every kind of mountain and sea, every kind of river and pool, every kind of grove of trees, every kind of palace — that is to say: the palaces of the devas, the palaces of the dragons, the palaces of the yakṣas, on down to the palaces and dwellings of the mahoragas, of humans and of nonhumans, and the hells, the animals, the realm of King Yama and all their places of dwelling, the turning without rest within the destinies, the coming and going of birth and death, the receiving of retribution according to deeds, each and every one of them different — there was not one that he did not see in full.
Receiving the Light and Gaining Benefit (Two): The Ten Differences among the Worlds, and the Night Goddess Appearing Everywhere
He saw further the differences among all the worlds. That is to say: some worlds are foul and mixed, some worlds are pure, some worlds tend toward the foul and mixed, some worlds tend toward the pure, some worlds are foul and mixed yet pure, some worlds are pure yet foul and mixed, some worlds are wholly pure, some worlds have a shape level and even, some abide overturned, some abide tilted upon their side. Within all such worlds as these and within all the destinies, he saw this night goddess Who Saves All Beings, at all times and in all places, according to the differences among sentient beings in shape and appearance, in speech, and in practice and understanding, by the power of skillful means appearing everywhere before them and converting and delivering them according to what was fitting.
Receiving the Light and Gaining Benefit (Three): The Nineteen Fears of the Human Destiny, Each One Made to Be Let Go
She causes sentient beings in the hells to be spared all the bitter poisons of suffering; causes sentient beings among the animals not to devour one another; causes sentient beings among the hungry ghosts to be without hunger and thirst; causes the dragons and the rest to leave behind all fear; causes sentient beings of the realm of desire to leave behind the suffering of the realm of desire; causes sentient beings of the human destiny to leave behind the fear of the dark of night, the fear of being reviled and abused, the fear of ill repute, the fear of standing amid a great assembly, the fear of not making a living, the fear of death, the fear of falling into the evil destinies, the fear of cutting off the roots of good, the fear of turning back from the mind of awakening, the fear of meeting an evil friend, the fear of parting from a good friend, the fear of falling to the ground of the two vehicles, the fear of every kind of birth and death, the fear of dwelling together with sentient beings of another kind, the fear of being born in an evil time, the fear of being born among an evil clan, the fear of doing evil deeds, the fear of deeds and afflictions raising obstruction, and the fear of being bound by clinging to perceptions — all such fears as these she causes them to let go.
Receiving the Light and Gaining Benefit (Four): The Nine Classes of Sentient Beings, and the Nineteen Purposes of Her Rescuing and Protecting
He saw further all sentient beings — those born from eggs, those born from wombs, those born from moisture, those born by transformation, those having form, those without form, those having perception, those without perception, those neither having perception nor without perception — and she appears everywhere before them, ever diligently rescuing and protecting them. What she does it for is this: in order to accomplish the bodhisattva’s power of great vows; in order to enter deeply into the bodhisattva’s power of samādhi; in order to make firm the bodhisattva’s power of spiritual powers; in order to bring forth the power of Samantabhadra’s practices and vows; in order to enlarge the bodhisattva’s sea of great compassion; in order to gain the unobstructed great kindness that covers and protects sentient beings everywhere; in order to gain the measureless joy and bliss given everywhere to sentient beings; in order to gain the wisdom and skillful means that gather in all sentient beings everywhere; in order to gain the bodhisattva’s vast liberation and sovereign spiritual power; in order to adorn and purify all buddha-lands; in order to awaken to all dharmas; in order to make offerings to all buddhas; in order to receive and uphold the teaching of all buddhas; in order to gather all roots of good and cultivate all wondrous practices; in order to enter the sea of the minds of all sentient beings without obstruction; in order to know the faculties of all sentient beings and to teach and ripen them; in order to purify away the obstructions to faith and understanding in all sentient beings and to take away their evil obstructions; in order to break the dark of ignorance in all sentient beings; in order to cause them to gain the pure light of all-knowledge.
Paying Respect and Praising with the Three Kinds of Action (Chengguan’s Outline): The Night Goddess Puts Away the Marks of Adornment and Returns to Her Own Form
At that time, Sudhana the youth, having seen this night goddess with such inconceivable spiritual power of a most profound realm, displaying everywhere the bodhisattva liberation that subdues all sentient beings, rejoiced measurelessly, cast his five limbs to the ground and made obeisance with his head and face, and single-mindedly gazed up at her. At that time, that night goddess then put away the marks of bodhisattva adornment and returned to her own original form, and yet did not put away her sovereign spiritual power.
Sudhana’s Verses of Praise (One): What I Have Seen Is a Body Such as This
At that time, Sudhana the youth, reverently joining his palms, withdrew and stood to one side, and in verses praised her, saying:
“I, Sudhana, have gained the sight of such great spiritual power; my mind gives rise to rejoicing, and I speak verses in praise.
I see the wondrous body of the honored one, adorned with the many marks and signs; it is like the stars in the sky, all of them pure and adorned.
The surpassing light she sends forth is as many as the dust motes of measureless lands; in every kind of subtle and wondrous color it shines everywhere upon the ten directions.
Sudhana’s Verses of Praise (Two): The Light of the Pores, the Light Between the Brows, the Light of the Mouth, the Light of the Eyes
The light sent forth from each and every pore is as many as the minds of sentient beings; at the tip of every ray of light there is born a jeweled lotus flower;
from within the flowers are born bodies of transformation, able to extinguish the suffering of sentient beings; from within the light is born a wondrous fragrance, perfuming sentient beings everywhere;
and further there rains down every kind of flower, making offerings to all buddhas. From between her two brows she sends forth a wondrous light, its measure equal to Mount Sumeru,
touching everywhere all that has consciousness, causing them to extinguish the dark of delusion. From within her mouth she sends forth a pure light, like measureless suns,
shining everywhere upon the vast realm of Vairocana. From within her eyes she sends forth a pure light, like measureless moons,
shining everywhere upon the lands of the ten directions, extinguishing in all of them the film of delusion upon the world.
Sudhana’s Verses of Praise (Three): Manifesting Bodies of Transformation of Every Kind, Extinguishing All Fear
She manifests bodies of transformation in every kind of shape, their forms equal to those of sentient beings,
filling the worlds of the ten directions, delivering them from the sea of the three realms of existence. Her wondrous body pervades the ten directions, appearing everywhere before sentient beings,
extinguishing the peril of water, the peril of fire, the peril of thieves, the peril of kings, and all such fears.
Sudhana’s Verses of Praise (Four): It Was upon the Teaching of Joyful Eyes That I Was Able to Come This Far
Carrying the instruction of the night goddess Joyful Eyes, today I have been able to come to the honored one,
and to see the mark between the honored one’s brows sending forth a great and pure light,
shining everywhere upon the seas of the ten directions, extinguishing in all of them every darkness,
showing forth the power of spiritual power, and coming to enter into my body.
Meeting with this perfect light, my mind gave rise to great rejoicing,
and I gained the samādhi of total retention, and saw everywhere the buddhas of the ten directions.
Sudhana’s Verses of Praise (Five): Within Each and Every Dust Mote, Lands as Many as Dust Motes Are Seen
In the places through which I have passed, I have seen all the dust motes,
and within each and every dust mote I have seen severally lands as many as dust motes.
Some are measureless lands, all of them turbid and foul,
where sentient beings undergo every kind of suffering and ever wail and weep aloud.
Some are lands defiled yet pure, where the pleasures are few and the sorrows many;
bodhisattvas display the likeness of the three vehicles and go there to deliver them.
Some are lands pure yet defiled, which sentient beings delight to see,
where bodhisattvas ever fill the whole and uphold the dharmas of the buddhas.
Within each and every dust mote there are measureless seas of pure lands;
these are what the Buddha Vairocana adorned and purified in kalpas gone by.
The Buddha, in all the lands, sits in every one beneath the tree of awakening,
accomplishes the Way and turns the wheel of Dharma, delivering all the flocks of the living.
I see the Deva Who Saves All Beings, in those measureless lands,
going everywhere to all the buddhas and making offerings to them.”
Question and Answer upon the Cause (Chengguan’s Outline): Three Questions
At that time, Sudhana the youth, having finished speaking these verses, said to the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings: “Deva-spirit! This liberation is now most profound and rare! What is it called? How long has it been since you gained this liberation? What sort of practice did you cultivate that it came to be pure?”
Praising Its Depth as Hard to Tell (Chengguan’s Outline): This Is Not What Gods and Humans and the Two Vehicles Can Fathom
The night goddess said:
“Son of good family! This place is hard to know; the devas and humans and all those of the two vehicles cannot fathom it. Why is this so? Because it is the realm of one who abides in the practice of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra; the realm of one who abides in the treasury of great compassion; the realm of one who rescues and protects all sentient beings; the realm of one who is able to purify away all three evil destinies and eight difficulties; the realm of one who is able, in all buddha-lands, to carry on and raise up the buddha-seed without letting it be cut off; the realm of one who is able to uphold all the buddha-dharmas; the realm of one who is able, in all kalpas, to cultivate the bodhisattva practice and to bring the sea of great vows to fullness; the realm of one who is able, within all the seas of the Dharma realm, with the pure light of knowledge to extinguish the obstruction of the dark of ignorance; the realm of one who is able, with the light of the wisdom of a single thought, to shine everywhere upon all the seas of skillful means of the three times. Carrying the power of the Buddha, I shall now tell it for you.
Her Former Life (One): The Kalpa Perfect Purity, the World Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue
“Son of good family! In an ancient age gone by, past kalpas as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, at that time there was a kalpa named ‘Perfect Purity,’ and there was a world named ‘Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue,’ and Tathāgatas as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru appeared within it. That buddha-world had as its substance all the maṇi jewels that are kings of fragrance, was adorned with the many jewels, and abode upon a sea of undefiled and luminous maṇi kings. Its shape was truly round, and it was made up of the pure and the foul together; clouds of canopies made of all the implements of adornment covered it above, and mountains that were rings of all-adorning maṇi encircled it a thousand times over. There were a hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of sets of four continents, all of them wondrously and finely adorned; upon some of the four continents there dwelt sentient beings who did evil deeds, upon some of the four continents there dwelt sentient beings of mixed deeds, upon some of the four continents there dwelt sentient beings possessed of roots of good, and some of the four continents were dwelt in by the great bodhisattvas who are wholly pure.
Her Former Life (Two): That One Set of Four Continents to the East, Named Banner of Jeweled Lamps and Flowers
“At the eastern border of this world, beside the encircling ring of mountains, there was a set of four continents named ‘Banner of Jeweled Lamps and Flowers.’ Its lands were pure and its food and drink abundant; without the labor of plowing, rice and grain grew of themselves; its palaces and towers were all of them marvelous; wish-fulfilling trees of every kind stood ranked in rows in place after place, fragrance-trees of every kind ever brought forth clouds of fragrance, garland-trees of every kind ever brought forth clouds of garlands, flower-trees of every kind ever rained down wondrous flowers; jewel-trees of every kind brought forth all manner of marvelous jewels, and measureless colored lights shone all about; music-trees of every kind brought forth all manner of music, and as the wind stirred them they performed the sound of wondrous tones; the maṇi jewel-kings of the light of sun and moon shone everywhere upon all, and by day and by night pleasure was enjoyed without a moment’s break.
Her Former Life (Three): A Thousand Great Rivers, a Million Koṭis of Cities, a Million Koṭis of Nayutas of Villages
“Upon this set of four continents there were a million koṭis of nayutas of the lands of kings, and each land had a thousand great rivers encircling it all about, and every river had wondrous flowers spread over it, drifting along as the water flowed and bringing forth the sound of heavenly music, and jewel-trees of every kind were ranked and planted along its two banks, with all manner of rare and precious things for adornment, and boats came and went, giving delight and sport according to the wishes of people’s hearts. Between every two rivers there were a million koṭis of cities, and every city had a million koṭis of nayutas of villages; and all such walled towns and villages as these had each of them measureless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of palaces and gardens encircling them about.
Her Former Life (Four): The Wheel-Turning King, the Queen, and the King’s Daughter of the Land of Jeweled Flower Lamps
“Within Jambudvīpa upon this set of four continents there was a land named ‘Jeweled Flower Lamps,’ at peace and abundant and joyful, its people flourishing; and the sentient beings within it were all of them furnished with the practice of the ten good deeds. A wheel-turning king appeared within it, named ‘Vairocana Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot,’ who had come to be born of a sudden within a lotus flower, having the thirty-two marks as his fine adornment and the seven treasures complete, ruling as king over the four continents and ever guiding the flocks of the living with the true Dharma. The king had a thousand sons, upright and valiant, able to subdue their foes; he had a million koṭis of nayutas of palace women and court maidens, all of whom had planted roots of good together with the king, had cultivated the practices together with him, and had been born at the same time as he, upright and lovely as heavenly maidens, their bodies of the color of true gold and ever giving off light, from the pores of whose bodies wondrous fragrance ever came forth; and of good ministers and brave generals he had a full ten koṭis. The king had a chief queen named ‘Perfect Countenance,’ who was the king’s treasure among women, upright and surpassing, her skin of the color of gold, her eyes and her hair of a deep blue-black, her speech like the sound of Brahmā, upon her body a heavenly fragrance, and ever giving off a light that shone a thousand yojanas afar. He had one daughter named ‘Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge,’ her form upright and dignified, her color and appearance surpassingly fine, so that sentient beings who saw her never had their fill of looking. At that time, the lifespan of sentient beings was measureless, and yet there were also those who were cut off midway and died untimely; and their shapes and colors of every kind, their sounds of every kind, their names of every kind, their clans of every kind, the foolish and the wise, the brave and the timid, the poor and the rich, the suffering and the happy, in measureless classes were each and every one of them different.
Her Former Life (Five): One Word of Mutual Reviling Diminished Their Lifespan and Their Strength of Color
“At that time, someone said to another: ‘My body is upright; your form is mean and ugly.’ Having said this, they reviled and abused one another and gathered unwholesome deeds; and because of these deeds, their lifespan, their strength of color, and every pleasant thing were all diminished.
Her Former Life (Six): The Tree of Awakening North of the City, the Fragrant Pool before the Tree, the Great Lotus Flower within the Pool
“At that time, to the north of that city there was a tree of awakening named ‘Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light,’ having as its root the firm maṇi king in which, in thought after thought, the adornments of the places of the Way of all the Tathāgatas appear, having all maṇi as its trunk and the many-colored wondrous jewels as its leaves, spread out in due order and matched one with another, so that in the four directions and above and below it was perfect and adorned; it sent forth jeweled lights and brought forth wondrous sounds, proclaiming the most profound realm of all the Tathāgatas. Before that tree there was a fragrant pool named ‘Light of Jeweled Flowers,’ which gave out the thunder-tone of the expounding of the Dharma; it had wondrous jewels for its banks, and a million koṭis of nayutas of jewel-trees encircled it, and every tree had the shape of the tree of awakening, and strings of gems of the many jewels hung down all about, and measureless towers all made of jewels were spread throughout the place of the Way as its adornment. Within that fragrant pool there came forth a great lotus flower named ‘Cloud of the Adorned Realm of All the Tathāgatas of the Three Times Made Manifest,’ and buddhas as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru appeared within it. The first of these buddhas was named ‘Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge,’ who upon this flower first realized anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi and for measureless thousands of years expounded the true Dharma and ripened sentient beings.
Her Former Life (Seven): Before That Tathāgata Became a Buddha, Ten Thousand Years Beforehand This Flower Began to Send Forth Light
“In the time when that Tathāgata had not yet become a buddha, ten thousand years beforehand, this great lotus flower sent forth a pure light named ‘Manifesting All Spiritual Powers and Ripening Sentient Beings’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, their minds of themselves opened and awakened, and there was nothing they did not understand, and so they knew that ten thousand years later a buddha would appear. Nine thousand years beforehand it sent forth a pure light named ‘Lamp That Frees All Sentient Beings from Defilement’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they gained a pure eye and saw all forms, and so they knew that nine thousand years later a buddha would appear. Eight thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Sound of the Fruits of the Deeds of All Sentient Beings’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they were all able of themselves to know the retribution of all their deeds, and so they knew that eight thousand years later a buddha would appear. Seven thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Sound That Brings Forth All Roots of Good’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, all their faculties became perfect, and so they knew that seven thousand years later a buddha would appear. Six thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Sound of the Inconceivable Realm of the Buddha’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, their minds became vast and everywhere gained sovereignty, and so they knew that six thousand years later a buddha would appear. Five thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Sound of the Adorning and Purifying of All Buddha-Lands’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they all saw all the pure buddha-lands, and so they knew that five thousand years later a buddha would appear. Four thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Lamp of the Realm of All Tathāgatas without Difference’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they were all able to go and behold all the buddhas, and so they knew that four thousand years later a buddha would appear. Three thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Bright Lamp of the Three Times’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they were all able to see before them the seas of all the former deeds of all the Tathāgatas, and so they knew that three thousand years later a buddha would appear. Two thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Lamp of the Knowledge of the Tathāgata Free of Film’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they gained the universal eye and saw the spiritual transformations of all the Tathāgatas, the lands of all the buddhas, and the sentient beings of all the worlds, and so they knew that two thousand years later a buddha would appear. One thousand years beforehand it sent forth a great light named ‘Causing All Sentient Beings to See the Buddha and Gather All Roots of Good’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they gained the accomplishment of the samādhi of seeing the buddhas, and so they knew that one thousand years later a buddha would appear. Next after this, seven days beforehand, it sent forth a great light named ‘Sound of the Rejoicing of All Sentient Beings’; if there were sentient beings who met with this light, they gained the seeing of all the buddhas everywhere and gave rise to great rejoicing, and so they knew that seven days later a buddha would appear.
Her Former Life (Eight): The Seven Days Fulfilled, All the Worlds Quaked
“When the seven days were fulfilled, all the worlds quaked entirely, and were purely pure and without defilement, and in thought after thought there appeared everywhere all the pure buddha-lands of the ten directions, and there appeared too the adornments of every kind of those lands; and if there were sentient beings whose faculties were ripe and full and who ought to see the Buddha, they all came to the place of the Way.
Her Former Life (Nine): The Mountains, the Seas, the Cities, the Walls, the Palaces, the Music, the Speech — All of Them Gave Out Sound
“At that time, within that world all the encircling ring-mountains, all the Sumeru mountains, all the mountains, all the great seas, all the earth, all the cities, all the walls, all the palaces, all the music, and all the speech gave forth sounds, praising and telling of the realm of the spiritual power of all the buddhas, the Tathāgatas; and there came forth too all clouds of fragrance, all clouds of burning incense, all clouds of powdered incense, all clouds of fragrant maṇi in the likeness of images, all clouds of jewel-flames, all clouds of the treasury of flames, all clouds of maṇi garments, all clouds of strings of gems, all clouds of wondrous flowers, all clouds of the light of the Tathāgatas, all clouds of the halos of the Tathāgatas, all clouds of music, all clouds of the sound of the vows of the Tathāgatas, all clouds of the seas of the speech and tones of the Tathāgatas, and all clouds of the marks and signs of the Tathāgatas, showing forth the inconceivable marks of a Tathāgata’s appearing in the world.
Her Former Life (Ten): About This Flower There Were Yet Flowers as Many as the Dust Motes of Ten Buddha-Lands
“Son of good family! This great jeweled lotus-flower king of the adorned realm of all the Tathāgatas of the three times shone upon everywhere had lotus flowers as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands encircling it about, and within all those lotus flowers there were lion seats of the treasury of maṇi jewels, and upon every seat there was a bodhisattva sitting cross-legged.
Her Former Life (Eleven): Becoming a Buddha Here, He Became a Buddha in All the Worlds of the Ten Directions
“Son of good family! When that Tathāgata, the King Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge, accomplished anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi here, he then accomplished anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi within all the worlds of the ten directions; and according to the minds of sentient beings he appeared before them all and turned the wheel of Dharma for them. In every one of the worlds he caused measureless sentient beings to leave behind the suffering of the evil destinies, caused measureless sentient beings to gain birth among the devas, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the ground of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is going forth, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is the banner of valor, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is the light of the Dharma, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is pure faculties, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is the power of equality, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is entering the city of the Dharma, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that is the indestructible power of spiritual powers reaching everywhere to all places, caused measureless sentient beings to enter the practice of awakening that is the way of the skillful means of the universal gate, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the practice of awakening that is the gate of samādhi, caused measureless sentient beings to accomplish the practice of awakening that takes as its object all pure realms, caused measureless sentient beings to raise the mind of awakening, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the bodhisattva way, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the way of the pure perfections, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the first ground of the bodhisattva, caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the second ground of the bodhisattva and on to the tenth ground, caused measureless sentient beings to enter the surpassing practices and vows of the bodhisattva, and caused measureless sentient beings to abide upon the pure practices and vows of Samantabhadra.
“Son of good family! When that Tathāgata Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge manifested such inconceivable and sovereign spiritual power and turned the wheel of Dharma, within each and every one of those worlds, according to what suited them, in thought after thought he subdued measureless sentient beings.
Her Former Life (Twelve): Samantabhadra Knew That the People of That City Were Then in Their Arrogance
“At that time, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, knowing that the sentient beings within the city of the King of Jeweled Flower Lamps were presuming upon their own color and appearance and upon all their circumstances and were giving rise to arrogance, slighting and despising others, then manifested by transformation a marvelous body, upright and surpassing, and went to that city and sent forth a great light that shone everywhere upon all, causing the light of that sage king and of all the marvelous jewels, of the sun and moon and stars, and of the bodies of sentient beings, all of it, not to appear — just as when the sun comes out the many shadows are robbed of their brightness, and as a lump of ink set against Jambū-river gold. At that time, the sentient beings all spoke thus: ‘Who is this? Is it a deva? Is it Brahmā? That he should now send forth such a light, causing the light and color of all our bodies to be unable to appear.’ They pondered it in every way, and none was able to understand it.
Her Former Life (Thirteen): Samantabhadra Tells the King: A Buddha Has Appeared in Your Land
“At that time, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra abode in the empty sky above the jeweled palace of that wheel-turning king, and told them, saying: ‘Great king, you should know that now within your land a buddha has arisen in the world, beneath the tree of awakening, Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light.’ At that time, the daughter of the sage king — Wondrous Eyes of the Lotus Flower — seeing the sovereignty of the light of the form-body that the bodhisattva Samantabhadra manifested, and hearing the wondrous sounds that came forth from all the implements of adornment upon his body, rejoiced in her mind and made this thought: ‘May it be that all the roots of good I have gain such a body, such an adornment, such marks and signs, such deportment, such sovereignty. Now this great sage is able, within the dark of the long night of the birth and death of sentient beings, to send forth a great light and to show forth that a Tathāgata has arisen in the world; may it be that I too gain the like, and become for all sentient beings a light of wisdom, breaking all the dark of their ignorance. May it be that in whatever place I receive birth, I ever gain not to be parted from this good friend.’
Her Former Life (Fourteen): The Wheel-Turning King and His Retinue Rise into the Sky and in Verses Praise the Buddha and Urge the Multitude to Go with Him
“Son of good family! At that time, the wheel-turning king, with his treasure-woman, his thousand sons, his retinue, his great ministers and counselors, and his fourfold armies, and with the measureless people within the city, encircling him before and behind, by the king’s spiritual power rose together into the empty sky to the height of one yojana, and sent forth a great light that shone upon the four continents, causing all people everywhere to be able to gaze up at it; and wishing to cause sentient beings to go together to see the Buddha, he then in verses praised him, saying:
“‘The Tathāgata has appeared in the world, saving and protecting everywhere all the flocks of the living;
you should all of you rise up quickly and go to where the Guide is.
Through measureless and numberless kalpas does a buddha at last arise in the world,
expounding the deep and wondrous Dharma, benefiting the whole of the great assembly.
The Buddha beholds all the worlds, upside down and ever deluded,
turning round within the suffering of birth and death, and thereupon gives rise to the mind of great compassion.
Through numberless thousands of koṭis of kalpas he cultivated the practice of awakening,
wishing to deliver sentient beings, and all of this by the power of great compassion.
His head, his eyes, his hands, his feet, and the rest, all of them he was able to give up,
and for the sake of seeking awakening he passed thus through measureless kalpas.
Through measureless thousands of koṭis of kalpas a Guide is hard to meet with;
to see him, to hear him, and to be able to serve him — none of it is passed in vain.
Now I shall go together with you all to behold and pay respect to the Tamer of Beings,
who sits upon the seat of the Tathāgata, has subdued Māra and accomplished right awakening.
Gaze up at the body of the Tathāgata, sending forth measureless light,
in every kind of subtle and wondrous color, doing away with every darkness.
Within each and every one of his pores he sends forth inconceivable light,
shining everywhere upon all the flocks of the living, causing them all to rejoice greatly.
You should all of you give rise to a vast mind of vigor,
and go to where that Tathāgata is, and with reverence make offerings to him.’
Her Former Life (Fifteen): Ten Thousand Kinds of Great Clouds of Offerings, Going to the Place of the Way
“At that time, the wheel-turning sage king, having spoken verses in praise of the Buddha and awakened all sentient beings, brought forth from the king’s roots of good ten thousand kinds of great clouds of offerings, and went to the place of the Way, toward where the Tathāgata was. That is to say: all clouds of jeweled canopies, all clouds of flower-curtains, all clouds of jeweled garments, all clouds of nets of jeweled bells, all clouds of seas of fragrance, all clouds of jeweled seats, all clouds of jeweled banners, all clouds of palaces, all clouds of wondrous flowers, and all clouds of every implement of adornment, spread throughout the empty sky as its adornment. Having arrived, he bowed to the feet of the Tathāgata, the King Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge, circled him measureless hundreds of thousands of times, and then before the Buddha took his seat upon a jeweled lotus-flower seat that shone everywhere upon the ten directions.
Her Former Life (Sixteen): The King’s Daughter Loosens Her Strings of Gems and Scatters Them upon the Buddha, and Sees That the Cause Is Small and the Fruit Is Great
“At that time, the daughter of the wheel-turning king — Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge — then loosened all the implements of adornment upon her body and took them and scattered them upon the Buddha. At that time, these implements of adornment became in the empty sky a jeweled canopy, with jeweled nets hanging down and dragon kings upholding them, and all the palaces ranked between them; ten kinds of jeweled canopy encircled it about, its shape like a tower, pure within and without, with clouds of strings of gems of every kind and jewel-trees and seas of fragrance and maṇi as its adornment. Within this jeweled canopy there was a tree of awakening, its branches and leaves luxuriant, covering everywhere the Dharma realm, and in thought after thought displaying measureless adornments. The Tathāgata Vairocana sat beneath this tree, with bodhisattvas as many as the dust motes of unspeakable buddha-lands encircling him before and behind, all of them born of the practices and vows of Samantabhadra and abiding in the abode of the bodhisattvas that is without difference. She saw too that there were all the lords of all the worlds; she saw too the sovereign spiritual power of the Tathāgata; she saw further all the kalpas in due order and the forming and decaying of the worlds; she saw further within all those worlds the due order of the arising of all the buddhas; she saw further that within all those worlds there was in each and every one the bodhisattva Samantabhadra making offerings to the Buddha and subduing sentient beings; she saw further that of all those bodhisattvas there was not one who was not within Samantabhadra’s body; she saw too her own body within his body; she saw too her own body before all the Tathāgatas, before all the Samantabhadras, before all the bodhisattvas, and before all sentient beings; she saw further that within all those worlds there were each of them worlds as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, with every kind of border, every kind of upholding, every kind of shape, every kind of substance-nature, every kind of arrangement, every kind of adornment, every kind of purity, every kind of cloud of adornment covering them above, every kind of name of kalpa, every kind of arising of buddhas, every kind of three times, every kind of quarter and place, every kind of abiding in the Dharma realm, every kind of entering the Dharma realm, every kind of abiding in the empty sky, every kind of site of awakening of a Tathāgata, every kind of power of spiritual powers of a Tathāgata, every kind of lion seat of a Tathāgata, every kind of sea of the great assembly of a Tathāgata, every kind of difference among the assemblies of a Tathāgata, every kind of subtle skillful means of a Tathāgata, every kind of turning of the wheel of Dharma by a Tathāgata, every kind of wondrous tone and sound of a Tathāgata, every kind of sea of the speech of a Tathāgata, and every kind of cloud of the sūtras of a Tathāgata; and having seen these, her mind became pure and she gave rise to great rejoicing. The Tathāgata, the King Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge, proclaimed for her a sūtra named ‘The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma by All Tathāgatas,’ having sūtras as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands as its retinue.
Her Former Life (Seventeen): Having Heard the Sūtra, She Gained Ten Thousand Gates of Samādhi
“At that time, that woman, having heard this sūtra, then gained the accomplishment of ten thousand gates of samādhi; her mind was soft and pliant and without coarseness or hardness, like one just received into the womb, like one just born, like a sāla tree just putting out its shoots. That mind of samādhi of hers was likewise so. That is to say: the samādhi of seeing all buddhas before her, the samādhi of shining everywhere upon all lands, the samādhi of entering the gates of all three times, the samādhi of expounding the wheel of Dharma of all buddhas, the samādhi of knowing the sea of the vows of all buddhas, the samādhi of awakening all sentient beings and causing them to come forth from the suffering of birth and death, the samādhi of ever vowing to break the dark of all sentient beings, the samādhi of ever vowing to extinguish the suffering of all sentient beings, the samādhi of ever vowing to bring forth the joy of all sentient beings, the samādhi of teaching all sentient beings without giving rise to weariness, the samādhi of the unobstructed banner of all bodhisattvas, and the samādhi of going everywhere to all pure buddha-lands — such were they as these.
Her Former Life (Eighteen): Having Gained the Samādhis, She Gained Further Thirty Minds and Seas of Vows as Many as the Dust Motes of Ten Buddha-Lands
“Having gained such ten thousand samādhis as these, she gained further the mind of wondrous concentration, the unmoving mind, the rejoicing mind, the comforting mind, the vast mind, the mind that accords with the good friend, the mind that takes as its object the most profound all-knowledge, the mind that abides in the sea of vast skillful means, the mind that lets go of all clinging, the mind that does not abide in the realms of any world, the mind that enters the realm of the Tathāgata, the mind that shines everywhere upon all the seas of form, the mind without vexation and harm, the mind without haughtiness, the mind without weariness, the mind without turning back, the mind without indolence, the mind that ponders the self-nature of all dharmas, the mind that abides in the sea of the gates of all dharmas, the mind that beholds the sea of the gates of all dharmas, the mind that understands the sea of all sentient beings, the mind that rescues and protects the sea of all sentient beings, the mind that shines everywhere upon the sea of all worlds, the mind that brings forth everywhere the sea of the vows of all buddhas, the mind that breaks utterly the mountains of all obstructions, the mind that gathers the merit that aids the way, the mind that sees before it the ten powers of the buddhas, the mind that shines everywhere upon the realms of the bodhisattva, the mind that increases what aids the bodhisattva way, and the mind that takes as its object everywhere the seas of all quarters. Single-mindedly she pondered the great vows of Samantabhadra and gave rise to seas of vows as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands of all the Tathāgatas: the vow to adorn and purify all buddha-realms, the vow to subdue all sentient beings, the vow to know everywhere the whole Dharma realm, the vow to enter everywhere all the seas of the Dharma realm, the vow to cultivate the bodhisattva practice in all buddha-lands to the ends of the kalpas to come, the vow not to give up any bodhisattva practice to the ends of the kalpas to come, the vow to gain the drawing near to all the Tathāgatas, the vow to gain the serving of all good friends, the vow to gain the making of offerings to all buddhas, and the vow to cultivate the bodhisattva practice in thought after thought and to increase all-knowledge without a break — such were they as these. Giving rise to such seas of vows as these, as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands, she accomplished all the great vows of Samantabhadra.
Her Former Life (Nineteen): That Tathāgata Then Told Her of Her Own Beginnings
“At that time, that Tathāgata further opened forth and expounded for her the roots of good she had gathered ever since she raised the mind, the wondrous practices she had cultivated, and the great fruits she had gained, causing her to awaken and to accomplish all the seas of the vows of the Tathāgata, and single-mindedly to turn toward the station of all-knowledge.
“Son of good family! Before this, yet another ten great kalpas back, there was a world named ‘Maṇi of the Light of the Sun-Wheel,’ and the buddha’s title was ‘Wondrous Mark of the Banner of Indra.’ This maiden Wondrous Eyes, within the Dharma that Tathāgata left behind, was urged by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra to repair a buddha-image upon a lotus seat that had fallen into ruin; and having repaired it, she painted it further with colors, and having painted it with colors, she adorned it further with jewels, and thereupon gave rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.
“Son of good family! I call to mind the past: it was because of the good friend, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, that I planted this root of good. From then until now I have never fallen into the evil destinies, but have ever been born among the clans of all the deva-kings and the human kings, upright and lovely, my many marks perfect, so that people delight to see me; ever have I seen the buddhas, and ever have I gained the drawing near to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra; and even to this day he is still guiding and awakening me and ripening me and causing me to rejoice.
Her Former Life (Twenty): Bringing Together Past and Present — the Father King Is Maitreya, the Queen Is the Next Night Goddess, That Daughter Is I
“Son of good family! What do you think? The wheel-turning sage king of that time, Vairocana Treasury Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot — was he another person? He is the bodhisattva Maitreya of today. The queen of that time, Perfect Countenance, is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, whose dwelling place now is not far from here. The maiden of that time, Eyes of Wondrous Virtue, is my own self. At that time, being a maiden, I was urged by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra to repair the buddha-image upon the lotus seat, which was made the cause and condition of unsurpassed awakening and caused me to give rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. It was at that time that I first began to raise the mind; then he guided me further and caused me to gain the sight of the Buddha Banner of Wondrous Virtue, and I loosened the strings of gems upon my body and scattered them upon the Buddha as an offering, and saw the Buddha’s spiritual power and heard the Buddha expound the Dharma, and then gained the bodhisattva liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings. In thought after thought I saw buddhas as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru, and saw too those buddhas’ places of the Way, their assemblies, and their pure lands; and to all of them I gave honor and made offerings with reverence, and heard them expound the Dharma, and cultivated in accord with the teaching.
Her Former Life (Twenty-One): The Ten Buddhas of the Kalpa Great Light, and the Ten Kinds of Body I Took
“Son of good family! After that kalpa Perfect Purity of the world Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue, there next came a world named ‘Wondrous Adornment of the Jewel-Wheel,’ the kalpa named ‘Great Light,’ and five hundred buddhas appeared within it, and I served and revered and made offerings to them all. The first of them was a buddha named ‘Banner of Great Compassion’; when he first went forth from the home, I was a night goddess and made offerings to him with reverence. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Banner of the Vajra Nārāyaṇa’; I was a wheel-turning king and made offerings to him with reverence; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘The Appearing of All Buddhas,’ having sūtras as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands as its retinue. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Vajra Unobstructed Virtue’; I at that time was a wheel-turning king and made offerings to him with reverence; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘Shining Everywhere upon the Faculties of All Sentient Beings,’ having sūtras as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru as its retinue; and I received and upheld them all. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Wondrous Adornment of the Mountain of Fire-Flames’; I at that time was the daughter of an elder; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘The Treasury Shining Everywhere upon the Three Times,’ having sūtras as many as the dust motes of Jambudvīpa as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them according to the Dharma. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘King High and Surpassing of the Sea of All Dharmas’; I was an asura king and made offerings to him with reverence; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘Distinguishing the Whole Dharma Realm,’ having five hundred divisions of sūtras as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them according to the Dharma. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Light of the Dharma of the Sea and the Peaks’; I was the daughter of a dragon king, and rained down clouds of wish-fulfilling maṇi jewels as an offering; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘Increasing the Sea of Rejoicing,’ having a million koṭis of sūtras as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them according to the Dharma. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Lamp of the Mountain of Jewel-Flames’; I was a sea spirit, and rained down clouds of jeweled lotus flowers and made offerings with reverence; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘The Light of the Sea of Skillful Means of the Dharma Realm,’ having sūtras as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them according to the Dharma. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Wheel of the Light of the Sea of Merit’; I at that time was a seer possessed of the five spiritual powers, and manifested great spiritual powers, with sixty thousand seers encircling me before and behind, and rained down clouds of incense and flowers as an offering; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘The Lamp of the Dharma without Clinging,’ having sixty thousand divisions of sūtras as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them according to the Dharma. Next there was a buddha who appeared in the world named ‘Treasury of the Merit of Vairocana’; I at that time was a spirit presiding over the earth, named ‘Bringing Forth the Sense of Equality,’ and together with measureless earth spirits I rained down clouds of all jewel-trees, all treasuries of maṇi, and all jeweled strings of gems as an offering; and that buddha proclaimed for me a sūtra named ‘Bringing Forth the Treasury of the Knowledge of All Tathāgatas,’ having measureless sūtras as its retinue; and I heard them all and received and upheld them without forgetting. Son of good family! Coming down in due order in this way, the last buddha among them was named ‘Lamp of Wondrous Virtue Filling the Empty Sky and the Dharma Realm’; I was a courtesan, named ‘Fair Countenance’; seeing the Buddha enter the city, I made offerings with song and dance; carrying the Buddha’s spiritual power, I leapt up into the sky and in a thousand verses praised the Buddha; and the Buddha for my sake sent forth the light from between his brows, named ‘Great Light Adorning the Dharma Realm,’ which touched my body all over; and I, having received this light, then gained a liberation gate named ‘The Treasury of the Skillful Means of the Dharma Realm That Does Not Turn Back.’
Her Former Life (Twenty-Two): Within This One World There Are Kalpas as Many as These
“Son of good family! Within this world there are such kalpas as these, as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, and all the Tathāgatas appeared within them; and I served them all and revered them and made offerings to them; and the true Dharma those Tathāgatas expounded I have kept in mind, all of it, down to not forgetting a single line or a single phrase. In the presence of each and every one of those Tathāgatas I extolled and praised all the buddha-dharmas and worked vast benefit for measureless sentient beings; in the presence of each and every one of those Tathāgatas I gained the light of all-knowledge, made manifest the sea of the Dharma realm of the three times, and entered into all the practices of Samantabhadra.
“Son of good family! Because I rely upon the light of all-knowledge, in thought after thought I see measureless buddhas; and having seen the buddhas, all the practices of Samantabhadra that I had not gained before and had not seen before are brought to fullness. Why is this so? Because I have gained the light of all-knowledge.”
The Verses Restating (One): The Charge to Listen, and That First Kalpa
At that time, the night goddess Who Saves All Beings, wishing to make clear once more the meaning of this liberation, carried the spiritual power of the Buddha and for Sudhana the youth spoke verses, saying:
“Sudhana, hear me tell of the deep Dharma, hard to see,
shining everywhere upon the three times, upon all the gates of difference.
As I first raised the mind and sought singly the merit of the buddhas,
so the liberations I entered you should now listen to closely.
I call to mind the ages past, past kalpas as many as the dust motes of the lands,
and further back there was a kalpa named Perfect Purity.
At that time there was a world named Lamp Shining Everywhere,
where buddhas as many as the dust motes of Sumeru arose within it in the world:
The Verses Restating (Two): The First Set of Ten Buddhas, Where the Dharma Gate Was First Awakened To
the first buddha named Flame of Knowledge, the next buddha named Banner of the Dharma,
the third Sumeru of the Dharma, the fourth Lion of Virtue,
the fifth King of Stillness, the sixth Extinguisher of All Views,
the seventh High Repute, the eighth Great Merit,
the ninth named Surpassing Sun, the tenth named Moon Countenance.
In the presence of these ten buddhas the Dharma gate was first awakened to.
The Verses Restating (Three): The Second Set and the Third Set of Ten Buddhas
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first named Abode of Empty Sky, the second named Universal Light,
the third named Dwelling in All Quarters, the fourth named Sea of Right Mindfulness,
the fifth named High Surpassing Light, the sixth named Cloud of Sumeru,
the seventh the Buddha Flame of the Dharma, the eighth the Buddha Surpassing Mountain,
the ninth Flower of Great Compassion, the tenth Flower of the Dharma Realm.
When these ten appeared, the Dharma gate was awakened to a second time.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first the Buddha Banner of Light, the second the Buddha Wisdom,
the third the Buddha Meaning of the Mind, the fourth the Buddha Lord of Virtue,
the fifth the Buddha Wisdom of the Devas, the sixth the Buddha King of Wisdom,
the seventh the Buddha Surpassing Knowledge, the eighth the Buddha King of Light,
the ninth the Buddha Valor, the tenth the Buddha Lotus Flower.
In the presence of these ten buddhas the Dharma gate was awakened to a third time.
The Verses Restating (Four): The Fourth Set through the Seventh Set of Ten Buddhas
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first Mountain of Jewel-Flames, the second Sea of Merit,
the third Light of the Dharma, the fourth Treasury of the Lotus Flower,
the fifth Eye of Sentient Beings, the sixth Jewel of Fragrant Light,
the seventh Merit of Sumeru, the eighth King of the Gandharvas,
the ninth Treasury of Maṇi, the tenth Color of Stillness.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first buddha Vast Knowledge, the next buddha Light of Jewels,
the third Cloud of the Empty Sky, the fourth Surpassing Marks,
the fifth Perfect Discipline, the sixth Nārāyaṇa,
the seventh Virtue of Sumeru, the eighth Wheel of Merit,
the ninth Banner Unsurpassed, the tenth Mountain of the Great Tree.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first Treasury of the Sāla, the second Body of the Lord of the World,
the third High and Manifest Light, the fourth Vajra Shining,
the fifth Majestic Power of the Earth, the sixth Most Profound Dharma,
the seventh Sound of the Wisdom of the Dharma, the eighth Banner of Sumeru,
the ninth Surpassing Light, the tenth Wondrous Jewel Light.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first Light of Brahmā, the second Sound of the Empty Sky,
the third Body of the Dharma Realm, the fourth Wheel of Light,
the fifth Banner of Wisdom, the sixth Lamp of the Empty Sky,
the seventh Subtle and Wondrous Virtue, the eighth Light Shining Everywhere,
the ninth Light of Surpassing Merit, the tenth Cloud of Great Compassion.
The Verses Restating (Five): The Eighth Set through the Eleventh Set of Ten Buddhas
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first Wisdom of the Light of Power, the second Appearing Everywhere Before Them,
the third High and Manifest Light, the fourth Body of Light,
the fifth the Buddha Arising of the Dharma, the sixth the Buddha Marks of Jewels,
the seventh Swift Wind, the eighth Banner of Valor,
the ninth Wondrous Jeweled Canopy, the tenth Shining upon the Three Times.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first Light of the Sea of Vows, the second Vajra Body,
the third Virtue of Sumeru, the fourth King of the Banner of Mindfulness,
the fifth Wisdom of Merit, the sixth Lamp of Wisdom,
the seventh Banner of Light, the eighth Vast Knowledge,
the ninth Knowledge of the Dharma Realm, the tenth Knowledge of the Sea of the Dharma.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first named Dharma of Giving, the next named Wheel of Merit,
the third named Surpassing Wondrous Cloud, the fourth named Lamp of the Knowledge of Forbearance,
the fifth named Sound of Stillness, the sixth named Banner of Stillness,
the seventh named Lamp of the World, the eighth named Deep Great Vows,
the ninth named Banner Unsurpassed, the tenth named Sea of the Flame of Knowledge.
Thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared in the world:
the first buddha Sovereign in the Dharma, the second buddha Unobstructed Wisdom,
the third named Wisdom of the Sea of Intent, the fourth named Many Wondrous Sounds,
the fifth named Sovereign Giving, the sixth named Appearing Everywhere Before Them,
the seventh named Body According to Their Delight, the eighth named Abiding in Surpassing Virtue,
the ninth the Buddha Original Nature, the tenth the Buddha Worthy Virtue.
The Verses Restating (Six): To Those Buddhas I Made Offerings, and If You Cultivate, Before Long You Too Shall Gain It
Within kalpas as many as the dust motes of Sumeru, all the buddhas there were,
who all of them were lamps for the world — to them all I once made offerings.
Within kalpas as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, all the buddhas who appeared,
to them all I once made offerings, and thereby entered this liberation gate.
Through measureless kalpas I cultivated and gained this way;
if you are able to cultivate, before long you too shall gain it.
Humbling Herself and Pointing to the Superior (Chengguan’s Outline): I Know Only This One
“Son of good family! I know only this bodhisattva liberation of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings. As for the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas, they gather boundless practices, bring forth every kind of understanding, manifest every kind of body, are furnished with every kind of faculty, bring to fullness every kind of vow, enter every kind of samādhi, raise up every kind of spiritual transformation, are able in every kind of way to behold the dharmas, enter every kind of gate of wisdom, and gain every kind of light of the Dharma; how then could I know or tell of their practices of merit and virtue?
Pointing Out the Next Friend (Chengguan’s Outline): Not Far from Here There Is One Named Ocean of Tranquil Sound
“Son of good family! Not far from here there is a night goddess named ‘Ocean of Tranquil Sound,’ who sits upon a lotus-flower seat adorned with a maṇi banner of light, with a million asaṃkhyeyas of night goddesses encircling her before and behind. Go to her and ask: how is a bodhisattva to study the bodhisattva practice and cultivate the bodhisattva way?”
Cherishing Her Virtue and Taking Leave (Chengguan’s Outline)
At that time, Sudhana the youth bowed to her feet, circled her numberless times, gazed up at her with earnest devotion, took his leave, and departed.
這一節和前面幾子不一樣的地方
善財到普救眾生妙德夜神這裡，還沒有開口問，法已經授完了一半。
經文的次第是這樣的：他一到，夜神就「示現菩薩調伏眾生解脫神力」，眉間放光，光入他的頂，他當下得定；得定之後看見了兩位夜神之間每一粒微塵中的世界成壞、五道差別、九類眾生；看完了才禮拜、才讚偈、才問名字。澄觀科此子時，把這一點單獨標出來，說本會通常的六段科在這一節要合併，「即合二三，謂約善財則是見敬，若約夜神所現即是解脫業用，便為默授法界」——夜神一句話沒說，而法界已經默默授了。
要排一個誤解：這不是善財來得不巧、沒趕上說法。全子八千八百餘字，善財的問只有三句，夜神的答佔了七千餘字，而答的內容幾乎全是一段本生——她把自己無量劫前是誰、怎麼發的心、跟誰學的，從頭講一遍。
落到地上：這一節要讀的不是『什麼是解脫門』，是『一個人怎麼會走到今天這個位置』。
出發之前那一段路：他心裡在做什麼
本節起手不寫走路，寫的是心。善財在喜目觀察眾生夜神那裡聽到普喜幢解脫門之後，經文用了十一個動作寫他離開之前的用心：信解趣入、了知隨順、思惟修習、念善知識所有教誨、心無暫捨、諸根不散、一心願得見善知識、普於十方勤求匪懈、願常親近生諸功德、與善知識同一善根、得善知識巧方便行，末了是「依善知識入精進海，於無量劫常不遠離」。發了這個願，才動身。
澄觀把這一段科為依教趣求，並分作兩截——前半是「修入前法」，後半自「一心願得」以下是「趣求後友」。也就是說，前一位所授的法要先修入，才談得上求下一位。
排一個誤解：以為參學是換題目，這一站聽完換下一站。經文的次第正好相反：離開時帶著的那一份用心，決定了到下一位那裡看得見什麼。
落到地上：本節後面善財一到就能得定、能見大用，不是夜神特別厚待他，是他這一路上「心無暫捨」的結果。
一道光，和一個定的名字
夜神現的第一件事是光。她「以諸相好莊嚴其身」，兩眉之間放大光明，名叫智燈普照清淨幢，無量光明作它的眷屬，普照一切世間；照過世間之後，入善財頂，充滿其身。善財當下得到究竟清淨輪三昧。
這個定的名字要看清楚。澄觀逐字釋之，說「先得定，謂三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨，即淨智圓滿。摧障為輪，故所見無礙」。「清淨」是就三業六根都離了障說的；「輪」不取旋轉之義，取的是摧碾——輪是碾破障礙的東西。
排一個誤解：以為下文那一大段所見是神通變出來的景象。澄觀這一句正是要防這個誤會：所見無礙不是眼力加大，是障被摧掉了。障一摧，本來就在那裡的東西才顯出來。
落到地上：一切「看不見」，先問是不是障；不是先問光夠不夠亮。
兩位夜神之間：所看見的第一重是「處」
得定之後，善財所見的第一重，是喜目與普救兩位夜神所住的兩處中間。這中間有什麼？有一切地塵、水塵、火塵，金剛摩尼眾寶微塵，華香、瓔珞、諸莊嚴具的微塵——而「一一塵中各見佛剎微塵數世界成壞」。
再往外看，是一切地水火風諸大的積聚，是一切世界互相接連而「皆以地輪任持而住」，是種種山海、河池、樹林、宮殿——天宮殿、龍宮殿、夜叉宮殿，一直到摩睺羅伽與人非人的宮殿屋宅，再到地獄、畜生、閻羅王界一切住處，諸趣輪轉、生死往來、隨業受報，各各差別。
澄觀分這一大段為三重，說所見事「於中三：一所化處、二能化益、三所化意」。這第一重就是所化處。
排一個誤解：以為「兩處中間」只是路程。經文特意指這一段距離，是要說：善知識與善知識之間那一段看似空白的地方，裝的是整個法界。
落到地上：兩位老師之間的那段路，不是空檔。
十種世界的差別：淨與穢是會互轉的
所化處往下細看，是十種世界的差別（逐字數之，「或有」十見）：雜穢、清淨、趣雜穢、趣清淨、雜穢清淨、清淨雜穢、一向清淨、其形平正、覆住、側住。
當中有二是趨向，另有二是相雜。澄觀釋這幾句，說「趣雜穢等者，轉變向染，淨故雜染，清淨者染多故；下句反此。一向淨者，對上二故。初之二句乃是總明」；法藏釋六十本之同一段，把相雜的那二個說得更明白：「淨不淨者，淨多穢少。不淨淨者，穢多淨少。」合起來看：趣雜穢與趣清淨是二趨向——一個正往染的方向轉，一個正往淨的方向轉；雜穢清淨與清淨雜穢是二相雜——淨穢並存而一方居多，先舉的那一方就是多的那一方；「一向清淨」是相對前面那些說的。
排一個誤解：以為淨土穢土是兩類固定的地方。經文列的十種裡，有二個在講趨向——正往淨或正往染；另有二個在講相雜——淨穢並存而一方居多。
落到地上：判一個處所、一個人、一段時期，要看它在往哪個方向轉，不只看它此刻在哪裡。
十九種怖：夜神救的是人最裡面的那些怕
看見了處，接著看見的是夜神在這一切時、一切處，隨眾生形貌、言辭、行解的差別，「以方便力普現其前，隨宜化度」。澄觀判這一重為能化益，並分作兩段：「先化五道、後「又見一切眾生」下明化九類」。
先看五道這一段。地獄眾生令免諸苦毒，畜生眾生令不相食噉，餓鬼眾生令無有飢渴，諸龍等令離一切怖，欲界眾生令離欲界苦——到了人趣，經文忽然放慢，一口氣列了十九種怖（逐字數之，十九）：暗夜怖、毀呰怖、惡名怖、大眾怖、不活怖、死怖、惡道怖、斷善根怖、退菩提心怖、遇惡知識怖、離善知識怖、墮二乘地怖、種種生死怖、異類眾生同住怖、惡時受生怖、惡種族中受生怖、造惡業怖、業煩惱障怖、執著諸想繫縛怖。
這十九個的次第值得看。前面幾個是外境——天黑、被人罵、名聲壞、站在人前、活不下去、死。中間轉到道上的怕——怕斷善根、怕退菩提心、怕遇到惡知識、怕離開善知識、怕落到二乘。最後幾個已經沒有外境了——怕自己造惡業，怕業與煩惱作障，怕自己的執著把自己綁住。
排一個誤解：以為夜神救的是災難。十九怖裡真正的災難只佔前面幾條，愈往後愈是修行人自己心裡的怕，而經文一併算作要救的。
落到地上：夜是暗的，所以夜神管的是『暗中的怕』；而人最暗的地方不在外面。
九類眾生與十九個「故」：救護的理由
第二段是化九類。經文列卵生、胎生、濕生、化生、有色、無色、有想、無想、非有想非無想——這是把一切眾生窮盡地說一遍，然後說夜神「普現其前，常勤救護」。
接下來是本段最要緊的地方：救護的理由。經文一連十九句「故」（逐字數之，十九句），自「為成就菩薩大願力故」起，到「令得一切智清淨光明故」止。澄觀判這一重為所化意，並點出它的通局，說「三「為成就」下明化意中，為成諸法，通能所化」。
「通能所化」四個字是鑰匙。這十九句，最前五句在說自己——成就大願力、深入三昧力、堅固神通力、出生普賢行願力、增廣大悲海；最後五句在說眾生——入一切眾生心海、知一切眾生諸根、淨一切眾生信解、破一切眾生無知黑闇、令得一切智清淨光明；中間九句自「得普覆眾生無礙大慈」至「積集一切善根修一切妙行」，能所兼帶。救人這件事，同時是成就自己那件事，一段之內兼二。
排一個誤解：以為菩薩救眾生是純粹利他，自己什麼也不為。經文自己不這樣說——它把「為成就菩薩大願力故」放在十九句的第一句。
落到地上：能長久做下去的救護，一定同時在長養做的人；只出不進的，撐不了無量劫。
收起莊嚴之相，還復本形
善財看完了，「歡喜無量，頭面作禮，一心瞻仰」。這時候夜神做了一個動作：「即捨菩薩莊嚴之相，還復本形，而不捨其自在神力。」
澄觀把這一段科為三業敬讚，分三：初身心敬重、次顯友自在、後口以偈讚。中間這一節就是顯友自在。
要看清楚的是末一句。捨的是「相」，不捨的是「神力」。相是為善財現的，現完就收；神力不隨相而收。
排一個誤解：以為善知識的本事在於顯出不凡的樣子。經文正好相反：現相是為了教，教完了相就撤，而力還在。
落到地上：一個人真正有的東西，是他不表演的時候還在的那些。
善財的二十偈半：澄觀怎麼分
善財恭敬合掌，退在一面，以偈讚歎。這一段偈共四十一行（逐字數之），澄觀計作「二十偈半」，並分之曰「初偈總、餘偈別」；別中又二，「初九偈半明光用無涯、後「我承」下述前蒙光獲益」；末一段再分三，「初半偈推功歸本、次二偈半述得三昧、餘述見大用」。
依這個分法讀，這四十一行的骨架是：第一偈是總——「我善財得見，如是大神力，其心生歡喜，說偈而讚歎」。接下來九偈半寫光——身相如空中星，所放之光如無量剎塵數，毛孔之光其數如眾生心數，光端出寶蓮華，華中出化身滅眾生苦，光中出妙香，兩眉之光量與須彌等，口光譬如無量日，眼光譬如無量月，末以現化種種身、妙身遍十方、滅除水火賊王等一切怖收。
再往下，「我承喜目教，今得詣尊所」半偈是推功歸本——把所得歸給前一位善知識。次二偈半述得三昧：見尊眉間相、放大清淨光、入我身、我遇圓滿光、得總持三昧、普見十方佛。其餘述見大用：所經處悉見諸微塵，一一微塵中各見塵數剎，或濁穢、或染淨、或淨染、或無量淨剎海，末以毘盧遮那佛往劫所嚴淨、佛於一切剎悉坐菩提樹、我見普救天普皆往供養收。
排一個誤解：以為讚偈只是禮貌。這四十一行是善財對自己所見的複述——他把看到的東西自己說一遍，才算真看見了。而其中特意留半偈說「我承喜目教」，是把功歸給上一位。
落到地上：得了法之後第一件事，是說得出這法從哪裡來。
三個問題，和問名字這件事
善財說完頌，問了三句：「其名何等？得此解脫其已久如？修何等行而得清淨？」
澄觀逐句釋其所以：「一問名，前來標名，集經者言，故此方問；二問得法久近，欲顯久修德遠故；三問修因淨治，求入路故。」
第一句的釋最要緊。前文說夜神所示的是「菩薩調伏眾生解脫神力」——那是結集經的人替讀者標的名，善財本人並沒有從夜神口中聽到，所以他到這裡才問。第二問不是好奇年歲，是要顯久修之德；第三問是要一條自己走得上去的路。
排一個誤解：以為問名字是小事，問修行才是大事。三問是一組：不知其名不能認取，不知其久不知其重，不知其因不能自入。
落到地上：對一件真東西，該問的是這三樣——它叫什麼、它花了多久、它怎麼修來的。
為什麼說「難知」：澄觀的四個角度
夜神先不答，先歎深。她說「是處難知，諸天及人、一切二乘所不能測」，接著用九句「者境界故」說明何以難知——這是住普賢菩薩行者的境界、住大悲藏者的境界、救護一切眾生者的境界、能淨一切三惡八難者的境界、能於一切佛剎中紹隆佛種不斷者的境界、能住持一切佛法者的境界、能於一切劫修菩薩行成滿大願海者的境界、能於一切法界海以清淨智光滅無明闇障者的境界、能以一念智慧光明普照一切三世方便海者的境界。然後才說「我承佛力，今為汝說」。
澄觀就這個「深」設了一問四答：「深相云何？若約得時，時久遠故，非久近故。若約修因，因行廣故。若通上二，契理深故。若約名說，名如體用故。名者實賓，難窮實故。」
四個角度分別對著善財的三問。就得法之時說，時太遠，遠到不能用久近去量；就修因說，因行太廣；合前二說，是契理之深；就名說——名相對於實，是賓不是主，賓窮不盡主。
排一個誤解：以為「難知」是推託，是不肯說。她隨後說了七千餘字。歎深不是不說，是先立一個尺度：接下來要說的東西，不能用平常的量法去量。
落到地上：凡遇到真正深的事，先承認它深，再開口說，說出來的才不會是淺的。
本生的第一句：一個劫，一個世界，一堆佛
答的正文從這裡開始。「乃往古世，過佛剎微塵數劫，爾時有劫，名：圓滿清淨，世界名：毘盧遮那大威德，有須彌山微塵數如來於中出現。」（此世界之名，重頌處作「是時有世界，名為遍照燈」，二形皆底本逐字，誌錄不判。）
澄觀把整段長行分作十段，第一段就是這一句，並說它「已略酬其久近」——第二問其實在第一句就答了，只是答得極簡：那麼多劫以前。
排一個誤解：以為本生只是故事。它是三問的正答：這一段從頭到尾都在回答『多久』與『怎麼修』。
落到地上：說自己怎麼來的，是最實在的一種答法。
那個世界長什麼樣：淨穢合成
第二段通顯剎相。那個佛世界「以一切香王摩尼寶為體」，眾寶莊嚴，住在無垢光明摩尼王海上；「其形正圓，淨穢合成」，一切嚴具帳雲覆其上，一切莊嚴摩尼輪山千匝圍繞。其中有十萬億那由他個四天下，而住的人分四類：惡業眾生、雜業眾生、善根眾生、一向清淨的諸大菩薩。
「淨穢合成」四個字要記住。這是一個佛出世的世界，而它不是純淨的——它的形狀正圓，質地卻是淨與穢合起來的，住的人也分四等。
排一個誤解：以為佛出世的地方必是清淨無雜。經文自己說淨穢合成，而且明說有惡業眾生住在其中。
落到地上：不要等世界乾淨了再修；佛就是在淨穢合成的地方成道的。
東邊那個四天下：不必耕耘而生稻粱
第三段別顯生處。這個世界東邊輪圍山旁的一個四天下，名叫寶燈華幢：國界清淨，飲食豐足，「不藉耕耘而生稻粱」；宮殿樓閣悉皆奇妙；如意樹處處行列，香樹出香雲，鬘樹出鬘雲，華樹雨妙華，寶樹出奇寶，音樂樹隨風出樂；日月光明摩尼寶王普照一切，晝夜受樂無時間斷。
再往下是量：這個四天下有百萬億那由他個國土，一個國土有千條大河圍繞，河上覆妙華、出天樂音，兩岸列寶樹；兩河之間有百萬億座城，一城有百萬億那由他個聚落，城邑聚落各有無量百千億那由他的宮殿園林。
排一個誤解：以為這些數字是形容詞。經文列這些量，是要在下一段說出一件事——就在這樣一個豐足到極處的地方，人為了『你不如我好看』這一句話，把自己的壽命和色力減掉了。
落到地上：這一段的鋪陳愈華麗，下一段的轉折愈重。
王、王妃、王女：本生的三個人
第四段明本生父母，第五段明本生身。閻浮提內有國名寶華燈，安隱豐樂，人民熾盛，其中眾生具行十善。有轉輪王名毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻，於蓮華中忽然化生，三十二相、七寶具足，王四天下而「恒以正法教導群生」。王有千子，有百萬億那由他宮人采女，「皆悉與王同種善根、同修諸行、同時誕生」。王有正妃名圓滿面，是王之女寶，皮膚金色，目髮紺青，言同梵音，身有天香，常放光明照千由旬。王有一女名普智焰妙德眼，形體端嚴，色相殊美，眾生見者情無厭足。
這三個人到本節最後會各自現身分：王是彌勒，妃是下一位善友寂靜音海夜神，女是說話的這位夜神自己。此處先記名字。
排一個誤解：以為本生的重點在王的富貴。經文把最多的筆墨給了「同種善根、同修諸行、同時誕生」——那是說這一群人是一起修來的。
落到地上：與什麼人同時出生在一處，是往昔一起種下的。
「我身端正，汝形鄙陋」：佛出世的因
第六段，澄觀科為眾生起惡為佛現因。經文寫得極短：那時眾生壽命無量，也有中途夭亡的，種種形色、音聲、名字、族姓，愚智勇怯貧富苦樂無量品類皆悉不同。於是「或有人語餘人言：『我身端正，汝形鄙陋。』作是語已，遞相毀辱，集不善業；以是業故，壽命、色力、一切樂事悉皆損減」。
一整個豐足世界的敗壞，起於一句比較。而澄觀把這一段科作佛出現的「因」——不是佛選了一個好時候來，是眾生把自己弄到需要佛來的地步。
排一個誤解：以為憍慢是小毛病。經文說得很直：因為這個業，壽命短了，色力弱了，樂事沒了。所比的正是色貌，而所損的也正是色貌。
落到地上：拿自己的長處去比別人的短處，減的是自己的壽。
城北的樹、樹前的池、池中的華
第七段是佛興益物，澄觀又分作三：得道之場、總顯佛數、別明初佛。
得道之場是這樣的：城北有菩提樹名普光法雲音幢，以念念出現一切如來道場莊嚴的堅固摩尼王為根，一切摩尼為幹，眾雜妙寶為葉，四方上下圓滿莊嚴，放寶光明、出妙音聲，說一切如來甚深境界。樹前有香池名寶華光明，演法雷音，妙寶為岸，百萬億那由他寶樹圍繞，每一株形如菩提樹。池中出大蓮華，名普現三世一切如來莊嚴境界雲，須彌山微塵數佛於中出現。其第一佛名普智寶焰妙德幢，於此華上最初成道，「無量千歲演說正法成熟眾生」。
排一個誤解：以為道場是佛選的地。經文的次第是：先有樹，樹前有池，池中有華，華上出佛——道場是長出來的，不是佈置出來的。
落到地上：一個地方能出佛，是它自己先長成那樣。
十一重光明：佛還沒來，光先來了一萬年
這是全子最動人的一段。那位如來未成佛時，這朵大蓮華先放光——十千年前放「現諸神通成熟眾生」光，遇光者心自開悟而知十千年後佛當出現；九千年前放「一切眾生離垢燈」，遇者得清淨眼；八千年前放「一切眾生業果音」，遇者自知業報；七千年前放「生一切善根音」，遇者諸根圓滿；六千年前放「佛不思議境界音」，遇者其心廣大；五千年前放「嚴淨一切佛剎音」，遇者見清淨佛土；四千年前放「一切如來境界無差別燈」，遇者能往覲諸佛；三千年前放「三世明燈」，遇者見諸佛本事海；二千年前放「如來離翳智慧燈」，遇者得普眼；一千年前放「令一切眾生見佛集諸善根」，遇者成就見佛三昧；再下來七日前放「一切眾生歡喜音」，遇者普見諸佛生大歡喜。年數十重加七日一重，凡十一重（逐字數之，「若有眾生遇斯光者」十一見）。
澄觀計其數而說「成道前相，謂放光調機有十一重，一一重中各有光明業用成益，以益對名，可以思準」。他另出一表法之釋，說「若約表法，則前十為次第十度光，後一為圓融十度光，以此照心則自智出現」——前十重配十度之次第，末一重配十度之圓融。
排一個誤解：以為佛出世是一個突然的事件。經文說，佛還沒成佛，光已經放了一萬年，而且是一級一級地把眾生的根調熟：先開悟、再淨眼、再知業、再滿根、再心廣、再見土、再見佛、再見本事、再得普眼、再成三昧，最後才是歡喜。到佛真出現時，該見的人早已預備好了。
落到地上：所有看起來忽然發生的事，都有一段很長的、沒人注意的預備期。
滿七日：世界震動，該來的人都來了
滿七日之後，一切世界悉皆震動，純淨無染，念念普現十方一切清淨佛剎，也現那些剎的種種莊嚴；「若有眾生根性淳熟，應見佛者，咸詣道場」。這是澄觀所科的動剎集眾。
接著是現相顯德：那個世界中一切輪圍、須彌、諸山、大海、地、城、垣牆、宮殿、音樂、語言，皆出音聲讚說一切諸佛如來神力境界；又出十五種雲——香雲、燒香雲、末香雲、香摩尼形像雲、寶焰雲、焰藏雲、摩尼衣雲、瓔珞雲、妙華雲、如來光明雲、如來圓光雲、音樂雲、如來願聲雲、如來言音海雲、如來相好雲，顯示如來出現世間不思議相。
排一個誤解：以為集眾是被召集的。經文說的是「根性淳熟，應見佛者，咸詣道場」——熟了的自己就到了。
落到地上：連牆和音樂都出聲的時候，不是聲音變大了，是聽的人熟了。
成道的依正：一華之外，還有十佛剎微塵數的華
第五分是成道依正。「此普照三世一切如來莊嚴境界大寶蓮華王，有十佛剎微塵數蓮華周匝圍遶，諸蓮華內悉有摩尼寶藏師子之座，一一座上皆有菩薩結跏趺坐。」
第六分是始成正覺，而經文的說法極要緊：那位如來「於此成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提時，即於十方一切世界中成阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」。澄觀於此判曰一成一切成。
排一個誤解：以為成道是某一時某一處發生的一件事。經文說此處成即十方一切處成——不是分身去別處再成一次。
落到地上：真到了那一步，不需要再走一遍。
轉法輪的二十句：從離惡道苦到普賢行願
成道之後隨眾生心而轉法輪，經文以「令無量眾生」領起二十句（逐字數之，二十句）：離惡道苦、得生天中、住聲聞辟支佛地，接著是十種菩提之行——出離、勇猛幢、法光明、清淨根、平等力、入法城、遍至一切處不可壞神通力、入普門方便道、安住三昧門、緣一切清淨境界，然後是發菩提心、住菩薩道、安住清淨波羅蜜道、住菩薩初地、住二地乃至十地、入菩薩殊勝行願、安住普賢清淨行願。
澄觀判這二十句的次第，說前面是「初益凡夫、次益二乘、後益菩薩」；菩薩之中又先成行後成位，並逐句配位——「菩提心是住位」「菩薩道是行位」，「淨波羅蜜是迴向位，以大願海淨治前度故」，「後二句是等覺位」。《演義鈔》補一句何以不提十地，說「不言十地者，上二句文十地顯故；餘位義隱，故別指耳」——十地在經文裡已經明說了，故不必再標。
排一個誤解：以為佛一出世就直接說最高的法。這二十句是從「離惡道苦」開始的，而且中間老老實實經過人天與二乘。
落到地上：教法的次第，是照著聽的人排的，不是照著法的高低排的。
普賢來了：善知識是怎麼出現的
第八段是善友引導，澄觀分作六：知機起惡、現身超勝、物機驚怪、告語佛興、女發大心、父王詣佛。
起頭是普賢「知寶華燈王城中眾生，自恃色貌及諸境界，而生憍慢陵蔑他人」。他不是先說法，是先「化現妙身，端正殊特」，往詣彼城放大光明，令那位聖王以及諸妙寶、日月星宿、眾生身上一切光明悉皆不現——經文取二譬：「譬如日出眾景奪曜，亦如聚墨對閻浮金」。眾生於是驚怪，說「此為是誰？為天？為梵？」種種思惟，無能解了。
排一個誤解：以為善知識現身是為了顯勝。看普賢對治的是什麼：這城裡的人正在比誰好看。他就現一個好看到讓一切好看都不成其為好看的身。以憍慢起病，以奪曜為藥。
落到地上：對治一種病，有時不是講道理，是把那個病自己站不住。
一個小女孩的願：常得不離此善知識
普賢在輪王宮殿上的虛空中住，告訴他們：「大王當知，今汝國中，有佛興世，在普光明法雲音幢菩提樹下。」
這時候聖王的女兒——經文此處作蓮華妙眼——見到普賢所現色身光明的自在，聽到他身上莊嚴具所出的妙音，心生歡喜，作了一個念。這個念經文全文寫下來了：願我所有一切善根，得如是身、如是莊嚴、如是相好、如是威儀、如是自在；今此大聖能在眾生生死長夜黑闇之中放大光明、開示如來出興於世，願令我也得如是，為諸眾生作智光明，破他們的無知黑闇；末一句是「願我所在受生之處，常得不離此善知識」。
澄觀科這一節為女發大心，並註一句「亦是入法之因」。
排一個誤解：以為她只是羨慕普賢好看。她的願分三段：願得如是身，願如是為眾生作光明，願生生不離這位善知識。第一段是所見，第二段是所學，第三段是所守。三段之中，第三段最要緊——後面幾千字證明，她真的沒有離開。
落到地上：見到一個真正的人之後，最該發的願不是『我要像他』，是『我不要離開他』。
輪王的十偈：勸大家一起去
第六節是父王詣佛，澄觀分四：身處虛空、以偈讚引、廣興供雲、至彼修敬。
轉輪王與寶女、千子、眷屬、大臣、輔佐、四種兵眾以及城內無量人民，以王的神力一同昇空一由旬，放大光明照四天下，以偈讚佛。這一段偈共二十行、十偈（逐字數之）。澄觀分之曰「初一總勸、次五偈釋勸、後四偈結勸勝故應往」。
依此讀：第一偈是總勸——「如來出世間，普救諸群生，汝等應速起，往詣導師所」。次五偈釋所以應往：佛難得出世、佛觀世間顛倒而起大悲、無數億千劫修菩提行皆由大悲力、頭目手足一切能捨、導師難遇而見聞承事一切無空過。後四偈結勸：今當共汝等往觀調御尊、瞻仰如來身放無量光、一一毛孔放光普照令生歡喜、汝等咸應發廣大精進心而往供養。
排一個誤解：以為一國之王見佛是自己的事。他做的第一件事是把全城的人帶上，而且是用「勸」的——說難遇、說可貴、說去了不會空過。
落到地上：自己得了好處而不說，與說了而不勸人同去，都還差一段。
女兒的瓔珞：因小果大
第九段是德女修因。澄觀分三，並各配以表義：「一嚴具奉佛，表修萬行，向佛果故；二「時莊嚴」下見佛現變，表因小果大故；三「既見是已」下覩變獲益。」
經文所寫：轉輪王女普智焰妙德眼解下身上諸莊嚴具散在佛上，這些莊嚴具在虛空中變成寶蓋，寶網垂下、龍王執持，十種寶蓋周匝圍繞，形如樓閣，內外清淨。蓋中有菩提樹，枝葉榮茂，「普覆法界」，念念示現無量莊嚴。毘盧遮那如來坐此樹下，有不可說佛剎微塵數菩薩前後圍繞，皆從普賢行願出生。
她所見的東西一層一層開下去：見一切世間主，見如來自在神力，見一切諸劫次第世界成壞，見一切世界一切諸佛出興次第，見一切世界一一皆有普賢菩薩供養於佛調伏眾生，見一切菩薩莫不皆在普賢身中，見自身在其身內，見自身在一切如來前、一切普賢前、一切菩薩前、一切眾生前，又見一切世界各有佛剎微塵數世界的種種際畔、任持、形狀、體性、安布、莊嚴、清淨、劫名、佛興、三世、方處，乃至種種如來菩提場、神通力、師子座、大眾海、眾差別、巧方便、轉法輪、妙音聲、言說海、契經雲。見已，「其心清淨，生大歡喜」。
排一個誤解：以為供養的大小在於供品的貴賤。她所散的只是自己身上戴的東西，而所變的是普覆法界的菩提樹——澄觀所謂「因小果大」。
落到地上：能拿出來的就是身上這一點，拿出來之後的事不歸你管。
聞經之後：十千三昧、三十心、十願海
第十段是聞經得益。佛為她說修多羅名「一切如來轉法輪」，十佛剎微塵數修多羅為眷屬。她聞經之後所得，經文分三重，澄觀判為三益：「初得三昧益」「次「得如是等」下得大心益，即悲智等心」「後「一心思惟」下成夫願益」，並判此三益「即調伏眾生，解脫三事皆調伏之法故」——也就是說，這三益正是本友法門的內容。
三昧益：得成就十千三昧門，心柔軟而無麁彊，經文以三譬形容：「如初受胎，如始誕生，如娑羅樹初始生芽」。所列三昧十二名（逐字數之，十二名而以省略收）：現見一切佛、普照一切剎、入一切三世門、說一切佛法輪、知一切佛願海、開悟一切眾生令出生死苦、常願破一切眾生闇、常願滅一切眾生苦、常願生一切眾生樂、教化一切眾生不生疲厭、一切菩薩無障礙幢、普詣一切清淨佛剎。
大心益：得三十種心（逐字數之，三十名）。開頭六名是心的底子——妙定心、不動心、歡喜心、安慰心、廣大心、順善知識心；末九名是心的廣度——救護一切眾生海心、普照一切世界海心、普生一切佛願海心、悉破一切障山心、積集福德助道心、現見諸佛十力心、普照菩薩境界心、增長菩薩助道心、遍緣一切方海心。中間十五名才是這三十心的骨，而且正是「調伏之法」所以能成立的地方，要一組一組讀。
第一組二名：緣甚深一切智心、住廣大方便海心。一頭繫在智之深，一頭繫在方便之廣。調伏眾生不是單有悲心就夠：智不深則不知眾生病在哪裡，方便不廣則知了也無從下手；所以這二心並列在前，是調伏的兩個根。
第二組四名：捨離一切執著心、不住一切世間境界心、入如來境界心、普照一切色海心。前二是離——捨執著、不住世境；後二是入——入如來境界、普照色海。能調的人必須先離，不離則被所調之境牽走；但只離不入，就成了自了。離而能入，入而能普照一切色海，才是站在眾生之中而不被眾生之境轉。
第三組五名：無惱害心、無高倨心、無疲倦心、無退轉心、無懈怠心。五個「無」，前二說對人的態度——不惱害人，不高視人；調伏最容易壞在這兩處，一是以調伏為名而實惱人，二是能調而自高。後三說對己的耐力——不倦、不退、不懈。眾生海不是一時可調，沒有這三心，前面的智與方便都用不久。
第四組四名：思惟諸法自性心、安住一切法門海心、觀察一切法門海心、了知一切眾生海心。思惟自性是見法，安住法門海是持法，觀察法門海是察法，了知眾生海是識機。見法、持法、察法、識機四者具足，「應機」二字才不是空話——知道眾生是什麼機，也知道手上有哪一門可用。
所以澄觀說這三十心是「調伏之法」，其實全落在這中間十五心上：離著不住而能入，故所調不轉能調；無惱無倦而能久，故一時之調成長久之調；知法知機而能應，故所調各得其門。首六名是這一切的底子，末九名是這一切放大到海一般的廣度。
願益：一心思惟普賢大願，發十佛剎微塵數願海，列十願（逐字數之，十願而以省略收）：嚴淨一切佛國、調伏一切眾生、遍知一切法界、普入一切法界海、於一切佛剎盡未來際劫修菩薩行、盡未來際劫不捨一切菩薩行、得親近一切如來、得承事一切善友、得供養一切諸佛、於念念中修菩薩行增一切智無有間斷。末以「成就普賢所有大願」收。
排一個誤解：以為三昧、心、願是三批不同的收穫。澄觀說三者「皆調伏之法」——定是能調的力，心是能調的量，願是能調的向；三合起來才是那一個法門。
落到地上：只有定而無願，走不遠；只有願而無定，走不動。
更早的一次：她修補過一尊壞了的佛像
長行講到這裡，忽然又往前推。「復於此前，過十大劫，有世界，名：日輪光摩尼，佛號：因陀羅幢妙相。此妙眼女，於彼如來遺法之中，普賢菩薩勸其修補蓮華座上故壞佛像；既修補已而復彩畫，既彩畫已復寶莊嚴，發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心。」
澄觀科這一段為「明發心之始」，並釋所以要補這一段：「於此前者，即得法劫之前也，顯前得法非無因也。」前面那一場得法看起來盛大，其實它也有它的因，而那個因小到只是修一尊壞掉的像。
接著夜神說：「我念過去，由普賢菩薩善知識故，種此善根。從是已來，不墮惡趣，常於一切天王、人王種族中生……常見於佛，常得親近普賢菩薩；乃至於今，示導開悟，成熟於我，令生歡喜。」
排一個誤解：以為發心一定起於一個大場面。她的發心起於一件手上的活——把座上壞了的像補好，補好再畫，畫好再莊嚴。
落到地上：發心那一刻常常不像發心，像是在做一件該做的小事。
結會古今：父王是彌勒，母妃是下一位善友，那個女兒是我
第三段是結會古今。夜神問善財：「於意云何？爾時毘盧遮那藏妙寶蓮華髻轉輪聖王者，豈異人乎？今彌勒菩薩是。時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是，今所住處去此不遠。時妙德眼童女者，即我身是。」
三個人一一現身分。而她接著把因果串起來：「我於彼時，初始發心；次復引導，令我得見妙德幢佛，解身瓔珞，散佛供養，見佛神力，聞佛說法，即得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門。」
到這裡，善財的第一問才真正答完——法門的名字，是從這一段因緣裡長出來的，不是掛上去的。
要注意經文自己作的兩個繫屬。其一，父王是彌勒——那是善財後面要參的大善友。其二，母妃就是下一位善友寂靜音海夜神，而且「今所住處去此不遠」。這兩句都是經文自說，非後人所配。
排一個誤解：以為結會古今是故事的收尾。它是本節的答案：所謂善知識，不是路上偶遇的人，是無量劫一路同行的人。
落到地上：眼前這些人是誰，不能只看眼前。
大光劫的十位佛：我作過十種身
第二大段是別答第三問——修何等行而得清淨。前面所說是得法之前，這一段是得法之後。
過了圓滿清淨劫，次有世界名寶輪妙莊嚴，劫名大光，有五百佛於中出現，她都承事供養。經文別舉其中十位（逐字數之，十佛名），而每一位配一種身分：最初佛大悲幢初出家時，她作夜神；金剛那羅延幢佛時作轉輪王；金剛無礙德佛時作轉輪王；火焰山妙莊嚴佛時作長者女；一切法海高勝王佛時作阿脩羅王；海嶽法光明佛時作龍王女；寶焰山燈佛時作海神；功德海光明輪佛時作五通仙；毘盧遮那功德藏佛時作主地神名出生平等義；最後佛充滿虛空法界妙德燈時，「我為妓女，名曰：美顏」，見佛入城，歌舞供養，承佛神力踊在空中，以千偈頌讚歎於佛。佛為她放眉間光名莊嚴法界大光明，遍觸其身，她蒙光即得解脫門名法界方便不退藏。
這十種身分要一起看：夜神、轉輪王、轉輪王、長者女、阿脩羅王、龍王女、海神、五通仙、主地神、妓女。有王有神有仙，也有妓女。而「得解脫門」一事須分兩處讀：本友自己的法門「菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門」，是前面那一生——見妙德幢佛、解身瓔珞散佛供養、見佛神力、聞佛說法——當時所得；此處作妓女美顏那一生，蒙佛眉間光所得的另是一門，名「法界方便不退藏」。二門先後不同，名亦不同，不可合作一次說。
排一個誤解：以為修行要等到一個好身分、好處境。經文把最後也是最要緊的一次放在最低的身分上，而供養的方式就是她的本行——歌舞。
落到地上：用你現在有的那一種身分去供養，不必先換一個。
我依一切智光明故
長行末了兩句收得極快。「此世界中，有如是等佛剎微塵數劫，一切如來於中出現；我皆承事，恭敬供養」，所說正法「乃至不忘一文一句」，於一一如來所稱揚讚歎、廣作利益、得一切智光明、現三世法界海、入一切普賢行。
最後一句是全段的結：「我依一切智光明故，於念念中見無量佛；既見佛已，先所未得、先所未見普賢諸行，悉得成滿。何以故？以得一切智光明故。」
澄觀科這一節為見佛行成。要看的是它的次第：先得一切智光明，才念念見佛；見佛之後，普賢諸行才成滿。不是見得多所以有光，是有光所以見得見。
排一個誤解：以為見佛的次數是修行的成績。經文把因果倒過來說：光在前，見在後。
落到地上：問自己見過什麼之前，先問自己是靠什麼看的。
四十一偈重頌：一百一十位佛的名字
夜神「欲重明此解脫義，承佛神力」，為善財說頌。這一段頌共八十二行、四十一偈（逐字數之）。澄觀分之曰「初二偈舉法誡聽、次三十八偈頌前正說、後一偈舉因勸修」，而頌正說之中，「先三十六偈頌最初一劫」，「後二偈頌前總顯諸劫」。
三十六偈裡幾乎全是佛名。十位一組，組與組之間以「從此後次第，復有十佛出」相接（逐字數之，十見），連同首組共十一組。澄觀計其總數並判其表法：「有百一十佛，表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴。」末二偈之表法他也說了：「亦表智滿行圓無非佛故。」
頌裡另有三個記號：第一組之末說「於此十佛所，最初悟法門」，第二組之末說「此十出現時，第二悟法門」，第三組之末說「於此十佛所，第三悟法門」（逐字數之，三處），此後不再標次。末後兩偈總收：須彌塵數劫中所有的佛「普作世間燈，我悉曾供養」；佛剎微塵劫所有佛出現「我皆曾供養，入此解脫門」。最後一偈是勸修：「我於無量劫，修行得此道；汝若能修行，不久亦當得。」
排一個誤解：以為一長串佛名可以跳過去讀。這一百一十個名字就是那三十六偈的內容，也是『多久』這一問的真正答案——不是一個數字，是一串一個一個承事過來的名字。
落到地上：一生能記得住幾位真正教過自己的人的名字，就是那個人的修行史。
謙己推勝：我只知道這一個
頌畢，夜神說：「我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫。」接著列諸菩薩摩訶薩之所能——集無邊行、生種種解、現種種身、具種種根、滿種種願、入種種三昧、起種種神變、能種種觀察法、入種種智慧門、得種種法光明；末以「而我云何能知能說彼功德行」收。
這一段是本會善友多有的一節（底本本節「我唯」一見）。它的作用不是客套：一位講了七千餘字自己無量劫修行史的善知識，末了說我只知道這一個。
排一個誤解：以為謙己是把前面說的打折。前面說的每一句都作數；謙己說的是另一件事——她知道自己知道的是哪一個。
落到地上：說得出自己的邊界在哪裡，前面說的才可信。
指示後友：禪從精進生
末一分是指示後友。「去此不遠，有主夜神，名：寂靜音海，坐摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座，百萬阿僧祇主夜神前後圍遶。汝詣彼問：菩薩云何學菩薩行、修菩薩道？」
澄觀於此下了三層釋。其一釋「不遠」：「又禪依進發，故云不遠。」——本友寄的是精進，後友主的是禪，禪依精進而發，所以說不遠。其二釋後友之名：「禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海。」寂靜是定的體，音海是定的用。其三就本生之文立一表：「然此神即普救之母，表真精進却從定生，起心動念是妄非進故。」——經文前面才說王妃圓滿面就是寂靜音海夜神，所以後友是本友的母親；母生子，故表真精進其實是從定生出來的。《演義鈔》補其所以：「疏「表真精進却從定生」者，真精進者離身心故，非定無此。」
這裡有一個好看的來回：從次第看，精進在前，禪在後；從表法看，禪是精進的母親。二說不相礙——澄觀是就經文之母女關係立表，非改次第。
排一個誤解：以為精進就是用力。澄觀說得很清楚，起心動念的那種是妄，不是精進；真精進「離身心」，非定不能有。
落到地上：拚命而心不定，那不是精進，是消耗。
戀德禮辭
末句極短：「時，善財童子頂禮其足，遶無數匝，慇懃瞻仰，辭退而去。」四個動作，沒有一句話。
前一位善友走的時候他也是這樣。而這一節他所帶走的，是一段很長的故事——一位夜神無量劫前作過王女，補過一尊壞像，被普賢引著見過佛，後來又作過妓女而在歌舞裡得了解脫門。
落到地上：聽完一個人的來歷再拜他的足，那一拜和來時的那一拜不一樣。
寄焰慧地：這是誰的判
本節從頭到尾沒有出現過「焰慧地」三個字。說本友寄焰慧地的是澄觀，其語為「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地」；《演義鈔》釋其所以，說「謂安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪，慧焰增故」。
李通玄也把本友配在焰慧地，而進路不同。他釋地名，說「此地修三十七助道觀門，觀身受心法轉加明淨，故名為焰慧地」；釋本地主行，說「二明此地修何行門者，以精進波羅蜜為首，餘九為伴」；釋神名，說「是故此神名普救一切眾生妙德。妙德者，明三十七助道觀能顯自他妙慧故也」；釋法門名，說「為明此位三十七道品通三乘一乘共所修行，調伏之大路故，名普現調伏一切眾生解脫」。他又就本友與前三地之相望說「第四焰慧地以精進波羅蜜為體，神名普救眾生，以精進波羅蜜是普救義故」。他釋本友所現世界之差別，說是「種種差別智之純雜光明自在」——世界的淨穢差別，在通玄看來是差別智之光的純與雜；又把頌中一百一十個佛號配到十地與十一地的因果佛位，以「初佛名智焰」配初歡喜地——佛號不是名單，是一地一地走上去的位。
而寄位這件事本身，澄觀在末會五相的科文處自己先陳過古來的兩種讀法：一種隨文散釋而不別配地位，一種則配地位。二軌並存，誌錄不判。
澄觀明判
陳過二軌之後，澄觀自己接著下了一句判語：「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。」不配有其理——位位本具多門，豈可攔著凡夫不去學一切善友之法；配亦無失——無次位之中不礙有次位，顯位本是常法。這是澄觀自己的判，不是本版的裁。
排一個誤解：以為「寄焰慧地」是經文自己標的位次。經文只說這是一位夜神、有這樣一個法門；配位的是古德，而古德自己也說配與不配二皆有理。
落到地上：位次是幫人讀懂次第的尺，不是經文自己的話——用尺可以，把尺當成經就不行了。
承衍
本節之文，向下所開之流有三條線。
其一是本經之內自繫的線。這一節的結會古今處，經文自己把三個人接到別處：父王即今彌勒菩薩，遙指本會後面的慈氏一友；母妃即寂靜音海夜神，即次一友，而且經文說「今所住處去此不遠」。這兩條繫屬是經文自說的，不待後人配。澄觀就母女一義立表，說本友之精進却從定生。
其二是諸家釋名之線。澄觀約「智焰吉祥，稱為妙德」釋友名而繫寄焰慧地，李通玄約三十七助道觀門釋地名、約精進波羅蜜釋神名，法門名之釋亦各就其軌。法藏《探玄記》與智儼《搜玄記》所疏皆是六十本，本友在彼名「妙德救護眾生」，二家於本節都有逐文之專釋。法藏釋其名說「吉祥勝智，名為妙德。攝物起行，名救護眾生」——智之勝是妙德，起行攝物是救護眾生，名之二截各有所繫；他又於世界形類處分出趨向與相雜二解，別出「非時受生畏者，是不值佛世生也」一義，並記此法門之天竺本名。智儼則標「第四夜天名妙德救護眾生，即四地菩薩位也」而逕繫之四地，科本節之文為勸教、依教趣入、證三分；正入之下又分四事——自分法體、三昧力用、得法因緣、結自分所知：法體是所依，力用是所現，因緣是所以然，結是自知其分；四事一路讀下來，本友這一段的骨就清楚了。所以逐文之釋實是四家，不止二家；只是法藏、智儼所依之本為六十，澄觀、李通玄所依之本為八十，各就其本而說。澄觀另於〈世主妙嚴品〉釋主夜神眾時作過一次跨品對讀，說「三即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德。護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也。法門全同，次第又當。謂感必現前，調令清淨故」——護生所以顯德之妙，感必現前而調令清淨：這一句把本友的名與她的法門接成了一事。
其三是本節在華嚴一系論典中的位置。《華嚴經旨歸》《華嚴一乘教義分齊章》《華嚴一乘十玄門》《華嚴法界玄鏡》四典，就本友之名皆查無；而《華嚴經孔目章》實有二處相涉——一是逐友立義之段，智儼於此為本友立一句法門義，說「於成佛處。覺自在法。示現眾生利益法門義」，二是列名之段，以六十本之名形列本友為第三十五夜天。也就是說，本節在論典中並非未被立為義例：智儼已為它立了一句，而所立之「示現眾生利益」正與本友「調伏眾生」之法門相應——覺自在於成佛處，故能示現；示現而利益，即是調伏。此諸異釋皆古德成說。
一子七千餘字的答，答的是三個問題；而三個問題裡，她花最多力氣答的是『多久』。答法不是給一個數，是把一路走來的人和事一件一件說出來。說到最後，善財才知道：所謂解脫門，就是這麼一段路的名字。
Where This Section Differs from the Several Before It
By the time Sudhana reaches the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, before he has opened his mouth to ask, half the Dharma has already been conferred.
The order of the scripture runs like this: the moment he arrives, the night goddess displays the liberating spiritual power of a bodhisattva subduing sentient beings, sends forth light from between her brows, and the light enters the crown of his head, and on the spot he gains concentration; and having gained concentration he sees, within every single dust mote between the two night goddesses, the forming and decaying of worlds, the differences among the five destinies, and the nine classes of sentient beings; and only when he has finished seeing does he pay respect, does he praise in verses, does he ask the name. When Chengguan outlines this unit he marks this one point out on its own, saying that the six-passage outline usual to this assembly must here be combined: it combines the second and the third, for as regards Sudhana it is the seeing and paying respect, while as regards what the night goddess manifests it is the working of the liberation, and this amounts to conferring the Dharma realm in silence — the night goddess has not said a word, and the Dharma realm has already been silently conferred.
There is a misreading to set aside: this is not that Sudhana came at a bad moment and missed the expounding. The whole unit runs to eight thousand eight hundred graphs and more; Sudhana’s asking is only three clauses, and the night goddess’s answer takes up seven thousand graphs and more, and what she answers is nearly all a single account of her former life — she tells from the beginning who she was measureless kalpas ago, how she raised the mind, and with whom she studied.
Set upon the ground: what is to be read in this section is not what a liberation gate is, but how a person comes to stand where she stands today.
That Stretch of Road before Setting Out: What He Was Doing in His Heart
This section does not begin with walking; it begins with the mind. After Sudhana had heard the liberation gate of the Banner of Universal Joy in the presence of the night goddess Joyful Eyes Beholding Beings, the scripture uses eleven acts to write the intent with which he set out: trusting, understanding, advancing, entering · knowing and according · pondering and cultivating · calling to mind all the instructions the good friend had given · not laying them down in his heart for a moment · his faculties undistracted · single-mindedly wishing to see the good friend · everywhere in the ten directions seeking with diligence and never slackening · wishing always to draw near and bring forth every merit and virtue · sharing one and the same root of good with the good friend · gaining the good friend’s practice of subtle skillful means; and at the end, in reliance upon the good friend entering the sea of vigor, in measureless kalpas never being far apart from her. Having raised this vow, only then does he set out.
Chengguan outlines this passage as seeking in accord with the teaching, and divides it into two halves — the first half is cultivating and entering the Dharma that came before, and the second half, from single-mindedly wishing to see onward, is seeking the friend to come. That is to say: what the friend before conferred must first be cultivated and entered before there can be any talk of seeking the next.
A misreading to set aside: that studying under friends is a matter of changing the subject, that when one has heard out this station one changes to the next. The order of the scripture is exactly the reverse: the intent one carries away on leaving decides what one is able to see when one reaches the next.
Set upon the ground: that Sudhana, later in this section, gains concentration the moment he arrives and is able to see the great working, is not that the night goddess treats him with special favor; it is the fruit of his not laying them down in his heart for a moment along this whole road.
One Ray of Light, and the Name of a Concentration
The first thing the night goddess manifests is light. She adorns her body with all the marks and signs, and from between her two brows sends forth a great light named Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity, with measureless lights as its retinue, shining everywhere upon all the worlds; and having shone upon the worlds, it enters the crown of Sudhana’s head and fills his body. On the spot Sudhana gains the samādhi of the Wheel of Ultimate Purity.
The name of this concentration must be looked at closely. Chengguan glosses it graph by graph, saying: first Sudhana gains concentration — because the three kinds of action and the six faculties are all free of obstruction, it is called ultimate purity, which is the fullness of pure knowledge; and because it demolishes obstruction it is a wheel, and therefore what is seen is unobstructed. Purity is said with respect to the three kinds of action and the six faculties being free of obstruction; and wheel is not taken in the sense of turning, but in the sense of crushing — a wheel is a thing that crushes obstructions to pieces.
A misreading to set aside: that the great passage of seeing which follows is a scene conjured up by spiritual power. Chengguan’s line is exactly what guards against this misunderstanding: that what is seen is unobstructed is not that the power of the eye has been enlarged; it is that obstruction has been demolished. Once obstruction is demolished, what was there all along shows itself.
Set upon the ground: for everything one cannot see, ask first whether it is obstruction; do not ask first whether the light is bright enough.
Between the Two Night Goddesses: The First Layer of What Is Seen Is the Place
Having gained concentration, the first layer of what Sudhana sees is the space between the two places where the two night goddesses, Joyful Eyes and Who Saves All Beings, dwell. What is in that space? The dust motes of all earth, of water, of fire, the dust motes of vajra and maṇi and the many jewels, the dust motes of flowers and incense, of strings of gems, of all the implements of adornment — and within each and every dust mote he sees severally the forming and decaying of worlds as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land.
Looking further outward, there is the massing of all the great elements of earth and water and fire and wind; there are all the worlds joined one to the next, all of them upheld and made to abide by the earth-wheel; there are mountains and seas of every kind, rivers and pools, groves of trees, palaces — the palaces of the devas, of the dragons, of the yakṣas, on down to the palaces and dwellings of the mahoragas and of humans and nonhumans, and then the hells, the animals, the realm of King Yama and all their places of dwelling, the turning within the destinies, the coming and going of birth and death, the receiving of retribution according to deeds, each and every one of them different.
Chengguan divides this great passage into three layers, saying that what is seen has three within it: first the place where converting is done, second the benefit by which converting is done, third the intent for which converting is done. This first layer is the place where converting is done.
A misreading to set aside: that the space between the two places is only a distance to be traveled. That the scripture points to this stretch of distance on purpose is to say this: the seemingly blank stretch between one good friend and another good friend holds the whole Dharma realm.
Set upon the ground: the stretch of road between two teachers is not an empty interval.
The Ten Differences among the Worlds: The Pure and the Foul Turn into Each Other
Looking more closely into the place where converting is done, there are ten differences among the worlds (counted out word for word, some worlds appears ten times): foul and mixed · pure · tending toward the foul and mixed · tending toward the pure · foul and mixed yet pure · pure yet foul and mixed · wholly pure · its shape level and even · abiding overturned · abiding tilted upon its side.
Two among them are directions of tending, and two others are mixtures. Chengguan, glossing these clauses, says: as for tending toward the foul and mixed and the rest, they are turning and changing toward the defiled or toward the pure; foul and mixed yet pure means that the defiled is the greater part, and the clause below reverses this; wholly pure is said over against the two above; the first two clauses are the general statement. Fazang, glossing the same passage in the sixty-fascicle, makes the two mixtures plainer still: pure-yet-impure is where the pure is the greater and the foul the lesser; impure-yet-pure is where the foul is the greater and the pure the lesser. Taken together: tending toward the foul and mixed and tending toward the pure are the two directions — the one turning right now toward the defiled, the other turning right now toward the pure; foul and mixed yet pure and pure yet foul and mixed are the two mixtures — the pure and the foul standing together with one side the greater, and the side named first being the greater one; and wholly pure is said relative to those that come before.
A misreading to set aside: that pure lands and foul lands are two fixed classes of place. Of the ten the scripture lists, two are speaking of a direction — turning right now toward the pure or toward the defiled; and two others are speaking of a mixture — the pure and the foul standing together with one side the greater.
Set upon the ground: to judge a place, a person, a stretch of time, one must look at the direction it is turning in, and not only at where it stands at this moment.
The Nineteen Fears: What the Night Goddess Saves Is the Fear Innermost in a Person
Having seen the place, what is seen next is the night goddess, at all times and in all places, according to the differences among sentient beings in shape and appearance, in speech, and in practice and understanding, appearing everywhere before them by the power of skillful means and converting and delivering them as is fitting. Chengguan judges this layer to be the benefit by which converting is done, and divides it into two passages: first the converting of the five destinies, and after that, from he saw further all sentient beings onward, the converting of the nine classes.
Look first at the passage on the five destinies. Sentient beings in the hells are caused to be spared all bitter poisons of suffering; sentient beings among the animals are caused not to devour one another; sentient beings among the hungry ghosts are caused to be without hunger and thirst; the dragons and the rest are caused to leave behind all fear; sentient beings of the realm of desire are caused to leave behind the suffering of the realm of desire — and when it comes to the human destiny the scripture suddenly slows down and in one breath lists nineteen fears (counted out word for word, nineteen): the fear of the dark of night · of being reviled · of ill repute · of the great assembly · of not making a living · of death · of the evil destinies · of cutting off the roots of good · of turning back from the mind of awakening · of meeting an evil friend · of parting from a good friend · of falling to the ground of the two vehicles · of every kind of birth and death · of dwelling together with sentient beings of another kind · of being born in an evil time · of being born among an evil clan · of doing evil deeds · of the obstruction of deeds and afflictions · of being bound by clinging to perceptions.
The order of these nineteen is worth looking at. The first few are outward circumstances — the dark coming on, being cursed by others, one’s name ruined, standing before a crowd, being unable to make a living, dying. In the middle it turns to the fears that belong to the way — fear of cutting off the roots of good, fear of turning back from the mind of awakening, fear of meeting an evil friend, fear of parting from a good friend, fear of falling to the two vehicles. In the last few there is no outward circumstance left at all — fear of one’s own evil deeds, fear that deeds and afflictions will raise obstruction, fear that one’s own clinging will bind one.
A misreading to set aside: that what the night goddess saves from is calamity. Among the nineteen fears the true calamities take up only the first few; the further down one goes the more they are the fears within a practitioner’s own heart, and the scripture reckons them all alike as what is to be saved from.
Set upon the ground: the night is dark, and so what the night goddess has charge of is the fear in the dark; and the darkest place in a person is not outside.
The Nine Classes of Sentient Beings and the Nineteen Occurrences of For the Sake Of: The Reasons for the Rescuing
The second passage is the converting of the nine classes. The scripture lists those born from eggs, from wombs, from moisture, and by transformation, those having form and those without form, those having perception and those without perception, and those neither having perception nor without perception — this is to state all sentient beings exhaustively — and then says that the night goddess appears everywhere before them and ever diligently rescues and protects them.
What comes next is the most essential place in this passage: the reasons for the rescuing. The scripture gives nineteen clauses of for the sake of one after another (counted out word for word, nineteen clauses), from for the sake of accomplishing the bodhisattva’s power of great vows to for the sake of causing them to gain the pure light of all-knowledge. Chengguan judges this layer to be the intent for which converting is done, and points out where it runs through and where it is confined, saying: third, from for the sake of accomplishing onward, is the intent of the converting; being for the accomplishing of all dharmas, it runs through both the converter and the converted.
Runs through both the converter and the converted is the key. Of these nineteen clauses, the first five speak of oneself — accomplishing the power of great vows, entering deeply into the power of samādhi, making firm the power of spiritual powers, bringing forth the power of Samantabhadra’s practices and vows, enlarging the sea of great compassion; the last five speak of sentient beings — entering the sea of the minds of all sentient beings, knowing the faculties of all sentient beings, purifying the faith and understanding of all sentient beings, breaking the dark of ignorance in all sentient beings, causing them to gain the pure light of all-knowledge; and the nine in between, from gaining the unobstructed great kindness that covers sentient beings everywhere to gathering all roots of good and cultivating all wondrous practices, carry both the converter and the converted together. This business of saving people is at one and the same time that business of accomplishing oneself; within one passage the two are carried together.
A misreading to set aside: that a bodhisattva’s saving of sentient beings is purely for others, with nothing at all for herself. The scripture does not say so of itself — it puts for the sake of accomplishing the bodhisattva’s power of great vows first among the nineteen clauses.
Set upon the ground: a rescuing that can be carried on for long is one that is at the same time nourishing the one who does it; what only goes out and never comes in cannot hold up for measureless kalpas.
Putting Away the Marks of Adornment, Returning to Her Own Form
Sudhana, having finished seeing, rejoiced measurelessly, made obeisance with his head and face, and single-mindedly gazed up. At this the night goddess does one thing: she then puts away the marks of bodhisattva adornment and returns to her own form, and yet does not put away her sovereign spiritual power.
Chengguan outlines this passage as paying respect and praising with the three kinds of action, and divides it in three: first the reverence of body and mind, next the displaying of the friend’s sovereignty, and after that the praising in verses with the mouth. This middle section is the displaying of the friend’s sovereignty.
What must be looked at closely is the last clause. What is put away is the marks; what is not put away is the spiritual power. The marks were manifested for Sudhana, and once manifested they are withdrawn; the spiritual power is not withdrawn along with the marks.
A misreading to set aside: that a good friend’s ability lies in showing forth an extraordinary appearance. The scripture says exactly the opposite: the manifesting of marks is for the sake of teaching, and when the teaching is done the marks are withdrawn, while the power remains.
Set upon the ground: what a person truly has is whatever is still there when he is not performing.
Sudhana’s Twenty and a Half Verses: How Chengguan Divides Them
Sudhana reverently joins his palms, withdraws and stands to one side, and praises her in verses. These verses come to forty-one lines (counted out word for word); Chengguan reckons them as twenty verses and a half, and divides them, saying: the first verse is the general, and the remaining verses are the particular; and within the particular there are two again — the first nine and a half verses make clear that the working of the light is without bound, and after that, from I carry onward, restates the earlier receiving of the light and gaining of benefit; and the last passage is divided in three again: the first half-verse ascribes the merit back to its root, the next two and a half verses tell of gaining the samādhi, and the rest tell of seeing the great working.
Read by this division, the frame of these forty-one lines is: the first verse is the general — I, Sudhana, have gained the sight of such great spiritual power; my mind gives rise to rejoicing, and I speak verses in praise. The nine and a half verses that follow write of the light — the marks of her body like stars in the sky, the light she sends forth as many as the dust motes of measureless lands, the light of her pores as many as the minds of sentient beings, jeweled lotus flowers coming forth at the tips of the light, bodies of transformation coming forth within the flowers to extinguish the suffering of sentient beings, wondrous fragrance coming forth within the light, the light between her two brows equal in measure to Sumeru, the light of her mouth like measureless suns, the light of her eyes like measureless moons, closing with the manifesting of bodies of transformation of every kind, the wondrous body pervading the ten directions, and the extinguishing of all fears of water and fire and thieves and kings.
Further down, the half-verse I carry of Joyful Eyes, today I have been able to come to the honored one is the ascribing of the merit back to its root — giving what was gained back to the good friend who came before. The next two and a half verses tell of gaining the samādhi: seeing the mark between the honored one’s brows, the sending forth of a great pure light, its entering into my body, my meeting with the perfect light, gaining the samādhi of total retention, seeing everywhere the buddhas of the ten directions. The rest tell of seeing the great working: in the places passed through all the dust motes are seen, within each and every dust mote lands as many as dust motes are seen, some turbid and foul, some defiled yet pure, some pure yet defiled, some measureless seas of pure lands, closing with what the Buddha Vairocana adorned and purified in kalpas gone by, the Buddha sitting beneath the tree of awakening in all lands, and I see the Deva Who Saves All Beings going everywhere to make offerings.
A misreading to set aside: that verses of praise are only courtesy. These forty-one lines are Sudhana’s restating of what he himself has seen — only when he has said over for himself what he saw does the seeing count as truly seen. And that half a verse is kept on purpose to say I carry of Joyful Eyes is to give the merit back to the one before.
Set upon the ground: the first thing to do after gaining a Dharma is to be able to say where that Dharma came from.
The Three Questions, and This Business of Asking the Name
His verses finished, Sudhana asks three clauses: What is it called? How long has it been since you gained this liberation? What sort of practice did you cultivate that it came to be pure?
Chengguan glosses each clause and its reason: first, asking the name — the name was set forth earlier, and that was the words of the one who compiled the scripture, and so he asks it only here; second, asking how long ago the Dharma was gained — wishing to show that the cultivation is long and the virtue far off; third, asking the cause cultivated and the purifying — seeking the road by which to enter.
The gloss on the first clause is the most essential. Earlier it was said that what the night goddess displayed was the liberating spiritual power of a bodhisattva subduing sentient beings — that was a name set down by the compiler of the scripture for the reader, and Sudhana himself did not hear it from the night goddess’s mouth, and so it is only here that he asks. The second question is not curiosity about her years; it is to show the virtue of long cultivation. The third question is for a road he can himself walk up.
A misreading to set aside: that asking the name is a small matter and asking about practice is the great one. The three questions are one set: not knowing its name one cannot recognize it, not knowing its length one does not know its weight, not knowing its cause one cannot enter it oneself.
Set upon the ground: of a real thing, the three that ought to be asked are these — what it is called, how long it took, and how it was cultivated.
Why It Is Said to Be Hard to Know: Chengguan’s Four Angles
The night goddess does not answer first; she praises its depth first. She says: this place is hard to know; the devas and humans and all those of the two vehicles cannot fathom it — and then uses nine clauses of it is the realm of one who to make clear why it is hard to know: the realm of one who abides in the practice of the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, of one who abides in the treasury of great compassion, of one who rescues and protects all sentient beings, of one who is able to purify all three evil destinies and eight difficulties, of one who is able in all buddha-lands to carry on and raise up the buddha-seed without cutting it off, of one who is able to uphold all the buddha-dharmas, of one who is able in all kalpas to cultivate the bodhisattva practice and bring the sea of great vows to fullness, of one who is able within all the seas of the Dharma realm with the pure light of knowledge to extinguish the obstruction of the dark of ignorance, of one who is able with the light of the wisdom of a single thought to shine everywhere upon all the seas of skillful means of the three times. Only then does she say: carrying the power of the Buddha, I shall now tell it for you.
Upon this depth Chengguan sets one question and four answers: What is the mark of its depth? If it be taken with respect to the time of gaining, the time is far off, and so it is not a matter of long or short. If with respect to the cause cultivated, the practice of the cause is vast. If both of these together, then the according with the principle is deep. If with respect to the telling of the name, the name is as the substance and function are; the name is the guest to the real, and it is hard to exhaust the real.
The four angles answer severally to Sudhana’s three questions. As to the time the Dharma was gained, the time is too far, so far that it cannot be measured by long or short; as to the cause cultivated, the practice of the cause is too vast; taking the two together, it is the depth of according with the principle; as to the name — a name, over against the real, is the guest and not the host, and a guest cannot exhaust the host.
A misreading to set aside: that hard to know is an evasion, an unwillingness to speak. She goes on to speak seven thousand graphs and more. Praising its depth is not refusing to speak; it is first setting up a measure: what is about to be said cannot be measured by the ordinary way of measuring.
Set upon the ground: whenever one meets with something truly deep, admit its depth first and then open one’s mouth; only so will what comes out not be shallow.
The First Sentence of the Former Life: A Kalpa, a World, a Host of Buddhas
The body of the answer begins here. In an ancient age gone by, past kalpas as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, at that time there was a kalpa named Perfect Purity, and a world named Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue, and Tathāgatas as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru appeared within it. (The name of this world, at the place of the verses restating, reads at that time there was a world named Lamp Shining Everywhere; both forms are the base text graph for graph, recorded without adjudication.)
Chengguan divides the whole prose passage into ten passages, and this one sentence is the first, and he says of it that it has already in brief repaid the question of how long — the second question is in fact answered in the very first sentence, only answered with the utmost brevity: that many kalpas ago.
A misreading to set aside: that the account of the former life is only a story. It is the direct answer to the three questions: this whole stretch from beginning to end is answering how long and how cultivated.
Set upon the ground: telling how one came to be as one is is the most solid kind of answer there is.
What That World Looked Like: Made Up of the Pure and the Foul Together
The second passage displays the marks of the land in general. That buddha-world had as its substance all the maṇi jewels that are kings of fragrance, was adorned with the many jewels, and abode upon a sea of undefiled and luminous maṇi kings; its shape was truly round, and it was made up of the pure and the foul together; clouds of canopies of all the implements of adornment covered it above, and mountains that were rings of all-adorning maṇi encircled it a thousand times over. Within it there were a hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of sets of four continents, and those who dwelt there fell into four classes: sentient beings of evil deeds, sentient beings of mixed deeds, sentient beings possessed of roots of good, and the great bodhisattvas who are wholly pure.
Made up of the pure and the foul together is to be remembered. This is a world in which a buddha appears, and it is not purely pure — its shape is truly round, yet its stuff is the pure and the foul put together, and those who dwell in it fall into four ranks.
A misreading to set aside: that the place where a buddha appears must be pure and unmixed. The scripture says of itself that it is made up of the pure and the foul together, and says outright that sentient beings of evil deeds dwell within it.
Set upon the ground: do not wait for the world to be clean before cultivating; the Buddha accomplished the Way in a place made up of the pure and the foul together.
That Set of Four Continents to the East: Rice and Grain Growing without Plowing
The third passage displays the place of birth in particular. The set of four continents beside the encircling ring of mountains at the eastern border of this world is named Banner of Jeweled Lamps and Flowers: its lands pure, its food and drink abundant, without the labor of plowing rice and grain grew; its palaces and towers all of them marvelous; wish-fulfilling trees standing ranked in place after place, fragrance-trees bringing forth clouds of fragrance, garland-trees bringing forth clouds of garlands, flower-trees raining down wondrous flowers, jewel-trees bringing forth marvelous jewels, music-trees bringing forth music as the wind stirred them; the maṇi jewel-kings of the light of sun and moon shining everywhere upon all, and by day and by night pleasure enjoyed without a moment’s break.
Further down is the measure: this set of four continents had a million koṭis of nayutas of lands, one land had a thousand great rivers encircling it, over the rivers wondrous flowers were spread and heavenly music came forth, along the two banks jewel-trees were ranked; between two rivers there were a million koṭis of cities, one city had a million koṭis of nayutas of villages, and the walled towns and villages each had measureless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nayutas of palaces and gardens.
A misreading to set aside: that these numbers are adjectives. The scripture sets out these measures in order to say one thing in the next passage — that in just such a place, abundant to the utmost, people over one sentence of you are not so fair as I diminished their own lifespan and strength of color.
Set upon the ground: the more magnificent the spreading-out of this passage, the heavier the turn of the next.
The King, the Queen, the King’s Daughter: The Three People of the Former Life
The fourth passage makes clear the parents of the former life, and the fifth passage the body of the former life. Within Jambudvīpa there was a land named Jeweled Flower Lamps, at peace and abundant and joyful, its people flourishing, the sentient beings within it all furnished with the practice of the ten good deeds. There was a wheel-turning king named Vairocana Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot, born of a sudden within a lotus flower, with the thirty-two marks and the seven treasures complete, ruling as king over the four continents and ever guiding the flocks of the living with the true Dharma. The king had a thousand sons, and a million koṭis of nayutas of palace women and court maidens, all of whom had planted roots of good together with the king, had cultivated the practices together with him, and had been born at the same time as he. The king had a chief queen named Perfect Countenance, the king’s treasure among women, her skin of the color of gold, her eyes and hair of a deep blue-black, her speech like the sound of Brahmā, upon her body a heavenly fragrance, ever giving off a light that shone a thousand yojanas afar. The king had one daughter named Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge, her form upright and dignified, her color and appearance surpassingly fine, so that sentient beings who saw her never had their fill of looking.
These three people will each show their identity at the end of this section: the king is Maitreya, the queen is the next good friend, the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, and the daughter is this very night goddess who is speaking. Here their names are only set down.
A misreading to set aside: that the weight of the former life lies in the king’s wealth and rank. The scripture gives the most ink to had planted roots of good together, had cultivated the practices together, and had been born at the same time — that is to say that this whole company were cultivated into being together.
Set upon the ground: with whom one is born at the same time and in the same place was planted together in ages gone by.
My Body Is Upright, Your Form Is Mean and Ugly: The Cause of a Buddha’s Appearing
The sixth passage Chengguan outlines as sentient beings raising evil, which is the cause of the Buddha’s appearing. The scripture writes it very briefly: at that time the lifespan of sentient beings was measureless, and yet there were those cut off midway and dying untimely; their shapes and colors, their sounds, their names, their clans, the foolish and the wise, the brave and the timid, the poor and the rich, the suffering and the happy, in measureless classes were each and every one different. And thereupon someone said to another: My body is upright; your form is mean and ugly. Having said this, they reviled and abused one another and gathered unwholesome deeds; and because of these deeds, their lifespan, their strength of color, and every pleasant thing were all diminished.
The ruin of a whole abundant world arises from one comparison. And Chengguan outlines this passage as the cause of the Buddha’s appearing — it is not that the Buddha chose a good time to come; it is that sentient beings brought themselves to the pass of needing a buddha to come.
A misreading to set aside: that arrogance is a small failing. The scripture says it very plainly: because of these deeds, the lifespan grew short, the strength of color grew weak, the pleasant things were gone. What was compared was precisely appearance, and what was diminished was precisely appearance.
Set upon the ground: to take one’s own strong point and measure it against another’s weak point diminishes one’s own lifespan.
The Tree North of the City, the Pool before the Tree, the Flower within the Pool
The seventh passage is the Buddha’s appearing and benefiting beings, which Chengguan divides again into three: the site of the gaining of the Way, the general display of the number of buddhas, and the particular account of the first buddha.
The site of the gaining of the Way is like this: north of the city there was a tree of awakening named Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light, having as its root the firm maṇi king in which, in thought after thought, the adornments of the places of the Way of all the Tathāgatas appear, having all maṇi as its trunk and the many-colored wondrous jewels as its leaves, perfect and adorned in the four directions and above and below, sending forth jeweled lights and bringing forth wondrous sounds, expounding the most profound realm of all the Tathāgatas. Before the tree there was a fragrant pool named Light of Jeweled Flowers, giving out the thunder-tone of the Dharma, with wondrous jewels for its banks, a million koṭis of nayutas of jewel-trees encircling it, every one of them shaped like the tree of awakening. Within the pool there came forth a great lotus flower named Cloud of the Adorned Realm of All the Tathāgatas of the Three Times Made Manifest, and buddhas as many as the dust motes of Mount Sumeru appeared within it. The first buddha among them was named Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge, who upon this flower first accomplished the Way and for measureless thousands of years expounded the true Dharma and ripened sentient beings.
A misreading to set aside: that the place of the Way is ground the Buddha chose. The order of the scripture is: first there is the tree, before the tree there is the pool, within the pool there is the flower, upon the flower a buddha comes forth — the place of the Way is grown, not arranged.
Set upon the ground: that a place can bring forth a buddha is because it has first grown into being so of itself.
The Eleven Layers of Light: The Buddha Had Not Yet Come, and the Light Came Ten Thousand Years Ahead
This is the most moving passage in the whole unit. In the time when that Tathāgata had not yet become a buddha, this great lotus flower first sent forth light — ten thousand years beforehand it sent forth the light Manifesting All Spiritual Powers and Ripening Sentient Beings, and those who met with it had their minds open and awaken of themselves and knew that ten thousand years later a buddha would appear; nine thousand years beforehand it sent forth Lamp That Frees All Sentient Beings from Defilement, and those who met with it gained a pure eye; eight thousand years beforehand, Sound of the Fruits of the Deeds of All Sentient Beings, and those who met with it knew of themselves the retribution of their deeds; seven thousand years beforehand, Sound That Brings Forth All Roots of Good, and those who met with it had all their faculties made perfect; six thousand years beforehand, Sound of the Inconceivable Realm of the Buddha, and those who met with it had their minds made vast; five thousand years beforehand, Sound of the Adorning and Purifying of All Buddha-Lands, and those who met with it saw the pure buddha-lands; four thousand years beforehand, Lamp of the Realm of All Tathāgatas without Difference, and those who met with it were able to go and behold the buddhas; three thousand years beforehand, Bright Lamp of the Three Times, and those who met with it saw the seas of the former deeds of the buddhas; two thousand years beforehand, Lamp of the Knowledge of the Tathāgata Free of Film, and those who met with it gained the universal eye; one thousand years beforehand, Causing All Sentient Beings to See the Buddha and Gather All Roots of Good, and those who met with it accomplished the samādhi of seeing the buddhas; and next after this, seven days beforehand, Sound of the Rejoicing of All Sentient Beings, and those who met with it saw the buddhas everywhere and gave rise to great rejoicing. Ten layers by the count of years and one layer of seven days, eleven layers in all (counted out word for word, if there were sentient beings who met with this light appears eleven times).
Chengguan reckons their number and says: the marks before the accomplishing of the Way — that is, the sending forth of light to tune the capacities has eleven layers, and within each and every layer there is the working of the light bringing about benefit; matching the benefit to the name, one may reason it out. He brings out a further gloss upon what they signify, saying: if taken as signifying dharmas, then the first ten are the light of the ten perfections in their sequence, and the last one is the light of the ten perfections in their perfect fusion, and shining upon the mind with this, one’s own knowledge appears — the first ten layers matched to the sequence of the ten perfections, the last layer to their perfect fusion.
A misreading to set aside: that a buddha’s appearing in the world is a sudden event. The scripture says that the Buddha had not yet become a buddha and the light had already been sent forth for ten thousand years, and step by step it ripened the faculties of sentient beings: first awakening, then the pure eye, then knowing deeds, then faculties made full, then the mind made vast, then seeing lands, then seeing buddhas, then seeing former deeds, then gaining the universal eye, then accomplishing samādhi, and only last of all rejoicing. By the time the Buddha truly appeared, those who ought to see had long been made ready.
Set upon the ground: everything that looks as though it happened suddenly has behind it a long stretch of preparation that no one noticed.
The Seven Days Fulfilled: The Worlds Quaked, and All Who Ought to Come Came
When the seven days were fulfilled, all the worlds quaked entirely, purely pure and without defilement, and in thought after thought there appeared everywhere all the pure buddha-lands of the ten directions and the adornments of every kind of those lands; and if there were sentient beings whose faculties were ripe and full and who ought to see the Buddha, they all came to the place of the Way. This is what Chengguan outlines as the quaking of the lands and the gathering of the assembly.
Next comes the manifesting of marks and the showing forth of virtue: within that world all the encircling rings, the Sumerus, the mountains, the great seas, the earth, the cities, the walls, the palaces, the music, and the speech all gave forth sounds praising and telling of the realm of the spiritual power of all the buddhas, the Tathāgatas; and there came forth fifteen kinds of cloud — clouds of fragrance, of burning incense, of powdered incense, of fragrant maṇi in the likeness of images, of jewel-flames, of the treasury of flames, of maṇi garments, of strings of gems, of wondrous flowers, of the light of the Tathāgatas, of the halos of the Tathāgatas, of music, of the sound of the vows of the Tathāgatas, of the seas of the speech and tones of the Tathāgatas, and of the marks and signs of the Tathāgatas — showing forth the inconceivable marks of a Tathāgata’s appearing in the world.
A misreading to set aside: that the gathering of the assembly is a being summoned. What the scripture says is whose faculties were ripe and full and who ought to see the Buddha, they all came to the place of the Way — those who were ripe came of themselves.
Set upon the ground: when even the walls and the music give out sound, it is not that the sound has grown louder; it is that the listener has ripened.
The Support and the Person of the Accomplishing: Beyond the One Flower, Flowers as Many as the Dust Motes of Ten Buddha-Lands
The fifth part is the support and the person of the accomplishing of the Way. This great jeweled lotus-flower king of the adorned realm of all the Tathāgatas of the three times shone upon everywhere had lotus flowers as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands encircling it about, and within all those lotus flowers there were lion seats of the treasury of maṇi jewels, and upon every seat there was a bodhisattva sitting cross-legged.
The sixth part is the first accomplishing of right awakening, and here the scripture’s way of putting it is most essential: that Tathāgata, when he accomplished anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi here, then accomplished anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi within all the worlds of the ten directions. Chengguan judges of this that one accomplishing is the accomplishing of all.
A misreading to set aside: that the accomplishing of the Way is an event that takes place at one time and in one place. The scripture says that accomplishing here is accomplishing in all places of the ten directions — it is not that a divided body goes elsewhere and accomplishes it a second time.
Set upon the ground: once one has truly reached that step, there is no need to walk it again.
The Twenty Clauses of Turning the Wheel of Dharma: From Leaving the Suffering of the Evil Destinies to the Practices and Vows of Samantabhadra
Having accomplished the Way he turns the wheel of Dharma according to the minds of sentient beings, and the scripture heads twenty clauses with he caused measureless sentient beings (counted out word for word, twenty clauses): to leave behind the suffering of the evil destinies, to gain birth among the devas, to abide upon the ground of the śrāvakas and the pratyekabuddhas; then ten practices of awakening — going forth, the banner of valor, the light of the Dharma, pure faculties, the power of equality, entering the city of the Dharma, the indestructible power of spiritual powers reaching everywhere to all places, entering the way of the skillful means of the universal gate, abiding upon the gate of samādhi, taking as object all pure realms; and then to raise the mind of awakening, to abide upon the bodhisattva way, to abide upon the way of the pure perfections, to abide upon the first ground of the bodhisattva, to abide upon the second ground and on to the tenth, to enter the surpassing practices and vows of the bodhisattva, and to abide upon the pure practices and vows of Samantabhadra.
Chengguan judges the sequence of these twenty clauses, saying that the earlier part benefits ordinary beings, the next benefits the two vehicles, and the later benefits bodhisattvas; and within the bodhisattvas, first the practice is accomplished and then the station, and he matches the clauses to the stations one by one — the mind of awakening is the station of abiding; the bodhisattva way is the station of practice; the pure perfections are the station of dedication, since with the sea of great vows the earlier perfections are purified; the last two clauses are the station of equal awakening. The Yanyi chao adds a line on why the ten grounds are not spoken of, saying: as for not speaking of the ten grounds, it is because the ten grounds are manifest in the text of the two clauses above; the other stations are hidden in sense, and so they are pointed out separately — the ten grounds are already stated outright in the scripture, and so need not be marked again.
A misreading to set aside: that a buddha, once he appears in the world, expounds the highest Dharma straightway. These twenty clauses begin from leaving behind the suffering of the evil destinies, and in the middle they pass honestly through gods and humans and the two vehicles.
Set upon the ground: the sequence of a teaching is ranked according to those who listen, not according to the height of the Dharma.
Samantabhadra Comes: How a Good Friend Appears
The eighth passage is the guiding of the good friend, which Chengguan divides into six: knowing the capacity and the raising of evil, manifesting a body that surpasses, the capacities of beings startled and wondering, telling them of the Buddha’s appearing, the daughter raising the great mind, and the father king going to the Buddha.
It begins with Samantabhadra knowing that the sentient beings within the city of the King of Jeweled Flower Lamps were presuming upon their color and appearance and upon all their circumstances and were giving rise to arrogance, slighting and despising others. He does not expound the Dharma first; he first manifests by transformation a marvelous body, upright and surpassing, goes to that city and sends forth a great light, causing the light of that sage king and of all the marvelous jewels, of the sun and moon and stars, and upon the bodies of sentient beings, all of it, not to appear — and the scripture takes two similes: just as when the sun comes out the many shadows are robbed of their brightness, and as a lump of ink set against Jambū-river gold. The sentient beings are thereupon startled and wondering, saying, Who is this? Is it a deva? Is it Brahmā? They ponder it in every way, and none is able to understand it.
A misreading to set aside: that a good friend manifests a body in order to show forth his superiority. Look at what Samantabhadra is treating: the people of this city are comparing who is the fairer. So he manifests a body so fair that no fairness can hold up as fairness at all. The sickness arises from arrogance; the medicine is the robbing of brightness.
Set upon the ground: to treat a sickness is sometimes not to argue the point, but to leave the sickness with no ground to stand upon.
A Little Girl’s Vow: Ever to Gain Not to Be Parted from This Good Friend
Samantabhadra abides in the empty sky above the wheel-turning king’s palace and tells them: Great king, you should know that now within your land a buddha has arisen in the world, beneath the tree of awakening, Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light.
At this the daughter of the sage king — whom the scripture here names Wondrous Eyes of the Lotus Flower — seeing the sovereignty of the light of the form-body Samantabhadra manifested and hearing the wondrous sounds that came forth from the implements of adornment upon his body, rejoiced in her mind and made a thought. The scripture writes this thought out in full: may it be that all the roots of good I have gain such a body, such an adornment, such marks and signs, such deportment, such sovereignty; now this great sage is able within the dark of the long night of the birth and death of sentient beings to send forth a great light and show forth that a Tathāgata has arisen in the world, and may it be that I too gain the like and become for all sentient beings a light of wisdom, breaking the dark of their ignorance; and the last clause is: may it be that in whatever place I receive birth, I ever gain not to be parted from this good friend.
Chengguan outlines this section as the daughter raising the great mind, and notes one line: it is also the cause of entering the Dharma.
A misreading to set aside: that she is merely envying Samantabhadra’s fairness. Her vow falls into three: the vow to gain such a body, the vow so to be a light for sentient beings, and the vow to be born life after life without parting from this good friend. The first is what she saw, the second is what she would learn, the third is what she would keep. Of the three, the third is the most essential — the several thousand graphs that follow prove that she truly never left.
Set upon the ground: after meeting a person who is truly a person, the vow most worth raising is not I want to be like him, but I do not want to leave him.
The Wheel-Turning King’s Ten Verses: Urging Them All to Go Together
The sixth section is the father king going to the Buddha, which Chengguan divides into four: his body placed in the empty sky, praising in verses and drawing them on, raising up broad clouds of offerings, and arriving there and paying reverence.
The wheel-turning king, with his treasure-woman, his thousand sons, his retinue, his great ministers and counselors and his fourfold armies, and with the measureless people within the city, by the king’s spiritual power rose together into the sky to the height of one yojana, sent forth a great light shining upon the four continents, and praised the Buddha in verses. These verses come to twenty lines, ten verses (counted out word for word). Chengguan divides them, saying: the first one urges in general, the next five verses gloss the urging, and the last four verses conclude the urging, that since it is surpassing one ought to go.
Read by this: the first verse is the general urging — The Tathāgata has appeared in the world, saving and protecting everywhere all the flocks of the living; you should all of you rise up quickly and go to where the Guide is. The next five verses gloss why one ought to go: that a buddha is hard to have arise in the world; that the Buddha beholds the world upside down and thereupon raises great compassion; that through numberless thousands of koṭis of kalpas he cultivated the practice of awakening, all by the power of great compassion; that his head and eyes and hands and feet, all of it, he was able to give up; that a Guide is hard to meet with, and that to see him, to hear him, and to serve him is none of it passed in vain. The last four verses conclude the urging: now I shall go together with you all to behold the Tamer of Beings; gaze up at the body of the Tathāgata sending forth measureless light; from each and every pore he sends forth light that shines everywhere and causes rejoicing; you should all of you give rise to a vast mind of vigor and go and make offerings.
A misreading to set aside: that a king’s seeing the Buddha is his own private affair. The first thing he does is to take the whole city with him — and to do it by urging: telling them it is hard to meet with, telling them it is precious, telling them that going will not be in vain.
Set upon the ground: to gain a good thing oneself and not tell of it, and to tell of it and yet not urge others to go along, both still fall short by a stretch.
The Daughter’s Strings of Gems: The Cause Is Small and the Fruit Is Great
The ninth passage is the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause. Chengguan divides it in three and matches each with what it signifies: first, the implements of adornment offered to the Buddha, signifying the cultivating of the myriad practices, since they are turned toward the fruit of buddhahood; second, from at that time these implements of adornment onward, the seeing of the Buddha manifesting transformations, signifying that the cause is small and the fruit is great; third, from having seen these onward, the gaining of benefit from beholding the transformations.
What the scripture writes: the wheel-turning king’s daughter Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge loosens all the implements of adornment upon her body and scatters them upon the Buddha, and these implements of adornment become in the empty sky a jeweled canopy, with jeweled nets hanging down and dragon kings upholding them, ten kinds of jeweled canopy encircling it about, shaped like a tower, pure within and without. Within the canopy there is a tree of awakening, its branches and leaves luxuriant, covering everywhere the Dharma realm, in thought after thought displaying measureless adornments. The Tathāgata Vairocana sits beneath this tree, with bodhisattvas as many as the dust motes of unspeakable buddha-lands encircling him before and behind, all of them born of the practices and vows of Samantabhadra.
What she sees opens out layer upon layer: she sees all the lords of the worlds; she sees the sovereign spiritual power of the Tathāgata; she sees all the kalpas in due order and the forming and decaying of the worlds; she sees within all the worlds the due order of the arising of all the buddhas; she sees that within all the worlds there is in each and every one the bodhisattva Samantabhadra making offerings to the Buddha and subduing sentient beings; she sees that of all the bodhisattvas there is not one who is not within Samantabhadra’s body; she sees her own body within his body; she sees her own body before all the Tathāgatas, before all the Samantabhadras, before all the bodhisattvas, before all sentient beings; and she sees further that all the worlds have each of them worlds as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land with every kind of border, upholding, shape, substance-nature, arrangement, adornment, purity, name of kalpa, arising of buddhas, three times, quarter and place, on to every kind of site of awakening of a Tathāgata, power of spiritual powers, lion seat, sea of the great assembly, difference among the assemblies, subtle skillful means, turning of the wheel of Dharma, wondrous tone and sound, sea of speech, and cloud of sūtras. Having seen these, her mind became pure and she gave rise to great rejoicing.
A misreading to set aside: that the greatness of an offering lies in the costliness of the thing offered. What she scattered was only what she wore upon her body, and what it became was a tree of awakening covering the whole Dharma realm — what Chengguan calls the cause is small and the fruit is great.
Set upon the ground: what one is able to bring out is just this little upon one’s body; what happens after it is brought out is not one’s own affair.
After Hearing the Sūtra: Ten Thousand Samādhis, Thirty Minds, Ten Seas of Vows
The tenth passage is the gaining of benefit from hearing the sūtra. The Buddha proclaims for her a sūtra named The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma by All Tathāgatas, with sūtras as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands as its retinue. What she gained after hearing the sūtra the scripture sets out in three layers, which Chengguan judges as three benefits: first the benefit of gaining the samādhis; next, from having gained such as these onward, the benefit of gaining the great mind, which is the mind of compassion and knowledge and the rest; and after that, from single-mindedly pondering onward, the benefit of bringing the vows to completion — and he judges these three benefits to be themselves the subduing of sentient beings, since liberation and the three things are all of them dharmas of subduing. That is to say, these three benefits are just the content of this friend’s Dharma gate.
The benefit of the samādhis: she gains the accomplishment of ten thousand gates of samādhi, her mind soft and pliant and without coarseness or hardness, and the scripture describes it with three similes: like one just received into the womb, like one just born, like a sāla tree just putting out its shoots. The samādhis listed come to twelve names (counted out word for word, twelve names, closing with an ellipsis): seeing all buddhas before her · shining everywhere upon all lands · entering the gates of all three times · expounding the wheel of Dharma of all buddhas · knowing the sea of the vows of all buddhas · awakening all sentient beings and causing them to come forth from the suffering of birth and death · ever vowing to break the dark of all sentient beings · ever vowing to extinguish the suffering of all sentient beings · ever vowing to bring forth the joy of all sentient beings · teaching all sentient beings without giving rise to weariness · the unobstructed banner of all bodhisattvas · going everywhere to all pure buddha-lands.
The benefit of the great mind: she gains thirty kinds of mind (counted out word for word, thirty names). The first six names are the groundwork of the mind — the mind of wondrous concentration, the unmoving mind, the rejoicing mind, the comforting mind, the vast mind, and the mind that accords with the good friend. The last nine names are the breadth of the mind — the mind that rescues and protects the sea of all sentient beings, the mind that shines everywhere upon the sea of all worlds, the mind that brings forth everywhere the sea of the vows of all buddhas, the mind that breaks utterly the mountains of all obstructions, the mind that gathers the merit that aids the way, the mind that sees before it the ten powers of the buddhas, the mind that shines everywhere upon the realms of the bodhisattva, the mind that increases what aids the bodhisattva way, and the mind that takes as its object everywhere the seas of all quarters. The fifteen names in the middle are the bone of these thirty minds, and they are just where the dharmas of subduing come to stand; they are to be read group by group.
The first group, two names: the mind that takes as its object the deep knowledge of all things, and the mind that abides in the vast sea of skillful means. One end is fastened to the depth of knowledge, the other to the breadth of skillful means. Subduing sentient beings is not a matter of compassion alone: if knowledge is not deep one does not know where a being’s sickness lies, and if skillful means are not broad one cannot lay a hand to it even when one knows. These two stand first because they are the two roots of subduing.
The second group, four names: the mind that casts off all clinging, the mind that does not abide in any realm of the world, the mind that enters the realm of the Tathāgata, and the mind that shines everywhere upon the sea of forms. The first two are a going out — casting off clinging, not abiding in the world’s realms; the latter two are a going in — entering the Tathāgata’s realm, shining everywhere upon the sea of forms. One who would subdue must first go out, for without that the one to be subdued carries her away; but going out without going in ends in caring only for oneself. Going out and yet able to go in, and going in so far as to shine upon the whole sea of forms — that is standing in the midst of sentient beings without being turned by the realms of sentient beings.
The third group, five names: the mind without harm, the mind without haughtiness, the mind without weariness, the mind that does not turn back, the mind without indolence. Five “withouts.” The first two speak of one’s bearing toward others — not harming them, not looking down upon them; subduing goes wrong most easily at just these two points, either harming people in the name of subduing them, or being able to subdue and therefore holding oneself high. The latter three speak of one’s own endurance — not wearying, not turning back, not slackening. The sea of sentient beings is not to be subdued in a season, and without these three the knowledge and skillful means above cannot be kept up.
The fourth group, four names: the mind that ponders the own-nature of all dharmas, the mind that abides in the sea of all Dharma gates, the mind that observes the sea of all Dharma gates, and the mind that knows through the sea of all sentient beings. Pondering own-nature is seeing the Dharma; abiding in the sea of Dharma gates is holding it; observing that sea is examining it; knowing through the sea of sentient beings is recognizing a being’s capacity. Where seeing, holding, examining, and recognizing are all furnished, “meeting the capacity” is no empty phrase — one knows what capacity is before one, and knows which gate one has to hand.
So when Chengguan says these thirty minds are dharmas of subduing, the whole weight of it falls upon these fifteen in the middle: casting off and not abiding, and so able to enter, so that the one subdued does not turn the one who subdues; without harm and without weariness, and so able to last, so that a subduing of a season becomes a subduing of ages; knowing the Dharma and knowing the capacity, and so able to answer, so that each one subdued gets the gate that is his. The first six names are the groundwork of all this, and the last nine are all this widened out to the breadth of a sea.
The benefit of the vows: single-mindedly pondering the great vows of Samantabhadra, she raises seas of vows as many as the dust motes of ten buddha-lands, listing ten vows (counted out word for word, ten vows, closing with an ellipsis): to adorn and purify all buddha-realms · to subdue all sentient beings · to know everywhere the whole Dharma realm · to enter everywhere all the seas of the Dharma realm · to cultivate the bodhisattva practice in all buddha-lands to the ends of the kalpas to come · not to give up any bodhisattva practice to the ends of the kalpas to come · to gain the drawing near to all the Tathāgatas · to gain the serving of all good friends · to gain the making of offerings to all buddhas · to cultivate the bodhisattva practice in thought after thought and increase all-knowledge without a break. It closes with she accomplished all the great vows of Samantabhadra.
A misreading to set aside: that the samādhis, the minds, and the vows are three separate batches of gain. Chengguan says the three are all of them dharmas of subduing — concentration is the strength that can subdue, the mind is the measure that can subdue, the vow is the direction in which it subdues; only the three together are that one Dharma gate.
Set upon the ground: with concentration but no vow one cannot go far; with vow but no concentration one cannot move at all.
An Earlier Time Still: She Once Repaired a Buddha-Image That Had Fallen into Ruin
Having come this far, the prose suddenly pushes back further. Before this, yet another ten great kalpas back, there was a world named Maṇi of the Light of the Sun-Wheel, and the buddha’s title was Wondrous Mark of the Banner of Indra. This maiden Wondrous Eyes, within the Dharma that Tathāgata left behind, was urged by the bodhisattva Samantabhadra to repair a buddha-image upon a lotus seat that had fallen into ruin; and having repaired it she painted it further with colors, and having painted it with colors she adorned it further with jewels, and gave rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi.
Chengguan outlines this passage as making clear the beginning of the raising of the mind, and glosses why this passage has to be added: as for before this, it is before the kalpa in which the Dharma was gained, and it shows that the gaining of the Dharma before was not without a cause. That earlier gaining of the Dharma looks magnificent, and in fact it too has its cause, and that cause is as small as the repairing of a single ruined image.
Then the night goddess says: I call to mind the past — it was because of the good friend, the bodhisattva Samantabhadra, that I planted this root of good. From then until now I have never fallen into the evil destinies, but have ever been born among the clans of all the deva-kings and the human kings … ever have I seen the buddhas and ever gained the drawing near to the bodhisattva Samantabhadra; and even to this day he is guiding and awakening me and ripening me and causing me to rejoice.
A misreading to set aside: that the raising of the mind must begin from some grand occasion. Her raising of the mind began from a piece of work in her hands — mending the ruined image upon the seat, and having mended it painting it, and having painted it adorning it.
Set upon the ground: the moment of raising the mind often does not look like raising the mind; it looks like doing a small thing that ought to be done.
Bringing Together Past and Present: The Father King Is Maitreya, the Queen Is the Next Good Friend, That Daughter Is I
The third passage is the bringing together of past and present. The night goddess asks Sudhana: What do you think? The wheel-turning sage king of that time, Vairocana Treasury Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot — was he another person? He is the bodhisattva Maitreya of today. The queen of that time, Perfect Countenance, is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, whose dwelling place now is not far from here. The maiden Eyes of Wondrous Virtue of that time is my own self.
Each of the three shows his or her identity. And she goes on to string cause and fruit together: At that time I first began to raise the mind; then he guided me further and caused me to gain the sight of the Buddha Banner of Wondrous Virtue, and I loosened the strings of gems upon my body and scattered them upon the Buddha as an offering, and saw the Buddha’s spiritual power and heard the Buddha expound the Dharma, and then gained the bodhisattva liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings.
Only here is Sudhana’s first question truly answered through — the name of the Dharma gate is grown out of this stretch of causes and conditions; it is not hung upon it.
What is to be noticed is the two fastenings the scripture makes of itself. First, the father king is Maitreya — the great good friend Sudhana is to visit later on. Second, the queen is just the next good friend, the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, and moreover her dwelling place now is not far from here. Both of these clauses the scripture says of itself; they are not matched by later hands.
A misreading to set aside: that the bringing together of past and present is the wrapping-up of a story. It is the answer of this section: what is called a good friend is not someone met by chance upon the road; it is one who has walked alongside for measureless kalpas.
Set upon the ground: who the people before one’s eyes are cannot be told by what is before one’s eyes alone.
The Ten Buddhas of the Kalpa Great Light: The Ten Kinds of Body I Took
The second great passage answers the third question in particular — what sort of practice was cultivated that it came to be pure. What was said before is what came before the gaining of the Dharma; this passage is what came after.
After the kalpa Perfect Purity there next came a world named Wondrous Adornment of the Jewel-Wheel, the kalpa named Great Light, and five hundred buddhas appeared within it, and she served and made offerings to them all. The scripture names ten among them in particular (counted out word for word, ten buddha-names), and matches each with a kind of identity: when the first buddha Banner of Great Compassion first went forth from the home, she was a night goddess; at the time of the buddha Banner of the Vajra Nārāyaṇa she was a wheel-turning king; at the time of the buddha Vajra Unobstructed Virtue she was a wheel-turning king; at the time of the buddha Wondrous Adornment of the Mountain of Fire-Flames she was the daughter of an elder; at the time of the buddha King High and Surpassing of the Sea of All Dharmas she was an asura king; at the time of the buddha Light of the Dharma of the Sea and the Peaks she was the daughter of a dragon king; at the time of the buddha Lamp of the Mountain of Jewel-Flames she was a sea spirit; at the time of the buddha Wheel of the Light of the Sea of Merit she was a seer of the five spiritual powers; at the time of the buddha Treasury of the Merit of Vairocana she was a spirit presiding over the earth named Bringing Forth the Sense of Equality; and at the time of the last buddha, Lamp of Wondrous Virtue Filling the Empty Sky and the Dharma Realm, I was a courtesan, named Fair Countenance, who seeing the Buddha enter the city made her offering with song and dance, and carrying the Buddha’s spiritual power leapt into the sky and praised the Buddha in a thousand verses. The Buddha for her sake sent forth the light from between his brows named Great Light Adorning the Dharma Realm, touching her body all over, and having received this light she gained the liberation gate named The Treasury of the Skillful Means of the Dharma Realm That Does Not Turn Back.
These ten identities are to be looked at together: night goddess, wheel-turning king, wheel-turning king, daughter of an elder, asura king, daughter of a dragon king, sea spirit, seer of the five spiritual powers, spirit presiding over the earth, courtesan. There are kings and spirits and seers, and there is also a courtesan. But the gaining of a liberation gate must be read in two places. This friend’s own Dharma gate, the bodhisattva liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings, was gained in that earlier life — when she saw the buddha Banner of Wondrous Virtue, loosened the strings of gems upon her body and scattered them upon him as an offering, saw the Buddha’s spiritual power, and heard him preach the Dharma. What she gained in this life as the courtesan Fair Countenance, upon receiving the light from between the Buddha’s brows, is another gate, named The Treasury of the Skillful Means of the Dharma Realm That Does Not Turn Back. The two gates are of different times and of different names, and are not to be spoken of as one occasion.
A misreading to set aside: that cultivation must wait upon a good station and a good circumstance. The scripture places the last and most essential time upon the lowest station, and the manner of the offering was her own trade — song and dance.
Set upon the ground: make your offering with the station you have now; there is no need to change it first.
Because I Rely upon the Light of All-Knowledge
The prose closes at the end with two clauses very swiftly. Within this world there are such kalpas as these, as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, and all the Tathāgatas appeared within them; and I served them all and made offerings to them with reverence — and of the true Dharma expounded, down to not forgetting a single line or a single phrase; and in the presence of each and every Tathāgata she extolled and praised, worked vast benefit, gained the light of all-knowledge, made manifest the sea of the Dharma realm of the three times, and entered into all the practices of Samantabhadra.
The last clause is the conclusion of the whole passage: Because I rely upon the light of all-knowledge, in thought after thought I see measureless buddhas; and having seen the buddhas, all the practices of Samantabhadra that I had not gained before and had not seen before are brought to fullness. Why is this so? Because I have gained the light of all-knowledge.
Chengguan outlines this section as seeing the buddhas and the practice being brought to completion. What is to be looked at is its sequence: first the light of all-knowledge is gained, and only then does she see buddhas in thought after thought; and having seen the buddhas, only then are the practices of Samantabhadra brought to fullness. It is not that seeing much brings the light, but that having the light is why the seeing can be seen.
A misreading to set aside: that the number of times one has seen buddhas is a score-sheet of cultivation. The scripture states the cause and fruit the other way round: the light comes first, the seeing after.
Set upon the ground: before asking oneself what one has seen, ask first by what one is looking.
The Forty-One Verses Restating: The Names of One Hundred and Ten Buddhas
The night goddess, wishing to make clear once more the meaning of this liberation and carrying the spiritual power of the Buddha, speaks verses for Sudhana. These verses come to eighty-two lines, forty-one verses (counted out word for word). Chengguan divides them, saying: the first two verses raise the Dharma and charge him to listen, the next thirty-eight verses restate the direct exposition before, and the last verse raises the cause and urges cultivation; and within the restating of the direct exposition, the first thirty-six verses restate the first kalpa, and the last two verses restate the general display of the kalpas before.
Within the thirty-six verses it is almost all buddha-names. Ten make a set, and set is joined to set by thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared (counted out word for word, ten occurrences), which together with the first set make eleven sets. Chengguan reckons their total number and judges what they signify: there are one hundred and ten buddhas, signifying that in the ten grounds and equal awakening each takes its first buddha as host and the remaining nine as companions. What the last two verses signify he tells as well: it also signifies that knowledge being full and practice being perfect, there is nothing that is not buddha.
There are three other markers within the verses: at the end of the first set it says, in the presence of these ten buddhas the Dharma gate was first awakened to; at the end of the second set, when these ten appeared, the Dharma gate was awakened to a second time; at the end of the third set, in the presence of these ten buddhas the Dharma gate was awakened to a third time (counted out word for word, three places); and thereafter the count is not marked again. The last two verses gather it all in: of all the buddhas within kalpas as many as the dust motes of Sumeru, who all were lamps for the world, to them all I once made offerings; of all the buddhas who appeared in kalpas as many as the dust motes of a buddha-land, to them all I once made offerings and thereby entered this liberation gate. And the final verse urges cultivation: Through measureless kalpas I cultivated and gained this way; if you are able to cultivate, before long you too shall gain it.
A misreading to set aside: that a long string of buddha-names may be skipped over in reading. These one hundred and ten names are the content of those thirty-six verses, and are also the true answer to that question of how long — not a number, but a string of names served one by one, one after another.
Set upon the ground: how many names of those who truly taught one a person can hold in mind through a lifetime is that person’s history of cultivation.
Humbling Herself and Pointing to the Superior: I Know Only This One
The verses done, the night goddess says: I know only this bodhisattva liberation of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings. Then she lists what the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas are able to do — gathering boundless practices, bringing forth every kind of understanding, manifesting every kind of body, being furnished with every kind of faculty, bringing to fullness every kind of vow, entering every kind of samādhi, raising up every kind of spiritual transformation, being able in every kind of way to behold the dharmas, entering every kind of gate of wisdom, gaining every kind of light of the Dharma — and closes with how then could I know or tell of their practices of merit and virtue.
This section is one that most of the friends of this assembly have (in the base text, within this section, I only appears once). Its use is not politeness: a good friend who has just spoken seven thousand graphs and more about her own history of cultivation through measureless kalpas says at the end that she knows only this one.
A misreading to set aside: that the humbling discounts what was said before. Every clause of what was said before holds good; the humbling is saying something else — that she knows which one it is that she knows.
Set upon the ground: only when one can say where one’s own boundary lies is what one said before to be trusted.
Pointing Out the Next Friend: Dhyāna Is Born of Vigor
The last part is the pointing out of the next friend. Not far from here there is a night goddess named Ocean of Tranquil Sound, who sits upon a lotus-flower seat adorned with a maṇi banner of light, with a million asaṃkhyeyas of night goddesses encircling her before and behind. Go to her and ask: how is a bodhisattva to study the bodhisattva practice and cultivate the bodhisattva way?
Chengguan sets down three layers of gloss here. The first glosses not far: again, dhyāna is set forth in reliance upon vigor, and therefore it is said to be not far — this friend is assigned to vigor, and the friend to come presides over dhyāna, and dhyāna is set forth in reliance upon vigor, and so it is said to be not far. The second glosses the name of the friend to come: because of dhyāna she is tranquil, and because she enters the common world and sets forth the Dharma and converts beings deeply and broadly, she is called ocean of sound — tranquil is the substance of concentration, ocean of sound is its function. The third sets up a signification upon the text of the former life: and yet this goddess is the mother of Who Saves All Beings, signifying that true vigor comes forth after all from concentration, since to raise the mind and stir a thought is the false and not vigor — the scripture has only just said that the queen Perfect Countenance is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, so the friend to come is this friend’s mother; and since a mother bears a child, it signifies that true vigor is in fact born of concentration. The Yanyi chao adds its reason: as for the commentary’s signifying that true vigor comes forth after all from concentration — true vigor is what is apart from body and mind, and without concentration there is no such thing.
There is a fine going-back-and-forth here: seen by sequence, vigor is before and dhyāna after; seen by signification, dhyāna is the mother of vigor. The two statements do not obstruct one another — Chengguan sets up the signification upon the relation of mother and daughter in the scripture, not upon a change of the sequence.
A misreading to set aside: that vigor means exerting force. Chengguan says it very clearly: the sort that raises the mind and stirs a thought is the false, not vigor; true vigor is apart from body and mind, and without concentration one cannot have it.
Set upon the ground: to strain with all one’s might while the mind is unsettled is not vigor but expenditure.
Cherishing Her Virtue and Taking Leave
The last sentence is very short: At that time, Sudhana the youth bowed to her feet, circled her numberless times, gazed up at her with earnest devotion, took his leave, and departed. Four acts, and not a word.
He did the same when he left the friend before. And what he carries away from this section is a long story — a night goddess who measureless kalpas ago was a king’s daughter, who repaired a ruined image, who was led by Samantabhadra to see the Buddha, and who afterward was a courtesan and gained a liberation gate within song and dance.
Set upon the ground: to hear out a person’s whole history and then bow to her feet — that bow is not the same as the bow one made on arriving.
Assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom: Whose Judgment Is This
From beginning to end this section never once has the three graphs ground of flaming wisdom in it. The one who says this friend is assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom is Chengguan, whose words are: fourth, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom; and the Yanyi chao glosses the reason, saying: that is, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, burning the firewood of the afflictions, the flame of wisdom increases.
Li Tongxuan too places this friend upon the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, but by a different approach. Glossing the name of the ground he says: upon this ground one cultivates the contemplation gates of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way, and contemplation of body, feeling, mind, and dharmas turns ever brighter and purer, and therefore it is named the Ground of Flaming Wisdom. Glossing the principal practice of this ground he says: second, making clear what practice-gate is cultivated upon this ground — the perfection of vigor is taken as chief, and the remaining nine as companions. Glossing the name of the goddess he says: for this reason this goddess is named Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings; wondrous virtue makes clear that the contemplation of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way is able to show forth the wondrous wisdom of self and others. Glossing the name of the Dharma gate he says: to make clear that the thirty-seven factors of the way of this station are cultivated in common by the three vehicles and the one vehicle, and are the great road of subduing, it is named Appearing Everywhere and Subduing All Sentient Beings, the liberation. And upon this friend as set against the three grounds before he says: the fourth, the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, has the perfection of vigor as its substance, and the goddess’s name is Who Saves All Beings, since the perfection of vigor is the sense of saving all. Glossing the differences among the worlds this friend manifests, he says they are “the mastery of the pure and the mixed light of the knowledge of the various differences” — the purity and foulness of worlds is, for Li, the pure and the mixed in the light of the knowledge of differences; and he matches the hundred and ten buddhas’ names in the verses to the buddha-positions of cause and fruit of the ten grounds and the eleventh, matching “the first buddha named Flame of Knowledge” to the first ground, the Joyful — the buddhas’ names are not a roll but positions climbed ground by ground.
And as for this business of assigned position itself, Chengguan at the outline of the five marks of the final assembly has already himself set out the two readings handed down of old: one that glosses as the text runs without matching stations separately, and one that does match stations. Both tracks stand together, recorded without adjudication.
Chengguan’s Explicit Judgment
Having set out the two tracks, Chengguan then gives a judgment of his own: both have their reason — since each and every station is furnished with many Dharma gates, how could an ordinary mind be barred from studying and seeking the dharmas of the good friends, and so not to match them has its reason; and yet within the absence of ranked stations the ranked stations are not obstructed, and to show the stations is the constant rule, so that matching them too is not amiss. Not to match has its reason — every station is furnished of itself with many gates, and one may not bar an ordinary person from studying the dharmas of all the good friends. To match is not amiss either — within the absence of ranked stations ranked stations are not obstructed, and showing the stations is the constant rule. This is Chengguan’s own judgment, and not an adjudication of this edition.
A misreading to set aside: that assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom is a rank the scripture marks of itself. The scripture says only that this is a night goddess and that there is such a Dharma gate; the matching of stations is done by the ancient worthies, and the ancient worthies themselves say that both matching and not matching have their reason.
Set upon the ground: a station is a measuring-rod to help one read the sequence, not a word of the scripture itself — to use the rod is well enough; to take the rod for the scripture will not do.
Lineage
Of the text of this section, the streams opened below it run in three lines.
The first is the line the scripture fastens within itself. At the bringing together of past and present in this section, the scripture itself joins three people to elsewhere: the father king is the bodhisattva Maitreya of today, pointing far ahead to the friend Maitreya later in this assembly; the queen is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound, who is the very next friend, and moreover the scripture says her dwelling place now is not far from here. These two fastenings are said by the scripture itself and do not wait upon later hands to match them. Upon the one sense of mother and daughter Chengguan sets up a signification, saying that this friend’s vigor comes forth after all from concentration.
The second is the line of the glossing of the name by the several houses. Chengguan glosses the friend’s name by the flame of knowledge is auspicious, and so she is called wondrous virtue, and fastens her to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom; Li Tongxuan glosses the name of the ground by the contemplation gates of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way, and glosses the name of the goddess by the perfection of vigor; and the glossing of the name of the Dharma gate too goes each by its own track. Fazang’s Tanxuan ji and Zhiyan’s Souxuan ji both comment upon the sixty-fascicle, where this friend is named Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings, and both houses have a gloss of their own upon this section, made as the text runs. Fazang glosses her name, saying: auspicious and surpassing knowledge is what is named wondrous virtue; gathering beings in and setting practice afoot is what is named rescuing and protecting beings — the surpassingness of knowledge is the wondrous virtue, and setting practice afoot to gather beings in is the rescuing and protecting, so that the two halves of the name each have what they are fastened to. He also divides the kinds of world-shape into the two directions and the two mixtures, brings out the sense that the fear of untimely birth is being born when one does not meet a buddha’s age, and records the Indian name of this Dharma gate. Zhiyan sets it forth as: fourth, the night deva named Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings — that is, the bodhisattva station of the fourth ground, fastening her straight to the fourth ground; he outlines the text of this section in three, as the urging by the teaching, going toward and entering in accord with the teaching, and the realization; and under truly entering he divides out four matters — the substance of the dharma of one’s own portion, the strength and working of the samādhi, the cause of gaining the Dharma, and the conclusion upon what is known in one’s own portion: the substance is what is depended upon, the working is what is manifested, the cause is why it is so, and the conclusion is knowing one’s own measure. Read straight through, those four make the bone of this section plain. So the houses that gloss as the text runs are in fact four, and not two; only that Fazang and Zhiyan depend upon the sixty-fascicle, and Chengguan and Li Tongxuan upon the eighty-fascicle, each speaking from his own witness. Chengguan besides made one cross-chapter reading, in glossing the assembly of the lords of night in the chapter Lords of the Worlds and Their Wondrous Adornments, where he says: third is the good friend of the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, whose name there is Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings; it is in guarding the vital essence of the world that beings are saved, and it is because she guards living beings that the wondrousness of her virtue is shown forth; the Dharma gate is wholly the same, and the sequence too accords — that is to say, when they are moved she must appear before them, and she subdues them and makes them pure. Guarding life is what shows the wondrousness of her virtue, and being moved she appears and subdues them into purity: that one sentence joins her name and her Dharma gate into a single matter.
The third is this section’s place among the treatises of the Huayan lineage. In the four works Huayan jing zhigui, Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang, Shixuan men, and Fajie xuanjing, the name of this friend is not found at all; but the Huayan jing kongmu zhang does bear upon it in two places — the first in the passage that sets up the sense of each friend in turn, where Zhiyan gives this friend a single clause of Dharma-gate sense, saying: at the place of becoming a buddha; the dharma of sovereignty in awakening; the sense of the Dharma gate of showing forth benefit to sentient beings; and the second in the passage of the list of names, where this friend is listed as the thirty-fifth night deva under the sixty-fascicle form of her name. That is to say, this section has not gone unset up as a doctrinal instance in the treatises: Zhiyan had already set a clause for it, and what he set — showing forth benefit to sentient beings — answers exactly to this friend’s Dharma gate of subduing sentient beings; sovereign in awakening at the place of becoming a buddha, she can therefore show forth; showing forth so as to benefit is itself the subduing. All these divergent interpretations are the settled statements of the ancient worthies.
An answer of seven thousand graphs and more in one unit answers three questions; and of the three questions, the one she spends the most strength upon is how long. Her way of answering is not to give a number, but to say out one by one the people and the things along the road she came. Only when she has said it to the end does Sudhana know: what is called a liberation gate is the name of just such a stretch of road.
考據Apparatus
善財第三十四友普救眾生妙德夜神，是十主夜神中的第四位，澄觀繫之於焰慧地。全子八千八百餘字，是本會篇幅最大的幾子之一，而其中過半是一段本生——夜神以第一人稱把自己無量劫前的身世講出來：那時她是轉輪王之女普智焰妙德眼，父王後來是彌勒，母妃後來是下一位善友寂靜音海夜神，而勸她修補故壞佛像、又引她去見佛的，是普賢菩薩。全子偈行一百四十三行，分三段：善財讚偈四十一行、轉輪聖王讚佛偈二十行、夜神重頌八十二行。澄觀科此子「文但有五，二三合故」，並判夜神重頌所列十佛一組共十一組、百一十佛，為「表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴」。三本友名皆異形——八十作「普救眾生妙德夜神」，六十作「妙德救護眾生夜天」，四十作「普救眾生威德神」。法藏《探玄記》與智儼《搜玄記》皆依六十本之名形「妙德救護眾生」逐文別釋本友，前者起〔T35n1733 0475c21〕而訖「炎地竟」〔0477b03〕，後者起〔T35n1732 0098c12〕而訖第五友科前〔0099b09〕。
一、科判定位
| 科判系統 | 此節經文 之位 |
|---|---|
| 底本 T279 三十九品 | 品三十九 入法界品（第九會 逝多林）；普救眾生妙德夜神＝〔T10 0378a25〕–〔0384a19 前〕 |
| 澄觀《華嚴經疏》 | 本節正釋起〔T35n1735 0943a26〕「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地」，訖於第五寂靜音海前〔0944b15〕 |
| 澄觀《演義鈔》 | 釋「寄焰慧地」之所以〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c22 前〕 |
| 法藏《探玄記》（六十華嚴疏） | 本節專釋起〔T35n1733 0475c21〕「第四焰地善知識中亦五」，訖〔0477b03〕「炎地竟」；所釋為六十本之名形「妙德救護眾生」 |
| 李通玄《新華嚴經論》 | 十地表法總段釋此位〔T36n1739 0890c07–0891a27〕；本節敘事逐段科——正入當位法門十四段〔0989b14〕以下隨文釋義至〔0991a17〕，次推德勝進六門〔0991a18–0991b08〕指後友 |
| 智儼《搜玄記》 | 本節專釋起〔T35n1732 0098c12〕「第四夜天名妙德救護眾生」，訖於第五友科前〔0099b09〕；所釋亦為六十本之名形 |
澄觀之五分科——本節之骨：
「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地。文但有五，二三合故。」〔T35n1735 0943a26–0943a28〕
所以「但有五」者，因本會六段科之第二第三合而為一：
〔T35n1735 0943a29–0943b06〕「第二「時彼二神」〔0943a29〕下聞見法界，即合二三，謂約善財則是見敬，若約夜神所現即是解脫業用，便為默授法界。若約二文開辨，則先明見敬諮問、後答因緣方為正授法界。今依合科，總分為四：一現光加持、二蒙光獲益、三三業敬讚、四問答因緣。」
蒙光獲益一分之內科：
「先得定，謂三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨，即淨智圓滿。摧障為輪，故所見無礙。」〔T35n1735 0943b09–0943b10〕
〔T35n1735 0943b10–0943b13〕「後「得此」〔0943b11〕下明見大用，於中二：先見用所依處、後「一一塵中」〔0943b12〕下明所見事。於中三：一所化處、二能化益、三所化意。」
三業敬讚與偈讚之分：
〔T35n1735 0943b20–0943b24〕「第三「時善財童子見此」〔0943b20〕下三業敬讚，中三：初身心敬重、二「時彼夜神」〔0943b21〕下顯友自在、三「爾時」〔0943b22〕下口以偈讚。二十偈半，分二：初偈總、餘偈別。別中二：初九偈半明光用無涯、後「我承」〔0943b24〕下述前蒙光獲益。」
問答因緣之三問：
「問中有三：一問名，前來標名，集經者言，故此方問；二問得法久近，欲顯久修德遠故；三問修因淨治，求入路故。」〔T35n1735 0943b27–0943b29〕
本生十段之科：
〔T35n1735 0943c09–0943c16〕「今初，十段：一總舉劫剎佛興，已略酬其久近；二「其佛世界」〔0943c10〕下通顯剎相；三「此界東際」〔0943c11〕下別顯生處；四「有轉輪王」〔0943c11〕下明本生父母；五「其有一女」〔0943c12〕下明本生身；六「爾時眾生」〔0943c13〕下眾生起惡為佛現因；七「時彼城北」〔0943c13〕下佛興益物；八「時普賢」〔0943c14〕下明善友引導；九「時轉輪王女」〔0943c15〕下明德女修因；十「普智寶焰」〔0943c15〕下聞經得益。」
偈頌之三分：
「第二偈頌，四十一偈，分三：初二偈舉法誡聽、次三十八偈頌前正說、後一偈舉因勸修。」〔T35n1735 0944b04–0944b06〕
指示後友一分，澄觀兼釋後友之名與位：
〔T35n1735 0944b11–0944b13〕「第四「去此不遠」〔0944b11〕下指示後友，亦以證同。又禪依進發，故云不遠。禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海。」
李通玄之科——與澄觀之分數與所依之骨俱異，而須先分二事。其一是前友喜目夜神段末之「推德昇進門」，五門所指者即本友，其文在本友正釋之外：
〔T36n1739 0989a29–0989b04〕「第二推德昇進門中，從「如諸菩薩摩訶薩」〔0989a29〕已下至「辭退而去」〔0989b01〕有十四行經，約分為五門：一推德昇進、二示善知識所在、三舉善知識夜神名普救眾生妙德、四勸善財令往詣、五禮敬辭退。」
其二才是本友之正釋，長科為十四段，其下隨文釋義至〔0991a17〕：
〔T36n1739 0989b14–0989b15〕「第一正入當位法門中，從「爾時善財童子」〔0989b14〕已下，長科為十四段。」
本友段末復有推德勝進一門，所指者是後友寂靜音海，李通玄於此別立六門：
〔T36n1739 0991a18–0991a22〕「第二推德勝進中，從「如諸菩薩摩訶薩」〔0991a18〕已下至「辭退而去」〔0991a19〕有八行半經，約立六門：一推德勝進、二示善知識所在云去此不遠、三舉夜神名號寂靜音海、四舉夜神徒眾主之神數、五勸善財往問、六聞善知識所在禮敬辭去。」
二、術語
| 漢 | 古德傳梵（羅馬字·發音輔助） | 所徵 | 精義 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 普救眾生妙德夜神 | — | 本節「往詣普救眾生妙德夜神所」〔T10n0279 0378b02–b03〕 | 第三十四友之名；澄觀釋名「為普救眾生。智焰吉祥，稱為妙德」〔T35n1735 0943a26〕；六十作「妙德救護眾生夜天」〔T09n0278 0729a06〕，四十作「普救眾生威德神」〔T10n0293 0748c14〕 |
| 焰慧地 | — | 澄觀「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地」〔T35n1735 0943a26–a27〕 | 十地之第四；《演義鈔》釋其所以「謂安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪，慧焰增故」〔T36n1736 0682c18–c19〕。經文本身無地名，寄位之判繫澄觀承古德 |
| 智燈普照清淨幢 | — | 本節「於兩眉間放大光明，名：智燈普照清淨幢」〔T10n0279 0378b04–b05〕 | 夜神眉間所放光之名；六十作「普慧焰燈淨幢」〔T09n0278 0729a09〕，四十作「普智焰無垢星宿幢」〔T10n0293 0748c17〕 |
| 究竟清淨輪三昧 | — | 本節「善財爾時即得究竟清淨輪三昧」〔T10n0279 0378b07–b08〕 | 善財蒙光所得之定；澄觀釋「三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨」，又「摧障為輪，故所見無礙」〔T35n1735 0943b09–b10〕 |
| 菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門 | — | 本節「即得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門」〔T10n0279 0382b12–b13〕 | 本友之法門名；經文於謙己段復作「我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫」〔0384a02–a03〕 |
| 圓滿清淨 | — | 本節「爾時有劫，名：圓滿清淨，世界名：毘盧遮那大威德」〔T10n0279 0379b20–b21〕 | 本生所在之劫名；長行世界名「毘盧遮那大威德」，重頌處作「是時有世界，名為遍照燈，須彌塵數佛，於中出興世」〔0383a13〕——二形皆底本逐字，誌錄不判 |
| 普智寶焰妙德幢 | — | 本節「其第一佛，名：普智寶焰妙德幢」〔T10n0279 0380a15–a16〕 | 本生所值初佛之名；經文他處又作「普智寶焰妙德幢王如來」 |
| 毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻 | — | 本節「有轉輪王於中出現，名：毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻」〔T10n0279 0379c17〕 | 本生之父王；結會古今處作「毘盧遮那藏妙寶蓮華髻轉輪聖王」〔0382b04〕——二形皆底本逐字，誌錄不判 |
| 普智焰妙德眼 | — | 本節「其有一女，名：普智焰妙德眼」〔T10n0279 0379c26–c27〕 | 本生之身，即夜神自身前世；結會處「即我身是」〔0382b07〕 |
| 圓滿面 | — | 本節「王有正妃，名：圓滿面，是王女寶」〔T10n0279 0379c24–c25〕 | 本生之母妃；結會處「時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是」〔0382b05–b06〕 |
| 寂靜音海 | — | 本節「有主夜神，名：寂靜音海」〔T10n0279 0384a07〕 | 第三十五友之名；澄觀釋「禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海」〔T35n1735 0944b12–b13〕 |
| 阿僧祇 | —（「阿僧祇」本即古傳音寫） | 本節「百萬阿僧祇主夜神前後圍遶」〔T10n0279 0384a08〕 | 不可數之大數名 |
| 那由他 | —（「那由他」本即古傳音寫） | 本節「有十萬億那由他四天下皆妙莊嚴」〔T10n0279 0379b25–b26〕 | 大數名 |
| 修多羅 | sūtra（古德所傳音寫作「修多羅」） | 本節「為說修多羅，名：一切如來轉法輪」〔T10n0279 0381c18–c19〕 | 經之音寫；本節言修多羅十八見 |
| 阿耨多羅三藐三菩提 | —（本即古傳音寫） | 本節「發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」〔T10n0279 0382a27〕 | 無上正等正覺 |
三、譬喻·修辭
(一) 光為全子之線索——此處選列三組放光，而所放者皆與所得相應（本節言放光者不止此三，如普賢化身「放大光明，普照一切」〔T10n0279 0381a01〕、輪王昇空「放大光明照四天下」〔0381a20〕，皆另有其事）。其一是夜神眉間光「智燈普照清淨幢」，光入善財頂而善財得定〔T10n0279 0378b04–b08〕；其二是本生中大蓮華於佛未出世前所放之十一重光，一重一名一益〔0380a18 以下〕；其三是本生末段佛為妓女美顏所放之眉間光「莊嚴法界大光明」，光觸其身而得解脫門「法界方便不退藏」〔0382c23–c24〕。三處皆是光觸而得法，非聞聲而得法。
(二) 十一重光明之遞減紀年——佛未成道前之放光，經文以年數自遠而近排比：「十千年前」「九千年前」「八千年前」「七千年前」「六千年前」「五千年前」「四千年前」「三千年前」「二千年前」「一千年前」，末以「次七日前」收（逐字數之，年數十重加七日一重，凡十一重）。澄觀就此判曰「成道前相，謂放光調機有十一重，一一重中各有光明業用成益，以益對名，可以思準」〔T35n1735 0943c19–0943c21〕。每一重之句式皆同——放光·立名·「若有眾生遇斯光者」得某益·知某年後佛當出現，十一重無一例外（逐字數之，「若有眾生遇斯光者」十一見）。
(三) 十佛一組之列名頌體——夜神重頌八十二行之中，佛名以十為一組，組與組之間以「從此後次第，復有十佛出」為接榫（逐字數之，十見），連同首組共十一組。澄觀計其總數並判其表法：「有百一十佛，表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴」〔T35n1735 0944b08–0944b09〕。
(四) 十九怖之並列——夜神所救人趣之怖，經文一氣列十九：暗夜怖·毀呰怖·惡名怖·大眾怖·不活怖·死怖·惡道怖·斷善根怖·退菩提心怖·遇惡知識怖·離善知識怖·墮二乘地怖·種種生死怖·異類眾生同住怖·惡時受生怖·惡種族中受生怖·造惡業怖·業煩惱障怖·執著諸想繫縛怖（逐字數之，十九）。其序自外境之怖而入內心之怖，末四為惡種族中受生·造惡業·業煩惱障·執著諸想繫縛。
(五) 經文自有之三譬——善財讚偈中三度取譬，皆以天象譬光：身相「譬如空中星」〔T10n0279 0378c27〕、口光「譬如無量日」〔0379a08〕、眼光「譬如無量月」〔0379a10〕。
(六) 日出奪曜之譬——普賢化身放光而眾生身光不現，經文取二譬：「譬如日出眾景奪曜，亦如聚墨對閻浮金」〔T10n0279 0381a03〕。前譬光之相形，後譬色之相形。
(七) 三譬柔軟心——王女聞經得三昧，經文以三事譬其心之柔軟無麁彊：「如初受胎，如始誕生，如娑羅樹初始生芽」〔T10n0279 0381c21–c22〕。三譬皆取初生之義。
四、異譯對勘
本節經文要句之漢譯校本：實叉難陀 T279（底本）· 佛馱跋陀羅 T278（晉譯六十華嚴〈入法界品第三十四〉）· 般若 T293（貞元四十華嚴〈入法界品〉）。三本場景結構全同——念前友教·趣求·現光加持·蒙光獲益·見大用·敬讚·問答·本生·謙己推勝·指示後友·辭退。
句一 趣求與友名
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 作是願已，往詣普救眾生妙德夜神所 | T10n0279 0378b02–b03 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 往詣妙德救護眾生夜天所 | T09n0278 0729a06 |
| 般若 T293 | 作是願已，往詣普救眾生威德神所 | T10n0293 0748c14 |
異文所繫：三本友名三形——八十「普救眾生妙德夜神」、六十「妙德救護眾生夜天」（「妙德」冠首而「救護」居中，字序與八十互倒，末稱「夜天」不稱「夜神」）、四十「普救眾生威德神」（作「威德」不作「妙德」，且無「夜」字）。誌錄不判。
句二 現光之名與所得三昧之名
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 於兩眉間放大光明，名：智燈普照清淨幢 | T10n0279 0378b04–b05 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 眉間白毫相中，放大光明，名曰普慧焰燈淨幢 | T09n0278 0729a08–a09 |
| 般若 T293 | 即於眉間放大光明，名普智焰無垢星宿幢 | T10n0293 0748c16–c17 |
| 實叉 T279 | 善財爾時即得究竟清淨輪三昧 | T10n0279 0378b07–b08 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 爾時，善財即得菩薩離垢圓滿三昧 | T09n0278 0729a11–a12 |
| 般若 T293 | 善財即時得極清淨圓滿三昧 | T10n0293 0748c19–c20 |
異文所繫：(甲) 放光之處，八十作「兩眉間」，四十作「眉間」，六十別出「白毫相」三字。(乙) 光名三形，八十以「智燈」冠首，六十以「普慧焰燈」，四十以「普智焰無垢星宿」。(丙) 三昧名三形皆有「清淨」或「離垢」與「圓滿」或「輪」之組合，而八十獨作「輪」——澄觀之「摧障為輪」〔T35n1735 0943b10〕一釋，唯就八十之字可立。誌錄不判。
句三 所見世界之差別
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 或有世界雜穢，或有世界清淨 | T10n0279 0378b18–b19 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 或有世界淨，或有世界不淨 | T09n0278 0729a21–a22 |
| 般若 T293 | 或有世界雜穢，或有世界清淨 | T10n0293 0749a03–a04 |
異文所繫：八十與四十作「雜穢·清淨」一對，六十作「不淨·淨」一對，正負之序互倒。全段實計：八十「或有」十見（雜穢·清淨·趣雜穢·趣清淨·雜穢清淨·清淨雜穢·一向清淨·其形平正·覆住·側住）；六十亦十見，而末三作「其形平正／其形如伏／其形四方」〔T09n0278 0729a24–a26〕，與八十之「覆住／側住」不同。誌錄不判。
句四 夜神所示之解脫神力
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 示現菩薩調伏眾生解脫神力 | T10n0279 0378b03–b04 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 顯現菩薩教化一切世間法門境界 | T09n0278 0729a07–a08 |
| 般若 T293 | 示現菩薩調伏眾生解脫神力 | T10n0293 0748c15–c16 |
異文所繫：八十與四十逐字全同。六十作「教化一切世間法門境界」，以「教化」對「調伏」，以「法門境界」對「解脫神力」。誌錄不判。
句五 偈中自稱之號
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 我見普救天，於彼無量剎 | T10n0279 0379b05 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 我見妙德天，詣彼嚴淨剎，一切如來所，恭敬而供養 | T09n0278 0730a08–a09 |
| 般若 T293 | 我見普救威德天，其身普往無邊剎 | T10n0293 0749c20 |
異文所繫：八十偈中逕稱「普救天」而略其德號，四十作「普救威德天」，與其長行友名「威德神」相應；六十作「妙德天」，亦與其長行友名「妙德救護眾生夜天」相應。三本此偈皆言夜神往諸剎供養諸佛，所異者唯剎之措辭——八十作「於彼無量剎」，六十作「詣彼嚴淨剎」，四十作「其身普往無邊剎」——與名形而已。並錄不判。
句六 普賢告輪王佛興之語
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 大王當知，今汝國中，有佛興世 | T10n0279 0381a07–a08 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 大王！當知佛興於世，今在普光明妙法音幢菩提樹下 | T09n0278 0731c07–c08 |
| 般若 T293 | 大王！當知今汝國中有佛出興，在普光遍照法雲聲幢菩提樹下 | T10n0293 0751c23–c25 |
異文所繫：菩提樹名三形，八十作「普光明法雲音幢」，六十作「普光明妙法音幢」，四十作「普光遍照法雲聲幢」——八十有「雲」字，六十有「妙」字，四十則兼「遍照」與「雲」而以「聲」易「音」。又八十與四十皆先言「今汝國中」而後言樹下之處，六十逕接處所。誌錄不判。
句七 謙己推勝與指示後友
| 校本 | 逐字 | 出處 |
|---|---|---|
| 實叉 T279 | 我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫 | T10n0279 0384a02–a03 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 善男子！我唯知此教化眾生菩薩法門； | T09n0278 0734b02 |
| 般若 T293 | 我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫 | T10n0293 0755a12–a13 |
| 實叉 T279 | 有主夜神，名：寂靜音海，坐摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座 | T10n0279 0384a07–a08 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 善男子！於此道場，去我不遠，有一夜天，名寂靜音，處寶幢蓮華藏師子之座，百萬阿僧祇諸天，眷屬圍遶。 | T09n0278 0734b08–b10 |
| 般若 T293 | 有主夜神，名具足功德寂靜音海 | T10n0293 0755a24–a25 |
| 實叉 T279 | 汝詣彼問：菩薩云何學菩薩行、修菩薩道 | T10n0279 0384a09–a10 |
| 佛馱 T278 | 汝詣彼問云何菩薩學菩薩行、修菩薩道。 | T09n0278 0734b10–b11 |
| 般若 T293 | 而我云何能知、能說彼功德行 | T10n0293 0755a23 |
異文所繫：(甲) 謙己之句，八十與四十逐字全同；六十則以其本之法門名代之，作「教化眾生菩薩法門」。(乙) 後友之名，四十於「寂靜音海」上加「具足功德」四字，六十但作「寂靜音」而無「海」字；其座八十作「摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座」，四十作「星宿光幢摩尼王莊嚴寶蓮華」，六十作「寶幢蓮華藏師子之座」。眷屬之數三本皆作百萬阿僧祇，而六十稱「諸天」，八十、四十稱夜神。(丙) 推勝之末句，八十作「而我云何能知能說彼功德行」，四十於「能知」「能說」之間著一頓號，六十作「我當云何能知、能說彼功德行？」〔T09n0278 0734b07〕，以「我當」易「而我」。誌錄不判。
五、宗義之經據〔眼〕
(一) 見在問先——本節授法之序。本會善友多是先見敬諮問、後正授法界；本節不然。澄觀於科文處自標其異，謂第二第三兩段當合為一，並說出其所以：
「即合二三，謂約善財則是見敬，若約夜神所現即是解脫業用，便為默授法界。若約二文開辨，則先明見敬諮問、後答因緣方為正授法界。今依合科，總分為四。」〔T35n1735 0943b01–0943b05〕
依此判，善財所「見」的那一大段，本身就是授法——夜神未開口而法已授，故云「默授法界」。
(二) 究竟清淨輪之釋——障摧則所見無礙。善財蒙光所得之定名「究竟清淨輪」，澄觀逐字釋之：
「先得定，謂三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨，即淨智圓滿。摧障為輪，故所見無礙。」〔T35n1735 0943b09–0943b10〕
「輪」不取旋轉之義而取摧碾之義，故所見無礙者，非眼力之增，是障之摧。下文所見一切世界成壞、五道差別、九類眾生，皆繫此一句。
(三) 化益之三分——所化處·能化益·所化意。善財所見之大用，澄觀分為三重，並指出末一重之通局：
〔T35n1735 0943b12–0943b13〕「後「一一塵中」〔0943b12〕下明所見事。於中三：一所化處、二能化益、三所化意。」
〔T35n1735 0943b19–0943b20〕「三「為成就」〔0943b19〕下明化意中，為成諸法，通能所化。」
所化意一段，經文以十九句「故」列其所為（逐字數之，十九句），自「為成就菩薩大願力故」至「令得一切智清淨光明故」。澄觀所謂「通能所化」者，此十九句中前段是成就自行、後段是成熟他機，一段之內兼二。
(四) 五道與九類之分。能化益一段，澄觀判其文為二：
〔T35n1735 0943b18–0943b19〕「先化五道、後「又見一切眾生」〔0943b18〕下明化九類。」
五道者，經文所列地獄·畜生·餓鬼·諸龍·欲界·人趣諸眾生；九類者，卵生·胎生·濕生·化生·有色·無色·有想·無想·非有想非無想（底本逐字九類）。
(五) 深難說之四約。夜神答「其名何等」之前，先歎此法之深。澄觀就經文之「難知」設問而以四約答之：
「深相云何？若約得時，時久遠故，非久近故。若約修因，因行廣故。若通上二，契理深故。若約名說，名如體用故。名者實賓，難窮實故。」〔T35n1735 0943c02–0943c05〕
末一約最要——名是「實賓」，賓不能窮主，故問名者不能因得名而謂已知其法。
(六) 十一重光明之表法——次第十度與圓融十度。佛未出世前之十一重放光，澄觀於「以益對名，可以思準」之外別出一表：
「若約表法，則前十為次第十度光，後一為圓融十度光，以此照心則自智出現。」〔T35n1735 0943c21–0943c23〕
(七) 轉法輪二十句之判位。初佛成道轉法輪一段，經文以「令無量眾生」領起二十句（逐字數之，二十句），自「離惡道苦」至「安住普賢清淨行願」。澄觀判其後段所配之位：
〔T35n1735 0943c29–0944a03〕「菩薩中，先成行、後「發菩提心」〔0943c29〕下成位，菩提心是住位；菩薩道是行位；淨波羅蜜是迴向位，以大願海淨治前度故；後二句是等覺位。」
《演義鈔》就「後二句是等覺」一語補其所以不言十地：
〔T36n1736 0682c19–0682c21〕「疏「後二句是等覺」〔0682c19〕者，不言十地者，上二句文十地顯故；餘位義隱，故別指耳。」
(八) 德女修因之三表。王女解瓔珞散佛一段，澄觀逐段配以表義：
〔T35n1735 0944a11–0944a14〕「第九德女修因。於中三：一嚴具奉佛，表修萬行，向佛果故；二「時莊嚴」〔0944a13〕下見佛現變，表因小果大故；三「既見是已」〔0944a14〕下覩變獲益。」
「因小果大」者，所散者身上瓔珞，而所變者寶蓋樓閣乃至菩提樹普覆法界。
(九) 三益即調伏之法。王女聞經所得，澄觀判為三益，並指此三益即本友法門之體：
〔T35n1735 0944a15–0944a19〕「二「時彼女人」〔0944a15〕下正明聞益，於中亦三：初得三昧益，文有總別；次「得如是等」〔0944a17〕下得大心益，即悲智等心；後「一心思惟」〔0944a18〕下成夫願益上之三益，即調伏眾生，解脫三事皆調伏之法故。」
經文所列：十千三昧門（別列十二名而以「……」收）、諸心（別列三十名）、願海（別列十願而以「……」收）——皆逐字數之。
(十) 百一十佛之表。夜神重頌所列十佛一組共十一組，澄觀計數並判其表法：
「先三十六偈頌最初一劫，廣前長行。有百一十佛，表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴。」〔T35n1735 0944b07–0944b09〕
「後二偈頌前總顯諸劫，亦表智滿行圓無非佛故。」〔T35n1735 0944b10–0944b11〕
(十一) 後友之名與位——禪依進發。指示後友一段，澄觀既釋後友之名，復以進禪相生之義釋「不遠」，並就母女之喻明其次第：
「又禪依進發，故云不遠。禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海。然此神即普救之母，表真精進却從定生，起心動念是妄非進故。」〔T35n1735 0944b12–0944b15〕
《演義鈔》復按其所以：
〔T36n1736 0682c21–0682c22〕「疏「表真精進却從定生」〔0682c21〕者，真精進者離身心故，非定無此。」
「母」之一字所繫者，是經文結會古今處「時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是」〔T10n0279 0382b05–b06〕之文——本生之母妃即下一友，故澄觀就此立表。
六、諸家異釋（古德·標宗）
澄觀《華嚴經疏》T35n1735 ·《演義鈔》T36n1736（八十華嚴逐文·主）
釋名：「為普救眾生。智焰吉祥，稱為妙德。」〔T35n1735 0943a26〕
寄位：「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地。」〔T35n1735 0943a26–a27〕《演義鈔》釋其所以：〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c19〕「「第四普救眾生妙德主夜神寄焰慧地」〔0682c17〕者，謂安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪，慧焰增故。」
科：「文但有五，二三合故。」〔T35n1735 0943a27–a28〕
世界差別之釋：「趣雜穢等者，轉變向染，淨故雜染，清淨者染多故；下句反此。一向淨者，對上二故。初之二句乃是總明。」〔T35n1735 0943b14–0943b16〕此條引文標點照底本。句讀有二：今行標點於淨故雜染為一讀；依法藏二解〔T35n1733 0476a12–0476a14〕對經文趣雜穢、趣清淨、雜穢清淨、清淨雜穢四句，則讀作轉變向染或向淨故，雜染清淨者染多故。本帙行文依後讀；二讀並存，誌錄不判。
〈世主妙嚴品〉主夜神釋之跨品對讀（《疏》釋〈世主妙嚴品〉主夜神眾時，以彼品諸夜神對善財所參之十地善友，其第三即本友，在本節科段之外）：〔T35n1735 0551c22–0551c25〕「三即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德。護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也。法門全同，次第又當。謂感必現前，調令清淨故。」
十地十劫名之總配（《演義鈔》於前友喜目夜神段內就本會十劫名配十地別作一釋〔T36n1736 0682c10–0682c17〕，其第四所配者為焰慧地）：「功德月，順焰慧，月有光明發光焰故。」〔T36n1736 0682c12〕本友本生所歷之劫，經文自作「圓滿清淨」與「大光」，非此段所配之劫名。
法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十華嚴疏）
法藏所疏為六十本，故本友之名形作「妙德救護眾生」。寄十地十善知識之總說繫於第一友婆珊婆演底夜神段，謂「此九種夜天，依梵本皆是女天，表是慈悲之狀也」〔T35n1733 0473b17–0473b18〕；而本友之下另有專釋，起〔T35n1733 0475c21〕「第四焰地善知識中亦五」，訖〔0477b03〕「炎地竟」。
釋名：〔T35n1733 0475c22–0475c23〕「吉祥勝智，名為妙德。攝物起行，名救護眾生。」
世界形類之二解：〔T35n1733 0476a10–0476a14〕「此中世界趣淨者，眾生在染土中修淨土行故。趣不淨者，作不善業，向惡道故。又釋：趣淨者是劫增向淨故，趣不淨者劫減向穢故。淨不淨者，淨多穢少。不淨淨者，穢多淨少。」——「趣淨」「趣不淨」是趨向之二，「淨不淨」「不淨淨」是相雜而一方居多之二。
非時受生畏之釋：〔T35n1733 0476a18–0476a19〕「有二十種畏，非時受生畏者，是不值佛世生也。」
法門之天竺本名：〔T35n1733 0477a28–0477a29〕「天竺本名現一切世間前教化眾生對見法門。」
法藏所判之數目皆就六十本之文而立——放光「有十二重」〔T35n1733 0476c02〕、人趣之畏「有二十種畏」〔0476a18〕、化所由「十七句釋成化所由」〔0476a21〕——與底本八十之十一重、十九怖、十九句不同，各留其本之層次，不移作 T279 之計數。
李通玄《新華嚴經論》T36n1739（表法異軌）
地名之釋：「此地修三十七助道觀門，觀身受心法轉加明淨，故名為焰慧地。」〔T36n1739 0890c10–0890c11〕
本地主行：「二明此地修何行門者，以精進波羅蜜為首，餘九為伴。」〔T36n1739 0890c15–0890c16〕
神名之釋：「是故此神名普救一切眾生妙德。妙德者，明三十七助道觀能顯自他妙慧故也。」〔T36n1739 0891a03–0891a05〕
法門名之釋：「為明此位三十七道品通三乘一乘共所修行，調伏之大路故，名普現調伏一切眾生解脫。」〔T36n1739 0891a08–0891a10〕
神所住處之表：「此第四地中普救眾生夜天在此眾會中，明以忍精進二位不離萬行故。」〔T36n1739 0890c23–0890c25〕
與前三地之相望：「第四焰慧地以精進波羅蜜為體，神名普救眾生，以精進波羅蜜是普救義故。」〔T36n1739 0891a25–0891a27〕
敘事之科（與澄觀之五分異）：本友之正釋起於「長科為十四段」〔T36n1739 0989b15〕，其下逐段所配至〔0990a06〕，隨文釋義至〔0991a17〕。其前「約分為五門：一推德昇進、二示善知識所在、三舉善知識夜神名普救眾生妙德、四勸善財令往詣、五禮敬辭退。」〔T36n1739 0989b01–0989b04〕係前友喜目夜神段之推德昇進門，所指者即本友，不在本友科內。本友段末別立六門「一推德勝進、二示善知識所在云去此不遠、三舉夜神名號寂靜音海、四舉夜神徒眾主之神數、五勸善財往問、六聞善知識所在禮敬辭去。」〔T36n1739 0991a19–0991a22〕，所指者是後友寂靜音海。
本生五百佛之表法：「此十一地中都行五位中各十波羅蜜互為其體，一位有百共為五百。」〔T36n1739 0990c26–0990c27〕；末後作妓女者，「表法悅樂，明十一地中五百行滿」〔T36n1739 0991a01〕。
父王母妃女之表法：「其王妃圓滿面者，以智滿法悅是。」〔T36n1739 0990c18–0990c19〕；「王女妙德眼童女者，表以智行慈，無染淨二習也。」〔T36n1739 0990c22–0990c23〕
世界差別智與十地百一十佛：釋本友所現世界差別，云「此是種種差別智之純雜光明自在」〔T36n1739 0990a09〕；釋頌中佛號，云「一百一十箇佛號者，配此十地十一地因果佛位故」〔T36n1739 0990b23–0990b24〕，而以「初佛名智焰」配初歡喜地，「檀波羅蜜為主，餘九為伴」〔0990b25〕。
本地所治：「此是第四焰慧地善知識，以精進波羅蜜為主，餘九為伴。治處世間修慈悲懈怠，不樂精進捨眾生障，使令專精進教化眾生故。」〔T36n1739 0991a08–0991a11〕
母女之表：「此寂靜音海夜神，是普救眾生妙德夜神之母，表定能成精進行故。若無定者，一切諸行皆有疲勞。」〔T36n1739 0991b06–0991b08〕
智儼《搜玄記》T35n1732
智儼所釋亦為六十本，本友之名形同作「妙德救護眾生」。本節專釋起〔T35n1732 0098c12〕，訖於第五友科前〔0099b09〕。
標名與寄位：〔T35n1732 0098c12–0098c13〕「第四夜天名妙德救護眾生，即四地菩薩位也，入教化眾生菩薩法門。」
三分之科：〔T35n1732 0098c13–0098c14〕「初勸教、二「時善財」〔0098c14〕下依教趣入、三「爾時夜天」〔0098c14〕下證也。」
正入自分四科：〔T35n1732 0098c17–0098c20〕「初自分中有四：初天為現法門令善財得自分法體、二「即得此三昧」〔0098c18〕下明三昧力用、三「白言」〔0098c19〕下明得法因緣。四「我唯」〔0098c20〕下結自分所知。」
三昧力用之科：〔T35n1732 0098c22–0098c25〕「二三昧力用，文中有三：初明所化眾生處中自在，此中有四：一依；二處；三知；四益，此文中有四：一六道、二四生、三約相、四「滿足大願」〔0098c24〕下釋成化意。」
誌錄不判
本節之科，澄觀作五分（依教趣求·聞見法界·謙己推勝·指示後友·戀德禮辭，六段之第二第三合科；聞見法界下依合科分四：現光加持·蒙光獲益·三業敬讚·問答因緣），李通玄則於本友正入當位法門長科為十四段，段末推德勝進另立六門（前友段末之推德昇進五門指本友，屬界外引介），二家之分數與所依之骨俱異。地名之釋，澄觀約「智焰吉祥，稱為妙德」釋友名而繫寄焰慧地，李通玄約三十七助道觀門釋地名、約精進波羅蜜釋神名。法門名之釋，澄觀就經文之體用直取，李通玄則以三十七道品通三乘一乘共修為「調伏之大路」。友名之形，八十作「普救眾生妙德夜神」，六十作「妙德救護眾生夜天」，四十作「普救眾生威德神」。此諸異釋皆古德成說，誌錄之。
澄觀明判
寄位之判，澄觀於末會五相之科自陳古來二軌——一軌隨文散釋而不別配地位，一軌則配地位——而於二軌之間自下明判：
「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。」〔T35n1735 0918b04–0918b07〕
七、互讀·承衍
本節之文，承衍繫鏈皆自古德已行之互讀直回：
- 《華嚴經旨歸》T45n1871：檢「普救眾生」「妙德夜神」皆 0 命中〔查無〕。
- 《華嚴經孔目章》T45n1870：檢八十本之名形「普救眾生」「妙德夜神」皆 0 命中；而以六十本之名形檢之，本友實見二處。其一在逐友立義之段，以「自下十地證位方便」〔T45n1870 0585b04〕領起，逐友各立法門義，其第四即本友：「第四知識。約一乘別教。於成佛處。覺自在法。示現眾生利益法門義。」〔T45n1870 0585b09–0585b11〕；其二在列名之段：「三十五夜天乘道場眾中名妙德救護眾生」〔T45n1870 0589b03〕。二處皆在〈入法界品初辨迴心章〉0575c12–0583b18 之窗外。
- 《華嚴一乘教義分齊章》T45n1866：檢「普救眾生」「妙德夜神」皆 0 命中〔查無〕。
- 《華嚴一乘十玄門》T45n1868：檢「普救眾生」「妙德夜神」皆 0 命中；「入法界」一命中〔T45n1868 0515c09〕屬泛引全品為證，非本節相涉〔查無友別相涉〕。
- 《華嚴法界玄鏡》T45n1883：檢「普救眾生」「妙德夜神」「入法界」皆 0 命中〔查無〕。
- 疏內自舉他典：澄觀本節科段〔T35n1735 0943a26–0944b15〕之內未自舉他經他論〔查無〕。
- 鈔內之覆按：《演義鈔》於本節之專釋唯二事——釋「寄焰慧地」之所以，與覆按疏語「後二句是等覺」「表真精進却從定生」〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c22〕，非別掘他典；其前 0682c10–c17 之十地十劫名總配屬前友喜目段。
- 唯識軸：本節非〈十地品〉，不另立唯識繫鏈；十地經論 T26n1522 · 成唯識論 T31n1585 · 攝大乘論 T31n1594 · 瑜伽師地論 T30n1579 · 解深密經 T16n0676 五典未逐一深掘，據實標闕。
- 本經內之互讀：本節結會古今處自繫二人——父王即彌勒菩薩「今彌勒菩薩是」〔T10n0279 0382b05〕，母妃即下一友「寂靜音海夜神是」〔0382b06〕。前者遙指本會第四十九友慈氏，後者即次子——此二繫皆經文自說，非後人所配。
八、校本定位
- 實叉 T279（底本）：本節〔T10n0279 0378a25〕起–〔0384a19 前〕訖。依教趣求 0378a25–b03 · 現光加持 0378b03–b08 · 蒙光獲益見用所依處 0378b08–b18 · 別明塵中之剎與能化益 0378b18–0378c05 · 化九類與化意十九句 0378c05–c18 · 三業敬讚 0378c18–c22 · 善財讚偈四十一行 0378c24–0379b06 · 三問 0379b07–b09 · 歎深難說 0379b10–b19 · 本生總舉劫剎佛興 0379b19–b24 · 通顯剎相 0379b24–c01 · 別顯生處 0379c01–c15 · 本生父母與本生身 0379c15–c29 · 眾生起惡 0380a01–a04 · 得道之場 0380a04–a18 · 十一重光明 0380a18–b21 · 動剎集眾現相顯德 0380b21–c01 · 成道依正 0380c01–c05 · 始成正覺轉法輪二十句 0380c05–c24 · 轉法輪結 0380c24–c27 · 善友引導 0380c27–0381a17 · 輪王讚佛偈二十行 0381a22–b12 · 廣興供雲至彼修敬 0381b13–b20 · 德女修因 0381b20–c19 · 聞經得益 0381c19–0382a20 · 顯發昔因 0382a20–a28 · 發心之始 0382a28–b03 · 結會古今 0382b03–b15 · 別舉大光劫十佛 0382b15–c25 · 總顯諸劫 0382c25–0383a02 · 見佛行成 0383a02–a05 · 夜神重頌八十二行 0383a07–0384a01 · 謙己推勝 0384a02–a07 · 指示後友 0384a07–a10 · 戀德禮辭 0384a10–a11。偈行一百四十三行（善財讚偈四十一行 · 輪王讚佛偈二十行 · 夜神重頌八十二行）。
- 佛馱 T278（晉譯主對校）：本節〔T09n0278 0728c29〕起–〔0734b13〕訖。念前教趣求 0728c29–0729a07 · 現光加持 0729a07–a12 · 見用 0729a12–a21 · 世界差別十句 0729a21–a26 · 善財讚偈末 0730a08–a09 · 中段 0730a15–0731b02 · 普賢告輪王 0731c06–c13 · 輪王與眷屬昇空 0731c13–c14 · 德女見佛現變 0732a25–b06 · 佛為說經 0732b07 · 謙己 0734b02 · 推勝 0734b02–b08 · 指示後友 0734b08–b11 · 戀德禮辭 0734b11–b13。
- 般若 T293（貞元本對校）：本節〔T10n0293 0748c06〕起–〔0755a29〕訖。念前友之教 0748c06–c14 · 趣求與現光 0748c14–c19 · 得三昧見用 0748c19–c23 · 世界差別 0749a03–a04 · 讚偈末段 0749c16–c21 · 二問 0749c22–c24 · 歎深難說 0750a01–a02 · 別顯生處 0750b01–b02 · 成道前放光十二重（末三重 0751a17–a25，中有八十本所無之「一百年前」一重 0751a20） · 動剎集眾 0751b01–b02 · 轉法輪 0751c01–c02 · 普賢告輪王 0751c22–c25 · 女發大心 0752a01–a02 · 輪王偈末 0752b01–b02 · 德女覩變 0752c01–c02 · 三昧列名十三（中有八十本所無之「一切菩薩住一切地自在莊嚴三昧」0752c23–c24） · 諸心 0753a01–a02 · 顯發昔因 0753b01–b02 · 大光劫諸佛 0753c01–c02 · 得解脫門 0754a01–a02 · 重頌佛名 0754b01–0754c07 · 謙己推勝 0755a12–a23 · 指示後友 0755a24–a27 · 戀德禮辭 0755a28–a29。四十本問法之處但有二問——問得法久近、問本修何行而得清淨〔0749c23–c24〕，不別問法門之名；成道前之光十二重、所列三昧十三名，皆四十本自有之數，八十本之十一重、十二名不改。
- 澄觀《疏》T35n1735：本節正釋 0943a26 起 · 釋名與寄位 0943a26–a27 · 五分科 0943a27–b06 · 蒙光獲益 0943b07–b13 · 世界差別釋 0943b14–b16 · 化五道化九類 0943b17–b19 · 化意 0943b19–b20 · 三業敬讚與偈分 0943b20–b26 · 三問 0943b26–b29 · 歎深四約 0943c01–c05 · 本生十段科 0943c06–c16 · 佛興益物七分 0943c16–c27 · 轉法輪判位 0943c27–0944a04 · 善友引導六分 0944a04–a11 · 德女修因三表 0944a11–a14 · 聞經得益三益 0944a14–a20 · 發心之始 0944a20–a22 · 結會古今 0944a22–a25 · 別答修行淨治 0944a25–b04 · 偈頌三分與百一十佛 0944b04–b11 · 指示後友 0944b11–b15 · 訖於第五寂靜音海前 0944b15。又〈世主妙嚴品〉主夜神段 0551c22–c25 別有跨品對讀之短釋，在本節科段之外。
- 澄觀《鈔》T36n1736：本節專釋 0682c17–0682c22（寄焰慧地之所以 0682c17–c19 · 覆按疏語二處 0682c19–c22）；其前 0682c10–c17 為前友喜目段內之十地十劫名總配，其第四配焰慧地作「功德月」〔0682c12〕，非本友本生所歷之劫名。
- 法藏《探玄記》T35n1733（六十本疏）：本節專釋 0475c21–0477b03（科起 0475c21 · 釋名 0475c22–c23 · 依教趣入之科 0475c23–c28 · 見用所依處三分 0476a06–a10 · 世界形類二解 0476a10–a14 · 二十種畏與非時受生 0476a18–a19 · 十七句釋成化所由 0476a21 · 偈讚二十頌半 0476a26–b05 · 三問 0476b06–b08 · 本生十段 0476b21–b24 · 放光十二重 0476c02 · 轉法輪中菩薩益十六句 0476c09–c15 · 普賢引導四分 0476c16–c22 · 德女興供三分 0476c22–0477a04 · 聞經得益 0477a04–a11 · 結會古今 0477a13–a15 · 大光明劫三分 0477a15–a18 · 重頌三十八頌半 0477a23–a27 · 天竺本名 0477a28–a29 · 仰推十句 0477a29–b03 · 訖「炎地竟」0477b03）；其前寄十地十友之總說繫第一友〔0473b10–b18〕。所釋皆六十本之文，本友之名形亦從六十。
- 李通玄《論》T36n1739：本節相涉二處——十地表法總段 0890c07–0891a27（地名釋 0890c08 · 主行 0890c15 · 善財表法 0890c17 · 神名釋 0891a03 · 法門名釋 0891a08 · 三界解脫 0891a12 · 十地神名總配 0891a18–a27）；本友敘事科 0989b14–0991b08（正入當位法門十四段 0989b14 · 逐段所配 0989b15–0990a06 · 隨文釋義 0990a06–0991a17（五百佛表法 0990c26–c27 · 母妃女表法 0990c18–c23 · 本地所治 0991a08–a11） · 推德勝進六門 0991a18–0991b08（母女之表 0991b06–b08））。其前 0989a29–0989b04 之推德昇進門五門屬前友喜目段，所指者即本友，非本友之科。
- 智儼《搜玄記》T35n1732（六十本記）：本節專釋 0098c12–0099b09（標名寄位 0098c12–c13 · 三分之科 0098c13–c14 · 依入三分 0098c15–c16 · 正入自分四科 0098c17–c20 · 三昧力用之科 0098c22–c25 · 偈讚二十偈半三分 0098c27–c29 · 得法因緣 0099a01–a06 · 本生八分 0099a10–a17 · 施化四文與放光十二種 0099a18–a23 · 轉法輪二十句 0099a23–a29 · 聖王十偈 0099b02–b04 · 重頌三十八半四分 0099b04–b08 · 仰推 0099b08–b09 · 訖於第五夜天科前 0099b09）。所釋亦六十本之文。
- 異讀：本單元 T279 範圍〔0378a25〕–〔0384a18〕內大正校記 10 條，逐條照錄不判（底本【大】｜他本異讀；多本異讀以／分列）：〔0378b24〕言辭【大】｜言詞【宮】 · 〔0379c21〕采女【大】｜婇女【宮】 · 〔0380c05〕跏【大】｜加【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0382c20〕妓【大】｜伎【宮】 · 〔0383b19〕娑【大】｜婆【元】【明】 · 〔0383c21〕眾妙音【大】｜眾妙香【宮】 · 〔0384a15〕第【大】｜無此字【聖】 · 〔0384a17〕三藏【大】｜三藏沙門【宋】【元】【明】／三藏法師【宮】 · 〔0384a17〕奉制【大】｜無此字【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0384a17〕于闐國三藏實叉難陀奉制譯（凡12字）【大】｜新譯【聖】。
- 異讀補記：夾注已於原典層剝除誌錄。
- 查無條目：《華嚴經旨歸》T45n1871 ·《華嚴一乘教義分齊章》T45n1866 ·《華嚴一乘十玄門》T45n1868 ·《華嚴法界玄鏡》T45n1883——共四部，本節友別之釋皆 0 命中，八十與六十二系之名形俱檢。《華嚴經孔目章》T45n1870 ·《探玄記》T35n1733 ·《搜玄記》T35n1732 三部則實有本友之釋，皆循六十本之名形，見第六目與第七目所錄。
Sudhana’s thirty-fourth friend, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, is the fourth of the ten night goddesses, and Chengguan fastens her to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom. The whole unit runs to eight thousand eight hundred graphs and more, and is among the largest units of this assembly, and more than half of it is a single account of a former life — the night goddess tells in the first person the story of who she was measureless kalpas ago: at that time she was Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge, the daughter of a wheel-turning king; her father the king was afterward Maitreya; her mother the queen was afterward the next good friend, the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound; and the one who urged her to repair a buddha-image fallen into ruin, and who afterward led her to see the Buddha, was the bodhisattva Samantabhadra. The verse lines of the whole unit come to one hundred and forty-three, in three passages: forty-one lines of Sudhana’s verses of praise, twenty lines of the wheel-turning sage king’s verses in praise of the Buddha, and eighty-two lines of the night goddess’s verses restating. Chengguan outlines this unit as 「文但有五，二三合故」 tr. “the text has only five, because the second and the third are combined,” and judges that the ten buddhas to a set listed in the night goddess’s verses restating, eleven sets and one hundred and ten buddhas in all, are 「表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴」 tr. “a signifying that in the ten grounds and equal awakening each takes its first buddha as host and the remaining nine as companions.” The friend’s name differs in form in all three witnesses — the eighty-fascicle has 「普救眾生妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings,” the sixty-fascicle has 「妙德救護眾生夜天」 tr. “the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings,” and the forty-fascicle has 「普救眾生威德神」 tr. “the spirit Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings.” Fazang’s Tanxuan ji and Zhiyan’s Souxuan ji both gloss this friend as the text runs, under the sixty-fascicle form of her name, 「妙德救護眾生」 tr. “Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings” — the former from 〔T35n1733 0475c21〕 to 「炎地竟」 tr. “the ground of blazing is done” 〔0477b03〕, the latter from 〔T35n1732 0098c12〕 to before the outline of the fifth friend 〔0099b09〕.
I. Doctrinal Outline and Placement
| Outline system | The place of this section’s scripture text within it |
|---|---|
| The base text T279, in thirty-nine chapters | Chapter 39, Entering the Dharma Realm (the ninth assembly, in the Jeta Grove); the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings = 〔T10 0378a25〕–〔0384a19 前〕 |
| Chengguan, Huayan jing shu | The direct gloss on this section begins 〔T35n1735 0943a26〕 「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地」 tr. “fourth, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom,” and ends before the fifth friend, Ocean of Tranquil Sound 〔0944b15〕 |
| Chengguan, Yanyi chao | Glosses why she is 「寄焰慧地」 tr. “assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom” 〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c22 前〕 |
| Fazang, Tanxuan ji (the commentary upon the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka) | The gloss proper to this section begins 〔T35n1733 0475c21〕 「第四焰地善知識中亦五」 tr. “within the fourth, the good friend of the ground of blazing, there are likewise five,” and ends 〔0477b03〕 「炎地竟」 tr. “the ground of blazing is done”; what he glosses is the sixty-fascicle form of the name, 「妙德救護眾生」 tr. “Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings” |
| Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun | The general passage of the ten grounds signifying dharmas glosses this station 〔T36n1739 0890c07–0891a27〕; the narrative of this section is outlined passage by passage — the Dharma gate of truly entering this station, in fourteen passages 〔0989b14〕, glossed as the text runs down to 〔0991a17〕, and then the gate of ascending by ascribing virtue, in six, pointing to the next friend 〔0991a18–0991b08〕 |
| Zhiyan, Souxuan ji | The gloss proper to this section begins 〔T35n1732 0098c12〕 「第四夜天名妙德救護眾生」 tr. “fourth, the night deva named Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings,” and ends before the outline of the fifth friend 〔0099b09〕; what he glosses is likewise the sixty-fascicle form of the name |
Chengguan’s outline in five parts — the bone of this section:
「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地。文但有五，二三合故。」 tr. “Fourth, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom. The text has only five, because the second and the third are combined.” 〔T35n1735 0943a26–0943a28〕
The reason it 「但有五」 tr. “has only five” is that the second and the third of this assembly’s outline in six passages are combined into one:
〔T35n1735 0943a29–0943b06〕「第二「時彼二神」〔0943a29〕下聞見法界，即合二三，謂約善財則是見敬，若約夜神所現即是解脫業用，便為默授法界。若約二文開辨，則先明見敬諮問、後答因緣方為正授法界。今依合科，總分為四：一現光加持、二蒙光獲益、三三業敬讚、四問答因緣。」 tr. “Second, from ‘at that time those two goddesses’ onward, is the hearing and seeing of the Dharma realm, which combines the second and the third: as regards Sudhana it is the seeing and paying respect, while as regards what the night goddess manifests it is the working of the liberation, and this amounts to conferring the Dharma realm in silence. If the two texts be opened and distinguished, then first is made clear the seeing and paying respect and inquiring, and afterward the answering of the cause is the true conferring of the Dharma realm. Now, following the combined outline, it is divided in all into four: first, manifesting light and bestowing power; second, receiving the light and gaining benefit; third, paying respect and praising with the three kinds of action; fourth, question and answer upon the cause.”
The inner outline of the one part that is the receiving of the light and the gaining of benefit:
「先得定，謂三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨，即淨智圓滿。摧障為輪，故所見無礙。」 tr. “First Sudhana gains concentration: that is, because the three kinds of action and the six faculties are all free of obstruction, it is called ultimate purity, which is the fullness of pure knowledge. Demolishing obstruction is the wheel, and therefore what is seen is unobstructed.” 〔T35n1735 0943b09–0943b10〕
〔T35n1735 0943b10–0943b13〕「後「得此」〔0943b11〕下明見大用，於中二：先見用所依處、後「一一塵中」〔0943b12〕下明所見事。於中三：一所化處、二能化益、三所化意。」 tr. “Afterward, from ‘having gained this’ onward, is made clear the seeing of the great working, within which there are two: first the seeing of the place upon which the working depends, and afterward, from ‘within each and every dust mote’ onward, is made clear what is seen. Within this there are three: first the place where converting is done, second the benefit by which converting is done, third the intent for which converting is done.”
The division of the paying of respect and praising with the three kinds of action, and of the verses of praise:
〔T35n1735 0943b20–0943b24〕「第三「時善財童子見此」〔0943b20〕下三業敬讚，中三：初身心敬重、二「時彼夜神」〔0943b21〕下顯友自在、三「爾時」〔0943b22〕下口以偈讚。二十偈半，分二：初偈總、餘偈別。別中二：初九偈半明光用無涯、後「我承」〔0943b24〕下述前蒙光獲益。」 tr. “Third, from ‘at that time Sudhana the youth, having seen this’ onward, is the paying of respect and praising with the three kinds of action, within which there are three: first the reverence of body and mind; second, from ‘at that time that night goddess’ onward, the displaying of the friend’s sovereignty; third, from ‘at that time’ onward, the praising in verses with the mouth. Twenty verses and a half, divided in two: the first verse is the general, and the remaining verses the particular. Within the particular there are two: the first nine verses and a half make clear that the working of the light is without bound; afterward, from ‘I carry’ onward, is restated the earlier receiving of the light and gaining of benefit.”
The three questions of the question and answer upon the cause:
「問中有三：一問名，前來標名，集經者言，故此方問；二問得法久近，欲顯久修德遠故；三問修因淨治，求入路故。」 tr. “Within the asking there are three: first, asking the name — the name was set forth earlier, and that was the words of the one who compiled the scripture, and so he asks it only here; second, asking how long ago the Dharma was gained, wishing to show that the cultivation is long and the virtue far off; third, asking the cause cultivated and the purifying, since he seeks the road by which to enter.” 〔T35n1735 0943b27–0943b29〕
The outline of the former life in ten passages:
〔T35n1735 0943c09–0943c16〕「今初，十段：一總舉劫剎佛興，已略酬其久近；二「其佛世界」〔0943c10〕下通顯剎相；三「此界東際」〔0943c11〕下別顯生處；四「有轉輪王」〔0943c11〕下明本生父母；五「其有一女」〔0943c12〕下明本生身；六「爾時眾生」〔0943c13〕下眾生起惡為佛現因；七「時彼城北」〔0943c13〕下佛興益物；八「時普賢」〔0943c14〕下明善友引導；九「時轉輪王女」〔0943c15〕下明德女修因；十「普智寶焰」〔0943c15〕下聞經得益。」 tr. “Now the first: ten passages. First, the general raising of the kalpa, the land, and the arising of buddhas, which has already in brief repaid the question of how long. Second, from ‘that buddha-world’ onward, the general displaying of the marks of the land. Third, from ‘at the eastern border of this world’ onward, the particular displaying of the place of birth. Fourth, from ‘there was a wheel-turning king’ onward, making clear the parents of the former life. Fifth, from ‘he had one daughter’ onward, making clear the body of the former life. Sixth, from ‘at that time the sentient beings’ onward, sentient beings raising evil, which is the cause of the Buddha’s appearing. Seventh, from ‘at that time, north of that city’ onward, the Buddha’s appearing and benefiting beings. Eighth, from ‘at that time Samantabhadra’ onward, making clear the guiding of the good friend. Ninth, from ‘at that time the daughter of the wheel-turning king’ onward, making clear the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause. Tenth, from ‘Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge’ onward, the gaining of benefit from hearing the sūtra.”
The three parts of the verses:
「第二偈頌，四十一偈，分三：初二偈舉法誡聽、次三十八偈頌前正說、後一偈舉因勸修。」 tr. “Second, the verses, forty-one verses, divided in three: the first two verses raise the Dharma and charge him to listen; the next thirty-eight verses restate the direct exposition before; the last verse raises the cause and urges cultivation.” 〔T35n1735 0944b04–0944b06〕
In the one part that is the pointing out of the next friend, Chengguan glosses both the name and the station of the friend to come:
〔T35n1735 0944b11–0944b13〕「第四「去此不遠」〔0944b11〕下指示後友，亦以證同。又禪依進發，故云不遠。禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海。」 tr. “Fourth, from ‘not far from here’ onward, is the pointing out of the next friend, likewise by way of realization being the same. Again, dhyāna is set forth in reliance upon vigor, and therefore it is said to be not far. Because of dhyāna she is tranquil; because she enters the common world and sets forth the Dharma and converts beings deeply and broadly, she is called ocean of sound.”
Li Tongxuan’s outline — differing from Chengguan both in the number of parts and in the bone he depends upon, and two matters must first be told apart. The first is the 「推德昇進門」 tr. “gate of ascending by ascribing virtue” at the end of the passage of the friend before, the night goddess Eyes of Joy: its five gates point to this friend, and its text lies outside the direct gloss upon this friend:
〔T36n1739 0989a29–0989b04〕「第二推德昇進門中，從「如諸菩薩摩訶薩」〔0989a29〕已下至「辭退而去」〔0989b01〕有十四行經，約分為五門：一推德昇進、二示善知識所在、三舉善知識夜神名普救眾生妙德、四勸善財令往詣、五禮敬辭退。」 tr. “Within the second, the gate of ascending by ascribing virtue: from ‘as for the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas’ onward down to ‘took his leave and departed’ there are fourteen lines of scripture, divided in outline into five gates — first, ascending by ascribing virtue; second, showing where the good friend is; third, raising the good friend the night goddess’s name, Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings; fourth, urging Sudhana to go to her; fifth, paying respect and taking leave.”
The second is the direct gloss upon this friend, outlined at length into fourteen passages, and glossed as the text runs down to 〔0991a17〕:
〔T36n1739 0989b14–0989b15〕「第一正入當位法門中，從「爾時善財童子」〔0989b14〕已下，長科為十四段。」 tr. “Within the first, the Dharma gate of truly entering this station: from ‘at that time Sudhana the youth’ onward, it is outlined at length into fourteen passages.”
At the end of this friend’s passage there is a further gate of ascending by ascribing virtue, pointing to the next friend, Ocean of Tranquil Sound, and there Li Tongxuan sets up six gates:
〔T36n1739 0991a18–0991a22〕「第二推德勝進中，從「如諸菩薩摩訶薩」〔0991a18〕已下至「辭退而去」〔0991a19〕有八行半經，約立六門：一推德勝進、二示善知識所在云去此不遠、三舉夜神名號寂靜音海、四舉夜神徒眾主之神數、五勸善財往問、六聞善知識所在禮敬辭去。」 tr. “Within the second, ascending by ascribing virtue: from ‘as for the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas’ onward down to ‘took his leave and departed’ there are eight and a half lines of scripture, set up in outline as six gates — first, ascending by ascribing virtue; second, showing where the good friend is, saying that she is not far from here; third, raising the night goddess’s title, Ocean of Tranquil Sound; fourth, raising the number of goddesses who are the retinue of that night goddess; fifth, urging Sudhana to go and ask; sixth, having heard where the good friend is, paying respect and taking leave.”
II. Terminology
| Term | Sanskrit as transmitted by the ancient worthies (roman letters · pronunciation aid) | Attestation | Essential sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings | — | this unit: 「往詣普救眾生妙德夜神所」 tr. “he went on to where the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings was” 〔T10n0279 0378b02–b03〕 | The name of the thirty-fourth friend; Chengguan glosses the name: 「為普救眾生。智焰吉祥，稱為妙德」 tr. “she is for the saving of all beings; the flame of knowledge is auspicious, and so she is called wondrous virtue” 〔T35n1735 0943a26〕; the sixty-fascicle has 「妙德救護眾生夜天」 tr. “the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings” 〔T09n0278 0729a06〕, and the forty-fascicle 「普救眾生威德神」 tr. “the spirit Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings” 〔T10n0293 0748c14〕 |
| the Ground of Flaming Wisdom | — | Chengguan: 「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地」 tr. “fourth, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom” 〔T35n1735 0943a26–a27〕 | The fourth of the ten grounds; the Yanyi chao glosses why: 「謂安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪，慧焰增故」 tr. “that is, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, burning the firewood of the afflictions, the flame of wisdom increases” 〔T36n1736 0682c18–c19〕. The scripture text itself has no name of a ground; the judgment of the assigned station is fastened to Chengguan following the ancient worthies |
| Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity | — | this unit: 「於兩眉間放大光明，名：智燈普照清淨幢」 tr. “from between her two brows she sent forth a great light named Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity” 〔T10n0279 0378b04–b05〕 | The name of the light the night goddess sends forth from between her brows; the sixty-fascicle has 「普慧焰燈淨幢」 tr. “Pure Banner of the Lamp of the Flame of Universal Wisdom” 〔T09n0278 0729a09〕, and the forty-fascicle 「普智焰無垢星宿幢」 tr. “Undefiled Constellation Banner of the Flame of Universal Knowledge” 〔T10n0293 0748c17〕 |
| the samādhi of the Wheel of Ultimate Purity | — | this unit: 「善財爾時即得究竟清淨輪三昧」 tr. “Sudhana at that moment straightway gained the samādhi of the Wheel of Ultimate Purity” 〔T10n0279 0378b07–b08〕 | The concentration Sudhana gains upon receiving the light; Chengguan glosses it: 「三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨」 tr. “because the three kinds of action and the six faculties are all free of obstruction, it is called ultimate purity,” and again 「摧障為輪，故所見無礙」 tr. “demolishing obstruction is the wheel, and therefore what is seen is unobstructed” 〔T35n1735 0943b09–b10〕 |
| the bodhisattva liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings | — | this unit: 「即得菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫門」 tr. “she then gained the bodhisattva liberation gate of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings” 〔T10n0279 0382b12–b13〕 | The name of this friend’s Dharma gate; at the passage of humbling herself the scripture text has it again as 「我唯知此菩薩普現一切世間調伏眾生解脫」 tr. “I know only this bodhisattva liberation of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings” 〔0384a02–a03〕 |
| Perfect Purity | — | this unit: 「爾時有劫，名：圓滿清淨，世界名：毘盧遮那大威德」 tr. “at that time there was a kalpa named Perfect Purity, and a world named Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue” 〔T10n0279 0379b20–b21〕 | The name of the kalpa in which the former life takes place; the world of the prose passage is named 「毘盧遮那大威德」 tr. “Vairocana’s Great Majestic Virtue,” while at the place of the verses restating it reads 「是時有世界，名為遍照燈，須彌塵數佛，於中出興世」 tr. “at that time there was a world named Lamp Shining Everywhere, where buddhas as many as the dust motes of Sumeru arose within it in the world” 〔0383a13〕 — both forms are the base text graph for graph, recorded without adjudication |
| Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge | — | this unit: 「其第一佛，名：普智寶焰妙德幢」 tr. “the first buddha among them was named Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge” 〔T10n0279 0380a15–a16〕 | The name of the first buddha met with in the former life; elsewhere the scripture text also has 「普智寶焰妙德幢王如來」 tr. “the Tathāgata, the King Banner of the Wondrous Virtue of the Jewel-Flame of Universal Knowledge” |
| Vairocana Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot | — | this unit: 「有轉輪王於中出現，名：毘盧遮那妙寶蓮華髻」 tr. “a wheel-turning king appeared within it, named Vairocana Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot” 〔T10n0279 0379c17〕 | The father king of the former life; at the bringing together of past and present it reads 「毘盧遮那藏妙寶蓮華髻轉輪聖王」 tr. “the wheel-turning sage king Vairocana Treasury Wondrous Jewel Lotus Topknot” 〔0382b04〕 — both forms are the base text graph for graph, recorded without adjudication |
| Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge | — | this unit: 「其有一女，名：普智焰妙德眼」 tr. “he had one daughter named Eyes of the Wondrous Virtue of the Flame of Universal Knowledge” 〔T10n0279 0379c26–c27〕 | The body of the former life, that is, the night goddess’s own former self; at the bringing together it reads 「即我身是」 tr. “is my own self” 〔0382b07〕 |
| Perfect Countenance | — | this unit: 「王有正妃，名：圓滿面，是王女寶」 tr. “the king had a chief queen named Perfect Countenance, who was the king’s treasure among women” 〔T10n0279 0379c24–c25〕 | The mother queen of the former life; at the bringing together it reads 「時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是」 tr. “the queen of that time, Perfect Countenance, is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound” 〔0382b05–b06〕 |
| Ocean of Tranquil Sound | — | this unit: 「有主夜神，名：寂靜音海」 tr. “there is a night goddess named Ocean of Tranquil Sound” 〔T10n0279 0384a07〕 | The name of the thirty-fifth friend; Chengguan glosses it: 「禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海」 tr. “because of dhyāna she is tranquil; because she enters the common world and sets forth the Dharma and converts beings deeply and broadly, she is called ocean of sound” 〔T35n1735 0944b12–b13〕 |
| asaṃkhyeya | — (「阿僧祇」 tr. “asaṃkhyeya” is itself a transcription transmitted from of old) | this unit: 「百萬阿僧祇主夜神前後圍遶」 tr. “a million asaṃkhyeyas of night goddesses encircling her before and behind” 〔T10n0279 0384a08〕 | The name of a great number that cannot be counted |
| nayuta | — (「那由他」 tr. “nayuta” is itself a transcription transmitted from of old) | this unit: 「有十萬億那由他四天下皆妙莊嚴」 tr. “there were a hundred thousand koṭis of nayutas of sets of four continents, all of them wondrously adorned” 〔T10n0279 0379b25–b26〕 | The name of a great number |
| sūtra | sūtra (transmitted by the ancient worthies in the transcription 「修多羅」 tr. “sūtra”) | this unit: 「為說修多羅，名：一切如來轉法輪」 tr. “he proclaimed for her a sūtra named The Turning of the Wheel of Dharma by All Tathāgatas” 〔T10n0279 0381c18–c19〕 | The transcription of scripture; in this section the word appears eighteen times |
| anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi | — (itself a transcription transmitted from of old) | this unit: 「發阿耨多羅三藐三菩提心」 tr. “gave rise to the mind of anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi” 〔T10n0279 0382a27〕 | Unsurpassed, right, and equal awakening |
III. Similes and Rhetoric
(1) Light as the thread of the whole unit — three sets of the sending forth of light are set out here, and in each what is sent forth answers to what is gained (this section speaks of light being sent forth in more places than these three: Samantabhadra’s transformed body 「放大光明，普照一切」 tr. “sent forth a great light shining everywhere upon all” 〔T10n0279 0381a01〕, and the wheel-turning king, risen into the sky, 「放大光明照四天下」 tr. “sent forth a great light shining upon the four continents” 〔0381a20〕, each of which is its own matter). The first is the light from between the night goddess’s brows, 「智燈普照清淨幢」 tr. “Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity,” the light entering Sudhana’s crown and Sudhana gaining concentration 〔T10n0279 0378b04–b08〕; the second is the eleven layers of light sent forth by the great lotus flower in the former life before that buddha appeared in the world, one layer, one name, one benefit 〔0380a18 以下〕; the third is the light between the brows that the Buddha sends forth at the end of the former life for the courtesan Fair Countenance, 「莊嚴法界大光明」 tr. “Great Light Adorning the Dharma Realm,” the light touching her body and her gaining the liberation gate 「法界方便不退藏」 tr. “The Treasury of the Skillful Means of the Dharma Realm That Does Not Turn Back” 〔0382c23–c24〕. In all three places the Dharma is gained by the touch of light, and not by the hearing of sound.
(2) The diminishing tally of years in the eleven layers of light — the sending forth of light before the Buddha accomplished the Way is set out by the scripture in years, from the far to the near: 「十千年前」 tr. “ten thousand years beforehand,” 「九千年前」 tr. “nine thousand years beforehand,” 「八千年前」 tr. “eight thousand years beforehand,” 「七千年前」 tr. “seven thousand years beforehand,” 「六千年前」 tr. “six thousand years beforehand,” 「五千年前」 tr. “five thousand years beforehand,” 「四千年前」 tr. “four thousand years beforehand,” 「三千年前」 tr. “three thousand years beforehand,” 「二千年前」 tr. “two thousand years beforehand,” 「一千年前」 tr. “one thousand years beforehand,” closing with 「次七日前」 tr. “next after this, seven days beforehand” (counted out word for word: ten layers by the years and one layer of seven days, eleven layers in all). Chengguan judges of this: 「成道前相，謂放光調機有十一重，一一重中各有光明業用成益，以益對名，可以思準」 tr. “the marks before the accomplishing of the Way: that is, the sending forth of light to tune the capacities has eleven layers, and within each and every layer there is the working of the light bringing about benefit; matching the benefit to the name, one may reason it out” 〔T35n1735 0943c19–0943c21〕. The sentence-pattern of every one of the layers is the same — light sent forth · a name set up · 「若有眾生遇斯光者」 tr. “if there were sentient beings who met with this light” gaining some benefit · knowing that after so many years a buddha would appear — with not one exception in the eleven layers (counted out word for word, 「若有眾生遇斯光者」 tr. “if there were sentient beings who met with this light” appears eleven times).
(3) The verse form of listing buddhas ten to a set — within the eighty-two lines of the night goddess’s verses restating, the buddha-names go ten to a set, and set is joined to set by 「從此後次第，復有十佛出」 tr. “thereafter in due order there were again ten buddhas who appeared” (counted out word for word, ten occurrences), which together with the first set makes eleven sets. Chengguan reckons their total number and judges what they signify: 「有百一十佛，表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴」 tr. “there are one hundred and ten buddhas, signifying that in the ten grounds and equal awakening each takes its first buddha as host and the remaining nine as companions” 〔T35n1735 0944b08–0944b09〕.
(4) The ranking side by side of the nineteen fears — of the fears of the human destiny from which the night goddess saves, the scripture lists nineteen in one breath: the fear of the dark of night · of being reviled · of ill repute · of the great assembly · of not making a living · of death · of the evil destinies · of cutting off the roots of good · of turning back from the mind of awakening · of meeting an evil friend · of parting from a good friend · of falling to the ground of the two vehicles · of every kind of birth and death · of dwelling together with sentient beings of another kind · of being born in an evil time · of being born among an evil clan · of doing evil deeds · of the obstruction of deeds and afflictions · of being bound by clinging to perceptions (counted out word for word, nineteen). Their order goes from the fears of outward circumstance inward to the fears of the inner mind, and the last four are being born among an evil clan · doing evil deeds · the obstruction of deeds and afflictions · being bound by clinging to perceptions.
(5) The three similes the scripture has of itself — within Sudhana’s verses of praise a simile is taken three times, and all three take the signs of the sky as similes for light: of the marks of her body, 「譬如空中星」 tr. “it is like the stars in the sky” 〔T10n0279 0378c27〕; of the light of her mouth, 「譬如無量日」 tr. “like measureless suns” 〔0379a08〕; of the light of her eyes, 「譬如無量月」 tr. “like measureless moons” 〔0379a10〕.
(6) The simile of the rising sun robbing the brightness — when Samantabhadra’s transformed body sends forth light and the light upon sentient beings’ bodies does not appear, the scripture takes two similes: 「譬如日出眾景奪曜，亦如聚墨對閻浮金」 tr. “just as when the sun comes out the many shadows are robbed of their brightness, and as a lump of ink set against Jambū-river gold” 〔T10n0279 0381a03〕. The first is a simile for light set against light, the second for color set against color.
(7) Three similes for the softened mind — when the king’s daughter hears the sūtra and gains the samādhis, the scripture takes three things as similes for her mind’s being soft and pliant and without coarseness or hardness: 「如初受胎，如始誕生，如娑羅樹初始生芽」 tr. “like one just received into the womb, like one just born, like a sāla tree just putting out its shoots” 〔T10n0279 0381c21–c22〕. All three similes take the sense of what has just come to birth.
IV. Collation with Parallel Translations
The Chinese witnesses for collating the principal clauses of this section’s scripture text: Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text) · Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, chapter thirty-four, Entering the Dharma Realm) · Prajñā T293 (the Zhenyuan forty-fascicle Avataṃsaka, Entering the Dharma Realm). The scene-structure of all three witnesses is wholly the same — calling to mind the teaching of the friend before · seeking · manifesting light and bestowing power · receiving the light and gaining benefit · seeing the great working · paying respect and praising · question and answer · the former life · humbling herself and pointing to the superior · pointing out the next friend · taking leave.
Clause One The Seeking and the Friend’s Name
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Having raised this vow, he went on to where the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings was | T10n0279 0378b02–b03 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | He went on to where the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings was | T09n0278 0729a06 |
| Prajñā T293 | Having raised this vow, he went on to where the spirit Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings was | T10n0293 0748c14 |
What the variants are fastened to: the friend’s name has three forms in the three witnesses — the eighty-fascicle 「普救眾生妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings,” the sixty-fascicle 「妙德救護眾生夜天」 tr. “the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings” (with 「妙德」 tr. “wondrous virtue” at the head and 「救護」 tr. “rescues and protects” in the middle, the graph order inverted against the eighty-fascicle, and the ending 「夜天」 tr. “night deva” rather than 「夜神」 tr. “night goddess”), and the forty-fascicle 「普救眾生威德神」 tr. “the spirit Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings” (reading 「威德」 tr. “majestic virtue” and not 「妙德」 tr. “wondrous virtue,” and without the graph 「夜」 tr. “night”). Recorded without adjudication.
Clause Two The Name of the Light Manifested and the Name of the Samādhi Gained
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | From between her two brows she sent forth a great light named Lamp of Knowledge Illuminating Everywhere, Banner of Purity | T10n0279 0378b04–b05 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | From within the mark of the white hair-tuft between her brows she sent forth a great light called Pure Banner of the Lamp of the Flame of Universal Wisdom | T09n0278 0729a08–a09 |
| Prajñā T293 | Then from between her brows she sent forth a great light named Undefiled Constellation Banner of the Flame of Universal Knowledge | T10n0293 0748c16–c17 |
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Sudhana at that moment straightway gained the samādhi of the Wheel of Ultimate Purity | T10n0279 0378b07–b08 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | At that time, Sudhana straightway gained the bodhisattva samādhi of Undefiled Perfect Fullness | T09n0278 0729a11–a12 |
| Prajñā T293 | Sudhana straightway gained the samādhi of Utmost Purity and Perfect Fullness | T10n0293 0748c19–c20 |
What the variants are fastened to: (a) as to the place from which the light is sent forth, the eighty-fascicle reads 「兩眉間」 tr. “between her two brows,” the forty-fascicle 「眉間」 tr. “between the brows,” and the sixty-fascicle brings out the three graphs 「白毫相」 tr. “the mark of the white hair-tuft” besides. (b) The name of the light has three forms: the eighty-fascicle heads it with 「智燈」 tr. “lamp of knowledge,” the sixty-fascicle with 「普慧焰燈」 tr. “lamp of the flame of universal wisdom,” and the forty-fascicle with 「普智焰無垢星宿」 tr. “undefiled constellation of the flame of universal knowledge.” (c) The name of the samādhi has three forms, all of which have some combination of 「清淨」 tr. “purity” or 「離垢」 tr. “freedom from defilement” with 「圓滿」 tr. “perfect fullness” or 「輪」 tr. “wheel,” and the eighty-fascicle alone reads 「輪」 tr. “wheel” — so that Chengguan’s gloss 「摧障為輪」 tr. “demolishing obstruction is the wheel” 〔T35n1735 0943b10〕 can stand only upon the graphs of the eighty-fascicle. Recorded without adjudication.
Clause Three The Differences among the Worlds Seen
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Some worlds are foul and mixed, some worlds are pure | T10n0279 0378b18–b19 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | Some worlds are pure, some worlds are impure | T09n0278 0729a21–a22 |
| Prajñā T293 | Some worlds are foul and mixed, some worlds are pure | T10n0293 0749a03–a04 |
What the variants are fastened to: the eighty-fascicle and the forty-fascicle make the pair 「雜穢·清淨」 tr. “foul and mixed · pure,” while the sixty-fascicle makes the pair 「不淨·淨」 tr. “impure · pure,” the order of the negative and the positive being inverted. Counted through the whole passage: in the eighty-fascicle 「或有」 tr. “some are” appears ten times (foul and mixed · pure · tending toward the foul and mixed · tending toward the pure · foul and mixed yet pure · pure yet foul and mixed · wholly pure · its shape level and even · abiding overturned · abiding tilted upon its side); the sixty-fascicle likewise has ten, but its last three read 「其形平正／其形如伏／其形四方」 tr. “its shape level and even / its shape as though prostrate / its shape four-square” 〔T09n0278 0729a24–a26〕, differing from the eighty-fascicle’s 「覆住／側住」 tr. “abiding overturned / abiding tilted upon its side.” Recorded without adjudication.
Clause Four The Liberating Spiritual Power the Night Goddess Displays
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | She displayed the liberating spiritual power of a bodhisattva subduing sentient beings | T10n0279 0378b03–b04 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | She showed forth the realm of the Dharma gate of a bodhisattva teaching and converting all worlds | T09n0278 0729a07–a08 |
| Prajñā T293 | She displayed the liberating spiritual power of a bodhisattva subduing sentient beings | T10n0293 0748c15–c16 |
What the variants are fastened to: the eighty-fascicle and the forty-fascicle are wholly the same graph for graph. The sixty-fascicle reads 「教化一切世間法門境界」 tr. “teaching and converting all worlds, the realm of the Dharma gate,” setting 「教化」 tr. “teaching and converting” against 「調伏」 tr. “subduing,” and 「法門境界」 tr. “the realm of the Dharma gate” against 「解脫神力」 tr. “the liberating spiritual power.” Recorded without adjudication.
Clause Five The Title by Which She Is Called in the Verses
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | I see the Deva Who Saves All Beings, in those measureless lands | T10n0279 0379b05 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | I see the Deva of Wondrous Virtue, who goes on to those pure and adorned lands, and there before all the Tathāgatas makes offerings with reverence | T09n0278 0730a08–a09 |
| Prajñā T293 | I see the Deva Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings, whose body goes everywhere to boundless lands | T10n0293 0749c20 |
What the variants are fastened to: in the verses the eighty-fascicle calls her simply 「普救天」 tr. “the Deva Who Saves All Beings,” omitting her title of virtue, while the forty-fascicle reads 「普救威德天」 tr. “the Deva Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings,” answering to its own prose name for the friend, 「威德神」 tr. “the spirit Majestic Virtue”; and the sixty-fascicle reads 「妙德天」 tr. “the Deva of Wondrous Virtue,” answering likewise to its own prose name, 「妙德救護眾生夜天」 tr. “the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings.” In all three witnesses this verse tells of the night goddess going to the lands and making offerings to the buddhas; what differs is only the wording for the lands — the eighty-fascicle 「於彼無量剎」 tr. “in those measureless lands,” the sixty-fascicle 「詣彼嚴淨剎」 tr. “going to those adorned and pure lands,” the forty-fascicle 「其身普往無邊剎」 tr. “her body going everywhere to boundless lands” — and the forms of the name. Recorded together without adjudication.
Clause Six Samantabhadra’s Words Telling the Wheel-Turning King of the Buddha’s Appearing
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Great king, you should know that now within your land a buddha has arisen in the world | T10n0279 0381a07–a08 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | Great king! You should know that a buddha has arisen in the world, and is now beneath the tree of awakening, Banner of the Sound of the Wondrous Dharma of Universal Light | T09n0278 0731c07–c08 |
| Prajñā T293 | Great king! You should know that now within your land a buddha has arisen, beneath the tree of awakening, Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light Shining Everywhere | T10n0293 0751c23–c25 |
What the variants are fastened to: as to the name of the tree of awakening there are three forms — the eighty-fascicle reads 「普光明法雲音幢」 tr. “Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light,” the sixty-fascicle 「普光明妙法音幢」 tr. “Banner of the Sound of the Wondrous Dharma of Universal Light,” and the forty-fascicle 「普光遍照法雲聲幢」 tr. “Banner of the Sound of the Dharma-Cloud of Universal Light Shining Everywhere” — the eighty-fascicle having the graph 「雲」 tr. “cloud,” the sixty-fascicle the graph 「妙」 tr. “wondrous,” and the forty-fascicle carrying both 「遍照」 tr. “shining everywhere” and 「雲」 tr. “cloud,” with 「聲」 tr. “sound” set for 「音」 tr. “tone.” Again, the eighty-fascicle and the forty-fascicle both speak first of 「今汝國中」 tr. “now within your land” and afterward of the place beneath the tree, while the sixty-fascicle passes straight to the place. Recorded without adjudication.
Clause Seven Humbling Herself and Pointing to the Superior, and Pointing Out the Next Friend
| Witness | Verbatim, rendered | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Śikṣānanda T279 | I know only this bodhisattva liberation of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings | T10n0279 0384a02–a03 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | Son of good family! I know only this bodhisattva Dharma gate of teaching and converting sentient beings; | T09n0278 0734b02 |
| Prajñā T293 | I know only this bodhisattva liberation of Appearing Everywhere in All Worlds and Subduing Sentient Beings | T10n0293 0755a12–a13 |
| Śikṣānanda T279 | There is a night goddess named Ocean of Tranquil Sound, who sits upon a lotus-flower seat adorned with a maṇi banner of light | T10n0279 0384a07–a08 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | Son of good family! Here at this site of awakening, not far from me, there is a night deva named Tranquil Sound, who dwells upon a lion seat that is a jeweled banner and a lotus-flower treasury, with a million asaṃkhyeyas of devas as her retinue encircling her. | T09n0278 0734b08–b10 |
| Prajñā T293 | There is a night goddess named Ocean of Tranquil Sound Furnished with Merit and Virtue | T10n0293 0755a24–a25 |
| Śikṣānanda T279 | Go to her and ask: how is a bodhisattva to study the bodhisattva practice and cultivate the bodhisattva way | T10n0279 0384a09–a10 |
| Buddhabhadra T278 | Go to her and ask how a bodhisattva is to study the bodhisattva practice and cultivate the bodhisattva way. | T09n0278 0734b10–b11 |
| Prajñā T293 | And how could I know, or tell, of their practices of merit and virtue | T10n0293 0755a23 |
What the variants are fastened to: (a) the clause of humbling herself is wholly the same graph for graph in the eighty-fascicle and the forty-fascicle; the sixty-fascicle sets in its place its own name for the Dharma gate, 「教化眾生菩薩法門」 tr. “the bodhisattva Dharma gate of teaching and converting sentient beings.” (b) As to the name of the friend to come, above 「寂靜音海」 tr. “Ocean of Tranquil Sound” the forty-fascicle adds the four graphs 「具足功德」 tr. “furnished with merit and virtue,” while the sixty-fascicle has only 「寂靜音」 tr. “Tranquil Sound,” without the graph 「海」 tr. “ocean”; and as to her seat the eighty-fascicle reads 「摩尼光幢莊嚴蓮華座」 tr. “a lotus-flower seat adorned with a maṇi banner of light,” the forty-fascicle 「星宿光幢摩尼王莊嚴寶蓮華」 tr. “a jeweled lotus flower adorned with a maṇi king that is a constellation banner of light,” and the sixty-fascicle 「寶幢蓮華藏師子之座」 tr. “a lion seat that is a jeweled banner and a lotus-flower treasury.” All three witnesses give the retinue as a million asaṃkhyeyas, but the sixty-fascicle calls them 「諸天」 tr. “devas” where the eighty- and forty-fascicle call them night goddesses. (c) As to the last clause of pointing to the superior, the eighty-fascicle reads 「而我云何能知能說彼功德行」 tr. “how then could I know or tell of their practices of merit and virtue,” the forty-fascicle sets a pause-mark between 「能知」 tr. “could know” and 「能說」 tr. “could tell,” and the sixty-fascicle reads 「我當云何能知、能說彼功德行？」 tr. “how should I be able to know, or to tell, of their practices of merit and virtue?” 〔T09n0278 0734b07〕, setting 「我當」 tr. “how should I” for 「而我」 tr. “how then could I.” Recorded without adjudication.
V. Scriptural Grounds of Sectarian Doctrine (the doctrinal eye)
(1) The seeing comes before the asking — the order of conferring in this section. Most of the friends of this assembly first see, pay respect, and are inquired of, and only afterward directly confer the Dharma realm; this section is not so. Chengguan marks the difference himself at the place of the outline, saying that the second and third passages ought to be combined into one, and states why:
「即合二三，謂約善財則是見敬，若約夜神所現即是解脫業用，便為默授法界。若約二文開辨，則先明見敬諮問、後答因緣方為正授法界。今依合科，總分為四。」 tr. “It combines the second and the third: as regards Sudhana it is the seeing and paying respect, while as regards what the night goddess manifests it is the working of the liberation, and this amounts to conferring the Dharma realm in silence. If the two texts be opened and distinguished, then first is made clear the seeing and paying respect and inquiring, and afterward the answering of the cause is the true conferring of the Dharma realm. Now, following the combined outline, it is divided in all into four.” 〔T35n1735 0943b01–0943b05〕
By this judgment, that great passage of what Sudhana 「見」 tr. “sees” is itself the conferring of the Dharma — the night goddess has not opened her mouth and the Dharma is already conferred, and so it is called 「默授法界」 tr. “conferring the Dharma realm in silence.”
(2) The gloss upon the Wheel of Ultimate Purity — obstruction demolished, what is seen is unobstructed. The concentration Sudhana gains upon receiving the light is named 「究竟清淨輪」 tr. “the Wheel of Ultimate Purity,” and Chengguan glosses it graph by graph:
「先得定，謂三業六根皆離障故，云究竟清淨，即淨智圓滿。摧障為輪，故所見無礙。」 tr. “First Sudhana gains concentration: that is, because the three kinds of action and the six faculties are all free of obstruction, it is called ultimate purity, which is the fullness of pure knowledge. Demolishing obstruction is the wheel, and therefore what is seen is unobstructed.” 〔T35n1735 0943b09–0943b10〕
「輪」 tr. “Wheel” is not taken in the sense of turning but in the sense of crushing; and so that what is seen is unobstructed is not an increase in the power of the eye, but the demolishing of obstruction. All that is seen in the text below — the forming and decaying of all worlds, the differences among the five destinies, the nine classes of sentient beings — is fastened to this one clause.
(3) The threefold division of the benefit of converting — the place, the benefit, the intent. The great working Sudhana sees Chengguan divides into three layers, and he points out where the last layer runs through and where it is confined:
〔T35n1735 0943b12–0943b13〕「後「一一塵中」〔0943b12〕下明所見事。於中三：一所化處、二能化益、三所化意。」 tr. “Afterward, from ‘within each and every dust mote’ onward, is made clear what is seen. Within this there are three: first the place where converting is done, second the benefit by which converting is done, third the intent for which converting is done.”
〔T35n1735 0943b19–0943b20〕「三「為成就」〔0943b19〕下明化意中，為成諸法，通能所化。」 tr. “Third, from ‘for the sake of accomplishing’ onward, within the making clear of the intent of converting: being for the accomplishing of all dharmas, it runs through both the converter and the converted.”
In the one passage on the intent for which converting is done, the scripture lists what is done for with nineteen clauses of 「故」 tr. “for the sake of” (counted out word for word, nineteen clauses), from 「為成就菩薩大願力故」 tr. “for the sake of accomplishing the bodhisattva’s power of great vows” to 「令得一切智清淨光明故」 tr. “for the sake of causing them to gain the pure light of all-knowledge.” What Chengguan means by 「通能所化」 tr. “running through both the converter and the converted” is that of these nineteen clauses the earlier ones are the accomplishing of one’s own practice and the later ones the ripening of others’ capacities, the two being carried together within the one passage.
(4) The division of the five destinies and the nine classes. The one passage on the benefit by which converting is done Chengguan judges to be two texts:
〔T35n1735 0943b18–0943b19〕「先化五道、後「又見一切眾生」〔0943b18〕下明化九類。」 tr. “First the converting of the five destinies; afterward, from ‘he saw further all sentient beings’ onward, is made clear the converting of the nine classes.”
The five destinies are those sentient beings the scripture lists: the hells · the animals · the hungry ghosts · the dragons · the realm of desire · the human destiny; the nine classes are those born from eggs · from wombs · from moisture · by transformation · having form · without form · having perception · without perception · neither having perception nor without perception (nine classes graph for graph in the base text).
(5) The four approaches to its depth being hard to tell. Before the night goddess answers 「其名何等」 tr. “what is it called,” she first praises the depth of this Dharma. Chengguan sets a question upon the scripture’s 「難知」 tr. “hard to know” and answers it by four approaches:
「深相云何？若約得時，時久遠故，非久近故。若約修因，因行廣故。若通上二，契理深故。若約名說，名如體用故。名者實賓，難窮實故。」 tr. “What is the mark of its depth? If it be taken with respect to the time of gaining, the time is far off, and so it is not a matter of long or short. If with respect to the cause cultivated, the practice of the cause is vast. If both of these together, then the according with the principle is deep. If with respect to the telling of the name, the name is as the substance and function are; the name is the guest to the real, and it is hard to exhaust the real.” 〔T35n1735 0943c02–0943c05〕
The last approach is the most essential — a name is the 「實賓」 tr. “guest to the real,” and a guest cannot exhaust the host, and so one who asks the name cannot, by gaining the name, be said to have known the Dharma.
(6) What the eleven layers of light signify — the ten perfections in sequence and the ten perfections in perfect fusion. Upon the eleven layers of light sent forth before the Buddha appeared in the world, Chengguan brings out a further signifying beyond 「以益對名，可以思準」 tr. “matching the benefit to the name, one may reason it out”:
「若約表法，則前十為次第十度光，後一為圓融十度光，以此照心則自智出現。」 tr. “If taken as signifying dharmas, then the first ten are the light of the ten perfections in their sequence, and the last one is the light of the ten perfections in their perfect fusion; and shining upon the mind with this, one’s own knowledge appears.” 〔T35n1735 0943c21–0943c23〕
(7) The matching of stations to the twenty clauses of turning the wheel of Dharma. In the passage where the first buddha accomplishes the Way and turns the wheel of Dharma, the scripture heads twenty clauses with 「令無量眾生」 tr. “he caused measureless sentient beings” (counted out word for word, twenty clauses), from 「離惡道苦」 tr. “to leave behind the suffering of the evil destinies” to 「安住普賢清淨行願」 tr. “to abide upon the pure practices and vows of Samantabhadra.” Chengguan judges the stations matched to the later part:
〔T35n1735 0943c29–0944a03〕「菩薩中，先成行、後「發菩提心」〔0943c29〕下成位，菩提心是住位；菩薩道是行位；淨波羅蜜是迴向位，以大願海淨治前度故；後二句是等覺位。」 tr. “Within the bodhisattvas: first the practice is accomplished, and afterward, from ‘raising the mind of awakening’ onward, the station is accomplished. The mind of awakening is the station of abiding; the bodhisattva way is the station of practice; the pure perfections are the station of dedication, since with the sea of great vows the earlier perfections are purified; the last two clauses are the station of equal awakening.”
The Yanyi chao supplies the reason for the one phrase 「後二句是等覺」 tr. “the last two clauses are equal awakening,” as to why the ten grounds are not spoken of:
〔T36n1736 0682c19–0682c21〕「疏「後二句是等覺」〔0682c19〕者，不言十地者，上二句文十地顯故；餘位義隱，故別指耳。」 tr. “As for the commentary’s ‘the last two clauses are equal awakening’: the reason the ten grounds are not spoken of is that the ten grounds are manifest in the text of the two clauses above; the other stations are hidden in sense, and so they are pointed out separately.”
(8) The three significations of the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause. Upon the passage where the king’s daughter loosens her strings of gems and scatters them upon the Buddha, Chengguan matches each part with what it signifies:
〔T35n1735 0944a11–0944a14〕「第九德女修因。於中三：一嚴具奉佛，表修萬行，向佛果故；二「時莊嚴」〔0944a13〕下見佛現變，表因小果大故；三「既見是已」〔0944a14〕下覩變獲益。」 tr. “Ninth, the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause. Within it there are three: first, the implements of adornment offered to the Buddha, signifying the cultivating of the myriad practices, since they are turned toward the fruit of buddhahood; second, from ‘at that time the adornments’ onward, the seeing of the Buddha manifesting transformations, signifying that the cause is small and the fruit is great; third, from ‘having seen these’ onward, the gaining of benefit from beholding the transformations.”
What is meant by 「因小果大」 tr. “the cause is small and the fruit is great” is that what she scattered was the strings of gems upon her body, while what they became was a jeweled canopy and towers, on to a tree of awakening covering everywhere the Dharma realm.
(9) The three benefits are themselves the dharmas of subduing. What the king’s daughter gains upon hearing the sūtra Chengguan judges to be three benefits, and he points out that these three benefits are the very substance of this friend’s Dharma gate:
〔T35n1735 0944a15–0944a19〕「二「時彼女人」〔0944a15〕下正明聞益，於中亦三：初得三昧益，文有總別；次「得如是等」〔0944a17〕下得大心益，即悲智等心；後「一心思惟」〔0944a18〕下成夫願益上之三益，即調伏眾生，解脫三事皆調伏之法故。」 tr. “Second, from ‘at that time that woman’ onward, is the direct making clear of the benefit of hearing, within which there are likewise three: first the benefit of gaining the samādhis, the text having a general statement and a particular; next, from ‘having gained such as these’ onward, the benefit of gaining the great mind, which is the mind of compassion and knowledge and the rest; afterward, from ‘single-mindedly pondering’ onward, the benefit of bringing the vows to completion. The three benefits above are the subduing of sentient beings, since liberation and the three things are all of them dharmas of subduing.”
What the scripture lists: ten thousand gates of samādhi (twelve names listed in particular, closing with 「……」 tr. “and so on”), the minds (thirty names listed in particular), the sea of vows (ten vows listed in particular, closing with 「……」 tr. “and so on”) — all counted out word for word.
(10) The signifying of the one hundred and ten buddhas. The ten buddhas to a set listed in the night goddess’s verses restating, eleven sets in all, Chengguan reckons in number and judges as to what they signify:
「先三十六偈頌最初一劫，廣前長行。有百一十佛，表十地等覺各以初佛為主、餘九為伴。」 tr. “First, thirty-six verses restate the first kalpa, enlarging upon the prose before. There are one hundred and ten buddhas, signifying that in the ten grounds and equal awakening each takes its first buddha as host and the remaining nine as companions.” 〔T35n1735 0944b07–0944b09〕
「後二偈頌前總顯諸劫，亦表智滿行圓無非佛故。」 tr. “The last two verses restate the general display of the kalpas before, and also signify that knowledge being full and practice being perfect, there is nothing that is not buddha.” 〔T35n1735 0944b10–0944b11〕
(11) The name and station of the friend to come — dhyāna is set forth in reliance upon vigor. In the one passage of pointing out the next friend, Chengguan glosses both the name of the friend to come and, by the sense of vigor and dhyāna giving rise to one another, the words 「不遠」 tr. “not far,” and by the simile of mother and daughter makes clear their sequence:
「又禪依進發，故云不遠。禪故寂靜，入俗演法化物深廣，故云音海。然此神即普救之母，表真精進却從定生，起心動念是妄非進故。」 tr. “Again, dhyāna is set forth in reliance upon vigor, and therefore it is said to be not far. Because of dhyāna she is tranquil; because she enters the common world and sets forth the Dharma and converts beings deeply and broadly, she is called ocean of sound. And yet this goddess is the mother of Who Saves All Beings, signifying that true vigor comes forth after all from concentration, since to raise the mind and stir a thought is the false and not vigor.” 〔T35n1735 0944b12–0944b15〕
The Yanyi chao further supplies its reason:
〔T36n1736 0682c21–0682c22〕「疏「表真精進却從定生」〔0682c21〕者，真精進者離身心故，非定無此。」 tr. “As for the commentary’s ‘signifying that true vigor comes forth after all from concentration’: true vigor is what is apart from body and mind, and without concentration there is no such thing.”
What the one graph 「母」 tr. “mother” is fastened to is the text at the bringing together of past and present, 「時王妃圓滿面者，寂靜音海夜神是」 tr. “the queen of that time, Perfect Countenance, is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound” 〔T10n0279 0382b05–b06〕 — the mother queen of the former life is the next friend, and it is upon this that Chengguan sets up the signification.
VI. Divergent Interpretations of the Commentators (the ancient worthies · with their houses marked)
Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735 ·Yanyi chao T36n1736 (glossing the eighty-fascicle as the text runs · principal)
Glossing the name: 「為普救眾生。智焰吉祥，稱為妙德。」 tr. “She is for the saving of all beings. The flame of knowledge is auspicious, and so she is called wondrous virtue.” 〔T35n1735 0943a26〕
The assigned station: 「第四普救眾生妙德夜神，寄焰慧地。」 tr. “Fourth, the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom.” 〔T35n1735 0943a26–a27〕 The Yanyi chao glosses the reason: 〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c19〕「「第四普救眾生妙德主夜神寄焰慧地」〔0682c17〕者，謂安住最勝菩提分法，燒煩惱薪，慧焰增故。」 tr. “As for ‘fourth, the night goddess, Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom’: that is, abiding in the most surpassing factors of awakening, burning the firewood of the afflictions, the flame of wisdom increases.”
The outline: 「文但有五，二三合故。」 tr. “The text has only five, because the second and the third are combined.” 〔T35n1735 0943a27–a28〕
Glossing the differences among the worlds: 「趣雜穢等者，轉變向染，淨故雜染，清淨者染多故；下句反此。一向淨者，對上二故。初之二句乃是總明。」 tr. “As for tending toward the foul and mixed and the rest: they are turning and changing toward the defiled or toward the pure. Foul and mixed yet pure means that the defiled is the greater part; the clause below reverses this. Wholly pure is said over against the two above. The first two clauses are the general statement.” 〔T35n1735 0943b14–0943b16〕 The punctuation of this quotation follows the base text. There are two ways of parsing it: the punctuation now current takes “because of the pure, mixed and defiled” as one phrase; read against Fazang’s two explanations 〔T35n1733 0476a12–0476a14〕 and the sūtra’s four clauses — tending toward the foul and mixed, tending toward the pure, foul and mixed yet pure, pure yet foul and mixed — it parses instead as “turning and changing toward the defiled or toward the pure; foul and mixed yet pure means that the defiled is the greater part.” This edition writes according to the latter parsing; both stand, recorded without adjudication.
The cross-chapter reading of the gloss upon the lords of night in the chapter Lords of the Worlds and Their Wondrous Adornments (in glossing the assembly of the lords of night in that chapter the Shu sets them over against the good friends of the ten grounds whom Sudhana visits, and the third of them is this friend; the passage lies outside the outlined gloss upon this section): 〔T35n1735 0551c22–0551c25〕「三即焰慧地善友，彼名普救眾生妙德。護世精氣方是救生，由護生故顯德之妙也。法門全同，次第又當。謂感必現前，調令清淨故。」 tr. “Third is the good friend of the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, whose name there is Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings. It is in guarding the vital essence of the world that beings are saved, and it is because she guards living beings that the wondrousness of her virtue is shown forth. The Dharma gate is wholly the same, and the sequence too accords — that is to say, when they are moved she must appear before them, and she subdues them and makes them pure.”
The general matching of the ten kalpa-names to the ten grounds (within the passage of the friend before, the night goddess Eyes of Joy, the Yanyi chao makes a separate gloss matching the ten kalpa-names of this assembly to the ten grounds 〔T36n1736 0682c10–0682c17〕, and the fourth of them is matched to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom): 「功德月，順焰慧，月有光明發光焰故。」 tr. “Moon of Merit accords with Flaming Wisdom, since the moon has light and sends forth flames of light.” 〔T36n1736 0682c12〕 The kalpas through which this friend passes in her former life the scripture names of itself 「圓滿清淨」 tr. “Perfect Purity” and 「大光」 tr. “Great Light,” and not by the kalpa-names matched in that passage.
Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (the commentary upon the sixty-fascicle Avataṃsaka)
What Fazang comments upon is the sixty-fascicle, and so this friend’s name takes the form 「妙德救護眾生」 tr. “Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings.” The general statement upon the ten good friends assigned to the ten grounds is fastened to the passage of the first friend, the night goddess Vāsantī, where it says 「此九種夜天，依梵本皆是女天，表是慈悲之狀也」 tr. “these nine kinds of night deva are, according to the Sanskrit text, all goddesses, signifying the form of kindness and compassion” 〔T35n1733 0473b17–0473b18〕; and below that there is a gloss proper to this friend, beginning 〔T35n1733 0475c21〕 「第四焰地善知識中亦五」 tr. “within the fourth, the good friend of the ground of blazing, there are likewise five,” and ending 〔0477b03〕 「炎地竟」 tr. “the ground of blazing is done.”
Glossing the name: 〔T35n1733 0475c22–0475c23〕「吉祥勝智，名為妙德。攝物起行，名救護眾生。」 tr. “Auspicious and surpassing knowledge is what is named wondrous virtue; gathering beings in and setting practice afoot is what is named rescuing and protecting beings.”
The two glosses upon the kinds of world-shape: 〔T35n1733 0476a10–0476a14〕「此中世界趣淨者，眾生在染土中修淨土行故。趣不淨者，作不善業，向惡道故。又釋：趣淨者是劫增向淨故，趣不淨者劫減向穢故。淨不淨者，淨多穢少。不淨淨者，穢多淨少。」 tr. “Among these, a world tending toward the pure is so because sentient beings within a defiled land cultivate the practice of a pure land. Tending toward the impure is so because they do unwholesome deeds and go toward the evil destinies. A further gloss: tending toward the pure is the kalpa increasing and going toward the pure, and tending toward the impure is the kalpa decreasing and going toward the foul. Pure-yet-impure is where the pure is the greater and the foul the lesser; impure-yet-pure is where the foul is the greater and the pure the lesser.” — 「趣淨」 tr. “tending toward the pure” and 「趣不淨」 tr. “tending toward the impure” are the two directions of tending, while 「淨不淨」 tr. “pure-yet-impure” and 「不淨淨」 tr. “impure-yet-pure” are the two states of the pure and the foul mixed with one side the greater.
Glossing the fear of untimely birth: 〔T35n1733 0476a18–0476a19〕「有二十種畏，非時受生畏者，是不值佛世生也。」 tr. “There are twenty kinds of fear; the fear of untimely birth is being born when one does not meet a buddha’s age.”
The Indian name of the Dharma gate: 〔T35n1733 0477a28–0477a29〕「天竺本名現一切世間前教化眾生對見法門。」 tr. “In the Indian text it is named the Dharma gate of appearing before all worlds, teaching and converting sentient beings, and being met face to face.”
The numbers Fazang judges are all set upon the wording of the sixty-fascicle — the sending forth of light 「有十二重」 tr. “has twelve layers” 〔T35n1733 0476c02〕, the fears of the human destiny 「有二十種畏」 tr. “there are twenty kinds of fear” 〔0476a18〕, and the grounds of converting 「十七句釋成化所由」 tr. “seventeen clauses glossing what converting is done for” 〔0476a21〕 — differing from the eleven layers, nineteen fears, and nineteen clauses of the eighty-fascicle base text. Each stays at the level of its own witness and is not carried over into the counts of T279.
Li Tongxuan, Xin Huayan jing lun T36n1739 (a different track of signifying dharmas)
Glossing the name of the ground: 「此地修三十七助道觀門，觀身受心法轉加明淨，故名為焰慧地。」 tr. “Upon this ground one cultivates the contemplation gates of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way, and the contemplation of body, feeling, mind, and dharmas turns ever brighter and purer, and therefore it is named the Ground of Flaming Wisdom.” 〔T36n1739 0890c10–0890c11〕
The principal practice of this ground: 「二明此地修何行門者，以精進波羅蜜為首，餘九為伴。」 tr. “Second, making clear what practice-gate is cultivated upon this ground: the perfection of vigor is taken as chief, and the remaining nine as companions.” 〔T36n1739 0890c15–0890c16〕
Glossing the name of the goddess: 「是故此神名普救一切眾生妙德。妙德者，明三十七助道觀能顯自他妙慧故也。」 tr. “For this reason this goddess is named Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Sentient Beings. Wondrous virtue makes clear that the contemplation of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way is able to show forth the wondrous wisdom of self and others.” 〔T36n1739 0891a03–0891a05〕
Glossing the name of the Dharma gate: 「為明此位三十七道品通三乘一乘共所修行，調伏之大路故，名普現調伏一切眾生解脫。」 tr. “To make clear that the thirty-seven factors of the way of this station are cultivated in common by the three vehicles and the one vehicle, and are the great road of subduing, it is named the liberation of Appearing Everywhere and Subduing All Sentient Beings.” 〔T36n1739 0891a08–0891a10〕
The signifying of where the goddess dwells: 「此第四地中普救眾生夜天在此眾會中，明以忍精進二位不離萬行故。」 tr. “That within this fourth ground the night deva Who Saves All Beings is in this assembly makes clear that the two stations of forbearance and vigor are not apart from the myriad practices.” 〔T36n1739 0890c23–0890c25〕
Set against the three grounds before: 「第四焰慧地以精進波羅蜜為體，神名普救眾生，以精進波羅蜜是普救義故。」 tr. “The fourth, the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, has the perfection of vigor as its substance, and the goddess’s name is Who Saves All Beings, since the perfection of vigor is the sense of saving all.” 〔T36n1739 0891a25–0891a27〕
The outline of the narrative (differing from Chengguan’s five parts): the direct gloss upon this friend begins with 「長科為十四段」 tr. “outlined at length into fourteen passages” 〔T36n1739 0989b15〕, below which the passages are matched one by one down to 〔0990a06〕 and glossed as the text runs down to 〔0991a17〕. What stands before it — 「約分為五門：一推德昇進、二示善知識所在、三舉善知識夜神名普救眾生妙德、四勸善財令往詣、五禮敬辭退。」 tr. “Divided in outline into five gates: first, ascending by ascribing virtue; second, showing where the good friend is; third, raising the good friend the night goddess’s name, Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings; fourth, urging Sudhana to go to her; fifth, paying respect and taking leave.” 〔T36n1739 0989b01–0989b04〕 — is the gate of ascending by ascribing virtue in the passage of the friend before, the night goddess Eyes of Joy: it points to this friend, and does not lie within this friend’s own outline. At the end of this friend’s passage he sets up six gates besides — 「一推德勝進、二示善知識所在云去此不遠、三舉夜神名號寂靜音海、四舉夜神徒眾主之神數、五勸善財往問、六聞善知識所在禮敬辭去。」 tr. “first, ascending by ascribing virtue; second, showing where the good friend is, saying that she is not far from here; third, raising the night goddess’s title, Ocean of Tranquil Sound; fourth, raising the number of goddesses who are the retinue of that night goddess; fifth, urging Sudhana to go and ask; sixth, having heard where the good friend is, paying respect and taking leave.” 〔T36n1739 0991a19–0991a22〕 — and these point to the next friend, Ocean of Tranquil Sound.
What the five hundred buddhas of the former life signify: 「此十一地中都行五位中各十波羅蜜互為其體，一位有百共為五百。」 tr. “Within these eleven grounds one walks in all five stations, and within each the ten perfections are one another’s substance, so that one station has a hundred, and together they are five hundred.” 〔T36n1739 0990c26–0990c27〕; and of her being a courtesan at the last, 「表法悅樂，明十一地中五百行滿」 tr. “it signifies the joy and delight of the Dharma, making clear that within the eleven grounds the five hundred practices are full” 〔T36n1739 0991a01〕.
What the father king, the queen, and the daughter signify: 「其王妃圓滿面者，以智滿法悅是。」 tr. “As for the king’s queen, Perfect Countenance, she is the joy of the Dharma that comes of knowledge being full.” 〔T36n1739 0990c18–0990c19〕; 「王女妙德眼童女者，表以智行慈，無染淨二習也。」 tr. “As for the king’s daughter, the maiden Eyes of Wondrous Virtue, she signifies practicing kindness by knowledge, without the twin habits of the defiled and the pure.” 〔T36n1739 0990c22–0990c23〕
The knowledge of the differences among worlds, and the hundred and ten buddhas of the ten grounds: glossing the differences among the worlds this friend manifests, he says 「此是種種差別智之純雜光明自在」 tr. “this is the mastery of the pure and the mixed light of the knowledge of the various differences” 〔T36n1739 0990a09〕; glossing the buddhas’ names in the verses, he says 「一百一十箇佛號者，配此十地十一地因果佛位故」 tr. “the hundred and ten buddhas’ names are matched to the buddha-positions of cause and fruit of these ten grounds and the eleventh ground” 〔T36n1739 0990b23–0990b24〕, matching 「初佛名智焰」 tr. “the first buddha is named Flame of Knowledge” to the first ground, the Joyful, with 「檀波羅蜜為主，餘九為伴」 tr. “the dāna-pāramitā as principal and the other nine as companions” 〔0990b25〕.
What this ground remedies: 「此是第四焰慧地善知識，以精進波羅蜜為主，餘九為伴。治處世間修慈悲懈怠，不樂精進捨眾生障，使令專精進教化眾生故。」 tr. “This is the good friend of the fourth ground, the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, who takes the perfection of vigor as chief and the remaining nine as companions. It remedies the obstruction of being slack in cultivating kindness and compassion while dwelling in the world, of taking no joy in vigor and casting sentient beings aside, so that one may be made to teach and convert sentient beings with single vigor.” 〔T36n1739 0991a08–0991a11〕
What mother and daughter signify: 「此寂靜音海夜神，是普救眾生妙德夜神之母，表定能成精進行故。若無定者，一切諸行皆有疲勞。」 tr. “This night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound is the mother of the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings, signifying that concentration is what can bring the practice of vigor to completion. Where there is no concentration, all practices whatever are wearisome.” 〔T36n1739 0991b06–0991b08〕
Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732
What Zhiyan glosses is likewise the sixty-fascicle, and this friend’s name takes the same sixty-fascicle form, 「妙德救護眾生」 tr. “Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings.” The gloss proper to this section begins 〔T35n1732 0098c12〕 and ends before the outline of the fifth friend 〔0099b09〕.
Setting forth the name and the assigned station: 〔T35n1732 0098c12–0098c13〕「第四夜天名妙德救護眾生，即四地菩薩位也，入教化眾生菩薩法門。」 tr. “Fourth, the night deva named Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings — that is, the bodhisattva station of the fourth ground; she enters the bodhisattva Dharma gate of teaching and converting sentient beings.”
The outline in three: 〔T35n1732 0098c13–0098c14〕「初勸教、二「時善財」〔0098c14〕下依教趣入、三「爾時夜天」〔0098c14〕下證也。」 tr. “First, the urging by the teaching; second, from ‘at that time Sudhana’ onward, going toward and entering in accord with the teaching; third, from ‘at that time the night deva’ onward, the realization.”
The four parts of truly entering, in her own portion: 〔T35n1732 0098c17–0098c20〕「初自分中有四：初天為現法門令善財得自分法體、二「即得此三昧」〔0098c18〕下明三昧力用、三「白言」〔0098c19〕下明得法因緣。四「我唯」〔0098c20〕下結自分所知。」 tr. “Within the first, her own portion, there are four: first, the deva manifests the Dharma gate for him and causes Sudhana to gain the substance of the dharma of his own portion; second, from ‘then gained this samādhi’ onward, is made clear the strength and working of the samādhi; third, from ‘he said’ onward, is made clear the cause of gaining the Dharma. Fourth, from ‘I only’ onward, is the conclusion upon what is known in her own portion.”
The outline of the strength and working of the samādhi: 〔T35n1732 0098c22–0098c25〕「二三昧力用，文中有三：初明所化眾生處中自在，此中有四：一依；二處；三知；四益，此文中有四：一六道、二四生、三約相、四「滿足大願」〔0098c24〕下釋成化意。」 tr. “Second, the strength and working of the samādhi: within the text there are three. First is made clear her sovereignty within the places of the sentient beings to be converted, and within this there are four: first what is depended upon; second the place; third the knowing; fourth the benefit. Within this text there are four: first the six destinies; second the four kinds of birth; third what is taken by way of marks; fourth, from ‘fulfilling the great vows’ onward, the glossing of the intent of converting.”
Recorded without Adjudication
As to the outline of this section, Chengguan makes five parts (seeking in accord with the teaching · hearing and seeing the Dharma realm · humbling herself and pointing to the superior · pointing out the next friend · cherishing her virtue and taking leave, the second and the third of the six passages being combined; under hearing and seeing the Dharma realm the combined outline divides into four: manifesting light and bestowing power · receiving the light and gaining benefit · paying respect and praising with the three kinds of action · question and answer upon the cause), while Li Tongxuan outlines the Dharma gate of truly entering this station in fourteen passages and at its end sets up six further gates of pointing to virtue and advancing upward (the five gates of pointing to virtue and advancing upward at the end of the previous friend’s passage point to this friend and are an introduction from outside the bounds); the number of parts and the bone the two houses depend upon are alike different. As to the glossing of the name of the ground, Chengguan glosses the friend’s name by 「智焰吉祥，稱為妙德」 tr. “the flame of knowledge is auspicious, and so she is called wondrous virtue,” and fastens her to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom, while Li Tongxuan glosses the name of the ground by the contemplation gates of the thirty-seven factors that aid the way and the name of the goddess by the perfection of vigor. As to the glossing of the name of the Dharma gate, Chengguan takes it directly from the substance and function of the scripture text, while Li Tongxuan makes the thirty-seven factors of the way, cultivated in common by the three vehicles and the one vehicle, the 「調伏之大路」 tr. “great road of subduing.” As to the form of the friend’s name, the eighty-fascicle has 「普救眾生妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue Who Saves All Beings,” the sixty-fascicle 「妙德救護眾生夜天」 tr. “the night deva Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings,” and the forty-fascicle 「普救眾生威德神」 tr. “the spirit Majestic Virtue Who Saves All Beings.” All these divergent interpretations are the settled statements of the ancient worthies, and are recorded.
Chengguan’s Explicit Judgment
As to the judgment of the assigned station, Chengguan at the outline of the five marks of the final assembly himself sets out the two tracks handed down of old — one glossing as the text runs without matching stations separately, one matching stations — and between the two tracks he then gives his own 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: since each and every station is furnished with many Dharma gates, how could an ordinary mind be barred from studying and seeking the dharmas of the good friends, and so not to match them has its reason; and yet within the absence of ranked stations the ranked stations are not obstructed, and to show the stations is the constant rule, so that matching them too is not amiss.” 〔T35n1735 0918b04–0918b07〕
VII. Cross-Reading and Lineage
For the text of this section, the fastening of the lineage returns directly from the cross-readings the ancient worthies have already walked:
- The Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871: a search for 「普救眾生」 tr. “Who Saves All Beings” and 「妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue” gives zero hits for both 〔not found〕.
- The Huayan jing kongmu zhang T45n1870: a search for the eighty-fascicle forms of the name, 「普救眾生」 tr. “Who Saves All Beings” and 「妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue,” gives zero hits for both; but searched by the sixty-fascicle form of the name, this friend is found in two places. The first is in the passage that sets up the sense of each friend in turn, headed by 「自下十地證位方便」 tr. “from here below, the skillful means of the stations of realization of the ten grounds” 〔T45n1870 0585b04〕, where each friend is given the sense of his or her own Dharma gate, and the fourth is this friend: 「第四知識。約一乘別教。於成佛處。覺自在法。示現眾生利益法門義。」 tr. “The fourth good friend: taken by the distinct teaching of the one vehicle; at the place of becoming a buddha; the dharma of sovereignty in awakening; the sense of the Dharma gate of showing forth benefit to sentient beings.” 〔T45n1870 0585b09–0585b11〕 The second is in the passage of the list of names: 「三十五夜天乘道場眾中名妙德救護眾生」 tr. “the thirty-fifth, the night deva within the assembly riding at the site of awakening, named Wondrous Virtue Who Rescues and Protects Beings” 〔T45n1870 0589b03〕. Both lie outside the window 0575c12–0583b18 of the chapter on distinguishing the turning of the mind in Entering the Dharma Realm.
- The Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866: a search for 「普救眾生」 tr. “Who Saves All Beings” and 「妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue” gives zero hits for both 〔not found〕.
- The Shixuan men T45n1868: a search for 「普救眾生」 tr. “Who Saves All Beings” and 「妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue” gives zero hits for both; 「入法界」 tr. “entering the Dharma realm” gives one hit 〔T45n1868 0515c09〕, which belongs to a general citation of the chapter as a whole as a proof, and does not bear upon this section 〔nothing found bearing upon this friend in particular〕.
- The Fajie xuanjing T45n1883: a search for 「普救眾生」 tr. “Who Saves All Beings,” 「妙德夜神」 tr. “the night goddess Wondrous Virtue,” and 「入法界」 tr. “entering the Dharma realm” gives zero hits for all 〔not found〕.
- Other texts raised within the commentary itself: within Chengguan’s outlined passage for this section 〔T35n1735 0943a26–0944b15〕 he raises no other sūtra and no other treatise of himself 〔not found〕.
- The review within the subcommentary: the Yanyi chao has only two matters proper to this section — the glossing of why she is 「寄焰慧地」 tr. “assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom,” and the review of the commentary’s phrases 「後二句是等覺」 tr. “the last two clauses are equal awakening” and 「表真精進却從定生」 tr. “signifying that true vigor comes forth after all from concentration” 〔T36n1736 0682c17–0682c22〕 — and it digs into no other text; what stands before it, 0682c10–c17, is the general matching of the ten kalpa-names to the ten grounds and belongs to the passage of the friend before, Eyes of Joy.
- The axis of consciousness-only: this section is not the chapter of the Ten Grounds, and so no separate fastening to consciousness-only is set up; the five texts, the Shidi jing lun T26n1522 · the Cheng weishi lun T31n1585 · the She dasheng lun T31n1594 · the Yuqie shidi lun T30n1579 · the Jieshenmi jing T16n0676, were not dug into one by one, and the lack is recorded as it stands.
- Cross-reading within this scripture itself: at the bringing together of past and present, this section fastens two persons of itself — the father king is the bodhisattva Maitreya, 「今彌勒菩薩是」 tr. “he is the bodhisattva Maitreya of today” 〔T10n0279 0382b05〕, and the mother queen is the next friend, 「寂靜音海夜神是」 tr. “is the night goddess Ocean of Tranquil Sound” 〔0382b06〕. The former points far ahead to the forty-ninth friend of this assembly, Maitreya; the latter is the very next unit — and both of these fastenings are said by the scripture itself and are not matched by later hands.
VIII. Edition Location Register
- Śikṣānanda T279 (the base text): this section begins 〔T10n0279 0378a25〕 and ends 〔0384a19 前〕. Seeking in accord with the teaching 0378a25–b03 · manifesting light and bestowing power 0378b03–b08 · the place upon which the working depends, seen upon receiving the light and gaining benefit 0378b08–b18 · the particular account of the lands within the dust motes and the benefit by which converting is done 0378b18–0378c05 · the converting of the nine classes and the nineteen clauses of the intent of converting 0378c05–c18 · paying respect and praising with the three kinds of action 0378c18–c22 · Sudhana’s forty-one lines of verses of praise 0378c24–0379b06 · the three questions 0379b07–b09 · praising its depth as hard to tell 0379b10–b19 · the former life, the general raising of the kalpa, the land, and the arising of buddhas 0379b19–b24 · the general displaying of the marks of the land 0379b24–c01 · the particular displaying of the place of birth 0379c01–c15 · the parents of the former life and the body of the former life 0379c15–c29 · sentient beings raising evil 0380a01–a04 · the site of the gaining of the Way 0380a04–a18 · the eleven layers of light 0380a18–b21 · the quaking of the lands, the gathering of the assembly, and the manifesting of marks showing forth virtue 0380b21–c01 · the support and the person of the accomplishing of the Way 0380c01–c05 · the first accomplishing of right awakening and the twenty clauses of turning the wheel of Dharma 0380c05–c24 · the conclusion of the turning of the wheel of Dharma 0380c24–c27 · the guiding of the good friend 0380c27–0381a17 · the wheel-turning king’s twenty lines of verses in praise of the Buddha 0381a22–b12 · raising up broad clouds of offerings and paying reverence there 0381b13–b20 · the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause 0381b20–c19 · the gaining of benefit from hearing the sūtra 0381c19–0382a20 · the showing forth of the cause of old 0382a20–a28 · the beginning of the raising of the mind 0382a28–b03 · the bringing together of past and present 0382b03–b15 · the particular raising of the ten buddhas of the kalpa Great Light 0382b15–c25 · the general display of the kalpas 0382c25–0383a02 · seeing the buddhas and the practice being brought to completion 0383a02–a05 · the night goddess’s eighty-two lines of verses restating 0383a07–0384a01 · humbling herself and pointing to the superior 0384a02–a07 · pointing out the next friend 0384a07–a10 · cherishing her virtue and taking leave 0384a10–a11. The verse lines come to one hundred and forty-three (Sudhana’s verses of praise, forty-one lines · the wheel-turning king’s verses in praise of the Buddha, twenty lines · the night goddess’s verses restating, eighty-two lines).
- Buddhabhadra T278 (the Jin translation, the principal witness for collation): this section begins 〔T09n0278 0728c29〕 and ends 〔0734b13〕. Calling to mind the teaching before and seeking 0728c29–0729a07 · manifesting light and bestowing power 0729a07–a12 · seeing the working 0729a12–a21 · the ten clauses of the differences among the worlds 0729a21–a26 · the end of Sudhana’s verses of praise 0730a08–a09 · the middle passage 0730a15–0731b02 · Samantabhadra telling the wheel-turning king 0731c06–c13 · the wheel-turning king and his retinue rising into the sky 0731c13–c14 · the daughter of virtue seeing the Buddha manifest transformations 0732a25–b06 · the Buddha proclaiming the sūtra for her 0732b07 · humbling herself 0734b02 · pointing to the superior 0734b02–b08 · pointing out the next friend 0734b08–b11 · cherishing her virtue and taking leave 0734b11–b13.
- Prajñā T293 (the Zhenyuan witness for collation): this section begins 〔T10n0293 0748c06〕 and ends 〔0755a29〕. Calling to mind the teaching of the friend before 0748c06–c14 · the seeking and the manifesting of light 0748c14–c19 · gaining the samādhi and seeing the working 0748c19–c23 · the differences among the worlds 0749a03–a04 · the last passage of the verses of praise 0749c16–c21 · the two questions 0749c22–c24 · praising its depth as hard to tell 0750a01–a02 · the particular displaying of the place of birth 0750b01–b02 · the twelve layers of light before the accomplishing of the Way (the last three layers 0751a17–a25, among them the layer 「一百年前」 tr. “a hundred years beforehand” 0751a20, which the eighty-fascicle does not have) · the quaking of the lands and the gathering of the assembly 0751b01–b02 · the turning of the wheel of Dharma 0751c01–c02 · Samantabhadra telling the wheel-turning king 0751c22–c25 · the daughter raising the great mind 0752a01–a02 · the end of the wheel-turning king’s verses 0752b01–b02 · the daughter of virtue beholding the transformations 0752c01–c02 · the thirteen samādhis listed by name (among them 「一切菩薩住一切地自在莊嚴三昧」 tr. “the samādhi of the sovereign adornment of all bodhisattvas abiding upon all grounds” 0752c23–c24, which the eighty-fascicle does not have) · the minds 0753a01–a02 · the showing forth of the cause of old 0753b01–b02 · the buddhas of the kalpa Great Light 0753c01–c02 · gaining the liberation gate 0754a01–a02 · the buddha-names in the verses restating 0754b01–0754c07 · humbling herself and pointing to the superior 0755a12–a23 · pointing out the next friend 0755a24–a27 · cherishing her virtue and taking leave 0755a28–a29. Where the forty-fascicle asks after the Dharma there are only two questions — how long ago the Dharma was gained, and what practice was cultivated of old that it came to be pure 〔0749c23–c24〕 — and it does not ask the name of the Dharma gate separately. The twelve layers of light before the accomplishing of the Way and the thirteen samādhis listed are numbers the forty-fascicle has of its own; the eleven layers and twelve names of the eighty-fascicle are unchanged.
- Chengguan, Huayan jing shu T35n1735: the direct gloss on this section begins 0943a26 · glossing the name and the assigned station 0943a26–a27 · the outline in five parts 0943a27–b06 · receiving the light and gaining benefit 0943b07–b13 · glossing the differences among the worlds 0943b14–b16 · converting the five destinies and the nine classes 0943b17–b19 · the intent of converting 0943b19–b20 · paying respect and praising with the three kinds of action, and the division of the verses 0943b20–b26 · the three questions 0943b26–b29 · the four approaches to praising its depth 0943c01–c05 · the outline of the former life in ten passages 0943c06–c16 · the Buddha’s appearing and benefiting beings, in seven parts 0943c16–c27 · the matching of stations in the turning of the wheel of Dharma 0943c27–0944a04 · the guiding of the good friend, in six parts 0944a04–a11 · the three significations of the daughter of virtue cultivating the cause 0944a11–a14 · the three benefits of the gaining of benefit from hearing the sūtra 0944a14–a20 · the beginning of the raising of the mind 0944a20–a22 · the bringing together of past and present 0944a22–a25 · the separate answer upon the cultivating and purifying 0944a25–b04 · the three parts of the verses and the one hundred and ten buddhas 0944b04–b11 · pointing out the next friend 0944b11–b15 · ending before the fifth friend, Ocean of Tranquil Sound 0944b15. Besides this, the passage of the lords of night in the chapter Lords of the Worlds and Their Wondrous Adornments, 0551c22–c25, carries a short cross-chapter reading that lies outside the outlined gloss upon this section.
- Chengguan, Chao T36n1736: the gloss proper to this section is 0682c17–0682c22 (why she is assigned to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom 0682c17–c19 · the review of two phrases of the commentary 0682c19–c22); before it, 0682c10–c17 is the passage, within the passage of the friend before, Eyes of Joy, of the general matching of the ten kalpa-names to the ten grounds, whose fourth is matched to the Ground of Flaming Wisdom as 「功德月」 tr. “Moon of Merit” 〔0682c12〕, and which is not the name of a kalpa through which this friend passes in her former life.
- Fazang, Tanxuan ji T35n1733 (the commentary upon the sixty-fascicle): the gloss proper to this section is 0475c21–0477b03 (the opening of the outline 0475c21 · glossing the name 0475c22–c23 · the outline of going toward and entering in accord with the teaching 0475c23–c28 · the three parts of the place upon which the working depends 0476a06–a10 · the two glosses upon the kinds of world-shape 0476a10–a14 · the twenty fears and the fear of untimely birth 0476a18–a19 · the seventeen clauses glossing what converting is done for 0476a21 · the twenty and a half verses of praise 0476a26–b05 · the three questions 0476b06–b08 · the ten passages of the former life 0476b21–b24 · the twelve layers of light 0476c02 · the sixteen clauses of the benefit to bodhisattvas within the turning of the wheel of Dharma 0476c09–c15 · the four parts of Samantabhadra’s guiding 0476c16–c22 · the three parts of the daughter of virtue raising offerings 0476c22–0477a04 · the gaining of benefit from hearing the sūtra 0477a04–a11 · the bringing together of past and present 0477a13–a15 · the three parts of the kalpa Great Light 0477a15–a18 · the thirty-eight and a half verses restating 0477a23–a27 · the Indian name 0477a28–a29 · the ten clauses of looking up and ascribing 0477a29–b03 · ending 「炎地竟」 tr. “the ground of blazing is done” 0477b03); before it, the general statement upon the ten friends assigned to the ten grounds is fastened to the first friend 〔0473b10–b18〕. All that he glosses is the wording of the sixty-fascicle, and this friend’s name follows the sixty-fascicle likewise.
- Li Tongxuan, Lun T36n1739: two places bear upon this section — the general passage of the ten grounds signifying dharmas 0890c07–0891a27 (glossing the name of the ground 0890c08 · the principal practice 0890c15 · what Sudhana signifies 0890c17 · glossing the name of the goddess 0891a03 · glossing the name of the Dharma gate 0891a08 · the liberation of the three realms 0891a12 · the general matching of the goddesses’ names to the ten grounds 0891a18–a27); and this friend’s narrative outline 0989b14–0991b08 (the Dharma gate of truly entering this station, fourteen passages 0989b14 · what is matched passage by passage 0989b15–0990a06 · glossing as the text runs 0990a06–0991a17, within which what the five hundred buddhas signify 0990c26–c27, what the queen and the daughter signify 0990c18–c23, and what this ground remedies 0991a08–a11 · the six gates of ascending by ascribing virtue 0991a18–0991b08, within which what mother and daughter signify 0991b06–b08). What stands before it, the five gates of the gate of ascending by ascribing virtue 0989a29–0989b04, belongs to the passage of the friend before, Eyes of Joy: it points to this friend, and is not this friend’s own outline.
- Zhiyan, Souxuan ji T35n1732 (the record upon the sixty-fascicle): the gloss proper to this section is 0098c12–0099b09 (setting forth the name and the assigned station 0098c12–c13 · the outline in three 0098c13–c14 · the three parts of entering in accord 0098c15–c16 · the four parts of truly entering in her own portion 0098c17–c20 · the outline of the strength and working of the samādhi 0098c22–c25 · the three parts of the twenty and a half verses of praise 0098c27–c29 · the cause of gaining the Dharma 0099a01–a06 · the eight parts of the former life 0099a10–a17 · the four texts of the bestowing of conversion and the twelve kinds of light 0099a18–a23 · the twenty clauses of turning the wheel of Dharma 0099a23–a29 · the sage king’s ten verses 0099b02–b04 · the four parts of the thirty-eight and a half verses restating 0099b04–b08 · looking up and ascribing 0099b08–b09 · ending before the outline of the fifth night deva 0099b09). What he glosses is likewise the wording of the sixty-fascicle.
- Variant readings: within the range of T279 covered by this unit, 〔0378a25〕–〔0384a18〕, the Taishō base text carries 10 collation notes, recorded one by one without adjudication (base reading 【大】｜variant readings of other witnesses, several witnesses separated by ／): 〔0378b24〕言辭【大】｜言詞【宮】 · 〔0379c21〕采女【大】｜婇女【宮】 · 〔0380c05〕跏【大】｜加【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0382c20〕妓【大】｜伎【宮】 · 〔0383b19〕娑【大】｜婆【元】【明】 · 〔0383c21〕眾妙音【大】｜眾妙香【宮】 · 〔0384a15〕第【大】｜無此字【聖】 · 〔0384a17〕三藏【大】｜三藏沙門【宋】【元】【明】／三藏法師【宮】 · 〔0384a17〕奉制【大】｜無此字【宋】【元】【明】【宮】 · 〔0384a17〕于闐國三藏實叉難陀奉制譯（凡12字）【大】｜新譯【聖】.
- Further note upon variant readings: interlinear notes were already stripped and recorded at the layer of the original text.
- Items not found: the Huayan jing zhigui T45n1871 · the Huayan yisheng jiaoyi fenqi zhang T45n1866 · the Shixuan men T45n1868 · the Fajie xuanjing T45n1883 — four texts in all, a gloss upon this friend in particular giving zero hits in each, the name having been searched in both the eighty-fascicle and the sixty-fascicle forms. The Huayan jing kongmu zhang T45n1870 · the Tanxuan ji T35n1733 · the Souxuan ji T35n1732, three texts, do carry a gloss upon this friend, all of them under the sixty-fascicle form of the name; see sections VI and VII above.