大乘莊嚴經論 行住品

心要Essence

成佛這條路，原來有十級台階

菩薩怎麼一步步走向成佛？這一品給的，是一張十地的地圖。

先有一顆憐愍的心，再有利他之行，路就開了。這「地」既是菩薩安住的境界，又是一級級往上的台階——每上一地，斷一分障、得一分德，心便住進更高一層。

最見次第的，是十地各有其名：從初地親見真如的「歡喜」起步，一路洗戒垢、透法光、燒惑障，到末地如大雲遍灑法雨的「法雲」。每個名字，都是那一級做成之事的里程碑。

而登地之法無他：先信有路，再老實去行，而後通達、成就；步步皆踏在『為眾生』三字上。

且看這十級台階，如何一級一級，通向覺地。

The road to buddhahood, it turns out, has ten rising steps

How does the bodhisattva walk, step by step, toward buddhahood? What this chapter gives is a map of the ten grounds.

First there is a heart of compassion, then the practice of benefiting others — and the road opens. These "grounds" are at once the states in which the bodhisattva abides and a flight of steps rising one above the next: with each ground climbed, one measure of obstruction is severed and one measure of quality gained, and the mind takes up its dwelling on a higher level.

Where the sequence shows most plainly is in the several names of the ten grounds: setting out from the "Joyful," where on the first ground one sees suchness face to face, then washing away the stain of the precepts, letting the light of the Dharma shine through, burning up the obstruction of the afflictions — on to the last ground, the "Dharma-Cloud," which sheds the rain of Dharma everywhere like a great cloud. Each name is a milestone of what that one step has brought to completion.

And the way onto the grounds is nothing other than this: first believe there is a road, then honestly walk it, and thereafter penetrate and accomplish; every step set squarely upon the three words, "for the sake of beings."

Now watch these ten steps — how, one by one, they lead all the way to the ground of awakening.

原典Canonical · verbatim

〔釋〕已說菩薩功德，次說菩薩五種相。

【偈】

內心有憐愍，　愛語及勇健，
開手并釋義，　此五菩薩相。

〔釋〕菩薩有五種相，一憐愍、二愛語、三勇健、四開手、五釋義。憐愍者，以菩提心攝利眾生故。愛語者，令於佛法得正信故。勇健者，難行苦行不退屈故。開手者，以財攝故。釋義者，以法攝故。此五種相，應知初一是心、後四是行。已說菩薩五種相，次說菩薩在家出家分。

【偈】

菩薩一切時，　恒居輪王位，
利益眾生作，　在家分如此。

〔釋〕菩薩在家恒作輪王，化行十善，離於十惡，此是利益。

【偈】

受得及法得，　及以示現成，
三種出家分，　在於一切地。

〔釋〕菩薩出家有三分，一受得分，謂從他受護；二法得分，謂得無流護；三示現分，謂變化作受。得分謂信行地，法得分及示現分謂入大地。

【偈】

應知出家分，　無量功德具，
欲比在家分，　最勝彼無等。

〔釋〕二分挍量出家分勝，由無量功德具足故。已說菩薩在家出家分，次說菩薩五種極大心。

【偈】

愛果及善根，　涅槃欲令得，
未淨淨極淨，　謂在諸地中。

〔釋〕五極大心者，一樂極大心、二利極大心、三未淨極大心、四已淨極大心、五極淨極大心。愛果者，謂樂極大心，令諸眾生得後世愛果故。善根者，謂利極大心，令諸眾生現行諸善及得涅槃故。未淨者，謂未淨極大心，即信行地菩薩。淨者，謂已淨極大心，即初地至七地菩薩。極淨者，謂極淨極大心，即後三地菩薩。已說菩薩五種極大心，次說菩薩四種攝眾生。

【偈】

欲樂及平等，　增上與徒眾，
四心於諸地，　攝受一切生。

〔釋〕四種攝眾生者，一欲樂心攝，由以菩提心攝故；二平等心攝，由入初地得自他平等心攝故；三增上心攝，由居主位以自在力攝故；四徒眾心攝，由攝成自弟子故。已說菩薩四種攝眾生，次說菩薩四種受生。

【偈】

業力及願力，　定力亦通力，
依此四種力，　菩薩而受生。

〔釋〕四種受生者，一業力生、二願力生、三定力生、四通力生。業力生者，謂信行地菩薩業力自在，隨所欲處而受生故。願力生者，謂入大地菩薩願力自在，為成熟他受畜生等生故。定力生者，謂得定菩薩定力自在，捨於上界下受生故。通力生者，謂得神通菩薩通力自在，能於兜率天等示現諸相而受生故。已說菩薩四種受生，次說菩薩十一住相。

【偈】

證空證業果，　住禪住覺分，
觀諦觀緣起，　無相無功用，
化力淨二門，　及以菩提淨，
以此諸所說，　立地相應知。

〔釋〕十一住者即十一地，住者名地故。證空者顯初住相，多住人法二無我故。證業果者顯第二住相，證業及果不壞，能護戒故。住禪者顯第三住相，能生欲界而不退禪故。住覺分者顯第四住相，能入生死而不捨覺分故。觀諦者顯第五住相，以明教化惱唯惱心，以我無故。觀緣起者顯第六住相，能不起染心而依緣起受生故。無相者顯第七住相，行雖功用而上參一道，多住無相故。無功用者顯第八住相，雖淨佛土而無起作，多住無功用故。化力者顯第九住相，四辯自在能成熟一切眾生故。淨二門者顯第十住相，三昧門、陀羅尼門極清淨故。淨菩提者顯第十一住相，一切智障斷究竟故。已說菩薩十一住相，次說菩薩依地立名。

【偈】

初三三行淨，　次三三慢斷，
後三覺捨化，　第十有四名。

〔釋〕於十地中建立十菩薩名。初三三行淨者，初地名見淨，菩薩得人法二見對治智故。第二地名戒淨，菩薩微細犯垢永無體故。第三地名定淨，菩薩諸禪三昧得不退故。次三三慢斷者，第四地名斷法門異慢，菩薩於諸經法破起差別慢故。第五地名斷相續異慢，菩薩入十平等心於一切相續得平等故。第六地名斷染淨異慢，菩薩如性本淨、客塵故染能住緣起法，如不起黑白差別見故。後三覺捨化者，第七地名得覺，菩薩住無相力，能念念中修三十七覺分故。第八地名行捨，菩薩住無功用無相故；亦名淨土，菩薩方便行與不退地菩薩合故。第九地名化眾生，菩薩能成熟一切眾生故。第十有四名者，一名大神通，菩薩得大神通故；二名滿法身，菩薩具無量三昧門陀羅尼門故；三名能現身，菩薩住兜率天等示相身故；四名受職，菩薩於諸佛所得受職故。已說菩薩依地立名，次說菩薩隨地修學及學果。

【偈】

隨次依前六，　見性修三學，
隨次依後四，　得果有四種。

〔釋〕隨次依前六見性修三學者，菩薩於初地通達真如，第二地學增上戒，第三地學增上心，第四第五第六地學增上慧。慧有二境，一法實，謂苦等四諦；二緣起，謂逆順觀十二因緣。此二境亦在第二第三地中，是故彼地亦增上慧建立。然第四地中菩提分慧增上，第五地中諦觀慧增上，第六地中緣起觀慧增上，故此三地建立增上慧學。隨次依後四得果有四種者，依第七地得無相有功用住，為第一果。依第八地得無相無功用住，為第二果。依第九地得成熟眾生，為第三果。依第十地得二門成熟，為第四果。已說隨地修學及學果，次說菩薩隨地修習無流五陰。

【偈】

見性淨三身，　亦在前六地，
餘地淨餘二，　遠離五障故。

〔釋〕初地見性如前解，第二地中戒身清淨，第三地中定身清淨，第四第五第六地中慧身清淨。後四地及佛地，解脫身、解脫知見身清淨，由離五障故。五障者，第七地中以執相無知為障，第八地中以功用無知為障，第九地中以不能化生無知為障，第十地中以未淨二門無知為障。佛地中以礙障無知為障，謂此無知能礙聲聞緣覺境界智，諸佛知一切境無礙，由解脫此障故。已說菩薩隨地修無流五陰，次說菩薩隨地成就未成就。

【偈】

未成就成就，　成復未成成，
如地建立知，　分別無分別。

〔釋〕未成就成就者，彼信行地是未成就，自餘諸地是名成就。成復未成成者，於前成就地中復有未成就成就，七地已還名未成就，有功用故。八地已上是名成就，無功用故。問：前說歡喜地亦是成就，此義云何？答：如地建立知分別無分別，此由於地建立中知唯分別，於此分別亦無分別，所執能執俱無體故，約此義故說名成就。

【偈】

應知諸地中，　修習及成就，
此二不思議，　諸佛境界故。

〔釋〕菩薩於諸地中各有修習及成就，應知地地皆不可思議，由諸菩薩內自證覺是諸佛所知非餘人境界故。已說菩薩隨地成就未成就，次說菩薩入地十種相。

【偈】

明信及無劣，　無怯亦無待，
通達及平等，　離偏亦離著，
及以知方便，　亦在聖眾生，
如此十種相，　地地皆圓滿。

〔釋〕入地菩薩地地皆有十相。何者為十？一明信、二無劣、三無怯、四無待、五通達、六平等、七離偏、八離著、九知方便、十聖眾生。明信者，於自地得明，於諸法中除無知故；於他地得信，於後諸地生願樂故。無劣者，聞深妙法不驚怖故。無怯者，行難行行，極勇猛故。無待者，起自地行不待教故。通達者，他地方便能起故。平等者，普於眾生同自心故。離偏者，耳聞毀譽無高下故。離著者，得輪王等位無愛染故。知方便者，知諸法不可得，為佛方便故。聖眾生者，諸佛徒眾恒在生故。此等十相地地皆具應知。已說菩薩入地十種相，次說菩薩地中十度相。

【偈】

有欲無六障，　其次無亂慧，
不漂亦不迴，　事友及供養，
迴向將生勝，　修善與戲通，
功德藏如是，　佛子十六相。

〔釋〕諸菩薩於諸地中得十度，有十六相。何者十六？一有欲樂，行諸度故。二無慳，離施障故。三無違，離戒障故。四無恚，離忍障故。五無懈，離進障故。六慈悲，離定障故。慈悲能與樂拔苦，是瞋惱對治，由定得故。七無惡慧，離慧障故。惡慧有三，謂自性分別、隨憶分別、顯示分別，此能斷故。八無亂慧，離異乘心故。九不漂，不為人天勝樂醉其心故。十不迴，不為不成就苦及難行苦退其心故。十一事友，依佛所示善知識聞大乘故。十二供養，供養三寶故。十三迴向，善巧方便故。十四生勝，此顯願波羅蜜相，離八難處不離諸佛菩薩故。十五修善，此顯力波羅蜜相，無間修諸善根故。十六戲通，此顯智波羅蜜相，遊戲諸大神通功德故。菩薩若得此相，則為一切眾中上首，是名佛子十六相。已說菩薩地中十度相，次說菩薩度度五功德。

【偈】

地地昇進時，　度度有五德，
二及二及一，　應知止觀俱。

〔釋〕地地昇進時度度有五德者，菩薩於一一地修一一度，於一一度皆具五種功德。何者為五？一滅習、二得猗、三圓明、四相起、五廣因。滅習者，一一剎那滅除依中習氣聚故。得猗者，離種種相得法樂故。圓明者，遍知一切種不作分段故。相起者，由入大地無分別相生故。廣因者，為滿為淨一切種法身福聚智聚攝令增長故。二及二及一應知止觀俱者，此中應知，初二功德是奢摩他分，次二功德是毘鉢舍那分，第五功德是俱分。已說菩薩度度五功德，次釋菩薩十地名。

【偈】

見真見利物，　此處得歡喜；
出犯出異心，　是名離垢地；
求法持法力，　作明故名明；
惑障智障薪，　能燒是焰慧；
難退有二種，　能退故難勝；
不住二法觀，　恒現名現前；
雜道隣一道，　遠去名遠行；
相想無相想，　動無不動地；
四辯智力巧，　說善稱善慧；
二門如雲遍，　雨法名法雲。

〔釋〕見真見利物此處得歡喜者，菩薩於初地中一見真如，謂見自利，昔曾未見今時始見，去菩提近故。二見利物，謂見利他，一一剎那能成熟百眾生故。由此二見起勝歡喜，故名歡喜地。出犯出異心是名離垢地者，菩薩於二地中出二種垢，一出犯戒垢、二出起異乘心垢。由出二垢故，名離垢地。如《十地經》說：我等應得應淨一切種智故勤精進。求法持法力作明故名明者，菩薩於三地中得三昧自在力，於無量佛法能求能持，得大法明為他作明。由能以法自明明他，故名明地。惑障智障薪能燒是焰慧者，菩薩於四地中以菩提分慧為焰自性，以惑智二障為薪自性。此地菩薩能起慧焰燒二障薪故，名焰慧地。難退有二種能退故難勝者，菩薩於五地中有二種難，一勤化眾生心無惱難、二眾生不從化心無惱難。此地菩薩能退二難、於難得勝故，名難勝地。不住二法觀恒現名現前者，菩薩於六地中依般若力，能不住生死涅槃二法。如此觀慧恒現在前故，名現前地。雜道隣一道遠去名遠行者，菩薩於七地中近一乘道，故名遠去。問：誰是遠去？答：功用方便究竟此遠能去，由此遠去故名遠行地。相想無相想動無不動地者，菩薩於八地中有相想及無相有功用想，二想俱不能動，由無此動故，故名不動地。四辯智力巧說善稱善慧者，菩薩於九地中四無礙慧最為殊勝，於一剎那頃三千世界所有人天異類異音異義異問，此地菩薩能以一音普答眾問遍斷眾疑，由此說善故名善慧地。二門如雲遍雨法名法雲者，菩薩於十地中，由三昧門及陀羅尼門攝一切聞熏習因，遍滿阿梨耶識中，譬如浮雲遍滿虛空，能以此聞熏習雲，於一一剎那、於一一相、於一一好、於一一毛孔，雨無量無邊法雨，充足一切可化眾生。由能如雲雨法故，名法雲地。問：釋別名已，云何名住？云何名地？

【偈】

為集諸善根，　樂住故說住，
數數數無畏，　復以地為名。

〔釋〕為集諸善根樂住故名住者，諸菩薩為成就種種善根，於一切時樂住一切地，是故諸地說名為住。數數數無畏復以地為名者，步彌耶名為地。步者，數數義。彌者，實數義。耶者，無畏義。諸菩薩欲進上地，於一一地中數數斷障礙、數數得功德，是名數數義。地以十數為量，諸菩薩於一一地中知斷爾所障礙、知得爾所功德、知此不虛，是名實數義。上地是無畏處，諸菩薩畏於自地中退失自他利功德進求上地，是名無畏義。由此三義，故名為地。已說菩薩十地名，次說菩薩四種得地差別。

【偈】

由信及由行，　由達亦由成，
應知諸菩薩，　得地有四種。

〔釋〕四種得地者，一由信得、二由行得、三由通達得、四由成就得。由信者，以信得諸地故，如信地中說。由行者，以正行得諸地故。諸菩薩於大乘法有十種正行：一書寫、二供養、三流傳、四聽受、五轉讀、六教他、七習誦、八解說、九思擇、十修習。此十正行能生無量功德聚，此行得地故名行得。通達者，通達第一義諦，乃至七地名通達。得成就者，八地至佛地名成就得。已說菩薩四種得地，差別次說菩薩四種修行差別。

【偈】

諸度諸覺分，　諸通及諸攝，
為大亦為小，　俱入亦俱成。

〔釋〕總說一切菩薩行不過四種，一波羅蜜行、二菩提分行、三神通行、四攝生行。說波羅蜜行為求大乘眾生，說菩提分行為求小乘眾生，說神通行為令二種眾生得入佛法，說攝生行為令二種眾生成熟佛法。行住品究竟。

The canonical text stands in Chinese only. This edition renders the essence, the plain reading, the exposition and the apparatus into English — never the sūtra itself. Switch to 漢讀本 or 並行雙語 above to read it.

白話Plain reading

「行住」之「住」即「地」（菩薩十地）。本品總說菩薩的「行」（修行）與「住」（所住諸地）——五種相·在家出家·四受生·十一住相·依地立名·隨地修學·入地十相·地中十度·度度五功德·十地各名·四種得地·四種修行。

已經說過菩薩的功德了，接著說菩薩的五種相。

內心有憐愍，愛語及勇健， 開手并釋義，此五菩薩相。

菩薩有五種相：一憐愍、二愛語、三勇健、四開手、五釋義。「憐愍」者，以菩提心攝受、利益眾生故。「愛語」者，令眾生於佛法中得正信故。「勇健」者，難行苦行而不退、不屈故。「開手」者，以財物攝（出手布施）故。「釋義」者，以法義攝故。這五種相，應當了知：初一是「心」、後四是「行」。已經說過菩薩的五種相了，接著說菩薩在家、出家的分位。

菩薩一切時，恒居輪王位， 利益眾生作，在家分如此。

菩薩在家，恒常作轉輪王，化導眾生奉行十善、遠離十惡——這就是（在家的）利益。

受得及法得，及以示現成， 三種出家分，在於一切地。

菩薩出家有三分：一受得分，謂從他人受得守護（受戒）；二法得分，謂得到無漏的守護；三示現分，謂以變化而作受戒之相。受得分在信行地，法得分與示現分則在入大地（之後）。

應知出家分，無量功德具， 欲比在家分，最勝彼無等。

把這兩分相互較量，出家分為勝——由它無量功德具足故（在家分無可相比）。已經說過菩薩在家、出家的分位了，接著說菩薩的五種極大心。

愛果及善根，涅槃欲令得， 未淨淨極淨，謂在諸地中。

五種「極大心」者：一樂極大心、二利極大心、三未淨極大心、四已淨極大心、五極淨極大心。「愛果」者，謂樂極大心，令諸眾生得後世可愛之果故。「善根」者，謂利極大心，令諸眾生現行諸善、及得涅槃故。「未淨」者，謂未淨極大心，即信行地菩薩。「淨」者，謂已淨極大心，即初地至七地菩薩。「極淨」者，謂極淨極大心，即後三地菩薩。已經說過菩薩的五種極大心了，接著說菩薩的四種攝眾生。

欲樂及平等，增上與徒眾， 四心於諸地，攝受一切生。

四種攝眾生者：一欲樂心攝，由以菩提心攝故；二平等心攝，由入初地、得自他平等之心而攝故；三增上心攝，由居於主位、以自在之力攝故；四徒眾心攝，由攝成自己的弟子故。已經說過菩薩的四種攝眾生了，接著說菩薩的四種受生。

業力及願力，定力亦通力， 依此四種力，菩薩而受生。

四種受生者：一業力生、二願力生、三定力生、四通力生。「業力生」者，謂信行地菩薩業力自在，隨所欲之處而受生故。「願力生」者，謂入大地菩薩願力自在，為成熟他人、而受畜生等生故。「定力生」者，謂得定菩薩定力自在，捨於上界、下來受生故。「通力生」者，謂得神通菩薩通力自在，能於兜率天等示現諸相而受生故。已經說過菩薩的四種受生了，接著說菩薩的十一住相。

證空證業果，住禪住覺分， 觀諦觀緣起，無相無功用， 化力淨二門，及以菩提淨， 以此諸所說，立地相應知。

「十一住」即十一地（「住」就名為「地」故）。證空者顯初住相，多住於人、法二無我故。證業果者顯第二住相，證得業及果不壞、能護戒故。住禪者顯第三住相，能生於欲界而不退禪故。住覺分者顯第四住相，能入生死而不捨覺分故。觀諦者顯第五住相，以明了之（教化）而化他，雖化而唯了惱亂之心，以「我」無故。觀緣起者顯第六住相，能不起染心、而依緣起受生故。無相者顯第七住相，行雖有功用、而上參於一道，多住於無相故。無功用者顯第八住相，雖淨佛土而無起作，多住於無功用故。化力者顯第九住相，四辯自在、能成熟一切眾生故。淨二門者顯第十住相，三昧門、陀羅尼門極清淨故。淨菩提者顯第十一住相，一切智障斷盡究竟故。已經說過菩薩的十一住相了，接著說菩薩依地立名。

初三三行淨，次三三慢斷， 後三覺捨化，第十有四名。

於十地之中，建立十種菩薩之名。『初三、三行淨』者：初地名「見淨」，菩薩得人、法二見的對治智故。第二地名「戒淨」，菩薩微細的犯戒之垢永無體故。第三地名「定淨」，菩薩諸禪三昧得不退故。『次三、三慢斷』者：第四地名「斷法門異慢」，菩薩於諸經法、破除所起的差別之慢故。第五地名「斷相續異慢」，菩薩入十平等心，於一切相續得平等故。第六地名「斷染淨異慢」，菩薩了知『真如之性本淨、由客塵故染』，能安住於緣起之法，如此而不起黑白（染淨）的差別見故。『後三、覺捨化』者：第七地名「得覺」，菩薩住於無相之力，能念念之中修三十七覺分故。第八地名「行捨」，菩薩住於無功用、無相故；亦名「淨土」，菩薩的方便行與不退地菩薩相合故。第九地名「化眾生」，菩薩能成熟一切眾生故。「第十有四名」者：一名「大神通」，菩薩得大神通故；二名「滿法身」，菩薩具足無量三昧門、陀羅尼門故；三名「能現身」，菩薩住兜率天等示現相身故；四名「受職」，菩薩於諸佛之所得受職故。已經說過菩薩依地立名了，接著說菩薩隨地修學、及修學之果。

隨次依前六，見性修三學， 隨次依後四，得果有四種。

「隨次依前六，見性修三學」者：菩薩於初地通達真如，第二地學增上戒，第三地學增上心，第四、第五、第六地學增上慧。慧有二種所緣境：一是「法實」，謂苦等四諦；二是「緣起」，謂逆、順觀十二因緣。這二境在第二、第三地中也有，所以那二地也建立增上慧；然而第四地中是「菩提分慧」增上，第五地中是「諦觀慧」增上，第六地中是「緣起觀慧」增上，故這三地（正）建立增上慧學。「隨次依後四，得果有四種」者：依第七地，得無相有功用住，為第一果；依第八地，得無相無功用住，為第二果；依第九地，得成熟眾生，為第三果；依第十地，得二門成熟，為第四果。已經說過隨地修學、及修學之果了，接著說菩薩隨地修習無漏五陰。

見性淨三身，亦在前六地， 餘地淨餘二，遠離五障故。

初地「見性」者，如前面所解；第二地中戒身清淨，第三地中定身清淨，第四、五、六地中慧身清淨（前六地淨此三身）。後四地及佛地，則淨「解脫身、解脫知見身」這二身，由「離五障」故。五障者：第七地中以「執相無知」為障，第八地中以「功用無知」為障，第九地中以「不能化生無知」為障，第十地中以「未淨二門無知」為障，佛地中以「礙障無知」為障——這「礙障無知」能障礙聲聞、緣覺的境界智，而諸佛知一切境無礙，正由解脫此障故。已經說過菩薩隨地修無漏五陰了，接著說菩薩隨地的成就、未成就。

未成就成就，成復未成成， 如地建立知，分別無分別。

『未成就、成就』者：那信行地是未成就，自餘的諸地名為成就。「成復未成成」者：在前面那「成就」的諸地中，又有未成就與成就（之分）——七地以還名為未成就，有功用故；八地以上名為成就，無功用故。〔問〕前面說『歡喜地（初地）也是成就』，這義理又怎麼講？〔答〕「如地建立知，分別無分別」——這是由於：在『地的建立』之中、知道唯是分別，而於這分別也無分別，所執、能執俱無體故；約這層意思故，說名為「成就」。

應知諸地中，修習及成就， 此二不思議，諸佛境界故。

菩薩於諸地之中，各有「修習」與「成就」，應當了知地地都不可思議——由諸菩薩內自證覺，這是諸佛所知、非其餘人的境界故。已經說過菩薩隨地的成就、未成就了，接著說菩薩入地的十種相。

明信及無劣，無怯亦無待， 通達及平等，離偏亦離著， 及以知方便，亦在聖眾生， 如此十種相，地地皆圓滿。

入地菩薩，地地皆有十相。哪十種呢？一明信、二無劣、三無怯、四無待、五通達、六平等、七離偏、八離著、九知方便、十聖眾生。「明信」者，於自地得「明」——於諸法之中除無知故；於他地得「信」——於後諸地生願樂故。「無劣」者，聞深妙之法不驚、不怖故。「無怯」者，行難行之行，極勇猛故。「無待」者，起自地之行，不待他教故。「通達」者，他地的方便能起故。「平等」者，普於眾生同於自心故。「離偏」者，耳聞毀、譽而無高、無下故。「離著」者，得輪王等位而無愛染故。「知方便」者，知諸法不可得，為佛之方便故。「聖眾生」者，諸佛的徒眾恒在受生（恒在諸佛眾中受生）故。這等十相，地地皆具，應當了知。已經說過菩薩入地的十種相了，接著說菩薩地中的十度相。

有欲無六障，其次無亂慧， 不漂亦不迴，事友及供養， 迴向將生勝，修善與戲通， 功德藏如是，佛子十六相。

諸菩薩於諸地之中得十度，有十六相。哪十六種呢？一有欲樂，樂行諸度故。二無慳，離布施障故。三無違，離持戒障故。四無恚，離忍辱障故。五無懈，離精進障故。六慈悲，離禪定障故——慈悲能與樂、拔苦，是瞋惱的對治，由禪定而得故。七無惡慧，離般若障故——惡慧有三：謂自性分別、隨憶分別、顯示分別，此（無惡慧）能斷之故。八無亂慧，離異乘之心故。九不漂，不為人、天的勝樂醉惑其心故。十不迴，不為『不成就之苦』及『難行之苦』而退其心故。十一事友，依佛所示的善知識、聽聞大乘故。十二供養，供養三寶故。十三迴向，善巧方便故。十四生勝，此顯願波羅蜜相——離八難之處、不離諸佛菩薩故。十五修善，此顯力波羅蜜相——無間地修諸善根故。十六戲通，此顯智波羅蜜相——遊戲於諸大神通功德故。菩薩若得此相，便為一切眾中的上首，這名為「佛子十六相」。已經說過菩薩地中的十度相了，接著說菩薩度度的五功德。

地地昇進時，度度有五德， 二及二及一，應知止觀俱。

『地地昇進之時、度度有五德』者：菩薩於一一地修一一度，於一一度皆具足五種功德。哪五種呢？一滅習、二得猗、三圓明、四相起、五廣因。「滅習」者，於一一剎那滅除「依中習氣」之聚故。「得猗」者，離種種相、得法樂故。「圓明」者，遍知一切種、不作分段故。「相起」者，由入大地、無分別之相生起故。「廣因」者，為圓滿、為清淨一切種，攝持法身的福聚、智聚、令其增長故。「二及二及一，應知止觀俱」者：此中應當了知，初二功德是奢摩他（止）分、次二功德是毘鉢舍那（觀）分、第五功德是「俱」分（止觀雙運）。已經說過菩薩度度的五功德了，接著解釋菩薩的十地之名。

見真見利物，此處得歡喜； 出犯出異心，是名離垢地； 求法持法力，作明故名明； 惑障智障薪，能燒是焰慧； 難退有二種，能退故難勝； 不住二法觀，恒現名現前； 雜道隣一道，遠去名遠行； 相想無相想，動無不動地； 四辯智力巧，說善稱善慧； 二門如雲遍，雨法名法雲。

此偈一一解釋十地之名：

  • 歡喜地（初）：「見真見利物，此處得歡喜」者，菩薩於初地之中，一是「見真如」，謂見自利——昔曾未見、今時始見，去菩提近故；二是「見利物」，謂見利他——能於一一剎那成熟百個眾生故。由這二見而起殊勝的歡喜，故名歡喜地。
  • 離垢地（二）：「出犯出異心，是名離垢地」者，菩薩於二地之中出二種垢——一出犯戒之垢、二出起異乘心之垢。由出此二垢故，名離垢地。如《十地經》說：「我等應得應淨一切種智」故勤加精進。
  • 明地（發光地）（三）：「求法持法力，作明故名明」者，菩薩於三地之中得三昧自在之力，於無量佛法能求、能持，得大法明、又為他人作明。由能以法自明、明他故，名明地。
  • 焰慧地（四）：「惑障智障薪，能燒是焰慧」者，菩薩於四地之中，以「菩提分慧」為焰之自性、以『惑、智二障』為薪之自性；此地菩薩能起慧焰、燒此二障之薪故，名焰慧地。
  • 難勝地（五）：「難退有二種，能退故難勝」者，菩薩於五地之中有二種難——一是『勤化眾生而心無惱』之難、二是『眾生不從化而心無惱』之難；此地菩薩能退此二難、於難得勝故，名難勝地。
  • 現前地（六）：「不住二法觀，恒現名現前」者，菩薩於六地之中依般若之力，能不住於生死、涅槃二法；如此的觀慧恒現在前故，名現前地。
  • 遠行地（七）：「雜道隣一道，遠去名遠行」者，菩薩於七地之中已近一乘之道，故名「遠去」。〔問〕是誰遠去？〔答〕功用方便究竟，此（究竟之功用方便）能遠去；由此遠去故，名遠行地。
  • 不動地（八）：「相想無相想，動無不動地」者，菩薩於八地之中，有「有相想」及「無相有功用想」，這二想都不能動它，由無此動故，故名不動地。
  • 善慧地（九）：「四辯智力巧，說善稱善慧」者，菩薩於九地之中四無礙慧最為殊勝——於一剎那之頃，三千世界所有人、天、各類眾生的異音、異義、異問，此地菩薩能以一音普答眾問、遍斷眾疑；由此「說善」故，名善慧地。
  • 法雲地（十）：「二門如雲遍，雨法名法雲」者，菩薩於十地之中，由三昧門及陀羅尼門，攝一切聞熏習之因、遍滿於阿梨耶識之中，譬如浮雲遍滿虛空，能以這『聞熏習之雲』，於一一剎那、於一一相、於一一好、於一一毛孔，雨下無量無邊的法雨，充足一切可化的眾生。由能如雲雨法故，名法雲地。

〔問〕別名已經解釋完了，那為何名「住」？為何名「地」？

為集諸善根，樂住故說住， 數數數無畏，復以地為名。

〔答〕「為集諸善根樂住故名住」者：諸菩薩為成就種種善根，於一切時樂住於一切地，所以諸地說名為「住」。「數數數無畏，復以地為名」者：「步彌耶」名為「地」——「步」者是「數數」之義、「彌」者是「實數」之義、「耶」者是「無畏」之義。諸菩薩欲進於上地，於一一地之中數數斷除障礙、數數得獲功德，這是「數數」之義；地以十數為其量，諸菩薩於一一地之中，知道斷了多少障礙、知道得了多少功德、知此不虛，這是「實數」之義；上地是無畏之處，諸菩薩怕在自地中退失自、他利的功德、而進求上地，這是「無畏」之義。由這三義故，故名為「地」。已經說過菩薩的十地之名了，接著說菩薩四種得地的差別。

由信及由行，由達亦由成， 應知諸菩薩，得地有四種。

四種得地者：一由信得、二由行得、三由通達得、四由成就得。「由信」者，以信而得諸地故，如「信地」中所說。「由行」者，以正行而得諸地故——諸菩薩於大乘法有「十種正行」：一書寫、二供養、三流傳、四聽受、五轉讀、六教他、七習誦、八解說、九思擇、十修習；此十正行能生無量功德之聚，由此正行而得地故，名行得。「通達」者，通達第一義諦，乃至七地名為通達（得）。「得成就」者，八地至佛地名為成就得。已經說過菩薩的四種得地差別了，接著說菩薩的四種修行差別。

諸度諸覺分，諸通及諸攝， 為大亦為小，俱入亦俱成。

總說一切菩薩之行不過四種：一波羅蜜行、二菩提分行、三神通行、四攝生行。說「波羅蜜行」是為求大乘的眾生，說「菩提分行」是為求小乘的眾生，說「神通行」是為令這二種眾生得入佛法，說「攝生行」是為令這二種眾生成熟於佛法。

（行住品到此究竟。）

In "Practice and the Grounds" (行住), "abode" (住) is the same as "ground" (地, the bodhisattva's ten grounds). This chapter gives a full account of the bodhisattva's practice (行, cultivation) and the abodes (住, the grounds abided in): the five characteristics · the householder and the renunciant · the four modes of taking birth · the eleven characteristics of abiding · the naming of the grounds · study according to the grounds · the ten characteristics of entering a ground · the ten perfections within the grounds · the five virtues of each perfection · the several names of the ten grounds · the four ways of gaining a ground · the four modes of practice.

Having spoken of the bodhisattva's qualities, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's five characteristics.

Compassion within the heart, kind speech and courageous strength, an open hand and the explaining of the meaning — these five are the marks of the bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva has five characteristics: first compassion, second kind speech, third courageous strength, fourth the open hand, fifth explaining the meaning. "Compassion" means gathering in and benefiting sentient beings with the mind of awakening (菩提心, bodhicitta). "Kind speech" means bringing sentient beings to right faith in the Buddha's Dharma. "Courageous strength" means not retreating and not flinching from difficult and austere practice. "The open hand" means gathering beings with material goods (reaching out to give). "Explaining the meaning" means gathering beings with the meaning of the Dharma. Of these five characteristics one should know: the first is mind, the latter four are practice. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's five characteristics, the text next speaks of the divisions of the householder and the renunciant bodhisattva.

The bodhisattva at all times ever dwells in the rank of a wheel-turning king, working the benefit of sentient beings — such is the householder's part.

The householder bodhisattva ever acts as a wheel-turning king (輪王, cakravartin), guiding beings to uphold the ten wholesome courses of action and to keep clear of the ten unwholesome ones — this is the (householder's) benefit.

Received, gained through the Dharma, and accomplished by display — these three are the renunciant's part, present in all the grounds.

The renunciant bodhisattva has three parts: first the received part, that is, receiving the guarding [of the precepts] from another (taking the precepts); second the Dharma-gained part, that is, gaining the undefiled guarding; third the displayed part, that is, making the appearance of receiving the precepts by transformation. The received part is in the ground of faith-and-practice; the Dharma-gained part and the displayed part are (from) the entering of the great grounds (onward).

Know that the renunciant's part is furnished with measureless qualities; compared with the householder's part it is supreme, beyond all equal.

Weighing these two parts against each other, the renunciant's part is superior — because it is furnished with measureless qualities (the householder's part is beyond comparison). Having spoken of the divisions of the householder and the renunciant bodhisattva, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's five kinds of surpassingly great mind.

The beloved fruit and the wholesome root, and the wish to bring beings to nirvāṇa; not-yet-pure, pure, and utterly pure — these are found within the grounds.

The five kinds of surpassingly great mind are: first the surpassingly great mind of gladdening, second the surpassingly great mind of benefiting, third the not-yet-pure surpassingly great mind, fourth the already-pure surpassingly great mind, fifth the utterly pure surpassingly great mind. "The beloved fruit" means the surpassingly great mind of gladdening, which brings sentient beings to gain the lovely fruit of future lives. "The wholesome root" means the surpassingly great mind of benefiting, which brings sentient beings to practice all that is wholesome and to gain nirvāṇa. "Not-yet-pure" means the not-yet-pure surpassingly great mind, that is, the bodhisattva in the ground of faith-and-practice. "Pure" means the already-pure surpassingly great mind, that is, the bodhisattva from the first ground to the seventh. "Utterly pure" means the utterly pure surpassingly great mind, that is, the bodhisattva of the last three grounds. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's five kinds of surpassingly great mind, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's four ways of gathering sentient beings.

Aspiration and equality, ascendancy and a following — these four minds, throughout the grounds, gather in every being.

The four ways of gathering sentient beings are: first gathering with the mind of aspiration, by gathering through the mind of awakening; second gathering with the mind of equality, by gathering through the mind of the equality of self and other gained upon entering the first ground; third gathering with the mind of ascendancy, by gathering through the sovereign power of one who dwells in the ruler's rank; fourth gathering with the mind of a following, by gathering [beings] into one's own disciples. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's four ways of gathering sentient beings, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's four modes of taking birth.

The power of karma and the power of vow, the power of concentration and the power of the higher knowledges — relying on these four powers, the bodhisattva takes birth.

The four modes of taking birth are: first birth by the power of karma, second birth by the power of vow, third birth by the power of concentration, fourth birth by the power of the higher knowledges (通力, abhijñā). "Birth by the power of karma" means that the bodhisattva of the ground of faith-and-practice, sovereign in the power of karma, takes birth in whatever place he wishes. "Birth by the power of vow" means that the bodhisattva who has entered the great grounds, sovereign in the power of vow, takes birth even as an animal and so forth in order to bring others to maturity. "Birth by the power of concentration" means that the bodhisattva who has gained concentration, sovereign in the power of concentration, forsakes the upper realms and comes down to take birth. "Birth by the power of the higher knowledges" means that the bodhisattva who has gained the higher knowledges, sovereign in that power, is able to display all manner of forms in the Tuṣita heaven and elsewhere and so take birth. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's four modes of taking birth, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's eleven characteristics of abiding.

Realizing emptiness, realizing the fruit of karma, abiding in meditation, abiding in the factors of awakening, contemplating the truths, contemplating dependent arising, the signless and the effortless, the power of transforming, the purifying of the two doors, and the purity of awakening — by all these that are stated, the establishing of the grounds should be known.

The "eleven abodes" are the eleven grounds ("abode" is named "ground"). Realizing emptiness shows the character of the first abode, for one abides much in the twofold no-self of persons and of dharmas. Realizing the fruit of karma shows the character of the second abode, for one realizes that karma and its fruit are indestructible and is able to guard the precepts. Abiding in meditation shows the character of the third abode, for one can be born in the desire realm yet not fall away from meditation. Abiding in the factors of awakening shows the character of the fourth abode, for one can enter birth-and-death yet not forsake the factors of awakening. Contemplating the truths shows the character of the fifth abode: with clarity one teaches and transforms others; though one transforms, one understands only the mind's own vexation, for there is no "self." Contemplating dependent arising shows the character of the sixth abode, for one can take birth in reliance on dependent arising without rousing a defiled mind. The signless shows the character of the seventh abode: though one's practice still has effort, one draws near above to the one path and abides much in the signless. The effortless shows the character of the eighth abode: though one purifies buddha-lands there is no rousing of activity, and one abides much in effortlessness. The power of transforming shows the character of the ninth abode, for one is sovereign in the four analytical knowledges and can bring all sentient beings to maturity. Purifying the two doors shows the character of the tenth abode, for the door of concentration (三昧門, samādhi) and the door of retention (陀羅尼門, dhāraṇī) are utterly pure. Purifying awakening shows the character of the eleventh abode, for every cognitive obstruction (智障, the obstruction to knowledge) is severed to the very end. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's eleven characteristics of abiding, the text next speaks of the naming of the grounds.

The first three purify the three practices; the next three sever the three conceits; the last three: awakening, relinquishing, transforming; and the tenth has four names.

Within the ten grounds, ten names of the bodhisattva are established. "The first three purify the three practices": the first ground is named "Purity of View," for the bodhisattva gains the wisdom that counters the twofold view of persons and dharmas. The second ground is named "Purity of Discipline," for in the bodhisattva the subtle stain of breaking the precepts is forever without substance. The third ground is named "Purity of Concentration," for the bodhisattva gains non-retrogression in all the meditations and concentrations. "The next three sever the three conceits": the fourth ground is named "Severing the Conceit of Distinctions among the Dharma-Doors," for the bodhisattva breaks the conceit of distinctions raised over the various scriptural teachings. The fifth ground is named "Severing the Conceit of Distinctions among Continua," for the bodhisattva enters the ten minds of equality and gains equality over every continuum. The sixth ground is named "Severing the Conceit of the Distinction of Pure and Impure," for the bodhisattva understands that "the nature of suchness is originally pure and is defiled only through adventitious defilements" (客塵, āgantuka-kleśa), can abide in the dharma of dependent arising, and thus rouses no discriminating view of black and white (impure and pure). "The last three: awakening, relinquishing, transforming": the seventh ground is named "Gaining Awakening," for the bodhisattva abides in the power of the signless and can cultivate the thirty-seven factors of awakening (三十七覺分) moment by moment. The eighth ground is named "Relinquishing in Practice," for the bodhisattva abides in the effortless and the signless; it is also named "Pure Land," for the bodhisattva's skillful practice accords with the bodhisattva of the ground of non-retrogression. The ninth ground is named "Transforming Sentient Beings," for the bodhisattva can bring all sentient beings to maturity. "The tenth has four names": first, "Great Higher Knowledges," for the bodhisattva gains the great higher knowledges; second, "Fulfilling the Dharma-Body," for the bodhisattva is furnished with measureless doors of concentration and doors of retention; third, "Able to Manifest a Body," for the bodhisattva abides in the Tuṣita heaven and elsewhere and displays a sign-body; fourth, "Receiving Consecration," for the bodhisattva receives consecration in the presence of the buddhas. Having spoken of the naming of the grounds, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's study according to the grounds, and the fruit of that study.

Relying in turn on the first six, he sees the [true] nature and cultivates the three trainings; relying in turn on the last four, the fruits gained are of four kinds.

"Relying in turn on the first six, he sees the nature and cultivates the three trainings": the bodhisattva penetrates suchness (真如, tathatā) on the first ground; on the second ground he trains in the higher discipline; on the third ground he trains in the higher mind; on the fourth, fifth, and sixth grounds he trains in the higher wisdom. Wisdom has two objects: one is "the reality of dharmas," namely the four truths beginning with suffering; the other is "dependent arising," namely the contemplation of the twelve links of dependent arising in reverse and forward order. These two objects are present also within the second and third grounds, and so those grounds too are set up as [training in] higher wisdom; yet within the fourth ground it is the wisdom of the factors of awakening that predominates, within the fifth ground the wisdom of contemplating the truths, and within the sixth ground the wisdom of contemplating dependent arising — and so these three grounds are (properly) established as the training in higher wisdom. "Relying in turn on the last four, the fruits gained are of four kinds": relying on the seventh ground, one gains the abode that is signless yet with effort — the first fruit; relying on the eighth ground, one gains the abode that is signless and effortless — the second fruit; relying on the ninth ground, one gains the maturing of sentient beings — the third fruit; relying on the tenth ground, one gains the maturing of the two doors — the fourth fruit. Having spoken of study according to the grounds and its fruit, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's cultivation of the undefiled five aggregates according to the grounds.

Seeing the nature purifies the three bodies, and this too lies in the first six grounds; the remaining grounds purify the other two, because they leave behind the five obstructions.

The first ground's "seeing the nature" is as explained above; within the second ground the body of discipline is purified, within the third ground the body of concentration is purified, and within the fourth, fifth, and sixth grounds the body of wisdom is purified (the first six grounds purify these three bodies). The last four grounds and the buddha-ground then purify the two bodies of "the body of liberation and the body of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation," because they "leave behind the five obstructions." The five obstructions are: within the seventh ground, the not-knowing that grasps at signs is the obstruction; within the eighth ground, the not-knowing that is effort is the obstruction; within the ninth ground, the not-knowing of being unable to transform beings is the obstruction; within the tenth ground, the not-knowing of the not-yet-purified two doors is the obstruction; and within the buddha-ground, the not-knowing that is the obstructing barrier is the obstruction — this "not-knowing that is the obstructing barrier" can obstruct the object-knowledge of the śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas, whereas the buddhas know every object without obstruction, precisely because they are freed from this obstruction. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's cultivation of the undefiled five aggregates according to the grounds, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's accomplishment and non-accomplishment according to the grounds.

Not-accomplished and accomplished, accomplished-yet-not and accomplished; as the grounds are established, know it — discrimination and non-discrimination.

"Not-accomplished and accomplished": that ground of faith-and-practice is not-accomplished, while the remaining grounds are named accomplished. "Accomplished-yet-not and accomplished": within those earlier "accomplished" grounds there are again the not-accomplished and the accomplished — the seventh ground and below are named not-accomplished, because they have effort; the eighth ground and above are named accomplished, because they are effortless. 〔Question〕Earlier it was said that "the Joyful Ground (the first) too is accomplished" — how is this meaning to be understood? 〔Answer〕"As the grounds are established, know it — discrimination and non-discrimination": this is because, within "the establishing of the grounds," one knows that there is only discrimination, and toward this discrimination too there is no discrimination, since the grasped and the grasper are both without substance; and it is on account of this meaning that it is named accomplished.

Know that within the grounds there are cultivation and accomplishment; these two are inconceivable, because they are the domain of the buddhas.

The bodhisattva has, within each of the grounds, its own "cultivation" and "accomplishment," and one should know that ground upon ground is inconceivable — because it is the buddhas' inner self-realized awakening, which is known to the buddhas and is not the domain of others. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's accomplishment and non-accomplishment according to the grounds, the text next speaks of the ten characteristics of entering a ground.

Clear faith and no inferiority, no timidity and no dependence, penetration and equality, freedom from partiality and freedom from attachment, and the knowing of skillful means, and being among the holy beings — such are these ten characteristics, full and complete on ground after ground.

The bodhisattva who has entered a ground has, on ground after ground, ten characteristics. Which ten? First clear faith, second no inferiority, third no timidity, fourth no dependence, fifth penetration, sixth equality, seventh freedom from partiality, eighth freedom from attachment, ninth knowing skillful means, tenth holy being. "Clear faith": in one's own ground one gains "clarity" — removing not-knowing among the dharmas; toward the other grounds one gains "faith" — rousing aspiration for the later grounds. "No inferiority": hearing the deep and wondrous Dharma, one is not startled or frightened. "No timidity": performing hard-to-perform practices, one is utterly courageous. "No dependence": rousing the practice of one's own ground, one does not depend on another's teaching. "Penetration": one can rouse the skillful means of the other grounds. "Equality": one is universally the same toward sentient beings as toward one's own mind. "Freedom from partiality": hearing blame or praise with the ear, one is neither elated nor cast down. "Freedom from attachment": gaining the rank of a wheel-turning king and the like, one has no craving attachment. "Knowing skillful means": knowing that the dharmas are unobtainable is the skillful means of a buddha. "Holy being": the buddhas' following ever takes birth (ever takes birth among the assemblies of the buddhas). These ten characteristics, complete on ground after ground, one should know. Having spoken of the ten characteristics of entering a ground, the text next speaks of the characteristics of the ten perfections within the grounds.

Having aspiration, without the six obstructions, and next without disordered wisdom, not drifting and not turning back, serving the [good] friend and making offerings, dedicating, about to take an excellent birth, cultivating the wholesome and sporting in the higher knowledges — such is the treasury of qualities: the sixteen characteristics of the sons of the Buddha.

The bodhisattvas gain the ten perfections within the grounds, and these have sixteen characteristics. Which sixteen? First having aspiration, delighting to practice the perfections. Second no stinginess, leaving behind the obstruction to giving. Third no transgression, leaving behind the obstruction to discipline. Fourth no ill-will, leaving behind the obstruction to patience. Fifth no indolence, leaving behind the obstruction to vigor. Sixth loving-kindness and compassion, leaving behind the obstruction to meditation — loving-kindness and compassion can give joy and remove suffering, being the counter to ill-will and vexation, and are gained through meditation. Seventh no bad wisdom, leaving behind the obstruction to wisdom — bad wisdom is of three kinds, namely discrimination of intrinsic nature, discrimination by recollection, and discrimination that displays; this can sever them. Eighth undisordered wisdom, leaving behind the mind of the other vehicles. Ninth not drifting, one's mind not intoxicated by the excellent pleasures of humans and gods. Tenth not turning back, one's mind not made to retreat by the suffering of non-accomplishment or the suffering of hard-to-perform practice. Eleventh serving the friend, relying on the good friend the Buddha points out and hearing the Great Vehicle. Twelfth making offerings, making offerings to the Three Jewels. Thirteenth dedicating, [with] skillful means. Fourteenth an excellent birth: this shows the character of the perfection of vow — being apart from the eight [conditions] without leisure and not apart from the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Fifteenth cultivating the wholesome: this shows the character of the perfection of power — cultivating all wholesome roots without interruption. Sixteenth sporting in the higher knowledges: this shows the character of the perfection of knowledge — sporting amid the qualities of the great higher knowledges. If the bodhisattva gains these characteristics, he becomes the foremost among all assemblies; these are named the sixteen characteristics of the sons of the Buddha. Having spoken of the characteristics of the ten perfections within the grounds, the text next speaks of the five virtues of each perfection.

As one ascends ground upon ground, each perfection has five virtues; two and two and one — know that they are tranquillity and insight together.

"As one ascends ground upon ground, each perfection has five virtues": the bodhisattva cultivates each perfection on each ground, and in each perfection all five kinds of virtue are complete. Which five? First extinguishing the latent tendencies, second gaining ease, third complete clarity, fourth the arising of the sign, fifth the broad cause. "Extinguishing the habit-energies": in each single moment one extinguishes the mass of "latent tendencies within the dependent." "Gaining ease": leaving behind the various signs, one gains the joy of the Dharma. "Complete clarity": one knows all kinds fully and does not make them into portions. "The arising of the sign": through entering the great grounds, the sign of non-discrimination arises. "The broad cause": in order to fulfill and to purify all kinds, one gathers and holds and causes to grow the merit-store and wisdom-store of the dharma-body. "Two and two and one — know that they are tranquillity and insight together": here one should know that the first two virtues are the tranquillity portion (奢摩他, śamatha), the next two are the insight portion (毘鉢舍那, vipaśyanā), and the fifth is the "together" portion (the joined practice of tranquillity and insight). Having spoken of the five virtues of each perfection, the text next explains the several names of the ten grounds.

Seeing the true and seeing the benefit of beings — here one gains gladness; casting out transgression and casting out the deviant mind — this is named the Stainless Ground; seeking the Dharma and the power to uphold it, making light — hence named the Ground of Brightness; the fuel of the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction — burning it is Flaming Wisdom; two kinds hard to turn back — able to turn them back, hence Hard-to-Conquer; not abiding in the contemplation of the two dharmas, ever manifest — named the Manifest; mixed with the path yet neighboring the one path, going far — named the Far-Going; the notion of signs and the notion of no-signs — unmoved by them, the Immovable Ground; skilled in the four analytical knowledges — speaking well, called Good Wisdom; the two doors pervading like a cloud, raining down Dharma — named the Dharma-Cloud.

This verse explains the several names of the ten grounds one by one:

  • The Joyful Ground (歡喜, pramuditā; the first): "Seeing the true and seeing the benefit of beings — here one gains gladness." Within the first ground the bodhisattva, first, "sees suchness" — that is, he sees the benefit for himself: what was never seen before is now for the first time seen, and awakening is drawn near. Second, he "sees the benefit of beings" — that is, he sees the benefit for others: in each single moment he can bring a hundred sentient beings to maturity. Through these two seeings surpassing gladness arises, and so it is named the Joyful Ground.
  • The Stainless Ground (離垢, vimalā; the second): "Casting out transgression and casting out the deviant mind — this is named the Stainless Ground." Within the second ground the bodhisattva casts out two stains — first the stain of breaking the precepts, second the stain of rousing the mind of the other vehicles. By casting out these two stains it is named the Stainless Ground. As the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds (《十地經》) says: "We ought to gain and to purify all-kinds-of-knowledge (一切種智, sarvajñatā)" — and so he applies vigor diligently.
  • The Ground of Brightness (明, the Ground of Making-Light; 玄奘系 the Radiant Ground 發光地, prabhākarī; the third): "Seeking the Dharma and the power to uphold it, making light — hence named the Ground of Brightness." Within the third ground the bodhisattva gains the sovereign power of concentration; over measureless buddha-dharmas he can seek and can uphold, gaining the great light of the Dharma and also making light for others. Because he can, by the Dharma, illumine himself and illumine others, it is named the Ground of Brightness.
  • The Flaming Wisdom Ground (焰慧, arciṣmatī; the fourth): "The fuel of the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction — burning it is Flaming Wisdom." Within the fourth ground the bodhisattva takes "the wisdom of the factors of awakening" as the intrinsic nature of the flame and "the two obstructions, afflictive and cognitive," as the intrinsic nature of the fuel; the bodhisattva of this ground can rouse the flame of wisdom and burn the fuel of these two obstructions, and so it is named the Flaming Wisdom Ground.
  • The Hard-to-Conquer Ground (難勝, sudurjayā; the fifth): "Two kinds hard to turn back — able to turn them back, hence Hard-to-Conquer." Within the fifth ground the bodhisattva has two difficulties — first the difficulty of "diligently transforming sentient beings with a mind free of vexation," second the difficulty of "a mind free of vexation when sentient beings do not follow the transformation"; the bodhisattva of this ground can turn back these two difficulties and gains mastery over what is difficult, and so it is named the Hard-to-Conquer Ground.
  • The Manifest Ground (現前, abhimukhī; the sixth): "Not abiding in the contemplation of the two dharmas, ever manifest — named the Manifest." Within the sixth ground the bodhisattva, relying on the power of wisdom, can refrain from abiding in the two dharmas of birth-and-death and nirvāṇa; such a contemplating wisdom is ever manifest before him, and so it is named the Manifest Ground.
  • The Far-Going Ground (遠行, dūraṃgamā; the seventh): "Mixed with the path yet neighboring the one path, going far — named the Far-Going." Within the seventh ground the bodhisattva has drawn near to the path of the one vehicle, and so it is called "going far." 〔Question〕Who is it that goes far? 〔Answer〕The effort and skillful means having reached their end, this (consummate effort and skillful means) can go far; and because of this going-far it is named the Far-Going Ground.
  • The Immovable Ground (不動, acalā; the eighth): "The notion of signs and the notion of no-signs — unmoved by them, the Immovable Ground." Within the eighth ground the bodhisattva has "the notion of having signs" and "the notion of no-signs but with effort," and these two notions can neither of them move him; because there is no such being-moved, it is named the Immovable Ground.
  • The Good Wisdom Ground (善慧, sādhumatī; the ninth): "Skilled in the four analytical knowledges — speaking well, called Good Wisdom." Within the ninth ground the bodhisattva's four unobstructed knowledges are most excellent — in the space of a single moment, for all the humans, gods, and various kinds of beings in the three-thousandfold world-system, with their differing sounds, differing meanings, and differing questions, the bodhisattva of this ground can with a single utterance answer the many questions all at once and sever the many doubts everywhere; because of this "speaking well" it is named the Good Wisdom Ground.
  • The Dharma-Cloud Ground (法雲, dharma-meghā; the tenth): "The two doors pervading like a cloud, raining down Dharma — named the Dharma-Cloud." Within the tenth ground the bodhisattva, through the door of concentration and the door of retention, gathers all the causes that are the latent impressions of what has been heard, filling the whole of the store consciousness (阿梨耶識; 阿賴耶識, ālaya-vijñāna) — just as drifting clouds fill the whole of space, so, with this "cloud of the latent impressions of the heard," in each single moment, over each single sign, over each single excellent mark, over each single pore, he rains down measureless, boundless rain of the Dharma, satisfying all sentient beings who can be transformed. Because he can rain down the Dharma like a cloud, it is named the Dharma-Cloud Ground.

〔Question〕The separate names have now been explained; why then is it named "abode"? Why is it named "ground"?

For gathering the wholesome roots, delighting to abide — hence it is said "abode"; "again and again," "counting," "fearless" — and so it also takes the name "ground."

〔Answer〕"For gathering the wholesome roots, delighting to abide — hence named 'abode'": the bodhisattvas, in order to accomplish the various wholesome roots, at all times delight to abide in all the grounds, and so the grounds are named "abode." "'Again and again,' 'counting,' 'fearless' — and so it also takes the name 'ground'": bhūmi is named "ground" — "bhū" carries the sense of "again and again," "mi" carries the sense of "true counting," and "ya" carries the sense of "fearless." The bodhisattvas, wishing to advance to a higher ground, on each single ground sever obstructions again and again and gain qualities again and again — this is the sense of "again and again." The grounds have the number ten as their measure; the bodhisattvas, on each single ground, know how many obstructions they have severed, know how many qualities they have gained, and know this to be not in vain — this is the sense of "true counting." A higher ground is a place of fearlessness; the bodhisattvas, afraid of falling away on their own ground from the qualities that benefit self and other, press on to seek the higher ground — this is the sense of "fearless." Through these three senses it is named "ground." Having spoken of the several names of the ten grounds, the text next speaks of the four kinds of gaining a ground, in their distinctions.

Through faith and through practice, through penetration and through accomplishment — know that the bodhisattvas gain a ground in four ways.

The four ways of gaining a ground are: first gaining through faith, second gaining through practice, third gaining through penetration, fourth gaining through accomplishment. "Through faith": one gains the grounds through faith, as was said [in the section] on the ground of faith. "Through practice": one gains the grounds through right practice — the bodhisattvas have, with respect to the Great Vehicle, ten right practices (十正行): first copying out, second making offerings, third circulating, fourth listening and receiving, fifth reading aloud, sixth teaching others, seventh reciting from memory, eighth expounding, ninth pondering and selecting, tenth cultivating; these ten right practices can give rise to a measureless mass of merit, and because one gains a ground through this practice it is named gaining through practice. "Penetration": one penetrates the ultimate truth (第一義諦), and up through the seventh ground this is named gaining through penetration. "Gaining through accomplishment": from the eighth ground to the buddha-ground this is named gaining through accomplishment. Having spoken of the bodhisattva's four kinds of gaining a ground in their distinctions, the text next speaks of the bodhisattva's four modes of practice, in their distinctions.

The perfections, the factors of awakening, the higher knowledges, and the means of gathering — for the great and for the small; both entering and both maturing.

Speaking in sum, all the practices of the bodhisattva do not exceed four kinds: first the practice of the perfections, second the practice of the factors of awakening, third the practice of the higher knowledges, fourth the practice of gathering beings. The practice of the perfections is spoken for the sentient beings who seek the Great Vehicle; the practice of the factors of awakening is spoken for the sentient beings who seek the Lesser Vehicle; the practice of the higher knowledges is spoken to bring these two kinds of beings to enter the Buddha's Dharma; the practice of gathering beings is spoken to bring these two kinds of beings to maturity in the Buddha's Dharma.

(Here the chapter on Practice and the Grounds ends.)

義疏Exposition

功德品盤點了菩薩滿身的功德；這一品說菩薩的「行」（修行）與「住」（所住之地）。「住」就是「地」——菩薩成佛要經過的十個階位。所以這一品其實是一張十地的地圖：菩薩從哪裡起步、一級級住在哪些境界、每一級叫什麼名字、又怎麼登上去。底下本論一目一目地鋪：先勾菩薩的『樣子』，再說他在家出家、發的是什麼心、怎樣攝眾、怎樣受生；然後正式進入十地——從十一住相、依地立名、隨地修學，到入地十相、地中十度、度度五德，再到十地各名、為何稱「住」稱「地」，最後收於四種得地、四種行。這條路雖長，主線只有一條：一步一步往上走，每一步都為著眾生。

一、菩薩的五種樣子，與在家出家

地圖鋪開前，先問一句：一個人憑什麼看得出他是菩薩？本論答以「五種相」（五種樣子）：憐愍——以菩提心攝受、利益眾生；愛語——說話能令人對佛法生起正信；勇健——難行的苦行也不退、不屈；開手——出手布施，以財物攝人；釋義——為人說法，以法義攝人。釋文特別撥一句：這五個裡，頭一個是「心」，後四個是「行」。先有一顆憐愍的心墊底，才有愛語、勇健、開手、釋義這四樣利他的行——心是根，行是用。這就是菩薩的基本輪廓：不是先學會本事才慈悲，而是慈悲心先立，本事都從這顆心長出來。

接著比較在家與出家。菩薩在家，可以恒居轉輪王位，化導一國奉行十善、遠離十惡——這是在家的利益，份量並不小。但「出家分」更勝，釋文給的理由只一句：由無量功德具足故。 這不是貶低在家，而是說：把全副身心投進道業的那種純粹，是另一種份量。地圖的起點，就站在這顆憐愍心、這一身利他行上。

二、發的是什麼心：五種極大心

要走十地這條長路，先看菩薩存的是什麼心。本論列「五種極大心」，妙在它不是平鋪的五種，而是順著地位由淺入深排出來的一條心的成熟線：

  • 樂極大心——願令一切眾生得到後世可愛的果報（先從給眾生「樂」起念）。
  • 利極大心——願令眾生現前就行種種善、終究得涅槃（從給樂進到給真實的利）。
  • 未淨極大心——這是信行地菩薩的心：方向已正，卻還未證、還未淨。
  • 已淨極大心——這是初地至七地菩薩的心：已親證真如，心已淨。
  • 極淨極大心——這是後三地菩薩的心：淨到了極處。

把後三個連起來看，就是同一顆利他心隨地越走越淨的三段刻度：未淨（信行地）→ 已淨（初地至七地）→ 極淨（八九十地）。 所以「五種極大心」其實已經悄悄把後文的十地階位先預告了一遍——心淨到哪裡，地就走到哪裡。

三、怎麼把眾生收進來：四種攝眾生

心立定了，接著問：菩薩拿什麼把眾生攝受過來？本論答以「四種攝」，而這四種也是配著地位講的：

  • 欲樂心攝——以菩提心去攝（這是發心之初就有的）。
  • 平等心攝——這要入了初地、得「自他平等」之心才有；證了無我，才真把眾生看得與自己一般。
  • 增上心攝——居於主位、以自在之力去攝（地位高了，攝受的力也大了）。
  • 徒眾心攝——把眾生攝成自己的弟子，長久成就他。

這裡可以看出本論鋪陳的用心：攝眾生不是一招到底，而是隨著菩薩自己證量的高低，攝的方式也步步加深——從一念菩提心的攝，到證得自他平等後的攝，到有了主位自在力的攝，到收為徒眾長養的攝。能攝的力，從來不離菩薩自己走到了哪一地。

四、菩薩怎麼來到世間：四種受生

凡夫隨業流轉而生，身不由己；菩薩既要利生，又怎麼『來』到眾生中間？本論說有「四種受生」，一層比一層自在：

  • 業力生——這是信行地菩薩：業力已得自在，能隨自己所願之處去受生（已不全是被業牽著走）。
  • 願力生——這是入大地（登地）菩薩：願力自在，為了成熟眾生，情願受畜生等生——哪裡度得了眾生就往哪裡去，連惡趣也不避。
  • 定力生——得定的菩薩：定力自在，能捨上界的禪天之樂、下來人間受生（不貪天樂，為度生而下）。
  • 通力生——得神通的菩薩：通力自在，能在兜率天等處示現種種相而受生（如補處菩薩之住兜率）。

把這四種連起來，正是菩薩『來去自在』的四級：從業力的初步自在，到願力肯入惡趣，到定力肯捨天樂，到通力隨處示現。 每一級的著眼點都一樣——為了能挨近眾生。 受生本是繫縛，到了菩薩手裡，反成了利生的方便。

五、十地：一條有十級台階的路

從這裡起，本品進入主體——「地」。要先把一個關鍵把握住：「地」既是「住」（安住的境界），又是『台階』（一級級往上的階位）。〔『台階』『路』『里程碑』是本疏借來幫忙的清淨譬喻，論文本身未用此語；論自具的喻另見下文「薪」「雲雨」。〕它不是一個抽象名相，而是修行實際「住」進去的一重重境界——每上一地，斷掉一分障、得到一分德，心就安住在更高一層的境界裡。這『一級級加深』並非後人的比方，《十地經》自有現成的喻：菩薩之行「以十行相」而墮在「大行」之數，正如大海以十相而墮在「海數」，這十相裡頭，頭一相便是「漸次深故」——極喜地引發大願如海初入而漸深，一路到法雲地能受一切「諸佛法明大雲之雨無厭足」，恰似大海愈往裡愈深、終能納盡大雲之雨（《十地經》；《華嚴·十地品》同說「以十相故名菩薩行」）。十地之為『一條漸深的路』，經自如此立喻，本疏的『台階』只是借它的白話影子。本論底下用好幾種方式，把這十級台階反覆描了一遍又一遍：先說它們各「住」在什麼相（十一住相），再說它們各叫什麼名、為什麼這樣立名（依地立名），再說每一級各修什麼學、得什麼果，再說入地共有的十相、地中所修的十度……像同一座山，從十個不同角度各畫一張側影。底下逐目來看。

（一）十一住相：每一地各「住」在什麼境界

第一張側影，是按『多住於什麼』給十一地各標一相（菩薩十地連佛地，故為十一）。本論的講法是『某相顯第幾住』，逐級點出那一地心之所安：

  • 證空顯初住——多住於『人、法二無我』（初地第一件事是證空）。
  • 證業果顯第二住——證得業與果不壞、能護持淨戒。
  • 住禪顯第三住——能生欲界而禪定不退。
  • 住覺分顯第四住——能入生死而不捨三十七覺分。
  • 觀諦顯第五住——明了地教化，雖化眾生而只見『惱亂之心』、不見「我」（以無我故）。
  • 觀緣起顯第六住——能不起染心，而依緣起受生。
  • 無相顯第七住——行雖仍有功用，已上參「一道」、多住於無相。
  • 無功用顯第八住——雖莊嚴佛土而無造作之心，多住於無功用。
  • 化力顯第九住——四無礙辯自在，能成熟一切眾生。
  • 淨二門顯第十住——三昧門、陀羅尼門極清淨。
  • 淨菩提顯第十一住（佛地）——一切智障斷盡究竟。

這一目最該記的是它的門檻語：「住者名地故」——所謂「地」，就是心所「住」的那重境界。十一住相連起來讀，就是這條路一級級「住」上去的剪影：從初地住進無我，到佛地住進究竟的智斷。 後面所有別的講法，都是給這同一條「住」的次第換角度補描。

（二）依地立名：每一地的名，是『在這一級你做成了什麼』

第二張側影最見次第——本論為十地一一立名，而且分三組來立：初三是行淨，次三是斷慢，後三是覺、捨、化，第十有四名。每一個名字，都是那一級修行成果的標記。

  • 初三·三行淨（戒定慧之淨）：初地名「見淨」——得了人、法二見的對治智，見地清淨了；第二地名「戒淨」——連最微細的犯戒之垢都永無體；第三地名「定淨」——諸禪三昧得不退。
  • 次三·三慢斷（斷三種微細的「異慢」）：第四地名「斷法門異慢」——於諸經法不再起『這部高那部低』的差別之慢；第五地名「斷相續異慢」——入十平等心，於一切眾生相續得平等，不再起彼此高下之慢；第六地名「斷染淨異慢」——了知『真如本淨、由客塵故染』，安住緣起，不再起『這是染、那是淨』的黑白差別見。
  • 後三·覺、捨、化：第七地名「得覺」——住無相之力，能念念中修三十七覺分；第八地名「行捨」（亦名「淨土」）——住無功用無相，方便行與不退地菩薩相合；第九地名「化眾生」——能成熟一切眾生。
  • 第十地·一地四名：因功德圓備，故一地立四名——「大神通」（得大神通）、「滿法身」（具足無量三昧門陀羅尼門）、「能現身」（住兜率天等示相身）、「受職」（於諸佛所得受職灌頂）。〔「受職」一名，《十地經》有現成的喻：「譬如轉輪聖王太子，正后所生具足王相」，輪王令太子坐金座、取四大海水置金瓶，「手自執瓶灌太子頂」，纔灌頂已，太子便「墮灌頂剎利王數」（從此算進受灌頂的王者之列）；菩薩亦然，「纔從諸佛得灌頂已，名為已受智水灌頂」。所以「受職」不是領一個空名，而是如太子受父王親灌其頂、正式列入紹位之數——第十地菩薩於諸佛前受「智水灌頂」，自此列入紹佛位之數，這便是「受職」之名的來歷。〕

這張側影的好處，是把上一目「住相」的次第，落實成一串有名有姓的里程碑：見淨→戒淨→定淨（先把見地、戒、定洗乾淨）、斷三慢（再磨掉三層微細的高下心）、覺·捨·化（然後修覺分、捨功用、化眾生），最後到第十地功德四備。名字一路讀下來，這條路的坡度就清清楚楚。

（三）隨地修三學、得四果：前六地修學，後四地證果

第三張側影問的是：每一地具體在「學」什麼、「得」什麼？ 本論答得很整齊——前六地配「三學」，後四地配「四果」。

  • 前六地·見性修三學：初地先「通達真如」（見性，這是底子）；第二地學「增上戒」、第三地學「增上心」（定）、第四五六地學「增上慧」。釋文在這裡補了一段細密的撥正：增上慧的所緣有二境——一是「法實」（苦等四諦）、二是「緣起」（逆順觀十二因緣）；這兩境其實第二、三地也碰到，所以那兩地也沾增上慧。但正建立在哪一地，要看『哪一種慧最增上』：第四地是「菩提分慧」增上、第五地是「諦觀慧」增上、第六地是「緣起觀慧」增上——所以這三地才正名為增上慧學。〔這層『兼有』與『正立』的分判，是釋文自具的細目，不可滑過。〕
  • 後四地·得四果：第七地得「無相有功用住」（第一果）、第八地得「無相無功用住」（第二果）、第九地得「成熟眾生」（第三果）、第十地得「二門成熟」（第四果）。

連起來看：前六地是『上學』的階段（一級級把戒、定、慧學上去），後四地是『結果』的階段（一級得一果）。這正合三十頌、成唯識所說『三增上學』貫穿地上的共軌——本品只是把它逐地排定，叫人看清哪一學落在哪一地。

（四）隨地淨無漏五陰，遠離五障

第四張側影，從「身」的清淨講：菩薩隨地一級級淨化『無漏五陰』（戒身、定身、慧身、解脫身、解脫知見身），這是把成佛之德分作五分、逐地圓滿。

  • 初地「見性」如前；第二地淨「戒身」、第三地淨「定身」、第四五六地淨「慧身」（前六地把這三身淨成）。
  • 後四地及佛地，淨「解脫身、解脫知見身」這末二身——靠的是「離五障」。

「五障」是什麼？本論把後四地加佛地各自要斷的那一重「無知」一一點出，這正是這一目的眼：

  • 第七地——以「執相無知」為障（還執著於相）；
  • 第八地——以「功用無知」為障（還落於有功用）；
  • 第九地——以「不能化生無知」為障（化眾生的善巧還不足）；
  • 第十地——以「未淨二門無知」為障（三昧門、陀羅尼門還未極淨）；
  • 佛地——以「礙障無知」為障。這一重最該講清：所謂「礙障無知」，是能障礙聲聞、緣覺境界智的那種無知；諸佛『知一切境而無礙』，正因為解脫了這最後一重障。

所以這一目其實在說：越往上，要斷的「無知」越細——從執相、到功用、到化生不足、到二門未淨，最後到那能礙一切境智的最微之障。佛之所以為佛，就在連這最後一重都解脫了。前六地淨前三身、後四地佛地淨末二身，五分法身於是圓滿。

（五）隨地的成就與未成就：同一個「成就」，還分兩層

這一目處理一個容易混的問題：哪些地算「成就」、哪些算「未成就」？本論的講法層層收進，要細聽：

  • 第一層：信行地是「未成就」，其餘諸地都是「成就」（登了地就算成就）。
  • 第二層（「成復未成成」）：可是在「成就」的諸地裡頭，又再分未成就與成就——七地以還叫「未成就」（因為還「有功用」）、八地以上叫「成就」（因為「無功用」）。

到這裡釋文自己設了一個問答，把可能的疑點挑明——〔問〕：前面（依地立名那目）明明說初地歡喜地也是「成就」，這裡怎麼又把七地以還都算「未成就」？〔答〕：「如地建立知，分別無分別」——這是說，就在『地的建立』這件事上去看，便知道它唯是分別（地位的施設本是分別安立的）；而於這分別也無分別（連這分別也不可得）——因為所執、能執都無自體。約著「分別亦無分別」這層深義說，初地也可名為「成就」。

這一目的味道，全在釋文這一答：「成就」一詞，淺說、深說不同層。淺看，登地即成就、無功用方成就；深看，連「地」這個建立都唯是分別、而分別亦空——約這層，初地當下即是成就。一個問答，把『次第上的成就』和『究竟上的成就』一齊收住。緊接著本論補一頌：諸地的「修習」與「成就」二事不可思議——因為這是菩薩內自證覺的境界，唯佛能知，非其餘人所能測。〔這一句是替整段下的封印：地地之事，終究是證境，不是凡情可以丈量的。〕

（六）入地十相：每一登地的菩薩，地地都圓滿的十樣

前面是『各地不同』的描法；這一目反過來，講地地共通的十相——凡登地菩薩，地地都圓滿具足這十樣：

  • 明信——對「自地」得「明」（於諸法除無知）、對「他地」（後面還沒到的地）得「信」（生起願樂）；
  • 無劣——聞甚深妙法不驚不怖；
  • 無怯——行難行之行，極勇猛；
  • 無待——起自地之行，不必等人教（自能任運）；
  • 通達——他地的方便也能起；
  • 平等——普於眾生，看得與自心一般；
  • 離偏——耳聞毀、聞譽，心無高下；
  • 離著——得轉輪王等位，而無愛染；
  • 知方便——知諸法不可得，而以此為佛的方便；
  • 聖眾生——恒在諸佛眾會中受生（「聖眾」之生）。

這十相把登地菩薩的內外都描全了：對法（明信、無劣、無怯、通達、知方便）、對眾生（平等、聖眾生）、對自心（無待、離偏、離著）。一句話——這是『登地者的合格證』：十樣樣樣圓滿，才是真站上了地。 它與前面各地別說的「相」恰成一對：別說顯次第之異，共說顯登地之同。

（七）地中十度·佛子十六相：十波羅蜜，各離一障

菩薩在地地之中所修的，是「十度」（十波羅蜜）；而修十度的成相，本論開為「佛子十六相」。前六相的講法最見骨架——每一相都對著『離一種障』：

  • 有欲樂——樂行諸度（先有這份好樂）；
  • 無慳——離布施障；無違——離持戒障；無恚——離忍辱障；無懈——離精進障；
  • 慈悲——離禪定障；釋文補一句：慈悲能與樂、拔苦，正是「瞋惱」的對治，而它是『由定而得』的——所以繫在定上；
  • 無惡慧——離般若障；這裡又補細目：「惡慧」有三（自性分別、隨憶分別、顯示分別），無惡慧就是能斷這三種分別。

前六相恰好把『施、戒、忍、進、定、慧』六度各配一『離障』，是十六相的主幹。後面十相接著補出後四度與餘行：無亂慧（離異乘心）、不漂（不被人天勝樂醉惑）、不迴（不被「不成就苦」「難行苦」逼退）、事友（依善知識聞大乘）、供養（供養三寶）、迴向（善巧方便地迴向）；末三相，釋文明說是後三度之相——生勝顯「願」波羅蜜（離八難、不離佛菩薩）、修善顯「力」波羅蜜（無間修諸善根）、戲通顯「智」波羅蜜（遊戲諸大神通功德）。菩薩得此十六相，便為一切眾中的「上首」，故名「佛子十六相」。

這一目的讀法是：前六相＝六度各離一障（骨架）、後十相＝後四度＋扶持諸度的眾行（枝葉）；十六相合起來，就是『在地上修滿十度』的一張全相。能稱「佛子」，就在這十六樣修得圓不圓。

（八）度度五功德：每修一度，都帶起的五種利益

承上，菩薩「於一一地修一一度」，而每修一度，都具足五種功德——這是把十度之修再往深裡剖一層：

  • 滅習——於一一剎那，滅除「依中習氣」之聚（剎那剎那消著舊習）；
  • 得猗——離種種相，得「法樂」之輕安；
  • 圓明——遍知一切種，不再作「分段」的零碎了知；
  • 相起——由入大地，生起「無分別」之相；
  • 廣因——為圓滿、為清淨「一切種」，攝持法身的福聚、智聚，令其增長。

釋文末了把這五德按「止觀」歸了類：『二及二及一，止觀俱』——前二德（滅習、得猗）屬「奢摩他」（止）分、次二德（圓明、相起）屬「毘鉢舍那」（觀）分、第五德（廣因）是『止觀雙運』的俱分。這一句點得極好：修一度而五德齊起，而五德又不出止、觀、止觀雙運三類——可見地上所修，沒有一度是離開定慧雙運的。十度之修，到此見其內裡。

六、十地各有其名：每一級，為它做成的事而得名

前面「依地立名」是分三組總立十名；到這一目，本論再為十地一一細釋其名，而且這一次每一名都繫著一句『為何如此名』的所以然——像路上一座座里程碑，各刻著一句話。這是全品最見次第、也最該逐地講透的一段；十地各名的『得名之由』，都從本論自釋裡溯出，一字不增：

  • 歡喜地（初）：菩薩於初地，起「二見」——一「見真如」（謂見自利：昔曾未見、今時始見，去菩提已近）、二「見利物」（謂見利他：能於一一剎那成熟百個眾生）。由這二見而起殊勝歡喜，故名「歡喜」。名的來歷，就在這『初見真、又見能利生』的雙重歡喜。〔初學常疑：一個才登初地的菩薩，怎麼一登地便有『映蔽二乘、剎那成熟百眾生』這樣的力？《十地經》設一喻解之：「譬如王子生在王家，正后所生具足王相，纔生即能映蔽臣眾」——憑的是王家的血脈尊貴，並非那初生王子自己已有過人之智；待「身長大藝業悉成」，才轉成自智之力。菩薩亦然：初發心便能映蔽聲聞、獨覺，是『生在佛家、紹佛種姓』之故，不是初地已自證圓滿。一登地即有此德，理在『生佛家』這一層血脈；漸深漸成，才是後面九地的事。〕
  • 離垢地（二）：菩薩於二地，出「二種垢」——一出「犯戒垢」、二出「起異乘心垢」（連退向小乘的念頭也是垢）。由出此二垢故，名「離垢」。釋文在此引《十地經》一句作證：「我等應得應淨一切種智」故勤精進——〔系內取證：本論講「離垢」，正合《十地經》二地『淨戒、增上精進』之說，以經印論。〕
  • 明地（發光地）（三）：菩薩於三地，得三昧自在之力，於無量佛法能求、能持，得「大法明」、又為他人作明。由能以法自明、又明他，故名「明」。
  • 焰慧地（四）：這一名是本論自具的一個好喻——菩薩於四地，以「菩提分慧」為焰的自性、以『惑障、智障』這兩堆為薪的自性；此地菩薩能起慧焰、燒掉這二障之薪，故名「焰慧」。〔『以慧為焰、以二障為薪』是論文自設之喻，如實傳之，不另添。〕名的來歷，就在這一把燒障的慧火。
  • 難勝地（五）：菩薩於五地有「二種難」——一『勤化眾生而心無惱』之難、二『眾生不從化而心無惱』之難（化得動、化不動，都不起惱，這最難）；此地菩薩能「退」此二難、於難中得勝，故名「難勝」。
  • 現前地（六）：菩薩於六地依「般若」之力，能「不住生死涅槃二法」；這樣的觀慧恒現在前，故名「現前」。
  • 遠行地（七）：菩薩於七地已近『一乘之道』，故名「遠去」。釋文自設一問答點透：〔問〕是「誰」遠去？〔答〕是那「功用方便究竟」者能遠去——意謂七地把有功用的方便修到了頭，故能遠遠走到雜道盡頭、鄰近純一無相之道；由此「遠去」，故名「遠行」。
  • 不動地（八）：菩薩於八地，有「有相想」及「無相有功用想」這兩種念，二想都動不了它；由無此動，故名「不動」。
  • 善慧地（九）：菩薩於九地，「四無礙慧」最為殊勝——能於一剎那頃，把三千世界所有人、天、各類眾生的『異音、異義、異問』，以一音普答、遍斷眾疑；由此「說善」，故名「善慧」。
  • 法雲地（十）：這一名又是本論自具的大喻——菩薩於十地，由「三昧門、陀羅尼門」攝盡一切「聞熏習」之因，遍滿於阿梨耶識中，譬如浮雲遍滿虛空；能以這『聞熏習之雲』，於一一剎那、一一相、一一好、一一毛孔，雨下無量無邊的法雨，充足一切可化眾生。由能如雲遍覆、雨法潤生，故名「法雲」。〔『二門如雲、聞熏遍識、雨法潤生』是論文自具之喻，如實傳之。〕〔系內取證：本論以『二門如雲、雨法』釋「法雲」，正合《十地經》同名之說——彼經言此地菩薩能受十方諸佛的「大法之雲」，譬如唯有大海能納盡「娑伽羅雲注大水聚」、能受一龍王乃至無量龍王同時所注之大雨，初地至九地菩薩皆不能任持，唯法雲地能，「是故此地名為法雲」。以經印論，知「法雲」之名，經、論同據『大雲雨法、唯此地能受能雨』之象而立。〕

把這十個名字連起來讀，就是一條清清楚楚的成佛之路：從初見真如的「歡喜」起步，洗淨戒垢、透出法光、燒盡惑障、降伏難伏、令智現前、遠出雜道、不為二想所動、善說妙法，最後如大雲遍覆、為一切眾生遍灑法雨。 每一地的名字，都是那一級修行的成果證書；而『歡喜、離垢、明、焰慧、難勝、現前、遠行、不動、善慧、法雲』這十個字本身，就把這條路的次第刻成了十座里程碑。

為何稱「住」、為何稱「地」：步彌耶的三義

別名都釋完了，釋文自設最後一問：〔問〕為何名「住」？為何名「地」？——這一問把整段收束。

  • 何以名「住」：諸菩薩為成就種種善根，於一切時「樂住」於一切地——因「樂住」故，諸地說名為「住」。
  • 何以名「地」：本論在此給出梵語「步彌耶」（地）的三義，逐字拆開——這是本論自具的語源釋，如實傳之：
    • 「步」是「數數」之義：諸菩薩欲進上地，於一一地中數數斷障礙、數數得功德（一遍又一遍地斷、一遍又一遍地得）；
    • 「彌」是「實數」之義：地以「十數」為量，菩薩於一一地中，確知斷了多少障、得了多少德、知此不虛（不是含糊，是實實在在數得清的）；
    • 「耶」是「無畏」之義：上地是『無畏之處』，菩薩怕在自地中退失自他二利的功德，所以總想再進上一地。
    • 由『數數、實數、無畏』這三義合起來，故名為「地」。

這一段語源釋極要緊：它把「地」這個字的精神一次點透——地不是一塊抽象的名相，而是『一步一步數著、實實在在斷障得德、且因怕退而求進』的那條上行之路。「步」（數數）提醒沒有一步登天，「彌」（實數）提醒每一步都算得清、不虛，「耶」（無畏）提醒越上越安、所以不肯停在原地。三義合起來，「地」字本身就是這條十級台階之路的縮影。

七、怎麼登上這些地：四種得地

那麼，菩薩是怎麼一級級登上去的？本論說有「四種得地」，而這四種恰是一個人對「道」的關係由淺入深的四步：

  • 由信得——先「信」得有這條路、有這些地（如〈信地〉中所說）。信是入門。
  • 由行得——實實在在去「行」。釋文在此特別開出「十種正行」：書寫、供養、流傳、聽受、轉讀、教他、習誦、解說、思擇、修習——對著大乘法這樣十面用功，能生『無量功德之聚』，由此正行而得地，故名「行得」。〔這十正行是釋文自具的細目，逐一傳之，正是「行」字的實內容。〕
  • 由通達得——真實「通達」第一義諦，乃至七地，名為通達得。
  • 由成就得——八地至佛地，名為成就得。

這四步連起來，正是修道者與「道」由淺入深的全程：先相信有路（信）→ 一步步去走（行·十正行）→ 親眼看見路（通達·至七地）→ 終於走到頭（成就·八地至佛地）。 而這四步又恰與前面「步彌耶」的「數數」之義相呼應：地是一步一步「數」著上去的，沒有一步登天，只有信、行、通達、成就這一級一級的功德累積。

結：四種行，始終為了眾生

諸度諸覺分，諸通及諸攝……俱入亦俱成。

走完十地之路，最後本論把一切菩薩行收攏為『四種行』，而且每一種都標明『為哪一種眾生』：

  • 波羅蜜行——為「求大乘」的眾生而說；
  • 菩提分行——為「求小乘」的眾生而說；
  • 神通行——為令這『大、小』二種眾生都「得入」佛法；
  • 攝生行——為令這二種眾生都「成熟」佛法。

四種行的著眼點，沒有一樣離得開「眾生」二字——說大乘行為大乘眾生、說小乘行為小乘眾生、現神通令二種眾生入法、行攝受令二種眾生成熟。連這條登十地的成佛之路，每一步也都是衝著眾生去的。

通看全品，行住品是一張十地的地圖：菩薩以憐愍之心、五種極大心、四攝、四受生起步，一級級住進十重境界（十一住相）；這十級各有其名（依地立名、十地各名），各修其學、得其果（隨地修三學、得四果），各淨其身、離其障（淨五陰、離五障），且地地共具入地十相、地中十度、度度五德；而「地」之為「地」，正在「步彌耶」三義——數數斷得、實數不虛、求進無畏；登地之法，則是從信入、由十正行一步步走、到通達、到成就。

一句話收束：這一品把成佛畫成一條有十級台階的路——從「歡喜」第一次見真，到「法雲」遍灑法雨，每一級的名字都標著那一程做成的事；而登階之法無他，一步一步地信、行、通達、成就，且每一步，都踏在『為眾生』這三個字上。

The Chapter on Qualities took stock of the bodhisattva's whole body of qualities; this chapter speaks of the bodhisattva's "practice" (行, the cultivation) and "abiding" (住, the grounds abided in). "Abiding" is just "the ground" (地) — the ten stages the bodhisattva must pass through to reach buddhahood. So this chapter is in fact a map of the ten grounds: where the bodhisattva sets out from, what states he abides in level by level, what each level is called, and how one climbs up. Below, the treatise lays it out one heading at a time: first it sketches the bodhisattva's "look," then speaks of his being a householder or a renunciant, what mind he arouses, how he gathers beings, how he takes birth; then he enters the ten grounds proper — from the eleven marks of abiding, the naming of the grounds, the training by ground, to the ten marks of entering a ground, the ten perfections within the grounds, the five virtues of each perfection, then the individual names of the ten grounds, why they are called "abiding" and "ground," and closing with the four ways of gaining a ground and the four kinds of practice. Long as this road is, its main line is single: step by step one climbs upward, and every step is for the sake of beings.

I. The bodhisattva's five marks, and householder and renunciant

Before the map is unrolled, one question first: by what does one tell that someone is a bodhisattva? The treatise answers with the "five marks" (five looks): compassion — gathering and benefiting beings with the mind of awakening; kind speech — speaking so as to arouse right faith in the Dharma; valor — not retreating or flinching even from hard-to-do austerities; an open hand — giving with the hand, gathering people through material things; expounding the meaning — teaching the Dharma to others, gathering them through the meaning of the doctrine. The prose commentary marks one point specially: of these five, the first is "mind," the latter four are "practice." Only when a compassionate mind is laid down as the ground do the four benefiting practices — kind speech, valor, the open hand, expounding the meaning — come forth: the mind is the root, the practices are its function. This is the basic outline of a bodhisattva: it is not that one first learns the skills and then becomes compassionate; rather the compassionate mind stands first, and all the skills grow out of that one mind.

Next comes the comparison of householder and renunciant. As a householder the bodhisattva may forever hold the position of a wheel-turning king, guiding a whole country to practice the ten wholesome deeds and keep away from the ten unwholesome ones — this is the benefit of the householder, and no small measure it is. But the "renunciant portion" is more excellent, and the reason the prose commentary gives is a single line: because it is complete with immeasurable qualities. This is no belittling of the householder, but a saying that the purity of casting one's whole body and mind into the work of the Way is a measure of another order. The map's starting point stands right here — upon this compassionate mind, this whole body of benefiting practice.

II. What mind he arouses: the five supremely great minds

To walk this long road of the ten grounds, look first at what mind the bodhisattva holds. The treatise lists the "five supremely great minds," and the beauty of it is that they are not five laid out flat, but a single line of the mind's maturing, ranked from shallow to deep in step with the grounds:

  • The supremely great mind of joy — wishing to bring all beings the lovely fruits of a future life (arousing thought first from giving beings "joy").
  • The supremely great mind of benefit — wishing to bring beings to practice every kind of good now and in the end to attain nirvāṇa (advancing from giving joy to giving the real benefit).
  • The supremely great mind not yet purified — this is the mind of the bodhisattva on the ground of faith-and-practice: the direction is already right, yet he has not yet realized, not yet purified.
  • The supremely great mind already purified — this is the mind of the bodhisattva from the first ground to the seventh: he has directly realized suchness, the mind already purified.
  • The supremely great mind utterly purified — this is the mind of the bodhisattva on the last three grounds: purified to the utmost.

Taking the latter three together, they are three graduations of one and the same benefiting mind growing ever purer with the grounds: not yet purified (the ground of faith-and-practice) → already purified (the first through seventh grounds) → utterly purified (the eighth, ninth, and tenth grounds). So the "five supremely great minds" have in fact already quietly foretold the ten grounds' stages that come later — as far as the mind is purified, so far does the ground go.

III. How he draws beings in: the four ways of gathering beings

The mind being settled, the next question: with what does the bodhisattva gather beings to himself? The treatise answers with the "four ways of gathering," and these four too are spoken in step with the grounds:

  • Gathering with the mind of aspiration — gathering by the mind of awakening (this is present from the very outset of arousing the mind).
  • Gathering with the mind of equality — this comes only when one has entered the first ground and gained the mind of "self and other are equal"; only when no-self is realized does one truly see beings as one's own equal.
  • Gathering with the sovereign mind — dwelling in the position of a lord and gathering with the power of mastery (the ground being high, the power to gather is great too).
  • Gathering with the mind for one's following — gathering beings into one's own disciples, and maturing them over the long term.

Here one can see the care in the treatise's arrangement: gathering beings is not one single stroke used to the end; rather, as the bodhisattva's own level of realization rises, the way of gathering deepens step by step — from the gathering of a single thought of the mind of awakening, to the gathering after realizing the equality of self and other, to the gathering with the sovereign power of a lord's position, to the gathering that draws them in as a following to be nourished. The power to gather never departs from which ground the bodhisattva himself has reached.

IV. How the bodhisattva comes into the world: the four ways of taking birth

Ordinary beings are born as they whirl along with their karma, their bodies not their own; but the bodhisattva, since he means to benefit beings, how does he "come" among them? The treatise says there are "four ways of taking birth," each freer than the last:

  • Birth by the power of karma — this is the bodhisattva of the ground of faith-and-practice: he has already gained mastery over the power of karma, and can take birth in any place he wishes (no longer wholly dragged along by karma).
  • Birth by the power of vow — this is the bodhisattva who has entered the great grounds (ascended to a ground): master of the power of vow, in order to mature beings he willingly takes birth even as an animal and the like — going wherever beings can be delivered, not even shunning the evil destinies.
  • Birth by the power of concentration — the bodhisattva who has gained concentration: master of the power of concentration, he can give up the bliss of the meditation-heavens above and come down to take birth among humans (not coveting heavenly bliss, coming down for the sake of delivering beings).
  • Birth by the power of supernormal knowledge — the bodhisattva who has gained supernormal powers: master of the power of these, he can manifest all kinds of appearances and take birth in the Tuṣita heaven and elsewhere (as the bodhisattva of the last birth dwells in Tuṣita).

Taking these four together, they are just the four grades of the bodhisattva's "freedom to come and go": from the first mastery by the power of karma, to the willingness by the power of vow to enter the evil destinies, to the willingness by the power of concentration to give up heavenly bliss, to the power of supernormal knowledge to manifest anywhere. Every grade has one and the same aim — to be able to draw near to beings. Taking birth is bondage of itself; in the bodhisattva's hands it turns instead into a skillful means for benefiting beings.

V. The grounds: one road with ten steps

From here the chapter enters its main body — the "ground." One key must first be grasped: the "ground" is both the "abiding" (the state settled into) and the "step" (the stage of ascending level by level). 〔"Step," "road," and "milestone" are pure similes this exposition has borrowed to help; the treatise's own text does not use these words — for the treatise's own similes see "firewood" and "cloud and rain" below.〕 It is not an abstract term, but a state that practice actually "abides" into, one layer after another — with each ground ascended, one portion of obstruction is cut off, one portion of quality gained, and the mind abides in a state one layer higher. This "deepening level by level" is no later person's comparison: the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds has a ready-made simile for it. The bodhisattva's practice, "by ten marks," enters the count of "the great practice," just as the great ocean, by ten marks, enters "the count of oceans"; and among these ten marks, the very first is "because it grows gradually deeper" — the ground of Joy arouses the great vow like an ocean first entered and then deepening, all the way to the Ground of the Cloud of Dharma, which can receive "the rain of the great cloud of the light of all the buddhas' Dharma without ever being sated," exactly as the great ocean grows ever deeper the farther in one goes and in the end can take in all the great cloud's rain (Sūtra of the Ten Grounds; the Chapter on the Ten Grounds of the Avataṃsaka says the same, "by ten marks, it is named the bodhisattva's practice"). That the ten grounds are "one gradually-deepening road" is a simile the sūtra itself sets up; the exposition's "step" is only the plain-language shadow borrowed from it. Below, the treatise uses several ways to sketch these ten steps over and over again: first stating what mark each "abides" in (the eleven marks of abiding), then what each is called and why it is so named (the naming of the grounds), then what training each cultivates and what fruit it gains, then the ten marks common to entering a ground, the ten perfections cultivated within the grounds… like a single mountain drawn from ten different angles, ten profile sketches. Below, heading by heading.

(1) The eleven marks of abiding: what state each ground "abides" in

The first profile sketch marks each of the eleven grounds with a mark according to "what it mostly abides in" (the bodhisattva's ten grounds plus the buddha-ground, hence eleven). The treatise's manner of speech is "such-and-such a mark displays the Nth abiding," pointing out one by one where the mind of that ground rests:

  • Realizing emptiness displays the first abiding — mostly abiding in "the twofold no-self of persons and dharmas" (the first thing on the first ground is to realize emptiness).
  • Realizing karma and its fruit displays the second abiding — realizing that karma and its fruit are indestructible, and being able to uphold pure discipline.
  • Abiding in meditation displays the third abiding — being able to be born into the desire realm without falling back from meditative concentration.
  • Abiding in the factors of awakening displays the fourth abiding — being able to enter birth-and-death without forsaking the thirty-seven factors of awakening.
  • Contemplating the truths displays the fifth abiding — teaching with clarity, yet, though transforming beings, seeing only "the mind's vexation" and not a "self" (because of no-self).
  • Contemplating dependent arising displays the sixth abiding — being able not to arouse a defiled mind, and to take birth in accord with dependent arising.
  • Signlessness displays the seventh abiding — though the practice still has exertion, it has risen to touch "the one road" and mostly abides in signlessness.
  • Effortlessness displays the eighth abiding — though adorning a buddha-land, without any mind of contrivance, mostly abiding in effortlessness.
  • The power to transform displays the ninth abiding — master of the four unobstructed eloquences, able to mature all beings.
  • Purifying the two gates displays the tenth abiding — the gate of concentration and the gate of retention utterly purified.
  • Purifying awakening displays the eleventh abiding (the buddha-ground) — the obstruction to omniscience cut off, ultimate and complete.

What is most worth remembering in this heading is its threshold-word: "the one who abides is named the ground" — what is called a "ground" is just that state the mind "abides" in. Read the eleven marks of abiding together and you have the silhouette of this road "abiding" up level by level: from the first ground abiding into no-self, to the buddha-ground abiding into the ultimate wisdom-and-severance. Every other manner of speech that follows only re-sketches this same sequence of "abiding" from a different angle.

(2) The naming of the grounds: the name of each ground is "what you have accomplished at this level"

The second profile sketch shows the sequence best — the treatise names each of the ten grounds one by one, and does so in three sets: "the first three are 'purity of practice,' the next three are 'severing conceit,' the last three are 'awakening, relinquishing, transforming,' and the tenth has four names." Every name is the marker of that level's fruit of cultivation.

  • The first three · the three purities of practice (the purity of discipline, concentration, and wisdom): the first ground is named "purity of view" — having gained the counteracting knowledge for the twofold view of persons and dharmas, the ground of view is purified; the second is named "purity of discipline" — even the subtlest stain of violating discipline is forever without substance; the third is named "purity of concentration" — the various meditations and concentrations are gained without falling back.
  • The next three · the severing of the three conceits (severing three subtle "conceits of difference"): the fourth ground is named "severing the conceit of difference toward the gates of Dharma" — no longer arousing, toward the various scriptural teachings, the conceit of difference that "this one is higher, that one lower"; the fifth is named "severing the conceit of difference toward the continua" — entering the tenfold mind of equality, gaining equality toward all beings' continua, no longer arousing the conceit of this-and-that, high-and-low; the sixth is named "severing the conceit of difference toward defiled and pure" — understanding that "suchness is originally pure and is defiled by reason of the adventitious," abiding in dependent arising, no longer arousing the black-and-white view of difference that "this is defiled, that is pure."
  • The last three · awakening, relinquishing, transforming: the seventh ground is named "gaining awakening" — abiding in the power of signlessness, able in thought after thought to cultivate the thirty-seven factors of awakening; the eighth is named "the relinquishing of practice" (also named "pure land") — abiding in effortlessness and signlessness, its skillful practice conjoined with the bodhisattva of the non-retrogressing ground; the ninth is named "transforming beings" — able to mature all beings.
  • The tenth ground · one ground with four names: because its qualities are complete and full, this one ground is given four names — "great supernormal power" (having gained great supernormal powers), "the fulfilled dharma-body" (complete with immeasurable gates of concentration and gates of retention), "able to manifest a body" (abiding in the Tuṣita heaven and elsewhere, manifesting a body of marks), and "conferral of office" (in the presence of all the buddhas, receiving the conferral of office by anointing). 〔For the name "conferral of office," the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds has a ready-made simile: "it is like the crown-prince of a wheel-turning sage king, born of the chief queen and complete with the royal marks"; the wheel-king has the prince sit on a golden throne, takes the water of the four great oceans into a golden vase, and "with his own hand holds the vase and anoints the crown of the prince's head," and as soon as the anointing is done, the prince "enters the count of the anointed kṣatriya kings" (from then reckoned among the anointed royalty). So too the bodhisattva: "as soon as he has received the anointing from all the buddhas, he is called one who has received the anointing of the water of wisdom." So "conferral of office" is not the receiving of an empty title, but, like the prince having his head anointed by the royal father in person and being formally entered into the count of the succession — the tenth-ground bodhisattva, in the presence of all the buddhas, receives the "anointing of the water of wisdom," and from then is entered into the count of those who continue the buddha's position; this is the origin of the name "conferral of office."〕

The merit of this sketch is that it settles the previous heading's sequence of "the marks of abiding" into a string of named, addressed milestones: purity of view → purity of discipline → purity of concentration (first washing clean the ground of view, discipline, and concentration), severing the three conceits (then grinding away three layers of subtle high-and-low mind), awakening · relinquishing · transforming (then cultivating the factors of awakening, relinquishing exertion, transforming beings), and finally at the tenth ground the four completed qualities. Read the names right down the line and the road's grade is plain to see.

(3) The three trainings and four fruits by ground: the first six grounds train, the last four realize the fruit

The third profile sketch asks: what, concretely, does each ground "train" in and "gain"? The treatise answers most neatly — the first six grounds pair with the "three trainings," the last four with the "four fruits."

  • The first six grounds · seeing the nature, cultivating the three trainings: the first ground first "penetrates suchness" (seeing the nature — this is the foundation); the second ground trains in "the higher discipline," the third in "the higher mind" (concentration), the fourth, fifth, and sixth in "the higher wisdom." Here the prose commentary adds a fine correction: the higher wisdom has two objects — one is "the reality of dharmas" (the four truths, suffering and the rest), the other is "dependent arising" (the reverse and forward contemplation of the twelvefold dependent arising); these two objects are in fact touched already in the second and third grounds too, so those two grounds also take on the higher wisdom. But where it is properly established depends on "which kind of wisdom is most predominant": on the fourth ground the "wisdom of the factors of awakening" predominates, on the fifth the "wisdom of contemplating the truths" predominates, on the sixth the "wisdom of contemplating dependent arising" predominates — so these three grounds alone are properly named the higher wisdom training. 〔This layer distinguishing "co-present with" from "properly established at" is a fine item supplied by the prose commentary itself, not to be slid past.〕
  • The last four grounds · gaining the four fruits: the seventh ground gains "signless abiding with exertion" (the first fruit), the eighth "signless abiding without exertion" (the second fruit), the ninth "the maturing of beings" (the third fruit), the tenth "the maturing of the two gates" (the fourth fruit).

Taking it together: the first six grounds are the stage of "training upward" (raising discipline, concentration, and wisdom up level by level), the last four grounds are the stage of "bearing fruit" (one ground gaining one fruit). This just accords with the common track the Thirty Verses and Cheng Weishi Lun speak of, the "three higher trainings" running through the grounds — this chapter only sets them out ground by ground, so one may see clearly which training falls on which ground.

(4) Purifying the five undefiled aggregates by ground, leaving behind the five obstructions

The fourth profile sketch speaks from the purity of the "body": the bodhisattva purifies the "five undefiled aggregates" (the aggregate of discipline, of concentration, of wisdom, of liberation, of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation) level by level with the grounds — this divides the quality of buddhahood into five parts and fulfills them ground by ground.

  • The first ground "sees the nature" as before; the second ground purifies the "aggregate of discipline," the third the "aggregate of concentration," the fourth, fifth, and sixth the "aggregate of wisdom" (the first six grounds purify these three aggregates).
  • The last four grounds and the buddha-ground purify the last two aggregates, "the aggregate of liberation and the aggregate of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation" — and this rests on "leaving behind the five obstructions."

What are the "five obstructions"? The treatise points out one by one that layer of "not-knowing" which each of the last four grounds and the buddha-ground must sever — this is the eye of this heading:

  • The seventh ground — obstructed by "the not-knowing that grasps at signs" (still grasping at signs);
  • The eighth ground — obstructed by "the not-knowing of exertion" (still falling into having exertion);
  • The ninth ground — obstructed by "the not-knowing that cannot transform beings" (the skill of transforming beings is still not enough);
  • The tenth ground — obstructed by "the not-knowing that has not purified the two gates" (the gate of concentration and the gate of retention are not yet utterly pure);
  • The buddha-ground — obstructed by "the not-knowing that obstructs." This layer most deserves clarifying: what is called "the not-knowing that obstructs" is the kind of not-knowing that can obstruct the knowledge of the sphere of the listeners and the solitary awakeners; that all the buddhas "know every sphere without obstruction" is precisely because they are liberated from this last obstruction.

So this heading is in fact saying: the higher up one goes, the finer the "not-knowing" to be severed — from grasping at signs, to exertion, to the insufficiency in transforming beings, to the impurity of the two gates, and finally to that subtlest obstruction which can obstruct the knowledge of every sphere. What makes a buddha a buddha is just that even this last layer is left behind. The first six grounds purify the first three aggregates, the last four grounds and the buddha-ground purify the last two, and so the five-part dharma-body is fulfilled.

(5) Accomplished and not-yet-accomplished by ground: one "accomplishment," and it too splits into two layers

This heading handles a question easily muddled: which grounds count as "accomplished," which as "not accomplished"? The treatise's manner of speech draws in layer upon layer, to be listened to closely:

  • The first layer: the ground of faith-and-practice is "not accomplished," and all the other grounds are "accomplished" (once one has ascended to a ground, it counts as accomplished).
  • The second layer ("accomplished, and again not-accomplished, accomplished"): but within the "accomplished" grounds, there is a further split into not-accomplished and accomplished — the seventh ground and below are called "not accomplished" (because they still "have exertion"), the eighth ground and above are called "accomplished" (because they are "without exertion").

Here the prose commentary sets out a question-and-answer, bringing the possible doubt into the open — 〔Question〕: earlier (in the heading on naming the grounds) it was plainly said that the first ground, the Joyful, is also "accomplished," so how is it that here the seventh ground and below are all reckoned "not accomplished"? 〔Answer〕: "as the ground is established, know discrimination and non-discrimination" — this means that, looking right at this matter of "the establishing of a ground," one knows that it is only discrimination (the setting-up of stages is itself a discrimination provisionally established); and toward this discrimination too there is no discrimination (even this discrimination cannot be gotten) — because both the grasped and the grasping are without substance. Reckoned by this deeper meaning of "even discrimination is without discrimination," the first ground too may be named "accomplished."

The flavor of this heading lies wholly in the prose commentary's one answer: the word "accomplished" has different layers, spoken shallowly and spoken deeply. Seen shallowly, ascending to a ground is accomplishment, and only effortlessness is accomplishment; seen deeply, even this "ground" as an establishing is only discrimination, and discrimination too is empty — reckoned by this layer, the first ground is right then accomplishment. A single question-and-answer draws together both "accomplishment in sequence" and "accomplishment in the ultimate." Right after, the treatise adds a verse: the two matters of the grounds' "cultivation" and "accomplishment" are inconceivable — because this is the state of the bodhisattva's inward self-realized awakening, known to buddhas alone, not to be fathomed by anyone else. 〔This one line is the seal set upon the whole passage: the matter of ground upon ground is, in the end, a realized state, not one that the feeling of the ordinary can measure.〕

(6) The ten marks of entering a ground: the ten things every ground-ascending bodhisattva fulfills at every ground

The foregoing was a manner of sketching "how each ground differs"; this heading turns it around, speaking of the ten marks common to every ground — every ground-ascending bodhisattva fulfills these ten completely at every ground:

  • Clarity and faith — toward "his own ground" he gains "clarity" (removing not-knowing among the dharmas), and toward "other grounds" (the grounds ahead not yet reached) he gains "faith" (arousing aspiration);
  • No inferiority — hearing the profound wondrous Dharma, he is neither startled nor frightened;
  • No timidity — practicing the hard-to-do practices, he is utterly valorous;
  • No dependence — arousing his own ground's practice without waiting to be taught (able of himself to carry it spontaneously);
  • Penetration — able to arouse even the skillful means of other grounds;
  • Equality — seeing all beings, universally, as one with his own mind;
  • Freedom from partiality — his ear hearing blame, hearing praise, his mind without high or low;
  • Freedom from attachment — gaining the position of a wheel-turning king and the like, without any craving;
  • Knowing skillful means — knowing that dharmas cannot be gotten, and taking this as the buddha's skillful means;
  • Being one of the holy beings — forever taking birth within the assemblies of all the buddhas (birth among the "holy assembly").

These ten marks sketch the ground-ascending bodhisattva inside and out in full: toward the Dharma (clarity and faith, no inferiority, no timidity, penetration, knowing skillful means), toward beings (equality, being one of the holy beings), toward his own mind (no dependence, freedom from partiality, freedom from attachment). In a word — this is "the ground-ascender's certificate of qualification": only when all ten are complete has one truly stood upon the ground. It forms a pair with the earlier marks stated separately for each ground: the separate statement displays the difference of sequence, the common statement displays the sameness of ground-ascending.

(7) The ten perfections within the grounds · the sixteen marks of the son of the Buddha: the ten perfections, each leaving one obstruction

What the bodhisattva cultivates within the grounds is the "ten perfections"; and the marks of accomplishing the ten perfections the treatise opens out as the "sixteen marks of the son of the Buddha." The manner of speech for the first six marks shows the frame best — each mark faces "the leaving of one kind of obstruction":

  • Having aspiration — delighting to practice the perfections (first having this delight);
  • No stinginess — leaving the obstruction to giving; no transgression — leaving the obstruction to discipline; no anger — leaving the obstruction to patience; no indolence — leaving the obstruction to vigor;
  • Loving-kindness and compassion — leaving the obstruction to meditation; the prose commentary adds one line: loving-kindness and compassion can give joy and draw out suffering, and are precisely the counteragent to "anger and vexation," and this is "gained by way of concentration" — so it is tied to concentration;
  • No evil wisdom — leaving the obstruction to wisdom; here the prose commentary again adds a fine item: "evil wisdom" has three (discrimination of self-nature, discrimination by recollection, discrimination of display), and no-evil-wisdom is just the ability to sever these three discriminations.

The first six marks pair the six perfections — "giving, discipline, patience, vigor, meditation, wisdom" — each with a "leaving of an obstruction," and are the trunk of the sixteen marks. The latter marks then supply the last four perfections and the remaining practices: wisdom without confusion (leaving the mind of the other vehicles), not drifting (not intoxicated by the surpassing bliss of humans and gods), not turning back (not driven back by "the suffering of non-accomplishment" or "the suffering of the hard-to-do"), serving the friend (relying on the good spiritual friend to hear the great vehicle), making offerings (making offerings to the Three Jewels), dedicating (dedicating with skillful means); the last three marks the prose commentary plainly says are the marks of the last three perfections — surpassing birth displays the perfection of "vow" (leaving the eight difficulties, not apart from the buddhas and bodhisattvas), cultivating good displays the perfection of "power" (cultivating wholesome roots without interruption), the sporting of supernormal powers displays the perfection of "knowledge" (sporting in the qualities of the great supernormal powers). A bodhisattva who gains these sixteen marks is then the "foremost" among all assemblies, and so it is named the "sixteen marks of the son of the Buddha."

The way to read this heading is: the first six marks = the six perfections, each leaving one obstruction (the frame), the latter ten marks = the last four perfections plus the many practices that uphold the perfections (the branches and leaves); the sixteen marks together are a complete picture of "cultivating the ten perfections to the full upon the grounds." Being able to be called a "son of the Buddha" turns on whether these sixteen are cultivated to completion.

(8) The five virtues of each perfection: the five benefits that each perfection cultivated brings up with it

Following on, the bodhisattva "cultivates each perfection at each ground," and each perfection cultivated is complete with five kinds of virtue — this cuts one layer deeper into the cultivation of the ten perfections:

  • Extinguishing latent tendencies — in each and every instant, extinguishing the mass of "latent tendencies within the dependent" (instant by instant dissolving old habits);
  • Gaining ease — leaving behind the various signs, gaining the buoyant ease of "the joy of Dharma";
  • Rounded clarity — universally knowing all kinds, no longer making "sectioned-off" fragmentary knowings;
  • The arising of the sign — by entering the great grounds, the sign of "non-discrimination" arises;
  • The broad cause — for the fulfilling and purifying of "all kinds," gathering and upholding the dharma-body's mass of merit and mass of knowledge, making it increase.

At the end the prose commentary classes these five virtues by "tranquillity and insight": "two and two and one, know that tranquillity and insight are together" — the first two virtues (extinguishing latent tendencies, gaining ease) belong to the "tranquillity" (śamatha) portion, the next two (rounded clarity, the arising of the sign) belong to the "insight" (vipaśyanā) portion, and the fifth (the broad cause) is the "conjoined" portion of tranquillity and insight in tandem. This one line points it out excellently: cultivating one perfection, all five virtues arise together, and the five virtues fall within no more than the three classes of tranquillity, insight, and the tandem of tranquillity and insight — showing that of what is cultivated upon the grounds, not one perfection departs from the tandem of concentration and wisdom. The inner workings of cultivating the ten perfections are seen right here.

VI. The ten grounds each have their name: each level is named for the deed it has accomplished

The earlier "naming of the grounds" set up the ten names in three sets as a whole; at this heading the treatise explains the name of each of the ten grounds once more, one by one, and this time each name carries a phrase of "why it is so named" — like milestones along the road, each carved with a line. This is the passage of the whole chapter that shows the sequence best, and most deserves to be expounded ground by ground; the "reason for the name" of each of the ten grounds' names is traced from the treatise's own explanation, not a word added:

  • The Joyful Ground (the first): on the first ground the bodhisattva arouses "two seeings" — first "the seeing of suchness" (that is, the seeing of self-benefit: what was never seen before is now for the first time seen, and awakening is drawn near); second "the seeing of benefiting beings" (that is, the seeing of others'-benefit: he can in each and every instant mature a hundred beings). By these two seeings a surpassing joy arises, and so it is named "Joyful." The origin of the name lies just in this twofold joy of "first seeing the true, and also seeing that one can benefit beings." 〔Beginners often doubt: how can a bodhisattva who has only just ascended to the first ground already have such power as "outshining the two vehicles and maturing a hundred beings in an instant" the moment he ascends? The Sūtra of the Ten Grounds sets up a simile to resolve it: "it is like a prince born into the royal house, born of the chief queen and complete with the royal marks, who at birth can already outshine the assembled ministers" — this rests on the nobility of the royal bloodline, not on the newborn prince's own having a surpassing wisdom already; only when "his body has grown and his arts and skills are all accomplished" does it turn into the power of his own wisdom. So too the bodhisattva: that from the first arousing of the mind he can outshine the listeners and solitary awakeners is because he is "born into the buddha-family, continuing the buddha's lineage," not because the first ground is already complete in self-realization. That he has this quality the moment he ascends to the ground has its reason in this layer of "being born into the buddha-family"; the growing deeper and the accomplishing are the matters of the later nine grounds.〕
  • The Stainless Ground (the second): on the second ground the bodhisattva puts forth "two kinds of stain" — first putting forth "the stain of violating discipline," second putting forth "the stain of arousing a mind for the other vehicles" (even a thought of retreating toward the small vehicle is a stain). Because he puts forth these two stains, it is named "Stainless." Here the prose commentary cites one line of the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds as evidence: because "we ought to gain, ought to purify all-kinds-of-knowledge," he applies diligent vigor — 〔evidence from within the school: the treatise's speaking of "Stainless" accords exactly with the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds' account of the second ground's "pure discipline, higher vigor," the sūtra confirming the treatise.〕
  • The Ground of Brightness (the ground of shining forth) (the third): on the third ground the bodhisattva gains the power of mastery over concentration, and toward immeasurable buddha-dharmas can seek and can uphold, gaining "the great light of Dharma" and also making a light for others. Because he can with Dharma make himself bright and make others bright, it is named "Brightness."
  • The Ground of Flaming Wisdom (the fourth): this name is a fine simile the treatise supplies of itself — on the fourth ground the bodhisattva takes "the wisdom of the factors of awakening" as the self-nature of the flame, and the two heaps of "the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction" as the self-nature of the firewood; this ground's bodhisattva can raise up the flame of wisdom and burn away this firewood of the two obstructions, and so it is named "Flaming Wisdom." 〔"Taking wisdom as the flame, the two obstructions as the firewood" is a simile the treatise sets up of itself, faithfully transmitted, nothing added.〕 The origin of the name lies just in this one fire of wisdom that burns the obstructions.
  • The Hard-to-Conquer Ground (the fifth): on the fifth ground the bodhisattva has "two kinds of difficulty" — first the difficulty of "diligently transforming beings yet the mind without vexation," second the difficulty of "beings not following the transforming yet the mind without vexation" (whether transformed or not transformed, to arouse no vexation — this is hardest); this ground's bodhisattva can "beat back" these two difficulties and gain the victory amid difficulty, and so it is named "Hard-to-Conquer."
  • The Manifest Ground (the sixth): on the sixth ground, relying on the power of "wisdom," the bodhisattva can "neither abide in birth-and-death nor abide in nirvāṇa," the two dharmas; such contemplative wisdom is ever manifest before him, and so it is named "Manifest."
  • The Far-Going Ground (the seventh): on the seventh ground the bodhisattva has drawn near "the road of the one vehicle," and so it is named "going far." The prose commentary sets out a question-and-answer to point it through: 〔Question〕 "Who" goes far? 〔Answer〕 It is the one whose "skillful means with exertion is brought to its end" who can go far — meaning that the seventh ground has cultivated the skillful means with exertion to its very end, and so can go far, all the way to the end of the mixed road, drawing near the road of the pure and singular signlessness; by this "going far," it is named "Far-Going."
  • The Immovable Ground (the eighth): on the eighth ground the bodhisattva has these two thoughts, "the thought that has signs" and "the effortful thought that is signless," and neither thought can move it; because it is without this movement, it is named "Immovable."
  • The Good Wisdom Ground (the ninth): on the ninth ground the bodhisattva's "four unobstructed wisdoms" are the most surpassing — in a single instant he can, to all the humans, gods, and every kind of being in the three-thousandfold world, with their "different sounds, different meanings, different questions," answer all with a single sound, universally severing the doubts of the many; by this "good speaking" it is named "Good Wisdom."
  • The Dharma-Cloud Ground (the tenth): this name too is a great simile the treatise supplies of itself — on the tenth ground the bodhisattva, by "the gate of concentration and the gate of retention," gathers all the causes of "the perfuming of hearing," pervading the store consciousness (阿梨耶識; 阿賴耶識, ālaya-vijñāna), just as a floating cloud pervades all of space; and with this "cloud of the perfuming of hearing," in each and every instant, upon each and every mark, each and every excellence, each and every pore, he rains down immeasurable, boundless rain of Dharma, filling to the full all the beings who can be transformed. Because he can pervade like a cloud and rain Dharma to moisten beings, it is named "Dharma-Cloud." 〔"The two gates like a cloud, the perfuming of hearing pervading consciousness, raining Dharma to moisten beings" is a simile the treatise supplies of itself, faithfully transmitted.〕 〔Evidence from within the school: the treatise's explaining "Dharma-Cloud" by "the two gates like a cloud, raining Dharma" accords exactly with the Sūtra of the Ten Grounds' same-named account — that sūtra says this ground's bodhisattva can receive the "great cloud of Dharma" of the buddhas of the ten directions, just as only the great ocean can take in "the Sāgara cloud pouring down a mass of great waters," able to receive the great rain poured down at once by one dragon-king and even by immeasurable dragon-kings, which the bodhisattvas of the first through ninth grounds all cannot uphold, and only the Dharma-Cloud ground can, "therefore this ground is named the Cloud of Dharma." The sūtra confirming the treatise, we know that the name "Dharma-Cloud" is set up, in sūtra and treatise alike, upon the image of "the great cloud raining Dharma, which only this ground can receive and can rain."〕

Read these ten names down the line and you have a plain and clear road to buddhahood: from the "Joy" of first seeing suchness one sets out, washing clean the stain of discipline, letting the light of Dharma shine through, burning away the obstructions of affliction, subduing the hard-to-subdue, bringing wisdom to the manifest, going far out of the mixed road, unmoved by the two thoughts, well speaking the wondrous Dharma, and finally, like a great cloud pervading all, raining Dharma down upon all beings. Each ground's name is the certificate of that level's fruit of cultivation; and these ten words themselves — "Joyful, Stainless, Brightness, Flaming Wisdom, Hard-to-Conquer, Manifest, Far-Going, Immovable, Good Wisdom, Dharma-Cloud" — carve the sequence of this road into ten milestones.

Why called "abiding," why called "ground": the three meanings of bhūmi

The individual names all explained, the prose commentary sets out a last question: 〔Question〕 why named "abiding"? why named "ground"? — this one question draws the whole passage to a close.

  • Why named "abiding": to accomplish every kind of wholesome root, the bodhisattvas at all times "delight to abide" in every ground — because of this "delighting to abide," the grounds are named "abiding."
  • Why named "ground": here the treatise gives the three meanings of the Sanskrit "bhūmi" (ground), taking it apart syllable by syllable — this is the etymological explanation the treatise supplies of itself, faithfully transmitted:
    • "bhū" has the meaning of "again and again": the bodhisattvas, wishing to advance to a higher ground, at each and every ground again and again sever obstructions, again and again gain qualities (over and over severing, over and over gaining);
    • "mi" has the meaning of "real number": the ground is measured by "the number ten," and at each and every ground the bodhisattva knows for certain how many obstructions he has severed, how many qualities he has gained, and knows this is not empty (not vague, but really and truly counted out clearly);
    • "ya" has the meaning of "fearlessness": the higher ground is a "place of fearlessness," and the bodhisattva fears to fall back and lose the qualities of self-benefit and others'-benefit on his own ground, and so ever wishes to advance one ground higher.
    • By these three meanings together — "again and again, real number, fearlessness" — it is named "ground."

This etymological passage is most vital: it points through, at one stroke, the very spirit of the word "ground" — the ground is not an abstract term, but that upward road of "counting step by step, really and truly severing obstructions and gaining qualities, and, for fear of falling back, seeking to advance." "Bhū" (again and again) reminds one that there is no reaching heaven in a single step; "mi" (real number) reminds one that every step is counted out clearly and not empty; "ya" (fearlessness) reminds one that the higher up the safer, and so one will not stop where one stands. Taking the three meanings together, the word "ground" itself is the miniature of this road of ten steps.

VII. How one climbs these grounds: the four ways of gaining a ground

Then, how does the bodhisattva climb up level by level? The treatise says there are "four ways of gaining a ground," and these four are just the four steps of a person's relation to "the Way," from shallow to deep:

  • Gaining by faith — first "faith" that there is this road, that there are these grounds (as stated in the "ground of faith"). Faith is the entering of the gate.
  • Gaining by practice — really and truly going to "practice." Here the prose commentary specially opens out the "ten right practices": copying out, making offerings, transmitting, listening and receiving, reading aloud, teaching others, reciting, expounding, pondering and selecting, and cultivating — toward the great-vehicle Dharma applying oneself in these ten ways can generate "an immeasurable mass of merit," and by these right practices one gains the grounds, so it is named "gaining by practice." 〔These ten right practices are a fine item supplied by the prose commentary itself, transmitted one by one, and are precisely the real content of the word "practice."〕
  • Gaining by penetration — truly "penetrating" the ultimate truth, all the way to the seventh ground, is named gaining by penetration.
  • Gaining by accomplishment — the eighth ground to the buddha-ground are named gaining by accomplishment.

Taking these four steps together, they are just the whole course of the one who cultivates the Way in relation to "the Way," from shallow to deep: first to believe there is a road (faith) → to walk it step by step (practice · the ten right practices) → to see the road with one's own eyes (penetration · up to the seventh ground) → and at last to reach its end (accomplishment · the eighth ground to the buddha-ground). And these four steps answer just to the earlier "bhū" meaning of "again and again" in bhūmi: the ground is climbed by "counting" it step by step; there is no reaching heaven in a single step, only the accumulation of qualities, level by level, of faith, practice, penetration, and accomplishment.

Conclusion: the four kinds of practice, from first to last for the sake of beings

The perfections and the factors of awakening, the supernormal powers and the ways of gathering… all entered together and all accomplished together.

Having walked to the end of the road of the ten grounds, the treatise at last gathers all bodhisattva-practice into "four kinds of practice," and each is marked "for which kind of being":

  • The practice of the perfections — spoken for beings who "seek the great vehicle";
  • The practice of the factors of awakening — spoken for beings who "seek the small vehicle";
  • The practice of supernormal powers — to make both these "great and small" kinds of being "enter" the buddha-dharma;
  • The practice of gathering beings — to make both these kinds of being "mature" in the buddha-dharma.

The aim of the four kinds of practice, not one of them departs from the two words "beings" — speaking the great-vehicle practice for great-vehicle beings, speaking the small-vehicle practice for small-vehicle beings, manifesting supernormal powers to make both kinds of being enter the Dharma, practicing gathering to make both kinds of being mature. Even this road of climbing the ten grounds to buddhahood — every step of it too is aimed straight at beings.

Read across the whole chapter, the Chapter on Practice and the Grounds is a map of the ten grounds: the bodhisattva sets out with a compassionate mind, the five supremely great minds, the four ways of gathering, and the four ways of taking birth; level by level he abides into ten layers of state (the eleven marks of abiding); these ten levels each have their name (the naming of the grounds, the individual names of the ten grounds), each cultivate their training and gain their fruit (the three trainings by ground, the four fruits), each purify their body and leave their obstruction (purifying the five aggregates, leaving the five obstructions), and every ground is complete alike with the ten marks of entering a ground, the ten perfections within the grounds, and the five virtues of each perfection; and that "ground" is a "ground" lies just in the three meanings of "bhūmi" — severing and gaining again and again, the real number that is not empty, seeking to advance in fearlessness; while the way of gaining a ground is from entering by faith, walking step by step through the ten right practices, to penetration, to accomplishment.

To close in a phrase: this chapter paints buddhahood as one road with ten steps — from the "Joy" of first seeing the true, to the "Dharma-Cloud" raining Dharma everywhere, each level's name marks the deed accomplished on that stretch; and the way to climb the steps is none other than to believe, to practice, to penetrate, to accomplish, step by step — and every step is planted upon the three words "for the sake of beings."

考據Apparatus

一　科判定位

行住品居脊樑第二十三，承功德品（「已說菩薩功德，次說菩薩五種相」）。「行住」之「住」即「地」。立菩薩之行與住（地）之全圖：五種相 · 在家出家分 · 五極大心 · 四攝眾生 · 四受生 · 十一住相（十一地）· 依地立名 · 隨地修三學及學果 · 隨地修無流五陰（離五障）· 隨地成就 · 入地十相 · 地中十度（佛子十六相）· 度度五功德 · 十地各名 · 十地名（住·地義）· 四種得地（十正行）· 四種修行差別。

二　譯名對校（本論無別譯·與玄奘系同義對列）

本品（波羅頗譯）玄奘系同義說
住地（bhūmi）「住」即地
十一住十地＋佛地十一住相
明地發光地第三地·本品作「明」
步彌耶（bhūmi 之釋義）步·彌·耶三義
三身／五身戒·定·慧身／加解脫·解脫知見身無漏五陰（五分法身）

三　義之所立（眼）

本品立菩薩行與住（十地階位）之全圖：

  • 十一住相：證空·證業果·住禪·住覺分·觀諦·觀緣起·無相·無功用·化力·淨二門·菩提淨（十地＋佛地）。
  • 依地立名：初三行淨（見·戒·定淨）·次三慢斷·後三覺捨化·第十四名。
  • 隨地修學：前六地見性修三學、後四地各得一果；隨地淨五分法身（離五障）。
  • 十地各名（眼·義釋）：歡喜（見真·見利物）·離垢（出犯·出異心）·明〔發光〕（求法持法之明）·焰慧（燒惑智二障之薪）·難勝（伏難退之惑）·現前（不住二法、般若恒現）·遠行（鄰一道而遠出）·不動（二想不動）·善慧（四辯巧說）·法雲（二門如雲雨法）。
  • 四種修行：波羅蜜行（為大乘眾生）·菩提分行（為小乘眾生）·神通行（令二種入）·攝生行（令二種成熟）。 要旨：以十一住·依地立名·十地各名 鋪展十地階位之全相。系內承用：十地經 · 瑜伽·菩薩地（住·地）· 攝大乘論（十地·十法行）· 辯中邊論。
  • 如實：十一住（十地＋佛地）·三身五身·離五障·十地各名 皆地論／唯識共傳之階位正理，本層如實傳；「步彌耶」三義（數數·實數·無畏）為釋自釋之地義語源，如實傳。

四　徵引（釋自引經為證）

  • 信得地：釋云「如信品說」「如信地中說」（論內自指信品）。
  • 十正行：書寫·供養·流傳·聽受·轉讀·教他·習誦·解說·思擇·修習——即大乘「十法行」（系內辯中邊論等亦有十法行）。

五　名相（首見·義）

  • 五種相：憐愍·愛語·勇健·開手·釋義（初一心·後四行）。
  • 四受生：業力·願力·定力·通力生。
  • 十一住相·入地十相（明信·無劣·無怯·無待·通達·平等·離偏·離著·知方便·聖眾生）。
  • 佛子十六相（地中十度相）·度度五功德（滅習·得猗·圓明·相起·廣因；二·二·一配止·觀·俱）。
  • 十地各名：歡喜·離垢·明〔發光〕·焰慧·難勝·現前·遠行·不動·善慧·法雲。
  • 步彌耶（地）三義：步（數數）·彌（實數）·耶（無畏）。
  • 四種得地：信·行（十正行）·通達·成就得。四種修行：波羅蜜·菩提分·神通·攝生行。

六　譬喻

  • 惑智二障如薪（焰慧地）：以慧火燒惑障·智障之薪。
  • 二門如雲遍雨法（法雲地）：三昧·陀羅尼二門如大雲遍覆、雨大法雨。 論自具之喻，潔淨。

義疏借喻坐實（非本論自有）

義疏為助開解所引之他經譬喻／經證，本論無此文；坐實出處如下，與本論自有諸喻區別，並錄以對等底料。

  • 〔大海漸次深喻〕：《佛說十地經》T10n0287 卷一 0572c19–0573a05 —「譬如大海以十行相，無映奪故墮在海數。何等為十？所謂：漸次深故……佛子！諸菩薩行亦復如是，以十行相無映奪故墮大行數」「諸佛法明大雲之雨無厭足」。義疏用於〈五·十地：一條有十級台階的路〉首段，釋『地一級級加深』、印『台階／漸深之路』之白話借喻。並見《華嚴經·十地品》T10n0279 0209b01 同說「以十相故名菩薩行」。
  • 〔王子生王家喻〕：《佛說十地經》T10n0287 0557b10–18 —「譬如王子生在王家，正后所生具足王相，纔生即能映蔽臣眾」「身長大藝業悉成」。義疏用於〈六·歡喜地〉條，釋『初登地即能映蔽二乘、生佛家紹佛種姓，非初地已自證圓滿』。
  • 〔輪王灌頂喻〕：《佛說十地經》T10n0287 0568b27–0568c07 —「譬如轉輪聖王太子，正后所生具足王相……手自執瓶灌太子頂……纔灌頂已，墮灌頂剎利王數」「纔從諸佛得灌頂已，名為已受智水灌頂」。義疏用於〈二（依地立名）·第十地「受職」名〉，釋第十地菩薩於諸佛前受「智水灌頂」、列入紹佛位之數，以明「受職」得名之由。
  • 〔娑伽羅大雲注大水喻〕：《佛說十地經》T10n0287 0569b09–0569c01 —「大法之雲」「譬如娑伽羅雲注大水聚，此除大海餘地方所不能堪任領納……是故此地名為法雲」。義疏用於〈六·法雲地〉條，以經印論——本論以『二門如雲、雨法』釋「法雲」，經以『大雲雨法、唯此地能受能雨』立同名，經論同據，強化本論自有之「二門如雲」喻。

七　互讀

  • 功德品：本品所承。
  • 十地經·瑜伽·菩薩地（住·地）·攝大乘論（十地·十法行）· 辯中邊論 · 教授品（地·轉依）。

八　校本定位

本品 T31n1604 0656c17–0659c27（行住品究竟）。釋自指信品；十正行＝大乘十法行。

I. Doctrinal-structural placement (科判定位)

The Chapter on Practice and the Grounds stands twenty-third along the spine; it succeeds the Chapter on Qualities ("having spoken of the bodhisattva's qualities, next is spoken the bodhisattva's five characteristics"). The "abiding" (住) of "practice-and-abiding" is precisely the ground (地). The chapter sets out the complete map of the bodhisattva's practice and abiding (the grounds): the five characteristics · the division of householder and renunciant · the five utterly-great minds · the four means of gathering beings · the four modes of taking birth · the eleven characteristics of abiding (the eleven grounds) · naming by the ground · the cultivation, ground by ground, of the three trainings and their fruits · the cultivation, ground by ground, of the five undefiled aggregates (freedom from the five hindrances) · accomplishment ground by ground · the ten characteristics of entering the ground · the ten perfections within the grounds (the sixteen characteristics of the son of the Buddha) · the five merits of each perfection · the several names of the ten grounds · the names of the ten grounds (the sense of "abiding" · the sense of "ground") · the four ways of gaining the ground (the ten right practices) · the four distinctions of cultivation-practice.

II. Cross-translation collation (譯名對校 · this treatise has no separate rendering; set out alongside the synonymous Xuanzang-lineage terms)

This chapter (Prabhākaramitra's rendering)Xuanzang-lineage synonymNote
住 [abiding]地（bhūmi）[ground]"abiding" is precisely the ground
十一住 [the eleven abidings]十地＋佛地 [the ten grounds + the buddha-ground]the eleven characteristics of abiding
明地 [the Ground of Brightness]發光地 [the Ground of Radiance]the third ground · this chapter has "Brightness" (明)
步彌耶 [bhūmi, transliterated]（bhūmi 之釋義）[the exegesis of bhūmi]the three senses: 步 (bhu) · 彌 (mi) · 耶 (ya)
三身／五身 [the three bodies / the five bodies]戒·定·慧身／加解脫·解脫知見身 [the bodies of discipline · concentration · wisdom / adding the bodies of liberation and of the knowledge-and-vision of liberation]the five undefiled aggregates (the five-part dharma-body)

III. What the chapter establishes (義之所立 · the eye)

This chapter establishes the complete image of the bodhisattva's practice and abiding (the stages of the ten grounds):

  • The eleven characteristics of abiding: realizing emptiness · realizing the fruit of action · abiding in meditative absorption · abiding in the factors of awakening · contemplating the truths · contemplating dependent arising · signlessness · effortlessness · the power of transformation · the purity of the two gates · the purity of awakening (the ten grounds + the buddha-ground).
  • Naming by the ground: the first three by the purity of practice (the purity of view · of discipline · of concentration) · the next three by the cutting-off of pride · the latter three by awakening, relinquishing, and transforming · the tenth by its own name.
  • Cultivation ground by ground: through the first six grounds one sees the nature and cultivates the three trainings; through the latter four grounds one gains each a fruit; ground by ground one purifies the five-part dharma-body (freedom from the five hindrances).
  • The several names of the ten grounds (the eye · exegetical gloss): Joyful (歡喜 — seeing the true and seeing the benefiting of beings) · Stainless (離垢 — leaving transgression, leaving alien thought) · Brightness 〔the Ground of Radiance〕 (明〔發光〕 — the brightness of seeking the Dharma and holding the Dharma) · Flaming Wisdom (焰慧 — burning the firewood of the two obstructions, the afflictive and the cognitive) · Hard-to-Conquer (難勝 — subduing the affliction of being hard-not-to-fall-back) · Manifest (現前 — not abiding in the two dharmas, wisdom ever manifest) · Far-Going (遠行 — bordering on the single path yet going far out) · Immovable (不動 — unmoved by the two ideations) · Good Wisdom (善慧 — expounding skilfully by the four discriminations) · Dharma-Cloud (法雲 — the two gates raining down the Dharma like a cloud).
  • The four cultivation-practices: the practice of the perfections (for beings of the great vehicle) · the practice of the factors of awakening (for beings of the lesser vehicle) · the practice of supernormal powers (leading the two kinds to enter) · the practice of gathering beings (bringing the two kinds to maturation).

The gist: by the eleven abidings · naming by the ground · the several names of the ten grounds, it lays out the complete image of the stages of the ten grounds. Intra-canonical inheritance: the Ten Grounds Sūtra · the Yogācārabhūmi, Bodhisattva-stage (abiding · ground) · the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha (the ten grounds · the ten dharma-practices) · the Madhyānta-vibhāga.

  • Faithfully: the eleven abidings (the ten grounds + the buddha-ground) · the three-and-five bodies · freedom from the five hindrances · the several names of the ten grounds are all the settled principle of the stages transmitted in common by the ground-treatises and Yogācāra, and are here transmitted faithfully; the three senses of "步彌耶" (repeatedly-numbering · truly-numbering · fearlessness) are the etymological gloss of the ground given by the commentary itself, and are transmitted faithfully.

IV. Citations (徵引 · the commentary cites scripture as warrant)

  • The Ground of Attaining Faith: the commentary says "as spoken in the Chapter on Faith," "as spoken within the Ground of Faith" (the treatise pointing internally to the Chapter on Faith).
  • The ten right practices: copying out · offering · handing on · listening and receiving · reading aloud · teaching others · reciting from memory · explaining · pondering and discerning · cultivating — that is, the great vehicle's "ten dharma-practices" (the ten dharma-practices are likewise found intra-canonically in the Madhyānta-vibhāga and elsewhere).

V. Terms (名相 · first-occurrence · meaning)

  • 五種相 [the five characteristics]: compassion · kind speech · valor · the open hand · expounding the meaning (the first is a single mind · the latter four are practices).
  • 四受生 [the four modes of taking birth]: birth by the power of action · by the power of the vow · by the power of concentration · by the power of supernormal faculty.
  • 十一住相 [the eleven characteristics of abiding] · 入地十相 [the ten characteristics of entering the ground] (bright faith · without inferiority · without timidity · without waiting · penetration · equality · freedom from partiality · freedom from attachment · knowing skilful means · being a sage among beings).
  • 佛子十六相 [the sixteen characteristics of the son of the Buddha] (the characteristics of the ten perfections within the grounds) · 度度五功德 [the five merits of each perfection] (extinguishing the latent tendency · gaining pliancy · rounded brightness · the arising of the characteristic · the broad cause; two · two · one, matched to tranquillity · insight · both).
  • 十地各名 [the several names of the ten grounds]: Joyful · Stainless · Brightness 〔Radiance〕 · Flaming Wisdom · Hard-to-Conquer · Manifest · Far-Going · Immovable · Good Wisdom · Dharma-Cloud.
  • 步彌耶（地）三義 [the three senses of bhūmi (the ground)]: 步 (repeatedly-numbering) · 彌 (truly-numbering) · 耶 (fearlessness).
  • 四種得地 [the four ways of gaining the ground]: gaining by faith · by practice (the ten right practices) · by penetration · by accomplishment. 四種修行 [the four cultivation-practices]: the practice of the perfections · of the factors of awakening · of supernormal powers · of gathering beings.

VI. Similes (譬喻)

  • The two obstructions, the afflictive and the cognitive, are as firewood (the Ground of Flaming Wisdom): with the fire of wisdom it burns the firewood of the afflictive obstruction and the cognitive obstruction.
  • The two gates are as a cloud raining the Dharma everywhere (the Ground of Dharma-Cloud): the two gates of meditative concentration and of retention (dhāraṇī) are as a great cloud that covers everywhere and rains down the great rain of Dharma.

These are similes the treatise itself possesses; clean.

Exposition-borrowed similes, anchored (not the treatise's own)

Similes and scriptural warrants from other scriptures cited by the exposition to help open understanding — the present treatise has no such text; their sources are anchored below, distinguished from the similes the treatise itself possesses, and recorded together as parallel underlay.

  • 〔The simile of the great ocean gradually deepening〕: the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Ten Grounds T10n0287, scroll one, 0572c19–0573a05 — 「譬如大海以十行相，無映奪故墮在海數。何等為十？所謂：漸次深故……佛子！諸菩薩行亦復如是，以十行相無映奪故墮大行數」「諸佛法明大雲之雨無厭足」 ["just as the great ocean, by ten aspects, unovershadowed, falls within the count of oceans — what are the ten? namely, that it gradually deepens… Son of the Buddha! the practices of the bodhisattvas are likewise: by ten aspects, unovershadowed, they fall within the count of the great practice"; "never sated by the rain from the great cloud of the buddhas' Dharma-light"]. The exposition uses it in the opening passage of 〈V · The Ten Grounds: a path with ten ascending steps〉, to gloss "the ground deepens step by step" and to seal the plain-language borrowed simile of "the steps / the gradually-deepening path." See also the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, 〈Chapter on the Ten Grounds〉 T10n0279 0209b01, which speaks likewise: 「以十相故名菩薩行」["by ten characteristics it is named the bodhisattva's practice"].
  • 〔The simile of the prince born into the royal house〕: the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Ten Grounds T10n0287 0557b10–18 — 「譬如王子生在王家，正后所生具足王相，纔生即能映蔽臣眾」「身長大藝業悉成」 ["just as a prince born into the royal house, born of the chief queen and complete in the marks of a king, is able from the moment of birth to outshine the throng of ministers"; "his body grown, all the arts are accomplished"]. The exposition uses it in the 〈VI · The Joyful Ground〉 entry, to gloss "from the very first ascent to the ground one is able to outshine the two vehicles, to be born into the buddha-family and continue the buddha-lineage — not that at the first ground one has already realized completeness."
  • 〔The simile of the wheel-turning king's consecration〕: the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Ten Grounds T10n0287 0568b27–0568c07 — 「譬如轉輪聖王太子，正后所生具足王相……手自執瓶灌太子頂……纔灌頂已，墮灌頂剎利王數」「纔從諸佛得灌頂已，名為已受智水灌頂」 ["just as the crown prince of a wheel-turning sage-king, born of the chief queen and complete in the marks of a king… takes the vase in his own hand and anoints the crown of the prince's head… and as soon as he is consecrated, falls within the count of consecrated kṣatriya kings"; "having just received consecration from the buddhas, he is named one already consecrated with the water of wisdom"]. The exposition uses it in 〈II (naming by the ground) · the tenth ground's name "Receiving Office"〉, to gloss how the bodhisattva of the tenth ground, before all the buddhas, receives the "consecration by the water of wisdom" and is entered into the count of those continuing the buddha-station, thereby making clear the reason for the name "Receiving Office."
  • 〔The simile of the Sāgara cloud pouring down great waters〕: the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on the Ten Grounds T10n0287 0569b09–0569c01 — 「大法之雲」「譬如娑伽羅雲注大水聚，此除大海餘地方所不能堪任領納……是故此地名為法雲」 ["the cloud of the great Dharma"; "just as the Sāgara cloud pours down a great mass of waters, which, save for the great ocean, no other place can sustain and receive… therefore this ground is named Dharma-Cloud"]. The exposition uses it in the 〈VI · The Dharma-Cloud Ground〉 entry, sealing the treatise with scripture — the treatise glosses "Dharma-Cloud" by "the two gates are as a cloud, raining the Dharma," and the scripture, by "the great cloud raining the Dharma, which only this ground can receive and can rain," establishes the same name; scripture and treatise rest on the same ground, reinforcing the treatise's own simile of "the two gates as a cloud."

VII. Cross-readings (互讀)

  • The Chapter on Qualities: that which the present chapter succeeds.
  • The Ten Grounds Sūtra · the Yogācārabhūmi, Bodhisattva-stage (abiding · ground) · the Mahāyāna-saṃgraha (the ten grounds · the ten dharma-practices) · the Madhyānta-vibhāga · the Chapter on Instruction (the ground · the transformation of the basis).

VIII. Witness collation (校本定位)

This chapter is T31n1604 0656c17–0659c27 (the Chapter on Practice and the Grounds complete). The commentary points internally to the Chapter on Faith; the ten right practices are the great vehicle's ten dharma-practices.

Translator · 釋慧鏡 Shi Huijing — with AI-assisted consistency checking

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指月 · pointing at the moon