英語訳
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The Avataṃsaka Sūtra contains Hīnayāna elements, and the Testament Sūtra contains Mahāyāna elements. Since they mutually contain sudden and gradual teachings, they cannot be distinguished by sudden versus gradual approaches. If we consider profound principle, the Avataṃsaka Sūtra belongs to the third period. If we consider shallow spiritual capacities, the Testament Sūtra belongs to the first period.
Question: Master Fazang established five teachings: 1) Hīnayāna teaching, 2) Mahāyāna initial teaching, 3) Mahāyāna final teaching, 4) sudden teaching, and 5) perfect teaching. The first three appear to follow the three periods of the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, but where are the latter two found? Treatises rely on sūtras to explain their meaning, and commentaries rely on treatises to clarify their texts. On what sūtras and treatises do these established five teachings depend? The first three teachings rely on the three periods of the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, but on which sūtras and treatises do the latter two teachings rely?
Question: Master Huiyuan established four teachings: 1) teaching of delusion and divergent attachments, 2) teaching of partial realization of truth, 3) teaching of complete partial realization of truth, and 4) teaching of complete full realization of truth. The latter three teachings rely on the text of the Saṃdhinirmocana Sūtra, but in which sūtras and treatises is the first teaching found?
Answer: All written words and spoken language are none other than Buddha's teaching. Only through false conceptualization are they named "non-Buddhist." Now, taking the fundamental essence as Buddha's teaching, this is not primarily intended to encompass the various teachings expounded by the Buddha upon his appearance in the world. Revealing the shallow and deep aspects of principle and showing the distinctions of phenomena to establish teaching periods is not necessary.
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Mahāyāna Yogācāra Research and Spiritual Reflection, Volume Three
Composed by Monk Myō of Gangōji Temple
Briefly Revealing the Gates of Various Schools' Differences
At the end of the formation kalpa, there were various wise persons who, to guide the world, composed treatises and established schools. In total there are sixteen theories. Since their established schools are outside the Buddha's path, they are called "non-Buddhist." As they are not essential here, we do not describe them.
After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, there were various sages who, to spread the Buddha-dharma, composed treatises and established schools. In total there are twenty schools. Since their established schools differ between great and small vehicles, they are called "Hīnayāna." As later generations do not favor them, we briefly stop here.
The single school of Avataṃsaka is most essential at present. Our divine land is a Mahāyāna world. Holy kings through successive generations have revered the Three Jewels, and worthy ministers following in their footsteps have peacefully nurtured the four classes of people. Hearing of the past and seeing the present, this is truly a world of Mahāyāna spiritual capacity.
Therefore, the Mahāvaipulya Buddha Avataṃsaka Sūtra was first expounded on the second week of seven days after the Buddha's enlightenment. It is the foundation of Mahāyāna and the source of correct principle. Now we describe its purport.
This sūtra comprises one collection of eighty fascicles, thirty-nine chapters, 45,000 verses, 790,000 characters, expounded in seven places and nine assemblies, translated by Śikṣānanda. According to Western Region tradition, the original of this sūtra was preserved in the dragon palace after its compilation. Six hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna entered the dragon palace and recited out the lower text of 100,000 verses, composed the Inconceivable Treatise, and widely transmitted it to the human realm.
The Biography of Vasubandhu states: Bodhisattva Maitreya taught Dharma Master Asaṅga, saying:
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"First cultivate samādhi." Asaṅga practiced and studied as instructed and attained concentration. After attaining this concentration, he could fully comprehend what he had not previously understood, and whatever he saw or heard, he remembered permanently without forgetting. He could fully awaken to and understand the Avataṃsaka and other sūtras that the Buddha had previously expounded. Maitreya in Tuṣita Heaven completely explained the meaning of Mahāyāna sūtras for Dharma Master Asaṅga. The Dharma Master could fully comprehend and remember everything. Later in Jambudvīpa he composed the Mahāyāna Sūtra Upadeśa, commenting on all the Mahāyāna sūtras expounded by the Buddha.
Question: We now know the sūtra's original has two generational transmissions: 1) Nāgārjuna's recitation, and 2) Asaṅga's learned transmission. Which generational version does the current transmission depend on?
Answer: According to Master Huiyuan, current scholarly transmission relies on Nāgārjuna's recited version for transmission.
Question: If so, when Vasubandhu composed the Daśabhūmika-śāstra to comment on this sūtra, did he compose the treatise receiving Nāgārjuna's purport, or did he compose the treatise learning from Asaṅga's instruction?
Answer: This is not clear. He may have distantly viewed Nāgārjuna's recited version and closely learned from Asaṅga's instructional purport. What impediment would there be?
Question: If so, why do current traditional masters contradict the two generations' meanings?
The root verses of Nāgārjuna's Madhyamaka-śāstra state:
"Even though one diligently and energetically cultivates the bodhisattva path, if one does not first possess Buddha-nature, one should not attain Buddhahood."
Bodhisattva Vimalanetra's commentary on this verse says: "Like melting and refining iron intending to make gold—since there is no gold-nature, it ultimately does not become gold. Those without Buddha-nature, though practicing preparatory practices, ultimately do not achieve Buddhahood."
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This establishes partial naturelessness.
Asaṅga's Mahāyāna-sūtrālaṃkāra verse states:
"Solely engaging in evil conduct, universally severing all wholesome dharmas, having no liberation-conducive goodness, and even lacking any causes." (Above are Maitreya's original verse lines)
Asaṅga's commentary says: The fourth line of the verse stating "also without causes" means definitively natureless.
If so, this establishes partial naturelessness, and the two generations' sectarian positions are identical without difference. Why do current scholars, following the Avataṃsaka school, claim universal Buddhahood achievement, even including plants and trees? This greatly contradicts the school.
Answer: Through dharma-nature being identical with principal-auxiliary mutual collection, we speak of "one achievement, all achievement," etc. For those who investigate dharma's principles and carefully establish the school, there is no contradiction whatsoever.
Question: Clarifying the places where the sūtra was expounded, you already mentioned seven places. What are these seven places?
Answer: Three places in the human realm, four places in the heavens, together making seven places. The three human places are: 1) the ground of tranquil extinction under the Bodhi tree, 2) the Hall of Universal Light, and 3) Jetavana-Anāthapiṇḍada Garden. The four heavenly places are: 1) the summit of Mount Sumeru in Indra's palace, 2) Yāma Heaven palace, 3) Tuṣita Heaven palace, and 4) Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven palace.
Question: Already knowing there are seven places where the sūtra was expounded, how many assemblies gathered to hear the sūtra?
Answer: There are nine assemblies.
Question: Why among the seven places is Nirmāṇarati Heaven palace not made a place of exposition?
Answer: In Tuṣita Heaven palace the Ten Dedications are expounded; in Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven the Ten Stages dharma is expounded. Dedication is the position of contaminated dharmas; the Ten Stages are the ground of uncontaminated dharmas. To reveal the distinction between contaminated and uncontaminated, they skip Nirmāṇarati and expound the Ten Stages dharma in Paranirmitavaśavartin.
Question: Why is this sūtra not expounded in the form realm?
Answer: The matter of expounding dharma necessarily has causes and conditions. Since the heavens of the form realm lack these causes and conditions, the sūtra is not expounded there.
Question: Why do those heavens...