三聖圓融觀 釋隆門圓通法師
The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—I
The Three Sages refers to Tathagata Vairocana, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, and Bodhisattva Manjusri. The two forms in the Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra are consummate and remarkable. Because of wondrous virtue, one is unrestrained in dealing with matters. The two sages (Maha-Bodhisattvas) stand for the two meanings of the Dharma. It’s hard to transform sentient beings with just the tiny view of wisdom, so one should roughly rely on the principles. When the foresight is empty, one will hope to seek them. The Great Realizer came to this mundane world to rescue living beings, solely marked the two sages as the most supreme, and entrusted them to propagate the Dharma. This was not done in vain.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—II
Among the Three Sages inside the Beginning Door, the two Bodhisattvas are the cause, and the Tathagata is the condition. The condition arises from speeches and thoughts and can explain the two causes. If we realize the subtlety of the two causes, we will know the profound mystery of the sea of the condition. Comparing the ability to believe with what we believe, we can say that the Dharma realm Samantabhadra represents and believes is in the Tathagata storage that has purity in afflictions.
The Adhyardhaśatikā prajñāpāramitā sutra says that all sentient beings belong to the Tathagata storage because the body of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is everywhere. Therefore, those in the first meeting will enter the Tathagata storage body and Samadhi.
When Sudhana Kumara first saw Manjusru forming great aspirations, Manjusri expressed his decision to believe, because he was already in the position of belief. All Buddhas formed aspirations because of Manjusri.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—III
It is said in the sutra that Bodhisattva Manjusri gave rise to the merits of all Bodhisattvas without taking a rest. Those who believe this are unable to see it, and what they believe is the same as what they confirm. With Samantabhadra who is not in the front, belief starts to arise and principles start to be seen. So Manjusri stands in the front, while
Samantabhadra in the back. If we compare understanding with actions, we will see that Samantabhadra stands for all actions and thus the term Samantabhadra actions came into being; Manjusri stands for understanding and penetrating matters and principles.
Bodhisattva Maitreya told Sudhana Kumara: due to Manjusri’s prestigious spiritual power, you are able to see the virtuous friends, hear the Bodhisattva actions, and enter the door of liberation.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—IV
To compare principles with wisdom: Samantabhadra represents the Dharma realm confirmed, which is the Tathagata storage of transcending restraints. Having entered Samantabhadra’s body, Sudhana Kumara attained the utmost body of impartiality of three generations. Because of the Dharma nature, one hair is boundlessly wide.
Samantabhadra’s body is like the Great Void. Those who see him will attain Prajna-paramita immediately because they rely on principles and develop wisdom. Manjusri represents the ability to confirm great wisdom based on the Unmoved Wisdom Tathagata whom he served.
Bodhisattva Maitreya said: Manjusri is always the mother of myriads of Buddhas.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—V
The Dharma approaches lectured in the sutras by Manjusri come from the sea of wisdom of his and all manifest the gist of prajna-paramita.
Sudhana Kumara met the latter-day Manjusri first and Samantabhadra next, showing that Manjusri was wise and had confirmed principles.
The latter-day Manjusri had the appearance of the non-duality between wisdom and illumination. The fact that he did not look on the appearance of the body means that he was extremely wise, both the mind and the circumstances were extinct, and both believing and understanding disappeared. The two kinds of wisdom of Manjusri can be used to confirm the essence of function of Samantabhadra. Moreover, such an approach stands for firm wisdom as well as essence and function. With firm wisdom, one will know that the essence is innately silent and wisdom is intelligence. Essence and function
mean that Samantabhadra knows that silence is the essence of the mind and Manjusri illuminates with wisdom for great applications.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—VI
If one intends to attain a consummate form, he has to know that the Dharma approaches of the two sages are consummate respectively. Because of belief, Manjusri was able to attain understanding. With understanding but without belief, evil views will be added; with belief but without understanding, ignorance will be increased. Only with upright belief and understanding will one know their origin. When one has achieved the utmost wisdom which will reflect, and if he can keep his initial vows, he will attain Samyak-sambodhi when he first forms aspirations. In the fifty-three consultations of Sudhana Kumara, he was persuaded into forming aspirations first and then was tonsured by Manjusri. The expedient wisdom of the former Manjusri was not away from the essence of wisdom, and the name and wisdom of the latter Manjusri reflects the form of non-duality. The reflection shows that belief and wisdom are not separate. Manjusri spread his right hand from the form without a body, so he was secretly consummate in Three Matters.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—VII
The self-form of the Three Matters of Samantabhadra is consummate. If principles are not put into practice, they will not manifest. Practice arises from the essence and will agree with it. Principles are confirmed by practice and there are no principles outside the practice. Practice is manifested from principles, and there is no practice outside the principles. Therefore, according to the confirmed principles, when one principle is confirmed, all are confirmed. So, when seeing the tiny accomplishment of Samantabhadra, we should not say that it is very much in front of the Dharma door. Also, in terms of the application of the essence, the Dharma door arises from endless affinities. From this, Samantabhadra is engrossed in the Three Matters one after another.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—VIII
The Dharma approaches of the two sages are consummate with each other. To know the Dharma realms, one has to believe first. If one does not believe in principles, his belief will be an evil one. One who does not believe that there is Tathagata storage in his mind is not a Bodhisattva. Then, in order to start the practice and agree with the understanding, he has to make use of the understanding. In starting the practice, if practice does not differ from understanding, then there is non-duality between them. Wisdom is how principles are applied. Principles are experienced and become wisdom which will reflect principles. Only when wisdom and principles become obscure can there be real wisdom. To such an extent, wisdom and principles are the same.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—IX
It is said in the sutra that no wisdom outside the suchness can confirm suchness; no suchness outside the wisdom can admit wisdom. It is called “upright” when the Dharma realms are illuminated quietly. It is called “observation” when they are quiet but are always illuminated. When observations are made to the extreme, it can wonderfully comply with silence and is the non-duality between stability and wisdom.
The application of the extant essence is called wisdom; the essence of the application is called principles. Then there is non-duality between the essence and application. Hence, Manjusri’s secret consummation in Three Matters is the same as Samantabhadra’s being engrossed in the Three Matters one after another.
These two sages’ actions are the same and are called Samantabhadra’s action of the king net.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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The View of the Consummation of the Three Sages—X
The fact that The Chapter of the Samantabhadra’s Action is contrary to the neighboring sutras indicates that matters are handled consummately. What is called the
Samantabhadra’s action is not an independent action. The two sages
are in harmony but there is no Manjusri action. Absorbing wisdom belongs to the principle. Due to the single-mind Dharma realm, one principle may contain all.
The Dharma approaches of the two sages are in harmony. Samantabhadra’s causes are complete, so he is away from forms, is speechless, and finally sinks into the sea of cause and condition. The radiance of Vairocana shines universally and is responded by confirmation only.
In The Chapter of the Dharma Realms, after Samantabhadra there is a verse that praises the merits of the Buddha to show the fruit form.
The Annotation of Mahāvaipulya Buddhāvataṃsaka Sūtra
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