The World's Formation Begins, and What Every World-Ocean Rests Upon
Immediately after the assembly asks how lands, buddhas, and living beings come to be at all, the sūtra's fourth chapter, "The World's Formation" (世界成就品), opens with Samantabhadra's answer. He first surveys ten oceans of what is inconceivable even to buddhas, then names ten matters that account for every world-ocean without exception, and begins working through them one by one — starting with the causes by which world-oceans come to be at all, and the ten kinds of foundation upon which they rest.
Samantabhadra Surveys the Ocean of the Inconceivable
爾時，普賢菩薩摩訶薩以佛神力，遍觀察一切世界海、一切眾生海、一切諸佛海、一切法界海、一切眾生業海、一切眾生根欲海、一切諸佛法輪海、一切三世海、一切如來願力海、一切如來神變海；如是觀察已，普告一切道場眾海諸菩薩言：「佛子！諸佛世尊知一切世界海成壞清淨智不可思議，知一切眾生業海智不可思議，知一切法界安立海智不可思議，說一切無邊佛海智不可思議，入一切欲解根海智不可思議，一念普知一切三世智不可思議，顯示一切如來無量願海智不可思議，示現一切佛神變海智不可思議，轉法輪智不可思議，建立演說海不可思議，清淨佛身不可思議，無邊色相海普照明不可思議，相及隨好皆清淨不可思議，無邊色相光明輪海具足清淨不可思議，種種色相光明雲海不可思議，殊勝寶焰海不可思議，成就言音海不可思議，示現三種自在海調伏成熟一切眾生不可思議，勇猛調伏諸眾生海無空過者不可思議，安住佛地不可思議，入如來境界不可思議，威力護持不可思議，觀察一切佛智所行不可思議，諸力圓滿無能摧伏不可思議，無畏功德無能過者不可思議，住無差別三昧不可思議，神通變化不可思議，清淨自在智不可思議，一切佛法無能毀壞不可思議。如是等一切法，我當承佛神力，及一切如來威神力故，具足宣說。為令眾生，入佛智慧海故；為令一切菩薩，於佛功德海中得安住故；為令一切世界海，一切佛自在所莊嚴故；為令一切劫海中，如來種性恒不斷故；為令於一切世界海中，顯示諸法真實性故；為令隨一切眾生無量解海，而演說故；為令隨一切眾生諸根海，方便令生諸佛法故；為令隨一切眾生樂欲海，摧破一切障礙山故；為令隨一切眾生心行海，令淨修治出要道故；為令一切菩薩，安住普賢願海中故。」
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva, through the Buddha's spiritual power, surveyed universally: the whole ocean of every world, the whole ocean of every living being, the whole ocean of every buddha, the whole ocean of the Dharma-realm, the whole ocean of every living being's karma, the whole ocean of every living being's faculties and desires, the whole ocean of every buddha's Dharma-wheel, the whole ocean of the three periods of time, the whole ocean of the power of every Tathāgata's vow, and the whole ocean of every Tathāgata's spiritual transformation. Having surveyed these, he universally addressed the whole ocean of bodhisattvas assembled at the awakening-site, saying: "Buddha's children! The wisdom by which every buddha, every World-Honored One, knows the formation, dissolution, and purity of every world-ocean is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they know the ocean of every living being's karma is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they know the ocean of the establishment of the Dharma-realm is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they teach the ocean of every boundless buddha is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they enter the ocean of every desire, understanding, and faculty is inconceivable; the wisdom by which, within a single thought, they universally know the whole of the three periods of time is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they reveal the immeasurable ocean of every Tathāgata's vow is inconceivable; the wisdom by which they manifest the ocean of every buddha's spiritual transformation is inconceivable; their wisdom in turning the Dharma-wheel is inconceivable; their establishing of the ocean of exposition is inconceivable; the purity of their buddha-body is inconceivable; the universal, radiant illumination of the ocean of their boundless forms and marks is inconceivable; the purity of their every mark and every excellent characteristic is inconceivable; the complete purity of the ocean of the wheel of light of their boundless forms and marks is inconceivable; the ocean of clouds of light of their every kind of form and mark is inconceivable; the ocean of their supreme, jeweled flame is inconceivable; their accomplishment of the ocean of speech is inconceivable; their manifestation of the ocean of the three kinds of sovereign mastery, taming and ripening every living being, is inconceivable; their valiant taming of the ocean of every living being, letting none pass by in vain, is inconceivable; their abiding securely in the ground of buddhahood is inconceivable; their entering the domain of the Tathāgata is inconceivable; their majestic power of upholding and protecting is inconceivable; their contemplation of the conduct of every buddha's wisdom is inconceivable; their every power, perfect and complete, unable to be overcome by anything, is inconceivable; their merit of fearlessness, unsurpassed by anything, is inconceivable; their abiding in undifferentiated samādhi is inconceivable; their spiritual transmutation and transformation is inconceivable; their pure and sovereign wisdom is inconceivable; and the dharma of every buddha, unable to be destroyed by anything, is inconceivable. All such dharmas as these I shall now, sustained by the Buddha's own spiritual power and by the majestic, spiritual power of every Tathāgata, fully proclaim — in order to cause living beings to enter the ocean of the Buddha's wisdom; in order to cause every bodhisattva to abide securely within the ocean of the Buddha's merit; in order that every world-ocean might be adorned by the sovereign mastery of every buddha; in order that, throughout the whole ocean of every kalpa, the lineage of the Tathāgata might never be severed; in order to reveal, throughout every world-ocean, the true nature of every dharma; in order to teach according to the immeasurable ocean of every living being's understanding; in order that, according to the ocean of every living being's own faculties, the dharma of every buddha might be skillfully brought forth; in order that, according to the ocean of every living being's own desire, every mountain of obstruction might be shattered; in order that, according to the ocean of every living being's own mental conduct, the path of going-forth might be purely cultivated; and in order that every bodhisattva might abide securely within the ocean of Samantabhadra's own vow."
Before answering a single question, Samantabhadra spends this entire passage insisting that the answer is inconceivable — nearly thirty distinct qualities of the buddhas, each closed with "不可思議." This is not throat-clearing. It sets the terms under which everything that follows should be read: not as a cosmological account that could in principle be fully grasped, but as a teaching offered in full knowledge that its object exceeds ordinary comprehension, given anyway because it still serves living beings according to their own understanding, faculties, desire, and mental conduct — the four grounds named in his closing vow.
A Hymn on the Buddha's Domain
是時，普賢菩薩復欲令無量道場眾海生歡喜故，令於一切法增長愛樂故，令生廣大真實信解海故，令淨治普門法界藏身故，令安立普賢願海故，令淨治入三世平等智眼故，令增長普照一切世間藏大慧海故，令生陀羅尼力持一切法輪故，令於一切道場中盡佛境界悉開示故，令開闡一切如來法門故，令增長法界廣大甚深一切智性故，即說頌言：
「智慧甚深功德海，普現十方無量國，
隨諸眾生所應見，光明遍照轉法輪。
十方剎海叵思議，佛無量劫皆嚴淨，
為化眾生使成熟，出興一切諸國土。
佛境甚深難可思，普示眾生令得入，
其心樂小著諸有，不能通達佛所悟。
若有淨信堅固心，常得親近善知識，
一切諸佛與其力，此乃能入如來智。
離諸諂誑心清淨，常樂慈悲性歡喜，
志欲廣大深信人，彼聞此法生欣悅。
安住普賢諸願地，修行菩薩清淨道，
觀察法界如虛空，此乃能知佛行處。
此諸菩薩獲善利，見佛一切神通力，
修餘道者莫能知，普賢行人方得悟。
眾生廣大無有邊，如來一切皆護念，
轉正法輪靡不至，毘盧遮那境界力。
一切剎土入我身，所住諸佛亦復然，
汝應觀我諸毛孔，我今示汝佛境界。
普賢行願無邊際，我已修行得具足，
普眼境界廣大身，是佛所行應諦聽。」
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, wishing further to cause the immeasurable ocean of the assembly at the awakening-site to give rise to joy; to cause their love and delight in every dharma to increase; to cause the ocean of vast and true faith and understanding to arise; to purify and cultivate the universal-gate matrix-body of the Dharma-realm; to establish securely the ocean of Samantabhadra's own vow; to purify and cultivate the eye of wisdom that equally enters the three periods of time; to increase the great ocean of wisdom, the treasury universally illumining every world; to give rise to the power of dhāraṇī upholding every Dharma-wheel; to fully reveal, within every awakening-site, the entire domain of the Buddha; to open and expound the gateway of every Tathāgata's Dharma; and to increase the vast, profound nature of omniscience throughout the Dharma-realm — then spoke a verse, saying:
"The ocean of merit, wisdom profound, universally manifests throughout immeasurable lands of the ten directions,
according to what every living being is fit to see, his light shines everywhere as he turns the Dharma-wheel.
The ocean of lands of the ten directions is beyond thought, and the Buddha, across immeasurable kalpas, adorns and purifies them entirely,
in order to transform living beings and cause them to ripen, appearing throughout every land.
The Buddha's domain is profound, hard to conceive, and is universally revealed to living beings to cause them to enter it,
but those whose minds delight in the small and cling to states of being are unable to penetrate what the Buddha has awakened to.
If there is one with pure faith and a firm, resolute mind, one who constantly draws near to a good and wise friend,
every buddha bestows their power upon them, and only then are they able to enter the Tathāgata's own wisdom.
Free of every flattery and deceit, pure of mind, forever delighting in compassion, joyful by nature,
one whose aspiration is vast and whose faith is profound — that person, hearing this Dharma, gives rise to delight.
Abiding securely in every ground of Samantabhadra's own vow, cultivating the bodhisattva's pure path,
contemplating the Dharma-realm as like empty space — only then is one able to know the very place of the Buddha's conduct.
These bodhisattvas gain excellent benefit, beholding the whole power of the Buddha's spiritual transmutation,
which those who cultivate other paths are unable to know — only the practitioner of Samantabhadra's own conduct awakens to it.
Living beings, vast and without any bound, are every one of them held in the Tathāgata's own mindful care,
and the turning of the true Dharma-wheel reaches everywhere without exception — such is the power of Vairocana's own domain.
Every land enters into my very body, and every buddha that dwells there does likewise;
you should behold my every pore — I now reveal to you the Buddha's own domain.
Samantabhadra's conduct and vow are without any bound, and I have already cultivated them to full completion —
the universal eye's domain, the vast body — this is the Buddha's own conduct; you should listen closely."
The Ten Matters of Every World-Ocean
爾時，普賢菩薩摩訶薩告諸大眾言：「諸佛子！世界海有十種事，過去、現在、未來諸佛，已說、現說、當說。何者為十？所謂：世界海起具因緣，世界海所依住，世界海形狀，世界海體性，世界海莊嚴，世界海清淨，世界海佛出興，世界海劫住，世界海劫轉變差別，世界海無差別門。諸佛子！略說世界海，有此十事；若廣說者，與世界海微塵數等，過去、現在、未來諸佛，已說、現說、當說。
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva-Mahāsattva addressed the great assembly, saying: "Buddha's children! The world-ocean has ten kinds of matters, which every buddha of the past, present, and future has already taught, now teaches, and will teach. What are these ten? They are: the world-ocean's origin and complete causes and conditions; the world-ocean's own supporting foundation; the world-ocean's shape and form; the world-ocean's own essence and nature; the world-ocean's adornment; the world-ocean's purity; the world-ocean's appearance of buddhas; the world-ocean's abiding through kalpas; the world-ocean's distinct kinds of transformation through kalpas; and the world-ocean's gateway of non-distinction. Buddha's children! Briefly stated, the world-ocean has these ten matters; were they to be stated fully, they would equal the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean in number — which every buddha of the past, present, and future has already taught, now teaches, and will teach.
These ten matters set the outline for the rest of this chapter, and Samantabhadra works through every one of them in turn, each with its own teaching and closing verse: how world-oceans arise, what they rest upon, their shape, their essence, their adornment, their purity, how buddhas appear within them, how long they endure, how they transform across kalpas, and finally how — despite every distinction just enumerated — no world-ocean is different in kind from any other. The pattern itself is worth noticing: Chengguan's commentary reads this systematic decomposition as a deliberate counterweight to the "inconceivable" of the previous section — the totality is beyond grasping all at once, but it is not therefore beyond any structured account whatsoever.
The First Matter: How World-Oceans Come to Be
「諸佛子！略說以十種因緣故，一切世界海已成、現成、當成。何者為十？所謂：如來神力故，法應如是故，一切眾生行業故，一切菩薩成一切智所得故，一切眾生及諸菩薩同集善根故，一切菩薩嚴淨國土願力故，一切菩薩成就不退行願故，一切菩薩清淨勝解自在故，一切如來善根所流及一切諸佛成道時自在勢力故，普賢菩薩自在願力故。諸佛子！是為略說十種因緣；若廣說者，有世界海微塵數。」
"Buddha's children! Briefly stated, through ten kinds of causes and conditions, every world-ocean has already been formed, is now being formed, and will be formed. What are these ten? They are: because of the Tathāgata's own spiritual power; because the Dharma is naturally so; because of the conduct and karma of every living being; because of what every bodhisattva attains in accomplishing omniscience; because every living being and every bodhisattva together gather roots of goodness; because of the power of every bodhisattva's vow to adorn and purify their own land; because of every bodhisattva's accomplishment of non-regressing conduct and vow; because of the sovereign mastery of every bodhisattva's pure, excellent understanding; because of the flow of the roots of goodness of every Tathāgata, and the sovereign power at the time of every buddha's accomplishment of the path; and because of the power of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's own sovereign vow. Buddha's children! This is a brief statement of the ten kinds of causes and conditions; were it to be stated fully, there would be as many as the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean."
爾時，普賢菩薩欲重宣其義，承佛威力，觀察十方而說頌言：
「所說無邊眾剎海，毘盧遮那悉嚴淨，
世尊境界不思議，智慧神通力如是。
菩薩修行諸願海，普隨眾生心所欲，
眾生心行廣無邊，菩薩國土遍十方。
菩薩趣於一切智，勤修種種自在力，
無量願海普出生，廣大剎土皆成就。
修諸行海無有邊，入佛境界亦無量，
為淨十方諸國土，一一土經無量劫。
眾生煩惱所擾濁，分別欲樂非一相，
隨心造業不思議，一切剎海斯成立。
佛子剎海莊嚴藏，離垢光明寶所成，
斯由廣大信解心，十方所住咸如是。
菩薩能修普賢行，遊行法界微塵道，
塵中悉現無量剎，清淨廣大如虛空。
等虛空界現神通，悉詣道場諸佛所，
蓮華座上示眾相，一一身包一切剎。
一念普現於三世，一切剎海皆成立，
佛以方便悉入中，此是毘盧所嚴淨。」
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, wishing to proclaim this meaning once more, sustained by the Buddha's majestic power, contemplated the ten directions, and spoke a verse, saying:
"The boundless ocean of every land that has been spoken of, Vairocana has adorned and purified entirely,
the World-Honored One's domain is inconceivable, such is the power of his wisdom and spiritual transmutation.
The bodhisattva cultivates the ocean of every vow, universally following what is in the minds and desires of living beings,
living beings' minds and conduct are vast and without bound, and the bodhisattva's lands pervade the ten directions.
The bodhisattva advances toward omniscience, diligently cultivating every kind of sovereign power,
the immeasurable ocean of vows is universally brought forth, and vast lands are all accomplished thereby.
Cultivating the ocean of every practice without any bound, entering the Buddha's domain likewise immeasurably,
in order to purify every land of the ten directions, each and every land passes through immeasurable kalpas.
Living beings, disturbed and defiled by affliction, discriminate desires and pleasures not of any single form,
and, according to their minds, create karma inconceivably — every land-ocean is thereby established.
Buddha's child, the treasury of adornment of the land-ocean is formed of jewels free of defilement, radiant with light,
and this comes from a vast mind of faith and understanding — throughout the ten directions, wherever dwelt, it is entirely the same.
The bodhisattva is able to cultivate Samantabhadra's own conduct, journeying the paths of every mote of dust in the Dharma-realm,
and within each mote of dust manifests immeasurable lands entirely, pure and vast like empty space.
Equal to the realm of empty space, manifesting spiritual transmutation, going entirely to the awakening-site, the place of every buddha,
upon a lotus seat reveals every mark, and each and every body encompasses every land.
Within a single thought, universally manifesting throughout the three periods of time, every land-ocean is thereby established entirely,
and the Buddha, through skillful means, enters entirely within it — this is what Vairocana has adorned and purified."
The Second Matter: What Every World-Ocean Rests Upon
爾時，普賢菩薩復告大眾言：「諸佛子！一一世界海有世界海微塵數所依住。所謂：或依一切莊嚴住，或依虛空住，或依一切寶光明住，或依一切佛光明住，或依一切寶色光明住，或依一切佛音聲住，或依如幻業生大力阿脩羅形金剛手住，或依一切世主身住，或依一切菩薩身住，或依普賢菩薩願所生一切差別莊嚴海住。諸佛子！世界海有如是等世界海微塵數所依住。」
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva further addressed the great assembly, saying: "Buddha's children! Each and every world-ocean has supporting foundations as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean. That is to say: some abide resting upon every kind of adornment; some abide resting upon empty space; some abide resting upon the light of every jewel; some abide resting upon the light of every buddha; some abide resting upon the light of every jeweled color; some abide resting upon the voice of every buddha; some abide resting upon the vajra-handed form of the mighty asura, born of illusion-like karma; some abide resting upon the body of every lord of the world; some abide resting upon the body of every bodhisattva; and some abide resting upon the ocean of every distinct adornment born from Samantabhadra Bodhisattva's own vow. Buddha's children! The world-ocean has supporting foundations such as these, as numerous as the fine motes of dust in a world-ocean."
爾時，普賢菩薩欲重宣其義，承佛威力，觀察十方而說頌言：
「遍滿十方虛空界，所有一切諸國土，
如來神力之所加，處處現前皆可見。
或有種種諸國土，無非離垢寶所成，
清淨摩尼最殊妙，熾然普現光明海。
或有清淨光明剎，依止虛空界而住，
或在摩尼寶海中，復有安住光明藏。
如來處此眾會海，演說法輪皆巧妙，
諸佛境界廣無邊，眾生見者心歡喜。
有以摩尼作嚴飾，狀如華燈廣分布，
香焰光雲色熾然，覆以妙寶光明網。
或有剎土無邊際，安住蓮華深大海，
廣博清淨與世殊，諸佛妙善莊嚴故。
或有剎海隨輪轉，以佛威神得安住，
諸菩薩眾遍在中，常見無央廣大寶。
或有住於金剛手，或復有住天主身，
毘盧遮那無上尊，常於此處轉法輪。
或依寶樹平均住，香焰雲中亦復然；
或有依諸大水中，有住堅固金剛海。
或有依止金剛幢，或有住於華海中，
廣大神通無不周，毘盧遮那此能現。
或脩或短無量種，其相旋環亦非一，
妙莊嚴藏與世殊，清淨修治乃能見。
如是種種各差別，一切皆依願海住；
或有國土常在空，諸佛如雲悉充遍。
或有在空懸覆住，或時而有或無有；
或有國土極清淨，住於菩薩寶冠中。
十方諸佛大神通，一切皆於此中見，
諸佛音聲咸遍滿，斯由業力之所化。
或有國土周法界，清淨離垢從心起，
如影如幻廣無邊，如因陀網各差別。
或現種種莊嚴藏，依止虛空而建立，
諸業境界不思議，佛力顯示皆令見。
一一國土微塵內，念念示現諸佛剎，
數皆無量等眾生，普賢所作恒如是。
為欲成熟眾生故，是中修行經劫海，
廣大神變靡不興，法界之中悉周遍。
法界國土一一塵，諸大剎海住其中，
佛雲平等悉彌覆，於一切處咸充滿。
如一塵中自在用，一切塵內亦復然，
諸佛菩薩大神通，毘盧遮那悉能現。
一切廣大諸剎土，如影如幻亦如焰，
十方不見所從生，亦復無來無去處。
滅壞生成互循復，於虛空中無暫已，
莫不皆由清淨願，廣大業力之所持。」
At that time, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, wishing to proclaim this meaning once more, sustained by the Buddha's majestic power, contemplated the ten directions, and spoke a verse, saying:
"Filling the realm of empty space in the ten directions entirely, every land that exists,
empowered by the Tathāgata's own spiritual power, appears before us in every single place, able to be seen entirely.
Some lands, of every kind, are formed of nothing but jewels free of defilement,
pure maṇi of the most excellent kind, blazing, universally manifesting an ocean of light.
Some pure, radiant lands abide resting upon the realm of empty space,
some dwell within an ocean of maṇi jewels, and some further abide securely within a treasury of light.
The Tathāgata dwells within this ocean of the assembly, expounding the Dharma-wheel, every word skillful and excellent,
and every buddha's domain is vast, without any bound — living beings who behold it give rise to a joyful mind.
Some are adorned and ornamented with maṇi, their form like a flower-lamp, spread out vastly,
a cloud of fragrant flame and light, its color blazing, covered over by a net of wondrous, jeweled light.
Some lands are without any boundary at all, abiding securely within a great, deep ocean of lotus flowers,
vast and pure, distinct from the ordinary world, because every buddha has adorned them wondrously and well.
Some land-oceans turn along with a wheel, abiding securely through the Buddha's own majestic spirit,
and every bodhisattva dwells throughout them, forever beholding boundless, vast jewels.
Some dwell resting upon the vajra-handed one, and some further dwell resting upon the body of the lord of the devas,
and Vairocana, the unsurpassed, honored one, forever turns the Dharma-wheel within these very places.
Some abide resting evenly upon jeweled trees, and likewise so within clouds of fragrant flame;
some abide resting within every great body of water, and some dwell within an ocean firm as vajra.
Some abide resting upon a vajra banner, and some dwell within an ocean of flowers,
their vast spiritual transmutation reaching everywhere without exception — Vairocana is able to manifest all this.
Some long, some short, of immeasurable kinds, their forms whirling and circling, not of any single kind,
their wondrous treasury of adornment distinct from the ordinary world — only through pure cultivation is it able to be seen.
Such is every kind of distinction, each and every one abiding by resting upon the ocean of vows;
some lands abide forever within empty space, and every buddha, like a cloud, fills them entirely.
Some abide suspended, covering over, within empty space, at times existing and at times not existing;
some lands are utterly pure, dwelling within the very jeweled crown of a bodhisattva.
The great spiritual transmutation of every buddha of the ten directions is entirely beheld within them,
and the voice of every buddha fills them completely — this is transformed by the power of karma.
Some lands pervade the Dharma-realm, pure and free of defilement, arisen from the mind,
like a reflection, like an illusion, vast without any bound, each distinct like the net of Indra.
Some manifest every kind of treasury of adornment, established resting upon empty space,
the domain of every karma inconceivable, revealed by the Buddha's power, causing all to see it.
Within each and every mote of dust of every land, within every single thought, every buddha-land is manifest,
their number immeasurable, equal to living beings — what Samantabhadra does is forever just like this.
In order to ripen living beings, he cultivates practice within them across an ocean of kalpas,
and vast spiritual transformation is roused without exception, pervading throughout the Dharma-realm entirely.
Within each and every mote of dust of the Dharma-realm's lands, every great land-ocean dwells therein,
and a cloud of buddhas, equally, covers over them entirely, filling every single place completely.
As the sovereign function within a single mote of dust, so too within every mote of dust likewise,
the great spiritual transmutation of every buddha and bodhisattva — Vairocana is able to manifest it all.
Every vast land, like a reflection, like an illusion, and also like a mirage,
in the ten directions its origin cannot be seen, nor is there any place it comes from or goes to.
Dissolution and destruction, birth and formation, cycle one into another in turn,
never ceasing for even a moment within empty space — none of it but is sustained by pure vows and the power of vast karma."
This is the longest single hymn of the fascicle so far, and its length matches its subject: a list of foundations that refuses to settle into any one kind of thing a world could rest upon — space, light, jewels, a deity's body, a bodhisattva's own vow, even "at times existing and at times not existing." The closing stanza is the hinge the whole passage has been building toward: every land is "like a reflection, like an illusion, like a mirage," without any traceable origin or destination, arising and dissolving in endless cycle — and yet none of this dissolves into mere unreality, because all of it is said to be "sustained by pure vows and the power of vast karma." Groundlessness and moral consequence are held together here, not traded off against each other.
Part 15 Complete
This closes Part 15, continuing fascicle seven and the sūtra's fourth chapter, "The World's Formation" (世界成就品第四): Samantabhadra's survey of the ten oceans of the inconceivable, his hymn on the Buddha's domain, his naming of the ten matters that account for every world-ocean, and his teaching — each with prose and verse — on the first two of them: the causes by which world-oceans come to be, and the ten kinds of foundation upon which they rest. Part 16 continues with the remaining eight matters: the shape, essence, adornment, and purification of every world-ocean, and beyond.