The Buddhas' Light Completes the Request
Śākyamuni emits light from between his brows, reaching every world-system of the ten directions; every buddha there answers in kind, until assemblies light-years apart can see and hear one another as if gathered in a single hall. Within that canopy of light, the buddhas speak six verses of empowerment — completing, at last, the request that mere words from bodhisattvas alone could never make complete.
Light from Between the Brows, Reaching Every World-System
論曰：此菩薩前同生眾上首請，次大眾請，復待諸佛法王加請。何以故？為增敬重法故。
經曰：爾時釋迦牟尼佛從眉間白毫放菩薩力明光焰，阿僧祇阿僧祇光以為眷屬。放斯光已，普照十方諸佛世界靡不周遍。照已還住本處，三惡道苦皆得休息，一切魔宮隱蔽不現。悉照十方諸佛眾會，顯現如來境界不思議力。是光遍照十方世界，加一切如來所加說法者及諸菩薩眾，於上虛空中成大光明雲網臺而住。彼十方諸佛亦復如是，從眉間白毫相放菩薩力明光焰，阿僧祇阿僧祇光以為眷屬。
放斯光已，普照十方諸佛世界靡不周遍。照已還住本處，三惡道苦皆得休息，一切魔宮隱蔽不現。悉照十方諸佛眾會，顯現如來境界不思議力。是光遍照十方世界加一切如來所加說法者及諸菩薩眾，顯現如來境界不思議力，并照釋迦牟尼佛大會之眾，及金剛藏菩薩身，於上虛空中亦復成大光明雲網臺而住。爾時釋迦牟尼佛從眉間放白毫光明，照彼十方世界諸佛大會諸菩薩身及師子座。此諸大眾皆悉現見彼十方世界諸佛從眉間放白毫光明，照此三千大千娑婆世界釋迦牟尼佛大會，并金剛藏菩薩身及師子座。彼諸大眾皆悉現見時大光明雲網臺中諸佛神力故，而說頌曰。
論曰：何故如來現神通力放光同請？是如來前已意加，未身口加，異於餘佛，是故今欲具身口加。何故不以常口常身加？為重法故，不輕自身故。此光有八種業、二種身。云何八種業？一者覺業，是光照諸菩薩身已，自覺如來力加，如經「放菩薩力明光焰」故。二者因業，阿僧祇光皆有無量光明眷屬，如經「阿僧祇阿僧祇光以為眷屬」故。三者卷舒業，舒則遍至阿僧祇世界、卷則還入常光，如經「放斯光已普照十方諸佛世界靡不周遍，照已還住本處」故。四者止業，除滅一切惡道種種苦惱，如經「三惡道苦皆得休息」故。
五者降伏業，令一切魔宮威光不現驚怖恐懼，不能壞亂可化眾生，如經「一切魔宮隱蔽不現」故。六者敬業，現不思議佛神力故，如經「悉照十方諸佛眾會，顯現如來境界不思議力」故。七者示現業，加十方世界諸佛所加菩薩大會令此眾見，如經「是光遍照十方世界，加一切如來所加說法者及諸菩薩眾」故。八者請業，發聲說偈，如經「時大光明雲網臺中諸佛神力而說頌曰」故。云何二身？
一、如流星身，往他方世界故；二、如日身，處於虛空。如經「於上虛空中成大光明雲網臺而住」故，「於一切處一時遍照」故。如是彼此諸眾生迭互相見，猶如一會，聽說亦爾。是名身加。何者口加？偈曰：
「諸佛無等等， 功德如虛空，
十力無畏等， 無量諸眾首。
釋迦姓法生， 天人上作加，
承諸佛神力， 為開法王藏。
諸地上妙行， 分別智地義，
是諸如來加， 護於諸菩薩。
此人能聞持， 如是微妙法，
諸地淨無垢， 漸次而滿足，
證佛十種力， 成無上菩提。
雖在於大海， 及劫盡火中，
決定信無疑， 必得聞此經。
諸地勝智道， 入地住展轉，
漸次而演說， 無量行境界。」
Commentary: For this bodhisattva, first the leader of the assembly born alongside him made the request, then the whole assembly made the request, and now he awaits, further, the empowering request of the buddhas, the Dharma-kings themselves. Why is this? So as to increase reverence for the Dharma.
Sūtra: At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha, from the white tuft of hair between his brows, emitted a blazing radiance of a bodhisattva's power, with light as numerous as countless asaṃkhyeyas as its retinue. Having emitted this light, it universally illumined the world-systems of the buddhas of the ten directions, leaving nothing unreached. Having illumined them, it returned to abide in its original place; the sufferings of the three evil destinies were all set at rest, and every palace of Māra was concealed and no longer appeared. It illumined every assembly of the buddhas of the ten directions entirely, making manifest the Tathāgata's inconceivable power over every domain. This light, pervading and illumining the world-systems of the ten directions, empowered every teacher of the Dharma whom any tathāgata had empowered, together with every bodhisattva assembly, and, in the space above, formed a great canopy of clouds and light, woven like a net, and abided there. The buddhas of the ten directions did likewise: from the white tuft of hair between their own brows, they too emitted a blazing radiance of a bodhisattva's power, with light as numerous as countless asaṃkhyeyas as its retinue.
Having emitted this light, it universally illumined the world-systems of the buddhas of the ten directions, leaving nothing unreached. Having illumined them, it returned to abide in its original place; the sufferings of the three evil destinies were all set at rest, and every palace of Māra was concealed and no longer appeared. It illumined every assembly of the buddhas of the ten directions entirely, making manifest the Tathāgata's inconceivable power over every domain. This light, pervading and illumining the world-systems of the ten directions, empowered every teacher of the Dharma whom any tathāgata had empowered, together with every bodhisattva assembly, making manifest the Tathāgata's inconceivable power over every domain, and further illumined the assembly gathered around Śākyamuni Buddha, together with Vajragarbha Bodhisattva's own body, and, in the space above, likewise formed a great canopy of clouds and light, woven like a net, and abided there. At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha, from the white tuft of hair between his brows, emitted this radiant light, illumining the bodies of every bodhisattva and every lion-throne within the assemblies of the buddhas of the world-systems of the ten directions. This whole great assembly could now directly see that the buddhas of the world-systems of the ten directions, from the white tuft of hair between their own brows, had likewise emitted radiant light, illumining this trichiliocosm, this Sahā world, Śākyamuni Buddha's own assembly, together with Vajragarbha Bodhisattva's body and his lion-throne. This whole great assembly could now directly see it. At that time, through the spiritual power of the buddhas within that great canopy of clouds and light, verses were spoken, saying:
Commentary: Why does the Tathāgata manifest spiritual power and emit light in place of speaking his request? Because, up to now, this Tathāgata has only empowered him through mind, not yet through body and speech, unlike the other buddhas — and this is why he now wishes to complete the empowerment through body and speech as well. Why does he not empower him through his ordinary speech and ordinary body? So as to give the Dharma its due weight, and so as not to make light of his own person. This light has eight kinds of function and two kinds of body. What are the eight kinds of function? First, the function of awakening: once this light has illumined the bodies of the bodhisattvas, they themselves become aware that the Tathāgata's power now empowers them — as the sūtra says, "emitted a blazing radiance of a bodhisattva's power." Second, the function of causation: the countless lights each have boundless radiance as their retinue — as the sūtra says, "with light as numerous as countless asaṃkhyeyas as its retinue." Third, the function of contracting and expanding: expanding, it reaches throughout countless world-systems; contracting, it returns into his ordinary radiance — as the sūtra says, "having emitted this light, it universally illumined the world-systems of the buddhas of the ten directions, leaving nothing unreached; having illumined them, it returned to abide in its original place." Fourth, the function of stilling: it removes and extinguishes every manner of suffering and affliction in the evil destinies — as the sūtra says, "the sufferings of the three evil destinies were all set at rest."
Fifth, the function of subduing: it causes the majestic light of every palace of Māra to vanish, in fear and terror, unable to disturb or confound the sentient beings who are to be transformed — as the sūtra says, "every palace of Māra was concealed and no longer appeared." Sixth, the function of reverence: it manifests the inconceivable spiritual power of the buddhas — as the sūtra says, "it illumined every assembly of the buddhas of the ten directions entirely, making manifest the Tathāgata's inconceivable power over every domain." Seventh, the function of manifestation: it empowers the great assemblies of bodhisattvas whom the buddhas of the ten directions have empowered, causing this present assembly to see them — as the sūtra says, "this light, pervading and illumining the world-systems of the ten directions, empowered every teacher of the Dharma whom any tathāgata had empowered, together with every bodhisattva assembly." Eighth, the function of requesting: it gives voice to the speaking of verses — as the sūtra says, "at that time, through the spiritual power of the buddhas within that great canopy of clouds and light, verses were spoken." What are the two kinds of body?
First, a body like a shooting star, since it travels to other world-systems; second, a body like the sun, abiding fixed in space — as the sūtra says, "in the space above, formed a great canopy of clouds and light, woven like a net, and abided there," and "illumining everywhere, at once, in every place." In this way, the beings on either side come to see one another in turn, as if gathered in a single assembly, and to hear the teaching likewise. This is called the empowerment of body. What is the empowerment of speech? The verse says:
"Every buddha, unequaled, yet equal to every other, their merit like empty space, complete in the ten powers and the fearlessnesses, foremost among boundless assemblies.
Śākya by lineage, born of the Dharma, supreme above gods and men, now grants this empowerment — relying on the spiritual power of the buddhas, so as to open the treasury of the Dharma-king.
The sublime practice at every ground, discriminating the meaning of the ground of wisdom — this is the empowerment of the tathāgatas, protecting every bodhisattva.
This person is able to hear and uphold so subtle a Dharma as this; the grounds, pure and undefiled, are fulfilled by stages, realizing a buddha's ten powers, and accomplishing unsurpassed enlightenment.
Even in the midst of the great ocean, or amid the fire that consumes an eon, with resolute faith, free of doubt, one will surely come to hear this sūtra.
The supreme path of wisdom at every ground, entering a ground, abiding, and turning onward — I shall expound it now, by stages, its boundless domain of practice."
Huiyuan names five specific differences between this empowerment-through-light and the earlier empowerment through speech, mind, and body Vajragarbha received before entering samādhi — and singles out the last as the most important: 能加佛異、所加不同、加業有殊、加相不等、加請分差 — "the empowering buddhas differ, what is empowered differs, the function of the empowerment differs, the manner of the empowerment differs, and — the empowerment and the request differ." On the first: whereas the earlier empowerment came only from buddhas literally named Vajragarbha (each confirming Vajragarbha's own name), this one comes from the buddhas of the ten directions generally, since 前為欲寄人表法，故須同號；今不表法，有佛斯加 — "before, the point was to use a person to represent the Dharma, and so a shared name was required; now, representing the Dharma is no longer the point, so any buddha at all may grant this." On the last and most structurally significant difference: 前直是加，今加即請…以金剛藏前違不說，今此加被正為使說，故加即請 — "before, it was simply empowerment; now, the empowerment is itself the request… because Vajragarbha has already twice declined to speak, this act of empowerment exists specifically in order to make him speak — and so empowerment and request are one and the same act." Everything the buddhas do here — appearing, shining, speaking their six verses — counts simultaneously as granting power and as asking him to use it, which is exactly the missing ingredient the human requests of Parts 3 and 4 could not, on their own, supply.
On why Śākyamuni completes his own empowerment now through light rather than simply repeating the touch and speech he already used earlier, Huiyuan reads this as a deliberate two-stage division of the same three-part empowerment (body, speech, mind), spread across two separate occasions for a specific pedagogical reason: 此是聖者善巧一種三業兩處起發，前以意加起發十方金剛藏佛加，今為發起諸佛加請，故留身口在此起發 — "this is the sage's own skillful means: one single threefold empowerment, deployed across two separate occasions. Before, the empowerment of mind alone was used to prompt the empowerment of the ten-directional Vajragarbha buddhas; now, body and speech are held back and deployed here, to prompt the buddhas' own empowering request." Asked why an even more ordinary repetition — plain speech, an ordinary touch — would not have sufficed the second time, Huiyuan is direct: 若用常身口加，不顯法重 — "were he to use his ordinary body and speech to empower him, it would not display the Dharma's weight." Having already used the extraordinary gesture of touching a bodhisattva's crown from world-systems away without leaving his own seat, a return to anything more mundane the second time would read as a demotion, not a further honor — so the escalation continues instead, this time reaching every world-system at once through light alone.
Why He Speaks: The Buddhas' Verses Explained
論曰：是初二偈半顯能加者及加所為。此二加示現何義故加？若請非尊者、法非殊勝聖者則不說。云何初偈顯能加者？偈言「天人上作加」故。何者天人上？謂諸佛如來。此有何義？法王義故。云何知彼是法王？成就四種勝故：一、自在勝；二、力勝；三、眷屬勝；四、種姓勝。何者諸佛自在勝？於煩惱障、智障得解脫自在，彼於此處心智無礙隨意所受無上樂故。此云何知？偈言「諸佛無等等」故，謂一切智故。復如虛空，世間法不能染，無明煩惱習氣滅故。無等者，諸佛比餘眾生，彼非等故。等者，此彼法身等故。何故不但說無等？示現等正覺故。何者諸佛力勝？具足十力故，能伏一切邪智壞魔怨故。此云何知？偈言「十力無畏等」故。何者諸佛眷屬勝？具攝菩薩聲聞諸眾故。此云何知？偈言「無量諸眾首」故，彼菩薩是初眾故。無量者，阿僧祇故。諸眾首者，佛於世間最勝上故。何者佛種姓勝？謂家姓勝故。此云何知？偈言「釋迦姓法生」故。何故唯歎此佛種姓？以現見故。復以法為家，非但生家。
法家者，如法中住故。作加者是總相，加有二種：一、具身加，依法身故；二、具果加。證佛果故。天人上者亦總亦別，餘者唯別。
云何第二偈顯加所為？此菩薩彼諸佛法王，為開現法藏義故加。偈言：
「承諸佛神力， 為開法王藏，
諸地上妙行， 分別智地義。」
歎此法藏有二種：一、義藏成就；二、字藏成就。云何義藏？偈言「諸地上妙行」。行者，諸菩薩行，所謂助道法故。妙者，真實智故。上者，神力勝故。如是顯示深妙勝上故。云何字藏？偈言「分別智地義」。分別者，說十地差別故。此偈中何故顯承佛神力說？
或有眾生於如來所生輕慢想已，自不能請他而說。為遮此故，如是請說法已，次顯說法利他有三時益，於中有三偈。三時益者：一、聞時益；二、修行時益；三、轉生時益。何者聞時益？偈言：
「是諸如來加， 護於諸菩薩，
此人能聞持， 如是微妙法。」
菩薩聞持者，佛力加故，是名聞時益。何者修行時益？偈言：
「諸地淨無垢， 漸次而滿足，
證佛十種力， 成無上菩提。」
漸次滿十地，自身得十力，成無上菩提故，是名修行時益。何者轉生時益？偈言：
「雖在於大海， 及劫盡火中，
決定信無疑， 必得聞此經。」
惡道、善道難處生，必得聞此法。龍世界長壽，亦得聞此經，偈言「雖在於大海」故。雖在色界光音天等，亦得聞此經，偈言「及劫盡火中」故。聞此法者，為皆得利益、有不得者不也？何者能得？
決定不疑信此法者，是人能得，偈言「決定信無疑，必得聞此經」故。如是顯示請說利益已。上言分別智地義者，此所說法有三種漸次，第六偈教分別此事。偈言：
「諸地勝智道， 入地住展轉，
漸次而演說， 無量行境界。」
何者三漸次？一、觀漸次；二、證漸次；三、修行漸次，第一、第二、第四句皆說漸次。勝智道者，謂十地勝智道，說此十地若觀若依止能生諸地智故。入者，入地故。住者，未轉向餘地故。展轉者，地地轉所住處故。行者，謂入住展轉成就故。境界者，此行種種異行境界故。漸者，次第故。說者，授與故。如是教說何義故顯？一切因如來能有所說，生後正信義故。
Commentary: These first two-and-a-half verses make manifest the one who grants the empowerment, and the purpose of that empowerment. What meaning do these two empowerments show, that they should be granted? For if the one requesting were not himself venerable, and if the Dharma were not itself supreme, a sage would not teach. How does the first verse make manifest the one who grants the empowerment? The verse says, "supreme above gods and men, now grants this empowerment." What does "supreme above gods and men" mean? It refers to the buddhas, the tathāgatas. What is the meaning of this? It is the meaning of Dharma-king. How is one to know they are Dharma-kings? Because they have accomplished four kinds of supremacy: supremacy of self-mastery, supremacy of power, supremacy of retinue, and supremacy of lineage. What is the buddhas' supremacy of self-mastery? Being liberated and self-mastering with respect to both the hindrance of affliction and the hindrance to knowledge, their minds and wisdom are unobstructed in this domain, freely receiving unsurpassed bliss according to their own will. How is this known? The verse says, "every buddha, unequaled, yet equal to every other" — meaning they possess omniscience, and, further, are like empty space, unable to be stained by any worldly dharma, the habituated tendencies of ignorance and affliction having been extinguished. "Unequaled" means that, compared to every other sentient being, no buddha is their equal. "Equal" means that their dharma-bodies are equal to one another. Why does it not simply say "unequaled"? To make manifest that they are equally, correctly enlightened. What is the buddhas' supremacy of power? Being complete in the ten powers, they are able to subdue every wrong wisdom and destroy every enemy that is Māra. How is this known? The verse says, "complete in the ten powers and the fearlessnesses." What is the buddhas' supremacy of retinue? Fully encompassing every assembly of bodhisattvas and śrāvakas. How is this known? The verse says, "foremost among boundless assemblies" — since the bodhisattvas are the first among these assemblies. "Boundless" means innumerable as the asaṃkhyeyas. "Foremost among assemblies" means that the buddha is supreme above all in the world. What is the buddha's supremacy of lineage? It means the supremacy of his family and clan. How is this known? The verse says, "Śākya by lineage, born of the Dharma." Why is only this buddha's lineage praised here? Because it can be directly seen. And further, it is because he takes the Dharma itself as his family, not only the family of his birth.
"The family of the Dharma" means abiding within the Dharma. "Grants this empowerment" is the universal aspect; the empowerment is of two kinds: the empowerment complete through the body, based on the dharma-body; and the empowerment complete through the fruit, realizing the buddha-fruit. "Supreme above gods and men" is both universal and particular; the rest is only particular.
How does the second verse make manifest the purpose of the empowerment? This bodhisattva is empowered by these buddhas, the Dharma-kings, so as to open the treasury of the Dharma he is now to teach. The verse says:
"Relying on the spiritual power of the buddhas, so as to open the treasury of the Dharma-king — the sublime practice at every ground, discriminating the meaning of the ground of wisdom."
Praising this treasury of the Dharma is of two kinds: the accomplishment of the treasury of meaning, and the accomplishment of the treasury of letters. What is the treasury of meaning? The verse says, "the sublime practice at every ground." "Practice" means every bodhisattva's practice — that is, the dharmas that assist the path. "Sublime" means true wisdom. "At every ground" means the supremacy of spiritual power. In this way it makes manifest the profundity, sublimity, and supremacy of the Dharma. What is the treasury of letters? The verse says, "discriminating the meaning of the ground of wisdom." "Discriminating" means teaching the distinctions among the ten grounds. Why does this verse make manifest that he speaks in reliance on the spiritual power of the buddhas?
Because there may be sentient beings who, giving rise to a thought of contempt toward the Tathāgata, would then be unable to request that anyone else teach it either. To forestall this, once the request to teach has thus been made, this next makes manifest that teaching the Dharma benefits others in three occasions of benefit, treated in three further verses. What are the three occasions of benefit? The benefit at the time of hearing; the benefit at the time of practice; and the benefit at the time of rebirth. What is the benefit at the time of hearing? The verse says:
"This is the empowerment of the tathāgatas, protecting every bodhisattva; this person is able to hear and uphold so subtle a Dharma as this."
That a bodhisattva is able to hear and uphold it is because of the buddhas' empowering power — and this is called the benefit at the time of hearing. What is the benefit at the time of practice? The verse says:
"The grounds, pure and undefiled, are fulfilled by stages, realizing a buddha's ten powers, and accomplishing unsurpassed enlightenment."
Fulfilling the ten grounds by stages, one's own person attains the ten powers and accomplishes unsurpassed enlightenment — and this is called the benefit at the time of practice. What is the benefit at the time of rebirth? The verse says:
"Even in the midst of the great ocean, or amid the fire that consumes an eon, with resolute faith, free of doubt, one will surely come to hear this sūtra."
Even born in the difficult places of the evil or the good destinies, one will surely come to hear this Dharma. Born in the world of the nāgas, with its long lifespan, one will still hear this sūtra — as the verse says, "even in the midst of the great ocean." Even in the form realm, among the Ābhāsvara gods and the like, one will still hear this sūtra — as the verse says, "or amid the fire that consumes an eon." Does everyone who hears this Dharma thereby gain its benefit, or are there some who do not? Who is able to gain it?
One who, with resolute faith, free of doubt, believes in this Dharma — such a person is able to gain it, as the verse says, "with resolute faith, free of doubt, one will surely come to hear this sūtra." Having thus made manifest the benefit of requesting the teaching, this now turns to what was said above, "discriminating the meaning of the ground of wisdom" — this Dharma to be taught has three kinds of gradual stages, and the sixth verse teaches and distinguishes this matter. The verse says:
"The supreme path of wisdom at every ground, entering a ground, abiding, and turning onward — I shall expound it now, by stages, its boundless domain of practice."
What are the three gradual stages? The gradual stage of contemplation; the gradual stage of realization; and the gradual stage of practice — spoken of, respectively, in the first, second, and fourth phrases of the verse. "The supreme path of wisdom" refers to the supreme path of wisdom at the ten grounds, teaching that these ten grounds, whether through contemplation or through their support, are able to generate the wisdom belonging to each ground. "Entering" means entering a ground. "Abiding" means not yet having turned toward another ground. "Turning onward" means the place one abides in turning from ground to ground. "Practice" means the accomplishment of entering, abiding, and turning onward. "Domain" means that this practice has, in its variety, differing domains of practice. "By stages" means in sequence. "I shall expound" means to bestow. What meaning is made manifest by this teaching and exposition? That it is entirely because the Tathāgata himself is able to speak that a correct faith is generated afterward.
Huiyuan tracks how the six verses of empowerment build a case in careful, sequential logic rather than simply piling up praise. Verses one and two establish the two prerequisites the treatise itself named back when Vajragarbha first fell silent — that the one requesting must be venerable, and the Dharma itself supreme — this time satisfied not by a senior bodhisattva but by buddhas themselves: 若請非尊者、法非殊勝聖者則不說 — "for if the one requesting were not himself venerable, and if the Dharma were not itself supreme, a sage would not teach." Verse one establishes the buddhas' own venerability through four kinds of supremacy (self-mastery, power, retinue, and lineage); verse two turns to the Dharma's supremacy itself, praised as a single treasury with two components — a treasury of meaning (the practice at each ground) and a treasury of letters (the distinct names of the ten grounds) — deliberately echoing the same twofold meaning/letters framework the treatise has already used for Vajragarbha's own eloquence, so that teacher and teaching are shown to match each other exactly.
Verses three through five then answer a further, practical worry Huiyuan makes explicit before the treatise itself even raises it: 或有眾生於如來所生輕慢想已，自不能請他而說 — "there may be sentient beings who, giving rise to a thought of contempt toward the Tathāgata, would then be unable to request that anyone else teach it either." Someone who doubts the Buddha's own authority would have no confidence that a teaching resting on that authority could benefit them — so the treatise forestalls this doubt in advance with three verses of concrete benefit, at the time of hearing, at the time of practice, and even at the time of rebirth into difficult circumstances like the ocean depths or the fires that consume an eon, closing with the single condition that actually determines who receives these benefits: not location or circumstance, but 決定不疑信此法者 — "one who, with resolute faith, free of doubt, believes in this Dharma." Only after every possible objection — is the speaker fit, is the Dharma worthy, will hearing it actually help me — has been answered in turn does the sixth verse finally turn to structure, naming the three gradual stages of contemplation, realization, and practice that will organize everything Vajragarbha is now, at last, about to teach.
Part 5 Complete
This closes Part 5: Śākyamuni's light reaching every world-system of the ten directions, every buddha there answering in kind until distant assemblies can see and hear one another as one, and the buddhas' own six verses of empowerment — establishing their venerability, the Dharma's supremacy, its threefold benefit even in the most difficult rebirths, and the three gradual stages that will structure everything still to come. Part 6 turns to Vajragarbha's own response: eleven verses observing the ten directions and explaining, at last, what he is and is not about to teach.
Continue to Part 6 — Vajragarbha's Eleven Verses →