The Sixth Ground Complete
This bodhisattva attains ten named emptiness-samādhis — the samādhi of confidence in emptiness, the samādhi of the emptiness of nature, and the rest — and, alongside them, a further, ninefold unshakeable mind: a resolute mind, a genuine mind, a deep mind, and more, all converging toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment. Closing the entire Sixth Ground, its fruit shows a bodhisattva who sees countless buddhas, attains a dhāraṇī of meaning, and becomes a king of Nirmāṇarati Heaven, and the treatise itself explains why this ground is named Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, through the simile of gold polished bright and, above all, the light of the moon — smaller in disk yet greater in light than the previous ground's sun — before the treatise turns, at last, to Dūraṅgamā, the Far-Reaching Ground.
Ten Emptiness-Samādhis and the Unshakeable Mind, Converging Toward Enlightenment
經曰：是菩薩住此菩薩現前地中，得信空三昧、性空三昧、第一義空三昧、第一空三昧、大空三昧、合空三昧、起空三昧、如實不分別空三昧、不捨空三昧、得離不離空三昧。是菩薩得如是等十空三昧門上首，百千萬空三昧門現在前。如是十無相三昧門上首，百千萬無相三昧門現在前。如是十無願三昧門上首，百千萬無願三昧門現在前。
論曰：此空三昧有四種差別：一、觀；二、不放逸；三、得增上；四、因事。除第四三昧有五三昧，是名為觀。一、觀眾生無我，如經「得信空三昧」故。二、觀法無我，如經「性空三昧」故。三、取彼空觀，如經「第一義空三昧」故。四、依彼阿黎耶識觀，如經「大空三昧」故。五、觀轉識，如經「合空三昧」故。不放逸者，第四三昧分別善修行故、修行無厭足故，如經「第一空三昧」故。
得增上者，第七三昧得增上功德，如經「起空三昧」故。因事者，餘三種三昧智障淨因事，如經「如實不分別空三昧」故。教化眾生因事，如經「不捨空三昧」故。願取有因事，如經「得離不離空三昧」故。如是願取，有遠離煩惱染而隨順諸有故，名離不離。云何得不壞心勝？
經曰：是菩薩住菩薩現前地中，復轉滿足不壞心、決定心、真心、深心、不退轉心、不休息心、淨心、無邊心、求智心、滿足方便智行心。
論曰：不壞心者，堅固不退故。是不壞心有九種：一、信觀不壞，如經「決定心」故。二、堪受調柔不壞，如經「真心」故。三、於密處不驚怖不壞，如經「深心」故。四、自乘不動不壞，如經「不退轉心」故。五、發精進不壞，如經「不休息心」故。六、離嫉妬破戒垢不壞，如經「淨心」故。七、廣利益眾生不壞，如經「無邊心」故。八、求上勝解脫不壞，如經「求智心」故。九、化眾生行不壞，如經「滿足方便智行心」故。云何得自在力勝？
經曰：是菩薩此諸菩薩心隨順成就，趣向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提，不退轉精進成，一切外道異論不能動故；隨順成，入諸智地故；遠離成，轉聲聞辟支佛地故；一向成，決定趣佛智故；不退成，一切諸魔煩惱不能壞故；堅住成，善住菩薩智慧明故；正住成，善修空、無相、無願法行故；助正行成，方便智觀故；不捨行成，集助菩提分法故。是菩薩住菩薩現前地中，般若波羅蜜行增上成就，得第三利順忍，隨順如實法無有違逆故。
論曰：是菩薩此諸菩薩心隨順成就趣向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提者，得般若波羅蜜行力勝，能深入故。是中力勝有九種：一、能降伏他力，如經「不退轉精進成，一切外道異論不能動故」。二、能斷疑力，如經「隨順成，入諸智地故」。三、自乘不動力，如經「遠離成，轉聲聞辟支佛地故」。四、密處決定信力，如經「一向成，決定趣佛智故」。五、不散壞力，如經「不退成，一切諸魔煩惱不能壞故」。六、依煩惱障淨對治堅固力，如經「堅住成，善住菩薩智慧明故」。七、廣對治力，如經「正住成，善修空、無相、無願法行故」。八、化眾生力，如經「助正行成，方便智觀故」。九、智障淨力，如經「不捨行成，集助菩提分法故」。是菩薩住菩薩現前地中，般若波羅蜜行增上成就，得第三利順忍，隨順如實法無有違逆。是諸法者，如上所說力勝所攝故。
Sūtra: This bodhisattva, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, attains the samādhi of confidence in emptiness, the samādhi of the emptiness of nature, the samādhi of ultimate-meaning emptiness, the samādhi of foremost emptiness, the samādhi of great emptiness, the samādhi of conjoined emptiness, the samādhi of arising emptiness, the samādhi of true, undiscriminating emptiness, the samādhi of emptiness not abandoned, and the samādhi of being free, yet not separate, from emptiness. This bodhisattva, having attained these ten gateways of the samādhi of emptiness as his foremost guides, a hundred thousand myriad gateways of the samādhi of emptiness now stand present before him. Just so, with these ten gateways of the samādhi of signlessness as his foremost guides, a hundred thousand myriad gateways of the samādhi of signlessness now stand present before him; and just so, with these ten gateways of the samādhi of wishlessness as his foremost guides, a hundred thousand myriad gateways of the samādhi of wishlessness now stand present before him.
Commentary: This samādhi of emptiness has four distinct kinds: first, contemplation; second, heedfulness; third, attaining supremacy; and fourth, the basis of active function. Apart from the fourth samādhi, there are five samādhis that make up "contemplation." First, contemplating that sentient beings are without self, as the sūtra says, "attains the samādhi of confidence in emptiness." Second, contemplating that dharmas are without self, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of the emptiness of nature." Third, taking up that very contemplation of emptiness, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of ultimate-meaning emptiness." Fourth, contemplating in dependence on the ālaya-consciousness, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of great emptiness." Fifth, contemplating the evolving consciousnesses, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of conjoined emptiness." "Heedfulness" means that this fourth samādhi is well cultivated through discernment, and its cultivation knows no satiety, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of foremost emptiness."
"Attaining supremacy" means that the seventh samādhi attains supreme merit, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of arising emptiness." "The basis of active function" means that the remaining three samādhis serve as the basis for purifying the hindrance to wisdom, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of true, undiscriminating emptiness." The basis for teaching and transforming sentient beings, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of emptiness not abandoned." The basis for taking up the vow toward existence, as the sūtra says, "the samādhi of being free, yet not separate, from emptiness." Taking up this vow in such a way — being far removed from the defilement of affliction, yet according with every state of existence — is called "free, yet not separate." What, then, is the excellence of attaining an unshakeable mind?
Sūtra: This bodhisattva, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, further perfects an unshakeable mind: a resolute mind, a genuine mind, a deep mind, an irreversible mind, an unresting mind, a pure mind, a boundless mind, a wisdom-seeking mind, and a mind that fulfills the practice of skillful, expedient wisdom.
Commentary: "Unshakeable mind" means being firm and steadfast, without regression. This unshakeable mind is of nine kinds. First, unshakeable in the contemplation of confidence, as the sūtra says, "a resolute mind." Second, unshakeable in being able to receive gentling and taming, as the sūtra says, "a genuine mind." Third, unshakeable, without alarm or fear, amid what is hidden and secret, as the sūtra says, "a deep mind." Fourth, unshakeable, unmoved in his own vehicle, as the sūtra says, "an irreversible mind." Fifth, unshakeable in setting forth diligence, as the sūtra says, "an unresting mind." Sixth, unshakeable, free of the taint of jealousy and the breaking of precepts, as the sūtra says, "a pure mind." Seventh, unshakeable in broadly benefiting sentient beings, as the sūtra says, "a boundless mind." Eighth, unshakeable in seeking supreme, superior liberation, as the sūtra says, "a wisdom-seeking mind." Ninth, unshakeable in the practice of transforming sentient beings, as the sūtra says, "a mind that fulfills the practice of skillful, expedient wisdom." What, then, is the excellence of attaining the power of self-mastery?
Sūtra: This bodhisattva, these bodhisattva-minds of his accomplished in accordance, converge toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment: accomplished through irreversible diligence, unmoved by any heterodox teacher's treatise; accomplished through according, entering every ground of wisdom; accomplished through being far removed, turning past the grounds of the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha; accomplished through single-minded devotion, resolutely advancing toward the buddhas' own wisdom; accomplished through non-regression, unbroken by any māra or any affliction; accomplished through firm abiding, well abiding in the bodhisattva's own light of wisdom; accomplished through correct abiding, well cultivating the practice of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; accomplished through assisting correct practice, through the contemplation of skillful, expedient wisdom; and accomplished through not abandoning practice, gathering the dharmas that assist enlightenment. This bodhisattva, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, the practice of the perfection of wisdom now excelling and accomplished, attains the third, sharp, compliant forbearance, according with the Dharma just as it is, without any contrariness.
Commentary: "This bodhisattva, these bodhisattva-minds of his accomplished in accordance, converge toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment" means that he attains the excellent power of the practice of the perfection of wisdom, able to enter deeply. Here, this excellent power is of nine kinds. First, the power able to subdue others, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through irreversible diligence, unmoved by any heterodox teacher's treatise." Second, the power able to sever doubt, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through according, entering every ground of wisdom." Third, the power of being unmoved in his own vehicle, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through being far removed, turning past the grounds of the śrāvaka and the pratyekabuddha." Fourth, the power of resolute faith amid what is hidden and secret, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through single-minded devotion, resolutely advancing toward the buddhas' own wisdom." Fifth, the power of being undispersed and unbroken, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through non-regression, unbroken by any māra or any affliction." Sixth, the power of firmness in the pure antidote to the hindrance of affliction, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through firm abiding, well abiding in the bodhisattva's own light of wisdom." Seventh, the power of the broad antidote, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through correct abiding, well cultivating the practice of emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness." Eighth, the power of transforming sentient beings, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through assisting correct practice, through the contemplation of skillful, expedient wisdom." Ninth, the power of purity from the hindrance to wisdom, as the sūtra says, "accomplished through not abandoning practice, gathering the dharmas that assist enlightenment." This bodhisattva, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, the practice of the perfection of wisdom now excelling and accomplished, attains the third, sharp, compliant forbearance, according with the Dharma just as it is, without any contrariness. These dharmas are subsumed, as explained above, under this excellent power.
Fazang treats the tenth of the ten emptiness-samādhis as the doctrinal center of the whole list, since it names exactly the tension the entire Sixth Ground has been building toward — a bodhisattva absorbed in emptiness who nonetheless never turns away from suffering beings: 依空起悲不捨眾生，是故論經名不捨空 — "he gives rise to compassion in dependence on emptiness, not abandoning sentient beings; this is why the treatise's own sūtra names this samādhi 'emptiness not abandoned.'" Read this way, "unabandoned emptiness" is not a qualification added onto emptiness from outside, but the very shape compassion takes once emptiness has been directly realized. On the "conjoined emptiness" that contemplates the seven evolving consciousnesses, Fazang reaches for a scriptural anchor outside the treatise itself: 《楞伽》云「七識亦如是，心俱和合生」— "the Laṅkāvatāra says, 'the seven consciousnesses, too, are just so — arising together, conjoined with mind,'" grounding this samādhi's name in a citation rather than treating "合" as a loose figure of speech.
On the ninefold unshakeable mind, Fazang's own condensed gloss occasionally compresses two of the treatise's nine points into one observation where he sees them as functionally paired: 不嫉他德、不破己戒，二行普淨故云廣心 — "not envying others' own virtues, and not breaking his own precepts: since both of these practices are universally pure, this is called 'the boundless mind.'" What the base treatise lists as a single item — freedom from the taint of jealousy and precept-breaking — Fazang reads as two distinct disciplines, one turned outward toward others' merit and one turned inward toward one's own conduct, whose combined purity is what earns the name "boundless."
Seeing Countless Buddhas, a Dhāraṇī of Meaning, and the Moon Surpassing the Sun — "Ground of Direct Presence" Explained
經曰：諸佛子！是菩薩住此菩薩現前地已，多見諸佛，以大神通力、大願力故。見多百佛、多千佛、多百千佛、多百千那由他佛、多億佛、多百億佛、多千億佛、多百千億佛、多百千萬億那由他佛，以大神通力、大願力故。是菩薩見諸佛時，以上心深心供養恭敬尊重讚歎，衣服飲食臥具湯藥一切供具悉以奉施，以諸菩薩上妙樂具供養眾僧，以此善根皆願迴向阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。於諸佛所生上恭敬，專心聽法聞已受持，聞受持已得如實三昧智慧光明，隨順修行行已憶持。是菩薩智慧轉勝，復得諸佛法藏。是菩薩住此菩薩現前地中，於無量百劫，彼諸善根轉勝明淨，無量千劫、無量百千劫、無量百千那由他劫、無量億劫、無量百億劫、無量千億劫、無量百千億劫、無量百千億那由他劫，彼諸善根轉勝明淨。諸佛子！譬如本真金，以琉璃磨瑩，光色轉勝明淨。諸佛子！菩薩如是，住此菩薩現前地中，彼諸善根方便智觀轉勝明淨，轉轉寂滅成就不壞。諸佛子！譬如月光明輪照眾生身令得清涼，四種風吹所不能壞。諸佛子！菩薩如是住此菩薩現前地中，彼諸善根能滅無量百千萬億那由他眾生煩惱之火，四種魔道所不能壞。是菩薩十波羅蜜中般若波羅蜜增上，餘波羅蜜非不修習，隨力隨分。諸佛子！是名略說菩薩第六菩薩現前地。若菩薩住此地中，多作化樂天王，所作自在善巧滅除眾生我慢，善轉眾生我慢法心。所作善業布施愛語利益同事，是諸福德皆不離念佛、念法、念僧、念菩薩、念菩薩行、念波羅蜜、念十地、念不壞力、念無畏、念不共佛法，乃至不離念一切種一切智智。常生是心：我當於一切眾生中，為首為勝為大、為妙為微妙、為上為無上、為導為將、為師為尊，乃至為一切智智依止者。復從是念發精進行，以精進力故，於一念間得百千億三昧，見百千億佛、知百千億佛神力、能動百千億佛世界、能入百千億佛世界、能照百千億佛世界、能教化百千億佛世界眾生、能住壽百千億劫、能知過去未來世各百千億劫事、能善入百千億法門、能變身為百千億，於一一身能示百千億菩薩以為眷屬。若以願力自在勝上，菩薩願力過於此數。示種種神通，或身、或光明、或神通、或眼、或境界、或音聲、或行、或莊嚴、或加、或信、或業。是諸神通，乃至無量百千萬億那由他劫不可數知。
論曰：聞受持已得如實三昧智慧光明隨順修行者，得義陀羅尼，此句示現。因彼事故，說依勝三昧得奢摩他、毘婆舍那光明勝行。行已憶持者，能持彼行故。是菩薩智慧轉勝乃至彼諸善根轉勝明淨者，解脫彼障、證彼義故。琉璃磨瑩真金喻者，此地中出世間智增上光明轉勝示現。如經「諸佛子！譬如本真金，以琉璃磨瑩，光色轉勝明淨，乃至以方便智觀轉勝明淨」故。以無障礙智現前，般若波羅蜜行光明現前故，名為現前地。方便智觀者，不住道行所攝明智故。月光明輪喻者，勝前地智，示現輪小光明大。如經「諸佛子！譬如月光明輪，乃至四種魔道所不能壞」故。魔道者，隨順魔事、魔行故。餘如前釋。
Sūtra: Sons of the Buddha! This bodhisattva, having dwelt in this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, sees many buddhas. Through great spiritual power and the power of his great vows, he sees hundreds of buddhas, thousands of buddhas, hundreds of thousands of buddhas, hundreds of thousands of niyutas of buddhas, koṭis of buddhas, hundreds of koṭis of buddhas, thousands of koṭis of buddhas, hundreds of thousands of koṭis of buddhas, and hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of niyutas of buddhas — through great spiritual power and the power of his great vows. When this bodhisattva sees these buddhas, with a supreme, deep mind he makes offerings to them, reveres, honors, and praises them, presenting robes, food and drink, bedding, and medicine, every requisite entirely as offerings; and, with the supreme and sublime objects of delight belonging to the bodhisattvas, he makes offerings to the entire monastic assembly, dedicating this root of goodness, wishing for unsurpassed, perfect, complete enlightenment. Toward the buddhas he gives rise to a supreme mind of reverence, single-mindedly listening to the Dharma; having heard it, he upholds it; having heard and upheld it, he attains the light of wisdom of the samādhi of suchness, practicing in accordance with it, and, having practiced it, holds it in memory. This bodhisattva's wisdom becomes ever more excellent, and he further attains the treasury of the buddha-dharmas. This bodhisattva, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, throughout boundless hundreds of eons, these roots of goodness of his become ever more excellent, radiant, and pure; throughout boundless thousands of eons, boundless hundreds of thousands of eons, boundless hundreds of thousands of niyutas of eons, boundless koṭis of eons, boundless hundreds of koṭis of eons, boundless thousands of koṭis of eons, boundless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of eons, and boundless hundreds of thousands of koṭis of niyutas of eons, these roots of goodness of his become ever more excellent, radiant, and pure. Sons of the Buddha! It is like genuine gold that, polished with lapis lazuli, becomes ever more excellent in its radiant color, and pure. Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva, just so, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, these roots of goodness of his, through the contemplation of skillful, expedient wisdom, become ever more excellent, radiant, and pure, turning ever more toward quiescence, accomplished and unshakeable. Sons of the Buddha! It is like the full disk of the moon's own light, which shines upon the bodies of sentient beings and grants them coolness, and which the four kinds of wind cannot destroy. Sons of the Buddha! A bodhisattva, just so, dwelling within this bodhisattva's Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, these roots of goodness of his are able to extinguish the fire of affliction in boundless hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of niyutas of sentient beings, and the four kinds of the way of māra cannot destroy them. Among this bodhisattva's ten perfections, the perfection of wisdom now excels — the other perfections he does not fail to cultivate, but in accordance with his own strength and portion. Sons of the Buddha! This is what is briefly called a bodhisattva's Sixth Ground, the bodhisattva's Abhimukhī. Should a bodhisattva dwell in this ground, he often becomes a king of Nirmāṇarati Heaven, self-mastering in all that he does, skillfully extinguishing sentient beings' own pride and conceit, and skillfully transforming sentient beings' own mind of pride and conceit into the Dharma. The wholesome deeds he performs — giving, kind speech, beneficial action, and cooperative work — every one of these merits is never apart from mindfulness of the buddhas, mindfulness of the Dharma, mindfulness of the monastic assembly, mindfulness of every bodhisattva, mindfulness of the bodhisattva's own practice, mindfulness of every perfection, mindfulness of the ten grounds, mindfulness of unbreakable power, mindfulness of fearlessness, mindfulness of the unshared buddha-dharmas, all the way to never apart from mindfulness of being complete in the wisdom of all modes, the wisdom of omniscience. He constantly gives rise to this thought: among all sentient beings, I shall be foremost, I shall be supreme, I shall be great, I shall be sublime, I shall be exceedingly sublime, I shall be highest, I shall be unsurpassed, I shall be a guide, I shall be a leader, I shall be a teacher, I shall be one held in honor, all the way to being the very support of the wisdom of omniscience. Further, from this thought he sets forth diligent exertion. Through the power of this diligence, within a single thought-moment he attains a hundred thousand koṭis of samādhis, sees a hundred thousand koṭis of buddhas, knows the spiritual power of a hundred thousand koṭis of buddhas, is able to shake a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-worlds, is able to enter a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-worlds, is able to illumine a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-worlds, is able to teach and transform the sentient beings of a hundred thousand koṭis of buddha-worlds, is able to dwell in life for a hundred thousand koṭis of eons, is able to know the affairs of a hundred thousand koṭis of eons each in the past and the future, is able to enter skillfully into a hundred thousand koṭis of Dharma-gates, and is able to transform his own body into a hundred thousand koṭis of bodies, manifesting, within each and every one of those bodies, a hundred thousand koṭis of bodhisattvas as its own retinue. Should he, through the power of vow, be self-mastering and supreme, a bodhisattva's power of vow manifests beyond even this number, manifesting all manner of spiritual power — whether of body, or of radiance, or of spiritual power itself, or of the eye, or of the object-realm, or of voice, or of activity, or of adornment, or of empowerment, or of faith, or of karmic function — every one of these spiritual powers, throughout boundless hundreds of thousands of myriad koṭis of niyutas of eons, beyond all counting or knowing.
Commentary: "Having heard and upheld it, he attains the light of wisdom of the samādhi of suchness, practicing in accordance with it" means that he attains the dhāraṇī of meaning; this phrase makes it manifest. On account of this matter, it is said that, in dependence on this supreme samādhi, he attains the excellent practice of the light of śamatha and vipaśyanā. "Having practiced it, he holds it in memory" means that he is able to retain that very practice. "This bodhisattva's wisdom becomes ever more excellent," all the way to "these roots of goodness of his become ever more excellent, radiant, and pure," means that he is liberated from that hindrance and realizes that very meaning. As for the simile of genuine gold polished with lapis lazuli: within this ground, the light of supramundane wisdom, ever increasing, becomes manifest as ever more excellent — as the sūtra says, "Sons of the Buddha! It is like genuine gold that, polished with lapis lazuli, becomes ever more excellent in its radiant color, and pure," all the way to, "through the contemplation of skillful, expedient wisdom, become ever more excellent, radiant, and pure." Because unobstructed wisdom now stands directly present, and the light of the practice of the perfection of wisdom now stands directly present, this ground is named Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence. "The contemplation of skillful, expedient wisdom" means the clear wisdom subsumed under the practice of the path that does not abide. As for the simile of the disk of the moon's own light: it surpasses the wisdom of the previous ground, manifesting a disk that is smaller yet a light that is greater — as the sūtra says, "Sons of the Buddha! It is like the disk of the moon's own light... and the four kinds of the way of māra cannot destroy them." "The way of māra" means according with the affairs and activities of māra. The rest is as already explained before.
Fazang is precise about exactly what is newly attained in this closing passage, since the base treatise itself was careful, at the previous ground, to deny that its own dhāraṇī reached this far: on the phrase "able to practice as taught," his gloss reads 以得義持，能如說行 — "through attaining the retention of meaning, he is able to practice just as taught." What the Fifth Ground's own commentary had explicitly withheld — the dhāraṇī of meaning, reserved there for something still higher — is exactly what this Sixth Ground now reaches. Fazang also glosses why this ground's closing simile can claim to surpass the previous ground's sun-and-moon imagery even though it uses only the moon alone: 前地取月輪喻故小，此地取月光喻寬大，故勝前也 — "the previous ground took up the simile of the moon's own disk, and so was narrow; this ground takes up the simile of the moon's own light, which is broad and vast, and so surpasses what came before." The comparison is not moon against sun but disk against light — a bounded shape set against an unbounded radiance — which is what lets a "smaller" body still cast the "greater" illumination.
On the ground's closing fruit, Fazang's own verse-count breakdown notes a small but genuine asymmetry in how the treatise's reprise verses distribute its three-part fruit — tempering the mind, gathering retribution, and vow-and-wisdom: 初四半頌調柔果、次四頌攝報果，略不頌願智果 — "the first four and a half verses concern the fruit of tempering the mind, the next four verses gather in the fruit of retribution, and the fruit of vow and wisdom is, in brief, not versified at all." Even though the prose already sets out this fruit in full, as translated above, the treatise's own closing verses simply do not return to it. Fazang's commentary on the entire Sixth Ground then closes in four characters: 釋第六地竟, "the explanation of the Sixth Ground is complete."
Part 32 Complete — Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence, Now Entirely Translated
This closes Part 32, and with it the entire Sixth Ground: Abhimukhī, the Ground of Direct Presence. Parts 29 through 32 — the ten kinds of equal dharma, the declaration that the three realms are mind-only, the full technical exposition of the twelve links of dependent origination, deep contemplation and the bodhisattva's compassion intensifying into vigorous practice, his attainment of ten named emptiness-samādhis and a further ninefold unshakeable mind converging toward unsurpassed, complete enlightenment, and now the seeing of countless buddhas, a dhāraṇī of meaning, and the gold-and-moonlight etymology of this ground's own name — have now translated the whole of fascicle eight of this twelve-fascicle treatise. Part 33 turns to Dūraṅgamā, the Far-Reaching Ground — the Seventh Ground — where Fazang's 華嚴經探玄記 continues as this collection's reading-note source.
Continue to Part 33 — Dūraṅgamā, the Far-Reaching Ground →