說經眾第四
夫眾海繁廣。豈塵算能知。今統略大綱亦現十位。一果德眾。二常隨眾。三嚴會眾。四供養眾。五奇特眾。六影響眾。七表法眾。八證法眾。九所益眾。十顯法眾。初果德眾者。謂盡法界一切諸佛。皆在舍那海印中現。同於此會共說華嚴。然有二類。一能加。第一會中盡十方一切諸佛。悉現其身加於普賢。餘會准之。二證法眾。如發心品末。十方各有一萬佛剎塵數諸佛。悉號法慧。現身讚述。一切十方皆亦如是。如性起品。十方各有八十不可說百千億那由他世界微塵數如來。同名普賢。現身讚述十方亦爾。皆云。我等諸佛為未來菩薩故。護持此經令久住世也。第七會末亦盡十方諸佛現身面讚證述。同前解云。當知。現今此經住世並是佛力。二常隨眾者。如普賢等十佛世界微塵數等大菩薩眾。是盧舍那內眷屬故。動止常相隨。周遍一切微塵道處。於華藏界。助成能化顯一乘法。如舍利弗等千二百五十比丘。與釋迦佛亦常相隨。於娑婆界助佛揚化。說三乘等法故。三嚴會眾者。如諸神王天王等眾。有三十餘類。一一類眾各過世界微塵數等。並是道力隨緣殊形異現。俯同世間顯隨類生身。則是眾生世間之身。莊嚴盧舍那佛大眾法會也。餘宗是化為令淨土示不空故。此中是實。以是海印三昧現故。能問顯示大法海故。四供養眾者。如第五會。莊嚴師子座。有百萬億菩薩在前立侍。又百萬億梵王而圍繞之。如是彼有五十八眾。一一各有百萬億數。或云無量阿僧祇等。餘會准知。此等並是舍那佛所常供養眾。五奇特眾者。如佛高臺樓觀師子之座。諸莊嚴內。一一各出一佛世界塵數菩薩。謂海慧等。此是如來依報所攝。以表依正無礙故。人法無二故。又如佛眉間出勝音等佛世界塵數菩薩。以表因果無礙故。又表從證起教故。六影響眾者。如舍那品中。十方各十億佛土微塵數等大菩薩來。一一各將一佛世界塵數菩薩。以為眷屬。一一菩薩各興一佛世界微塵數等妙莊嚴雲。悉皆彌覆充滿虛空。隨所來方結跏趺坐。次第坐已。一切毛孔各出十佛世界微塵數等一切妙寶淨光明雲。一一光中。各出十佛世界塵數菩薩一切法界方便海。充滿一切微塵道。一一塵中有十佛世界塵數佛剎。一一剎中三世諸佛。皆悉顯現。念念中於一一世界。各化一佛剎塵數眾生。又如法界品中。十方亦各塵數菩薩悉來雲集。且如上方大菩薩眾。一切相好一切毛孔。一切支節一切身分。一切莊嚴具一切衣服中。出盧舍那等過去一切諸佛。未來一切已受記佛。未受記佛。現在十方一切世界一切諸佛及眷屬雲。皆悉顯現。過去所行檀波羅蜜。及受者施者皆悉顯現。過去所修尸波羅蜜。乃至一切行海。充滿法界皆悉顯現。解云。毛孔身分。既攝法界。如是等類極位菩薩。從他方來影響如來。非是自剎常隨之眾與普賢等。德位齊等。七表法眾者。如諸首菩薩表說信法信為行首故。諸慧菩薩表十解法。以慧能解故。諸林表行諸幢表向。諸藏表地。如是等類。並是寄諸菩薩表行位法。或十剎塵數。或不可說等。餘並准之。八證法眾者。如諸會末皆有他方同名異界大菩薩眾俱來作證。現此所說決定究竟。或一一方各百萬佛剎塵數等。並各如文。九所益眾者。如諸會中天王天女等。是所益眾又如發心功德品中。十方虛空法界等世界中。一一各有萬佛世界塵數眾生。是得益眾。性起品中十方虛空法界等世界。一一各有一切佛剎微塵等眾生。又云。彼一一世界中。復各有百千佛剎微塵等菩薩。並是所益。第八會初亦有所益無邊大眾。十顯法眾者。如舍利弗須菩提等。五百聲聞在此法會如聾。託此反示一乘法界。由彼方現此法深廣。猶如因皂以現白等。此眾無有結通。以是別非普故。相違因故。以前十類為器為模印佛法界。以成無盡法門海耳。
The ocean of an assembly is vast and immeasurable—how could it be fully known by counting dust motes? Now, by summarizing the major categories, we can also present ten types:
1. The assembly of fruition and virtue. 2. The constant retinue. 3. The assembly adorning the teaching. 4. The assembly of offerings. 5. The extraordinary assembly. 6. The assembly of influence and reflection. 7. The assembly representing the teaching. 8. The assembly witnessing the teaching. 9. The assembly receiving benefit. 10. The assembly revealing the teaching.
1. **The Assembly of Fruition and Virtue**: This refers to all the Buddhas throughout the entire Dharma realm, all appearing within the ocean seal of Vairocana, gathering here to jointly teach the *Avatamsaka Sutra*. These are of two types: first, those who bestow blessings—at the first assembly, all Buddhas from the ten directions manifested their bodies to empower Samantabhadra; other assemblies follow the same pattern. Second, those who witness the teaching—as in the "Chapter on Developing Resolve," where a ten directions each, Buddhas as numerous as the dust motes of ten thousand Buddha-lands, all named Dharma-Wisdom, appear and praise; likewise in the "Chapter on Arising of Suchness," where there are eighty unspeakable hundreds of thousands of trillions of nayutas of world-dust-mote-number of Tathāgatas, all named Universal Virtue, appearing and praising. They all say, "For the sake of future Bodhisattvas, we uphold this sutra to make it long abide in the world." At the end of the seventh assembly, all the Buddhas of the ten directions also appear and praise, confirming the teaching. All of this reveals that the sutra currently abides in the world through the power of the Buddhas.
2. **The Constant Retinue**: Great Bodhisattvas like Samantabhadra, as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds, are the inner retinue of Vairocana. They always accompany him in motion and rest, pervading every atom-dust path. Within the Lotus Treasury world, they assist in enabling the transformation and reveal the single vehicle Dharma. This is like Shariputra and the other 1,250 bhikshus who constantly accompanied Shakyamuni Buddha in the Saha world, assisting in propagating the teaching and teaching the three vehicles.
3. **The Assembly Adorning the Teaching**: There are over thirty classes of assemblies, such as spirit-kings and heavenly-kings. Each class has members beyond the number of dust motes of worlds. These are manifestations through spiritual power, taking various forms to match worldly appearances, showing the bodies born in accordance with beings. They adorn the great Dharma assembly of Vairocana. In other schools, they are considered transformations, meant to show the pure land is not empty. Here, they are real, for they appear from the ocean-seal samadhi and can question and display the vast Dharma ocean.
4. **The Assembly of Offerings**: In the fifth assembly, the lion’s throne was adorned with millions of billions of Bodhisattvas standing in attendance, and millions of billions of Brahma kings encircled it. There were fifty-eight such groups, each with millions of billions of members, or even an infinite number. Other assemblies follow the same. These are the constant offering assemblies of Vairocana.
5. **The Extraordinary Assembly**: For instance, from within the high pavilion and the lion’s throne of the Buddha, from each ornament, there emerge Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of a Buddha-world—such as Sea Wisdom and others. These are part of the Tathāgata’s retribution environment, showing that the environment and the being are not separate, and that people and Dharma are non-dual. Similarly, from between the Buddha’s eyebrows, there emerge Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of a Buddha-world, such as Supreme Sound. This represents the non-obstruction between cause and effect, and also the arising of teaching from realization.
6. **The Assembly of Influence and Reflection**: As in the "Chapter on Vairocana," great Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of ten trillion Buddha-lands come from the ten directions. Each brings with them a Buddha-world’s dust-mote number of Bodhisattvas as their retinue. Each Bodhisattva raises clouds of wondrous adornments as numerous as the dust motes of a Buddha-world, filling the entire sky. They each sit cross-legged in their respective directions. Once seated, from every pore they emit clouds of pure, precious, radiant light, as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds. Within each light, Bodhisattvas as numerous as a Buddha-world’s dust motes appear, embodying all methods of the Dharma realm, completely pervading every atom-dust path. Within each atom-dust, there are Buddha-lands as numerous as the dust motes of ten Buddha-worlds, and in each land, all Buddhas of the past, present, and future appear fully. In every moment, within each world, they transform as many beings as the dust motes of a Buddha-land. Likewise, in the "Chapter on the Dharma Realm," Bodhisattvas as numerous as dust motes gather from the ten directions. For instance, from the great Bodhisattva assembly above, from every auspicious mark, pore, joint, part, ornament, and garment, all past Buddhas like Vairocana, all future Buddhas who have and have not yet received predictions, and all present Buddhas of the ten directions with their retinue clouds, all completely appear. The past practice of the perfection of generosity, the recipients, and the givers all also appear. The past practice of the perfection of ethical conduct, and even all the ocean of practices, fully fill and appear in the Dharma realm. It is explained: the pores, joints, and limbs already contain the entirety of the Dharma realm. Such Bodhisattvas at the ultimate level come from other lands to influence and reflect the Tathāgata. They are not the constant retinue of the Buddha’s own land, as they equal Samantabhadra and others in virtue and level.
7. **The Assembly Representing the Teaching**: For example, Bodhisattvas named with "Head" represent the teaching of faith, as faith is the head of practice. Those named "Wisdom" represent the teaching of understanding the ten abodes, as wisdom brings understanding. Those named "Forest" represent practice, "Flag" represents aspiration, and "Treasury" represents the grounds. These all use Bodhisattvas to represent the stages of practice and levels, whether in number as dust motes of ten lands or as an incalculable number.
8. **The Assembly Witnessing the Teaching**: At the end of each assembly, great Bodhisattvas from other lands, with the same name but different realms, all come to bear witness, showing that the teaching taught is ultimate and complete. Each direction may have millions of Buddha-lands’ dust motes of beings, as detailed in the text.
9. **The Assembly Receiving Benefit**: In various assemblies, heavenly kings, heavenly maidens, and others are the recipients of benefit. In the "Chapter on the Virtue of Resolve," beings as numerous as a thousand Buddha-worlds’ dust motes in each of the worlds of the ten directions’ empty space and Dharma realm are those who receive benefit. In the "Chapter on Arising of Suchness," beings as numerous as the dust motes of all Buddha-lands in each world of the ten directions also receive benefit. It also says that in each of those worlds, there are Bodhisattvas as numerous as the dust motes of a hundred thousand Buddha-lands, all receiving benefit. At the beginning of the eighth assembly, there are also countless beings receiving benefit.
10. **The Assembly Revealing the Teaching**: The five hundred shravakas, such as Shariputra and Subhuti, were present but heard nothing in this assembly. This serves to contrast and reveal the profound single vehicle Dharma realm. By their lack of understanding, the depth and breadth of this Dharma are shown—much like how black contrasts with white. This assembly does not link to the whole, for it is specific and not universal, and because it serves as a cause for contrast. The ten categories above serve as vessels and molds for the Dharma realm of the Buddhas, perfecting the ocean of the endless Dharma teachings.