http://www.drbachinese.org/vbs/publish/433/vbs433p026.pdf
什麼是海印三昧？
What is the Sea-Imprint Samadhi?
上宣下化老和尚於華嚴經淺釋中之開示
excerpted from the Venerable master hua’s explanation of the flower
adornment sutra
孔果憲 英譯 english translated by theresa kung
When the Buddha spoke the Flower Adornment Sutra, he entered
the
Sea-Imprint Concentration. He spoke through the Sea Imprint
Samadhi,
which emits light.
The “sea” refers to all the seas of perfumed water. “Imprint”
refers
to the imprint made by a seal. The sea’s ability to reflect all the
mountains,
rivers and the great earth is referred to as “sea imprint.”
Surrounding
Mount Sumeru are the seas of perfumed water, within which all the
images
of this world are imprinted.
An instance of this is the planet Earth. As the Earth rotates,
the
images of the moon and stars appear. These are functions of the
“lightemitting
sea-imprint.” Buddhas have this kind of samadhi which is
called
“sea-imprint samadhi.”
What is the “sea-imprint samadhi”? The seas of perfumed water
are limpid and waveless—without a single ripple. However, the
physical
bodies of all living beings in the worlds of the ten directions
appear
within the seas of perfumed water in just the same way as a seal
makes
an imprint on a material. Sea-imprint refers to the seas of
perfumed
water manifesting all the phenomena of the world within them,
hence
the “imprint.”
All living beings in the worlds of the ten directions—their
forms
and characteristics—are reflected in the seas of perfumed water,
much
like as an imprint is made by pressing a seal on a piece of paper.
Each
of all the living beings of the ten directions has an imprint
appearing in
the seas of perfumed water, thus the term “sea-imprint.” The
Buddha
entered this kind of samadhi and spoke Dharma using the
“sea-imprint
samadhi.”
He spoke the Dharma in samadhi, and within samadhi, all living
beings
clearly appear. Why do all beings appear in the Tathagata’s
treasury
of light? Why does the Tathagata’s light makes an imprint in the
minds
of all beings? All these are the functions of the magical powers of
the
sea-imprint.
Why are living beings and Buddhas not different? Because they
are
the same. The Buddha has returned to the source and regained the
nature
of the Tathagata’s treasury. Living beings have not lost the
potential nature of the Tathagata’s treasury.
For example, winds stir up waves in the sea, but waves and the
seawater
are both characterized by wetness. This nature of wetness is an
analogy for
the nature of Tathagata’s treasury. There may be waves, but the
waves are in
the water and have not lost their nature of wetness.
Therefore, living beings’ nature of Tathagata’s treasury is the
same as the
Buddha’s nature of Tathagata’s treasury. Since we do not understand
and fail
to return to the source, even we are replete with the nature of
Tathagata’s
treasurey, we remain unaware of it.
As we now listen to [the lectures of] the Flower Adornment
Sutra
and have come to learn that every one of us is replete with the
nature of
Tathagata’s treasury, we need to uncover our nature of the
Tathagata’s treasury.
How are we going to do that? By cultivating, by making efforts. If
you
apply efforts, cultivate and become enlightened, you will attain
the nature of
Tathagata’s treasure and understand your inherent Buddha
nature.
It is said,
The Buddha speaks the Dharma with a single sound;
Each being understands it according to its kind.
Celestial beings hear it as the language of celestial beings.
Bodhisattvas hear
it as the language of Bodhisattvas. Arhats hear it as the language
of Arhats.
Humans hear it as the language of humans. Animals hear it as the
language
of animals. Hungry ghosts hear it as the language of hungry ghosts.
Hell
beings hear it as the language of hell beings. Thus, the Buddha
employs
one kind of sound to speak the Dharma, and all living beings of
whatever
category, upon hearing it, instantly understand, as if the Dharma
had come
right into their minds, as if it had fallen right into their
hearts. It is said of
each category of living beings,
Each has their own attainment;
Each has their own understanding.
As their understandings differ, accordingly the states they attain
are also different.
The Dharma Realm is very big, so big that nothing is beyond it.
The
Dharma Realm is at the same time very small, so small that nothing
is within
it. All of the Dharma Realm is just all beings; all beings are just
all of the
Dharma Realm. The minds of every category of beings are illuminated
by
the Buddha’s light, causing beings to understand all of the various
dharmas
so they can cultivate accordingly. By cultivating according to the
Dharma,
they will reach the other shore.
That is why in each of the Buddhalands, there invariably appear
the
seven places and nine assemblies [where the Flower Adornment Sutra
was
expounded]. That is, in those other worlds, there also appears the
state of
seven places and nine assemblies—the inconceivable state that
expounds
the great Dharmas of Flower Adornment, simultaneously proclaiming
the
principles of the Sutra.