釋摩訶衍論 4.13

4.13

The treatise says: One kind of avidyā is either bright or dark, just as one color is seen differently by two people. What does this mean? For example, a *kālakūṣaṇa* and a human being, being together in one place in the middle of a pitch-dark night, see this dark color: the *kālakūṣaṇa* sees only a color of pure, bright light, whereas the human being sees only a completely black color. Both-are avidyā is also like this: being a single avidyā, it is either the light of wisdom or the darkness of black dharmas, because it possesses both functions. In the *Profound Ghanavyūha Sūtra*, it is spoken thus: "Fundamental avidyā can act as an illusory substance among illusory persons, and can act as a virtuous substance among virtuous persons; it cannot be grasped as one nor as not-one." As for neither-is avidyā, what are its characteristics in terms of the differences in literal meaning? The verse says: