金剛經纂要刊定記 5.184

5.184

[Regarding] 'the antidote...' and so forth: Because the sūtra contains both dharma and metaphor, the commentary's matching explanation is subtle and condensed, making it difficult to understand. It is now necessary to explain it beforehand and then harmonize it with the commentary's text. In the metaphor there are five things: first, empty space; second, form; third, darkness; fourth, the sun; fifth, eyes. In the dharma there are four things: first, tathatā; second, the virtues of the nature; third, afflictions; fourth, wisdom. That the dharmas are four while the metaphors are five, the numbers being unequal, is because empty space illustrates tathatā, form illustrates the virtues of the nature, darkness illustrates afflictions, and the two things of the sun and eyes together illustrate the single wisdom. Why is this so? Because the sun and eyes each have one capability, while wisdom contains two aspects: the sun can destroy darkness, like wisdom severing delusions; the eye can see empty space, like wisdom realizing principle. Since the eye lacks the meaning of destroying darkness and the sun lacks the capability of seeing empty space, when divided according to meaning, there are only four pairs of dharma and metaphor. The meaning in the metaphor is: for instance, empty space is omnipresent, and all material forms also fill the world; hundreds of thousands of people are all within it, yet before the sunlight has emerged, the six directions are dark; although they are in empty space, they do not see empty space, and although facing form, they do not see form. If the sun rises and the darkness is entirely dispelled, the eyes open clearly and both empty space and form are seen—not only is empty space boundless and their bodies within it, but reflecting back upon the time of darkness, they had never left it for an instant. In the dharma it is also like this: the principle of tathatā is omnipresent throughout the ten directions, and the virtues of the nature are also omnipresent everywhere; immeasurable sentient beings are all within it, but because wisdom has not arisen, they are only in foolish darkness; although within the truth, when have they ever seen the truth? Although possessing the virtues of the nature, they do not see the virtues of the nature. If wisdom brightly dawns and the darkness of delusion is entirely dispelled, the true nature expansively pervades and is naturally clearly seen—not only is the nature boundless and their bodies within the nature, but reflecting back upon the time of delusion and darkness, they had never departed from it for an instant. Therefore Master Zhao said: 'Is the Path far away? Touch things and it is true. Is the sage far away? Embody it and it is divine.' Maitreya's verse says: 'Though real in time and place, / It is not attaining tathatā.' 'Lacking wisdom, by abiding in dharmas...' and the rest; 'Possessing wisdom, one attains the antidotal dharma' refers to wisdom. Because the sun and eyes both illustrate this, it means the sun is the counteracting agent and darkness is the counteracted object; once the counteracted darkness is exhausted and the counteracting sunlight appears, one can immediately see its forms and so forth. Delusion and wisdom in the dharma are also spoken of by this analogy. Therefore the verse says: 'Darkness is like ignorance lacking wisdom; / Light is like possessing wisdom; / With the counterpart dharma and the antidote, / Attaining cessation of dharmas is like this.'