仁王護國般若經疏 2.2

2.2

From 'contemplating the illusory and real of dharmic designations' down next praises the contemplation gates of the three designations. A dharmic designation is the aggregate of form. A designated recipient is the four aggregates. Taking the names of these two is called a nominal designation. Lacking essence in its own reality and existing only in reliance on others, it is called a designation. Furthermore, the aggregate of form is dharma, while feeling and the rest are name; in all worlds there are only name and form, yet now three are distinguished, and so forth. As for 'illusory and real': first, illusory; second, real; their designations are derived from comparison. The phenomena of the aggregates are illusory, but ordinary people deem them real; when wisdom wishes to know them, seeking them, they cannot be found. Being merely real yet illusory is called 'illusory and real'; this is the meaning in the shared [teaching]. If explaining according to the distinctive meaning, within the three designations each has three contemplations. A dharmic designation being illusory is the contemplation of emptiness; emptiness being designation is the real. A single form or a single scent is nothing other than prajñā—this is the contemplation of provisionality; the single word 'contemplation' is the contemplation of the Middle. Because emptiness and provisionality are the path of expedient means, they do not establish the name 'contemplation'; only upon gaining entry into the Middle Way is it uniquely called contemplation. Feeling and nominal [designations] can be understood by analogy to this. If explained according to the perfect [teaching], the three dharmas are simultaneously empty, provisional, and middle, mutually illuminating and mutually extinguishing, and so forth. The *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* states: 'All phenomena are not real; ordinary beings are illusory and falsely imagine and discriminate, vainly deeming that there is a person, like a dog looking into a well and barking at its own reflection. There is no dog in the water, only a visible reflection, yet it conceives a vicious thought, leaps into the well, and dies.' Sentient beings are also like this: the combination of the four great elements is termed a body; performing actions and speech through the principle of conditioned arising, ordinary beings within it falsely conceive the mark of a person—this is the dharmic designation. Arising love and resentment, producing foolish pleasure, and falling into the three evil destinies—this is the designation of receiving. Furthermore, all phenomena are merely combinations from names, with no other name; like head, feet, belly, and spine combining to be nominally called a body; like hair, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, skin, and bones combining to be nominally called a head; various hairs combining to be nominally called hair, each part combining to be nominally called a hair; mud and dust combining to be nominally called a part, and parts combining to be called dust; this is nominal designation. Because of these designations, all phenomena are empty.