仁王般若經疏 1.99

1.99

From "Therefore..." onward is the second part, which concludes by answering the previous questions on protecting the fruit and protecting the cause. The text has two parts: first, concluding that the two emptinesses of persons and phenomena above are identical with dharmatā, equal to the true limit, non-dual, and without distinction, making clear that the suchness of the four modes of birth is no different from the suchness of the Buddha, which clarifies the meaning of protecting the fruit. From "this is the bodhisattva's practice of transforming [beings through] the ten stages" onward, it concludes by answering the meaning of the causes and conditions of protecting the practice of the ten stages, clarifying that the bodhisattva's contemplative understanding is precisely the meaning of protecting the cause. First, it concludes the above two emptinesses of persons and phenomena. In the text, "all dharmatā" is another name for the real mark. "Genuinely empty" is not the emptiness understood by the two vehicles. Having nowhere from which to come is called "neither coming"; having nowhere to go is called "nor going." Yet, although dharmatā has no going and coming, it distinctly goes and comes. Regarding "without arising and without ceasing": phenomena are fundamentally unarisen; what ceasing could there be? "Identical with the true limit" means identical with the actual limit of all phenomena. Regarding "equal to dharmatā," the Commentary says: "Phenomenon (dharma) is named nirvāṇa; nature (tā) is named the original component seed. 'Equal' means that within all phenomena there is universally the nature of peace and joy. The nature of peace and joy is another name for nirvāṇa." Regarding "non-dual and without distinction," someone says: there being no person outside phenomena is called non-dual; there being no phenomenon outside persons is called without distinction. We now say this is not so; it clarifies that the four modes of birth and the four virtues of permanence and bliss are non-dual and without distinction. "Like empty space" is a general metaphor for the absence of persons and phenomena. "Therefore, the skandhas, āyatanas, and dhātus are without self" concludes the above non-self of persons. "Devoid of the mark of real existence" concludes the non-self of phenomena. From "this is the bodhisattva..." onward, it clarifies the bodhisattva's contemplative understanding, which concludes the answer to the above question on protecting the cause: because of awakening to aprāptitva, one is able to realize the prajñā of the ten stages. Therefore the Diamond Prajñā says: "All [noble persons] are distinguished by the unconditioned dharma." Seeing oneself and others as both unconditioned, one takes the unconditioned as the substance of the bodhisattva.