仁王護國般若波羅蜜多經疏 2.532

2.532

In explaining this chapter and clarifying the purpose of its arrival [in the sequence]: the preceding two chapters specifically explained the fruition and the cause, whereas this [chapter] reveals their basis by explaining the two truths in general. Now, in the preceding text of the "Chapter on Contemplating the Tathāgata", while clarifying the true mark, the ultimate and the conventional were briefly explained. Here, as in that text, the one and the two, object and cognition, and text are fully explained in succession as before. Explaining the chapter title: the title says "Two Truths". The first is worldly truth; the second is ultimate truth. They are the objects of the two cognitions, and all the ten thousand practices take them as their principle. Emptiness and existence are clarified in contrast, hence they are called the "two truths"—this is an appositional compound specifying a number. As for "worldly truth", it refers to conditioned phenomena whose essence arises from conditions; they are provisional and not real, and are therefore called worldly truth. As for "ultimate truth", it is the true mark, suchness, originally pure in its intrinsic nature, real and not provisional, and is therefore called ultimate truth. The sūtra speaks of "saṃvṛti" (conventional) and "paramārtha" (ultimate). First, regarding saṃvṛti, the Sanskrit is saṃvṛti, which has the meaning of concealing and revealing. Dharmapāla explains: "'Saṃ' (world) means concealed and destructible. 'Vṛti' (conventional) means manifest and according with worldly flow. Just as a knotted towel is magically transformed into a rabbit or the like, the characteristics appear while concealing the real and revealing the conventional." Based on this, one should know that the "world" is the convention of the conventional, as it possesses both explanations. As for "paramārtha" (supreme meaning), formerly it was called "primary meaning". "Parama" means supreme, and "artha" has two kinds: first, the objective realm is called artha; second, the principle is called artha. When the true principle is called artha, the supreme is itself the artha [karmadhāraya]. Because it is the objective realm of the two cognitions of paratantra and pariniṣpanna, it is the artha of supreme cognition, which is a genitive tatpuruṣa compound. "Satya" (truth) means real; phenomena are real phenomena as they are, and principle is the real principle as it is; principle and phenomena are unerring, and both are called satya. As the Yogācārabhūmi says, satya has two meanings: first, the meaning of not departing from the characteristics as taught; second, the meaning of arriving at the ultimate state by contemplating this; hence it is called satya. Thus "satya" can be explained in two ways as appropriate. Clarifying them in terms of persons: the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says, "What is known by superior cognition is called paramārtha; what is known by middling cognition is called saṃvṛti; what is known by both cognitions pervades both emptiness and existence." Clarifying them in terms of dharma: dharmas have superior and inferior aspects, mutually relative, constituting ultimate and conventional. In general, based on the five dharmas, a fourfold [system of] two truths is established: First, the two truths of provisional and real: jugs, armies, forests, and so forth, being provisional, are conventional; the aggregates, sense-fields, and realms, being real, are ultimate. Second, the two truths of phenomena and principle: phenomena such as the aggregates, being coarse, are conventional; the principle of the four truths, being subtle, is ultimate. Third, the two truths of shallow and profound: the posited four truths, being shallow, are conventional; the suchness of the two emptinesses, being profound, is ultimate. Fourth, the two truths of expressing [words] and expressed [meaning]: the suchness of the two emptinesses endowed with expression is conventional; the one true dharmadhātu with expression extinguished is ultimate. The first is exclusively conventional; the last is exclusively ultimate; the middle three dharmas are both ultimate and conventional. This is because the ninth fascicle of the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhi and the sixth fascicle of the Prakaraṇāryavācā both explain this extensively. Now in this sūtra, they are discussed based on object and cognition; existence and non-existence, one and two, will be understood when reaching the text. "Chapter Four" is fully understood from the text. Explaining the sūtra text: it is divided broadly into three parts: first, questions and answers distinguishing [the teaching]; second, clarifying that the buddhas teach identically; third, obtaining benefits upon hearing the Dharma. Regarding the first, questions and answers, within it there are three divisions: first, questions and answers on object and cognition; second, questions and answers on practice and realization; third, questions and answers on principle and phenomena. They can also be called the non-duality of the two truths, the non-duality of text, and the non-duality of Dharma gates, which will be understood from the text. First, the questions on object and cognition: the text is divided into two: first, King Prasenajit's question; next, the Tathāgata's direct answer. In the question there are again three parts: first, asking whether the truth exists or does not exist.