般若心經略疏連珠記 2.21

2.21

Under 'second, specific' is, secondly, explaining the modes. Under 'first, with respect to' is, thirdly, expounding the interpretation, which has three: first, explaining with respect to stages, which has two: first, direct explanation. 'Before the path': the commentary master says, 'It refers to before the path of seeing.' 'Ordinary person' refers to the two kinds of ordinary persons, internal and external. Now, to make the characteristics evident, it speaks comprehensively from the stage of external ordinary beings with afflictive defilements. The treatise says: 'Bound by the boundless treasury of afflictions from the fundamental limit, flowing and turning in arising and ceasing within the destinies of saṃsāra from beginningless time, it is named the realm of sentient beings.' Therefore it says ordinary persons and so forth are the stage of arising and ceasing. The nature of paramārtha-śūnyatā is not arising and ceasing; hence the sūtra negates it with 'not'; this is why the commentary says 'true emptiness is free from this,' and so forth. 'Within the path' refers to the two paths of seeing and cultivation, within the stages of the ten bhūmis. The commentary master says: 'Moreover, the ten bhūmis are explained as seeing and cultivation'; therefore it says 'the stages of bodhisattvas and so forth.' 'Obstacles and defilements' and so forth divides defilement and purity with respect to the obstacles and practices of the remedy and what is remedied. The commentary master also says: 'Because obstacles have been severed it is called pure; because the severing is not yet complete it is called defiled.' Furthermore, cultivating and giving rise to pure virtues is called pure; because pure virtues are not yet round and full and still carry obstacles, it is called defiled. Furthermore, because it differs from the preceding stage it is called pure; because it differs from the subsequent stage it is called defiled; this is because true emptiness is free from these. The sūtra's 'not … after the path' and so forth refers to the ultimate stage. 'Now exhausted': the commentary master says, 'The latent tendencies are also exhausted.' 'The myriad virtues are now rounded': the commentary master says, 'Merit and wisdom are perfected, being supremely pure.' These are all conditional cultivations where defilement and purity counter each other. If it comes to this true emptiness of original awakening, it does not allow the presence of these; hence they are negated entirely. The Śūraṅgama says: 'How could other things be accommodated within this?' Under 'moreover, the Buddha[-nature Treatise]' is, secondly, citing the treatise, which has two: first, citing the Foxing lun to indicate generally first. This is the 'Chapter on the Three Causes' in the third section, Revealing the Essence, in the second fascicle of that treatise. The treatise says: 'Furthermore, the essence of Buddha-nature should be understood as the meaning subsumed under the three kinds of three natures. As for the three kinds, they are the so-called three causes and three kinds of Buddha-nature. As for the three causes: first, the cause of what should be attained; second, the cause of expedient application; third, the cause of complete fulfillment. The first is the tathatā revealed by the two emptinesses; because of this, one should attain the bodhicitta up to the dharmakāya after the path. As for the second, the cause of expedient application, it refers to the bodhicitta; due to this mind, one attains the thirty-seven factors [of awakening], the ten pāramitās, the ten bhūmis, up to the dharmakāya after the path. As for the third, the cause of complete fulfillment, it is the cause of expedient application [itself]; by this, one attains all fulfillments. As for the three kinds of Buddha-nature, the three natures are fully present within the cause of what should be attained: first, the nature abiding in its own nature; second, the nature brought forth; third, the nature attained.' Qingliang says: 'The nature abiding in its own nature refers to the stage of ordinary persons before the path. The nature brought forth is from the initial resolve of the mind on up through the exhaustion of the sacred stages of trainees. The nature attained is the sacred stage of non-trainees. As for saying from the resolve of the mind on up, if considered in terms of attaining the stages onward, it corresponds to the resolve through understanding and practice. If explained in terms of the stage of the path of seeing, it is the resolve through realization.' The commentary master also says: 'The Buddha-nature abiding in its own nature is the defiled tathatā within the stage of defiled sentient beings. The nature brought forth is the tathatā of defilement and purity in the stage of bodhisattvas. The nature attained is precisely the undefiled tathatā.' 'True emptiness' and so forth means: with respect to the preceding three stages there are arising and so forth, yet the luminosity of the nature's emptiness is without such differences.