般若心經略疏連珠記 2.30

2.30

From "Third, defiled [and pure]" onward is the second part: providing the explanation. The phrase "worldly causes and fruits" aims to reveal that the meaning of the four truths pertains generally to both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, phenomena and principle, being complete unlike [the other schemes]. The twelve links of pratītyasamutpāda deal only with phenomena and not with principle, their names being broad while their phenomena are brief; nor are phenomena complete, having only suffering and origin but no path. The six pāramitās reveal only the transworldly and not the worldly. Now, saying that "suffering and origin are worldly causes and fruits" reveals the complete and comprehensive aspect of the four truths, because what is to be known and what is to be abandoned undergo no change. From "Suffering is" onward reveals the essence and marks of the truths. Oppression is called suffering. Although this explains its specific name, it also distinguishes its marks, since oppressing body and mind is the mark of the activity of suffering. "It is the retribution of saṃsāra" points to its essence. Its essence is the retribution brought about by contaminated physical and mental karma. "Origin is its cause": accumulating and increasing is called origin, which also reveals its name and marks. "It refers to" and so forth reveals its essence. Repenting suffering and severing origin are the purpose for the appearance of the teaching that guides beings. The above are defiled causes and fruits. "Cessation and path" and so forth are pure causes and fruits. "Cessation is nirvāṇa": quiescence is called cessation, revealing its name and marks. "Nirvāṇa" reveals its essence. "Path" and so forth are samatha-vipaśyanā, the eightfold noble path, and so forth. "Causing one to delight in" and so forth shows the intent of the teaching. This is spoken in terms of characteristics, applying generally to both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna. The Dazhidulun says: "In the Hīnayāna, three have characteristics and cessation is characteristicless. In the Mahāyāna, all four are characteristicless." "All are empty" means that they are identical to emptiness and identical to suchness. However, Tiantai has four kinds of four truths: first, arising and ceasing; second, non-arising; third, immeasurable; fourth, unconditioned. Reducing them, there are only nature and characteristics: characteristics expand into arising-and-ceasing and immeasurable; nature expands into non-arising and unconditioned. If names must summon reality, the present sūtra possesses all four; but in terms of what is expressed, it directly corresponds to the unconditioned, while also subsuming non-arising. Why is this? If one merely understands that suffering is without suffering and calls it the noble truth of suffering, understands that origin is without combination, understands that cessation is without cessation, understands that the path is without a path, realizing that the four arise from conditions and are therefore empty, then it corresponds to non-arising. But if one realizes that the aggregates and sense-entrances are all suchness, there is no suffering to be abandoned; ignorance and afflictions are themselves bodhi, and there is no origin to be severed; saṃsāra is itself nirvāṇa, and there is no cessation to be realized; extremes and deviations are all central and correct, and there is no path to be cultivated. Without suffering and without origin, there is no mundane world; without cessation and without path, there is no transmundane world—neither grasping nor rejecting, identical to the one middle way. Furthermore, there being no suffering to abandon is not because of emptiness; there is nothing to abandon because its essence is identical to suchness. Outside of suchness there is no suffering; what could be abandoned? In this sentence speaking of suchness, suchness still resembles emptiness. Within origin, ignorance and afflictions are all itself bodhi—how could this be the same as the previous emptiness? Outside the essence of bodhi there is nothing else to be severed; this is not like non-arising emptiness where there is nothing to sever. In the former case, there are no flowers in the sky—how could they be plucked? In the present case, form is itself emptiness, waves are themselves water and waves cannot be removed—it is not like extinguishing form. Saṃsāra is itself nirvāṇa; it is not that its essence is empty with nothing to arise or cease. Extremes and deviations are all central and correct; it is not that apart from extremes there is another middle way, nor that apart from deviations there is another correct path, nor is it that having no extremes and no deviations there is nothing to cultivate. This is precisely the completely penetrating, unimpeded, one-flavor Dharma of the present sūtra; therefore, it corresponds to the unconditioned.