般若心經略疏連珠記 2.4

2.4

Regarding "wondrous practice is twofold," these are the practices of the two emptinesses. The tathatā revealed when grasping to a personal self is absent is called the emptiness of the person. The tathatā revealed when grasping to dharmic selfhood is absent is called the emptiness of dharmas. Tathatā is what is revealed, and wisdom is that which reveals it. Because the two graspings are empty and nonexistent, they are named the "two emptinesses." Taiyi says: "The emptiness of the person is shared with the Hīnayāna, but [there] it is not yet pure; only in the Three Vehicles is it pure. The emptiness of dharmas exists in the Three Vehicles, but is not yet pure; in the One Vehicle, it reaches ultimate purity." / From "Regarding 'time'" down, the second [part] discloses the depth in terms of time. An alternative translation says, "wishing to explain the universally pervasive storehouse-mind of the bodhisattva," which is not the time of responding to the Two Vehicles. However, the author of the commentary complied with the request of the Duke of Yingyang and accommodated the translator's perspective, using the Mahāyāna to exclude the Hīnayāna, briefly revealing a single principle. The time of prajñā spans the five [periods] and the three [teachings], and its doctrines explain both provisional and real; discussing depth in contrast to shallowness, its purport embraces many meanings. Qingliang cited a passage of scripture from the *Adhyardhaśatikā Prajñāpāramitā* to illuminate the immense gap in depth between the two meanings. The *Adhyardhaśatikā* corresponds to fascicle 578 [of the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra*], where the sūtra says: "At that time the World-Honoured One, relying on all dharmas free of conceptual proliferation, explained the marks of the Tathāgata, proclaiming to the bodhisattvas the syllable-wheel dharma-gate of the profound principle of prajñā: namely, that all dharmas are empty, because they are without intrinsic nature (niḥsvabhāva); all dharmas are signless, because they are free from all signs; all dharmas are wishless, because nothing is wished or sought; all dharmas are serene, because they are eternally quiescent; all dharmas are impermanent, because their nature is impermanence; all dharmas are without pleasure, because they are not pleasurable; all dharmas are without self, because they are not sovereign; all dharmas are without purity, because they are free from marks of purity; all dharmas are unattainable, because when their marks are investigated they cannot be attained." The *Subcommentary* says: "The above reveals the principle of intrinsic emptiness (svabhāva-śūnyatā)." Furthermore, the sūtra says: "At that time the World-Honoured One, again relying on the marks of the Tathāgata who sustains all storehouse dharmas, proclaimed prajñā to the bodhisattvas: the supreme storehouse dharma-gate of the profound principle that sustains and pervades all sentient beings: namely, that all sentient beings are the tathāgatagarbha, because the self-body of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is all-pervading; all sentient beings are the vajragarbha, because they are anointed with the vajragarbha; all sentient beings are the correct Dharma storehouse, because all revolve in reliance on correct speech; all sentient beings are the wondrous activity storehouse, because all enterprises and practices rely upon it." The *Subcommentary* says: "The former explains that existent dharmas are non-existent, and the latter explains that non-existent dharmas are not non-existent; neither existent nor non-existent is the principle of the middle way." All of the above is from that text. "Existent dharmas are non-existent" is the meaning of the principle of intrinsic emptiness. It corresponds to the Emptiness School of the Initial Teaching; the principle of the middle way where "non-existent dharmas are not non-existent" has a meaning that extends to the principles of the latter three real teachings. The present sūtra extracts its esoteric purport and is subsumed under the real teaching; its principle aligns with the latter meaning, which is why it says "when practicing deeply." Furthermore, the meaning of prajñā possesses the five teachings; the present sūtra grasps its essentials and, viewing them in mutual relation, comprehensively discusses shallowness and depth—there is nothing impermissible in this principle, but fearing prolixity, I do not recount it. All of the above follows the commentary in using depth to exclude shallowness. Now, beyond the commentary, I take the liberty of offering my humble understanding to assist with an explanation: I submit that the samādhi of the radiance of wisdom is vast and extremely profound, exhausting the source and bedrock of phenomena and intrinsically inconceivable; because the bodhisattva roams in this, it says "practicing deeply." Realizing in accordance with the principle and illuminating the principle to the utmost—it is precisely at this time that it is said to be "when practicing deeply." In fact, the intended meaning of the sūtra does not necessarily require waiting for exclusions to be revealed; the commentator merely accommodated the translator. As for the central tenets of the Three Vehicles, their meaning lies in using the great to exclude the small, hence this explanation was made. / From the sūtra's "illuminated" down, the third [section covers] the object of contemplative practice. First, the sūtra is chanted; from "three, explaining" down, the object of contemplative practice is expounded. Zhenguo says: "'The five skandhas' are an alternative name for body and mind. If a practitioner does not recognize what is real and what is false in body and mind, how can they harmonize secretly [with the truth]? Without realizing the root of what is real and what is false, all practices are undertaken in vain. Therefore, when the bodhisattva wished to proclaim the secret and essential Dharma for those of great mind, he first entered the great concentration of wisdom's radiance; with the lucid wisdom free of thought and the wisdom eye that penetrates dharmas, he thoroughly realized that the five skandhas are empty of intrinsic nature, having nowhere from which to arise, intrinsically identical to tathatā. Then, arising from samādhi, he told Śāriputra: 'One should train in this way.' Therefore, realizing the emptiness of the five skandhas is taken as the object of contemplative practice." However, because one contemplates the intrinsic emptiness of the skandhas with deep wisdom and generates contemplation facing them, they are termed the "object." If prajñā is perfected, the object is precisely that which is practiced. Zhenguo says: "Although there is dharmatā within prajñā, in the object practiced to perfect wisdom, whether subjective or objective, both are what is practiced; just as when bodhisattvas practice deep prajñā, both the contemplator and the contemplated are the practice performed." / Regarding the "principle of the two emptinesses," Zhenguo also says: "As for the root of birth and death, none surpasses the two graspings to person and to dharmas. Confused about the general marks of body and mind, one reckons the personal self as truly existent; confused about the specific marks of the five skandhas, one reckons the dharmic self as truly existent. When the eye of wisdom illuminates and knows that the five skandhas harmoniously united are conventionally designated a 'person,' and one carefully contemplates them one by one, seeing only the five skandhas, the mark of a personal self can never be found. First, contemplating the form skandha is contemplating the body: one clearly knows that solidness is earth, wetness is water, warmth is fire, and movement is wind. Contemplating the remaining four skandhas is contemplating the mind: one clearly knows that receiving impressions is sensation, grasping marks is perception, volitional formation is mental formations, and clear discernment is consciousness. Relying on this body and mind, one contemplates carefully and distinctly, seeing only the five skandhas, and the mark of a personal self can never be found—this is named the 'emptiness of the person.' If one contemplates that each and every skandha arises from conditions and is completely devoid of intrinsic nature, such that the marks of the skandhas cannot be found, then the five skandhas are all empty—this is named the 'emptiness of dharmas.' Therefore, by illuminating the five skandhas, the principle of the two emptinesses appears."