妙法蓮華經玄義 8.68

8.68

Second, distinguishing by reference to outsiders: this refers to the texts and treatises of the non-Buddhists. If one ingests medicines in pursuit of knowledge, becomes intelligent, clear, and penetrating, and investigates principles, calling these medicinal recipes superior and real, the power of medicine yields only shallow knowledge and cannot perceive what is far; contact with the medicine leads to its loss, and when the medicine's effect ceases, it is lost, so this is not real either. If, as in this land with Zhuangzi and Laozi, one takes non-action and desirelessness, natural emptiness and stillness, putting to rest all boasting and ambition, discarding sagehood and abandoning wisdom, and the like—this is merely rendering one's bosom empty and void; it does not even go beyond the simple four views, so how could it relate to the sacred Dharma? Even if it were to go beyond the simple four views, it would still fall into the compound four views, moving within the net of views, which is not the path of liberation. For example, in foreign lands, when the disputant Śakti accepted the solicitation of the Licchavis and composed the Five Hundred Difficult Questions, one of them asked: 'Does Gautama teach one ultimate path, or numerous ultimate paths?' The Buddha said: 'Only one ultimate path.' Śakti said: 'Why then do the various teachers each preach an ultimate path?' The Buddha pointed to Deer-Head: 'Do you recognise him?' Śakti said: 'I recognise him; among ultimate paths, he is foremost.' The Buddha said: 'If he attained the ultimate path, why did he personally abandon his path to become my disciple?' Śakti immediately awakened and praised that within the Buddha's Dharma, there is exclusively one ultimate path. Or again, as Dīrghanakha said: 'All treatises can be refuted, all words can be overturned; contemplating the real mark of all dharmas, over a long time not a single dharma entered my mind.' The Commentary on the Great Prajñāpāramitā says: 'Dīrghanakha clung to the view of both existence and non-existence.' It also says: 'He also posited the view of ineffability.'