妙法蓮華經文句 5.55

5.55

又問：「若爾，教是常住，非有為法；若不爾，何故不燒？」今解：「不爾。夫門有件有空，非件無以標門，非空無以通致，件可灰燼，空不可燒。教有能詮、所詮，若非詮辯無以為教，若非所詮何以得出？詮辯可是無常，所詮非復無常，得教下所詮故，名安隱得出；能詮磨滅故，言所燒之門。不從所燒之門，何由安隱得出？藉於言教契於所詮，《大經》云：『因無常故而果是常』，如此釋者，如經於所燒之門也。若小乘無常教門，此從所燒門出；若大乘常住教門，文字即解脫者，此教即理，體達燒無燒而安隱得出。若就如來權智，即是從所燒門出；若就實智，體於所燒安隱得出，故先作衣裓几案出之不得，後以無常出之，即此意也。」

It is asked again: "If so, the teaching would be permanent and unconditioned; if not so, why is it not burned?" Now it is explained: "It is not so. A gate consists of fixtures and emptiness: without fixtures there is nothing to mark the gate; without emptiness there is nothing to allow passage. The fixtures can turn to ashes, but emptiness cannot be burned. A teaching has that which expresses and that which is expressed: if not for the verbal expression, there would be no teaching; if not for what is expressed, how could one emerge? The verbal expression may be impermanent, but what is expressed is no longer impermanent. Attaining what is expressed beneath the teaching is called emerging safely and easily; because that which expresses wears away, it is called 'the burned gate.' Without passing through the burned gate, how could one emerge safely and easily? One relies on the verbal teaching to accord with what is expressed. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says: 'Because the cause is impermanent, the fruit is permanent.' Explaining it in this way accords with the sūtra's 'burned gate.' In the case of the Hīnayāna teaching gate of impermanence, this is emerging from the burned gate; in the case of the Mahāyāna teaching gate of permanence, where words are themselves liberation, this teaching is itself the principle, fundamentally realizing both burning and non-burning, and emerging safely and easily. In terms of the Tathāgata's expedient wisdom, it is emerging from the burned gate; in terms of real wisdom, by comprehending the burned, one emerges safely and easily. Therefore, first trying to bring them out using clothing folds and table-seats failed, and later bringing them out with impermanence succeeded—this is precisely the meaning."