妙法蓮華經文句 3.63

3.63

Third, explaining them: principle is tathatā; tathatā is fundamentally pure, and whether buddhas exist or do not exist it is constantly unchanging; therefore, principle is called real. Phenomena are mind, mentation, consciousness, and so forth, which produce pure and impure karma, altering and indeterminate; therefore, phenomena are called expedient. Were it not for principle, there would be no means to establish phenomena; were it not for phenomena, one could not manifest principle. Phenomena have the function of manifesting principle; therefore, [the Buddha] earnestly praises expedient means. As for principle and teaching: principle comprehensively refers to the preceding phenomena and principle, just as both ultimate and conventional are termed truths. The buddhas embody this and thereby attain sagehood; the sage is the upright and real. Wishing to bestow his own Dharma below upon sentient beings, he establishes teachings based on principle; the teachings are precisely the expedient. Were it not for teaching, there would be no means to manifest principle; the manifestation of principle depends on teaching; therefore, the Tathāgata praises expedient means, and so on. As for teaching and practice: seeking principle based on teaching gives rise to correct practice. Practice involves differences of deep and shallow in progress; therefore practice is called expedient. Teaching has no variation of deep and shallow in progress; therefore teaching is called real. Were it not for teaching, there would be no means to establish practice; were it not for practice, there would be no means to accord with teaching; according with teaching depends on practice; therefore the Tathāgata praises expedient means, and so on. As for bondage and liberation: practicing in opposition to principle leads to bondage; bondage is false, hence called expedient. Practicing in accord with principle gives rise to understanding; understanding merges with principle, hence called real. Were it not for bondage, there would be no way to seek liberation; attaining liberation depends on bondage—like crossing the sea by relying on a corpse, where the corpse has the power to bring one to the shore; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for cause and effect: cause involves progress and temporary application, hence called expedient; effect involves ultimate fruition and eternal realization, hence called real. Without the effect, cause has nothing to look toward; without cause, the effect does not manifest itself. Thus, the two contemplations are the expedient path; severing delusion and completing the cause, one is able to enter the liberation fruit of the Middle Way. Were it not for the two contemplations, how could one accord with the Middle Way? The effect is attained through the cause; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for substance and function: the preceding expedients are the cause; the correct contemplation entering and abiding is the effect; abiding and emerging are substance and function. Substance is the true reality without differentiation; function establishes all dharmas with their distinct gradations, just as the single great earth produces various sprouts. Were it not for the earth, there would be nothing to produce them; were it not for production, there would be nothing to manifest [the earth]. Tracing the stream to find the source, and deducing from function to recognize the substance—function has the capacity to manifest substance; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for gradual and sudden: cultivating causes and realizing effects, from substance arising function, both have gradual and sudden. Now, in clarifying the arising of function: using the gradual is expedient, and using the sudden is real. Were it not for gradual guidance, there would be no way to enter the sudden; attaining the real comes from the gradual; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for opening and merging: opening the gradual from the sudden, the gradual itself does not merge, nor does it merge with the sudden, hence it is called expedient; leading the gradual to the ultimate so that it merges back into the sudden is called real. It is due to opening that merging occurs; opening has the power to merge, receiving its name from opening; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for shared and distinctive benefits: shared is the benefit of the impermanence of the half-letter; distinctive is the benefit of the eternal abiding of the full-letter. However, the path to the benefit of eternity is long, and beings easily backslide and sink; therefore, using the conjured city to guide them, they form the conception of security; thereafter, ceasing the conjuration, he guides them to the place of jewels. Were there no half benefit, one could not converge with eternity; the half has the capacity to manifest the full; therefore, he praises expedient means. As for the four siddhāntas: the three are worldly, and therefore expedient; the ultimate truth is supramundane, and therefore real. Without the worldly, one cannot attain the supramundane; through the three siddhāntas, one attains the ultimate truth; therefore, the Tathāgata praises expedient means. One should use the four propositions to explain the ten rounds of expedient and real: three rounds represent the intention of other sūtras, and one round is the intention of the present chapter, and so on.