妙法蓮華經文句 7.13

7.13

From “The Tathāgata’s preaching of the Dharma is of one mark” downward is second, matching the metaphor of non-differentiation. Above, three were opened, and now three are also matched, though not in sequence. From “one mark and one flavor” downward jointly matches the one ground and the one rain. From “that is to say” downward jointly explains the one ground and the one rain. From “if there are living beings” downward matches “yet the various grasses and trees each have their distinctions” above. From “Why is this?” downward explains distinction: the Tathāgata is able to know distinction and non-distinction. “One mark”: the minds of living beings share the same mark of suchness; this is the one ground. “One flavor”: the Dharma of the One Vehicle equally explains the one principle; this is the one rain. Formerly, with respect to the one true mark, seven marks were opened expediently; with respect to the Dharma of the One Vehicle, seven teachings were discriminatively preached; the Buddha knows that ultimately they end up returning to the one mark and one flavor. From “that is to say” downward jointly explains the one mark and one flavor. The mind-nature of living beings is the virtue of nature: the three kinds of marks of liberation, departure, and cessation. When the Tathāgata speaks these three dharmas with a single voice, these are the three flavors. Taking these three marks as the objective realm gives rise conditioned to the practice of the Middle Way, which ultimately attains the fruit of all-knowledge; hence it says “ultimately arriving at the knowledge of all aspects.” Matching the metaphor of the distinctions among grasses and trees will be explained later and is not recorded again here. Sometimes it is matched with three meanings: 1. the meaning of non-differentiation, matching the one ground and the one rain above; 2. the meaning of distinction, matching the distinctions among grasses and trees above; 3. the Tathāgata being able to know, explaining and completing both meanings. As for non-differentiation: it refers to the one mark and one flavor; “one mark” matches the one ground above. “The mark of liberation” means being free from the mark of birth-and-death. “The mark of departure” means being free from the mark of nirvāṇa. “The mark of cessation” means non-mark and also non-mark; there being only the true mark, it is called the one mark. The one mark is the basis of non-abiding that establishes all dharmas; non-abiding and non-mark are non-differentiation. Establishing all dharmas constitutes differentiation. Differentiation is like the plants and trees; non-differentiation is like the one ground. Although the ground is without distinction, it can produce the different varieties of peaches, plums, plants, and trees; although peaches, plums, plants, and trees differ, they share the one mark of firmness. If one knows that the ground possesses peaches and plums, one recognizes the expedient within the real, and understands that non-differentiation is precisely differentiation; if one knows the mark of firmness in peaches and plums, one recognizes the real within the expedient, and understands that differentiation is precisely non-differentiation. For this reason, the one mark matches the metaphor of the one ground above. “One flavor” is the real teaching, pure and unmixed; it can be understood by analogy with the one mark. “Liberation” means being free from the karmic bonds of the two extremes of fragmented [birth-and-death] and change [birth-and-death]; hence it is called “the mark of liberation”. “The mark of departure” means attaining the wisdom of the Middle Way; because this wisdom is able to depart far from the two extremes without attachment, it is called “the mark of departure”. “The mark of cessation” means attaining nirvāṇa with remainder through the cessation of the causes of the two extremes, and attaining nirvāṇa without remainder through the cessation of the fruits of the two extremes; hence it is called “the mark of cessation”. Each phrase should likewise be taken in the sense of differentiation and non-differentiation, following the model of the one mark. “Ultimately arriving at the knowledge of all aspects”: If one attains the mark of cessation of the two extremes, that is the exhaustion of both shared and distinctive delusions, entering the buddha knowledge and vision, and practicing prajñā within the mind of the knowledge of all aspects. The initial aspiration and the ultimate are not two; hence it says “ultimately”. This is the wisdom of the Buddha; hence it says “knowledge of all aspects”.