妙法蓮華經文句 8.93

8.93

Second, in terms of two dharmas, which are the two forbearances regarding sentient beings and phenomena; the two forbearances are the two kinds of emptiness regarding sentient beings and phenomena. The two kinds of emptiness differ from those of the two vehicles. How so? The two kinds of emptiness regarding persons and phenomena, considered in terms of the conventional and ultimate, the provisional and real, illuminate that both of the two kinds of emptiness and the two forbearances see the Middle Way; therefore they are not the same as those of the two vehicles. If opened further, they make four forbearances; if taken as five forbearances, the word 'good' points to the forbearance of faith; if taken as six forbearances, the word 'harmonious' points to the forbearance of harmonious compliance. If aligned with the stages, they open into forty-two forbearances: if a single stage still possesses the virtues of forty-one stages, could a single forbearance lack the dharmas of forty-one forbearances? For now, we interpret the text in terms of four forbearances: namely, the forbearances of subduing, compliance, non-arising, and quiescent cessation. These four forbearances differ from those of the distinctive teaching. In that [teaching], the former two forbearances are the forbearance regarding sentient beings and their stations are shallow; the latter two forbearances are the forbearance regarding phenomena and their stations are deep. Here in the perfect [teaching], sentient beings and phenomena are completely pervasive, and the four forbearances are also pervasive. How so? The principle of the two kinds of emptiness is itself the Middle Way; upon entering the first aboding, one cultivates the four forbearances, enters the Middle, and perceives the principle of the two kinds of emptiness; and up to the final thought-moment, one also exhausts the principle of the two kinds of emptiness. The Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra says, 'The initial resolve and the ultimate end are not two different things.' If determining the four forbearances in terms of the absence of depth and shallowness: from the initial resolve, perfectly subduing the five dwellings [of afflictions] up to the vajra-summit is entirely called the forbearance of subduing; from beginning to end, never violating the true mark is called the forbearance of compliance; from beginning to end, never giving rise to minds attached to the two extremes is called the forbearance of non-arising; from beginning to end, resting all practices is called the forbearance of quiescent cessation. Hearing of saṃsāra, one is not hastily terrified of suffering; hearing of nirvāṇa, one is not hastily driven to realize bliss; hearing of the Buddha's permanence or impermanence, of whether the two vehicles become buddhas or do not become buddhas, hearing of whether saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are different or not different, hearing of the length or shortness, ease or difficulty, or neither length nor shortness, neither ease nor difficulty of the Buddha path, one is not alarmed or frightened. One who practices this practice tolerates all dharmas through the principle of the two kinds of emptiness from beginning to end—this is donning the Tathāgata's robe; dwelling peacefully in the principle of the two kinds of emptiness is sitting on the Tathāgata's seat; having pity for all sentient beings is entering the Tathāgata's room. The two kinds of emptiness and the four forbearances are called 'practice', and the principle is itself the 'sphere'; this is called explaining the sphere of practice in terms of two dharmas as the model rule for propagating the sūtra.