法華玄論 4.184

4.184

答：略明六義，是故說之。一者謂各各為人悉檀。自有聞初得道，自有聞後受悟，是已根性不同二諦非一。二者為釋如來常依二諦說法。若言如來常依二諦說法者，若說空說有應依二諦。今說非空非有乃至非二非不二，應不依二諦，是故釋云二諦三門說，此三門皆依二諦也。若說有為俗、說空為真，依初門二諦說法。乃至說二不二為俗、非二非不二為真，依後門二諦說法也。三者為釋佛教不同。經辨二諦雖多，不出三也。如經云「菩薩住二諦中，為眾生說法。」《釋論》云「為著有眾生說空，為著空者說有。」此說初門二諦也。又云「若有若無皆是世諦，故說非第一義。」《華嚴》云「一切有無法，了達非有無。」如此等經是第二重二諦也。又《華嚴》云「不著不二法，以無一二故。」此第三重二諦也。用此三門，於一切經無所違諍，是故說此三種二諦。四者欲漸引眾生示階級方便。無始已來有此形心及以外物等，謂是實有，是故諸佛出世而為說之，此是世俗實耳非聖實也，若諸法本性空者乃名真諦。故《中論》云「凡夫顛倒為有，於世人是實，名為諦。諸賢聖真知顛倒性空，於聖人是實，名為諦也。」而眾生便謂有非實諦、空是真實，則捨有取空，是故云空之與有此是二邊皆是俗諦，非空非有中道之法乃為真諦。或者雖捨二邊復滯中道，是故第三次明遠離二邊不著中道乃是真諦，二邊中道皆俗諦耳。五者為五乘眾生說此三種二諦。初為引凡夫令捨有入空，故明有是俗、空為真。次為引二乘人欲令悟中道，故說空有皆俗、中道為真。三為菩薩令中偏俱捨故，若偏若中並皆是俗、非中非偏此乃為真。所以然者，菩薩之人謂凡夫二乘滯於二邊，而菩薩心遊中道，為破此見故明遠離二邊不著中道也。第六即世學者，明三假有為世諦、三假空為真諦。唯有此義但初門意耳，是故引之，明三假空有皆俗、非空有為真。彼即云我自有二諦，復有非真俗為中道，是故今云二諦與中道亦是俗諦耳，非二非不二乃為真也。

Answer: Briefly explaining six points is why [this] is taught. First, it refers to the individual teaching for specific persons (prātipuruṣika-siddhānta). Some upon hearing the initial [teaching] attain the Way, while others upon hearing the later [teaching] realize awakening; because faculties and natures are thus dissimilar, the two truths are not singular. Second, it is to explain that the Tathāgata always preaches the Dharma relying on the two truths. If one says that the Tathāgata always preaches the Dharma relying on the two truths, then preaching emptiness and preaching existence would rely on the two truths; but if he now preaches neither emptiness nor existence, and even neither duality nor non-duality, he would seem not to rely on the two truths. Therefore, it is explained that the two truths are expounded through three gates, and all three of these gates rely on the two truths. Preaching existence as conventional and preaching emptiness as ultimate relies on the first gate of the two truths to preach the Dharma; up to preaching duality and non-duality as conventional and neither duality nor non-duality as ultimate relies on the last gate of the two truths to preach the Dharma. Third, it is to explain differences in the Buddha's teachings. Although the sūtras explain the two truths in many ways, they do not go beyond three. As a sūtra states, 'A bodhisattva abides in the two truths and preaches the Dharma for sentient beings.' The *Explanatory Treatise* (*Dàzhìdù lùn*) states, 'For sentient beings attached to existence, he speaks of emptiness; for those attached to emptiness, he speaks of existence.' This expounds the first gate of the two truths. It also states, 'Both existence and non-existence are conventional truths; thus they are called not the ultimate truth.' The *Avataṃsaka* states, 'All phenomena of existence and non-existence are completely realized to be neither existence nor non-existence.' Sūtras such as these represent the second tier of the two truths. Furthermore, the *Avataṃsaka* states, 'Not clinging to non-dual phenomena, because there is neither one nor two.' This is the third tier of the two truths. By employing these three gates, there is no conflict or contradiction with any of the sūtras; hence these three kinds of two truths are taught. Fourth, it is desired to guide sentient beings gradually, demonstrating stages of skillful means. From beginningless time there have been these bodies, minds, and external objects, which were deemed truly existent; therefore, the Buddhas appeared in the world and spoke to them, [saying] that these are merely real in a worldly sense, not the real of the noble ones; when all phenomena are fundamentally empty by nature, only then is it called the ultimate truth. Hence the *Mūlamadhyamakakārikā* (*Zhōng lùn*) states, 'Ordinary beings invertedly take things to be existent; for worldly people this is real, and it is called truth. The noble sages truly know that inverted views are empty by nature; for the sages this is real, and it is called truth.' Sentient beings then suppose that existence is not a true truth and that emptiness is the real truth, thereby abandoning existence and grasping at emptiness; hence it is stated that both emptiness and existence are two extremes and both are conventional truth, while the Dharma of the middle way that is neither empty nor existent is the ultimate truth. Some, though having abandoned the two extremes, become stagnant again in the middle way; therefore, thirdly, it is explained that leaving the two extremes far behind without clinging to the middle way is the ultimate truth, whereas the two extremes and the middle way are all merely conventional truth. Fifth, these three kinds of two truths are taught for the sentient beings of the five vehicles. Initially, to guide ordinary beings to abandon existence and enter emptiness, it explains that existence is conventional and emptiness is ultimate. Next, to guide people of the two vehicles with the desire to make them realize the middle way, it teaches that both emptiness and existence are conventional and the middle way is ultimate. Third, for bodhisattvas, in order to make them abandon both the middle and the extreme, [it teaches that] both the extreme and the middle are conventional, while neither middle nor extreme is ultimate. Why is this so? Bodhisattvas suppose that ordinary beings and the two vehicles are stagnant in the two extremes, whereas the mind of a bodhisattva roams in the middle way; to dismantle this view, it is explained that one leaves the two extremes far behind without clinging to the middle way. Sixth, regarding scholars of the current age, they explain that the existence of the three provisionalities is conventional truth, and the emptiness of the three provisionalities is ultimate truth. Having only this meaning is merely the purport of the first gate; therefore, drawing them forward, it is explained that both the emptiness and existence of the three provisionalities are conventional, and neither empty nor existent is ultimate. They will immediately say, 'I myself have the two truths, and additionally have that which is neither ultimate nor conventional as the middle way.' Therefore, it is now stated that the two truths and the middle way are also merely conventional truth, and neither duality nor non-duality is ultimate.