法華玄論 9.171

9.171

答：斯言亦有深旨。二義之中正取無終。所以然者，證常有二：一者久證、二者始證，此二但得明常。唯無終義是常，有終義非常，正取無終顯常，斥二乘無常，故言復倍。所以無終則長、無始則短也。若法身無始無終，此義無長短也。但自攝嶺相傳，有二河之說：一者菩薩在佛性河中行，二者佛在佛河中行。菩薩在佛性河中行者，此欲顯三世無三世義。所以然者，菩薩猶是無常，未免三世之法，故就三世中修行。欲顯中道佛性非三世法，是故菩薩三世，欲顯無三世義也。如來已離三世法，今作三世者，此是無三世，為眾生故作三世方便，故佛河中明無三世義也。今此中明三世益物者，皆是佛河中行無三世三世益物，過去則不滅而滅、現在不生而生、未來不至而至。既不滅而滅，雖滅不滅。不生而生，雖生不起。如此三世宛然而無起動。無三世三世即是三世無三世，然無三世三世豈是三世？三世無三世豈是無三世？故非三世非無三世而三世無三世。雖三世無三世而非三世無三世，所以如來之身不可思議，絕凡夫二乘境界也。

Answer: These words also have a profound import. Between the two meanings, it centrally takes having no end. Why is this so? The realization of permanence has two aspects: first, having realized it long ago; second, having realized it newly. These two can only clarify permanence. Only the meaning of having no end is permanent; having an end is impermanent. Centrally taking having no end reveals permanence and refutes the impermanence held by the two vehicles; therefore it says 'again double'. This is why having no end is long, and having no beginning is short. If it is the dharmakāya's being without beginning and without end, this meaning has neither long nor short. However, handed down from Mount She, there is the teaching of the two rivers: first, the bodhisattva travels in the river of Buddha-nature; second, the Buddha travels in the Buddha river. The bodhisattva traveling in the river of Buddha-nature is intended to reveal the meaning that the three times are without three times. Why is this so? The bodhisattva is still impermanent, not yet having escaped the dharmas of the three times, and therefore cultivates practice within the three times. Intending to reveal that the middle way Buddha-nature is not a dharma of the three times, the bodhisattva's three times are therefore intended to reveal the meaning of being without three times. The Tathāgata has already transcended the dharmas of the three times; that he now displays the three times is [because] being without three times, he employs the skillful means of the three times for the sake of sentient beings. Hence, within the Buddha river the meaning of being without three times is elucidated. Now, what is explained here about benefiting beings in the three times all refers to traveling in the Buddha river, benefiting beings through the three times that are without three times: in the past, undergoing extinction without extinction; in the present, being born without being born; in the future, arriving without arriving. Since he undergoes extinction without extinction, although he undergoes extinction he is not extinguished. Being born without being born, although he is born he does not arise. Thus the three times are vivid yet without activation. The three times that are without three times are precisely the without-three-times that is the three times. Yet how could the three times that are without three times be the three times? How could the without-three-times that is the three times be without three times? Therefore, they are neither the three times nor without three times, yet they are the three times without three times. Although they are the three times without three times, they are not the three times without three times. Therefore the body of the Tathāgata is inconceivable, completely cutting off the realm of ordinary beings and the two vehicles.