金剛三昧經論 1.63

1.63

論曰：此是重釋。何以見心生者令滅滅性，見心滅者令滅生性？故言何以故。次釋此問。本生不滅者，求前生心永不可得，不可得有，何法而滅？如是不存前心滅性，即不得取今心之生，故言不滅不生。是釋令滅滅性之由。次言不滅不生，牒前不滅今不得生。如是不得今心生性，則不得取此心之滅，故言不生不滅。是釋令滅生性之由。如於心法無滅無生，其餘諸法亦同是觀，故言一切法亦如是。問：若計心生，真破此生，何須破彼前心之滅？答：今生是現，破有不易；前心己過，解空不難，故先破易而遣其難。依此次第破今生性，由是即遣後滅之執，是謂醫王善巧之術耶。

The commentary says: This is the reiteration. Why is it that, seeing the mind arise, one has them extinguish the nature of cessation, and seeing the mind cease, one has them extinguish the nature of arising? Hence it says, "Why is this?" Next it explains this question. In "Fundamentally arisen, it does not cease," seeking the prior arisen mind, it can never be apprehended; since it cannot be apprehended as existing, what dharma is there that ceases? In this way, by not positing the nature of cessation of the prior mind, one cannot grasp at the arising of the present mind; hence it says, "not ceasing, it does not arise." This explains the reason for having them extinguish the nature of cessation. Next, it says, "not ceasing, it does not arise," repeating the previous [point] that, not ceasing, the present [mind] cannot arise. Since one cannot apprehend the nature of arising of the present mind in this way, one cannot grasp at the cessation of this mind; hence it says, "not arising, it does not cease." This explains the reason for having them extinguish the nature of arising. Just as with the dharma of mind there is no cessation and no arising, all other dharmas are also contemplated in the same way; hence it says, "all dharmas are also like this." Question: If one conceives that the mind arises, truly shattering this arising, why is it necessary to shatter the cessation of that prior mind? Answer: Present arising is immediate, so shattering existence is not easy; the prior mind is already past, so understanding emptiness is not difficult. Therefore, one first shatters the easy to dispatch the difficult. Following this sequence, one shatters the nature of present arising, and thereby dispatches the grasping at subsequent cessation. Is this not called the skillful method of the King of Physicians?