大方廣佛華嚴經疏 1.36

1.36

Second, clarifying subsumption by the teachings: teachings are of two kinds: first, general characteristics, wherein the twelve divisions of teaching are also divided into Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna, to be analyzed below in the "Chapter on the Ten Collections"; second, the differing establishment of teachings among the various traditions, which shall now be briefly explained. Now, the ocean of teachings is deep and vast, the Dharma cloud spreads everywhere; the light of wisdom is boundless, and wondrous eloquence cannot be exhausted. With wordless words it expounds the principle beyond words; with changeless transformation it responds to limitless capacities. Received by those in the supreme stages, ordinary minds can hardly draw from it. Now, relying on the power of principle and teaching, [I] briefly open four sections: first, the convergence and divergence of the general intent; second, the agreements and conflicts between present and past; third, distinguishing traditions and establishing teachings; fourth, general synthesis and integration. Now to the first: Among the lineages that propagated and expounded in the Western Regions and the Eastern Land, regarding the sacred words of [the Buddha's] whole life, some established traditions and divided teachings, while others directly commented on the sūtra texts, because both contain advantages and disadvantages. Now, the reasons for not dividing are briefly five: first, principle is fundamentally of one flavor and different paths return to the same destination, so it cannot be divided; second, one voice universally responds and one rain universally nourishes; third, tracing back to the Sage's original intent, it is for the sake of the One Event; fourth, in following each single text, the many understandings are not uniform; fifth, multiple ways of explaining the Dharma become splintered branches. For these five reasons, it cannot be divided. Dividing it merely causes minds to construct divergent extremes and compete in dispute over right and wrong; hence not dividing is regarded as correct. As for dividing the teachings, there are also many reasons: first, although principle is of one flavor, its expositions have shallow and deep aspects, so it must be divided to make known the provisional and the real; second, although in terms of the Buddha there is only one voice, with respect to the differences in capacity the teachings are distinct; third, before the original intent was expressed, words were spoken in accordance with the minds of others and thus differed; fourth, words have general and specific applications, which are based on explicit teachings; fifth, although provisional and real are distinguished, one must skillfully understand the Buddha's intent, as there is revealing and opening. Furthermore, like the secret words of a king, their purposes are distinct. If one does not recognize the provisional and the real, taking the deep as shallow causes one to lose great benefit; taking the shallow as deep renders one's efforts in vain. [Dividing] adorns the sacred teaching to make it deep and broad; within the various sacred teachings there are divisions of their own; and the great bodhisattvas also opened teachings. Due to these many reasons, opening gains much and loses little, while combining gains little and loses much. If one can only empty oneself to seek the overarching doctrine, dividing what cannot be divided does not violate the great purport in the least; hence we divide it now.