大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 31.34

31.34

疏「第二依火焰起滅喻中」者，下之三喻文勢稍略，隨其三義便以法合。今初，唯焰喻中二義：一明後不知前、二明前不知後。二「妄法亦爾」下，法合。於中，先總、後「謂已滅」下別。然法喻俱用生滅門釋，而有小異。喻中用前念滅後念生釋，今法合中亦用前滅後生，正合前焰後焰兼三時門。今初。「已滅」者，前念也。「未生」者，後念也。故此二念一向無物。「生已則滅」者，前後二念皆即生即滅，並皆緣生，故言無體，體無實故。言兼三時門者，謂一念之上即有三時，已滅為已生、未生為未生、生已即滅是生時。故《淨名》云「若過去生，過去生已滅。若未來生，未來生未至。若現在生，現在生無住。」經云「比丘！汝今即時亦生亦老亦滅。」故三時無體，無可相知也。

Regarding the Commentary's statement "In the second analogy, of arising and ceasing depending on flames": the textual phrasing of the subsequent three analogies is somewhat brief; following their three meanings, it directly combines them with the dharmas. Now, in the first, in the analogy of only the flame, there are two meanings: 1. explaining that the subsequent does not know the preceding; 2. explaining that the preceding does not know the subsequent. Second, from "Deluded dharmas are also like this" downward, combining with the dharmas. Therein, first is a general statement, and later, from "meaning already ceased" downward, a specific statement. However, both dharma and analogy are explained using the approach of arising and ceasing, yet with slight differences. In the analogy, it is explained using the preceding thought ceasing and the subsequent thought arising; now in the combination with the dharmas, it also uses preceding ceasing and subsequent arising, which directly matches the preceding flame and subsequent flame while also integrating the approach of the three periods of time. Now first: 'already ceased' is the preceding thought; 'not yet arisen' is the subsequent thought. Therefore these two thoughts are entirely without any entity. 'Having arisen, it immediately ceases' means that both preceding and subsequent thoughts are both arising-is-ceasing, both arising from conditions; hence it says they lack essence, because the essence is without substantiality. As for integrating the approach of the three periods of time, it means that upon a single thought there are the three periods of time: already ceased is already arisen; not yet arisen is not yet arisen; having arisen, immediately ceasing is the time of arising. Therefore the *Vimalakīrtinirdeśa* (*Jingming*) states: "If it arises in the past, past arising has already ceased. If it arises in the future, future arising has not yet arrived. If it arises in the present, present arising is without abiding." A sūtra states: "Bhikṣu! In your present moment, you also arise, also age, and also cease." Therefore the three periods of time lack essence, and there is nothing that could know one another.