大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 30.25

30.25

Regarding the commentary's "Also, the Lotus Sūtra's 'not inverted,' etc.": this refers to the second sphere of association in the "Practices for Ease and Joy" chapter. The sūtra states: "Mañjuśrī! Furthermore, a bodhisattva-mahāsattva contemplates all phenomena as empty, as they really are, not inverted, not moving, not retreating, not turning, like empty space without any inherent nature, all paths of words being cut off, not born, not emerging, not arising, without name and without characteristic, truly without anything existing, immeasurable, boundless, unhindered, and unobstructed. They exist solely through causes and conditions, born from inversion; therefore it is said they are constantly joyful. To contemplate such characteristics of phenomena is called the second sphere of association of a bodhisattva-mahāsattva." Explanation: The sūtras above both contemplate the real characteristic, which is the real characteristic of principle, stating that all are quiescent and ceased. Under the commentary's "Madhyamakaśāstra's 'Examination of Dharmas'" onward, it cites the treatise to fully explain a verse. Yet in accordance with the present sūtra, the quotation of the treatise is inverted. Now I shall first fully quote the treatise text and then explain its meaning. The treatise states: / "The Buddhas have sometimes spoken of a self, / Or sometimes spoken of no-self. / Within the real characteristic of all phenomena, / There is neither self nor non-self. / As for the real characteristic of all phenomena, / The workings of the mind and paths of speech are cut off; / Neither arising nor ceasing, / It is quiescent and ceased, like nirvāṇa. / Everything is real and unreal, / Both real and unreal, / Neither real nor unreal: / This is called the Dharma of all Buddhas. / Known by oneself, not dependent on another, / Quiescent and ceased, without prapañca, / Without distinction and without conceptual discrimination: / Such is named the real characteristic. / If a phenomenon arises from conditions, / It is neither identical with nor different from its cause; / Therefore it is named the real characteristic, / Neither interrupted nor eternal. / Neither one nor different, / Neither eternal nor interrupted: / This is called by all World-Honoured Ones / The ambrosia flavor of transforming instruction." / Explanation: There are six verses here, broadly divided into four. The first three explain the essence of the real characteristic; the next one explains cognition tallying with the real characteristic; the third has one verse explaining the reason it is named real characteristic; the fourth has one verse explaining the teaching of the real characteristic. Among the first three, the first explains the real characteristic as double negation; the next explains its profound quiescence; the last speaks of its essence being complete. Furthermore, three are horizontally broad and three are vertically deep, the first being neither deep nor broad. Also, the first speaks of the real characteristic in contrast to self; the second reveals the real characteristic in terms of nature; the third comprehensively covers nature and characteristics to clarify the real characteristic, because what is real is the nature and what is unreal is the characteristic. Thus one broadly knows the main purport. What is utilized now uses only two verses. First, it uses vertical depth to explain the first half of the sūtra verse: because the mind terminates wavering and speech abandons the four alternatives, it is said that the workings of the mind and speech are cut off. The principle is complete while words are one-sided; the principle is severed from words, so it is said that the path of speech is cut off. Because if one wishes to say it exists, it lacks shape and form; if one wishes to say it does not exist, the sages are made numinous by it; therefore when the mouth wishes to explain it, phrasing fails. The mind acts by grasping characteristics; since the real characteristic is without characteristics, the place of the mind's workings is severed—this is where, when the mind is about to take an object, contemplation ceases. Because raising the mind and stirring thoughts do not tally with the principle as such, its essence is unarisen. Since phenomena are fundamentally unarisen, how could there now be ceasing? Neither arising nor ceasing is precisely quiescence and cessation. Saying "like nirvāṇa" presents an analogy to reveal it. However, the essence of the real characteristic is itself the naturally pure nirvāṇa; but people know that nirvāṇa is quiescent, ceased, and unarisen, while not knowing that the real characteristic is quiescent and ceased; hence nirvāṇa is used as an analogy. If one comprehends that the real characteristic is precisely nirvāṇa, the characteristic of nirvāṇa is also ungraspable. Next, it uses the real characteristic of double negation to explain the lower half of the sūtra verse. Departing from self and no-self grasping: the real characteristic is devoid of a self and cannot be clung to. From "also without no-self," one also does not cling to no-self. If one clings to the principle of the two kinds of no-self, one has not escaped clinging. From "Furthermore, departing from self" onward, what precedes directly explained it in terms of the essence, while from here down it is revealed in relation to persons. Not clinging to no-self, one does not rush to realize [cessation], and hence is able to rescue with compassion. From "However, regarding self and no-self" onward, it again synthesizes and harmonizes with the four alternatives to explain these four lines. There are broadly three senses: First, revealing it in relation to persons to complete the former relation to persons. That is, holding solely to self is ordinary beings. Holding to no-self is the two vehicles. The simultaneous affirmation, contrasting the lesser with the Great Nirvāṇa, says that no-self refers to saṃsāra, while self refers to the Great Nirvāṇa. Persons of the two vehicles only see no-self and do not see the self; the double negation completely extinguishes both great and small. Second, directly in terms of Mahāyāna nature and characteristics, there are also these four: The first line is solely the one true self, towering and standing alone; the next line reveals the real in contrast to illness, with self and phenomena both empty. The line of simultaneous affirmation contemplates both true and deluded without destroying nature and characteristics. The line of double negation, because nature and characteristics are merged and identical, mutually strips away so that both perish. Third, it is taken purely in terms of contemplative illumination. The first line knows that all sentient beings falsely grasp that there is a self; the second line contemplates according with the principle, departing from the two selves; the third also simultaneously illuminates nature and characteristics; the fourth is the mutual stripping away of true and deluded. The difference from the second explanation is that here, the first line's "there is a self" is a deluded self, whereas the first "self" in the second explanation is the true self within the dharma of no-self.