大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 58.39

58.39

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "Third, the superiority of unmixed purity," the Śāstra merely provides the label, and below immediately matches it with the sūtra. From "That is, realizing the true" onward, the Commentary first explains generally; afterward, from "Because being identical to an extreme" onward, it specifically explains the words "free from middle and extremes." Master Huiyuan's explanation has two meanings: first, distinguishing according to defiled and pure phenomena; second, distinguishing according to the principle of existence and non-existence. Now, regarding the first: the Śāstra's sūtra text says "free from middle and extremes"; this master says, "Saṃsāra is this extreme, nirvāṇa is that extreme, and the noble path is the middle." Now, observing that the original nature of saṃsāra does not exist, there is no 'this extreme'; since nirvāṇa is suchness, there is also no 'that extreme'. The two extremes being absent, the noble path is also quiescent, having no middle. Second, distinguishing according to the principle of existence and non-existence, it says existence is this extreme, the unconditioned is that extreme, and neither-existence-nor-non-existence is spoken of as the middle. Existence is non-existence, hence there is no 'this extreme'; non-existence is non-non-existence, hence there is no 'that extreme'. Both extremes being completely effaced, the middle is also eliminated; hence there is no middle. However, these two explanations differ slightly in terms of phenomena, but their essential intent is identical. The two extremes and the middle path—all three dharmas are established and taken as what is negated: through essential emptiness the two extremes are negated, and through mutual dependence the middle path is negated. What is explained now has two slight differences: first, the expression 'middle and extremes' is general, so existence and non-existence, defilement and purity, identity and difference, annihilation and eternity, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, whether separated or combined, are all two extremes; the middle also has many meanings in accordance with the two extremes. Second, using the middle to negate the extremes, and using the extremes to negate the middle, when mutual dependence ceases both are eliminated; hence fundamentally neither exists. The rest is as explained previously. Regarding the Commentary's statement, "It is also the beneficial transformation of the three wheels," the ground of cognition is the mental karma. Preaching is the verbal karma. Power is the physical karma, due to physical majesty.