大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 62.53

62.53

On the Commentary's text from “How is there cultivation through all modes?” downward, this is the second [section], which interrogates and explains the contemplation characteristics. It first interrogates, and then explains from “one should contemplate” downward. Within this there are two parts: first, directly approaching the four spheres to clarify the three contemplations; second, approaching both withering and flourishing together to clarify the three contemplations. In the former, there are two parts: first, specifically clarifying mindfulness of the body; next, from “mindfulness of the body being thus” downward, analogizing to the remaining three mindfulnesses. In the former of these, there are also two parts: first, distinguishing the three contemplations in terms of the one and the many; next, distinguishing the three contemplations in terms of nature and characteristics.

In the former: as for “because conditioned arising is from the dharmatā, one matter is all matter,” this means contemplating that the matter of this body is not merely matter produced from false inversions—either called impure or called empty—which is delusion regarding the dharmatā. According with the dharmatā, it arises following conditions, which is called nature-arising; because the nature fuses with characteristics, the one and the many are unobstructed. This is indeed the meaning of the verse in the Chapter on the Four Truths in the Madhyamakaśāstra: “Whatever dharma is dependently arisen, / I explain that to be emptiness; / It is also a conventional designation, / And it is also the meaning of the Middle Way.” In the four lines of this verse, the first line generally reveals that upon which they rely, and the following three lines all carry this line, meaning: second, because of conditions, it is empty; third, because of conditions, it is existent; fourth, because of conditions, it is middle. Now, because conditioned arising is from the dharmatā, one matter is all matter, which is existence because of conditions. If it were the conditioned arising of the three vehicles, it would only be individual conditioned arising. Here it is conditioned arising from the dharmatā; because the dharmatā is fused, all matter is within one matter. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā says: “All dharmas converge into matter”; thus all are matter, not to mention that mentioning one of the eleven forms of matter completely subsumes them all. The next line says: “Because conditioned arising is empty, all matter is one matter,” which is the treatise's explanation. Because it is empty due to conditioned arising, the myriad manifold differences are just one matter whose nature is empty. Next, “Because the dharmatā is middle, it is neither one nor all, and illuminates both the one and all,” which is the treatise's “middle because of conditions.” Negating both is discerning the middle through double negation, because the one and the all mutually identify and mutually negate. Below, illuminating both discerns the middle, because nature and characteristics are distinctly evident and indestructible.