大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 64.65

64.65

Under the commentary's phrase "Herein, one should set up the flaw," this is the second, refuting by setting up an inference according to hetuvidyā; the commentary's text is already complete. However, the general intent says: the ultimate truth self is the subject (dharmin), and ordinary beings should be identical to noble ones is the property to be proved (sādhyadharma). Because the self is an entity holding its own nature, having that, ordinary beings should be identical to noble ones is the property in the thesis. The property and the subject combine to form the thesis (pakṣa). The reason (hetu) says: because there is the cognition of a real self within the ultimate truth. The homologous example (sādharmyadṛṣṭānta) is: like a noble one whose births are exhausted. The above three members are already complete: ordinary beings should be identical to noble ones. The application and conclusion for this phrase should say: noble ones whose births are exhausted possess real cognition; noble ones whose births are exhausted are noble ones; since ordinary beings possess the cognition of a real self, they are identical to those noble ones. One speaks of noble ones as "having births exhausted" to ward off the fallacy of inconclusiveness (anaikāntika). If one merely said "noble ones," one fears there might be an objection saying: Is it like the noble one of the srotāpanna who undergoes rebirth up to seven times, or like the noble one of the arhat whose births are already exhausted? Therefore it definitely takes the latter phrase. In the Mahāyāna, sudden awakening from the eighth bhūmi and above is identical to the arhat; in gradual awakening, on the first bhūmi it is accepted that their births are exhausted. Since ordinary beings are identical to noble ones, it analogously accomplishes a flaw: ordinary beings should be identical to noble ones is the flaw of confusion (saṃkara); now that there are no noble ones is the flaw of annihilationism (uccheda).