大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 68.18

68.18

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "Furthermore, these ten are largely identical to the eleven emptinesses in the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra]..." and so forth: in the sūtra it corresponds to the sixteenth [fascicle], the fifteenth in the Southern edition, and in the commentary it corresponds to the sixth. In order to answer regarding the fruit of cultivating renunciation, Bodhisattva Kāśyapa addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One! What is called emptiness?" The Buddha said: "Good son! Emptiness refers to internal emptiness, external emptiness, internal and external emptiness, conditioned emptiness, unconditioned emptiness, beginningless emptiness, nature emptiness, non-existence emptiness, ultimate-truth emptiness, emptiness of emptiness, and great emptiness." That commentary explains: "The first ten are the emptiness of marks, and the last one is true emptiness. Clarifying the meaning of emptiness with regard to the dharmas grasped by deluded sentiment is called the emptiness of marks. Discerning the meaning of emptiness with regard to the true consciousness is called true emptiness." One may also state: the first ten are the emptiness of objects, and the last one is the emptiness of wisdom—the emptiness of true wisdom. When, in the realm of delusion, there are dharmas conceived outside of consciousness, refuting them reveals quiescence; therefore, in ten kinds, emptiness is elucidated with regard to objects. Inquiring according to reality, there are no dharmas outside the mind; all dharmas are themselves the true mind, and the essence of the true mind is quiescent; hence the last one speaks of emptiness with regard to wisdom. Therefore the Daśabhūmika-śāstra states: "All dharmas are as such; stating that their self-substance is empty is called the self-emptiness of wisdom." Among the first ten: the first eight take non-existence to refute existence as emptiness; the ninth, ultimate-truth [emptiness], takes existence to dispel non-existence as emptiness; the tenth, the emptiness of emptiness, because it is neither existent nor non-existent while simultaneously upholding both existence and non-existence, is called the emptiness of emptiness. This is identical to the ten equalities in the Daśabhūmika-śāstra. Among the first eight: the first seven clarify that sentient beings and dharmas lack intrinsic nature and are therefore empty; the last one clarifies that sentient beings and dharmas lack marks and are therefore empty. Clarifying the absence of nature within the provisionality of causes and conditions is called 'naturelessness emptiness'. The absence of the marks of causes and conditions in ultimate emptiness is called 'marklessness emptiness'. Among the first seven: the first six clarify that sentient beings lack intrinsic nature, which is the emptiness of sentient beings (pudgala-nairātmya); the last one clarifies that dharmas lack intrinsic nature, which is the emptiness of dharmas (dharma-nairātmya). Furthermore, among the first six: the first five contemplate emptiness in regard to the present; the last one contemplates emptiness in regard to the past. In the present: the first three contemplate the principle of emptiness in regard to internal and external phenomena; the latter two contemplate emptiness in regard to the marks of conditioned and unconditioned dharmas. Among the first three: sentient beings are termed 'internal', insentient things are 'external'. In internal dharmas, contemplating the absence of a spiritual master, sentient being, or life-span is called internal emptiness. As for the entity of external emptiness, contemplating that external dharmas are not self or mine is called external emptiness, and so on. As for beginningless emptiness, the sūtra states: "The bodhisattva sees that saṃsāra is beginningless, and all is empty and quiescent. That which is called empty: permanence, bliss, self, and purity are all empty and quiescent, without alteration. Sentient beings, life-span, the Three Jewels, Buddha-nature, and unconditioned dharmas—this is called the bodhisattva's contemplation of beginningless emptiness."