大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 80.30

80.30

Regarding the commentary's "not one-sidedly abiding with attachment" and so forth: this explains abiding in the Middle Way. It resolves an objection and introduces the subsequent accord with the middle. That is, an objection might be raised: "If one leaves behind the extremes, one still does not escape an extreme, because there is grasping and rejecting." Therefore it explains: "Not one-sidedly abiding with attachment is called leaving behind the extremes; it is not that one sees there to be an extreme that can be left behind." This means not one-sidedly abiding in defilement, because the nature of defilement is empty; and because its nature is purity, not one-sidedly abiding in purity. If there is no defilement, there is no purity; because the characteristic of purity is departed from, and because it is identical with the nature of defilement, defilement and purity interpenetrate—how could one abide? Cognition accords with this principle; hence it is called leaving behind the extremes. Thus it says: "It is not that one sees an extreme, for the extreme is itself the middle." Again, an objection is raised: "Where there is an extreme, there is a middle. Since the extreme is itself the middle, then there is no extreme. Since there is no extreme, relative to what is 'middle' spoken of?" Therefore it next replies: "Only when there is neither extreme nor middle does one abide in the Middle Way." This has two meanings: First, agreeing with the above objection: it is indeed as you say; being without extreme and without middle is called the Middle Way, for if there were middle and extreme, it would not be the true middle. Second, reversing the above objection: the Middle Way has two aspects: (1) relative, wherein one leaves behind the extremes and abides in the middle; (2) absolute, wherein the extreme itself is the middle. When empty through relativity, there are extremes and middle; having neither extreme nor middle is the true middle. Therefore, relative and absolute are still relative; when one grasps the meaning and forgets words, words cannot exhaust it. Applied through the above defilement, purity, and so forth, every single one is like this.