大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 9.42

9.42

Regarding the Commentary's statement, "Eighth, from first attaining the Path..." and so forth: this is the approach of silent wordlessness. That is to say, sūtras such as the Nirvāṇa-sūtra and the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra all contain this teaching. The Nirvāṇa-sūtra, fascicle twenty-six, states: "If one knows that the Tathāgata constantly never expounds the Dharma, this person is called one who fully possesses broad hearing." The Mahāprajñāpāramitā, fascicle 425, states: "From the time I achieved Buddhahood until now, I have not spoken a single syllable, nor have you heard one." Fascicle 567 states: "Sentient beings each say that the Buddha expounded the Dharma solely for them, yet the Buddha originally has neither exposition nor indication." The Vimalakīrtinirdeśa, fascicle one, states: "He who expounds the Dharma has neither exposition nor indication; he who listens to the Dharma has neither hearing nor attainment." The Buddhapiṭaka-sūtra, fascicle one, "Chapter on Recollection of the Buddha," states: "The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'Those who are unable to penetrate all dharmas are completely veiled by spoken words; therefore, the Tathāgata knows that all speech is entirely false. Even the least spoken word does not attain the real.'" The sūtras cited above merely clarify the non-speaking, but have not set forth the reason for not speaking. The Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra, however, additionally sets forth the reason. Thus, fascicle three states: "Mahāmati again addressed the Buddha, saying: 'As the World-Honoured One has said: From the night I attained supreme perfect awakening up to the night I entered parinirvāṇa, in the interim I have not spoken a single syllable, nor have I already spoken or will speak. One should know that not speaking is the Buddha's speaking.' Mahāmati addressed the Buddha, saying: 'World-Honoured One! For what cause and condition does the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha say that not speaking is the Buddha's speaking?' The Buddha told Mahāmati: 'Relying upon two dharmas, I make this statement. What are the two dharmas? Namely, the dharma of self-realization as an object, and the fundamentally abiding dharma. These are named the two dharmas. Because of these two dharmas, I make such a statement. What is the dharma of self-realization as an object? That which those Tathāgatas attained, I also attain, with neither increase nor decrease. The ultimate realm of the dharma of self-realization as an object is free from speech and discursive thought, and free from the two destinies of written words. What is the fundamentally abiding dharma? It refers to the ancient noble Path, like the nature of gold, silver, and the like; the dharmadhātu is permanently abiding. Whether Tathāgatas appear in the world or do not appear in the world, the dharmadhātu is permanently abiding, like the road heading to that city. For example, a man travelling in a wilderness sees an even, straight path heading toward an ancient city; he then follows it, enters the city, and experiences bliss according to his wish.'" In that [sūtra], there is a verse that says: / "From the night I attained the Path / Up to the night of nirvāṇa, / In the interim between these two, / I have not spoken anything at all. / Relying on the self-[realized] and the fundamentally abiding, / I make such a statement. / Those Buddhas and myself, / None have any distinction whatsoever." / Some say: That the Buddha has neither form nor sound has, in total, five meanings: first, warding off faults and revealing virtues; second, the two truths of the ultimate and conventional; third, transmitting the ancient and not inventing; fourth, being accomplished through compassionate vows; fifth, original essence and reflected image. As for the first: in order to ward off faults and perils, it is said that he does not speak; in terms of revealing actual virtues, therefore, speaking is not non-existent. As the ten-fascicle Laṅkāvatāra, fascicle eight, states: "The Tathāgata does not expound dharmas that fall into written words. If someone says that the Tathāgata expounds dharmas falling into written words, this is false speech." The Fo xing lun, fascicle two, states: "In the Tathāgata, there are no coarse characteristics, merits, or virtues of form and sound to be apprehended." The verse from the Tuṣita Heaven says: "The physical form body is not the Buddha, / And sounds are likewise so; / Yet neither apart from form and sound / Does one see the Buddha's power of supernatural penetration." The above all reveal that regarding form and sound endowed with fault, the Buddha does not possess them; regarding form and sound devoid of fault, the Buddha is not without them. Second, the two truths of ultimate and conventional: the ultimate truth is free from characteristics, hence it is clarified as having no exposition; the conventional truth accords with capacity, hence it is not without exposition. The Renwang [jing], "Chapter on Contemplating Emptiness," states: "If there is practice of exposition and hearing, there is no exposition or hearing; because it is like empty space, dharmas are identical to dharmatā, and all are suchness." Third, transmitting the ancient and not inventing: this means that what the Buddha expounds is merely recounting the teachings of ancient Buddhas, not his own invention. The Prajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: "Subhūti said: 'The Tathāgata has nothing expounded.' What is the meaning of this? Because there is no single dharma that only the Tathāgata alone expounds and other Buddhas do not expound." Fourth, being accomplished through compassionate vows: this means that all the inexhaustible three karmas possessed by the Buddha that respond to sentient beings are caused by compassionate vows across vast kalpas; complying with sentient beings' resonance, they are not his own possession. Therefore, it is said that the Buddha-fruit has no form or sound. However, taking others as oneself, there is therefore also an exposition. A subsequent passage of the sūtra states: "The Tathāgata does not appear in the world, / Nor does he enter nirvāṇa; / Through the power of his original great vows, / He manifests sovereign dharmas." This is also the meaning. Fifth, original essence and reflected image: this means that the Buddha's three karmas are equal and universally respond, devoid of those differentiated reflected images of form and sound; therefore, it is said that they are not existent. Yet they serve as the predominant condition for those differentiated hearings and seeings; because of the essence there are images, so it is said they are not non-existent. A subsequent sūtra states: "The Buddhas have no dharmas; / Where would the Buddha expound anything? / Merely according with their own minds, / They claim that he expounds such dharmas." Bringing together the noble teachings through the above five meanings, speaking and silence are unobstructed, and all are endowed with principle. However, these five meanings exist in the Kanding ji, but its citations are disorderly. Those cited above have now been considerably revised. As for why the Commentary did not cite them, it is because they do not go beyond the two causes in the Laṅkāvatāra. That is, the first one is the dharma of self-realization as an object; the dharma realized by oneself is precisely the path of realization. When the realized dharma is in oneself, it departs from fault and reveals virtue. The next three are the fundamentally abiding dharma; fundamental abiding is the ancient noble Path: the second is that which is realized, and the third and fourth are the path of teaching. Transmitting the ancient and not inventing is precisely the ancient noble Path. Accomplished through compassionate vows encompasses both cause and fruit. As for original essence and reflected image, they merely speak of the general characteristic: that the original essence is non-existent accords with one's own realization; that the reflected image is existent accords with the ancient noble ones. Since it is the subtle function of the essence, therefore it is said that the doctrinal principle penetrates one's own practice, and the spoken instruction penetrates indicating it to those who are not yet awakened. The meaning of not speaking has slightly different characteristics, which is why it has now been recounted. Although the reasons for silence were stated above, they all contain the sense of having speech. Therefore, the Viśeṣacintabrahmaparipṛcchā, fascicle three, states: "As the Buddha said, 'When you gather together, you should practice two things: either noble expounding of the Dharma or noble silence.' What is called expounding the Dharma? What is called silence? It is answered: 'If when expounding the Dharma one does not contradict the Buddha, does not contradict the Dharma, and does not contradict the Saṅgha, this is called expounding the Dharma. If one knows that the Dharma is precisely the Buddha, that freedom from characteristics is precisely the Dharma, and that non-contradiction is precisely the Saṅgha, this is called noble silence. Furthermore, good son! When there is an exposition based on the four stations of mindfulness, it is called noble expounding of the Dharma. When one has no recollection or mindfulness toward all dharmas, it is called noble silence.'" These are all times when, precisely during true exposition, the mind accords with the principle of dharmas, which is just not speaking; it clarifies that keeping the mouth shut is not what is called not speaking. The rest can be understood. The section on subsumption by the piṭakas and teachings is concluded.