勝鬘寶窟 3.40

3.40

「世尊生死生死者」，此第二廣辨依相。就文亦三：一明能依所依不二、二明能依所依不一、三明重論不一。初文又二：前敘能依之相、次明能依即是所依。今前辨能依之相。上云生死依如來藏，又云有如來藏故說生死，故今解釋生死之義。有人言：生死生死者，總以標舉生死非一，故重言之。又生死中，其有二種：一生死生死，凡夫所起；二涅槃生死，如《涅槃》說「住大涅槃，能建大義種種示現。」今為簡後涅槃生死，偏舉初門，是故說言生死生死也。今明釋生死中有三：謂標、釋、結。初「生死」兩字，標生死也。「生死者」此三字，將能解釋，故牒之也。「諸受根沒」者，釋生死也。眼耳等六根生識，領納六塵，故云諸受。又此六根能容受識住，故名為受。此六能生識，故名根。沒者死也，生分已謝、死分次起，故云次第也。「不受根起」者，雖有根相，不能生識領納前塵，故云不受根。又不容受六識，故言不受根也。是名結也。問：此句何等為生、何等為死？答：有人言諸受根沒是死，次第不受根起是生也。今謂如前釋也。諸受根，此敘生識領納六塵，故是生。從「沒」已下，釋其死也。若受根前念滅，次念滅次念受生根，此猶是生也。今受根滅壞，次念生不受根，故名為死也。問：若其不受，亦應非根，云何言不受根起？答：《成實論》文云「同性不依時，皆名為根。是就體為言，然其實非根。」論又云「根童子滅，非根童子在，名根。」又一義，就五受作之。諸受根者，謂五受根。五受者，憂喜苦樂捨也。若五根後所生受名苦樂，意根後所生受名憂喜。不苦不樂不憂不喜，通從六根後生也。明此諸受能生煩惱，故名受根。五受是根，名諸受根。眾生若命未盡，受根常在，隨何受念念不住。一一受根，隨有幾念，或多或少。同類異類，受受相續不得斷絕。四受心強，不得命終。命終之時，要在捨根。一報盡時，捨受滅盡，名沒也。次第不受根起者，應言受根不起，此言無有受根次第續起。此云生者已死，故言是名生死也。「世尊生死者」，上明生死，今辨生死與如來藏不二。「生死者」，牒前生死也。「此二法」者，生死二法也。「是如來藏」者，明生死即是如來藏也。就理而言，若體性者，知生死即是涅槃。《仁王經》云「菩薩未成佛時，以菩提為煩惱；菩薩成佛時，以煩惱為菩提。」故肇法師云：「道遠乎哉？觸事而真。聖遠乎哉？體之即神。」《華嚴》云「心佛及眾生，是三無差別。」《中論》云「生死之實際，及以涅槃際，如是二際者，無毫釐差別。」《法華經》云「如來如實知見三界之相」，天親釋云：「眾生界即涅槃界，不離眾生界有如來藏性」也。問：是相云何？答：如人夜中見繩為蛇，蛇是繩歟？亦如迷南為北，北是南也。有人言：此二法是如來藏者，此空如來藏耳。前明生死，此明死生也。若生便歸死者，眾生便成灰滅，誰得成佛？正以生者死、死者生，相續不斷，至菩提乃盡，故得修行求於佛果。生死煩惱隱藏法身有成之理故名如來藏，亦能生如來故名藏。今謂道理難知，且用前解。

Regarding '[The World-Honoured One, samsāra—samsāra]:' this is the second section, which broadly differentiates the characteristics of what relies and what is relied upon. Within the text there are also three parts: first, explaining that what relies and what is relied upon are non-dual; second, explaining that what relies and what is relied upon are not identical; third, re-explaining their non-identity. The first part also has two sections: first, setting forth the characteristics of what relies; next, explaining that what relies is itself what is relied upon. Now, first, we distinguish the characteristics of what relies. Above, it said that samsāra relies on the tathāgatagarbha, and also said that because there is the tathāgatagarbha, samsāra is spoken of; therefore, it now explains the meaning of samsāra. Some say: 'samsāra—samsāra' is used generally to indicate that samsāra is not singular, which is why it is repeated. Furthermore, within samsāra there are two kinds: first, the samsāra of samsāra, which is initiated by ordinary beings; second, the samsāra of nirvāṇa, as the *Nirvāṇa-sūtra* states, 'Abiding in great nirvāṇa, one is able to establish great purposes and display various manifestations.' Now, to exclude the latter, the samsāra of nirvāṇa, it exclusively raises the first door, and therefore speaks of 'samsāra—samsāra.' Now, to explain: in explaining samsāra there are three parts, namely the statement, the explanation, and the conclusion. The first two characters, 'samsāra,' state samsāra. The three characters 'as for samsāra' (samsāra-zhe) take up the term to explain it, hence they are cited. 'The faculties of various experiences perish': this explains samsāra. The six sense faculties such as the eye and ear produce consciousness and take in the six dusts [sense objects], hence they are called 'various experiences.' Furthermore, these six faculties are able to accommodate and experience the abiding of consciousness, and are thus called 'experiences.' These six are able to generate consciousness, and are thus called 'faculties.' 'Perishing' means death; the portion of life has already ceased, and the portion of death arises next, hence it says 'in succession.' 'Faculties of non-experience arise': although there is the appearance of faculties, they cannot produce consciousness to take in the objects before them, hence they are called 'faculties of non-experience.' Furthermore, they do not accommodate the six consciousnesses, hence it says 'faculties of non-experience.' 'This is called' concludes it. Question: In this sentence, what is birth, and what is death? Answer: Some say that the perishing of the faculties of various experiences is death, and the successive arising of faculties of non-experience is birth. Now I say it is as explained before: 'faculties of various experiences' describes the generation of consciousness and taking in of the six dusts, hence it is birth; from 'perish' onward, it explains their death. If the faculties of experience cease in the previous thought-moment and in the next thought-moment faculties of receiving birth arise, this is still birth. Now, the faculties of experience are destroyed, and in the next thought-moment faculties of non-experience arise, hence this is called death. Question: If they do not experience, they should also not be faculties; why say 'faculties of non-experience arise'? Answer: The text of the *Satyasiddhi-śāstra* says, 'When of the same nature they do not serve as a basis, they are all called faculties. This is spoken with respect to their substance, but in truth they are not faculties.' The treatise also says, 'When the child-pupil of the faculty perishes and the non-faculty child-pupil remains, it is called a faculty.' Another interpretation takes it in terms of the five feelings (vedanā). The 'faculties of various experiences' refers to the five feeling faculties. The five feelings are grief, joy, suffering, pleasure, and equanimity. The feelings produced after the five [physical] faculties are called suffering and pleasure; the feelings produced after the mental faculty are called grief and joy. Neither-suffering-nor-pleasure, neither-grief-nor-joy is produced generally after the six faculties. Explaining that these various feelings can produce afflictions, they are called 'feeling faculties.' The five feelings being faculties, they are called 'faculties of various experiences.' If a sentient being's lifespan is not yet exhausted, the feeling faculties are constantly present, momentarily never abiding according to whichever feeling it is. Each feeling faculty, depending on how many thought-moments it has, is either many or few. Whether of the same or different kinds, feeling after feeling continues without interruption. When the mind of the four feelings is strong, life cannot end; at the time of life's end, it must reside in the faculty of equanimity. When one retribution is exhausted, the feeling of equanimity completely ceases, which is called 'perishing.' 'Faculties of non-experience arise in succession' should mean that the feeling faculties do not arise; this means there are no feeling faculties successively continuing to arise. This means that the living have already died, hence it says 'this is called samsāra.' 'World-Honoured One, as for samsāra': above, it explained samsāra; now it distinguishes the non-duality of samsāra and the tathāgatagarbha. 'As for samsāra' cites the preceding samsāra. 'These two dharmas' are the two dharmas of birth and death. 'Are the tathāgatagarbha' explains that samsāra is itself the tathāgatagarbha. In terms of the principle, if one realizes its essential nature, one knows that samsāra is itself nirvāṇa. The *Benevolent Kings Sūtra* says, 'Before a bodhisattva attains buddhahood, he takes awakening to be affliction; when a bodhisattva attains buddhahood, he takes affliction to be awakening.' Therefore Master Zhao said: 'Is the Way far off? Touch a thing, and it is true. Is the Sage far off? Realize him, and one is spiritual.' The *Avataṃsaka* says, 'Mind, Buddha, and sentient beings—these three are without distinction.' The *Madhyamaka-śāstra* says, 'The actual limit of samsāra and the limit of nirvāṇa—between these two limits, there is not the slightest difference.' The *Lotus Sūtra* says, 'The Tathāgata knows and sees the characteristics of the triple world as they truly are,' which Vasubandhu explains: 'The realm of sentient beings is itself the realm of nirvāṇa; not apart from the realm of sentient beings is there the nature of the tathāgatagarbha.' Question: What is this characteristic like? Answer: Like a person who sees a rope at night and takes it to be a snake—is the snake the rope? It is also like being confused about south and taking it to be north—north is south. Some say: 'these two dharmas are the tathāgatagarbha' refers only to the empty tathāgatagarbha. Previously it explained life and death; here it explains death and life. If living immediately reverted to death, sentient beings would turn to ashes and extinction, and who could attain buddhahood? It is precisely because the living die and the dead are born, continuing without interruption until reaching awakening and only then coming to an end, that one can practice and seek the fruit of buddhahood. The afflictions of samsāra conceal the principle of the dharmakāya's realization; hence it is called the tathāgatagarbha, and it is also called a garbha because it can give birth to the Tathāgata. Now I say that this principle is difficult to comprehend, so we provisionally adopt the previous explanation.