勝鬘寶窟 1.10

1.10

Under the section explaining the title, three further divisions are opened: first, the intention behind establishing titles; second, clarifying the general and specific; third, directly explaining the title. Why titles are established for the sūtras: the ultimate principle is without name, but within the absence of names and marks, sages employ provisional names and marks to speak for the sake of living beings, wishing to make living beings realize the absence of names and marks by means of these names and marks. Just as a hanging precipice can only be climbed with the aid of a rope ladder, so the tranquil, desolate ultimate Way is truly accessed through names and marks. This is indeed the great foundation of handing down the teaching and the original intention of the multitude of sages. Furthermore, titles are established so that beings may recognize phenomena (dharmas) based on names, give rise to practice based on phenomena, and attain the fruit of liberation through practice. Nāgārjuna reprimanded the five hundred schools, saying: 'They do not know that the Buddha's intention is for the sake of liberation.' The Saddharmapuṇḍarīka-sūtra says: 'The scriptures expounded by the Tathāgata are all for the sake of delivering living beings.' Furthermore, titles are established because when ultimate people preach the Dharma, there is the concise and the extensive: the concise is the title's name, while the extensive is the teaching of an entire work. Expanding the concise into the extensive opens one title into a whole work; condensing the extensive into the concise rolls a whole work into one title. Furthermore, for those of sharp faculties, only a title is marked, just as Nāgārjuna entered the dragon palace in the sea and was able to awaken simply by looking at the sūtra titles; for those of dull faculties, hearing the concise title brings no understanding, and they only awaken by examining the extensive text. Furthermore, for those of dull faculties who cannot fully uphold an extensive sūtra, they concisely uphold a single title; for those of sharp faculties who are capable of upholding it extensively, the entire work is clarified. Furthermore, in order to differentiate the various scriptures from one another, each sūtra is given a distinct title; and wishing to lead living beings to understand various dharmas through the various titles, the whole work is clarified. Furthermore, to distinguish the difference between heterodox and correct teachings, internal and external, a title is placed at the head. 'Vedas' and 'Bṛhaspati' are the names of non-Buddhist scriptures, whereas 'Prajñā' and 'Nirvāṇa' are appellations of the internal teaching. It is also like the Three Fen and Five Dian, which are secular books of China, whereas the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna vehicles are the sacred teachings of India. For various conditions such as these, titles are placed at the head of the sacred teachings.