勝鬘寶窟 3.9

3.9

From "World-Honoured One, śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas" onward, this is the sixth chapter, Expounding the Boundless Noble Truths, which will be briefly explained through eight sections. First, the section on the purpose of this text's appearance. In the preceding exposition of the Dharma, there were two parts: first, clarifying the practice of the ekayāna; from this point forward, expounding the principle of the ekayāna. That practice can be accomplished is necessarily due to principle; hence, following practice, principle is clarified. Within practice there were two parts: embracing [the saddharma] clarified vast origination, while the ekayāna clarified non-dual subsumption, as explained above. Regarding the previous five chapters, people have not offered differing interpretations. Now, regarding the objective realm, there are eight chapters in the sūtra. However, ancient and contemporary scholars of the north and south have explained them differently: some divide the text strictly according to chapter titles, which captures the major divisions but loses the sense of interlocking interconnection; others only directly clarify the interlocking interconnection, but lose the wisdom of the major divisions. Now, employing both methods simultaneously, one can properly explain the text. Previously, it was clarified that the teaching of practice has origination and subsumption, unfolding into two; now, it is clarified that the principle of the vehicle is likewise divided into two. The first four chapters of the sūtra generally clarify the finite and the infinite, revealing that the infinite is ultimate and the finite is non-ultimate. From "One Truth and One Refuge" onward, it re-examines the infinite truths to distinguish what is accepted and rejected: the first three truths are illusory and non-ultimate, while the single truth of the cessation of suffering is real and ultimate. These are all broad divisions of the discourse. The first four chapters constitute four distinct sections. Now, first, its purpose of appearance is introduced. First, mentioning the "boundless noble truths" speaks generally. From the sūtra's beginning five chapters, starting with praising the Buddha and generating the aspiration, up to the fruit of the ekayāna, all clarify Mahāyāna practice. Practice does not arise in isolation; its arising must rely upon an objective realm. Therefore, now clarifying the boundless noble truths brings forth the realm of practice. Speaking specifically, presenting the boundless noble truths as finite and infinite—where finite truths are non-ultimate truths and infinite truths are ultimate truths—reveals the meaning of ultimate versus non-ultimate regarding the ekayāna and the two vehicles. The ekayāna arises based on the infinite truths and is therefore ultimate; the two vehicles arise based on the finite truths and are therefore non-ultimate. Hence, following the clarification of the ekayāna, the infinite truths are clarified. Furthermore, this intends to expound the great matter of the Buddha's Dharma, the great matter of the Buddha's Dharma being the four truths. When the Tathāgata appeared in the world and first turned the wheel of the Dharma of the four truths, people of the Small Vehicle clung to it as ultimate. Now, wishing to refute this, he clarifies that the previous exposition of the four truths was a non-definitive (neyārtha) teaching, while the infinite four truths are a definitive (nītārtha) teaching, causing those of the Small Vehicle to recognise the infinite truths, to know suffering anew, abandon its origination, realise its cessation, and cultivate the path to attain buddhahood. From the chapter on the ekayāna to this point, four sets of four dharmas have been stripped away: first, clarifying that the Buddha possesses four virtues and therefore has nirvāṇa, while the two vehicles lack the four virtues and therefore lack nirvāṇa; next, clarifying that the two vehicles lack the four wisdoms, while the Buddha possesses the four wisdoms; next, clarifying that the two vehicles lack the four [kinds of nirvāṇa] without remainder, while the Buddha possesses the four without remainder; now, clarifying that the two vehicles lack the four truths, while the Buddha possesses the four truths. Furthermore, the ekayāna is the Buddha's fruitional virtue, while the four truths are what the Buddha has realised; having previously clarified the fruit, the realisation is now clarified next, which is why this chapter appears. Furthermore, the ekayāna is based on the tathāgatagarbha, and it is necessarily through seeing the buddhadhātu that one can accomplish the ekayāna; since the tathāgatagarbha is revealed through the four truths, it is necessary to clarify the truths.