觀無量壽佛經疏妙宗鈔 3.2.1

3.2.1

二、辯體。 前文解釋能說所說、能觀所觀皆能詮名，今辯此名所詮之體，欲令學者因筌得魚、尋名顯體。 尋名意在忘名、顯體知無別體，此乃今師釋名辯體之妙意也。 復應了知，釋名是總，總三法故； 三章是別，別三法故。 是故解釋通別二名，無不義具教行理三。 能說之佛既具三身，所說觀境各具於三，故云釋名總於三法，體章別在法身，宗用別當餘二，教相一章分別總別。 今之辯體雖在一法，一必具三，故明體禮、體底、體達三種之義。 雖論三義但是法身中三，未明餘二各三，故《涅槃玄》云「總唱祕藏以當其名。 法身攝一切法不縱不橫以當其體，般若攝一切法如面三目以當其宗，解脫攝一切法如三點伊以當其用。 如此敷演即是其教，非但經體義成，餘義亦顯。 （文畢）」今出其意，空假皆中故三屬體，假中皆空故三屬宗，中空皆假故三屬用。 用是解脫，特喻三點，點是文字故； 宗當般若，特喻三目，目能照明故； 法身之三，特泯縱橫，彰離念故。 故知釋名總於九法，辯體別在法身中三。 然九不多、三不為少，方是圓教總別之義。 此自分二：初、牒起略示。 名傍是賓、體正是主，名是假名、體是實質，一切名下皆有其質。 二、「釋論」下，正釋主質，四：初、據二文定體。 諸法當處不生不滅、非有非空、無能無所，離言說相、離名字相、離心緣相。 離此等相，名為實相，無相之相也。 誰人不具？ 何法不然？ 若論證知，唯有諸佛。 故《法華》云「唯佛與佛乃能究盡諸法實相」。 稟圓說者，初心即用佛智照境，故能信解諸法實相。 既解實相，亦解諸法實性、實體、實力、實作、實因、實緣、實果、實報、實本末究竟等。 十法既實，即是實生實佛、實依實正，一色一香無非中道、一切諸法皆是佛法。 既一切皆實，實外無餘，復何得云餘皆魔事？ 應知此說以理簡情。 若離心緣能所等相名為實相，介爾有相即為魔事，故別教已下至六道法，皆有能所心緣等相，魔能說之悉名魔事。 故知一切皆魔、一切皆佛，以情分別一切皆邪，離情分別一切皆正。 今簡情取理而為經體，應知實相全體照明，稱為真心亦名本覺，覺體遍故諸法皆實。 若指其要，不離現前分別之念，念即本覺，覺即經體，無別經體以為所詮。 以此覺心觀於依正，能所即絕、待對斯忘，妙觀之宗自茲而立。 若不爾者，何須得體方立經宗？ 實相印者，印即符印，亦信也，亦印定義。 乃以所詮定其大小及以邪正，理符佛旨方可信從。 小乘三印，無常、無我此之二印印於生死，寂滅一印印於涅槃。 小乘涅槃與生死異，故各印之。 所詮符此，則可信受是小乘經非魔外說。 大乘一印即一實相，二種生死、三德涅槃其體是一，究竟真實。 義符於此，可以信受是大乘經，非小非外。 今據此經，圓實為大。 若從彼論三藏對衍，通別二教亦名一印。 今不取二，唯圓實相名一印也，則能說之人、所觀依正、四種淨穢、五逆罪等其性不二。 以此一印，為經正體。 二、「無量」下，為四章所歸。 「無量功德」等者，經用歸也。 經之力用亦名功德，力有滅惡之功、用有生善之德。 滅一切惡、生一切善，是故功德受無量名。 如此功德共嚴實體，其猶帝王治亂育民。 以此功德莊嚴聖躬，種種眾行即經宗也。 從理起行，全理成修，如水為波、波還歸水。 宗必會體，故云「歸趣」。 通則萬行、別觀十六，故名「眾行」。 「言說問答」，即經名也，能詮之名在於言說。 言義幽奧，復須問答種種詮辯，以立經名而彰實體。 問：題目為名，何嘗問答等邪？ 答：名能詮體，一部言句皆能詮名。 如《法華經》本迹十妙以為其名，但題是總，故就題釋名； 餘之四義皆遍始終，故一經之名。 「問答詮辯」等，從後向前，示能歸法。 不別云教，兼在名中。

Second, determining the substance. The preceding text explained that the one who speaks and what is spoken, that which contemplates and that which is contemplated, are all expressive names; now we determine the substance expressed by these names, wishing to enable students to catch the fish through the trap and to discover the substance by following the name. The intention in following the name lies in forgetting the name; in discovering the substance, one knows there is no separate substance. This is the wondrous intention of our master in explaining the name and determining the substance. Furthermore, one should understand that explaining the name is the general, because it gathers the three dharmas; the [other] three sections are the particular, because they distinguish the three dharmas. Therefore, in explaining both the general and particular names, every aspect implicitly possesses the three of teaching, practice, and principle. Since the Buddha who speaks is endowed with the three bodies, and the contemplative objects that are spoken each possess the three, it is said that explaining the name gathers the three dharmas, the section on substance is specifically in the dharmakāya, the [sections on] main doctrine and function specifically correspond to the other two, and the single section on the characteristics of the teaching distinguishes the general and the particular. Although the present determination of substance is within a single dharma, the one necessarily contains the three; hence the three meanings of 'substance as propriety' (tǐ lǐ), 'substance as bottom' (tǐ dǐ), and 'substance as thorough penetration' (tǐ dá) are clarified. Although three meanings are discussed, they are merely the three within the dharmakāya, and have not yet clarified the three within each of the other two. Thus the Xuan of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'Proclaiming the secret treasury in general serves as its name. The dharmakāya subsumes all dharmas without being vertical or horizontal, serving as its substance; prajñā subsumes all dharmas like the three eyes on a face, serving as its main doctrine; liberation subsumes all dharmas like the three dots of the letter "i", serving as its function. Expounding in this manner is its teaching; not only is the meaning of the sūtra's substance established, but the other meanings are also revealed.' (End of text.) Now to bring out its meaning: since emptiness and the conventional are both the middle, the three belong to substance; since the conventional and the middle are both empty, the three belong to the main doctrine; since the middle and the empty are both conventional, the three belong to function. Function is liberation, specifically illustrated by the three dots, because the dots are letters; the main doctrine corresponds to prajñā, specifically illustrated by the three eyes, because the eyes can illuminate; the three of the dharmakāya specifically eliminate the vertical and horizontal, revealing the transcendence of conceptual thought. Therefore we know that explaining the name gathers nine dharmas, while determining the substance specifically resides in the three within the dharmakāya. Yet the nine are not too many, nor are the three too few; only this constitutes the meaning of general and particular in the Perfect Teaching. This section naturally divides into two: first, raising the topic and briefly indicating it. The name is secondary and is the guest; the substance is primary and is the host. The name is a provisional designation; the substance is the real entity. Beneath every name, there is its entity. Second, from 'The Commentary' downward, directly explaining the host-entity, in four parts: first, fixing the substance based on two texts. All dharmas, right where they are, are unarising and unperishing, neither existent nor empty, devoid of subject and object, free from the marks of verbal expression, free from the marks of names, and free from the marks of mental conditioning. Being free from these marks is called the real mark—the mark of marklessness. Who does not possess it? What dharma is not so? If we speak of verifying and knowing it, only the Buddhas can do so. Hence the Lotus Sūtra says: 'Only a Buddha and a Buddha can exhaustively fathom the real mark of all dharmas.' Those who receive the perfect teaching use Buddha-wisdom to illuminate objects from the very first thought of aspiration, and therefore they can believe and understand the real mark of all dharmas. Having understood the real mark, they also understand the real nature, real substance, real power, real activity, real cause, real condition, real fruit, real retribution, and real ultimate equality from beginning to end of all dharmas. Since the ten dharmas are real, there are real sentient beings and real Buddhas, real environmental reward and real primary reward; not a single color or a single scent fails to be the middle way, and all dharmas are the Buddha-dharma. Since all are real, and outside the real there is nothing left, how can one say that the rest are all works of Māra? One should know that this explanation uses principle to eliminate passions. If being free from the marks of mental conditioning, subject, and object is called the real mark, then the slightest presence of marks is a work of Māra; therefore, from the Separate Teaching down to the dharmas of the six paths, all have the marks of subject, object, and mental conditioning, and since Māra can preach them, they are all called works of Māra. Hence we know that all are Māra and all are Buddha: when distinguished through passions, all are heterodox; when free from passion-driven discrimination, all are orthodox. Now, eliminating passions and grasping principle to serve as the sūtra's substance, one should know that the entire substance of the real mark is brightly illuminating, called the true mind and also called original awakening. Because the substance of awakening is all-pervading, all dharmas are real. If we point to its essential, it is not apart from the present discriminatory thought: this thought is itself original awakening, and awakening is itself the sūtra's substance, with no other sūtra substance serving as what is expressed. When one contemplates environment and self with this awakening mind, subject and object are instantly severed, and duality is forgotten; the main doctrine of wondrous contemplation is established from this. If it were not so, why would one need to obtain the substance before establishing the sūtra's main doctrine? As for the 'seal of the real mark,' a seal is a tally-mark; it also means faith, and also carries the meaning of definitive determination. That is, by means of what is expressed, one definitively determines the Great or Small [Vehicles] as well as the heterodox or orthodox; only when the principle tallies with the Buddha's intent can it be faithfully followed. In the three seals of the Small Vehicle, the two seals of impermanence and non-self seal saṃsāra, while the single seal of quiescent cessation seals nirvāṇa. In the Small Vehicle, nirvāṇa and saṃsāra are different, so each is sealed separately. When what is expressed tallies with these, it can be faithfully accepted as a Small Vehicle sūtra, not the preaching of Māras or non-Buddhists. The single seal of the Great Vehicle is the one real mark: the two kinds of saṃsāra and the nirvāṇa of the three virtues are one in substance, ultimately real. When the meaning tallies with this, it can be faithfully accepted as a Great Vehicle sūtra, neither Small [Vehicle] nor non-Buddhist. Now, relying on this sūtra, the perfect and real is considered great. If we follow that treatise in contrasting the Tripiṭaka [Teaching] with the Mahāyāna, the Shared and Separate Teachings are also called the single seal. Now we do not take those two; only the perfect real mark is called the single seal. Thus the person who preaches, the environment and self contemplated, the four kinds of pure and defiled, the five heinous sins, and so forth are non-dual in their nature. We take this single seal as the correct substance of the sūtra. Second, from 'immeasurable' downward, [it shows that] this is where the four sections converge. 'Immeasurable merits and virtues' and so forth is where the function of the sūtra converges. The power and function of the sūtra are also called merit and virtue: power has the merit of extinguishing evil, and function has the virtue of generating good. It extinguishes all evils and generates all goods; therefore, merits and virtues receive the name 'immeasurable.' Such merits and virtues together adorn the real substance, just as an emperor regulates disorder and nourishes the people. Using these merits and virtues to adorn the sacred person, the various manifold practices are the main doctrine of the sūtra. Arising into practice from principle, full principle becomes cultivated practice, just as water becomes waves, and waves return to water. The main doctrine must converge with the substance; hence it says 'converge.' Generally speaking, it refers to the myriad practices; specifically speaking, it refers to the sixteen contemplations; hence it is called 'manifold practices.' 'Words, questions, and answers' are the name of the sūtra; the expressive name resides in words. Since the meaning of the words is profound and esoteric, it further requires questions, answers, and various explications to establish the sūtra's name and manifest the real substance. Question: The title is the name; how can it ever be questions and answers? Answer: The name can express the substance, and the sentences throughout the entire text are all expressive names. Just as the ten subtleties of the root and traces in the Lotus Sūtra constitute its name, but because the title is the general, the name is explained in terms of the title; the other four meanings pervade from beginning to end, and hence they are the name of the entire sūtra. 'Questions, answers, and explications' and so on proceed from the back to the front to show the dharmas that converge. The teaching is not mentioned separately, as it is included within the name.