大般涅槃經集解 45.21

45.21

Sengliang notes: The meaning lies in the preceding dilemma. The principle of hearing and not hearing does not depart from these two. If what is heard were made into what is not heard, then an existent phenomenon should perish; if what is not heard were made into what is heard, then a nonexistent phenomenon could arise. This is the first objection. Sengzong says: He first states the two alternatives so that the characteristics of phenomena are determined. If it is definitively existent, it can be heard through verbal teaching; if it is definitively nonexistent, then it is wondrously cut off from marks and is forever unhearable. 'What is nonexistent should not arise' means that if the principle is cut off from verbal teaching, it cannot be heard by hearing sounds. 'What is existent should not perish' means that verbal teaching is a phenomenon that can be heard and cannot be made unheard. Baoliang says: A definitively existent phenomenon can always be heard; if it is definitively nonexistent, it can never be heard. Therefore, to hear what was not heard—this principle is not so.