大般涅槃經集解 45.5

45.5

Sengliang states: "This bodhisattva was fond of cultivating meritorious virtues, so he was addressed as the interlocutor. One practice obtains two meritorious virtues; the five practices possess ten virtues." Sengzong states: "The minds of the two vehicles are inferior; how could they deliberate upon this? 'Not internal' means not the two vehicles. 'Not external' means not what can be practiced by non-Buddhists. 'Not difficult' means not difficult for a bodhisattva. 'Not easy' means the two vehicles cannot practice it. 'Neither characteristic nor non-characteristic' means the middle-path understanding that forgets characteristics tacitly tallies with the true principle; this is a supramundane dharma." Baoliang states: "Now intending to explain the ten meritorious virtues, he first offers a general praise. Saying that it is not shared with the two vehicles means that the practice of the two vehicles originally does not approach the Way; how could their minds practice this principle? Therefore, initiating the statement, he says it is not, that it is not shared with the two vehicles. 'Inconceivable' means the true understanding of the ten grounds is free from the marks of existence and nonexistence; how could a mind of existence and nonexistence measure it? 'Hearing it, they are astonished and wonder' means the true principle is profound and silent; how could those who cling to characteristics understand it? Thus it says 'astonished'. It is not something the foolish below can know, hence called 'wonder'. 'Neither internal nor external' means: if it were subsumed under existence and nonexistence, it could pertain to the internal or external; since it transcends the cognitive sphere of the mind of existence, how could it be internal or external? 'Neither difficult nor easy' means: if one cultivates the mind appropriately, one will certainly accord with it and it will not be difficult; for those who do not practice the Way, hope ceases, hence it is said to be not easy. 'Neither characteristic nor non-characteristic' means: its essence transcends forms and names, hence it is called 'not characteristic'; yet it is not that it does not manifest characteristics as adornments, hence it is also called 'not non-characteristic'. 'Not worldly dharmas' means: spiritual understanding takes dharmatā as its root and is not produced by causes; how could it be a worldly dharma? If one delineates function based on the essence, in meaning it also depends on them. 'Devoid of characteristics' means: since its essence is free from both existence and nonexistence, how could there be characteristics that can be displayed? 'Nonexistent in the world' means: since the true essence transcends the hundred negations and hundred affirmations, how could it be grasped by the world? This generally praises the essence of the meritorious virtues."