大般涅槃經集解 46.20

46.20

Daosheng notes: When the Buddha speaks and the other listens, hearing is thereby made manifest. He further provides the four propositions to exhaust its excellence. Sengliang notes: This answers the earlier objection concerning 'what exists must determinately exist.' It means that although saṃskṛta dharmas exist, when one cultivates the Path they do not, and when one does not cultivate it they do exist; how could one object that what exists must determinately exist? Having answered the first objection, the five objections are naturally resolved. Sengzong notes: Of these four propositions, two propositions blend dharmas and two determine the principle. Since there is blending and there is determination, how could one cling determinately to a single proposition? As for 'unheard hearing': when sound has not yet arisen, there is non-hearing; when the assembly of conditions meets in the present, this is termed 'now coming to hear the dharma that was previously unheard.' The principle is also like this: although it cannot be heard, it is not that one does not rely on exposition to enter the principle; how could one speak of it determinately? As for 'unheard non-hearing': this proposition returns to determining the principle. As for 'heard non-hearing': this is again a blending proposition. The intention of the previous objection was to make what is determinately heard incapable of being non-heard; hence it says here 'heard non-hearing.' This means that once a sound that has already been heard passes away into the past, it cannot be heard again. As for 'heard hearing': this returns to determining that the verbal teaching can be heard. It means that the preceding sound produces ear-consciousness, and the subsequent sound also produces ear-hearing. Baoliang notes: This directly answers the question. These four propositions are all predicated of nirvāṇa. First, as for 'unheard hearing': 'unheard' refers to nirvāṇa. Before there is capacity and resonance, it is therefore termed 'unheard'; today, when conditions arise, one hears it; hence it is said, 'what was originally unheard is now heard.' As for 'unheard non-hearing': this 'unheard' has the same words as the previous 'unheard' but a different purport. The former raised the essence of nirvāṇa as incapable of being heard; this raises sentient beings' lack of a resonant capacity, so that they do not hear this principle. Another explanation: The former meant that the dharmakāya's extinction is not heard. Hearing and non-hearing only concern sentient beings; it is through delusion that they perceive it, so that although it is heard, it is indeed not heard. As for 'heard non-hearing': because sentient beings have conditional resonance, they temporarily get to hear it. If they do not further advance in virtue, they will not hear it again later; hence it is said 'heard non-hearing.' As for 'heard hearing': because initially there is resonance, one gets to hear it; later, advancing further in virtue, there is the sense of hearing it repeatedly. Zhixiu notes: This comprehensively dispels the objections. Its essence transcends names and marks; it is not a dharma that can be heard. Because relying on the complete gathering of conditions, one gets to hear its name, it is called 'what is unheard is heard.' 'Unheard' is the principle of nirvāṇa, for which those without virtue have no conditions capable of hearing it. 'Heard non-hearing' means that sound is a dharma of hearing, but once it passes away it cannot be heard again. 'Heard hearing' means that dharmas that can be heard depend on conditions, and both previous thought-moments and subsequent thought-moments can be heard.