大般涅槃經集解 50.4

50.4

Sengliang states: The third is the merit of the practice of the four equalities. 'Relinquishing loving-kindness and attaining loving-kindness': worldly loving-kindness gives joy with reference to relatives; if enemies and relatives are equal, then it is without reference to conditions. Conventional loving-kindness is conventional truth; real loving-kindness is ultimate truth. Or again, having conditions with signs is conventional truth, while having conditions without signs is ultimate truth. Baoliang states: The third merit takes loving-kindness and compassion as its essence. Relinquishing the loving-kindness of conventional truth and attaining the loving-kindness of the ultimate truth does not mean empty ultimate truth; it aims to clarify that the bodhisattva attains true signless loving-kindness manifested before them, which is not obtained from conditions. When ordinary beings practice loving-kindness, it must arise only when seeing a condition; bodhisattvas are not like this: their minds always harbor loving-kindness and compassion, not waiting for conditions before arising. Therefore, they relinquish the false loving-kindness of conventional truth and attain the true, supreme signless loving-kindness. Having explained the essence of loving-kindness, three points are then set forth below to clarify loving-kindness in terms of what is absent: first, relinquishing the loving-kindness with signs of icchantikas and the like; second, relinquishing the weak loving-kindness of pandakas and the like; third, relinquishing the intention of the two vehicles that lacks understanding accordant with principle. Having relinquished these three types of loving-kindness, one attains the true, signless loving-kindness of the Tathāgata.