大般涅槃經義記 2.4

2.4

Below is the second [section], preaching in response to their requests, in which there are three parts: first, raising doubts to encourage questioning; second, from "I shall also first explain for your sake" onward, in response to what was requested above, promising to preach while refusing to abide; third, from "The Buddha appears in the world" onward, directly proclaiming [the Dharma]. In the first part, the Tathāgata feared that the bhikṣus would be unable to inquire and ask, so he raised [topics] to encourage questioning. Therein he first raises doubts to have them question, and thereafter promises to answer. In the former, "Bhikṣus, if you have doubts, you should ask" is the general exhortation; from "whether empty..." onward is specific. In the specific, he briefly raises fourteen gates to encourage their questioning. "Whether empty or not empty" has multiple connotations: if discussed in terms of the mutual opposition between birth-and-death and nirvāṇa, birth-and-death is called "empty" and nirvāṇa is "not empty"; hence the text below says, "Empty means all birth-and-death; what is called not empty means great nirvāṇa." If discussed in terms of the mutual opposition between the two truths, the meaning is indefinite: if one speaks of the emptiness of marks as the ultimate truth, the ultimate truth is called "empty" and conventional truth is "not empty"; if one speaks of the real nature of the tathāgatagarbha as the ultimate truth, the ultimate truth is "not empty" and conventional truth is called "empty," because it is unreal. Therefore, in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra, deluded dharmas are called the "empty tathāgatagarbha," and real dharmas are called the "not-empty garbha." "Whether permanent or impermanent" also has multiple connotations: if birth-and-death and nirvāṇa are contrasted, birth-and-death is impermanent and nirvāṇa is permanent; if the two truths are contrasted, conventional truth is impermanent and ultimate truth is permanent. "Whether a refuge or not a refuge" also has multiple connotations: contrasting the heterodox and orthodox, the Three Jewels can be relied upon, while external paths are not a refuge; contrasting the real and delusive, real dharmas can be relied upon, while delusive dharmas cannot be relied upon; therefore in the Śrīmālādevī Sūtra it says that the tathāgatagarbha is the single refuge. "Whether going or not going" also has multiple connotations: contrasting the heterodox and orthodox, correct practice departing [from saṃsāra] is called "going," while heterodox practice sinking down is called "not going"; contrasting cause and fruit, the cause is called "going" and the fruit is "not going." "Whether tending toward or not tending toward" also has multiple connotations: contrasting the great and small, the small vehicle heading toward the great is called "having a destination," while the great having nowhere to head is called "not having a destination"; contrasting cause and fruit, the cause has a destination, while the fruit has no destination. "Whether eternal or not eternal"—what difference is there between this and the earlier "permanent or impermanent"? Interpreted comprehensively, they are one; but distinguishing them specifically, unarisen is called "permanent," while unceasing is called "eternal." It also has multiple connotations: contrasting defiled and pure, birth-and-death is not eternal and nirvāṇa is eternal; contrasting the two truths, ultimate truth is called eternal and conventional truth is not eternal. "Whether severed or permanent" also has multiple connotations: contrasting defiled and pure, birth-and-death is ultimately severed and nirvāṇa is permanent; contrasting real and delusive, false thinking can be severed and the true consciousness is permanent. "Whether sentient being or non-sentient being" also has multiple connotations: contrasting internal and external, the internal is a sentient being and the external is not a sentient being; contrasting nominal and real, the nominal is a sentient being and the real is not a sentient being; contrasting empty and existent, the existent is a sentient being and the empty is not a sentient being; in terms of persons, the Buddha is not a sentient being because he is free from birth and death, while others are sentient beings. "Whether existent or nonexistent" also has multiple connotations: if differentiated in terms of conditioned and unconditioned, the three conditioned realms of dharmas are called "existent," and the three unconditioned dharmas are called "nonexistent"; if differentiated in terms of the two truths, conditioned and unconditioned are both called "existent," while the lack of self and mine is called "nonexistent." As the Bodhisattvabhūmi says, if discussed in terms of persons, ordinary beings have birth-and-death but no nirvāṇa, whereas sages have nirvāṇa but no birth-and-death, as explained in the text below. "Whether real or unreal" also has multiple connotations: contrasting defiled and pure, birth-and-death is unreal and nirvāṇa is called real; contrasting provisional and real, the One Vehicle is real and the three vehicles are unreal; contrasting real and delusive, deluded feelings are unreal and buddha-nature is real; contrasting the two truths, conventional truth is unreal and ultimate truth is real; contrasting shallow and deep, the three truths are not real, while the one reality is real. "Whether true or untrue" also has multiple connotations: contrasting defiled and pure, birth-and-death is untrue and nirvāṇa is true; contrasting the two truths, ultimate truth is true and conventional truth is untrue. "Whether cessation or non-cessation" also has multiple connotations: contrasting the four truths, the truth of cessation is cessation and the remaining three are not cessation; contrasting real and delusive, delusive dharmas can cease, while real dharmas do not cease. "Whether secret or not secret": discussing this in terms of teaching, great and small are not fixed: either the small teaching is called secret and the great teaching not secret—the small vehicle concealing reality is called secret, while the great teaching revealing reality is called not secret; or the great teaching is called secret and the small teaching not secret—the Mahāyāna being profound and hidden is called secret, while the small vehicle being coarse and obvious is called not secret. "Whether dual or non-dual": discussing this in terms of vehicles, provisionally dividing them into great and small is called "dual," while in reality there is only one Great [Vehicle], which is called "non-dual." "Such various doubts, ask them now" is a general concluding exhortation. "I shall accord with them and cut them off for you" promises to answer.