大般涅槃經義記 3.255

3.255

In the second part, on practice, delusion and awakening are both clarified. The text has two pairs: first, clarifying the delusion and awakening, gain and loss, of the foolish and the wise; second, clarifying harm and benefit. In the first pair: first delusion, then awakening. In the delusion: 'if one cultivates the dharma of emptiness' directly clarifies the delusion; from 'is called unwholesome...' below, it reveals the loss of this delusion; 'this is unwholesome' generally clarifies the loss of delusion, grasping emptiness and going against the real being called unwholesome. The explanation begins from 'Why?': 'Extinguishing all dharmas' goes against the Buddha's true virtues; stating that cessation is merely the unconditioned state wherein fetters are exhausted, slanderously denying true virtues, is therefore 'extinguishing all.' 'Destroying the tathāgatagarbha' goes against the Buddha's true nature; stating that cessation is merely empty without any reality is the reason one 'destroys the tathāgatagarbha.' From 'cultivating thus...' below, it recapitulates this to conclude the fault. Next, it clarifies awakening. Therein: first, it teaches how to enter it, causing one to awaken and understand; from 'if one generates...' below, it clarifies that awakening entails gain. In the former part: first, the statement 'one who cultivates the cessation of suffering opposes the non-Buddhists' distinguishes the correct from the deviant; knowing that the essence of cessation is the tathāgatagarbha, unlike non-Buddhists who exclusively grasp emptiness, is therefore called 'opposing.' From 'if one says cultivating...' below, it refutes the deviant and reveals the correct: first, it raises the deviant practice of non-Buddhists to refute them analogously; from 'if someone says...' below, it provides correct instruction by means of principle: the essence of the garbha is not empty, and is therefore said to be existent. What are the characteristics of this existence? As the sūtra states, the single truth of the cessation of suffering is the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha is the true conscious mind; within this true mind are fully present all the Buddha-dharmas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges—namely, such dharmas as wisdom, samādhi, supernormal powers, and liberation—just as within the deluded mind are fully present all the afflictive dharmas, numerous as the sands of the Ganges. This mind and these dharmas are of the same essence, neither separate nor distinct. These meanings are fully present within the tathāgatagarbha, and it is therefore called existent. Although the essence of the garbha is existent, it is concealed by delusion and cannot be seen; having cut off afflictions, one will definitely attain it, so it is known to be existent. Just as a person, upon understanding the correct direction after being lost, can then see it, it can therefore be called existent. Below, it clarifies what is attained through awakening: namely, if one generates a mind that knows the garbha, down to even a single thought, through this cause and condition the delusive dharmas of birth and death cannot obstruct it, and one realizes and knows the true dharma of buddha-nature without hindrance; this is called attaining mastery over all dharmas.