涅槃玄義發源機要 1.2

1.2

Now, nirvāṇa has no spatial boundary, and Buddha-nature has no substantial essence; yet bodhisattvas view it and call it provisional, the two vehicles view it and call it empty, and ordinary people use it daily without knowing it. Thus the way of the Tathāgata is rare indeed. In ancient times Śākyamuni, the Great Awakened One, took pity on the unawakened capacities of the multitudes; thereupon, gazing up at the wonderful principle and looking down to establish auspicious titles, the sūtra of the perfect and eternal was thereupon produced. Its essence is to point to the mind through words; once the hare is caught, the snare is forgotten, knowing neither limit nor boundary. When the era of the sage receded ever farther and people's faculties grew gradually dull, the great beings of the four reliances composed commentaries on it; but the simple-minded were still unable to understand its purport, and so human teachers expounded it with subcommentaries, so that through the subcommentaries they might understand the commentaries, through the commentaries know the sūtra, and through the sūtra realize the principle—and thus the principle is penetrated. Which is the sūtra? Which is the commentary? Which is the subcommentary? Merged into one, the way of the Tathāgata returns before going far. If one examines their efficacy, then the subcommentary comes first in opening and inspiring. Therefore, among those who hold the brush and establish words, it is truly difficult to find the right person. I have once attempted to discuss this: whoever wishes to resolve past doubts and clear future blockages must surely depend on discernment, learning, and talent. Without discernment, how could one take the perfect principle as the source and decide right and wrong? Without learning, how could one comprehend diverse teachings and master the discourse of principles? Without talent, what is said will lack literary refinement and will not travel far. Only when these three are complete can one speak of editing with the brush. This profound commentary was composed by Dharma Master Zhang'an, who drew upon the purport of Zhizhe and expounded the cardinal tenets of Nāgārjuna to unfold the intention of the sūtra. Among ancient authors, none could rival him. I, Zhiyuan, am unaccomplished; my discernment is dim, my learning scanty, and my talent short; hence I am not one to establish words. Yet, privately reflecting that this text might fall into neglect and the path of transmission cease, I thereupon analyzed the principle, resolved perplexities, and recorded them with the brush, producing the Xuanji (Notes on the Profound Meaning) in two fascicles and the Shuji (Notes on the Commentary) in twenty fascicles. The text is shallow and the meaning roundabout, with truly nothing worth taking. My intention is to await a future person of penetration like Jingxi, who, offended by my errors, will wield a great brush, display elegant prose, and illuminate it—so that this sūtra and this commentary may shine brightly in their time, guiding infinite capacities to enter the secret treasury. Would that achievement not then originate from me? Now, the title of the sūtra displays the great principle. The text of the sūtra analyzes the manifold meanings. The manifold meanings arise from the great principle. For example, if one observes the tracing of the source, one will surely know that its streams are many; if one scoops up the many streams, one will surely know that their source is one. Therefore, the five meanings of the Profound Meaning and the five gates of the commentary generally elucidate this purport, causing the great principle and the manifold meanings, the general and the particular, to interpenetrate without going beyond the three virtues. These three virtues are truly what all buddhas have realized and what all sentient beings possess; sentient beings and buddhas are non-dual, returning together to the mind. If so, then the generality of the opening title and the particulars of the chapters and fascicles are within my own mind; how could they be external things? When I previously composed the subcommentary on the commentary, I named it Zhigui (Pointing to the Source) so that by means of the particular one might recognize the general. Now I title this subcommentary on the Profound Meaning Fayuan (Tracing the Source) so that by means of the general one might distinguish the particular. This merely praises and elaborates upon the subtle intention of the commentator; how could it be an ancient [tradition] initiated by myself? Moreover, this Profound Meaning everywhere uses the words of the sūtra to form its composition; quoting them fully would make the text cumbersome, while abbreviating them would leave the meaning deficient. For this reason, roughly citing the sūtra's text to briefly support the great meaning is why it is called "Essentials" (Jiyao). May the accomplished persons of our lineage not fault me for being brash and simple. If there is anything worthy of view, do not conceal it. At the time of the holy Song dynasty, in the seventeenth year of the third generation of the Son of Heaven's reign, the seventh year of the Dazhong Xiangfu reign era, the year yiyin, in the first month, just after the full moon [1014 CE], Śramaṇa Zhiyuan, courtesy name Wuwai, of Qiantang, finished writing this preface in the abbot's quarters of Chongfa Temple on Mount Daci.