涅槃玄義發源機要 2.2

2.2

From the phrase "The text says" onward, this refers to the text of the chapter "The Tathāgata Nature." The "twenty-five states of existence" are the detailed analysis of the six destinies: namely, the four continents, the four destinies, the Heaven of Non-conception, the Anāgāmin Heaven, the six heavens of the desire realm, the Brahmā Heaven, the four dhyāna heavens, and the four formless heavens. Because birth and death do not cease in these twenty-five states of existence, they are collectively called "existence." "I speak of the true self; is it not also the Buddha-nature?"—this is Kāśyapa's question. "He answered" refers to the Buddha's answer: "All sentient beings possess the Buddha-nature; this is the meaning of the self." From the phrase "speaking upon waking" onward: The *Wenxuan* says, "When I speak upon waking, none responds to me." The commentary states, "It means speaking while lying down." Following the sūtra it should be written as 寱 (phonetic *niu-shi*), which means talking in one's sleep. The chapter "The Tathāgata Nature" says: "For example, there were two men who were close friends; one was a prince, and the other was poor and lowly. Seeing that the prince had a fine sword, [the poor man] gave rise to covetous attachment in his heart. Later, the prince took this sword and fled to another country. Afterwards, the poor man lodged at another's house, and in his sleep he babbled, 'Sword! Sword!' A bystander heard it and seized him, bringing him to the king's presence." And so on, until: "The Bodhisattva is also like this: appearing in the world, he expounds the marks of the true self. Having expounded them, he departs, just like the prince who took the sword and fled the country. Ordinary people say that all things have a self, like that poor man lodging in another's house, talking in his sleep, 'Sword! Sword!'" From "Furthermore, poplar" onward: In the "Conduct of an Infant," to stop a small child from crying, yellow leaves of a poplar tree are taken for gold, and so on; taking wooden figures and wooden horses are all for the sake of stopping crying. This metaphor illustrates the thirty-two heavens falsely taking things to be permanence, bliss, self, and purity. The commentary below says: "Leaves symbolize false permanence; gold symbolizes false purity. Men symbolize false self; horses symbolize false bliss." "The six destinies taking the settling of the body and delight, etc.": just as in the cold hells, a warm interval is taken as delight; the remaining destinies may be known accordingly. "Looking toward the Buddha, it is still shared": because it has not yet completely and definitively separated from the birth and death of change. "Neither shared nor separate": this completes the four propositions, and therefore belongs to the double negation. If summarized and clarified, there are only shared and separate: the nine realms are shared, and the Buddha realm is separate; therefore the preceding sentence clarifies the Bodhisattva while saying that looking toward the Buddha, it is still shared. 𤚲 (phonetic *gu-hou*) means to milk a cow. "According to the place to which it flows," etc.: the chapter "The Tathāgata Nature" says, "For example, in the Snow Mountains there is a single-flavored medicinal herb called 'delightful flavor.' For the sake of this herb, a wheel-turning king constructed wooden tubes in various places to catch this medicine. Its flavor was genuine and authentic. After the king passed away, this medicine later became sour, salty, sweet, bitter, pungent, or bland. Although it is thus a single flavor, according to the place to which it flows it has various differences; the true flavor of this medicine remains in the mountain like the full moon." And so on, until: "The secret treasury is also like this: on account of afflictions, various flavors emerge, namely the five destinies and the four castes." The detailed explanation is as in the *Subcommentary*. "Vomiting out this illness": "pour out" means to vomit. From "The text says" onward, it cites the chapter "Ājñāta-Kauṇḍinya." The three kinds of illness are greed, anger, and delusion. The three kinds of medicine are impurity, a mind of loving-kindness, and causes and conditions. Phenomena and principle do not blend, so medicine and illness are mutually absent. "The king again fell ill" refers to the metaphor of the guest physician in the chapter "Lamentation." The king falling ill means that small capacities cling to impermanence as an illness. "Both medicine and illness": because it remedies heterodox permanence, it is called medicine; because it obstructs true permanence, it is called illness. "These are the superior three cultivations": namely, permanence, bliss, and self. The old letter *i* arranged vertically and horizontally symbolizes the inferior three cultivations of impermanence, suffering, and non-self. From "Furthermore, the new" onward: previously, in contrast to the two extremes, the threefold teaching, practice, and principle of the Middle Way all received the name of double negation. Now, contrasting teaching and practice with principle, the teaching and practice of the perfect *i* can remedy the two extremes, and thus receive the name of medicine. The perfect principle is extinguished and obliterated, and therefore belongs to the double negation; hence it speaks of the true dharma, true nature, and so on. "Only possessing permanence and purity," etc.: this is framed according to giving half and taking away half; thus two are granted and two are taken away. If completely taken away, all four virtues are absent, as stated in the commentary below. "It is the habitual tendencies": this means that the distinctions of the Three Jewels are the mind of ignorance. Ignorance is habitual tendencies; the *Vimalakīrti* says, "When residual habits are not exhausted, the flowers cling to one's body." These are unconditioned conditioning habits, not habits within the three realms. "Vertically transcending the nine realms": this refers to one's own practice breaking through the nine to manifest the Buddha realm, which is called vertically transcending; however, it only breaks through the nine realms of phenomena, not the nine realms of nature. "Horizontally gathering all": it horizontally pervades each of those nine realms. "Permanence because of having neither boundary nor bottom": because it horizontally gathers, it has no boundary; because it vertically transcends, it has no bottom. Because he penetrates the boundless and bottomless, he is called a great man. Being a great man himself, he also tames great men; thus it says he can transform and deliver all. Because self and other blend and encompass, it is inconceivable. From "Severing suffering" onward, bliss is also explained in four lines: the first two pertain to severance, and the latter two pertain to wisdom. Among the first two, the former clarifies the function of severance; hence it says "it is bliss because of severing suffering and bliss," which means severing the suffering of birth and death and the bliss of nirvāṇa, thereby attaining the great bliss of the Middle Way. The latter line clarifies the substance of severance; hence it says "it is bliss because of great quiescence," which means that the Middle Way eternally stills the two extremes, and is thus called great quiescence. Among the latter two pertaining to wisdom, the first line clarifies the function of wisdom; hence it says "it is bliss because of knowing all," which means the Middle Way doubly illuminates the two extremes, called knowing all. The latter line clarifies the substance of wisdom; hence it says "it is bliss because the body is permanent," which means knowing clearly and permanently. "Purity of karma" is the general heading. From "Purity of body" onward, all three karmas are pure; using body to encompass speech, it only says "purity of body." Namely, form and mind are non-dual, and both are empty, provisional, and middle; hence both are called pure. From "Therefore" onward is the general conclusion. However, in this text, permanence and bliss each have four lines, self has only one line, and purity has three lines; each follows the convenience of language without any other explanation. "By analogy with the preceding, one should take the principle," etc., refers to the preceding text where the true dharma and true nature are neither medicine nor illness. "Mutually revealing," etc.: previously, negation was clarified with respect to principle; now negation is clarified solely with respect to phenomena. Using the former to analogize the latter, and the latter to analogize the former, it is therefore called mutually revealing. The analysis from the hells on up refers to what was said in "shared and separate": that the six destinies take settling the body and suiting one's nature as peace and bliss. From the non-Buddhists on up refers to what was said in "medicine and illness": that after the elder died, the herds of cattle were plundered. From the two vehicles on up refers to what was said in "great and small": the small is the two vehicles. The "four siddhāntas": this term comes from the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-upadeśa*. *Xi* (siddha) is a Chinese word, and *tan* (dāna) is a Sanskrit word. *Xi* means universal, and *tan* means giving. Because the four dharmas—delighting, generating good, destroying evil, and entering the principle—are universally bestowed upon sentient beings, it is called *siddhānta*. Moreover, Dharma Master Ying says: "Siddhaṃ is translated here as accomplishment. What the treatise calls *siddhānta* is also *siddhaṃ*." According to this, both characters are Sanskrit sounds; therefore, scholars of other traditions sometimes say that Tiantai was not proficient in Chinese and Sanskrit. Yet since ancient times it was also said that both characters are Sanskrit words; how could it be known only in the Tang dynasty? Therefore the *Profound Meaning of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra* says: "*Siddhānta* is a foreign word." Various dharma masters explained it differently: some said it is untranslated because foreign words contain multiple meanings, just as the word *sūtra* contains five meanings and is not definitively translated in this land. Among those with translations, some translate it as 'doctrine,' marking the truth with an ink line, accomplishment, and culmination. Such different translations are not singular, and it is difficult to determine definitively. Nanyue said: This is like *mahā-nirvāṇa*, which is a juxtaposition of both Hu and Han words. Nanyue had personal realization and would not have used it mistakenly, so Tiantai Zhizhe relied on it to interpret the meaning. Furthermore, as with the name of Nāgārjuna, ancient translators all said that both characters were Chinese words, meaning that the dragon produced his dharmakāya and the tree produced his physical body. When it came to the Tang dynasty, it was then said that *nāga* is Chinese and *arjuna* is Sanskrit, in Sanskrit *nāgārjuna*, translated here as Longmeng (Dragon-Valiant). One should know that since Longmeng had the circumstance of his parents praying to a tree, and it also sounded similar to *arjuna*, this led to differing explanations, by analogy with *siddhānta*. Explaining *xi* as 'universal,' even if taken as Sanskrit, should not be erroneous. Just as translating it as 'culmination' also carries the meaning of 'universal.' "Revealing the former ultimate truth": the former teachings of humans and devas and the Hinayana teaching each pointed to the nirvāṇa of their respective teachings as the ultimate truth. Citing mutual absence as proof: this refers to the thirty-fifth fascicle saying, "Where there are cattle, there are no horses; where there are horses, there are no cattle," which is called mutual absence. "Paramārtha-nirvāṇa" is also the same as the first school, taking nirvāṇa as conventional truth. For them, because nirvāṇa is realized through cultivation, it belongs to conventional truth. It cites the *Zhao Treatise* to prove that conventional truth is without name and without mark. Sengzhao has four treatises: first, *On the Immutability of Things*; second, *On the Emptiness of the Unreal*; third, *On Prajñā without Knowing*; fourth, *On the Namelessness of Nirvāṇa*. Here it cites the text of the *Immutability of Things*. "Rivers to the point of not flowing": although earlier and later waves continue one after another, they do not reach each other; their natures each abide, so although pouring forth, they do not flow. "The sun and moon to the point of not revolving": the sun and moon travel across the heavens day and night without stopping, yet also because they each abide, they cannot revolve. From "How could there be" onward, it concludes by revealing that nirvāṇa is without name and without mark. This means that things like rivers, as well as nirvāṇa, are all conventional truth. "Still being the two provisionals of continuity and relativity": because of merging with the real and because ignorance is already exhausted, it does not exist through causal completion; yet because it possesses two provisionals—the provisional of continuing in relation to the real, and the provisional of the mutual relativity of delusion and awakening—it is conventional truth, and therefore has a name. Clinging to the real having a name means that the conventional originally has no name, but establishes names based on the real. Just as the sages at the beginning of the kalpa looked up to the true principle and looked down to establish conventional designations: because the true principle can provide thoroughfare, it was named 'path'; because the true principle is unmoving, it was named 'mountain.' "That which is traversed is non-existent": because what is traversed by the four gates is identically the one biased real, merely preserving the neighbor-to-space particle is called the gate of existence, and analyzing and breaking the neighbor-to-space particle is called the gate of emptiness. Both-and and neither-nor can be known according to the meaning. From "Pointing to Santu" onward, it cites an analogy to conclude and refute. The Three Paths (Santu) are the names of mountains: Mount Taihang, Huanyuan, and the Xiao-Mian mountains. The *Zuo Zhuan* says: "Santu and the Four Sacred Mountains are the perilous places of the Nine Provinces." Some write it as "desolate path" (huangtu), which is an erroneous alteration by later people. When they use the small capacity to explain the great object, it is just like pointing to the perils and obstacles of the Santu Mountains as the level ease of the Place of Jewels. Fish eyes symbolize the small; bright pearls symbolize the great; the import can be known. From "Asking about the ancients" onward, it praises and poses a question. There are three praises and one question: first, praising the excellence of the lineage's Path; second, from "Zhao wrote" onward, praising the lofty literary quality of his writings; third, from "People of the world" onward, praising that he is universally acknowledged past and present. From "What is the meaning" onward is the one question: although possessing these three excellences, when the meaning and purport he explains are compared with our school, which is superior and which is inferior? Therefore it asks, "What is the meaning?" "Commissioned by the age": the letter of Li Ling in the *Wenxuan* says, "All believe in talents commissioned by the age, embracing the abilities of generals and ministers." The commentary says: "Commission means fame; it means his fame spread throughout the era." *Mencius* says: "Every five hundred years a true king must arise, and during that time there must be those renowned in their age." The commentary says: "Renowned in their age refers to talents second only to sages, who can give name to things as they arise and rectify an entire generation, born between sages." "Ascending the hall and entering the inner chamber": those shallow in the Way ascend the hall, while those deep in the Way enter the inner chamber. The *Analects* says: "The Master said: You has ascended the hall, but has not yet entered the inner chamber." "Only Zhao alone": under Master Kumārajīva there were ten philosophers, eight prodigies, and four sages, and Sengzhao was among all of them. Daosheng, Sengzhao, Sengrong, and Sengrui were the four sages; adding Tanying, Daoyan, Huiping, and Daozhao made the eight prodigies; together with Sengchang and Fayao, they were named the ten philosophers. The *Biographies of Eminent Monks* says: "In penetrating understanding, Daosheng and Sengrong were foremost; in subtle disputation, Daozhao and Sengzhao were first." Liu Yimin read the treatises authored by Sengzhao and sighed, "I did not expect that among the monastic robes there would again be a He Pingshu!" From "Vast and magnificent" onward, it means his literary phrasing was overflowing, filling people's ears. The *Analects* says: "When Zhi, the music master, began, and in the finale of the 'Guanju,' how magnificent was the sound that filled the ears!" "Unable to put the scroll down": *shi* means to let go. In the answer, first he humbles himself, generally pointing to the sun and moon in one's bosom as a metaphor for his brilliant penetration. From "Since not" onward, he reproaches himself: since he did not personally receive instruction from Master Zhao, it is difficult for him to perceive the profound import of his dharma gate. From "Drilling and looking up" onward: although not personally receiving it, since the surviving texts exist, by examining their purport, it should also be knowable. "Drilling and looking up": Yan Yuan praised Confucius, saying: "The more I drill into it, the harder it becomes; the more I look up to it, the higher it seems." "Looking through a pipe": the *Zhuangzi* says, "Looking at the sky through a pipe, pointing at the earth with an awl."