涅槃玄義發源機要 3.2.5

3.2.5

It is in terms of being received [and guided] to see the Middle that the two truths are set forth. Under "Now, to clarify [the orthodox position]," before clarifying the orthodox meaning, it first refutes the ancient masters' mutual attacks among their various interpretations; thus it says, "Chasing after [one another], disputing views thus arose, / The water was stirred, the wondrous principle [became murky], and the pearl was obscured." Under "However, the principle...," the text has two parts: first, clarifying that the principle is neither gradual nor sudden; next, under "[Though] there are causes and conditions...," clarifying the gradual and sudden. According to the capacities and according to the principle, it differs from the partisan assertions; according to the capacities, it differs from the objecting adversaries. How could it correspond to the principle? For only when one understands in accord with the principle is it called wisdom; if wisdom does not correspond to the principle, it is entirely a heterodox grasping. Under "Like a square...," it is like inserting a square mortise into a round handle: the words do not fit together. Under "Not seeing...," 'not seeing' is stated in terms of principle; 'not obtaining' is stated in terms of wisdom: both are neither gradual nor sudden. Subject and object are identical, so it is without seeing and without obtaining, yet seeing and obtaining. Regarding the intent in clarifying the central theme: this refers to the previous text stating, "First refuting impermanence and cultivating permanence," which means using the perfect to receive the small and receive the shared [teachings]; "next, with the mind of great nirvāṇa cultivating impermanence, and next cultivating permanence," which means the sequential meaning of the separate [teaching]; "afterwards, directly within impermanence cultivating permanence," which refers to persons of the perfect and sudden [teaching]. Although the three are not the same, they all take permanence as their essential theme and equally return to the fruit of permanence. Thus the former two are sudden-gradual, while the latter one is sudden-sudden. Since what is received—the tripiṭaka, shared, and separate stages in sequence—has already converged, it reveals that the former teaching is the gradual-sudden within the sudden category; that is, within the undifferentiated gradual there are differences. Hence it was said before: "distinction within the indistinguishable." Because both understanding and practice are sudden, it is named "sudden-sudden." As for "this is the indeterminate contemplation": together with the previous two phrases and the subsequent gradual-gradual, these are the three kinds of calming and contemplation. Under "Gradual further...," this means that in terms of the gradual-gradual phrase, it further opens into four. As for the previous text having clarified only three phrases: since here it elaborately unfolds the gradual-gradual, the previous text omitted it. Here, though elaborately unfolding, it still omits three phrases; the earlier and later texts mutually illuminate each other so that all four phrases are complete. "Gradual cultivation and gradual seeing" refers to the cultivation within the tripiṭaka and shared teachings seeing truth. "Gradual cultivation and sudden seeing" refers to before the bhūmis in the separate teaching: gradual cultivation entering the bhūmis is sudden seeing. "Gradual cultivation and sudden-gradual seeing" refers to the separate receiving the shared: receiving and returning to before the bhūmis is still gradual seeing, whereas receiving and returning to entering the bhūmis is sudden seeing. "Gradual cultivation and neither-sudden-nor-gradual seeing" refers to the perfect receiving the shared and separate: differing from the previous three teachings, it is therefore neither sudden nor gradual. "The remaining three can also be understood" means that gradual-sudden, sudden-gradual, and sudden-sudden each also open into four; matching and explaining them according to the gradual, by contemplating them one can know them. Now I shall briefly clarify the four meanings within the sudden-sudden to show later students. In sudden-sudden cultivation, "gradual seeing" means cultivating the perfect and sudden yet manifesting the realms of the three vehicles of the tripiṭaka and shared teachings. In sudden-sudden cultivation, "sudden seeing" means perfect cultivation and perfect manifestation. In sudden-sudden cultivation, "sudden-gradual seeing" means cultivating the perfect and sudden yet manifesting the realm of the bodhisattvas of the separate teaching. In sudden-sudden cultivation, "neither-sudden-nor-gradual seeing" is a double negation in terms of the principle, and it is also the manifestation of the realms of afflictions and the like. "The function of illuminating the objective realm" means that upon the future function there is the capacity to illuminate the objective realm. As for "tongues rotting in their mouths," the historical details are as in the Commentary's Notes. "It should be said that the Tathāgata is definitely unconditioned" means that both essence and function are unconditioned. Under "How suddenly...," it reproves their contradiction of the sūtra. Under "Guangzhai says...," impermanent wisdom refers to the wisdom of ordinary persons, while the permanently abiding realm refers to the Buddha's realm. The meaning is: when ordinary wisdom contemplates the Buddha, it does not follow the Buddha's realm and become permanent; now, when the Buddha's wisdom contemplates ordinary beings, would it follow the realm of ordinary beings and become impermanent? "This also is untenable": as the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says, "If one contemplates the Buddha, prajñā, and nirvāṇa in accord with Dharma, these three are of a single characteristic." Is this not ordinary wisdom following the Buddha's realm to become permanent? If so, then conversely the Buddha's wisdom would follow the conventional realm to become impermanent. "Positing nine periods of time" means that past, present, and future each further divide into three. Desiring to clarify that the Buddha's wisdom is without change, it speaks tentatively in terms of the three periods of the future. Under "There is also the future-present...," 'future' is the coming time. Under "Now then comes...," this means that when the future arrives, the future becomes the present; seen from now it becomes the past, hence it says "and the past." For example, today viewing tomorrow is viewing the future; when tomorrow arrives, today becomes the past. If today one simultaneously knows the affairs of tomorrow, then one completely knows the three periods of time, because today is the present, tomorrow is the future, and tomorrow looking back at today is the past. Since one completely illuminates in a single thought, it does not arise and cease following the objective realm. Under "This also...," it now refutes illumination. "One should know it has already ceased": because the present illumination is currently present, the former wisdom directed toward the future-present has already ceased. "How is it not arising and ceasing?": that is, the wisdom illuminating the future has already perished, and the wisdom illuminating the present has just arisen; this is precisely impermanence. In the text, for "wisdom illuminating the future" [照當智], some write "knowing" [知], which is a textual error. "Retrograde illumination" means contemplating the past in reverse, which is called retrograde illumination. Then we know that the aforementioned school of nine periods of time spoke in terms of the three periods of the future, which is forward illumination. "Flowing along from the beginning": flowing along is the beginning of delusions arising from delusion regarding the true. "The Son of Heaven ascends the throne": the Yiwei says, "The Son of Heaven inherits Heaven to govern all things, changing the governance into a single unity so that each attains what is fitting. Taking Heaven as father and Earth as mother to nourish humanity, it is the most supreme title." "Never matching the objective realm": the essence of the objective realm is constantly illuminating, and the essence of wisdom is also so. If it later does not illuminate, how could it tally with the objective realm? Under "When the Buddha was in the causal stage...," it points to before the bhūmis as being in the causal stage. "Guiding and awakening beginners" means guiding and awakening sentient beings at their initial aspiration; their minds can then horizontally and vertically illuminate and understand, but their power and function are feeble and inferior, unable to be comprehensive and vast; hence it says "several realms and several times." "Several" [數] is in the departing tone; three, four, and five are all called "several." If based on the text below, which says "hundreds, thousands, and ten thousands progressively multiply," then "several" corresponds to ten. "Realms" refers to the ten directions, hence horizontal; "times" refers to the three periods of time, hence vertical. "Hanging a mirror in a high hall": the Lecture Stele by Emperor Yuan of Liang says, "Observe its hanging a mirror in a high hall, with wine vessels at the crossroads awaiting the pour." Those who change "hall" [堂] to "platform" [臺] are incorrect. "The ten thousand things in space": the ten thousand things metaphorize the objective realm, and space metaphorizes the Buddha's wisdom. Under "How much more...," since the three and the one of truth and wisdom are mutually identical, how could the illuminated conventional realm and the illuminating conventional wisdom be impermanent? "Sages in the causal stage" refers to the first bhūmi and above. "Both merging and tallying": 'merging' is stated in terms of unity of essence; 'tallying' is stated in terms of fitting convergence; therefore, the meanings of merging and tallying are twofold and distinct. Under "The second...," this master establishes a doctrine that in turn refutes Kaishan's meaning of unified merging. "Since the two essences are distinct": the Buddha's wisdom possesses knowing, while ultimate truth is devoid of knowing; being and non-being are twofold and different, hence it says "the essences are distinct." Under "How could it...," it reproves Kaishan.