大般涅槃經疏 12.4

12.4

此品意有四：一次第者，上〈性品〉明字下之理，此品明理上之字，答上問云何解滿字及與半字義。前問名字功德，正論此經，專解出世上上滿字；今品通論眾教，若半若滿、世間出世間上上等文字。開密者，他解：無常為半、常為滿。興皇彈云：如樝梨兩片，是半邊之滿。他又解：昔說無常不名為滿，今教具說常與無常是故名滿。又彈：若以常足無常者，一片梨足半片樝；應為一果者，此是足滿。興皇解：涅槃佛性之體，非常非無常，常無常具足，故名為滿。今明彼家彈舊，或為半邊、或為足滿。自說非常非無常，常無常為滿者，此亦是樝梨柹栗四片合為一果。今依此品，開一切字悉是滿字，文云「如來出世能滅半字，是故汝今應離半字，隨逐滿字，於一切法無閡無著。」本對半明滿，既無有半亦復無滿，當知字非字。以無字為滿字，文云「半字是諸經書記論文章根本。又半字是煩惱言說根本。」又云「滿字是善法根本。一切善法言論根本，異論呪術一切文字，悉是佛說非外道說。」當知佛所說者悉是內道正法，此以正法而為滿字。又云「若解文字能令眾生口業清淨。佛性不爾，不假文字然後清淨，佛性自淨。」當知諸字悉是佛性，佛性非字非非字，而能字能非字，故稱滿字。雖有三義，勿作三解。即字無字、無字即字，亦即非字非非字，具足無缺、不縱不橫，爾乃名滿。譬如金銀種種等寶，同入爐冶，俱成一器而種種不失，亦名種種亦名於一，一即種種、種種即一，亦復非一非種種而一而種種。開一一字悉是佛性。法性法界亦復如是，包一切字，不得一字一切字而具一字一切字，豈隔半邊而非滿字？是則名為開祕說滿。從此立名，名文字品。

The intention of this chapter has four aspects. First, as for sequence: the preceding "Chapter on the Nature" clarified the principle underlying the letters, while this chapter clarifies the letters atop the principle, answering the previous question of how to understand the meaning of full letters and half letters. The earlier question concerned the meritorious virtues of the name, directly discussing this sūtra and exclusively explaining the supramundane supreme full letters; the present chapter broadly discusses all teachings, whether half or full, worldly or supramundane, supreme written letters and the like. Disclosing the esoteric: another interpretation explains impermanence as half and permanence as full. Xīnghuáng criticized this, saying: Like two slices of hawthorn and pear, this is a fullness of half a side. That other also explained: In the past, preaching impermanence was not called full; the present teaching completely expounds permanence and impermanence, and therefore it is called full. He again criticized: If one supplements impermanence with permanence, one slice of pear supplements half a slice of hawthorn to make one fruit; this is a supplemented fullness. Xīnghuáng explained: The essence of nirvāṇa and buddhadhātu is neither permanent nor impermanent, yet it is fully replete with permanence and impermanence, hence it is called full. We now clarify that his school's criticisms of the old interpretations make it either half-sided or supplemented fullness. In his own exposition that neither-permanent-nor-impermanent and permanence-and-impermanence constitute full, this is also joining four slices of hawthorn, pear, persimmon, and chestnut into one fruit. Now, relying on this chapter, we disclose that all letters are entirely full letters. The text states: "When the Tathāgata appears in the world, he is able to extinguish half letters; therefore, you should now leave half letters, follow full letters, and have no obstruction and no attachment toward all dharmas." Originally full was clarified in contrast to half; since there is no half, there is also no full—one should know that letters are non-letters. Taking non-letters as full letters, the text says: "Half letters are the root of all treatises, scriptures, records, and compositions. Furthermore, half letters are the root of the verbal expressions of afflictions." It also says: "Full letters are the root of wholesome dharmas. The root of all discourses on wholesome dharmas, heterodox treatises, incantations, and all written letters are entirely spoken by the Buddha, not by non-Buddhists." One should know that what the Buddha expounds is entirely the orthodox Dharma of the inner path; this takes the orthodox Dharma as full letters. It also says: "If one understands written letters, one can cause sentient beings' vocal karma to become pure. Buddhadhātu is not like this; it does not depend on written letters to afterward become pure—buddhadhātu is naturally pure." One should know that all letters are entirely buddhadhātu; buddhadhātu is neither letters nor non-letters, yet it is capable of being letters and capable of being non-letters, hence it is called full letters. Although there are three meanings, do not make three separate interpretations. Identical to letters is non-letters; non-letters are identical to letters; they are also identical to neither-letters-nor-non-letters, fully replete without lack, neither vertical nor horizontal—only then is it called full. It is like gold, silver, and various other treasures entering the furnace together and all becoming a single vessel, yet the various kinds are not lost; it is called various kinds and also called one; the one is identical to the various, and the various are identical to the one; furthermore it is neither one nor various, yet one and various. Disclosing every single letter to be entirely buddhadhātu—dharmatā and the dharmadhātu are also like this, encompassing all letters; one cannot find a single letter or all letters, yet it is replete with a single letter and all letters. How could it be partitioned into half a side and not be full letters? This is called disclosing the secret and expounding the full. From this its title is established, named the "Chapter on Written Letters."