大般涅槃經疏 6.5

6.5

Now, in explaining the secret treasury, the text has three parts: first, the analogy of the three dots; second, the analogy of the three eyes; third, matching them with the three virtues. Speaking provisionally of these three passages, they proceed from phenomenon to principle: the three dots are written graphs, which pertains to verbal teaching; the three eyes are the divine eye, which pertains to cultivation and practice; the three virtues are the Buddha-master, which pertains to principle. Furthermore, they are the Buddha-seal that seals teaching and practice: whenever there is verbal expression corresponding to this, it is secret teaching; cultivation and practice corresponding to this is secret practice; realization and attainment corresponding to this is secret principle. Therefore, the explanation in terms of the three is designated principle, teaching, and practice. First, among the three dots, it says "How is it like the worldly letter *i*?" In foreign lands there are both old and new forms of the letter *i*. In the old *i*, the horizontal and vertical are discontinuous and separated from each other; using this to illustrate that: horizontally it is like a row of fire [dots], vertically it is like water droplets, each not continuing one into the other. Being neither horizontal (unlike the row of fire) nor vertical (unlike the water droplets), it should be like the character *xia* (下) written in the grass script of this land, where the fine strokes are interconnected—this is the form of the new *i*. The old *i* can serve as an analogy for the three virtues of the past teachings: the dharmakāya is inherently existent, prajñā is accomplished through cultivation, and only upon entering the [nirvāṇa] without residue is there liberation, with no further body or wisdom—like the vertical water droplets, vertical and separated from each other. Furthermore, in terms of body and wisdom, one partially attains the liberation with residue: horizontally existing at the same time, the three dharmas are distinct from each other, like the horizontal row of fire, each unrelated to the other. The new letter *i* is an analogy for the three virtues of the present teaching: the dharmakāya is identically illumination and identically sovereignty; though designated as one they are three, and because the three have no separate essences, they are not horizontal; because they are neither earlier nor later, they are not vertical. The one is identically the three, like the large dot; the three are identically the one, like the fine strokes: yet three yet one, yet one yet three, they cannot be spoken of as one or three, nor can they be conceived of as one or three, and hence are called inconceivable. What is inconceivable is neither three nor one—it is called the secret treasury, like the worldly letter *i*. This sentence is the foundation of this sūtra: to reveal this meaning, questions and answers are extensively established, resulting in the boundless expansiveness of the twenty-five chapters. If one misses this meaning, one is entirely deluded about the foundation, and where can one find the final refuge? (and so on). Next, explaining in terms of the three eyes: Maheśvara resides at the summit of the form realm and commands the great trichiliocosm; he has one face with three eyes, and three eyes upon one face, which cannot be spoken of simply as one or three, vertical or horizontal, conjoined or distinct; they are able to adorn the divine countenance, make him the lord of the world, and penetrate and illuminate the three thousand [realms]. If they were not vertical or horizontal, the adorning lord's illumination of the world is entirely accomplished. The three virtues are also thus: if vertical, horizontal, conjoined, or distinct, the secret treasury is not established; if neither vertical nor horizontal, the secret treasury is established (and so on). Next, explaining the secret treasury in terms of the three virtues: among the manifold virtues of the fruit-stage, only three are mentioned because the summary encompasses the rest. The body of the dharmakāya is neither form nor formlessness: because it is not form, it cannot be seen through shapes and characteristics; because it is not formlessness, it cannot be known through mental concepts. Although it is not form, form fills the ten directions, the vast and the minute containing each other, neither wide nor narrow; although it is not non-form, it can also be sought, and is able to arouse deep and vast wisdom in sentient beings. Therefore, it is said that the Tathāgata's form is inexhaustible and so forth—this is the virtue of the dharmakāya. Prajñā is neither knowing nor letters: because it is not knowing, it cannot be distinguished by moving thoughts; because it is not letters, it cannot be spoken or inscribed on a sash; nor is it non-knowing or non-letters: because it is not non-knowing, it is not the same as ash-like extinction; because it is not non-letters, it is not the same as one-sided emptiness. Although it is not knowing, there is nothing it does not illuminate, the three truths brightly evident throughout, the ultimate realm of the Buddha clarifying both ordinary and sage alike; although it is not letters, both the half-word and full-word teachings are complete, and all letters—mundane, supramundane, and supramundane supreme—are completely understood, the dharmadhātu flowing forth like a hanging river or a surging ocean, inexhaustible. The *Vimalakīrti Sūtra* (*Jingming*) says: "He is able to expound the Dharma with a single voice, / and sentient beings understand each according to their kind; / each thinks that the World-Honoured One speaks their own language— / this is the divine power, the unshared dharma." This is the virtue of prajñā. Liberation is neither commotion nor quiescence, neither bound nor liberated: because it is not bound, the five entanglements cannot tie it down; because it is not liberated, the ten wisdoms cannot render it empty. Being not liberated yet liberated, it is not restrained by the two extremes, as expounded in the hundred phrases on liberation; being not bound yet bound, it is bound for the sake of the dull, the foolish, the perverse, the ignorant, the icchantikas, and the non-Buddhists, and therefore there are the practice of illness and the infant-like practice; abiding in the śūraṅgama[-samādhi], it manifests good and evil, and wherever it tames sentient beings, even if base, it must bestow [teachings]—like a physician curing illness, like a lotus in water unstained and unattached—this is named the virtue of liberation. The Buddha's bodily actions are embraced by the inconceivable dharmakāya; the Buddha's verbal actions are embraced by inconceivable prajñā; the Buddha's mental actions are embraced by inconceivable liberation. Therefore, one knows that the three virtues encompass all virtues. Furthermore, the *Large Perfection of Wisdom Sūtra* (*Dapin*) calls them: "purity of form is purity of prajñā; purity of feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness is purity of prajñā." The *Lotus Sūtra* speaks of the "adornment of the Tathāgata" and also speaks of the "purity of the six sense faculties." Synthesizing the diverse statements of the various sūtras, all are gathered within the three virtues. Encompassing the general and the particular, embracing phenomena and principle, collecting the broad by means of the brief does not go beyond the three virtues; if biased toward the vertical, horizontal, conjoined, distinct, one, or different, none of these is the secret treasury. The text says: "The dharmakāya is also not [it], prajñā is also not [it], liberation is also not [it]; neither vertical nor horizontal, neither conjoined nor distinct, the three and the one mutually identical, the immeasurable within the one, the one within the immeasurable, that which is neither one nor immeasurable—this is named the secret treasury."