大般涅槃經疏 9.4

9.4

'Four' is a number. 'Marks' means: as the sūtra discloses and distinguishes with four kinds of marks, the Great Nirvāṇa is clearly visible; hence its name is established from this. The preceding questions and answers all contained the three virtues, but their meaning was brief and unmanifest. This chapter answers the question: 'We pray the Buddha will uncover the subtle and secret, and expound it broadly for sentient beings.' It clarifies the four marks to explain prajñā, clarifies the three secrets to explain the dharmakāya, and clarifies the hundred phrases to explain liberation. Now explaining prajñā, it takes its title accordingly, hence it is called 'Four Marks'. Question: 'We pray the Buddha will uncover the subtle and secret,' and it also says, 'expound the secret.' What are 'uncovering' and 'expounding'? Older explanations say: Formerly, the dharmakāya and prajñā were taught without liberation; now nirvāṇa is uncovered as completely possessing the three virtues. This only explains 'uncovering', and does not clarify 'expounding'. Kāishàn says: The four marks answer uncovering the secret; manifesting illness answers expounding the secret. This points out the two passages, but does not determine their difference. Xīnghuáng says: Treated vertically, it is uncovering; treated horizontally, it is expounding. Formerly, the constant was covered by impermanence; now, impermanence is covered by the constant: they mutually cover one another, both past and present being concealments. Kāśyapa requested the Buddha to uncover, and the Buddha explained that both teachings, past and present, are skillful means of the two functions of nirvāṇa, together manifesting neither-constant-nor-impermanent. Furthermore, formerly the three dots were impermanent; now they are uncovered as constant. The former teaching straightforwardly said that righting oneself and righting others are the four marks; now they are uncovered as prajñā. Formerly, it straightforwardly said this body took a consort and fathered a son; now it is uncovered as the dharmakāya. Formerly, it spoke of conditioned liberation, which is the cognitive capacity of the mental ground above wisdom; now it is uncovered as liberation. These three are all constant and are all skillful means of nirvāṇa; this is vertically clarifying the marks of uncovering the subtle and secret. If explained horizontally: Formerly he wished to speak of the constant but could not speak of it, because of perverse views of constancy; now he first speaks of the constant, fully endowed with both functions. A later passage says: 'Formerly I spoke of remainder, like a river meandering; now I speak of without remainder, like a river not meandering.' Past and present complement each other to jointly reveal the one path; this is horizontally expounding the marks of the subtle and secret. This interpretation is not correct. The four propositions—constant, impermanent, both constant and impermanent, and neither constant nor impermanent—all conceal the correct principle. Therefore the Treatise says: 'The prajñāpāramitā cannot be grasped at any of the four extremes, because of burning by the fire of wrong views.' Furthermore, these four propositions are all gates of skillful means, like a king's secret words which only a wise minister can understand. Furthermore, these four propositions counteract the four attachments. Furthermore, these four propositions are all correct principle; hence it is said: 'Among all dharmas, all have the nature of peace and bliss.' If so, they all mutually cover one another; why say only that the constant and impermanent mutually cover one another, without mentioning the other two? When discussing their skillful means, why say only that the constant and impermanent are the two functions, while the other two are not skillful means? When discussing uncovering the secret, why say only that neither-constant-nor-impermanent is uncovered, without uncovering the other three propositions? This one-sided view collapses on its own, and the points between them are resolved together; one may reflect on this oneself. Now we explain: The four propositions all mutually conceal one another and are universally secret; the four propositions mutually remedy one another and are universally skillful means; the four propositions are identical to principle, can all uncover the secret, and are all named nirvāṇa. Understanding like this is called 'uncovering the secret'; expounding like this is called 'expounding the secret'. We may further distinguish them with the four propositions: There are uncovering without expounding, expounding without uncovering, both uncovering and expounding, and neither uncovering nor expounding. In terms of one's own practice, it is uncovering; teaching others is expounding. Clarifying both self and other is both uncovering and expounding; neither self nor other is neither uncovering nor expounding. The present four propositions encompass ordinary beings and sages, and are not confined solely to the Buddha. Furthermore, each and every proposition separately discusses uncovering and expounding: in one's own practice, revealing principle is called uncovering, and speaking of one's own realization is called expounding. Within expounding, there are two: distinguishing the characteristics of dharmas is called uncovering—such as dividing nirvāṇa into four marks being called uncovering the secret—and broadly expounding the general path is called expounding. Xīnghuáng only grasped this one phrase. In practicing for oneself and transforming others there are two: causing others to attain what one has attained oneself is called uncovering, and bestowing one's own Dharma upon others is called expounding. In neither self nor other there are also two: reaching the place of no reaching is called uncovering, and eternally having nothing to declare is called expounding. Distinguishing uncovering the secret and expounding the secret in this manner, their marks of distinction are also without distinction. Older commentators say: This chapter clarifies the three secrets and does not clarify the three virtues. Others also say: This chapter clarifies the three virtues and does not clarify the three secrets. Yet others say: Merely clarifying the three secrets uncovers the three virtues—uncovering the oral secret is prajñā, uncovering the bodily secret is the dharmakāya, and uncovering the mental secret is liberation; these three bases differ, forming three sections. Our school now uses these three sections to parse the text. However, calling them the three secrets also implies mutual containment, but judging by the predominance, they are determined as the three secrets.