維摩義記 1.72.1

1.72.1

Or they may be divided into five, as in the five dharmas of the Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra. Name, appearance, deluded discrimination, correct knowledge, and suchness are those five dharmas. Name, appearance, and deluded discrimination are the dharmas of saṃsāra. Name and appearance are the objective sphere of saṃsāra: the substantial essence of the objective sphere lacks reality, being only nominal existence, and is thus called 'name'; the distinct differences in phenomenal aspects are called 'appearance'; deluded discrimination is the affective consciousness of saṃsāra. Correct knowledge and suchness are the dharmas of nirvāṇa: correct knowledge can realize, and suchness is that which is realized. Furthermore, as in the five dharmas explained below in the context of Kātyāyana, they are also five. There, within saṃsāra, impermanence, suffering, emptiness, and non-self are expounded, and nirvāṇa is expounded as one; hence together they make five. What is the difference between emptiness and non-self that requires them to be divided into two? According to the Abhidharma, the essence of the skandhas not being the self is called non-self, and the skandhas not being what belongs to a self is explained as emptiness. If according to the Chengshi lun, the emptiness of sentient beings is called emptiness, while the emptiness of the essential nature of dharmas is explained as non-self. Therefore in that treatise, contemplation of the emptiness of sentient beings is called 'emptiness,' because it comprehensively dispels the sixteen souls (puruṣa); contemplation of the emptiness of dharmas is called the practice of non-self. If according to this sūtra, the emptiness of sentient beings is called non-self, as the text below states: 'Sentient beings are the site of awakening, because one knows non-self.' The emptiness of dharmas is called emptiness, as the text below states: 'All dharmas are the site of awakening, because one knows that all dharmas are empty.' Because there is this distinction, they are separately divided into two. Thus, as explained here, saṃsāra is expounded as impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and impurity, and combined with nirvāṇa as one, there are therefore six kinds. Or they may be divided into eight, as explained in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra: within the dharmas of saṃsāra, impermanence, suffering, non-self, and impurity are expounded; in nirvāṇa, permanence, bliss, self, and purity are expounded; these are the eight. Or they may be explained as ten: saṃsāra is expounded as impermanence, suffering, emptiness, non-self, and impurity; nirvāṇa is expounded as permanence, bliss, self, purity, and the meaning of existence; hence together there are ten. Or they may be explained as sixteen, as explained in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra: nirvāṇa has eight—permanence, bliss, self, purity, reality, goodness, and existence; contrasting with nirvāṇa, saṃsāra also has eight; hence there are sixteen. If expanded, they are immeasurable; here, based on one approach, six are temporarily explained. Among the preceding five dharmas of saṃsāra, [the text] first teaches impermanence, next teaches contemplation of suffering, next teaches contemplation of emptiness, next teaches contemplation of non-self, and finally teaches contemplation of impurity. In clarifying impermanence: 'This body is impermanent' refers to the impermanence of arising. The allotment of birth has just arisen, and hence it is called 'impermanent.' 'Without strength' refers to old age; because in old age vigor is lost, it is called 'without strength.' 'Without power' refers to illness; because illness strips away strength and power, it is said to be 'without power.' 'Without firmness' refers to death; its nature is not firm and solid, and it is easily destroyed. This is coarse impermanence. 'A dharma that quickly rots' refers to momentary impermanence. Passing away and being extinguished moment by moment is called 'a dharma that quickly rots.' 'Unreliable' summarizes and reveals its fault. The characteristics of the body being like this, worldly people consider it permanent, but it is unreliable. In clarifying suffering, it first directly discriminates it. From 'Such a body' onward, it reveals its fault with reference to wisdom. In the preceding direct discrimination: 'is suffering' refers to suffering of the mind; 'is affliction' refers to the gathering of diseases, which is suffering of the body. Affliction is external suffering, being pressed and distressed by adverse conditions; the gathering of diseases is internal suffering. In the subsequent revealing of its fault with reference to wisdom: 'Such a body' reiterates the aforementioned suffering body. Stating that it is 'what the wise do not rely upon' means that the buddhas, worthy ones, and noble ones, who are people of clear wisdom, ultimately do not depend on or rely upon such a suffering body. In clarifying emptiness, there are ten distinct phrases. The first five treat the five skandhas individually, as the Avataṃsaka-sūtra says: form is like a mass of foam, feeling is like a water bubble, perception is like a mirage, karmic formations are like a plantain tree, and consciousness is viewed as like an illusion. In the text, the initial statement, 'The body is like a mass of foam, which cannot be grasped or rubbed,' is that skandha of form. 'This body is like a bubble, unable to stand long,' is that skandha of feeling. 'This body is like a mirage, born of thirst and craving,' is that skandha of perception. 'Mirage' refers to a sun-mirage, floating and fluctuating similarly to shimmering vapor, and hence the Avataṃsaka-sūtra speaks of it as shimmering vapor. 'The body is like a plantain tree, with no firmness inside,' is that skandha of karmic formations. Like a plantain tree, whose many leaves wrap around one another with no solid core inside, karmic formations are also like this: various mental factors gather together to form karmic formations, with no substantial reality inside. 'This body is like an illusion, arising from inverted views,' is that skandha of consciousness. Just as the worldly phenomenon of illusion arises falsely dependent upon objects, consciousness is also like this, arising falsely dependent upon dharmas. The latter five clarify emptiness comprehensively with regard to the five skandhas. Among them, the first three discern emptiness with reference to the supporting conditions, while the latter two phrases reveal emptiness with reference to the impermanence of the body's essential nature. Among the first three, 'This body is like a dream, falsely perceived' clarifies the unreality of the body with reference to what it relies upon. This body arises reliant upon the deluded conscious mind, just as a body in a dream arises reliant upon the sleeping mind, meaning that it arises reliant upon the deluded mind of the seventh consciousness. 'This body is like a shadow, manifested from karma' clarifies the unreality and falsity of the body with reference to its cause. The body is born from past good and bad karma; karma is like the physical form and the body is like the shadow, and hence it is taken as a metaphor. 'This body is like an echo, belonging to causes and conditions' clarifies the deceptive falsity of the body with reference to its conditioning factors. The body is born from past defilements as conditions, and it also depends on present conditions of parents' essence and blood and food and drink to be formed; conditions are like the sound, and the form is like the echo. In the latter two phrases, emptiness is revealed through the impermanence of nature. 'The body is like a floating cloud, destroyed in an instant'—this phrase raises the impermanence of distinct lifespans to reveal emptiness. 'This body is like lightning, not staying for a moment' reveals true emptiness through momentary impermanence. In non-self, there are eight distinct phrases: the first five phrases reveal non-self with reference to the four great elements, and the latter three phrases discern non-existence in accordance with their characteristics. Among the first five, the initial four reveal non-self specifically through metaphors of the four great elements, and the last one reveals non-self generally through the dharmas of the four great elements. Among the initial four, 'This body has no master, being like the earth' means that many dust particles combine to provisionally form earth; although earth bears and sustains, it lacks a master. The body is also like this: provisionally formed from many dharmas, although it has function, it lacks a master. 'This body has no self, being like fire' means that self is substantial essence, and self is autonomous function. When fire obtains grass and wood, it burns and consumes them autonomously, seeming to have the function of a self, yet lacking the reality of a self. Sentient beings are like this: although they have function, they lack the reality of a self. 'This body has no lifespan, being like wind' means that continuity is called lifespan; although wind continuously overturns mountains and moves peaks, it has no one who lives. The body is also like this: although it continues from here to there, it has no one who lives.