維摩經玄疏 1.85

1.85

Fifth, as for giving rise to the four teachings: this means giving rise to four kinds of expositions of the Dharma from the "four ineffables" to teach four kinds of sentient beings. In this sūtra, "Vimalakīrti remained silent with his mouth closed," which corresponds to the intention of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra in clarifying the "four ineffables." As for the four ineffables: first, that arising arising is ineffable; second, that arising non-arising is ineffable; third, that non-arising arising is ineffable; fourth, that non-arising non-arising is ineffable. These are the four propositions that are ineffable in terms of the mind's conditioned arising and ceasing, identity with emptiness, identity with the provisional, and identity with the middle. Yet that there can be four expositions is entirely due to the conditions of the siddhāntas responding to the four capacities, which makes the four expositions possible. Therefore the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "The Dharma of the ten causal conditions serves as the cause for arising, and can also be spoken of." The Dharma of the ten causal conditions refers to the factors from ignorance up to existence, which are called the ten causal conditions. If one uses the four siddhāntas to respond to these four kinds of capacities conditioned by the ten causal factors, then with respect to the "four ineffables" there are the four teachings of the four expositions. In this regard there are four parts: first, clarifying that the siddhāntas give rise to the Tripiṭaka teaching; second, clarifying that the siddhāntas give rise to the shared teaching; third, clarifying that the siddhāntas give rise to the distinctive teaching; fourth, clarifying that the siddhāntas give rise to the perfect teaching.