維摩經略疏 5.84

5.84

From "Rāhula" below, the third [section] clarifies broadly expounding the Mahāyāna merits of leaving household life for Rāhula; that is to say, all practices are possessed within the unconditioned dharma, which is called the true esoteric practice. The text has two [parts]: first, personal practice; second, transforming others. First, regarding personal practice: this is precisely the correct contemplation of the Middle Way to shatter the Hinayāna's unconditioned nirvāṇa between this shore and the other shore. Why so? The śrāvaka sūtras clarify that nirvāṇa is the other shore, birth-and-death is this shore, and defilement is the midstream; thus, this shore, the other shore, and the midstream are all this shore in the Mahāyāna. If one contemplates the Middle Way and attains the true unconditioned, one does not see this shore, the other shore, or the midstream; that is seeing the Buddha-nature, which is called the true unconditioned. "Free from the sixty-two views": correctly contemplating the Middle Way, one attains the true unconditioned and is free from all views inside and outside the realms. Therefore, the Bodhisattva-bhūmi explains pure dhyāna as "the pure dhyāna free from all views," which conveys this meaning. "Dwelling in nirvāṇa": if one contemplates the Middle Way, one sees the Buddha-nature, dwells in inherently existent nirvāṇa, and accomplishes the inconceivable secret treasury of the three virtues, like the worldly letter i. "Received by the wise": this is adducing the fruit to accomplish the cause. The "wise" refers to the omniscient person; although there is nothing received, the mind merges with the Middle Way, which is called "receiving." "The sphere of action of the noble ones": the Middle Way is the sphere of action of the noble ones. Hence the Dàzhìdù lùn says: "The great path of the perfection of wisdom is that from which buddhas come." Furthermore, "received by the wise" is verifying the fruit by contemplating the Middle Way; "the sphere of action of the noble ones" is cultivating the cause by contemplating the Middle Way. The Middle is neither cause nor fruit, yet it can accomplish the merit of the myriad practices of cause and fruit; this is the true esoteric practice.