維摩經略疏 9.69

9.69

How does this differ again?
Answer: If one has not awakened in the shared teaching and forms this conception, it is an explanation according to sentiment. If one has awakened to the truth, it is an awakening to the partial truth gate of conceivable non-arising and non-ceasing, not the gate of the non-dual Middle Way. Now, the clarification here of neither arising nor ceasing is completely different from what was discussed above. Summing it up, ordinary beings are arising; hence the Mahāsaṃnipāta says: 'Leaving dharmas to collect the mind.' Ordinary beings, relying on contaminated dhyāna, return to receive birth-and-death. The nirvāṇa realized by the two vehicles and the shared teaching is equally ceasing, as below: 'extinguishing dharmas to collect the mind.' Now, clarifying non-arising is not [the arising of] ordinary beings; non-ceasing is not the ceasing of the nirvāṇa of the two vehicles. It directly refutes the nirvāṇa realized by the two vehicles, extinguishing it in the conjured city; unlike the shared teaching, it refutes what the sages have attained. Ordinary beings undergo delimited birth, and the two vehicles receive the retribution of transformation. Now, entering the gate of non-duality is departing from these two extremes, taking the Middle Way as the gate. Therefore Nāgārjuna's verse says: 'Although not yet free from the ground of death, one is considered already freed.' If explained according to the shared teaching, the bodhisattva has already severed the principal afflictions and what remains is undergoing birth; this is out of compassion for beings, not one's own actual retribution, so it is said 'already freed.' If according to the intent of the distinct teaching, having already severed delimited [birth-and-death] and encroached upon and eliminated fundamental ignorance, one is freed fraction by fraction; those who are 'not yet freed' are so because they have not yet avoided remaining births.