維摩經略疏垂裕記 7.196

7.196

Second, clarification through questions and answers, in two parts: first, the question; second, the answer, in two parts: first, generally clarifying Jagatdhara's provisional bestowal; second, specifically discerning by contrasting the three meanings, in two parts: first, directly clarifying the three meanings, in two parts: first, the explanation, in three parts: first, phenomena and principle. Regarding "first, expedients up to identical suchness": the practitioners of the preceding three teachings all evade phenomena to enter principle. Those of the Tripiṭaka and shared teachings evade birth and death to enter biased truth; those of the special teaching evade the two extremes to enter the mere middle; although the shared teaching evades phenomena with identical results, how could they know that the nature inherently possesses the three thousand [realms], mutually fusing with one another as a single suchness without duality? Regarding "having nothing to discard or take up": since Māra is identical to the Buddha, there is nothing to discard; since the Buddha is identical to Māra, there is nothing to take up. Māra and the Buddha are of one suchness—what impediment could there be? One who contemplates like this is called able to awaken; not being stirred by sensory objects, one is therefore able to subdue them. How could one, hearing that the Buddha is identical to Māra, then seek Māra's methods? One must comprehend that Māra is identical to the Buddha, and thus one is able to subdue them. Wherever mutual identity is spoken of, the intention is to reveal the harmony of the principle. The fundamental purpose of setting out the teachings was originally to cause the abandonment of evil; whether phenomena and principle, true and false, Māra and Buddha, inner and outer, it is so in all cases. Future students should take careful note of this.