淨名玄論 1.22

1.22

Question: In examining the intention of the sage, putting an end to suffering is primary; in summarizing the import of the teaching, opening up the path is fundamental. As for the emergence of nonduality, what illness does it cure? Answer: Speaking generally, it is to obliterate the arising of mind and the stirring of thought, causing one to awaken to non-attainment and non-reliance; therefore, saṃsāra takes grasping characteristics as its source, while nirvāṇa takes non-attachment as its foundation. In terms of different persons, there are generally three classes: first, the delusions of ordinary beings; second, the toils of the Lesser Vehicle; third, the afflictions of bodhisattvas. The delusions of ordinary beings are what are called craving and views: the ninety-six heterodox systems have their various views swirling about, while householders celebrate birth and harbor greed and craving. Therefore, this gate states that self and what belongs to the self are dual; knowing these two are nondual is called entering the gate of nonduality: this refers to breaking down views. Eye and form are dual; knowing that the eye is fundamentally empty, greed and defilement do not arise: this is breaking down craving. Gates such as these are called breaking down the delusions of ordinary beings. For those of the Lesser Vehicle, when the outflow-free understanding arises, it eradicates this craving and these views; this contemplation of arising and ceasing is called the affliction of the two vehicles. Therefore, this gate now states that arising and ceasing are dual; when delusions fundamentally do not arise, now they also do not cease: this is called entering the Dharma gate of nonduality. Third, as for the people who are bodhisattvas, they consider the śrāvakas to have small minds, while the bodhisattvas practice the great path; the Lesser Vehicle breaks only the two turnings, while the great beings completely overturn the five entrenchments. To abandon the small and grasp the great is called the affliction of the bodhisattva. Therefore, this gate now states that the śrāvaka mind and the bodhisattva mind are dual; penetrating these two as having no duality is called entering the gate of nonduality. Question: These gates all universally obliterate all dualities; why then do they separately break down these three persons? Answer: This sūtra builds the great path of equality and throws open the grand gate of nonduality; there is no entanglement it does not level, no person it does not transform. Therefore, the 'Upāya Chapter' breaks down those ordinary beings, the 'Disciples Chapter' addresses the small path, and the 'Bodhisattvas Chapter' reproaches great views. Afterwards, it gathers these three persons to return together to the single path. Now, one awakens to being neither ordinary nor noble, neither great nor small, and only then, in accordance with conditions, acts as great or small, adapting to transform the noble and the ordinary. In tracing back the origin of ordinary and noble, how could ordinary and noble be capable of it? Truly it is because one is neither ordinary nor noble that one can be ordinary and can be noble. Question: Which gate subsumes the breaking down of these three persons? Answer: Although the three illnesses are different, they are all equally dualities; therefore, they all belong to the first gate. For this reason, the first gate successively obliterates all phenomena; thereafter, from the first gate one turns and enters the second, and from the second one turns and enters the third, thus equaling the silence of Vimalakīrti and matching Śākyamuni's closing of his chamber—how could the great resolve of the armor not be fulfilled!