淨名玄論 1.36

1.36

Question: At first you established three gates, and later you explained two tracks. Observing Mañjuśrī's words, they seem graceful and refined; but examining their great purport, nonduality is not yet accomplished. Why? The principle of nonduality is explained as ineffable, whereas the teaching that responds to beings has words. The principle that is ineffable cannot have words; the teaching that has words cannot be ineffable. Thus, principle and teaching are utterly contrary—how can it be called nondual? Answer: You understand that nonduality is ineffable, but you have not yet awakened to words being themselves nondual. Therefore, the teaching fills the great chiliocosm without speaking, and its form exhausts the eight extremes without having form. Thus, being ineffable it speaks, yet though speaking it does not speak; being formless it manifests forms, yet though manifesting forms it is formless. This is indeed a single consistency; how could they be utterly contrary? Objection: If words are themselves nondual, then Mañjuśrī's words are constantly silent; if nonduality is itself words, then Vimalakīrti's silence is constantly speaking. The discourse of the three tiers would be confounded, and the talk of the two tracks would be lost. Answer: The discourse and explanation of the three tiers relies on traces to distinguish shallow and deep; the words of the two tracks guide and lead those who have not yet awakened. If one penetrates to the ultimate, then nonduality is constantly speaking, and speech is constantly nondual; there has never not been nonduality, and there has never not been speech. Therefore the Way without duality is first accomplished, and the doctrine of attaining the One is then established.