淨名玄論 1.56

1.56

Question: This sūtra directly clarifies the Dharma gate of nonduality; why then do you explain the dharmakāya and the Buddha-nature? Answer: The sūtras and treatises cited above clarify that sentient beings are the Buddha, which is termed nonduality. Drawing upon this meaning, we distinguish Buddha-nature and dharmakāya: because sentient beings are the Buddha, the six destinies are themselves the dharmakāya. For the deluded, it is constantly otherwise; hence, being concealed, it is called Buddha-nature. Question: The chapter "The Dharma Gate of Nonduality" clarifies that sentient beings and the Buddha are both empty, and therefore speaks of nonduality. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā clarifies that both saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are unobtainable. One thus knows that saṃsāra is itself nirvāṇa, which elucidates the emptiness of paramārtha-satya. How does this distinguish Buddha-nature and the dharmakāya? Answer: If one sees saṃsāra and nirvāṇa as two, it is therefore called saṃsāra. If one realizes that these two fundamentally have no duality, it is therefore called nirvāṇa. Since this is so for the two dharmas of saṃsāra and nirvāṇa, it is also so for the two persons of sentient beings and the Buddha. If one sees sentient beings and the Buddha as two, one is called a sentient being. If one realizes there is neither Buddha nor sentient beings, this is being a Buddha. Therefore, the Dharma gate of nonduality allows one to distinguish dharmakāya and Buddha-nature. Question: In the gate of nirvāṇa one may speak of the concealment and manifestation of Buddha-nature, and the dharmakāya as eternal. How could the fundamental teaching of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra already clarify the doctrine of cessation? Answer: Below, it states: "I contemplate the dharmatā of the body, and contemplate the Buddha likewise." This clarifies that the dharmakāya transcends the hundred negations and in essence contains the myriad virtues; how could it merely clarify emptiness? Emptiness may transcend the hundred negations, but how could paramārtha-satya contain the myriad virtues? Examining it with this, clarifying the meaning of nonduality is precisely the meaning of Buddha-nature and the dharmakāya. Furthermore, if one claims that this sūtra does not clarify the eternity of the dharmakāya, why does it again state that the Buddha's body is uncontaminated, with all contaminations having been extinguished, and that the Buddha's body is asaṃskṛta, not falling into enumeration? When contaminations are extinguished, there are no further contaminations; being asaṃskṛta means neither arising nor ceasing—is this not eternal? Moreover, it states: "It is only on account of conventional designations that the three times exist, not that bodhi has past, future, or present." The former passage distinguishes the dharmakāya as asaṃskṛta, while this sentence clarifies the eternal abide of bodhi. Verifying this through these two passages, the teachings of the five periods collapse into dust, and the theories of the four tenets shatter like tiles; one should discard old delusions and together dwell in nonduality.