淨名玄論 1.59

1.59

Question: Since the principle is the gate, whereby does one gain entrance? Answer: Relying on the teaching of nonduality, one gains access to the principle of nonduality; that is, using the trace to reveal the root, teaching serves as the gate to principle. Question: Teaching should properly serve as the gate; why then is principle taken as the gate? Answer: The text speaks of "entering the Dharma gate of nonduality"; could one say that one merely enters the teaching? It is precisely because one enters the principle that it is called "entering"; therefore, principle is taken as the gate. Question: It is commonly said that the two truths are the gate of teaching, serving to give access to the principle of nonduality. Why not use duality as the gate to nonduality? Answer: There is indeed duality giving access to nonduality, where duality serves as the gate to nonduality. Here, however, it speaks of "entering the Dharma gate of nonduality" and does not speak of entering nonduality from duality; hence duality is not taken as the gate. Question: If the two truths are the gate and one thereby enters the principle of nonduality, then nonduality should also be the gate, and one should enter neither duality nor nonduality. If nonduality is empty and pervasive and is named a gate as its identical essence, then the two truths without obstruction should also be named a gate as duality itself. Answer: As a pervasive analogy, the principle would follow. But because the two truths are not ultimate, one can still enter nonduality from duality. Now, since this nonduality is ultimate, one cannot speak of entering neither duality nor nonduality from nonduality.