淨名玄論 4.4

4.4

The treatise says: Having understood the name, one should recognize the central purport. There are four different explanations of this central purport. Some say: Because this sūtra is named "Inconceivable", it takes the inconceivable as its central purport. Setting forth "Vimalakīrti" describes the person capable of preaching; entitling it "Inconceivable" discerns the purport of the sūtra. Hence Master Sengzhao used four phrases to clarify the root of the inconceivable and four phrases to clarify the traces of the inconceivable; although root and trace differ, the inconceivable is one. Some say: Although this sūtra clarifies inconceivable liberation, it takes cause and fruit as its true central purport. For instance, the initial assembly in the Buddha Land clarifies the cause and fruit of the pure land; from the Chapter on Upāya to the Dharma Gate of Nonduality, it clarifies the cause and fruit of the dharmakāya; and from the Chapter on the Fragrance-Accumulating [Buddha] onward to the end of the sūtra, it repeatedly clarifies the practices of the pure land and the cause and fruit of the dharmakāya. Therefore, it is appropriate to take cause and fruit as the central purport. Some say: This sūtra takes two practices as its central purport: first, the practice of purifying the Buddha lands; second, the practice of maturing sentient beings. The first assembly clarifies the practice of the pure land; the next assembly clarifies the practice of maturing sentient beings; the reconvened assembly in the ten-foot-square room clarifies both practices together; from inquiring about illness to the Dharma Gate of Nonduality, it repeatedly clarifies the practice of maturing sentient beings; the Chapter on the Fragrance-Accumulating [Buddha] repeatedly clarifies the practice of the pure land; the subsequent assembly in the Āmrapālī Grove further clarifies both practices together; the Chapter on Bodhisattva Practice clarifies the practice of maturing sentient beings; and the Chapter on Seeing Akṣobhya Buddha clarifies the practice of purifying the Buddha lands. Hence it takes the two practices as its central purport. After a bodhisattva attains the acceptance of non-arising, there is nothing else to do except purify the Buddha lands and mature sentient beings; therefore, from beginning to end, the whole text clarifies these two essential practices as the central purport of this sūtra. What is explained now does not reject the preceding positions, but what masters and disciples have transmitted takes the two cognitions as its true central purport. Question: On the basis of what textual meaning do we take the two cognitions as the central purport? Answer: In the Chapter on the Offering of the Dharma, the King of the Devas says: "Although I have heard hundreds of thousands of sūtras from the Buddha and Mañjuśrī, I have never before heard this scripture of inconceivable, unhindered supernatural powers and decisive dharmatā." Now, dharmatā is the root of entering the path, and inconceivable supernatural power is the principal means for transforming beings; among phenomena, nothing surpasses these two in utmost essentiality. Manifesting unhindered supernatural powers is the upāya of real wisdom; decisive dharmatā is the real wisdom of upāya. Although it is dharmatā, there are supernatural powers; although they are supernatural powers, there is dharmatā; activity and quiescence are nondual, yet provisional and real remain distinct. This entire scripture extensively discusses this teaching; hence it takes the two cognitions as its central purport. Furthermore, prajñā is the mother of bodhisattvas and upāya is their father; these are Vimalakīrti's parents, and thus serve as the central purport of the Vimalakīrti Sūtra. Again, what occasioned this sūtra arose specifically from an illness: illness is upāya, and upāya derives from reality; hence it takes the two cognitions as the central purport. Furthermore, this scripture is named the Vimalakīrti Sūtra, taking a bodhisattva as the lord of the teaching; one is called a bodhisattva precisely on account of the two cognitions: the real wisdom of upāya distinguishes one from ordinary beings, and the upāya of real wisdom sets one apart from the lesser path. Moreover, the real wisdom of upāya is called a bodhisattva, while the upāya of real wisdom is called a mahāsattva; therefore, the dharma that accomplishes a bodhisattva is taken as the central purport of this bodhisattva scripture. Question: The two cognitions are generated from two cognitive objects; why not combine object and cognition to serve as the central purport of the sūtra? Answer: Although the knowable object (jñeya) is the mother of cognition, it is contemplated in common by the three vehicles; the two cognitions, however, are exclusively the teaching of bodhisattvas. Therefore, prajñā does not belong to the two vehicles or to the Buddha, but belongs solely to bodhisattvas. The skillfulness of prajñā is called upāya; since prajñā does not even belong to the two vehicles, śrāvakas are entirely cut off from upāya. Hence we take cognition as the central purport and do not adopt the object. Question: From the pure land at the beginning down to the offering of the Dharma at the end, though the words of this sūtra differ, the inconceivable is one. Why not use the inconceivable as the central purport? Answer: Although the teachings of the entire text are all difficult to conceive, speaking specifically, it is liberation that is the inconceivable. Thus it is said that the buddhas and bodhisattvas have a liberation named "Inconceivable"; abiding in this liberation, they can manifest all forms and preach all teachings while beings cannot fathom them; hence it is universally named inconceivable liberation, which is none other than the two cognitions. Therefore, we take the two cognitions as the central purport. Question: How is liberation identical to the two cognitions? Answer: The two cognitions are free of encumbrance, and are therefore called liberation. In this liberation, the workings of the mind are severed, so the intellect cannot conceive it; words are extinguished, so the mouth cannot discuss it. Thus we know that the two cognitions are liberation. Question: Liberation is the two cognitions; since the two cognitions are identical to liberation, why not take the two cognitions and liberation together as the essence? Answer: It is precisely the two cognitions that are the essence of liberation, not liberation that is the essence of the two cognitions. How do we know this? The sūtra says: "Wisdom has the liberation of upāya, and upāya has the liberation of wisdom"; it does not say that liberation has upāya, or that liberation has wisdom. Hence we know that the two cognitions are the essence of liberation, and that liberation is not the essence of the two cognitions. Question: If the two cognitions are taken as the essence of liberation, why is it not called the "inconceivable two cognitions", but rather named "inconceivable liberation"? Answer: All Dharma gates comprise two aspects: first, establishing the name; second, discerning the essence. "Inconceivable liberation" is the name of the sūtra, while this liberation takes the two cognitions as its essence. Thus, both name and essence are presented, and the meaning contains much. If "inconceivable" were taken as the name and "inconceivable" were also taken as the essence, then name and essence would overlap each other, and the meaning would encompass little. Question: The asaṃskṛta dharmakāya is fruitional liberation, and uncontaminated cognition is causal liberation; if liberation is taken as the central purport, then cause and fruit are both complete. Now if you take the two cognitions as the essence, you obtain only the causal aspect. Answer: The asaṃskṛta dharmakāya, uncontaminated cognition, and inconceivable liberation have three names, but their essence is not dual. Because no encumbrance remains unexhausted, it is called liberation. Because no object remains unilluminated, it is called wisdom. Because the ultimate truth can serve as a model, it is termed Dharma. Taking Dharma as the body, it is called the dharmakāya. It does not merely encompass both cause and fruit in meaning; its essence is also endowed with the three virtues.