淨名玄論 5.25

5.25

When the Upādhyāya of Xinghuang [Temple, Falang,] lectured on this sūtra, he explained six kinds of paired cognitions as three pairs: namely, the 'expedient-real' and the 'provisional-real'; the 'real-expedient' and the 'provisional-expedient'; and the 'expedient-provisional' and the 'real-provisional'. Thus there are two reals, two provisionals, and two expedients.

The 'expedient-real' distinguishes the real in contrast to the expedient; because it clearly knows the dharmatā of all phenomena, it is called the real. The 'provisional-real' has altogether two meanings: First, distinguished with respect to bodhisattvas: just as illuminating existence is provisional, within this provisional one further explains the real. For instance, inwardly and quietly observing faculties and medicines is real, and external transformation and movement is provisional; hence it is called the 'provisional-real'. Again, like the unailing body, it is the real within the provisional; it is also called the 'provisional-real'. Second, explaining the provisional and the real in terms of śrāvakas: the two vehicles' cognition that illuminates concrete affairs is the provisional, while their cognition that illuminates the principle of suffering and emptiness is the real. Now, looking at the small from the standpoint of the great, explaining the real of the One Vehicle [here] is merely a provisional designation of the real; it is not the ultimate real.

The next pair is called the 'real-expedient' and the 'provisional-expedient'. The 'real-expedient' refers to the cognition that illuminates all phenomena of dharmatā; hence it is called the 'real-expedient'. The 'provisional-expedient' explains the expedient of the two vehicles in contrast to the above real of the two vehicles; this is merely the provisional expedient.

The third pair is called the 'real-provisional' and the 'expedient-provisional'. As for the 'real-provisional', the provisional arises from the real, so it is called the 'real-provisional'. That is, both illuminating emptiness and illuminating existence are real, but only the external function is called provisional. Furthermore, as for the 'real-provisional', the provisional of the two vehicles is an unreal provisional, while the provisional of bodhisattvas is a real provisional. As for the 'expedient-provisional', this takes the illumination of emptiness as the real and the illumination of existence as the expedient. Within this expedient, it further gives rise to the provisional: for instance, inwardly illuminating existence to know the faculties and the medicines, as well as externally manifesting the body of the elder Vimalakīrti, are both called expedients. Within this expedient, one further brings forth provisional functions, such as demonstrating illness and so forth. These six gates establish the above meaning of length and shortness.