淨名玄論 6.22

6.22

Examining the Essential Tenet. Question: Why are the two truths taken as teaching? Answer: Taking being and non-being as teaching has briefly five meanings: First, contrasting with principle, it clarifies that the two truths are teaching. Because the ultimate principle is without duality, it is neither being nor non-being; now being and non-being are spoken, and therefore being and non-being are teaching. Second is the conditions of the sages. The sage realizes the path has never been being or non-being; now speaking of being and non-being is to teach beings, and therefore being and non-being are teaching. Third is to remove views. In the old doctrines, grasping being and non-being as principle has existed for a long time, so the roots of the two views are deep and difficult to uproot. The Great Master of Mount She (Sengquan / Falang), rebuking the disease in response to the conditions, wished to uproot the roots of the two views and cause them to relinquish both attachments to being and non-being; thus he said that being and non-being can lead to the nondual principle and are not ultimate, so one should not abide in being and non-being; hence being and non-being are teaching. Fourth, being and non-being are the root of all views. All sūtras and treatises vigorously reprimand the two views and rebuke being and non-being, as in 'Ordinary people are attached to being, and those of the two vehicles are attached to non-being'; also, 'Those with much craving are attached to being, and those with many views are attached to non-being'; also, 'Those with many of the four views hold to being, and those with many wrong views grasp non-being'; also, 'Five hundred treatise masters in the Buddhadharma grasped being, and upon hearing of ultimate emptiness it was like a knife wounding their hearts; the Fangguang (vaipulya nihilists) grasped non-being, disbelieving in cause and effect'; also, 'What the ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists grasp does not go beyond being and non-being.' If the Buddhas appearing in the world again said that being and non-being are two principles, that would only increase the mind of various views; by what means could they be uprooted? Therefore, now we clarify that being and non-being are the function of the teaching gate, capable of leading to the nondual principle, and one should not abide in being and non-being, in order to quiet all views. Thus the sūtras and treatises explain that being and non-being are the teaching gate. Fifth, when followers who receive the teaching hear that being and non-being are the function of the teaching, capable of leading to the correct path, they empty their minds without being defiled by the teaching of being and non-being; when obsolete, the moment they generate the intention they transcend the ordinary and the sage. Therefore, taking being and non-being as teaching, the intention and benefit are attained.