淨名玄論 6.36

6.36

The Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'All phenomena have no fixed marks. If there are fixed marks, these are the marks of saṃsāra, the marks of Māra, not the marks of the Buddhadharma.' Because there are no fixed marks, it is called correctness; having fixed marks is the reason for error. Question: How is there no fixed mark? Answer: For instance, a single form has never been inherent nature, nor is it nominal designation; in relation to nature-conditions it becomes inherent nature, and in relation to nominal conditions it becomes nominal designation. If one fixes the meaning of inherent nature or the meaning of non-nominal, it simply turns back into nominal views and nominal graspings. Apprehension inside and outside the principle is also like this; how has form ever been apprehension or non-apprehension? Furthermore, just as a single form has never been real or conventional—is it not merely conventional to the ordinary person and real to the sage? Moreover, even within the conventional there is no fixed nature: a lustful person sees form as pure, a person contemplating impurity sees form as impure, and an indifferent person sees it as neither pure nor impure. Furthermore, an impure object is impure to humans, yet beasts see it as pure. A pure object is pure to humans, yet impure to others. For instance, a fly regards fragrance as impure and therefore cannot bear to smell it. Furthermore, a single form is also unfixed: to one without supernormal powers it is obstructive, but to one who has attained supernormal powers it is unobstructed; to humans it is seen as white and is water, while to pretas it is red and is fire. Furthermore, drowning water does not submerge a feather, yet submerges iron. Just as gold smashes all other things, yet is destroyed by a sheep's horn. Therefore we know that all phenomena have no fixed nature.