維摩經義疏 1.7

1.7

Next, bringing the two back to one is the third [section]. Question: First you established three gates, and later explained two paths; looking at the commentary, it seems exhaustive and fine, but examining its main purport, non-duality is not yet established. Why? If you clarify that the principle of non-duality is wordless, while the teaching that responds to beings has words, then the wordless principle cannot have words, and the teaching that has words cannot be wordless. Then principle and teaching are as far apart as heaven [and earth]—how can it be called non-dual? Answer: This is because you understand that non-duality is wordless, but have not awakened to the fact that words are precisely non-duality. Therefore, the teaching fills the great trichiliocosm yet is wordless; physical forms fill the eight limits yet are formless. Thus, speaking without words, though speaking there is no speech; taking form without forms, though taking form there is no form. This is precisely unity; how could they be as far apart as heaven [and earth]? Objection: If words are precisely non-duality, then Mañjuśrī's speech is ever silent; if non-duality is precisely words, then Jingming's silence is ever speaking. The discourse on three stages would become indistinct, and the principle of the two paths would be lost. Answer: The explanation of the three stages manifests traces of depth and shallowness; the discourse on the two paths guides those of later awakening. If one fathoms their realization, then non-duality is ever speaking, and speech is ever non-dual; it has never not been non-dual, and has never not spoken. Thus the path without duality is first accomplished, and the principle of attaining the One is established.