金光明經文句 4.4

4.4

Now, as for emptiness, there should be four kinds: namely, entering emptiness through the destruction of form, form itself being emptiness, entering emptiness through the destruction of extremes, and the extremes themselves being emptiness. This sūtra extends to the repentance of all vehicles and ought to require the four kinds of emptiness; yet this chapter merely labels it "emptiness" because it is solely that the extremes themselves are emptiness. Why is this so? The sūtra says: "Immeasurable other sūtras have already extensively explained emptiness"; therefore, it is briefly explained here. Furthermore, emptiness means emptying existence and emptying non-existence. Emptying existence means emptying the lump-like existence of the twenty-five [realms of existence]. Emptying non-existence means emptying the ash-like non-existence of the two vehicles. When both extremes are purified, it is named emptiness. If one merely speaks thus, deluded people will be confused by terms and distort the principle, unable to transcend and awaken. Now we make an analysis through six phrases: emptiness refuting neither existence nor non-existence; neither existence nor non-existence refuting emptiness; emptiness cultivating neither existence nor non-existence; neither existence nor non-existence cultivating emptiness; emptiness being identical to neither existence nor non-existence; and neither existence nor non-existence being identical to emptiness. "Emptiness refuting neither existence nor non-existence" means that ordinary heterodox views of neither existence nor non-existence, the two vehicles' biased abiding in the realization of neither existence nor non-existence, and the doctrinal path of the distinctive teaching clinging to the gate of neither existence nor non-existence, are all refuted by the emptiness of the Chapter on Emptiness. Ordinary heterodox views are manifold: first, single four views; second, compound four views; third, fully equipped four views. Single four views are easy to understand. As for compound four views, they are existence-existence, existence-non-existence; non-existence-existence, non-existence-non-existence; both-existence-and-non-existence-existence, both-existence-and-non-existence-non-existence; neither-existence-nor-non-existence-existence, neither-existence-nor-non-existence-non-existence—these are the compound four views. As for the fully equipped four views, within a single phrase there are fully the four phrases: four times four makes sixteen phrases, hence named "fully equipped". Though single, compound, and fully equipped, they are all vast suffering and origination. Though conceptualized as neither existence nor non-existence, they are actually false views; therefore, they are refuted by the emptiness of the Chapter on Emptiness. "The two vehicles' biased abiding in the realization of neither existence nor non-existence": because they sever the eternalist view they speak of non-existence, and because they sever the annihilationist view they speak of non-non-existence. The two views of existence and non-existence are eliminated without remainder, and view and thought [defilements] of the three realms are forever exhausted; they generate the thought of extinction and the thought of peace and security: "holy life established, what was to be done is done, there is no further existence." They merely cling to this and do not advance further to seek saṃbodhi. However, when the two vehicles awaken to the truth, severing the eternalist view and the annihilationist view, their gates are different. Some enter through the gate of existence, as in the Abhidharma; some enter through the gate of non-existence, as in the *Tattvasiddhi-śāstra*; some enter through the gate of both existence and non-existence, as in the *Peṭaka*; some enter through the gate of neither existence nor non-existence, as in the *Nātha-Kātyāyana-sūtra*. Freedom from annihilation and freedom from permanence is named the noble Middle Way. All four gates sever annihilation and permanence, so they are similarly called the "Middle Way", but in truth they cling to bias and grasp realization; therefore, they are refuted by the emptiness of the Chapter on Emptiness. "The doctrinal path of the distinctive teaching clinging to the gate of neither existence nor non-existence": for dull-facultied bodhisattvas, the Buddha skillfully set forth the four gates to speak of the Middle Way, like the raft parable. For those who do not grasp the meaning, the four gates turn into dispute. Thus the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* says: "The true, good, and wondrous existence of great mahāparinirvāṇa is empty; Buddha-nature is also form, non-form, and neither form nor non-form. If one clings respectively to a single gate, one harbors contentious thoughts toward the Tathāgata and does not see the Middle Way." Clinging to this doctrinal gate is still refuted by the emptiness of the Chapter on Emptiness. The new translation says: "A bodhisattva on the first stage wishes to practice the path with marks"; this is the import of one gate, and within the text there are explanations of all four gates. The *Great Sūtra* says: "Prior to this, we were all named persons of false views." "Neither existence nor non-existence refuting emptiness" means that ordinary heterodox views of emptiness, the two vehicles' realization of emptiness, and the emptiness gate of the doctrinal path fall into the two extremes; therefore, they are refuted by the Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence. "Mutual cultivation" means that viewing emptiness, realizing emptiness, and doctrinal emptiness should cultivate the Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence; and the view of neither existence nor non-existence, the realization of neither existence nor non-existence, and the doctrinal gate of neither existence nor non-existence should cultivate the Middle Way of emptiness. "Mutual identity" means that the emptiness that refutes the two extremes is itself the Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence. The Middle Way of neither existence nor non-existence is itself the emptiness that refutes the two extremes, with neither duality nor difference. Prajñā is a single dharma, which the Buddha spoke of under various names; emptiness is itself neither existence nor non-existence, and the reason it is not named "neither existence nor non-existence" is that, for the sake of brief exposition, it is called the "Chapter on Emptiness". As for the intent of this chapter's occurrence: the Chapter on Confession destroys evil, the Chapter on Praise generates good, and the Chapter on Emptiness guides and fulfills the destruction of evil and the generation of good. It also guides and fulfills the function, principle, and substance; therefore, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa* says: "If one lacked this emptiness, nothing whatsoever could be done." Guiding and fulfilling the preceding chapters, it therefore clarifies the Chapter on Emptiness. Furthermore, the eternal fruit reveals the substance; destroying evil and generating good is not without clarifying emptiness. Those of sharp faculties have already understood; for the sake of dull faculties, [the Buddha] gives rise to great compassion, further clarifying that the five aggregates and the born dharmas are originally empty and quiescent in their fundamental nature.