大方廣圓覺修多羅了義經略疏 1.38

1.38

1. Although the principle is of a single flavor, its expressions have shallow and deep. 2. Although the Buddha has a single voice, the teaching varies according to capacities. 3. When the original intention has not yet been declared, it is spoken in accord with the minds of others. 4. Words have general and specific applications, so they are spoken according to what is evident. 5. Through distinguishing provisional and real, one does not abide in divergent branches. 6. Like the secret words of a king, the words are identical while the matters differ. 7. If one does not recognize the Buddha's intention, taking deep as shallow loses great benefit, while taking shallow as deep renders one's effort futile. 8. The Buddhas and bodhisattvas themselves also distinguish them. With these considerations, opening them brings much gain and little loss, while combining them brings little gain and much loss; as long as one empties oneself to seek the tenet, how could dividing it conflict with the grand intention? Therefore we now divide it. However, regarding the division of teachings, various masters also differ. Now, relying on Master Xianshou, we comprehensively subsume them into five: 1. the Hinayāna teaching; 2. the initial Mahāyāna teaching; 3. the final teaching; 4. the One Vehicle sudden teaching; and 5. the perfect teaching. The first, because it adapts to capacities and follows the words of others, expounds the numerical categories of phenomena as entirely distinct, in order to differentiate heterodox and orthodox, distinguish ordinary and noble, separate repulsion and aspiration, and clarify causes and effects. However, the numerical categories of phenomena it expounds number seventy-five; it only speaks of the emptiness of persons and does not clarify the emptiness of phenomena, and solely relies on the six consciousnesses and three poisons to establish the root of defilement and purity; not having exhausted the source of dharmas, it gives rise to much dispute. Second, the initial teaching is also called the partial teaching. Because the teachings of the second and third periods in the Saṃdhinirmocana both allow that those of determined nature and those devoid of nature alike do not attain Buddhahood, we now combine them into a single teaching; since this has not yet exhausted the principle of the Mahāyāna Dharma, it is established as the initial, and because there are those who do not attain Buddhahood, it is called partial. It extensively expounds the characteristics of dharmas, yet even after paring down redundancies and recording their number, there are still one hundred; it seldom expounds dharma-nature. The dharma-nature it expounds is precisely the numerical category of dharma-characteristics, definitively and clearly resolved, hence there is little dispute. Third, the final teaching is also called the real teaching; both the two vehicles of determined nature and the icchantikas devoid of nature will all attain Buddhahood, and only this exhausts the ultimate exposition of the Mahāyāna; hence it is established as final. Because it accords with the real principle, it is called real. It expounds dharma-characteristics little and expounds dharma-nature much; the dharma-characteristics it expounds also resolve back into nature; hence it is without dispute. The above two teachings both cultivate to completion gradually in accord with the bhūmis and stages, and are collectively named gradual. However, the Mahāyāna teachings have three tenets in total, namely, characteristics of dharmas (Dharmalakṣaṇa) and refutation of characteristics (Mādhyamika), both of which are the beginning of the gradual teaching; that is, the two masters Śīlabhadra and Jñānaprabha each relied on a sūtra to establish teachings of three periods, mutually refuting each other. Yet those who transmitted and practiced them both recognized sūtras of dharma-nature to establish the tenets of their own traditions.