大毘盧遮那成佛經疏 7.8.2

7.8.2

If one arrives at the limit of the originally unborn, then there are no different characteristics, nor can there be combination; therefore, all phenomena are ultimately without combination. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable CA gateway, because all phenomena are free from all transition and alteration," the Sanskrit is cyuti, which means transition and alteration. Furthermore, the Sanskrit caryā means activities (saṃskāras). When one sees the syllable CA, one knows that all activities transition, alter, and do not abide. The Mūlamadhyamakakārikā's Chapter on the Examination of Activities says: "Activities are named the five aggregates, because they are born from activities. These five aggregates are all false and without fixed characteristics—just as the bodily form of infancy through to the bodily form of old age does not abide from thought-moment to thought-moment in the interim, and a definitive nature cannot be apprehended through discrimination. 'Nature' means definitively existent and unalterable, like pure gold which does not alter. Now, although all phenomena arise, they do not abide in a self-nature; therefore, one should know that they have no nature." [This is] as explained there in detail. If they are without nature, that is precisely the originally unborn; that which is originally unborn is precisely the body of the Tathāgata, which permanently abides and is free of alteration; hence it is said to be free of transition and alteration. Furthermore, if all phenomena were produced through combination, then there would be transition and alteration; now, because all phenomena are without birth, without action, and even without anything that is practiced, there is no combination; because there is no combination, they are free from all transition and alteration. In general, with all the syllable gateways, one should interpret them in forward and reverse order, turning and explaining them reciprocally so that there is no obstruction; for now, we merely follow the successive sequence. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable CHA gateway, because an image of all phenomena cannot be apprehended," the Sanskrit chāyā means shadow or image. Just as a person's shadow depends entirely on their own body, so the myriad phenomena of the three realms are merely the conditioning of the cognitive mind, altering to resemble various objective realms; this matter is as explained in detail in the Ghanavyūha Sūtra. Even down to practitioners of yoga possessing all kinds of inconceivable matters, or being able to face and see the Buddhas of the ten directions universally manifesting physical bodies—all these too are images of the mind. Because the mind is originally unborn, one should know that its images too have nothing from which they are born. Because they have nothing from which they are born, and down to the mind being without transition or alteration, its images too are without transition or alteration. Why is this so? Just as a shadow of itself has no fixed nature, and its movement and rest follow the body, so it is with the mind's images: because the mind's movements and prapañca do not abide for a single thought-moment, the worldly myriad functions also drift and revolve accordingly. When one comprehends that the mind is like the dharmatā, the image is also like the dharmatā; therefore it cannot be apprehended. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable JA gateway, because the birth of all phenomena cannot be apprehended," the Sanskrit jāti also means birth. Just as there is the birth of a pot due to the combination of a lump of clay, wheel, cord, potter, and so forth; there is the birth of cloth due to the combination of thread, cord, loom, hemp, weaver, and so forth; there is the birth of a house due to the combination of leveling the ground, building the foundation, beams, stakes, mud, thatch, human effort, and so forth; there is the birth of ghee due to the combination of curd, churning vessel, churning stick, human effort, and so forth; and there is the birth of a sprout due to the combination of seed, earth, water, fire, wind, space, seasons, and so forth—the causes and conditions of internal phenomena are also like this: ignorance, activities, and so forth, each are born from a cause and then give rise [to another]. Therefore, if one sees the syllable JA gateway, one knows that of all phenomena, there is none that is not born from conditions. As a verse says: "Phenomena born of various causes and conditions / Are precisely without self-nature. / If they have no self-nature, / How can such phenomena exist?" Therefore, birth cannot be apprehended. Non-Buddhist treatise masters teach various erroneous causes and conditions, or that all phenomena are born without causes or conditions. Among those in the Buddha's teaching, there are also those who lose prajñā and upāya and thus grasp at the characteristics of the arising and ceasing of causes and conditions, as extensively refuted in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. Furthermore, the syllable A gateway is the original nature of all phenomena being unborn; the syllable JA gateway uses the ten metaphors to contemplate that although birth exists from conditions, it cannot be apprehended. If birth is ultimately unattainable, then it is not different from the limit of non-arising. Moreover, the ten metaphors are images of the mind and do not exceed the dharmadhātu; therefore, birth also does not exceed the limit of non-arising. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable JHA gateway, because an adversary to all phenomena cannot be apprehended," the Sanskrit jhaṣa means adversary. If one sees the syllable JHA, one knows that all phenomena have adversaries, just as in the world wholesome and unwholesome phenomena, phenomena that go against the stream of saṃsāra and phenomena that go with the stream of saṃsāra, generosity and stinginess, upholding precepts and breaking precepts, down to wisdom and ignorance, mutually contrast with each other, with victory and defeat being impermanent. Down to the Tathāgata appearing in the world and crushing the demonic hordes with the power of all-knowledge—this too is called combat. However, because its meaning is not established within all phenomena, to whom does wisdom or affliction ultimately belong, such that one says vipaśyanā can destroy afflictions? If one says that it is called destruction because darkness is extinguished when light arises, does it destroy because [light] is already born, or does it destroy because it is not yet born? If it is already born, then there is no darkness—what more is there to destroy? If it is not yet born, then it has no substance of its own—how could it destroy anything? If it is in the process of arising, this is called half already born and half not yet born; therefore, light and darkness ultimately never meet. Moreover, because all phenomena are originally unborn, down to being without images, they are identical in one characteristic and do not depart from suchness; how could the suchness of the Buddha-realm combat the suchness of the realm of Māra? Therefore, when the Buddha sat at the place of awakening, he merely fully knew that phenomena have no opposites, while worldly discussions of themselves established the name of victory in combat. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable ṬA gateway, because pride in all phenomena cannot be apprehended," the Sanskrit ṭaṅkāra means pride. This refers to seeing that phenomenon as base and this phenomenon as superior, like the various differences in quality throughout the three realms and six destinies; the arising mind of pride has immeasurable distinctions, briefly stated as having seven modes of characteristics, as explained extensively in the Abhidharma. Even people seeking the three vehicles still have unequal views of higher stages and lower stages. Now, when one contemplates that phenomena are unborn, down to being without counterparts, one knows that anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi is equal regarding phenomena, without high or low; therefore, the Tathāgata is also named all vajra bodhisattvas, is also named the noble ones of the four fruits, is also named ordinary beings and non-Buddhists, is also named living beings of the various evil destinies, and is also named people of the five heinous deeds and wrong views—the mahākaruṇā-maṇḍala precisely manifests this meaning. [As for the sūtra saying:] "The syllable ṬHA gateway, because the nurturing of all phenomena cannot be apprehended," the Sanskrit viṭhapana means nurturing. Just as worldly seeds serve as causes, and the five great elements and the seasons serve as conditions, gradually flourishing to produce fruit, so it is with internal phenomena: planting the consciousness-seed in the field of karma, covered by ignorance and moistened by the water of craving, it thereby flourishes, as explained extensively in the Śālistamba Sūtra. Now in this sūtra, the continuous growth of the eight minds that go against or follow the world also has causes and conditions, down to the pure bodhicitta taking the five syllable gateways as conditions to give rise to the root of mahākaruṇā, and the Buddha sāla tree growing to spread extensively and fill the dharmadhātu. Yet all phenomena, precisely through these five syllable gateways, are originally unborn, free from verbal expression, inherently pure, and without causes and conditions, having the characteristic of empty space; therefore, nurturing cannot be apprehended.