首楞嚴義疏注經 1.15

1.15

Sixth, regarding the tenets and purport of that which is explained: there are general and specific ones. First, generally speaking, cause and condition is the tenet of the Buddhist teaching. Because the holy teachings of the Buddha, from the shallow to the deep, in explaining all dharmas do not go beyond the two words 'cause and condition'. If [considered] after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, as the noble and holy disciples transmitted and practiced down through generations, encompassing both the great and small vehicles, there are five tracks of tenets, as in the Commentary on the Awakening of Faith. As for specifically explaining this sūtra, there are also general and specific [views]: In general, it takes the mind and objects being empty (the imagined [nature] like a snake or ghost; the sūtra says: 'Like flowers in space, originally having no existence'; again the sūtra says: 'Falsely becoming form and emptiness, hearing and seeing') and quiescent, (the dependent [nature] like a reflected image and so forth; the sūtra says: 'Arising right where they are, completely extinguished according to where they are', and so forth) the nature of the [tathāgata]garbha being consummated, (because of being empty and quiescent, it is consummated and real; the sūtra says: 'This seeing and its conditions are fundamentally the wonderful, pure, and luminous essence of bodhi', and so forth) and ordinary beings and sages being equal as its tenet (below it says: 'Delusion and awakening, death and birth, are completely unobtainable'; also: 'There are no two paths for sages and ordinary beings'; also: 'Samsara and nirvāṇa are both mad toil', and so forth); it takes causing practitioners to forget emotional attachments (due to awakening to the tenet; below it says: 'Right within your mind the mad nature naturally ceases; turning the flow back, there is no falsehood') and equal the Buddhas, (due to forgetting emotional attachments; the sūtra says: 'Ceasing is bodhi; one is identical to the Tathāgata', and so forth) and swiftly accomplishing meditative practice (the text says: 'An expedient method easily accomplished') as its purport. Furthermore, taking the former purport as the tenet, it takes causing afflictions and karma to be eliminated, (because the three conditions are severed, the three causes do not arise) eternally cutting off transmigration, (if one obtains the wonderfully manifesting samādhi, then it is wonderfully, permanently quiescent; existence and non-existence are both negated, and the negation of the two is also extinguished) giving rise to great spiritual functions, (naturally seeing without need for the divine eye, and so forth) peace, and (the body and mind feel delightful, attaining great tranquillity) sovereignty (making one into immeasurable, manifesting the great within the small, and so forth) as its purport. Specifically, there are five pairs: 1. teaching and meaning; 2. phenomena and principle; 3. object and practice; 4. practice and quiescence; 5. quiescence and function. In all cases, the former is the tenet and the latter is the purport. These five also arise sequentially from the preceding to the succeeding, depending on one another gradually. In summary, it does not go beyond understanding and practice, cultivation and realization. First, understanding the tathāgatagarbha is the tenet, and practicing the Śūraṅgama is the purport. This is because the Buddha promised to show true cultivation, yet interrogated understanding with regard to mind and seeing. Next, cultivating this true concentration is the tenet, and realizing that essence of the [tathāgata]garbha is the purport. Therefore below [Ānanda] requests, saying: 'Although I have obtained the great mansion, I must enter through the door,' and so forth.