[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [四分律行事鈔資持記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805) › 1.19 # 四分律行事鈔資持記 1.19 四分律行事鈔資持記 1.19 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1.19) 結示中。上句躡前智術；既無典據，故云憑虛。下句躡上三事；不能詳評，故曰難為。以即用也。形謂構其相狀，聲即發其言詞。露潔，猶言顯白也。任情虛說，無教照對故易；軌行實事，是非外彰故難。上約虛實相對釋。次就理事釋者。有解云：上句指虛通理性，即經論之學。下句明軌範事相，即毘尼之教。彼引《僧傳》：僧休法師聽洪律師講《四分律》三十餘遍，顧諸徒曰：予聽涉多矣，至於經論，一遍入神；今聽律部，逾增逾暗；豈非理可虛求，事難通會乎！（又引《戰國策》云：畫鬼魅者易為巧，圖犬馬者難為功。又云淄州名恪律師親問南山，即以此對，未知何出。）此謂諸師談經說理，無不精窮；考律行事，未能決白。此釋可取，故兩存焉。 > In the concluding statement: the upper clause picks up on the preceding 'intellectual contrivance'; since it lacks scriptural basis, it is called 'relying on emptiness'. The lower clause picks up on the three matters above; since they were unable to scrutinize and evaluate them, it is said to be 'difficult to accomplish'. 'By' means to use. 'Form' means constructing its marks and contours; 'sound' means uttering its spoken words. 'Exposed and clean' is equivalent to saying manifest and clear. Arbitrarily holding empty discussions is easy because there is no teaching against which to verify them; setting standard rules for real transactions is difficult because right and wrong are outwardly manifest. The above is explained in terms of the contrast between the empty and the real. Next, explaining it in terms of principle and phenomena: there is an interpretation saying that the upper clause points to emptily comprehending rational nature, namely the study of the sūtras and treatises. The lower clause clarifies standardizing phenomenal marks, namely the teachings of the Vinaya. That interpretation cites the Biographies of Monks: Dharma Master Sengxiu listened to Vinaya Master Hong lecture on the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya more than thirty times, and looking around at his disciples, said: 'I have listened to and traversed much; when it comes to the sūtras and treatises, a single pass enters the spirit; yet now listening to the Vinaya, I only become more bewildered and dim; is it not that principle may be sought in emptiness, while phenomena are difficult to comprehend and reconcile!' (It also cites the Strategies of the Warring States: 'Painting ghosts and goblins is easily made skillful, but depicting dogs and horses is difficult to achieve.' It also says that Vinaya Master Mingke of Zizhou personally asked Nanshan \[Daoxuan\], who replied with this very quote; it is unknown where this derives from.) This means that when the various masters discussed the sūtras and explained principle, there was none who did not plumb the depths; yet when examining the Vinaya and executing transactions, they were unable to make things clear and decisive. This explanation is acceptable, so both are preserved here. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1.18) - [Next: 1.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1.20) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805~en-mt.1.19) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1805.1.19) · Pramāṇa