金剛般若論會釋 2.45

2.45

In the detailed explanation of the text, there are two parts: first, explaining giving that possesses signs and clings to retribution, and second, explaining giving that is signless and does not cling to things. The first part also has two parts: first, an analogy of three periods of giving wherein, due to clinging to future things, upon attaining the future fruit, one does not understand liberation. The passage from 'its joy and desire-pleasure are likewise' onward is the second analogy, analogizing the clinging that arises in the mind when practicing giving in the present, failing to understand liberation while hoping for future fruits. 'Giving' refers to currently performing giving in the present; 'different giving' refers to the fruit of future things obtained through giving, termed 'different giving' because it differs from the cause. This future fruit consists of the pleasures of the five desires; among the three feelings, it is pleasant feeling and neutral feeling, because it is the fruit attained from practicing giving, and not painful feeling among the three. These neutral and pleasant feelings are called painful feeling, because the sūtra cited previously states that whatever is felt is suffering; hence desire-pleasure is called painful feeling, or it forms the provisions for desire, provisionally termed desire-pleasure. Tainted phenomena are all the suffering of conditioned existence, and are also named painful feeling because what is experienced is suffering. Regarding this fruit, one fails to understand disgust and renunciation, does not awaken to consciousness-only, does not know signlessness, does not realize selflessness, does not cultivate the four contemplations, and does not practice liberation. It is like entering darkness and hesitating, not knowing within it where one is going, not seeking reality and nirvāṇa—for seeking reality and nirvāṇa constitutes the very essence of liberation. Because one obtains tangible fruits, one does not understand liberation, which is the very essence of sign-clinging enjoyment. When practicing giving, one engages in joy that possesses signs; future desire-pleasures are likewise. When practicing giving through sign-clinging practice, not knowing that clinging is inversion, one does not understand liberation. Also, when directly obtaining the fruit with signs, not knowing inversion, one clings to its enjoyment and does not understand liberation. Or, the former analogy illustrates the present object, and the latter analogy illustrates the present practice; because the mind in both cases possesses signs, one does not understand liberation. This explains that the ignorance of clinging is like a mind accompanied by darkness, just as eyes cannot see various objects. 'Not understanding liberation' is analogized by not seeing objects; due to the darkness of clinging, although one has mind and eyes, one does not see objects and suchness, which is termed 'not understanding liberation'. Therefore, Paramārtha's sūtra and the Vajracchedikā state: 'A bodhisattva who engages in practice according to signs and falls into giving with signs is also just like this.'