金剛般若論會釋 3.21

3.21

From here below, the second part, explaining 'non-abiding', has two parts: first, designating and matching the sūtra to establish the ultimate truth; next, explaining the sūtra text's deducing that minds in the three periods of time are all without substantial entity. As for 'Why is this?': in the second text, first it questions, and next it explains. The Dazhidu lun's explanation of this objection has two points: 1. The Buddha's mind constantly delights in emptiness and quiescence; how could he completely know all sentient beings' minds? 2. The Buddha's mind is a single mind; how could it know so many minds? Therefore it says, 'Why is this?' Next, the sūtra text explains the reason for knowing: because the Buddha realizes all minds [as emptiness], it therefore says they are 'not mind'; and because he sees the common essence of all minds, he is able to know all minds completely. The Mahāyānasaṃgrahopanibandhana says: 'If one [realizes] the universal characteristic of the tathatā of all dharmas, one completely knows all dharmas, which is called omniscience; if one knows by going through dharmas one by one, even passing through much time, one cannot know all dharmas.' In the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā, the Buddha also asked himself: 'How does the Buddha know the defiled minds of sentient beings?' The Buddha explained: 'The Buddha knows by relying on the true nature of all dharmas.' The Dazhidu lun explains: 'Although sentient beings' minds are of many kinds, they are not separate from the true nature of all dharmas; by illuminating phenomena relying on principle, he is able to completely know sentient beings' various minds.' The 'Mahāyāna Chapter' also says: 'If all sentient beings' minds and mental factors were truly existent and not illusory, the Buddha could not know all sentient beings' various minds; because sentient beings' mental dharmas are illusory, without a place of coming and without a place of going, the Buddha can know sentient beings' various minds.' It also says: 'If one discriminates and grasps at characteristics, one does not see true reality; because one does not see true reality, one cannot penetrate all things. If one does not grasp at characteristics and the mind is free of discrimination, one attains the true nature of dharmas; because one attains the true nature of dharmas, one can completely illuminate and know all dharmas.' The intention of the explanation here is also like this: by explaining that all abidings of mind are not mind, he can illuminate and know sentient beings' various minds. Next, explaining the sūtra text deducing that minds in the three periods of time are all without substantial entity: when various sūtras and treatises deduce present dharmas, they mostly explain it by momentary perishing, which has not avoided dispute, saying that while the characteristic of abiding has not perished, what prevents it from existing? Now, deducing it by ultimate truth, even the characteristic of abiding for a single moment cannot be found.