金剛般若論會釋 3.64

3.64

Vasubandhu's treatise states: "The merit manifested by the nirmāṇakāya is not without inexhaustible merit." Although the Buddha's nirmāṇakāya performs actions, when preaching the Dharma it possesses inexhaustible merit; this encourages practitioners to preach with an unstained mind. In the explanation of the question and answer, there are two meanings. The first asks: "Why is explaining it for others superior to the great merit of the previous great giving?" The second asks: "How can one explain it for others without it being called explaining?" The Buddha himself explains that 'without explaining, it is called explaining.' The Wei version reads "without being called explaining," while [other editions] and the new version both use the word "as" (ru), meaning that although one explains, it is as if one did not explain. There are two meanings: First, one contemplates that the essence of both the speaker and what is spoken is empty; thus, although one constantly explains, it is as if one did not explain. Therefore, the treatise states: "Because it cannot be spoken, it is not spoken; if that dharma possessed an essence that could be spoken, it should be explained in such a manner. If it were otherwise, it would be an explanation with defilement, because it would be inverted." This means that if one does not contemplate the emptiness of the essence of preaching, then one preaches with a mind that grasps at marks, which is not an unstained preaching. Kumārajīva says: "Not grasping at marks, unmoving like suchness (tathatā)"; that is to say, when preaching the Dharma, it is like realizing tathatā, free from perturbation, which is what the other versions call "as if not explaining." Second, if one were to preach with a mind desiring fame and profit, then even if one constantly spoke, it would be as if one did not preach. Therefore, the treatise states: "Moreover, when preaching in this way, not craving respect, offerings, and the like is also preaching the Dharma without defilement." However, when the Buddha preaches the Dharma without defilement at the end of this sūtra, it is not only to reveal that the Buddha is undefiled in his preaching, but also to teach later generations to preach with an unstained mind. Vasubandhu's treatise says: "When the Buddhas preach the Dharma, they do not say they are a nirmāṇakāya; because they do not preach in this way, therefore their preaching is correct." The meaning of that treatise is: when the Buddha preaches the Dharma, he does not say "I am a nirmāṇakāya"; therefore it is called "without explaining." This is a distinct meaning.