中觀論疏 3.4

3.4

"Question: Dharmas are limitless..." is the second [part], which separately explains the subsequent verse. The reason we know the initial question and answer explain the subsequent verse is that the answer says: "Briefly, they are refuted by eight matters." Because the eight negations refute the non-eight prapañca, the verse says: "skilfully extinguishes all prapañca." Refuting is extinguishing. This explanation is definitely appropriate to use. Within this first part, the question comes first, followed by the answer. The question arises from the first half of the second verse. Above it says: "Able to expound this dependent origination / and skilfully extinguish all prapañca." The question means: The dharmas of prapañca are limitless, such as the ninety-six non-Buddhist schools and the five hundred treatise masters of the inner teaching; why is it that only expounding eight matters can extinguish them? This question has two meanings altogether: First, using the dharmas to challenge the negations: since dharmas are limitless, the negations should also be so, just as when diseases are numerous, medicines should also be numerous. Second, using the negations to challenge the dharmas: if the negations are only eight, dharmas should also be so. Now, why are dharmas numerous while the negations are few? If dharmas are numerous and the negations are few, then the refutation of errors is not exhaustive and the elucidation of the teaching is incomplete. Furthermore, this question arises because: the Dharma-gates are limitless; why do you take only the eight matters of your understanding to explain all the Mahāyāna sūtras? "Answer: Although dharmas are limitless..." is the second [part], which explains the meaning that dharmas are numerous while [the negations] are not few. Although dharmas are numerous, briefly speaking of eight matters leaves no error unrefuted and no teaching unelucidated. The words "comprehensively refutes" also correspond to the verse's "skilfully extinguishes all prapañca". "All" (sarva) is a name for not-one.