中觀論疏 4.4

4.4

Question: Contemplating the coming and going of what dharma gives the chapter the title "Coming and Going"? Answer: The previous "Examination of Conditions" clarified contemplation of three kinds of conditions; this chapter also clarifies three meanings: First, the previous chapter clarified that the twelve links of dependent origination are unarisen and unceasing; now, turning again to dependent origination, it discerns neither coming nor going. The cessation of the two past causes is going, and the arising of the five present effects is coming, up to the cessation of the three present causes being going, and the arising of the two future effects being coming; therefore, the twelve links of dependent origination have only two divisions: seven parts are coming, and five parts are going. Now, contemplating this coming and going, the chapter is titled accordingly. Question: Why contemplate the coming and going of dependent origination? Answer: It is contemplated on behalf of five kinds of people who have not penetrated dependent origination. First, worldly people only see going from here to there as going, and returning from there back to here as coming, while not knowing whence birth comes and whither death tends. Second, the ninety-six heterodox ways do not know the source and end of dependent origination, asserting that things come from Īśvara, atoms, and so forth, and that going is returning to their primal source. Third, the five hundred treatise masters, although knowing that the twelve links of dependent origination cycle through the six destinies, grasp them as definitively existing, failing to attain the emptiness of dharmas. Fourth, those of the sort of Sautrāntika-[Dharma]trāta, although comprehending that dependent origination is empty and non-existent, cannot know that its intrinsic nature is quiescent. Fifth, practitioners of the Mahāyāna, although knowing that the intrinsic nature is empty and quiescent, consequently repudiate cause and effect and the retributive consequences of sin and merit. Now, refuting these five kinds of people reveals the meaning of the neither coming nor going of true dependent origination; therefore, one contemplates the coming and going of dependent origination. Question: Why refute these five kinds of people? Answer: A sūtra says: "The river of the twelve links of conditions is deep and its bed hard to reach." That which is called the "bed" is named the mark of emptiness; penetrating the intrinsic nature of the twelve links of dependent origination as empty and quiescent reaches the river bed, and is therefore called a bull-king. Now, wishing to cause these five kinds of people to thoroughly understand that dependent origination originally has no coming or going, and likewise to reach the river bed and together become bodhisattvas, for this reason these five kinds of people are refuted. Question: Practitioners of the two vehicles also comprehend that the twelve links of conditions are empty; within emptiness, what dharma can be different? Answer: The two vehicles only contemplate the emptiness of the twelve conditions, without knowing that within dependent origination there is the meaning that the Buddha-nature is not empty; the great being thoroughly understands the emptiness of the twelve conditions and also knows the meaning that the Buddha-nature is not empty; therefore, they differ from the two vehicles. Question: The two vehicles only know that the twelve conditions are empty, falling into annihilation; since the great being fully knows both emptiness and non-emptiness, they should fully fall into both extremes. Answer: Because the great being knows that the twelve [conditions] are originally empty, they differ from ordinary beings' [attachment to] existence; because they know that there is the middle-way Buddha-nature that is not empty, they differ from the two vehicles' emptiness. Furthermore, because the twelve [conditions] are originally empty, they are not existent; because the Buddha-nature is subtle existence, it is not empty; neither empty nor existent is precisely the middle way. Question: In terms of this doctrinal principle, how are the two truths established? Answer: To broadly elucidate the Buddha Dharma, there are generally three kinds of two truths. First, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa are combined as the two truths: the twelve links of dependent origination being deceptive and originally empty is called conventional truth; the Buddha-nature's subtle existence being inexpressible as empty is called ultimate truth. Second, discussing the two truths within the dharmas of saṃsāra themselves: the twelve links of dependent origination being like illusions or dreams, cycling through the six paths, is called conventional truth; while their intrinsic nature being empty and quiescent, with truly no coming or going, is called ultimate truth. Third, discussing the two truths within the dharmas of nirvāṇa themselves: nirvāṇa's subtle existence is called conventional truth; while nirvāṇa also being empty is called ultimate truth. Question: Where in the sūtras is it clarified that nirvāṇa is also empty? Answer: The places where it is clarified are very numerous; I will briefly cite two proofs. First, the *Large Sūtra*, in explaining the eighteen emptinesses, says: "As for the emptiness of the ultimate truth, nirvāṇa is called the ultimate truth; nirvāṇa is also empty, which is called the emptiness of the ultimate truth." The *Nirvāṇa Sūtra* says: "The city of Kapilavastu is empty; great parinirvāṇa is empty." Therefore, we know that all dharmas have never been saṃsāra, nor are they nirvāṇa; words are forgotten and thoughts are severed. Question: This chapter merely relies on concrete movement and stillness to clarify that there is no coming or going; how is it known that it concerns the twelve links of dependent origination? Answer: The previous chapter says: "For those who have already practiced the Mahāyāna, the twelve links of dependent origination are taught as completely possessing the eight negations." The previous chapter has already explained that dependent origination is neither arising nor ceasing, so now, in terms of dependent origination, it discerns neither coming nor going; but since principle and dharma are difficult to understand, it is explained by lodging it in concrete phenomena. Question: The text of the eight negations says "neither coming nor departing", so why does it now say "neither coming nor going"? Answer: The eight negations wish to refute the meaning of the mutual production of cause and effect; the last two negations exhaust its interior and exterior. If one says that there is definitely a cause that produces an effect, does the effect emerge from within the cause, or does it come from outside the cause? Therefore, it clarifies neither coming nor departing. This chapter wishes to contemplate it immediately in terms of concrete phenomena, taking going from here to there as going, and returning from there back to here as coming; therefore, it says "coming and going". Second, this chapter is spoken because it comprehensively contemplates all dharmas as lacking the meaning of coming and going. Assertions of coming and going are indeed inexhaustible, but I will briefly clarify seven: First, worldly people seize upon what is seen and heard by ear and eye, saying that human movement and stillness, and the coming and going of cold and heat, truly exist. Second, outsiders state that coming from Maheśvara is coming, and coming back in return is going; they also say that things come without a cause and go without a cause. Third, the school asserting the existence of the two times holds that from the future one comes into the present, and from the present one passes away into the past. Fourth, the school asserting the non-existence of the two times holds that the future does not yet exist, but comes on account of conditions, and when conditions disperse, goes. Fifth, the *Tattvasiddhi* and Mahāyāna doctrine states: "Streaming from the cave of ignorance and consciousness, entering the three realms, the initial arising of a single thought of a wholesome cause is coming; returning to the source is going." Sixth, the doctrine of the former Dilun masters: deviating from the real to give rise to delusion is coming; ceasing delusion to return to the real is going. Seventh, the Sheling masters clarify that sentient beings of the six paths all come from the fundamental consciousness; because within the fundamental consciousness there are seeds of the six paths, they are born in the six paths. From the pure dharmadhātu the twelve divisions of sūtras stream forth; giving rise to a single thought of perfuming through hearing attaches to the fundamental consciousness, which is the beginning of turning back and going. As perfuming through hearing gradually increases, the fundamental consciousness gradually diminishes; if understanding is completely fulfilled, then the fundamental consciousness is completely extinguished, using the nature of understanding within the fundamental consciousness to accomplish the reward Buddha, for the nature of understanding cannot decay or perish. The naturally pure mind is precisely the Dharmakāya Buddha; when the nature of understanding and the naturally pure mind are constantly united to the ultimate point, the nature of understanding and the naturally pure mind correspond as a single substance; therefore, the Dharmakāya is eternal and the Sambhogakāya is also eternal. People such as these all assert that coming has a source and going has a destination, clinging to them with fixed attachment. If one claims there is coming and going, it is not seen by the five eyes; therefore, this coming and going does not exist. Third, as in the text, it clarifies contemplating concrete coming and going, so that there is no coming or going, which explains the chapter refuting coming and going. Therefore, Master Zhao's *Immutability of Things* says: "Looking at the direction, one knows they went; but the goer does not arrive at the direction." It also says: "Rivers vie to rush along yet do not flow; the sun and moon traverse the sky yet do not orbit." Question: If rivers vie to rush along, how do they not flow? Since you say they do not flow, how can they vie to rush along? Answer: The ordinary sentiments of worldly people are as you have asked. People of the two vehicles have not yet attained simultaneous contemplation, so they also cannot know how it is so. The great being attains the non-dual contemplation: without destroying provisional designations they expound real mark, and therefore they rush along without flowing; without moving from the true limit they establish all dharmas, and therefore without flowing they rush along. Question: This matter is difficult to believe; how can it be understood? Answer: "As for that which is near yet cannot be known, is it not the nature of things? Moving yet still, seemingly going yet remaining, it can be grasped by the spirit, but cannot be sought through concrete matters." Please allow me to present an analogy close at hand to illustrate the distant principle. Just as when my body is in a foreign land and I dream of returning to my homeland, after waking, the body after all has not moved. Thus we know that although going, there is no motion; without motion, there is going. All dharmas are analogized as like a dream: having a night's sleep, there is a morning's awakening; having slumbered through the long night, there is also the bright great awakening. Wheeling through the five paths is analogized as like a dream; right contemplation penetrates that there is truly no going and returning, which is called awakening.