唯識二十論述記 1.6

1.6

Commentary: About to explain the basic text, it is analyzed through three gates: first, revealing the time and capacities of the teaching, and the scope of its doctrinal classification; second, clarifying the fundamental tenet and essence of the treatise, and the reasons for composing the treatise; third, judging the text and separately explaining it according to what the treatise clarifies. Regarding the first, revealing the time and capacities of the teaching and the scope of its doctrinal classification, there are three points within it: first, distinguishing the times; second, distinguishing the capacities; third, distinguishing the classification. First, to distinguish the times: the Tathāgata's teaching in general has three periods. First, in the Deer Park, he preached the Āgamas, the teaching of the Four Truths, which refutes the grasping at the existence of a self. Next, on Vulture Peak, he preached the Great Prajñāpāramitā, the teaching of the emptiness of the two graspers, which refutes the grasping at the existence of dharmas. Although the teachings of emptiness and existence can transcend nihilism and eternalism, they did not yet exhaust the principle or accord with the middle path. Later, at the seven locations and eight assemblies, he finally preached that the three realms are mind-only, doubly transcending existence and emptiness and tallying with the teaching of the middle path; these are the Avataṃsaka, the Saṃdhinirmocana, and so forth, which empty the two graspers outside the mind.