[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [起信論疏筆削記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848) › 1.22 # 起信論疏筆削記 1.22 起信論疏筆削記 1.22 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1.22) 絕言下，明心之離過。絕謂斷絕於辭也。言謂語言，即聞慧境。象謂似像，屬於義也，即思慧境。故〈繫辭〉云：聖人有以見天下之賾，而擬諸形容，象其物宜，是故謂之象。筌是捕魚之器，罤即網兔之具。此二即言象喻也。今顯真心不可思議，言語道斷、心行處滅，故云絕也。謂心體離言，非可以言語取。心體離念，不可以識情求。口談詞喪，心緣慮亡。故下文云：從本已來，離言說相，離心緣相。又云：非色非心，非智非識，非有非無，畢竟不可說相等，皆明心離過也。筌罤喻言象者，罤能網兔，喻言能取象；筌能捕魚，喻象能取意。今法喻雙舉者，為成文故。然筌罤之語，是《周易．略例》正文，故彼文云：言生於象，故可尋言以觀象；象生於意，故可尋象以觀意。意以象盡、象以言著，故得意忘象、得象忘言，猶罤者所以在兔，得兔而忘罤；筌者所以在魚，得魚而忘筌。然則言者，象之罤也；象者，意之筌也。存言者非得象，存象者非得意。象生於意而存象焉，則所存者乃非其象也；言生於象而存言焉，則所存者乃非其言也。然《易》中舉此明尋言得象、尋象得意，得意須忘象、得象須忘言，苟不能忘，皆非得旨。此乃約人以明，勸人捨筌。今文但約本性，直就法體說離言象，非約勸修。雖借彼文，不同彼意。苟欲強說於字來由，恐乖文旨。 > From 'beyond words' downward, the mind's freedom from faults is explained. 'Beyond' means cutting off speech. 'Words' means language, which is the sphere of wisdom born of hearing. 'Images' means likenesses, belonging to meaning, which is the sphere of wisdom born of reflection. Therefore the 'Appended Statements' (\*Xici\*) says: 'The sages had that by which they saw the complexities of the world, and modeled them on shapes and forms, making images of the fittingness of things; therefore these are called images.' The fish trap is an implement for catching fish; the snare is a device for netting rabbits. These two are metaphors for words and images. Now, to show that the true mind is inconceivable, that the path of words is cut off and the realm of mental activities is extinguished, it is said to be 'beyond'. This means that the essence of the mind is free from words and cannot be grasped by language. The essence of the mind is free from thoughts and cannot be sought by conscious feelings. When spoken by the mouth, words are lost; when cognized and cogitated by the mind, thoughts vanish. Therefore the text below says: 'From the beginning, it is free from the marks of verbal explanation and free from the marks of mental cognition.' It also says: 'Neither physical form nor mind, neither wisdom nor consciousness, neither existent nor non-existent, ultimately ineffable marks, etc.'—all of which explain the mind's freedom from faults. As for the fish trap and rabbit snare serving as metaphors for words and images: the snare can net a rabbit, which illustrates that words can capture images; the fish trap can catch a fish, which illustrates that images can capture the meaning. Setting forth both dharma and metaphor now is for the purpose of completing the text. However, the phrasing of the fish trap and rabbit snare is the original text from the \*General Remarks on the Book of Changes\* (\*Zhouyi lüeli\*). Hence that text says: 'Words are born from images; therefore one can trace words to observe images. Images are born from meaning; therefore one can trace images to observe meaning. Meaning is exhausted through images; images are made manifest through words. Therefore, when one grasps the meaning, one forgets the image; when one grasps the image, one forgets the words. It is like the snare being for the sake of the rabbit: when one gets the rabbit, one forgets the snare; the fish trap being for the sake of the fish: when one gets the fish, one forgets the fish trap. Thus, words are the snare for images; images are the fish trap for meaning. One who preserves words does not grasp the images; one who preserves images does not grasp the meaning. Images are born from meaning, yet if one preserves the images, what is preserved is not the true image; words are born from images, yet if one preserves the words, what is preserved is not the true words.' Now, the \*Book of Changes\* adduces this to clarify that tracing words grasps images, and tracing images grasps meaning; when the meaning is grasped, one must forget the images, and when images are grasped, one must forget the words; if one cannot forget, none will attain the purport. This was explained in relation to the person, admonishing the person to discard the trap. The present text, however, is solely in terms of the fundamental nature, directly speaking of freedom from words and images with respect to the essence of the Dharma; it is not concerned with admonishing practice. Although borrowing that text, it does not share that intention. If one insists on laboriously explaining the etymological origins of the words, it is feared that one will deviate from the purport of the text. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1.21) - [Next: 1.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1.23) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848~en-mt.1.22) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1848.1.22) · Pramāṇa