二諦義 1.10

1.10

問：何以得知諸佛依二諦說法，二諦是所依耶？解云：出論，不假人解，故云經有論故義即易解。今依論釋之。論〈四諦品〉前釋二諦，次釋依二諦說法。前釋二諦云「世俗諦者，一切諸法性空，而世間顛倒謂有，於世間是實，名為世諦。諸賢聖真知顛倒性空，於聖人是實，名第一義諦。」次云「諸佛依是二諦，為眾生說法。」此則前釋二諦竟，然後明諸佛依是二諦為眾生說法。故知二諦是本、說法是末，二諦是所依、說法是能依，依此二諦為眾生說法也。問：從來云諸佛依二諦說法者，為凡說俗、為聖說真，為凡緣說有、為聖緣說空，名為依二諦說法。既云依二諦為眾生說法，何得言為凡說有、為聖說空為依二諦說法耶？今明如上有於凡為實名俗諦，空於聖是實名第一義諦，依此二諦為眾生說法也。

Question: How is it known that when the Buddhas rely on the two truths to teach the Dharma, the two truths are the basis? The explanation is: It comes from the treatise and does not depend on human explanation; hence it is said that because sūtras have treatises, their meaning is easily understood. Now we explain it relying on the treatise. In the 'Examination of the Four Truths', the treatise first explains the two truths, and next explains relying on the two truths to teach the Dharma. First, explaining the two truths, it says: 'As for conventional truth, all phenomena have the nature of emptiness, yet the worldly in their inversion call it existent; to the worldly this is real, and it is named conventional truth. The noble ones truly know that the inversion has the nature of emptiness; to the noble ones this is real, and it is named ultimate truth.' Next, it says: 'The Buddhas rely on these two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings.' This means that having first finished explaining the two truths, it then reveals that the Buddhas rely on these two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings. Therefore, we know that the two truths are the root, and teaching the Dharma is the branch; the two truths are the basis, and teaching the Dharma is the dependent; in reliance upon these two truths they teach the Dharma for sentient beings. Question: It has traditionally been said that the Buddhas relying on the two truths to teach the Dharma means teaching the conventional for ordinary people and teaching the ultimate for noble ones, teaching existence for ordinary conditions and teaching emptiness for noble conditions, and this is called relying on the two truths to teach the Dharma. Since it says they rely on the two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings, how can one say that teaching existence for ordinary people and teaching emptiness for noble ones is relying on the two truths to teach the Dharma? Now we clarify that, as above, existence is real to ordinary people and named conventional truth, and emptiness is real to noble ones and named ultimate truth; relying on these two truths, they teach the Dharma for sentient beings.