二諦義 1.45

1.45

問：前明二諦是教門時，為當如來說因緣有無為教、為當即眼見耳聞有無為教耶？然師答此語開合不同，今還作開合兩意釋之。言開者，即是理內外義，明理外亦有二諦、理內亦有二諦。理外二諦，即聞有住有、不表不有，聞無住無、不表不無，有無不能表理，不名為教，此即理外無理無教。理內二諦因緣有無，因緣有不有、因緣無不無，有無表非有無故，有無名教門，此即理內有教有理也。此如初章兩節語也。初章前節即理外義，後節即理內義。前節者，他有有可有、有無可無。有有可有，不由無故有；有無可無，不由有故無。不由無故有，有是自有；不由有故無，無是自無。自有即有故有、自無即無故無，此之有無不能表不有無，此有無非是教門，故理外無理教也。今對他明二諦是教門，無有可有、無無可無。無有可有，由無故有；無無可無，由有故無。由無故有，有不自有；由有故無，無不自無。不自有，有是無有；不自無；無是有無。無有不有、有無不無，此有無表不有無，故名為教門，所以理內有理教也。一家初章，言方如此。學三論者必須前得此語。何意名初章？初章者，學者章門之初，故云初章。此語出《十地經》第一卷，明一切文字皆初章所攝。今亦爾，初章通一切法。何者？有無作既然，一切法亦例此作，故知初章通一切法也。此即開理內外二諦是教非教也。次合釋者，明有無何曾有二。只是此有無，有方便者學即成教門、無方便者學即成自性，有方便學自性成因緣、無方便學因緣成自性，有方便學初章前節成後節、無方便學後節成前節。如前甘露譬，甘露未曾有兩，拙服甘露成毒藥、巧服毒藥成甘露。今亦爾，無方便學因緣成自性、有方便學自性成因緣。猶如一色，不了者言定有、不知不有，了者知色有不有故。只是此有無，兩人學教，非教異也。

Question: When previously explaining that the two truths are the portal of teaching, is it that the Tathāgata's preaching of conditioned existence and non-existence is the teaching, or is it that what is directly seen by the eye and heard by the ear as existence and non-existence is the teaching? The Master's answers to this question differed in opening and combining; now I shall again explain it in terms of the two intentions of opening and combining. As for 'opening': this is the meaning of within and outside the principle, explaining that there are also two truths outside the principle, and there are also two truths within the principle. As for the two truths outside the principle: hearing of existence, one abides in existence and does not express non-existence; hearing of non-existence, one abides in non-existence and does not express non-non-existence. Existence and non-existence cannot express the principle, so they are not called teaching; this is having neither principle nor teaching outside the principle. As for the two truths within the principle: conditioned existence and non-existence—conditioned existence is not existence, and conditioned non-existence is not non-existence; because existence and non-existence express neither existence nor non-existence, existence and non-existence are called the portal of teaching. This is having both teaching and principle within the principle. This is like the statements in the two clauses of the First Chapter. The preceding clause of the First Chapter is the meaning outside the principle; the succeeding clause is the meaning within the principle. As for the preceding clause: for others, there is an existence that can exist, and there is a non-existence that can be non-existent. Existence that can exist does not exist due to non-existence; non-existence that can be non-existent is not non-existent due to existence. Not existing due to non-existence, existence is self-existent; not being non-existent due to existence, non-existence is self-non-existent. Self-existent means existing because of existence; self-non-existent means non-existent because of non-existence. Such existence and non-existence cannot express neither existence nor non-existence; this existence and non-existence are not the portal of teaching, and therefore outside the principle there is neither principle nor teaching. Now, responding to others, we explain that the two truths are the portal of teaching: there is no existence that can exist, and there is no non-existence that can be non-existent. There being no existence that can exist, it exists due to non-existence; there being no non-existence that can be non-existent, it is non-existent due to existence. Existing due to non-existence, existence is not self-existent; being non-existent due to existence, non-existence is not self-non-existent. Not being self-existent, existence is non-existence; not being self-non-existent, non-existence is non-non-existence. Non-existence is not existence; non-non-existence is not non-existence. This existence and non-existence express neither existence nor non-existence, and therefore are called the portal of teaching; hence within the principle there are both principle and teaching. The discourse of our school's First Chapter is just like this. Students of the Three Treatises must first master these words. Why is it called the First Chapter? The First Chapter is the beginning of the portals of chapters for learners, hence it is called the First Chapter. This phrase comes from the first fascicle of the Daśabhūmika Sūtra, which explains that all letters are subsumed under the First Chapter. It is the same here: the First Chapter applies to all dharmas. Why? Since it is treated thus for existence and non-existence, all dharmas are likewise treated by analogy; hence we know that the First Chapter applies to all dharmas. This is the opening of the two truths within and outside the principle as being teaching and not teaching. Next, the combined explanation: it explains how existence and non-existence could ever be two. It is merely this existence and non-existence: when studied by one with expedient means, it becomes the portal of teaching; when studied by one without expedient means, it becomes inherent nature. Studied with expedient means, inherent nature becomes conditioned origination; studied without expedient means, conditioned origination becomes inherent nature. Studied with expedient means, the preceding clause of the First Chapter becomes the succeeding clause; studied without expedient means, the succeeding clause becomes the preceding clause. As in the previous simile of amṛta: amṛta has never been twofold; clumsily taken, amṛta becomes poison; skillfully taken, poison becomes amṛta. It is the same here: studying without expedient means, conditioned origination becomes inherent nature; studying with expedient means, inherent nature becomes conditioned origination. Just as with a single form: one who does not understand says it is definitely existent and does not know it is not existent; one who understands knows that form's existence is not existence. It is merely this existence and non-existence: two people study the teaching; the teaching itself is not different.