二諦義 1.19

1.19

Next is to explain 'teaching the Dharma for sentient beings relying on the two truths'. Question: Since it says 'teaching the Dharma relying on the two truths', for what person and what kind of Dharma is taught? Various people, apprehending the Great Master's words, say: Teaching the Dharma of existence for ordinary people, and teaching the Dharma of emptiness for noble ones. Teaching the two Dharmas of emptiness and existence for the two kinds of people—ordinary and noble—is called 'teaching the Dharma relying on the two truths'. Question: Did the Master make this statement or not? Answer: Yes, the Master did make this statement, but there is a proper context for using these words. People only grasp these words without understanding their intended meaning. Why? Teaching existence for ordinary people and teaching emptiness for noble ones is called 'teaching the Dharma for sentient beings relying on the two truths'—what kind of talk is this? The Buddhas rely on the two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings; how could one say that teaching existence for ordinary people and teaching emptiness for noble ones is what is meant by 'the Buddhas rely on the two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings'? Furthermore, does one rely on the ordinary to teach existence and then again teach existence for the ordinary, or rely on the noble to teach emptiness and then again teach emptiness for the noble? The treatise says: "The worthy and noble truly know that inversions are empty in their nature." Since they already know that all phenomena are empty in their original nature, why teach emptiness for them again? What is explained now follows the treatise's commentary. The treatise says: "The Buddhas rely on the two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings." It explicitly states 'relying on the two truths to teach the Dharma for sentient beings'—when does it say 'teaching the Dharma for noble ones'? It teaches the Dharma for ordinary sentient beings, not for noble ones.