二諦義 1.6

1.6

Indeed, if one does not understand the two truths, then the object that tallies with reality and the cognition that illuminates the conventional cannot merge and penetrate; and for one whose object and cognition do not merge and penetrate to enter the ocean of sarvajñā has never occurred. How fitting it is that the Buddhas always teach the Dharma in reliance upon the two truths! In China, men of the study of the Dao who have expanded upon the ultimate and the conventional and handed down the tradition to posterity are also not few. Moreover, regarding the two truths, although the clans of the twenty houses of debate each stated their views, they never applied effort to the key and crucial points; is this not what is meant by skin-deep sectarian posturing and superficial boasting of mere echoes? The Eminent Monk Jizang appeared during the Sui dynasty and inherited the learning of Master Lang. His spiritual understanding was inconceivable, and there was nothing of its essence he did not extract. He ultimately composed profound commentaries on various sūtras to assist the teaching vehicles, amounting to I know not how many tens of millions of words. Among them, coming to the present chapter, which distinguishes non-existence and non-emptiness yet duality and non-duality, the rat and the basket, the chestnuts and the table melon, and so forth, he enlightened the lack of understanding of old masters and brought forth the brilliance of unique insight. How could such a work be neglected? Alas! Since the Middle Ages, this learning was not transmitted, and his writings were on the verge of disappearing. In the treasury of an old celebrated temple, I happened to obtain this fine brocade exemplar; filled with reverence, I held and read it, unable to contain my leaping joy. Promptly adding punctuation and collating it, I handed it over to the bookseller. At this time, in the twelfth month, an auspicious day, the year Dingchou, the tenth year of Genroku [1697], the printing was thus completed.