二諦義 3.17

3.17

Question: Since you have three truths, you ought to have three essences; I have two truths, so I have two essences. Explanation: If you grasped our school's purport, you would not raise this difficulty. Earlier, it was said that provisional existence is conventional truth, and provisional non-existence is ultimate truth. Provisional existence does not exist as existence; provisional non-existence does not not-exist as non-existence. Not existing as existence, there is no existence that exists; not not-existing as non-existence, there is no non-existence that does not exist. How could there suddenly be three essences? Opponent questions: Existence and non-existence are ultimately two truths, and neither-existence-nor-non-existence is the truth of the Middle Way; there are ultimately three truths, and ultimately three essences. Since there are provisionally three truths, there are provisionally three essences. Explanation: That cannot be. Provisional existence and provisional non-existence are teaching; neither existence nor non-existence is principle. The ultimate truth of the Middle Way is the truth as principle; the ultimate and conventional are the truths as teaching. Opening principle and teaching as three truths is admissible. Next, efface them: initially, one opens principle and teaching, the dual and the non-dual; subsequently, both are effaced. How so? The non-dual of the dual is not non-dual; the dual of the non-dual is not dual; this is neither dual nor non-dual, and so forth through the flow of the five propositions, completely independent and ultimately pure. Principle and teaching are also like this. Hence the Avataṃsaka Sūtra says: 'Completely penetrating all dharmas of existence and non-existence as not being existence or non-existence, not clinging to the non-dual dharma, because there is neither one nor two.' Penetrating existence and non-existence as the dual and the non-dual: since there is no dual, there is no non-dual; hence it says, 'not clinging to the non-dual dharma, because there is neither one nor two.' However, these words were spoken in two different passages; the Master combined them into a single verse. Previously it was said that the dual expresses the non-dual, so that one awakens to the non-duality of the dual; if with no dual one further abides in non-duality, one is bound once again. Hence the Great Sūtra says: 'Like catching a monkey: wherever it touches, it clings.' For this reason it is now clarified that once one recognizes the non-duality of the dual, without duality there is no non-duality. Awakening progressively to such clarity and profundity, one is detached from everything. Now, the broad framework of the meaning of the essence of the two truths is like this. There remains the doctrine of simultaneous contemplation, which involves two phrases difficult to understand. For now, let us discuss the meaning of one phrase, leaving the other phrase to be explained later. Speaking of one phrase: others explain that the two truths have two principles, the three provisional designations being the principle of conventional truth, and the four forgettings being the principle of ultimate truth. Because there are two principles, there is exiting and entering contemplation, and there is the simultaneous contemplation of the two truths. Now you explain that there is only the single principle of the non-dual Middle Way; how can there be exiting and entering contemplation? If there are two things, there can be exiting and entering; since there are not two, how could you explain exiting and entering? Moreover, if there are not two principles, how could you explain simultaneous contemplation? If there are two, simultaneity can be discussed; since there are not two, how could there be simultaneity? Now let us discuss exiting and entering contemplation and simultaneous contemplation: at which stages does one exit and enter contemplation, and at which stages does one contemplate simultaneously? Anciently, there were three explanations: The first is Master Lingwei, who explained that bodhisattvas of the first bhūmi contemplate the two truths simultaneously. At the first bhūmi, having attained the true unborn, they are able to contemplate simultaneously. The second is Kumārajīva, Sengzhao, and the other masters, who explained that bodhisattvas of the seventh bhūmi attain simultaneous contemplation. Hence Master Zhao says: 'Giving reaches the utmost of giving, yet one has never given; morality reaches the utmost of morality, yet one has never observed morality.' This is because giving and non-giving are simultaneous. The third is the Three Great Dharma Masters, whose view is widespread in the world, [holding that] simultaneous contemplation occurs at the eighth bhūmi: from the first bhūmi to the seventh bhūmi there is exiting and entering contemplation, and only at the eighth bhūmi does one attain simultaneous contemplation, where the bodhisattva's path and contemplation proceed together, illuminating both ultimate and conventional simultaneously. Now, these three explanations all derive from sūtras and treatises; if one clings exclusively to one as correct, it becomes an error. The first house considers the first bhūmi correct and the other two incorrect; the third house considers the eighth bhūmi correct and the other two incorrect. This is why fault arises. Now, as for our mountain school's explanation, we explain the meaning of simultaneous contemplation in four stages. However, these four stages are not only the essential practice of bodhisattvas, but also the great guideline of the two truths. As for the four stages: first, the master of the mountain says, 'From initial aspiration onward, there is simultaneous contemplation.'