二諦義 3.28

3.28

Second, explaining the meaning of the two truths being both cut off in terms of the level path. The conventional is not determinately conventional; it is conventional because of the ultimate. The ultimate is not determinately ultimate; it is ultimate because of the conventional. Being conventional because of the ultimate, the conventional is a provisional conventional; being ultimate because of the conventional, the ultimate is a provisional ultimate. Once it is termed a provisional conventional, all four propositions are cut off: the provisional conventional is not conventional, the provisional conventional is not non-conventional, the provisional conventional is not both conventional and non-conventional, and the provisional conventional is not neither conventional nor non-conventional. The provisional ultimate is also like this. Both Xinghuang and Changgan praised these words: straightforwardly declaring the provisional conventional, four refutations immediately strike: how could the provisional conventional be conventional? If it were conventional, it would not be the provisional conventional. Since it is termed provisional conventional, it is therefore not conventional. Since the provisional conventional is not conventional, could it be non-conventional? One personally said 'provisional conventional'; how could it be non-conventional? If one had said 'provisional non-conventional', it could be non-conventional; since one said 'provisional conventional', how could it be non-conventional?