肇論疏 1.57

1.57

第六、結會明不遷也。萬世百劫，蓋語多也。積功萬世，前功在於前積道百劫。蓋昔道在於昔，不朽不失，彌復堅固也。成山假就於始簣者，《論語》云：譬如為山，雖覆一簣，進者吾往也。注云：簣，土籠也。積簣土以成山，前功在於前而不失，故積多而成山也。修途託至於初步者，《老子》云：九層之臺起於累土，千里之行始於足下。積一步以至多故。至千里者無由一步，故云託至也。託是假託也。果以功業不可朽故者，此之四事，皆前功不朽、後功相續方成其事耳。雖在昔而不化者，昔功在於昔，於昔不失，故云不化，不化故云不遷。以不遷故，事如常在，故曰湛然也。故經云三災彌淪而行業湛然者，彌淪，遍滿義。《周易．係辭》云：易與天地准，故能彌淪天下之道耳。此經未詳也。何者夫果不俱因因因而果者，因果不同處，故曰不俱。由因而得果，故云因因而果也。因不昔滅者，在昔不滅。因不來今者，昔因不來至今果也。不滅不來則不遷之致明矣者，既不滅失又復不來，故言不遷也。復何惑於去留、踟蹰於動靜之間哉者，知去留無二，故不惑也。知動靜不二，故不踟蹰也。踟蹰者，不進貌也。然則乾坤倒覆無謂不靜，乾，天也。坤，地也。雖倒天而覆地，莫言不靜也。洪流滔天無謂其動者，堯遭九年之潦，洪水滔天，猶是靜也。苟能契神於即物斯不遠而可知者，以神情與物理相契，即物知不遷不復遠也。

Sixth, concluding and synthesising to clarify non-motion: "Myriad ages" and "a hundred kalpas" are simply hyperbolic expressions. He accumulated merits through myriad ages, and the former merits reside in the past; he accumulated the Way through a hundred kalpas, and the past Way resides in the past; they neither decay nor are lost, but become ever more solid. As for "The completion of a mountain depends on its initial basket of earth": the Analects says, "It is like making a mountain: even if one dumps only a single basket of earth, if one advances, I go along." The commentary says: "A kui is an earth-basket." One piles up baskets of earth to form a mountain; the former merits reside in the past and are not lost, so that through accumulating many, a mountain is formed. As for "A long journey relies on its first step": Laozi says, "A nine-story tower begins with piled-up earth; a journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet." One accumulates a single step to reach many; to reach a thousand li there is no way other than a single step, hence he says "relies on reaching." "To rely" means to depend upon. As for "Indeed, because meritorious deeds cannot decay": in these four matters, it is entirely because the former merits do not decay and later merits continue them that the matter is accomplished. As for "Though residing in the past, they do not transform": past merits reside in the past and are not lost in the past, hence he says "they do not transform." Because they do not transform, he says "they do not move." Because they do not move, phenomena are as if constantly present, hence he says "placid and still." Hence the sūtra says: "The three disasters engulf everything, yet karmic activity remains placid and still": "engulf" means filling everywhere. The Appended Remarks of the Zhouyi says: "The Changes matches heaven and earth, and therefore can encompass and engulf the Dao of all under heaven." As to which sūtra this is, it is not yet clear. As for "Why so? The effect does not coexist with the cause; by depending on the cause, the effect comes to be": cause and effect are not in the same place, hence he says "they do not coexist." Due to the cause one attains the effect, hence he says "by depending on the cause, the effect comes to be." "The cause does not perish in the past": in the past it does not perish. "The cause does not come to the present": the past cause does not come to the present effect. As for "Neither perishing nor coming, then the import of non-motion is clear": since it neither perishes and is lost, nor does it come, he therefore says "non-motion." As for "What further doubt could there be about going or staying, what hesitation between movement and rest?": knowing that going and staying are not two, one is not confused; knowing that movement and rest are not two, one does not hesitate. "Hesitation" is the appearance of not advancing. "And yet, though heaven and earth turn upside down, do not say it is not still": qian is heaven; kun is earth. Even if heaven turns upside down and overturns the earth, do not say it is not still. As for "though a vast flood rises to heaven, do not say it is moving": Yao met with nine years of floods, and the great deluge rose to heaven, yet it was still quiet. As for "If only one can tally one's spirit with phenomena as they are, this is not far off and can be known": through tallying the spiritual consciousness with the principle of phenomena, right upon phenomena one knows non-motion, and it is no longer far away.