肇論疏 3.25

3.25

論有十九章，今第一章，開涅槃之宗，如《孝經》之初有開宗明義章。今將談大道，非言不啟，故亦建言開宗也。無名曰者，大涅槃宗以無名為主，故云無名也。經稱有餘涅槃無餘涅槃者，諸大小乘經通有此說也。涅槃者秦言無為亦名滅度，涅槃梵語，此國所無。何者？自書契已來但言人事，至於涅槃般若，曾所未談。《莊》云：六合之外聖人存而不論，即其義也。此土既無其言，不知將何所譯。今言無為滅度，但是義翻之也。肇公是後秦時，故曰秦言也。妙絕於有為，不壞假名，名無為等，逈然不同，為妙絕也。大患永滅，大患者身也。又是身云患，未必即身也。《老子》云：有大患者，為吾有身；及吾無身，吾何患也。超度四流，欲流、有流、無明流、見流也。斯蓋鏡像之所歸絕稱之幽宅，經說諸法如鏡中像，令人修學歸於此處也。亦可直謂諸法體性畢竟本空，如鏡中像。人皆悟此，即涅槃也。涅槃性空也，言此涅槃畢竟性空。諸佛齊證，即是安隱幽玄之宅也。而曰有餘無餘者，經也。良是出處之異號應物之假名，處字上聲讀，非去聲之出處耳。出者出也，處者入也、住也。所以大般涅槃或名有餘或曰無餘者，無有有無之別體也。如喚眼為目，亦如左目右目義一也，故知出與入殊而一也。故出處之異號，但是應物假設之名耳。良，信也。聖人出則為有餘，處則為無餘。應見出者為之出，應見處者為之處，故云應物耳。余嘗試言之者，《小雅》云：甞，當也。當試言也，語出《莊子》。夫涅槃之為道也者，言涅槃之道，如下所說也。寂寥虛曠不可以形名得，此道絕言像也。夫盡像在乎亡言，言亡在乎無像。像所不能像，非像也；言所不能言，非言也。若非像非言則不當像於言，不當像於言則寂泊幽寥虛通曠遠，故云不可以形名得也。微妙無相不可以有心知，言其思慮所不及也。超群有以幽昇量太虛而永久，超越三界二十五有，幽遠高昇群物之外，量同法界、廣大虛空，非塵沙曆數之所能知，故云量太虛而永久也。隨之弗得其蹤迎之罔眺其首，弗，不。罔，無。眺，傍視。隨，後尋。尋求不得涅槃之蹤跡，眺視不見涅槃之頭首。《老子》云：迎之不見其首，隨之不見其後，執古之道以御今之有，以知古始，是謂道紀。借此意以言道耳。六趣不能攝其生，凡品物之生，不出六趣，言六趣不能攝其生也。力負無以化其體，無常大力能負萬物，而不能變化涅槃之體，明涅槃無體也。漠漭忽怳若存若亡，言漠漠漭漭不知邊際，忽忽怳怳無定處所。不當有無，故云若存若亡耳。五目莫覩其容二聽不聞其響，五目謂肉眼、天眼、慧眼、法眼、佛眼也。二聽，兩耳也。又天耳、人耳也。五目不覩其形，明無形也；二聽不聞其響，明無聲也。言涅槃之道非色聲也。冥冥窈窈誰見誰曉，《莊．內篇》云：至道之精，窈窈冥冥；至道之極，昏昏默默。今明涅槃之體更過於此，幽深窈冥難可窺曉也。彌綸靡所不在而獨曳於有無之表，彌，遍。綸，通。言涅槃之道，非直被通有情無情，亦出有情無情之外，故云靡所不在。亦猶牽曳出有無之表，表，外也。然則言之者失其真下，涅槃無言，言則失真。涅槃無知，知則反愚。涅槃非有，有則乖性。涅槃非無，無則傷體。而言愚者，無知無見，似如愚昧。《大品》：色鈍故般若鈍，即其義也。所以釋迦掩室於摩竭，以理不可言，故掩室杜口。掩室事者，有云：佛初成道，欲度迦葉。假設方便，投彼寄宿。遂以毒龍之室，安置如來。毒龍欲害，降伏入鉢，示施法化義，如掩室耳（湜謂，此解不當，下釋是也）。直是如來初成道時，於三七日思惟未說，似如掩室不開門也（此甚當耳）。《大智論》云：佛初成道五十七日，不說法門。是掩室義也。淨名杜口於毘耶，杜，閉塞義。淨名在毘耶離城，問諸菩薩不二法門。各各說已，次問文殊。言如我意，一切諸法無言無說，是為入不二法門。於是文殊師利問淨名言：何等是入於不二法門？時誰摩詰默然無言。文殊讚云：是真入不二法門也，乃至無言無說。故云杜口也。亦以理中無言，言不得理、理不可言，故不語耳。須菩提及釋梵，前已出訖。斯皆理由神御故口以之默，以理御神，神無有言，口為之然耳。豈曰無辨辨所不能言也，心將緣而慮息，口欲辨而辭喪，故云豈無，但不能言耳。經曰真解脫者離於言數，此等諸文，是《涅槃經》中解脫大意，非全文也。論曰涅槃非有亦復非無，此等是《中論》所明涅槃大意也，亦非全文耳。尋夫經論之作也豈虛搆哉，《小雅》云：尋，用也。言用經論而興製作，亦非搆虛也。搆，造也。果有其所以不有，果，果敢，決定義也。言涅槃果有其不有之所以，故不可說為有；無亦然也（亦合云：涅槃果有其不無之所以，故不可說之為無。舉有既然，無亦如此，故云無亦然耳）。何者本之有境則五陰永滅，於有境中窮本，涅槃以五陰永滅，不可言有也。推之無鄉幽靈不竭，《毛詩》云：鄉，所也。推究涅槃入於無中，則幽微精靈不可窮盡，故云不竭也。抱一湛然，懷抱一相，湛然無變也（湜謂，涅槃懷含蘊抱，無所不包義也。無生性空統之，萬法一義也。此義已無有遷遷然、湛湛然也）。萬累都捐，《說文》：捐，棄也。言煩累皆棄耳。與道通洞神而無功，此道神妙，誰欲稱之？故無已。已尚無之，誰復論功耳。至功常在，雖無已無功，而功大矣。大則為常則不滅，故曰常在。冲而不改，字書云：冲，虛也。涅槃之道體性虛無，何所遷變？故云不改也。有無絕於內，涅槃之中不當有無，本來寂滅，故云絕於內也。稱謂淪於外，涅槃之外無稱謂也。稱謂，謂名字耳。既云涅槃無名，名何所有哉？視聽之所不暨，《左傳》：暨，至。《小雅》：暨，及也。言涅槃如此耳。四空之所昏昧，外道得四無色定，名曰空定，生四空處將為涅槃，而不識真實涅槃，故昏昧也。恬乎而夷怕焉而泰，夷，平也。《老子》云：視之不見曰夷。泰，通泰也。恬虛寂泊，甚自空淨耳。九流於是乎交歸，九流者，謂道流、儒流、墨流、名流、法流、陰陽流、農流、縱橫流、雜雜流亦云小說流也。言此文字語言，皆是佛說、並會涅槃，故云交歸。此即《金剛經》云：是故如來說一切法皆是佛法。此之謂也。眾聖於是乎冥會，上句會法，則無法不會於涅槃。此句會人，亦無人不會於茲道，是故如來說一切人何是聖人。故《大品》云：佛即眾生，眾生即佛。故云眾聖於此乎冥會耳。斯乃希夷之境太玄之鄉，希，微。夷，坦。境，界。太，大。玄，幽。鄉，域也。涅槃微而坦、大而幽，何界域之不遍，故云夷境玄鄉也。而欲以有無題牓下，涅槃言語道斷，而欲以有以無題牓名目、標指方域，其可得乎？不亦邈哉。而云爾者，不亦遠矣，故云邈哉。邈，遠也。

The treatise has nineteen chapters; the present first chapter opens the fundamental doctrine of nirvāṇa, just as the beginning of the Classic of Filial Piety has the chapter 'Opening the Fundamental Doctrine and Illuminating the Principle'. Now, wishing to speak of the Great Way, it cannot be revealed without words; therefore, it also sets forth words to open the fundamental doctrine. As for 'Nameless says', the fundamental doctrine of Great Nirvāṇa takes namelessness as its core; hence it says 'Nameless'. As for 'the sutras speak of nirvāṇa with remainder and nirvāṇa without remainder', both Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna sutras commonly contain this teaching. 'Nirvāṇa' in Qin language is 'unconditioned' (wuwei), and is also called 'extinction and crossing over' (miedu). Nirvāṇa is a Sanskrit word, which does not exist in this country. Why? Since the invention of writing, [this land] has spoken only of human affairs; as for nirvāṇa and prajñā, they had never been discussed. Zhuangzi says: 'Beyond the six realms, the sage reserves [judgment] and does not discuss'—this is precisely its meaning. Since this land lacked such words, it was unknown how they should be translated; to now say 'unconditioned' or 'extinction and crossing over' is merely translating the sense. Master Sengzhao lived during the Later Qin; hence he says 'Qin language'. 'Subtly transcending the conditioned' means that while not destroying conventional designations, it is designated as 'unconditioned' and so forth; being utterly distinct, it is subtly transcendent. 'The great affliction is eternally extinguished': the great affliction is the body. Furthermore, calling this body an affliction does not necessarily mean only the physical body. Laozi says: 'The reason I have great afflictions is that I have a body; when I have no body, what affliction do I have?' 'Crossing beyond the four floods': the flood of desire, the flood of existence, the flood of ignorance, and the flood of views. 'This is indeed the resort of mirror images, the hidden dwelling transcending designation': the sutras say that all phenomena are like images in a mirror, leading practitioners to return to this place. It can also simply mean that the essential nature of all phenomena is fundamentally empty from the very beginning, like images in a mirror; when everyone awakens to this, it is nirvāṇa. Nirvāṇa is empty of inherent nature; this means that this nirvāṇa is ultimately empty in its nature. Universally realized by all Buddhas, it is the peaceful, hidden, and profound dwelling. 'Yet it is said to have remainder or be without remainder': this refers to the sutras. 'Truly these are distinct titles for emerging and dwelling, provisional designations in response to beings': the character chu ('dwelling') is read in the rising tone, not the departing tone of chuchu ('going forth and staying'). 'Emerging' means coming forth; 'dwelling' means entering or abiding. Thus, whether Great Nirvāṇa is named 'with remainder' or called 'without remainder', there are not separate essences of existence and non-existence. Just as calling 'eyes' mu, or like the left eye and right eye being one in meaning, so we know that emerging and entering differ yet are one. Therefore, the distinct titles of emerging and dwelling are merely provisional designations posited in response to beings. 'Truly' (liang) means truly so. When the sage emerges, it is [termed] 'with remainder'; when he dwells, it is 'without remainder'. To those who should see emergence, he emerges for them; to those who should see dwelling, he dwells for them; hence it says 'in response to beings'. As for 'I shall venture to speak of it': the Lesser Odes say that chang ('venture') means 'should'. It means one should venture to speak; the expression comes from the Zhuangzi. 'Now the Way of nirvāṇa': this means the Way of nirvāṇa is as explained below. 'It is silent, empty, and vast, and cannot be grasped by form or name': this Way transcends words and forms. Now, exhausting forms lies in forgetting words; words being forgotten lies in formlessness. What forms cannot form is not a form; what words cannot speak is not a word. If it is neither form nor word, it should not be imaged in words; not being imaged in words, it is still, profound, empty, penetrating, and vast; hence it says 'it cannot be grasped by form or name'. 'Subtle and formless, it cannot be known with a conscious mind': this means it is beyond the reach of thought and reflection. 'Transcending the multitude of existents to ascend into obscurity, measuring the great void to be everlasting': it transcends the three realms and the twenty-five states of existence, rising high and far beyond all things, its measure equal to the dharmadhātu and the vast empty space, unable to be calculated by dust, sand, or calendars; hence it says 'measuring the great void to be everlasting'. 'Following it, one cannot obtain its traces; greeting it, one cannot discern its head': fu means not; wang means without; tiao means to look aside; sui means to pursue behind. Seeking, one cannot find the traces of nirvāṇa; looking, one cannot see the head of nirvāṇa. Laozi says: 'Greeting it, one does not see its head; following it, one does not see its rear. Hold to the Way of antiquity to master the existents of today; to know the ancient beginning is called the guideline of the Way.' He borrows this idea to speak of the Way. 'The six destinies cannot contain its arising': generally, the arising of things does not exceed the six destinies; this means the six destinies cannot encompass its life. 'The power of carrying cannot transform its substance': the great power of impermanence can carry all things, yet it cannot transform the substance of nirvāṇa, clarifying that nirvāṇa has no substance. 'Vast and indistinct, as if existing, as if non-existing': this means vast and boundless without known edges, indistinct without a fixed location. Not pertaining to existence or non-existence, it is therefore called 'as if existing, as if non-existing'. 'The five eyes cannot behold its form, the two hearings cannot hear its sound': the five eyes are the physical eye, the divine eye, the wisdom eye, the Dharma eye, and the Buddha eye. The two hearings are the two ears; also, the divine ear and the human ear. The five eyes not beholding its shape clarifies that it is formless; the two hearings not hearing its sound clarifies that it is soundless. This means the Way of nirvāṇa is neither form nor sound. 'Dark and obscure, who can see it, who can understand it?': The Inner Chapters of the Zhuangzi say: 'The essence of the ultimate Way is obscure and dark; the culmination of the ultimate Way is dim and silent.' Now it clarifies that the substance of nirvāṇa surpasses even this; being deeply hidden and obscure, it is difficult to fathom or understand. 'All-encompassing, there is nowhere it is not present, yet it independently sweeps beyond existence and non-existence': mi means pervasive; lun means penetrating. This means the Way of nirvāṇa not only pervades and penetrates sentient and insentient beings, but also transcends sentient and insentient beings; hence it says 'nowhere it is not present'. It is also like pulling free beyond existence and non-existence; 'beyond' (biao) means outside. 'However, he who speaks of it misses its reality': as for the following text, nirvāṇa is wordless—to speak of it misses reality. Nirvāṇa is non-knowing—to know it turns into folly. Nirvāṇa is not existent—existence contradicts its nature. Nirvāṇa is not non-existent—non-existence injures its substance. Speaking of folly, being without knowing and without seeing resembles stupidity. The Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā says: 'Because form is dull, prajñā is dull'; this is precisely its meaning. 'Therefore Śākyamuni closed his chamber in Magadha': because the principle cannot be spoken, he therefore closed his chamber and shut his mouth. Regarding the event of closing the chamber, some say: when the Buddha first attained awakening, he wished to convert Kāśyapa. Devising an expedient means, he went there to lodge. They thereupon placed the Tathāgata in the chamber of a poisonous dragon. The poisonous dragon wished to harm him, but he subdued it into his bowl, displaying the teaching of the Dharma; this meaning is like closing the chamber (Xuanzhi remarks: this explanation is incorrect; the explanation below is correct). It simply means that when the Tathāgata first attained awakening, he contemplated for three weeks without speaking, resembling closing the chamber without opening the door (this is very fitting). The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa says: 'For fifty-seven days after the Buddha first attained awakening, he did not preach the Dharma.' This is the meaning of closing the chamber. 'Vimalakīrti shut his mouth in Vaiśālī': du means to shut or close. Vimalakīrti was in the city of Vaiśālī and questioned the bodhisattvas on the Dharma gate of non-duality. After each had spoken, he then questioned Mañjuśrī. Mañjuśrī said: 'In my view, that all phenomena are without words and without speech is the entrance into the Dharma gate of non-duality.' Thereupon Mañjuśrī asked Vimalakīrti: 'What is entering the Dharma gate of non-duality?' At that time, Vimalakīrti remained silent without a word. Mañjuśrī praised him, saying: 'This is truly entering the Dharma gate of non-duality, up to being without words and without speech.' Hence it says 'shut his mouth'. Also, because there are no words in the principle, words cannot attain the principle, and the principle cannot be spoken, he therefore did not speak. Subhūti, Śakra, and Brahmā have already been mentioned before. 'These are all because the principle governs the spirit, so the mouth remains silent': because the principle governs the spirit, the spirit has no words, and the mouth acts accordingly. 'How could it be said that there is no eloquence? It is that eloquence cannot speak of it': when the mind is about to grasp an object, thinking ceases; when the mouth wishes to explain, words fail; hence it says: how could there be none, it is only that it cannot be spoken. 'The sutra says: true liberation is free from words and reckoning': these passages represent the general meaning of liberation in the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, not the full text. 'The treatise says: nirvāṇa is neither existent nor non-existent': these represent the general meaning of nirvāṇa explained in the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, also not the full text. 'Considering the composition of the sutras and treatises, could it be an empty fabrication?': The Lesser Odes say: xun ('consider') means 'to use'. It means that using the sutras and treatises to establish compositions is not an empty fabrication either; gou means to fabricate. 'Indeed, it has that by which it is not existent': guo means resolute and decisive. It means that nirvāṇa indeed has that by which it is not existent, and therefore cannot be spoken of as existent; 'non-existence is also like this' (it should also say: nirvāṇa indeed has that by which it is not non-existent, and therefore cannot be spoken of as non-existent. Pointing out existence being like this, non-existence is also like this; hence it says 'non-existence is also like this'). 'Why? Tracing its origin in the realm of existence, the five aggregates are eternally extinguished': fathoming the origin within the realm of existence, because the five aggregates are eternally extinguished in nirvāṇa, it cannot be said to exist. 'Pushing it to the realm of non-existence, the subtle spirit is inexhaustible': the Mao Commentary on the Classic of Poetry says that xiang ('realm') means place. Pushing and investigating nirvāṇa as entering into non-existence, the subtle, profound spirit cannot be exhausted; hence it says 'inexhaustible'. 'Embracing oneness, limpid and serene': embracing the single mark, limpid and without change (Xuanzhi remarks: nirvāṇa contains and embraces, meaning there is nothing it does not encompass. Governing through non-arising and emptiness of inherent nature, the myriad phenomena are of one principle. This principle is already free from alteration, serene and limpid). 'The myriad burdens are completely abandoned': the Shuowen says that juan means to abandon. It means the afflictions and burdens are all discarded. 'Penetrating thoroughly with the Way, spiritual without effort': this Way is spiritual and wondrous, who would wish to praise it? Thus it has no self. Even self is absent, who then would speak of effort or merit? 'Ultimate merit is constantly present': although without self and without effort, its merit is great. Being great, it is constant and not destroyed; hence it says 'constantly present'. 'Empty without alteration': the character dictionaries say that chong means empty. The essential nature of the Way of nirvāṇa is empty and void, what could it change into? Hence it says 'without alteration'. 'Existence and non-existence are terminated within': within nirvāṇa, it does not pertain to existence or non-existence, being fundamentally extinguished; hence it says 'terminated within'. 'Designations sink without': outside nirvāṇa, there are no designations. Designations mean names. Since it is said that nirvāṇa is nameless, how could names exist? 'Beyond the reach of seeing and hearing': the Zuo Commentary says that ji means to arrive; the Lesser Odes say that ji means to reach. It means nirvāṇa is like this. 'Obscure to the four formless realms': non-Buddhists attain the four formless absorptions, call them empty absorptions, and are born in the four formless realms taking them to be nirvāṇa, yet do not recognize true nirvāṇa; hence they are obscure. 'Tranquil and level, serene and expansive': yi means level. Laozi says: 'Looking at it and not seeing it is called level (yi).' Tai means unobstructed and expansive. Tranquil, empty, still, and calm, it is exceedingly empty and pure in itself. 'The nine currents thereby converge': the nine currents refer to the Daoist current, Confucian current, Mohist current, School of Names current, Legalist current, Yin-Yang current, Agriculturalist current, School of Diplomatists current, and the Miscellaneous current, also called the Minor Talks current. This means that these texts and languages are all taught by the Buddha and all converge in nirvāṇa; hence it says 'converge'. This is precisely what the Diamond Sutra means by: 'Therefore the Tathāgata says all dharmas are the Buddha Dharma.' 'All sages thereby merge in secret': the preceding phrase gathers dharmas, so there is no dharma that does not converge in nirvāṇa. This phrase gathers persons, so there is no person who does not converge in this Way; therefore the Tathāgata says how could all persons not be sages. Thus the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā says: 'The Buddha is living beings, living beings are the Buddha.' Hence it says 'all sages thereby merge in secret'. 'This is the realm of the subtle and smooth, the country of the profound mystery': xi means subtle; yi means level; jing means realm; tai means great; xuan means profound; xiang means territory. Nirvāṇa is subtle and level, great and profound; what territory does it not pervade? Hence it says 'the realm of the subtle and level, the territory of the profound'. As for the following text 'Yet wishing to label it with existence or non-existence': the path of language is cut off in nirvāṇa, yet wishing to label its name or indicate its boundaries with existence or non-existence, how could that be possible? 'Is it not far off?': to say so, is it not far off? Hence it says 'miao zai'. Miao means distant.