肇論疏 2.37

2.37

Fourth, there are three exchanges of objections regarding arising and cessation. The three exchanges form three parts. Now comes the first exchange. Responding to encounters and capacities without missing the opportune moment is why it says "responding to encounters without error." "Preserving it" means preserving it without responding. For "is it permissible?" (ke hu), one edition reads "how could it be?" (he hu); both make sense. It asks: could the sage's mind possibly undergo arising and cessation?

"The reply states: 'Arising and cessation belong to the mind of arising and cessation'" means that whenever arising is spoken of, it arises in the mind; whenever cessation is spoken of, it ceases in the mind. "The sage has no mind; whence could arising and cessation arise?": since there is no mind, there is nothing that can arise or cease. "Yet it is not without mind" and so on means: it is not the mindlessness of wood and stone, but merely the mindlessness of non-knowing, hence it is called the mind of non-mind. Responding is also like this. "Therefore, responding to encounters is as trustworthy as the substance of the four seasons": the Xiaoya says, "Substance (zhi) means trust (xin)." The Family Sayings [of Confucius] says: "In the enlightened king's governing of the common people, his transforming influence can be kept, his words can be trusted, and his footprints can be trodden; therefore his trust is like the four seasons." The Lüshi chunqiu says: "In the greatness of Heaven and Earth, the four seasons transform constantly; their trustworthiness is supreme." The Chunqiu ganjing fu says: "The ruler of men shares the brilliance of the sun and moon and matches the trust of the four seasons." Here, the sage's response to things is like the four seasons: spring, autumn, winter, and summer arrive in their proper time and inevitably respond. "Simply having emptiness and non-being as its essence": in one edition, the preceding line lacks the character zhi, in which case it should read, "trustworthy as the substance of the four seasons; straightforwardly taking emptiness and non-being as its essence." Now, following the earlier explanation, the character zhi goes with what follows. Zhi means simply or solely. Simply because the sage's mind is empty and non-existent, it cannot be grasped; since it cannot be grasped, it is animitta; being animitta, it has neither arising nor cessation.