肇論疏 2.61

2.61

Second, jointly discerning the sage's mind and jointly explaining the two meanings. Regarding "as for the mind's having [an object]": generally speaking, when discussing why a mind is said to "have," it is because it takes a phenomenon to exist; thus it is named "the mind having [an object]." Regarding "being is inherently not being; hence the sage's mind does not take being as being": the intrinsic essence of existing phenomena is inherently not being; hence the sage's mind does not take being as being. Regarding "because it does not take being as being, there is the absence of being": because it does not take existing phenomena as being, it knows that being is not being. Regarding "because there is the absence of being, there is no non-being": since phenomena are not being, neither are they non-being. Regarding "because there is no non-being, the sage's mind neither is being nor is non-being": earlier it said "the absence of being," and here it says "no non-being." Since the essence of phenomena is without being and without non-being, the sage's mind neither is being nor is non-being. Regarding "neither being nor non-being, its spirit is then empty": the sage's mind being neither being nor non-being is indeed empty and subtle. Regarding "why is this? For being and non-being are shadows and echoes of the mind...": this reiterates and comments on the earlier statement that the sage's mind is neither being nor non-being. The sage's mind is not being, yet people delusionally take it as being; the sage's mind is not non-being, yet people delusionally take it as non-being. Being and non-being are to the sage's mind as shadows and echoes are to form and sound—they are not the true origin. Regarding "words and images are what shadows and echoes cling to": clinging to the being and non-being of shadows and echoes, words and images arise; it does not mean that the being and non-being of shadows and echoes cling to words and images. The phrasing is an inverted expression, hence it is put this way. Why? Relying on the mind, one assumes being, and therefore speaks of being; one assumes non-being, and therefore speaks of non-being. Relying on this mind of being and non-being, words and hexagram symbols of being and non-being arise. "Words and images" refers to the Yijing, which says: "The text's words and the images' phrases." This is used as an analogy: words that speak of being and speak of non-being take images of being and take images of non-being. For example, speaking of being is like an aggregated mass of being; speaking of non-being is like a vast emptiness of non-being. An aggregated mass is a material lump; vast emptiness is open space—these are all images. Upon these very images, words of being and non-being are applied. Regarding "when being and non-being are abandoned...": the sage's mind is neither being nor non-being, hence it is said to be "abandoned." One cannot delusionally take it as being or as non-being; hence it says "the mind has no shadows or echoes." Regarding "when shadows and echoes sink away, words and images cannot fathom it": since the sage's mind is neither being nor non-being, it cannot be spoken of as being or non-being, nor can it take images of being or non-being; words and images cannot fathom the sage's mind. Regarding "when words and images cannot fathom it, the Way transcends all directions": the Yijing says: "Directions assemble by kind, and things divide into groups." Here it means that the sage's mind cannot be spoken of as being or non-being, and thus it eternally transcends all classes and groups. Regarding "because the Way transcends all directions, it can plumb the spiritual and exhaust all numbers": because it eternally transcends all groups, it fully plumbs spiritual wisdom and completely investigates the mind's numbers. Regarding "plumbing the spiritual and exhausting all numbers is called 'marvelously reaching the end'": because it plumbs and exhausts, it leaves nothing unknown and nothing unilluminated; hence it is called "marvelously reaching the end." Regarding "the Way of marvelously reaching the end is rooted in having no reliance": since it is called "marvelously reaching the end," it is prajñā. Since it is prajñā, how could there be any reliance or clinging? Regarding "having no reliance lies in profound tranquility": since it is called "having no reliance," it is profoundly and silently tranquil. Regarding "because it is profoundly tranquil, it is provisionally referred to": since it is profoundly tranquil, it has no names. Calling it "prajñā" is only a provisional designation. Regarding "marvelously reaching the end lies in exhausting all numbers": since it is called "marvelously reaching the end," it must exhaust all numbers of the mind. Regarding "because it exhausts all numbers, it responds in accordance with numbers": although it is called exhausting all numbers, it can respond according to numbers, as explained in the sūtras regarding transformations and deeds, leaving nothing undone. Regarding "because it responds in accordance with numbers, its movement harmonizes with affairs": responding to things through the mind's numbers, wherever there is a stimulus it arrives, leaving nothing unaccorded. Regarding "because it is provisionally referred to, the Way transcends beyond names": provisionally establishing a name, it transcends beyond names. Regarding "because the Way transcends beyond names, it is consequently termed 'non-being'": because the sage's mind transcends beyond names and none knows what to name it, it is termed "no-mind." Regarding "because its movement harmonizes with affairs, it is consequently termed 'being'": because the sage's mind responds to things, it is termed "having a mind." Regarding "being termed 'being' is to respond to those who assert being...": saying the sage's mind is termed "being" is only responding to those people who assert being, forcibly calling it being; the sage's mind is not actually so. Regarding "hence the sūtra says: 'The holy wisdom is non-knowing'...": quoting a sūtra as evidence. This is the general meaning of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā, not a specific text. It also reflects the intent of the Viśeṣacintibrahmaparipṛcchā-sūtra. That sūtra says: "When I attained nirvāṇa, I only attained the ultimate emptiness of all dharmas. Because of non-attainment, there is attainment; because of non-knowing, there is knowing." Regarding "this refers to the path of animitta and tranquil cessation": this sūtra refers to the path of animitta. Furthermore, it explains these words of non-knowing and non-action, meaning the path of animitta. Another edition reads: "This path of wordlessness, animitta, and tranquil cessation." It means that this non-knowing and non-action is the path of wordlessness and animitta. Regarding "how could one say that it is being and thus constitutes being?...": "how could one say" means it is not like that. Calling it being does not necessarily make it being; calling it non-being does not make it non-being; movement and stillness are also like this.