肇論疏 2.65

2.65

Fourth, interrogating the erroneous calculation: this is interrogating the person who erroneously calculates the holy mind to be existent. 'Now, the arising of cognition reaches its utmost limit within signs': this refers to ordinary cognition. The conventional truth has signs, so ordinary cognition possesses knowing. Ordinary cognition's arising stays within what has signs, not exceeding this. 'Dharmas are fundamentally signless; what does holy cognition know?': this refers to holy cognition. Holy cognition sees the ultimate truth, and the ultimate truth is signless; therefore, holy cognition is non-knowing. 'What the world calls non-knowing' below: what ordinary people in the world call non-knowing refers to things like wood and stones. 'The spiritual mirror darkly illuminates, giving form to what has not yet portended': this is holy cognition. The spiritual mirror of holy cognition illuminates and sees the dark and subtle; it has already seen things that have not yet taken form. 'Giving form' (xing) means appearing; 'to' (yu) means at; 'portended' (zhao) refers to divination omens. 'The Dao has no hidden mechanism; how could it be said to be non-knowing?': there is no Dao of hidden mechanisms that it does not know. 'Mechanism' (ji) means subtle. Given the spiritual mirror darkly illuminating and the Dao lacking hidden mechanisms, how could the meaning ever be said to be non-knowing? One may also take 'the spiritual mirror darkly illuminates' as one meaning, 'giving form to what has not yet portended' as one meaning, and 'the Dao has no hidden mechanism' as one meaning. 'Furthermore, non-knowing arises from non-knowing, and there is no non-knowing': 'non-knowing' means having nothing that is known; because there is nothing that is known, it is called non-knowing—this name 'non-knowing' arises from the absence of consciousness. 'Knowing' is holy cognition; holy cognition lacks that [worldly] non-knowing, so it is said that 'non-knowing has no non-knowing.' 'Having no cognition is termed not existent' below: because it does not exist, it is called 'not existent'; because it is not non-existent, it is called 'not non-existent.' '[Vacuous, it does not lose illumination]' below: 'vacuous' is non-existence; 'illumination' refers to existence. Vacuous yet illuminating, non-existence is precisely existence; illuminating yet vacuous, existence is then non-existence. 'Tranquil and eternally quiescent, neither grasping nor bound': 'tranquil' (bo ran) means serene; 'bound' (ju) means clutching and grasping. This states that because it is quiescent and extinguished, it cannot be grasped. 'Who can stir it to make it exist?' below: who could arouse it to make it exist, or quiet it to make it non-existent? 'Therefore the sūtra says: "True prajñā is neither existent nor non-existent"' below: this is the intended meaning of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. 'Why so? To say it is not existent' below: 'it' refers to the holy mind. Saying that the holy mind is not existent merely means it is not the existence of having signs. Merely saying it is not existent does not mean it must then be non-existence; hence it says, 'it does not mean it is non-existent, for non-existence is determinate non-existence.' Saying that the holy mind is not non-existent merely means it is not the non-existence of having no things. Merely saying it is not non-existent does not mean it must then be existence; hence it says, 'it does not mean it is non-non-existent, for non-non-existence is determinate existence.' This is like looking at the three positions of east, west, and middle: saying that the middle is not east does not mean it is west; saying that the middle is not west does not mean it is east. Phrasing it according to the preceding pattern, it should say: to say that it is not east means it is not east, not that it is non-non-east, for [non-non-]east is determinately west; to say that it is not west means it is not west, not that it is non-west, for non-west is determinately east. Question: In saying that it is not existent, one can say it is not existent, but how can one say 'not non-existent'? In saying that it is not non-existent, one can say it is not non-existent, but how can one say 'not non-non-existent'? Because neither existent nor non-existent is the middle. East, west, and middle are also analogous to this. In saying that it is not east, one can say it is not east, but how can one say 'not non-east'? In saying that it is not west, one can say it is not west, but how can one say 'not non-west'? Because neither east nor west is the middle. Answer: If neither existent nor non-existent were the middle, why bother additionally using the name 'middle'? East, west, and middle are also like this. Furthermore, what is not east is not necessarily non-east; south and north are also not east. What is not west is simply not west, not necessarily non-west; south and north are also not west. By comparing neither east nor west to neither existent nor non-existent, this can be understood. 'Neither existent nor non-existent' below merely comments again on the previous phrasing. 'Therefore Subhūti spoke prajñā all day long' below: this is the text of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. That sūtra says: The devaputras heard Subhūti speak prajñā. The devaputras said: 'The speech of yakṣas can still be understood, but what Subhūti speaks cannot be understood.' Subhūti said: 'Devaputras, do you not understand and not know? I have spoken nothing.' 'This path of transcending words' below: this means that prajñā is the path that transcends words; one does not know how to transmit it. Yet saying 'knowing how to transmit' means not knowing what is transmitted. As an ancient poem says: 'The withered mulberry knows the sky's wind; / the sea water knows the sky's cold.' This expresses not knowing: the withered mulberry has no leaves, so it does not know the sky's wind; the sea water does not freeze, so it does not know the sky's cold. 'Knowing' is precisely not knowing. 'I hope that gentlemen who participate in the profound' below: 'hope' (shu) means looking forward to. The Erya says: 'Shuji means shang (to hope).' Shang means to hope, which is also another name for looking forward to. This refers to Lord Liu having already participated in and tallied with the profound principle.