肇論疏 3.25

3.25

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.