肇論疏 3.57

3.57

The Dharma of nirvāṇa is identical in both ancient and modern times; hence it is called 'Pervading the Ancient'. Where the Nameless says, 'Now the ultimate person is empty, hollow, and formless, yet there is nothing that is not himself': The *Zilin* states that *dong* [洞] is pronounced like *dong* [動], meaning a rushing torrent. Scholars of late have all pronounced it like *tong* [同]. Because he is empty, he is formless; hence he takes the myriad things as his own essence. Where it says, 'He gathers the myriad things to form himself,' and so forth: The sage has no essence [of his own]; he takes the essence of the myriad things as his own essence. 'Why is this? Without the principle, one is not a sage': without awakening to the principle, one does not become a sage; without being a sage, one does not awaken to the principle. 'Becoming a sage through the principle': once he awakens to the principle and becomes a sage, the sage and the principle are not different. These words of Master Zhao exhaustively fathom the profound and ultimate. 'Therefore Śakra said': this is a passage from the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā*. It also says, 'To see dependent arising is to see dharma-nature'; this passage appears in both the *Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā* and the *Mahāsaṃnipāta*. Where it says, 'This is the proof that things and self are not different': the twelve links of dependent arising are precisely this. One clearly knows that the myriad things are not different from one's own essence; this passage serves as verification. Where it says, 'Therefore the ultimate person conceals the profound mechanism before any omen appears': *ji* [戢] means to restrain and gather. *Ji* (pronounced *zha* with *li* as the rime): a poem in the *Wen Xuan* says, 'Gathering wings, hoping to lift the head; riding the current, fearing exposed gills.' This means folding the wings. 'Profound mechanism' refers to the sage's mind. An event not yet sprouted has not appeared and has no omen; the sage gathers his mind and foresees it. Where it says, 'He conceals dark workings in what has already transformed': 'dark workings' also refers to the sage's mind. Past matters have already gone and have no form; the sage directs his mind and looks back to see them. 'Uniting the six directions to mirror the mind': observing the present. The four directions, above, and below are called the 'six directions'. The ultimate person's mind is bright like a mirror, illuminating the myriad things. 'Unifying the past and future to form his essence': knowing that the three times share the same essence. It means that the sage takes the myriad things of the three times as his essence, having no separate essence. Thus 'Things Do Not Shift' says, 'Is the Way far off? Touch a thing and it is real.' This refers precisely to the myriad things of the three times. What is 'real' is that the nature of things is non-arising; non-arising is the real, and the real is emptiness. The sage embodies this principle of emptiness to become a sage; hence it says 'forming his essence'. Where it says, 'Pervading ancient and modern,' and so forth: It means that the sage knows ancient and modern, end and beginning are not distinct, root and branch are not two; vast and boundless, they are immensely equal. One who attains this mind is called 'nirvāṇa'. It can also mean that dharmas such as ancient and modern, end and beginning, root and branch, are equal in essence; this is great nirvāṇa. As for the scripture saying, 'Without departing from all dharmas, one attains nirvāṇa': this is just what the *Vimalakīrti* means by 'Without cutting off afflictions, one enters nirvāṇa.' Furthermore, the *Mūlamadhyamakakārikā* states, 'Not departing from saṃsāra, is there separately nirvāṇa.' It also says, 'Because all dharmas are limitless,' and so forth: This means that all dharmas are identical with bodhi. 'Hence one knows that the Path of nirvāṇa resides in wondrous tallying': tallying with the wondrous principle is precisely nirvāṇa. Where it says, 'Rooted in dark unity': knowing that the myriad dharmas are darkly of one essence is called wondrous tallying. Where it says, 'If so, then things are not different from oneself,' and so forth: It re-clarifies non-duality. Where it says, 'Things and self profoundly unite and return to the limitless': things and self together return to the principle of the limitless. Where it says, 'Pushing it forward, it is not prior,' and so forth: Pushing nirvāṇa forward into the past, it is not prior; pressing nirvāṇa back into the future, it is not subsequent. Since it is neither prior nor subsequent, how could it have beginning or end? Where the goddess says, and so forth: This is a passage from the *Vimalakīrti*. 'Elder' refers to Śāriputra. She says, 'Is your attainment of liberation of long or recent standing?' Since liberation has neither long nor recent standing, my abiding in this room likewise has neither long nor recent standing. Citing this text now is simply to clarify that liberation has neither long nor recent standing. Liberation is nirvāṇa. 'Long or recent standing' refers to beginning and end.