肇論疏 3.61

3.61

Although they attain nirvāṇa, it is an attainment of non-attainment, without any determinate attainment; hence it is expressed thus. 'Wuming said: Now, the true arises from detachment' and so forth: departing from attachment is to become true; possessing attachment is to become false. 'Because of attachment, there is attainment' and so forth: having attachment in the mind, one then has attainment. If one departs from attachment, the opposite is the case. And as for saying 'nameless,' it is that there is no name of attainment. 'Therefore, the one who models upon the true': agreeing with the true is called modelling upon it. Relying on the true and being without attachment accomplishes the true; relying on the false and having attachment accomplishes the false. 'You take attainment to be attainment, and therefore seek attainment in what is attained': this is to emulate the false and agree with the false. 'I take non-attainment to be attainment, and therefore my attainment lies in non-attainment': this is to model upon the true and agree with the true. 'Moreover, in the composition of a philosophical discourse, one must first determine its fundamental doctrine': 'root' (ben) means fundamental doctrine (zong). 'Having discussed nirvāṇa' and so forth: expounding nirvāṇa by relying upon the fundamental doctrine of nirvāṇa. 'If one initiates discourse based upon nirvāṇa' and so forth: if one speaks in terms of the fundamental doctrine of nirvāṇa, then the essential natures of all dharmas are empty, all being the true essence of nirvāṇa; what further attainment could there be? 'Why is this so?' and so forth: explaining the true nature of nirvāṇa. 'Wondrously exhaust constant calculations': not like the calculations of various dharmas. It may also refer to the five skandhas, the twelve āyatanas, and the eighteen dhātus; it also can just mean the mental factors (caitta). 'Fuses and smelts the two modes [heaven and earth]': fuses and penetrates heaven and earth. Like melting gold in a furnace, there is nothing not made identical. 'Cleanses and sweeps away all existents': washes and purges away so that nothing is not empty. 'Equalises gods and humans' and so forth: clarifies non-duality. 'Looking inward, one does not see oneself': looking inward at nirvāṇa, one does not see its own essence. 'Listening back, one does not hear myself': listening back to nirvāṇa, one does not hear its sound. 'Myself' refers to nirvāṇa. 'Never having had attainment' and so forth: negating the two extremes. 'A sūtra says: Nirvāṇa is not sentient beings': as for the sūtras cited throughout this treatise, there are two forms: first, stating the title; second, not stating the title. When stated, it is the full text of the sūtra; when not stated, it is the general purport of various sūtras. It is not necessarily entirely so, but mostly like this. What is cited here is just the general purport of various sūtras. 'Vimalakīrti said' up to 'no longer ceases': this is the full text of the Jingming [jing]. 'This clarifies' and so forth: explaining the intention of the sūtra. Although it ceases, it does not cease; hence it is called 'no cessation.' 'Thus, sentient beings are not sentient beings' and so forth: all preceding text was the general answer of the 'furnace and smelting'; from here on, it directly answers the objection, clarifying the profound virtue (xuande). Sentient beings are themselves empty, so there is no one who can attain it; nirvāṇa is also empty, so there is nothing that can be attained. 'The Fangguang says: Is bodhi attained from existence?' and so forth: this cites the text of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā to clarify nirvāṇa. From this up to 'Are there then no attainments at all? The answer says: No' is all sūtra text. 'Existence' refers to having mind; 'non-existence' refers to being without mind. The other phrases are also like this; they all discuss the mind. Further, one takes having attainment to be attainment, and having no attainment to be non-attainment; the other phrases are also like this. Further, one takes having marks to be having attainment, and having no marks to be non-attainment; the other phrases are also like this. Further, one takes having persons and dharmas to be having attainment, and having no persons or dharmas to be non-attainment; the other phrases are also like this. 'No attainments at all' means having no dharma attained whatsoever, like empty space. 'What is the meaning of this?': since all five phrases are negated, how can there be attainment? 'The answer says: Because there is nothing to be attained, it is called attainment': this is simply taking having nothing to be attained as attainment; it is also taking attaining the unattainable as attainment; it may also be that directly taking non-attainment is called attainment; therefore one attains having nothing to be attained. By this meaning, although one attains nirvāṇa, there is also no attainment. One may also say that attaining nirvāṇa is attaining in non-attainment. 'If to have nothing to be attained is called attainment, who alone is not so?': this phrase varies across editions; many people did not understand it and consequently added the character xian (all), misleading people. Now this edition is clearly visible. If non-attainment is called attainment, and having attainment is not called attainment, then all dharmas are without attainment; what person alone would not attain it? 'Thus, the profound Way lies in the transcendent realm, and therefore it is attained through non-attainment': this refers to the ultimate truth (paramārtha-satya). The ultimate truth is empty by nature and entirely cut off from existence; it is the truth of no-truth, and therefore there is the attainment of non-attainment. 'Wondrous wisdom resides beyond physical things, and therefore it is known through non-knowing': this refers to prajñā. Prajñā is profound and wondrous, beyond physical forms; it is the thing of no-things, and therefore there is the knowing of non-knowing. 'The Great Image hides in the formless, and therefore it is seen through non-seeing': this refers to the dharmakāya. The dharmakāya is boundless, hence called the 'Great Image'. Although it is called the Great Image, one does not see its form, hence it is said to 'hide in the formless'. Since it is the form of the formless, it is said to be seen through non-seeing. 'The Great Sound conceals itself in subtle silence, and therefore it is heard through non-hearing': this refers to the single voice (ekasvara). Expounding the Dharma with a single voice has no fixed sound, hence called 'subtle silence'. Although it is called the Great Sound, one does not hear its sound, hence it is said to be 'concealed in subtle silence'. Since it is the sound of soundlessness, it is said to be heard through non-hearing. 'Great Image' and 'Great Sound' are terms from Laozi, borrowing the text to clarify the meaning. Up to 'capable of enclosing all antiquity': the Kun hexagram of the Yijing says, 'Enclosed in a bag: neither blame nor praise.' Zixia said, 'Enclosed means tied.' It means the Way of nirvāṇa embraces all antiquity, like an enclosed bag holding things. 'All antiquity' means reaching back to the ultimate ancient times. 'Leading and opening all directions': guiding and penetrating through. 'All directions' means the myriad realms. 'Nourishing and bringing to fruition the myriad beings': tingdu means rearing and nurturing. 'Cang sheng' (myriad beings) means those born of Heaven. Sentient beings are born of Heaven, hence called cang sheng. 'Sparse, yet nothing slips through' and so forth: this broadly refers to the preceding three lines, in that none slips through. Enclosing all antiquity, antiquity is without omission; leading and opening all directions, all are exhausted; rearing and nurturing the myriad beings, the myriad beings are not lost; therefore it summarises that nothing slips through. Laozi says, 'Heaven's net is wide, sparse yet nothing slips through.' It borrows the phrase to clarify nirvāṇa. 'How vast and boundless!': the commentary to the Mao Shi says, 'Wangyang means the greatness of waters.' The commentary to the Shangshu says, 'Yangyang means an appearance of beauty.' 'What is there that does not proceed from it?': what thing does not proceed from nirvāṇa? 'Therefore, a brahmacārin said' and so forth: this is text from the Bashi jing (Sūtra of the Eight Masters). This one-fascicle sūtra says: there was a non-Buddhist named Yexun who made these statements. 'Cliff-less' means boundless. 'Nothing that is not accomplished' means being able to accomplish sentient beings. 'Nothing whose life is not delivered' means being able to liberate sentient beings. 'Thus, the path of the three vehicles opens' and so forth: this concludes the general purport of the 'Treatise on Nirvāṇa'. Nirvāṇa is the path of the three vehicles, is true and not false, and is the Way of the sages and worthies; the purport of the nameless is made manifest here. Another explanation: this generally concludes all the preceding treatises. 'The path of the three vehicles opens' refers to the 'Zongben [yi]'; 'the paths of the true and the false are distinguished' refers to the 'Buqian [lun]' and 'Buzhenkong [lun]'; 'the Way of the worthy and the good abides' refers to the 'Bore wuzhi [lun]'; 'the purport of the nameless is made manifest' refers to the 'Niepan wuming [lun]'.