肇論新疏 1.68

1.68

"Things" refers to all phenomena arising from the concurrence of conditions, namely defiled and pure, environment and sentient being, ancient and modern, cold and heat, and so forth. "Immutability" is prakṛti-śūnyatā, dharmatā, and so on; because things born of conditions are by their original nature empty, and emptiness is itself dharmatā, every single thing is immutable. Now, according to the meanings of the Final and Sudden Teachings, its profound wonder is briefly shown. First, regarding the Final Teaching: the principle that accords with conditions arises to form all phenomena; since phenomena are identical to the true, mutation is itself immutability. Within this there are specifically three approaches: First, subsuming principle under phenomena, principle also changes along with them, so how much more so phenomenal dharmas? The Laṅkāvatāra-sūtra briefly states: "The tathāgatagarbha undergoes arising and ceasing together with causes." Again, the Anūnatvāpūrṇatvanirdeśa says: "The dharmakāya transmigrates through the five destinies, etc." All have this meaning. Second, subsuming phenomena under principle, phenomena do not even mutate, so how much more so ultimate principle? The Renwang jing says: "Because afflictions and bodhi are non-dual in the ultimate truth, all buddha-tathāgatas and all dharmas are completely suchness." The Laṅkāvatāra also says: "The five sense-consciousnesses are not transmigrating." Third, these two are unobstructed and simultaneously melted together, neither one nor different. Mutation and immutability are also not before and after; this is the "sārasa bird" of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra and the Vimalakīrtinirdeśa's "Dharmas have no coming or going, because they constantly do not abide." Qingliang said: "Because of contravening the permanent principle, the three realms consequently become impermanent. If one realizes the reality of impermanence, then impermanence is permanent." The main thrust of the treatise below is entirely this principle. Next, regarding the Sudden Teaching: each and every dharma is fundamentally true, yet delusion falsely perceives flux. If not a single thought arises and the past and future limits are severed, dharmas are neither arising nor ceasing, neither mutating nor immutable, yet they are still called immutable. The Avataṃsaka says: "All dharmas are unarisen, etc." According to Guifeng's Brief Commentary: "Dharmas born of conditions are identical in mark to the imaginary nature, seeming to arise and seeming to cease; in nature they are identical to the perfected nature, neither arising nor ceasing." This is also the import of the Final Teaching. Now, in this treatise both teachings are implicitly contained, as it says below: "Not casting aside motion to seek stillness, etc.," and also says: "Eyes facing the true without perceiving it."