肇論新疏 3.17

3.17

Yao Song was also a member of the Qin imperial lineage. According to fascicle 18 of the Tang *Hongming ji*, it states in brief: “The King of Qin had earlier issued an edict stating, ‘Now, the Dao takes non-action (*wuwei*) as its fundamental tenet.’ Yao Song objected, saying: ‘I do not understand: in clarifying the non-action of the Dao, what should be taken as its essence? If one takes the subtle as the fundamental tenet, though it precedes the sovereign, it is not the ultimate, etc.’ The King of Qin replied in brief: ‘My view is that the Dao simply rests in non-action; what its fundamental tenet is has not yet been elaborated.’ At the end he also said: ‘The Dao takes having no basis to rely upon as its fundamental tenet. If one seeks where that basis lies, I fear that is the greatest of delusions.’” The text is lengthy and not recorded here. Non-action is nirvāṇa itself. Because it is based on birth-and-death and deduced to nirvāṇa, it says “transmigrating,” etc. Birth-and-death is the result. It is necessarily incurred by causes; hence it says “all due to attachment to desires.” “If desire [ceases]…” below clarifies returning from birth-and-death to revert to nirvāṇa. “No further…” below takes up what precedes to clarify it. “Submerging the spirit” means quietly submerging the mind-spirit. “Profound silence” (*xuanmo*) follows the sense of tranquil silence; the character *mo* is interchangeable. Profound, subtle, tranquil, and silent refers to nirvāṇa. “Empty space” is used as an analogy, animitta being roughly the same; hence it says “matches its virtue.” In the *[Hongming] ji*, “virtue” (*de*) is written as “essence” (*ti*). “Since it is called…” below directly reveals the intent, meaning that the fundamental principle of non-action turns back from the conditioned of birth-and-death and realizes the unconditioned of nirvāṇa; being without characteristics and without names, what essence or fundamental tenet could it have? Fearing that the mind might become attached to something, it must simply take having no basis to rely upon as its fundamental tenet.