大乘法苑義林章 1.9

1.9

Regarding the approach of explaining permanence and non-permanence: as the sixth fascicle of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: "Furthermore, the Śrāvakayāna is called neyārtha; only the unexcelled Mahāyāna is called nītārtha. If it says that the Tathāgata is impermanent and subject to change, it is called neyārtha. If it says that the Tathāgata is eternally abiding and unchanging, it is called nītārtha." The meaning of this sūtra is: if a sūtra states that the Buddha is the dharmakāya, eternally abiding and unchanging, it is called nītārtha; whatever contradicts this is called neyārtha. The Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra and the seventy-sixth fascicle of the Viniścayasaṃgrahaṇī of the Yogācārabhūmi state: "In the past, solely for those embarking on the Śrāvakayāna, the World-Honoured One turned the wheel of the true Dharma through the characteristics of the four truths. Although this was marvelous, it was surpassable and was neyārtha." This shows that the Mahāyāna is nītārtha sūtra[s], whereas the teachings of the Śrāvakayāna are called non-nītārtha. Here, provisionally, what is elucidated is called nītārtha on the basis of the vehicle; it is not that among all Mahāyāna texts there are none that are neyārtha, nor that among the Śrāvakayāna sūtras there are none at all that are nītārtha. As such scriptural testimonies will subsequently be cited, it is therefore on the basis of the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] that explaining the truly permanent Buddha is called nītārtha, and explaining the non-permanent Buddha is called non-nītārtha.