華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 1.26

1.26

According to the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, suffering is of three kinds: 1. the category of suffering; 2. the truth of suffering; 3. the noble truth of suffering. Origination, cessation, and the path are also like this. The category of suffering is obtained by ordinary beings; the truth of suffering is obtained by śrāvakas; the noble truth of suffering is obtained by bodhisattvas. "The category of suffering" refers to the classes of suffering, such as the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change, and so forth, which torment the feelings and oppress oneself, yet lack the principle. "The truth of suffering" possesses principles such as impermanence, reversing the ordinary to become noble; because it accords with the principle, it obtains the designation of "truth". "The noble truth of suffering" obtains the aspect of the selflessness of phenomena; this is what is inherently relied upon, and because it accords with the principle, it obtains the designation of "noble". They are also called the conditioned four truths and the unconditioned four truths. The "noble truths" are precisely the unconditioned four truths. Thus the Daśabhūmika Sūtra states: "Furthermore, by means of suffering, origination, cessation, and the path, one distinguishes the five skandhas—those that arise and those that cease, having increase and having decrease, yet all lacking form. The suffering of birth, the suffering of aging, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of grief, lamentation, and distress, the suffering of meeting the hated, the suffering of separation from the beloved, and the suffering of not getting what one desires are also suffering. To state the essence, the suffering of the five grasping skandhas." This is called the supreme, named "knowing suffering". Tracing the root source, what is produced by the branches and factions of suffering is "origination"; greedily clinging to, craving, delighting in, and treasuring them, without knowing them to be an affliction. Knowing them and distancing oneself from them, it is therefore called "knowing origination". All defilements are eternally eradicated, no longer creating new ones; because desires are ended, they are made not to arise again; appearances manifesting are immediately extinguished. Not letting them linger, thoroughly realizing that origination and suffering are eternally tranquil—this is called "knowing cessation". Understanding that the eightfold noble path is also without an intrinsic nature, without places of closeness, distance, proximity, remoteness, or abiding, transforming boundlessly without end, clearing away defilements and illuminating ignorance and delusion, a formless and soundless substance of existence and non-existence, being the foremost guide along the path for all who are deluded, entering the unconditioned path—therefore it is called "knowing the path". When bodhisattvas distinguish the four truths, they do not realize the fruit [for themselves], wishing to protect all who are in saṃsāra. The characteristic of the real truth is without characteristic and without form, and cannot be seen; examining and understanding it according to the source accords with the dharmatā, whereas the verbal teachings of the conventional world are conventional designations and possess names. In actuality, the nature of words is unarisen and unceasing, free from defiled attachment; attaining the mind of the noble truth, one does not think of existence or non-existence. Examining and understanding the root, all forms are entirely equal, without high or low generating manifold thoughts—this is called distinguishing the noble truth. As for the conditioned truths, they are fully and genuinely distinguished as in the Hīnayāna tenets of those who are foolish regarding phenomena. If it is the Ekayāna truth, it is the ultimate of the distinct teaching; following the diverse names in a single world, there are forty hundred-thousand nayutas. In this manner throughout the ten directions, in accordance with how sentient beings should be subdued, it is spoken like this. The four truths mentioned above subsume the lower teachings; the sudden belongs to its upper portion as the fundamental teaching's doctrine, while the gradual follows its branch. The demarcation of the doctrinal principles should all be understood in accordance with the above.