華嚴經內章門等雜孔目章 2.27

2.27

The four reliances are: first, sitting beneath a tree; second, always begging for food; third, rag robes; fourth, discarded medicine. 'Discarded' means: first, taking excrement as discarded; second, taking medicine discarded overnight as discarded. Question: What is the difference between these reliances and the dhūta practices? Answer: Their applications are each different. Dhūta is based on leaving afflictions behind; the four reliances rely on them to accomplish one's practice. There is this difference. This accords with the Triyāna and the Hīnayāna of those ignorant of phenomena. Practicing as described above accords with their teaching; if the mind clings to embellishments, it is a semblance, not the true practice. Practitioners who advance directly in the initial teaching of the Mahāyāna take that which is good within evil and discarded by others, and now cultivate eating it; furthermore, knowing it to be identical to emptiness, the evil of distinctive characteristics goes without saying. Those who have just redirected their minds rely on the phenomenal characteristics of the preceding four reliances and know that dharmas are identical to emptiness; this is called the four reliances. In the final teaching, the four reliances are that the characteristics of practice are identical to suchness, with nothing to be obtained; this is that upon which one relies, not meaning that there is an entity upon which one may rely; this is called the four reliances. As for the meaning in the Ekayāna, it takes the preceding meanings as skillful means. Furthermore, being designated by the Ekayāna teaching, they are simply the Ekayāna.