華嚴法界玄鏡 1.25

1.25

The Commentary states: This also has statement, explanation, and conclusion. Within the explanation, two false attachments are eliminated: First, it eliminates excessive identity. Because hearing that form is empty, one does not understand emptiness of nature and immediately grasps the characteristics of form to be true emptiness; hence it must be eliminated. Therefore it says that the characteristics of blue and yellow are not the principle of true emptiness. This eliminates ordinary worldlings only, for the Hīnayāna does not reckon form to be identical to emptiness. Next, from "Yet, blue and yellow…" downward, it clarifies that neither is there an essence detached from characteristics; necessarily, blue and yellow having no essence is itself true emptiness. Due to this meaning, it seems to be a dual elimination, also eliminating the Hīnayāna. However, it adduces the Dharma to dually eliminate attachments; afterwards, clarifying that it is not detached is simply adducing the Dharma. Second, it also uses the above text to eliminate the attachment to emptiness as existence among the three types of confused thoughts on emptiness. They claim that there is a distinct entity that is the essence of emptiness; hence it is eliminated here. Thus the *Daśabhūmika-sūtra* states: "There is non-duality and non-exhaustion." This single line of scripture eliminates the three kinds of confused thoughts on emptiness: by "there is," it eliminates annihilationist emptiness; by "non-duality," it eliminates clarifying emptiness as different from form; by "non-exhaustion," it eliminates taking emptiness as existence, not meaning that there is an essence that is exhausted and extinguished. Here it corresponds to non-exhaustion: if emptiness were an entity, then it would have exhaustion and extinction; if it had exhaustion and extinction, then it would have arising. Now, the empty characteristic of dharmas neither arises nor ceases—how could it have existence? Hence the *Prajñā[pāramitā-sūtra]* states: "The empty characteristic of all dharmas neither arises nor ceases," and so forth. Furthermore, the characteristics of blue and yellow are not yet true emptiness—it must be without nature; how could emptiness be taken as existence? Third, from "Truly because…" downward concludes and confirms it. Adducing emptiness without essence, it concludes that it is not the characteristics of form, clarifying that emptiness is not existence—how could form be attained?