華嚴法界玄鏡 1.41

1.41

Commentary: This contemplation has three parts: stating, explaining, and concluding. Second, from "This means that form" downward is the explanation. In explaining the characteristic, it says, "being entirely emptiness that exhausts form." Some editions lack the three characters "that exhausts form" (jin se zhi), reading only "because it is entirely emptiness." This explanation also makes sense, because it is not contrasted with the text below, where the principle would not be fully manifest. Here we explain based on the edition that has them. However, "form" is a specific name among "existence"; comprehensively, there are only the two gates of emptiness and existence. Emptiness and existence each have two meanings: the two meanings of emptiness are empty and non-empty; the two meanings of existence are existent and non-existent. In emptiness, speaking of "empty" is because emptiness necessarily exhausts existence. Speaking of "non-empty" is because it also lacks the characteristic of emptiness, and furthermore it does not obstruct existence. In existence, speaking of "existent" is because existence necessarily exhausts emptiness. Speaking of "non-existent" is because the characteristic of existence is detached, and furthermore it does not obstruct emptiness. Now, in clarifying the non-obstruction of form and emptiness, it first clarifies that form does not obstruct emptiness, taking the meaning of exhausting form on the side of emptiness. Next, it clarifies that emptiness does not obstruct form, taking the meaning of exhausting emptiness on the side of form. Their mutual non-obstruction is precisely the meaning that the entire essence is wholly it. The meaning of being detached from the characteristics of emptiness and existence belongs to the fourth gate of total annihilation. Now, in the text, form and emptiness each have three phrases: the first phrase in each states non-obstruction, and the lower phrase brings out the characteristic of non-obstruction. In bringing out the characteristic in form, saying "while form is not exhausted, emptiness is manifest" is because form does not obstruct emptiness, and so form is not exhausted; this is precisely the emptiness that exhausts form, and therefore emptiness is manifest. In bringing out the characteristic in emptiness, saying "precisely while being emptiness, it is form, and emptiness is not concealed" is because emptiness does not obstruct form, and so emptiness is form; yet it is the emptiness that exhausts form, and therefore emptiness is not concealed. In terms of the general characteristic, it is merely that form in its entire essence is emptiness, so that form is not exhausted, and because it is emptiness, emptiness immediately appears. The same applies to emptiness: because emptiness in its entire essence is form, emptiness is form; since it is emptiness, emptiness is not concealed. If explained according to this, the meaning without the three characters would also make sense, but then the later phrase should omit the three characters "that exhausts emptiness"; here we follow the edition that has them. Third, from "Therefore" downward, it concludes by establishing non-obstruction; this also means that the preceding clarified that which is contemplated, while this directly clarifies the contemplator, hence it says "the bodhisattva sees form," and so forth.