華嚴一乘法界圖 1.54

1.54

Question: What is the difference between "cause and condition" (hetu-pratyaya) and "conditioned arising" (pratītyasamutpāda)? Answer: They are both different and the same. As for the sense of difference: "cause and condition" differs according to conventional meaning; that is, looking at causes and conditions in relation to each other manifests the meaning of lack of intrinsic nature (svabhāva), which is properly the substance of conventional truth. "Conditioned arising" accords with nature without differentiation; that is, mutual identity and mutual fusion manifesting the meaning of equality, properly according with the substance of ultimate truth. Because conventional truth lacks intrinsic nature, it accords with ultimate truth. Therefore a sūtra says: "Accordingly observing worldly truth, one immediately enters ultimate truth"; this is precisely it. The differentiated meaning is like this; the identical meaning is as explained previously by Nāgārjuna. Turning through [the gates] by taking up each individual coin in the gate of simultaneous completion and so forth can be understood by analogy. The ten gates are as stated above. Just as in the coins the first up to the tenth are different, yet their aspect of mutual identity and mutual entrance is unhindered; although there are many distinct gates such as cause and effect, principle and phenomenon, person and dharma, understanding and practice, teaching and meaning, primary and attendant, and so forth, yet following the statement of one gate, all are completely embraced. The remaining points can be inferred by analogy. The method of counting coins above provisionally relies on coins as conceptualized phenomena to demonstrate coins of dependent nature, causes and conditions, and conditioned arising. One can also rely on pointing [with the finger] to show that the arising of all dharmas is ultimately ungraspable. Grasping at conceptualized things and being confused about the dharma of conditioned arising shows an entirely different pedagogical application of the Dharma. The sūtra says: "The merit of a bodhisattva on first generating the mind cannot be exhausted in a single thought-moment"—this is like the first coin. Why? Because it manifests inexhaustibility according to one gate. "How much more so the merits of the immeasurable and boundless stages!"—this is like from the second coin onward. Why? Because it is spoken according to different gates. "At the moment of first generating the mind, one immediately achieves right awakening"—this is because one coin is immediately ten. Why? Because it is spoken according to the substance of practice.