[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [摩訶止觀](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911) › 6.166 # 摩訶止觀 6.166 摩訶止觀 6.166 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [6.166](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6.166) 別教若作二諦、三諦，皆元知中道。若作三諦，可解。若作二諦者，中道為真，有、無為俗。照此二諦從容中當名「中道」；二用無偏名「雙照」。雖作二名，中理亦顯。此理玄深，根鈍障重。如眼闇者，穿針不諦。云何穿針？為常理故，先破取相，慧眼見空；次破無知，法眼見假；進修中道，破一分無明，開一分佛眼，見一分中，方是真因。因果圓滿，乃名為佛。二諦非正意，故不名「因」。例如小乘方便伏惑不見真，不名「修道」。發見諦後，具真修道，始是真因；無學為真果。別教例爾，二觀既是方便，必須於中。雖復必須，要前二觀。二觀若未辦，亦不暇第三觀也。 > In the distinctive teaching, whether two truths or three truths are formulated, they originally know the middle way. If three truths are formulated, it is easily understood. If two truths are formulated, the middle way is the true, and existence and non-existence are the conventional. Illuminating these two truths with leisurely equilibrium is called the 'middle way'; the two functions being unskewed is called 'double illumination'. Although two designations are formulated, the principle of the middle is also revealed. This principle is profound and abstruse, while faculties are dull and obstacles are heavy. Like someone with dim vision who cannot thread a needle accurately. How does one thread a needle? For the sake of the eternal principle, one first destroys grasping at marks, seeing emptiness with the wisdom eye; next one destroys ignorance, seeing the provisional with the Dharma eye; advancing to cultivate the middle way, one destroys one part of avidyā and opens one part of the Buddha eye, seeing one part of the middle, which is only then the true cause. When cause and effect are fully complete, one is only then called a Buddha. The two truths are not the primary intent, and hence are not called the 'cause'. For example, in the Hinayāna, using expedients to subdue defilements without seeing the true is not called 'cultivating the path'. Only after giving rise to the vision of the truths, fully possessing genuine cultivation of the path, is it the true cause; the aśaikṣa is the true fruit. The distinctive teaching is analogously like this: since the two contemplations are expedients, the middle is mandatory. Although it is mandatory, it requires the preceding two contemplations. If the two contemplations are not yet accomplished, one also has no time for the third contemplation. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 6.165](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6.165) - [Next: 6.167](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6.167) - [Up: 6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911~en-mt.6.166) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6.166](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1911.6.166) · Pramāṇa