止觀輔行傳弘決 1.18

1.18

次「法門浩妙至藍而青」者，汎舉法喻，問上二途。人既分於事理因果，所證法體亦分二耶？浩者，水大貌。法既大妙，為事為理？「為天真獨朗」者，問無師法。「為從藍而青」者，問學成法。理非造作，故曰天真。證智圓明，故云獨朗。由師染習，故曰從藍；由學功遂，故曰而青。書云「青出於藍而青於藍，染使然也。」今引染義，非引勝藍。

Next, from "The Dharma gates are vast and wonderful" to "bluer than indigo": it broadly raises dharmas and analogies to question the two paths above. Since persons are divided into phenomenal and noumenal, cause and effect, is the realized essence of the Dharma also divided into two? Vast (hao) describes the appearance of vast waters. Since the Dharma is vast and wonderful, is it phenomenal or noumenal? "Is it naturally solitary and bright?" asks about the unmastered Dharma. "Does it come from indigo yet become bluer?" asks about the Dharma achieved through learning. The principle is not artificially produced, hence it is called "naturally" (heaven-real). The realized wisdom is perfectly bright, hence it says "solitary and bright". Conditioned by the master's permeation, it is said to "come from indigo"; because the effort of learning is fulfilled, it is said to "become blue". The secular book says: "Blue comes out of indigo and yet is bluer than indigo; it is dyeing that makes it so." Here it cites the meaning of dyeing, not that of surpassing indigo.